Attempts at Pinterest perfection

So, it's summer. I have no job, and nothing to do, so I sit on Pinterest. For hours on end. I'm almost ashamed of the fact (emphasis on the almost.) In all reality though, Pinterest can be really useful. I have gotten tons of free crochet patterns, and recipes that I think about trying and never actually do. Then, I have those days where I pin pictures of cats or videos of old Whose Line is it Anyway sketches, but I digress. I stumbled upon something the other day that I thought I could actually use in my life. One of the things I despise most about being a woman during warm weather seasons is shaving my legs. I just hate it. I shave, and then the next day I've already got prickly legs again, and my dark leg hairs are extremely noticeable so I absolutely CANNOT go without shaving. I think one of the biggest downsides of shaving is the fact that something so seemingly simple is EXPENSIVE. I mean, razors are not cheap, and I cannot use the cheap 2 blade razors, so I pay at least $5.00 for 3 or 4 disposable razors, and the ones with the replaceable blades seem like the better alternative, but they charge you upwards of $12.00 for 3 blades. I can think of better ways to spend that kind of money thank you very much. And then there is shaving cream. First of all, I always feel like I waste more shaving cream than I actually use, and it doesn't moisturize my legs at all, which left me with gross razor bumps and super dry and itchy, sore legs after shaving. But on Pinterest, I found this recipe for DIY shave lotion stuff, so I decided to give it a whirl. I used it tonight for the FIRST time, and I can honestly tell you I will never buy a bottle of shaving cream again in my life. First of all, I have never gotten a closer shave than I have using this homemade stuff, and my legs are super smooth and shiny. This stuff rocks. I only made a half of a batch tonight because I wasn't sure if I would like it, but when this batch is gone I am going to make a big batch. [The measurements in my post are the FULL batch, so the pictures will seem misleading because I only made a full batch, but you get the drift.) The best part of this stuff is IT'S SUPER CHEAP TO MAKE. Recipes follows (with pictures, I am turning into a blogging pro :P)

Start with conditioner. 1 cup. I used 94 cent Walmart brand conditioner. Any scent you choose will do
.

Then you add 1 cup of shampoo. Again, I used 94 cent Walmart brand shampoo that was the same scent as my conditioner. (In my case it was Juicy Green Apple)

Then you add 5 tablespoons each of lotion and baby oil. You can use any lotion you like. I used baby lotion because it is what I happened to have. This would be a great way to use up any  lotion you have left over from your last spree at Bath and Body Works. If baby oil is not something you keep on hand, you can buy a travel sized bottle for $1.97 that has just the right amount in it.

Then you mix your goo together, and let it sit for one hour before using.

Now, this stuff is EXTREMELY RUNNY. Do not let it fool you! I was concerned that I had not added enough of something, but when you put it on your skin, it coats and stays on your skin, and gets a nice lather type thing, so the fact that it has a consistency of water is nothing to be alarmed about.

So yeah, this stuff absolutely rocks. If you despise shaving as much as I do, I think making this shave lotion stuff will make you despise it a little less, even if it's just because you won't have gross razor  bump covered dry legs after using regular shaving cream.

Happy Shaving! And score one for Pinterest for a project that actually turned out and was useful!! :D

Summer hookin'

Anyone who knows my mother knows that she has been crocheting for probably as long as she's been alive (well maybe not quite that long but pretty close.) She taught me how to crochet when I was home over winter break, and ever since then I haven't really been able to stop. I'm nowhere near as good as her by any means, but the ability to finally read a pattern helps when it comes to actually making things. I've made simple things to start with, a scarf, headbands, a couple of slouchy hats, easy stuff. So far this summer, I have completed two more complex projects that I will share with you all. Lucky ducks you are!

Here's the first project, I think I started it on a Saturday or Sunday evening and had it finished by the Thursday or Friday of that same week, so not too complex.

The pattern for this scarf can be found at: http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/crocheting/accessory/alana-lacy-scarf-free-crochet-pattern/54402?_ct=fhevybu-fqjjuhdbyrhqho-jyjbu&_ctp=54402

It calls for cotton yarn, but you would probably be fine with a finer yarn. You could also make it without the tassels if that's what makes you HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY (had to throw a Duck Dynasty reference in here somewhere)

When making this pattern, I found it helpful to write out the instructions for each row so I could cross them out when I finished them. That helps me, and I think part of that has to do with the fact that I am still a beginner. It's a simple pattern however, because it repeats a lot.

