make a storage basket out of old magazines

To make these, cut about 10 magazine pages into 2.5" strips vertically.

 Fold the newspaper pieces in half lengthwise, then again lengthwise into quarters, then into eighths, so you have some sturdy strips.

 If you want to use fewer, wider strips, use the whole page.

Obviously you can adjust the size of your strips.

Start weaving from the center outward.

Use staples (or glue dots, double-sided tape, hot glue gun etc.) where needed to secure your pieces, especially on the first few strips you put together.

You can remove the staples after the basket is finished if you think they're too hideous to bear.

When you decide the bottom is big enough fold your exposed strips upward at a 90º angle to form the sides.

Start weaving in horizontal strips to fill in the sides, securing the ends with staples as you go.

When you reach the top, fold the vertical strips over to the inside and secure them, or cut them off.

 staple another strip around the circumference of the top, fold over the rim, to hide the ugly ends.

You could use glue or double-sided tape for this if you don't want to see staples.

Homemade citrus fruit candle

Here's what you'll need:
Organic citrus fruits like lemons and oranges
Small knife
Spoon
Needle
Wick material
Beeswax
Cooking pot
Tin can
An essential oil

Method:

1. Cut the fruit in half and scoop out all of the pulp evenly.
   
2. Carve out a small hole, whatever shape that you like, in the middle of the lid (the top part of the citrus peel).
   
   
3. Use a needle to thread the wick through on the bottom so that you do not create too large of a hole.
   
   
   
4. Tie the end of the wick off with a tiny knot.
   
   
   
5. Melt the beeswax using a double boiler. Make the double boiler with the cooking pot on the outside and the tin can on the inside, pouring the water in the cooking pot.
   
   
   
6. Once the wax has melted, pour the wax in the citrus bowl that you just made, holding the wick straight up.
   
   
   
7. Add a drop of essential oil.
   
   
   
8. Let the candle set and then place the lid back on top.

decorative potpourri light jar!

YOU WILL NEED:

1 qt. canning jar, 1 string of 20 lights, 1 bag of potpourri
(or for a larger one - 2 qt jar, 1 string of 50 lights, 1 bag potpouri.) 

You can also use a 'rose bowl' and 20 lights

1 crocheted doily--8", rubber band and ribbon.
Layer some of the lights inside your jar, then some potpourri, more lights, potpourri.

 Continue layering to the top of the jar.

 Leave the plug hanging out and add the doily to cover the top.

  Place a rubber band to secure the doily.

Tie a ribbon around the lid.

When you plug it in, the light warms the potpourri and it smells great!

MAKE IT YOUR OWN:

-- YOU CAN USE ANY COLOR LIGHTS THAT YOU WANT TO USE. YOU CAN EVEN USE MULTI COLORED LIGHTS.

-- YOU CAN USE ANY KID OF JAR, OR VASE THAT YOU WANT TO USE AS WELL.

-- INSTEAD OF USING POTPOURRI, YOU CAN USE SEASHELLS, CRYSTALS, ROCKS, ETC.

-- TO SPICE UP THE LOOK OF YOUR POTPOURRI YOU CAN ADD GLITTER TO IT OR YOU CAN ADD OTHER THINGS IN WITH THE POTPOURRI.

EXAMPLES OF WHAT IT SHOULD LOOK LIKE....

home-made sun jar!!

You will need:

A Solar Light (choose your color)

 a jar with a glass lid

  glass frosting spray

adhesive (clear silicone adhesive)

a utility knife

some painter's or masking tape

newspaper is used in the painting process

TIPS:

Frosting the jar helps diffuse the light and gives a nice glow to the entire jar, but it unnecessary to take apart the jar and frost the outside.

For much less time, make a newspaper mask and spray the inside of the jar instead. As an added benefit, you will not have to worry about paint scratching or flaking as it is moved around.

PAINTING: 

(IF YOU HAVE A FROSTED JAR YOU CAN SKIP THIS PART *SEE ASSEMBLING*)

 1. Place a quarter sheet of newspaper snugly over the mouth of the jar to create an impression

2. cut around the inside of the mouth using a utility knife.

3. Once your hole is cut, attach the newspaper with painter's or masking tape.

4. Place your jar (or jars) in a shady location for painting.

Be sure and thoroughly shake the can before using. This will mix the paint so you get more even coverage.

Hold the can upright or at a slight angle at the recommended distance from your jars.

Keep the can moving slowly but continuously. If you stop at any point, you'll get gloppy paint; and ideally, you want a light, even coat. If you need to add more paint later, you can--but it's hard to fix a dripping finish.

The frosting spray goes on nearly invisible, so keep a light hand. you only need two to three light coats to thoroughly frost the insides of these jar.

ASSEMBLING:

These solar lights simply unscrew from their plastic bulb. The entire solar unit is self-contained and can be used without further disassembly.

Be sure to remove the plastic covering from the solar cell, add your silicone adhesive if necessary, and fit the unit into the lid.

Note: it's a good idea to test the fit before using adhesive because you may not need it. It is better to have a clean look without any adhesive showing through the top of the glass.

You are using the adhesive to hold the top of the solar light on the jar lid so that you can charge the solar light.

Run a bead of clear silicone adhesive around the edge to secure the solar unit. You can smooth it out with your finger for a cleaner appearance.

Place the solar light into your jar

Your jar is finished!

Just remove the strip of paper that prevents battery contact, close the jar, and place it outside in full sun. It will glow most of the night after charging.

 YOUR SUN JAR WILL LOOK LIKE THIS:

ANOTHER WAY THAT YOU CAN DO YOUR SUN JAR:

--Instead of having to frost your jar you can buy a frosted jar OR you can put in clear glass stones instead of the tracing paper or glass frosting!

Here is what a sun jar with the clear glass stones would look like:

how to: water marble nail art

Fill a shallow, wide-mouthed cup or bowl about 90% full with water.

Add desired colors of paint to the water. Have your paints open and ready to go, as they will harden quickly on the surface of the water. Drop a drop or two of the colors you want to use on top of the water. A high-quality nail polish works best for this method.

Create the marbled design in the water. Repeatedly drag a pin or toothpick through the the surface.

Use a cotton swab to remove the excess polish from the surface while your nail is still submerged in the water.

Remove nail from water and use a cotton swab (with acetone if necessary), to clean up the edges and remove polish from the finger.

Your design will depend upon the colors you use as well as the design that you create with the polish.

TIP:

you can use tape around your finger and nail to keep the nail polish from getting on your fingers :)  this makes clean-up easier.

Using white as a base coat will make your colors pop. TRY IT!! :)

FOR VIDEO TUTORIALS:

Go to--  www.youtube.com

In the search bar type in--  water marble nail art tutorial

Then watch! and Try it!!

Here are a few water marble nail designs after they were finished..

how to: eyebrows

Hold a straight edge, such as an eyebrow pencil or a ruler, vertically in front of your face.(see A in chart). Line it up so that it touches the outermost of your nose and the inside of your eye. This line will determine where your eyebrow should start. Mark that spot with an eyebrow pencil. Repeat for the other eye.

 

Angle the straight edge so that it lines up with the outermost edge of your nose and the outermost edge of your iris. (see B in chart). It's very important that you look straight ahead--both your face and your eyes should be looking directly forward at the mirror. Wherever the line intersects your eyebrow is where the peak of your arch should begin at the top border of the eyebrow. Mark that spot with your eyebrow pencil. Repeat for the other eye

 

Angle the straight edge further so that it touches the outermost edge of your nose and also passes along the outermost edge of your eye. (see C in chart ).This tells you where the eyebrow should end. Mark this point with your eyebrow pencil. Repeat with the other eye.

 

Next, cleanse your skin and brush brows up and out.

 

You should be near an open window or under a bright light with a good mirror (i find that magnified mirrors work best)

 

(You will need slanted tweezers for this next step.)

 

Make sure to pluck hairs in the direction they grow. Don't grab too many hairs at a time. You can hold skin tight as you pluck.

 

It's a myth that brows should never be tweezed from above. You want both the bottoms and tops to be smooth. So be careful, but tweeze the top AND the bottom.

 

Stop every few hairs to step back and look at the job you're doing. Don't overpluck!!! Unlike most hairs on your body, your brows won't always grow back once they're yanked.

 

TIPS:

If your brows are sparse or spotty, you can fill them in by pressing a brown shadow into your brow. Chanel's Perfect Brow Compact is the ultimate brow shadow. It's expensive, but worth the price.

 

If you use a pencil to fill in sparse brows, apply with short, feathered strokes from the outside of the brow in. Then carefully rub brows with a brush or your fingertips to soften the effect.

 

Brow gel helps keep your brows in place all day.

how to: smokey eyes

Smoke It

First start with a clean, bare eye. To begin, apply the lighter shade as your base lid color.  Then using a Angled Definer Brush, apply a few coats of the darkest color from the outer corner to the middle of your lid. Now define your eye by outlining the same dark shadow on your upper and lower lash line. Blend.

Lengthen

Add drama and finish our smoky eye with mascara. Lightly apply from root to tip on your bottom and top lashes. Continue building lashes until you reach your desired look. Do not let dry between coats.

Finish It

A nude lip is the perfect complement to such a dramatic eye. Apply lipcolor directly from tube by dotting on color to the center of your lips. Then lightly blend by dabbing your fingertip from the center to the outer corners.

TIP: To prevent color from fading or creasing and give your lids a more shimmery finish, pat a cream shadow over the concealer on your lid first, wait five minutes, then top with a matching powder shadow.

HERE ARE A FEW PICTURES FOR YOU TO LOOK AT TO GET AN IDEA OF WHAT YOUR SMOKEY EYE SHOULD LOOK LIKE AFTER YOU ARE FINISHED..  :)

nail designs and nail polish colors that i like...

MY FAVORITE SUMMER COLORS:

I MOSTLY LIKE TO WEAR HOTPINK POLISH DURING THE SUMMER BUT I DO SWITCH IT UP!

MY FAVORITE SPRING COLORS:

I LIKE NUDES AND PASTELS FOR SPRING

A FEW OF THE NAIL DESIGNS THAT IM LIKING :)

THESE ARE REALLY THE ONLY ONES THAT I HAVE TRIED SO FAR..

note: these are not my pictures..

these pictures are from google search..

eye makeup tips-- for YOUR eyes!!

NOTE: Eye shadow is meant to highlight and define the eyes. Eye shadow is employed to create depth to bring out the beauty of the eyes. A dark color used on the lid will make the attention appear smaller, whereas a lighter color can create it appear larger. That’s what eye shadow is regarding creating illusions. These are the basic techniques for the following eye shapes:

Little eyes: Don’t use an excessive amount of shadow or liner – it can make you eyes look smaller. Apply a light-weight color on eyelid, use a darker color in the crease and use a highlighter underneath the brow.

Giant eyes: Wear darker shadow on the lid and extend it to the crease. Use a flat color underneath the brow to highlight.

Deep-set eyes: Use light colours on the eyelid and beneath the brow. Use a medium color within the crease. Emphasize the outer corners with shadow.

Wide-set eyes: Use darker colors on the inner corners of the eye.

Hooded eyes: Apply lightweight colors on the lid. Use darker colors from the middle of the eyelid to the outer corners and blend.

Round eyes: Create round eyes longer by using color all around and extending toward the outer corners.

Asian eyes: Apply highlighter below the brow. Use light-weight shadow on the inner of the lid and a darker color on the outer half.

TIPS:
1. Lightweight colors cause the eyes to open, dark colors can cause the eyes to recede
2. If you’ve got very light skin avoid dark shades
3. Be careful with shimmer – they can bring attention to imperfections and wrinkles.
4. The eye area is can show age, don’t tug on the skin.

concealer tips :)

CONCEALERS

Concealers come in shades to match every skin tone. These diminish the presence op pimples, marks and dark circles under the eyes. Concealers may be liquid, cream or solid (stick). Moisturize your face first for easier application.
To prevent concealer from setting into fine lines, wipe away excess. Blot with a tissue for matte finish.
Whether you are fair or dark, your concealer should also have yellow tones.
Don't use a concealer that's white or more than one shade lighter than your skin tone. Apply before foundation. Set the concealer with powder.

USE OF UNDER-EYE CONCEALERS:

Concealers are applied to cover dark circles around the eyes, thereby greatly enhancing the appearance of the face.They are matched to the skin tone and are applied before using the harmony foundation.When any product is applied around the eyes, special care must be taken so that the skin is not stretched.Instead of applying the cream from the inside corner of the eye to the outside it should be dabbed on the skin and then gently blended with the finger tips moving from the outside corner to the inside corner.This procedure will not pull the skin.After the product has dried, more can be applied to build up the desired opacity.To remove, use a cosmetic cleanser, instead of vigorously rubbing the skin with soap and water.

HOW TO APPLY CONCEALERS

1. In applying concealers, using the right makeup techniques is important. Concealers are of a denser composition than regular foundations and are generally available in sticks, tubes, pots, and creams. Concealers can be used to cover blemishes, dark spots, ruddy areas, marks, veins, freckles or under eye circles.
2. Your concealer should be one shade lighter than your foundation (and only in extreme cases should you use a concealer two shades lighter).
3. Using a concealer that is too light or too pink will give the appearance of `owl eyes'. In other words, it will emphasize the dark area instead of concealing it.
4. Apply concealer with a small fine tipped brush for an accurate application. As with any other application, blending is the key.
5. Always set your concealer with a sheer, translucent powder to prevent creasing.

TIP: Be sure to cover the inside of the nose bridge and the outer corner of your eye where we tend to get dark areas.

2011 nail polish trends

Here are some of the 2011 nail polish trends. :)

Nudes, Pale blues, Peachy pinks, Lavender, Grays, popular top coats..

NUDES:

Deborah Lippmann Nail Polish in Naked

Essie Nail Polish in Sand Tropez

PALE BLUES:

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Barracuda  and  Priti NYC in Forget Me Not

PEACHY PINKS:

Dior Nail Vernis in Pink Boa

Priti NYC Nail Polish in September Charm

LAVENDERS:

Estee Lauder Pure Color Nail Lacquer in Violet Diva

Priti NYC Nail Polish in Geisha Girl

GRAYS:

 Chanel Le Vernis in Black Pearl

M.A.C. Champale Nail Polish in Very Important Platinum

TOPCOATS:

Chanel Pearl Drop

CND Copper Shimmer

CND Perfectly Barely Shimmer

OPI Topcoat in Shatter