Okay, enough about the scarf. Here's the next project. This one took me probably about a week or so when all was said and done.

The pattern for this hat is available at: http://cre8tioncrochet.com/2013/03/crochet-hipster-hat/

I honestly only picked this pattern because it was called a hipster hat, and I thought it looked sweet. I'm a fan of hats for when I'm having a bad hair, or when I'm just too lazy to straighten my hair. 

This pattern is somewhat difficult if you are not careful. I actually had to rip this out and start again because I got mixed up. It is crucial that you COUNT after you complete every round to make sure that you have the correct number of stitches in each row, otherwise your next rows will not work out. 

I actually printed this pattern out and used scrapbook sleeves and a dry erase marker to cross out the rows I had already completed. It was especially helpful for the decreasing rows. Again, that is just how I like to do it. There is a pattern for a little bow that you could attach to the hat if you desire, but I think I will omit that on this hat.

I've started on a larger crochet project endeavor: the "Mile a Minute" afghan. We'll see how that goes....

So, for all you crochet people out there, happy hooking, and for those who don't crochet, thanks for reading anyway :)

Weird looks from the librarian

I've always loved to read, and summer is the time I love the most because I have bountiful amounts of time to lay down and read a book cover to cover. I have a varied taste in books, I read a little bit of everything (except super fantasy stuff or science fiction, ain't nobody got time for that!) I recently decided (as in about 3:00 this afternoon) that I was going to dig a trench in my personal reading quest and read a bunch of classic novels by great authors. I'm talking Steinbeck. Dickens. Austen. The Bronte sisters. The whole shebang. Of course, to counteract these heavy classic novels, I also need some fun, young adult novels. I cannot explain why, but I have recently gotten hooked into a young adult series entitled "Private" by Kate Brian. Set in a posh New England academy type high school with rich girls, one scholarship student pushing her way to the top, and sex, booze, and rock and roll (okay, I was kidding about the rock and roll, but there is drug use, so in an indirect way I guess it could be rock and roll, but I digress), this book literally SCREAMS teeny bopper thirteen year old who is trying to pretend she is a lot older than she really is. I'm almost ashamed to admit that I have the first 6 books in less than a week, just like I'm ashamed to admit that I've read all the Gossip Girl novels and the Twilight novels multiple times. I mean, I am supposed to be a SMART girl who thrives for literature, and last time I checked, Stephanie Meyer or Gossip Girl were not on the lists of Great American novels, but again I digress. But whatever the circumstances are, I cannot stop reading these books. So today, I went to the library after getting home from babysitting to check out some new books since I had finished all the other ones I checked out late last week. I ran (figuratively) to check out the next 6 books in the Private series (just reading this is pathetic :P), perused the young adult section and found a few books, and then went for the classics. Let me tell you, I have never gotten a look as weird as I did today from the library when she saw my pile that contained 6 of those teeny bopper novels, East of Eden by Steinbeck, Oliver Twist by Dickens, Dr. Zhivago, and two pathetic young adult books.

First year of college

As of about 2:00 on Wednesday, I was done with my first year of college. It's scary how fast that year flew by, and what's even scarier is that I know the next three are going to fly by even faster. I had lots of good and bad experiences, but I feel like every freshman college student, and just college students in general are going to have those. I made some friends, lost some friends, made some new friends, lost some friends. I don't think the losing friends had anything to really do with the people necessarily, it was just that we all come from completely different lives. I ended up moving home about halfway through the second semester because my dorm room was just associated with stress. I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't get anything done. I figured that I needed to move home the night I called my mom after I had been crying for 2 and 1/2 hours about my so called friends ignoring me and then trying to act like it was my fault. Things improved 100 times after I moved home. My appetite was back, I was getting sleep, and I got stuff done. Definitely one of the  best decisions I made this year if not my whole life.
The academic side of things was a challenge, yet interesting at the same time. I managed to pull all A's my first semester for a 4.0. I was really stoked about that! This semester, I ended up with a B- in Chemistry, a B+ in Communications, A's in my music classes, and an unknown grade as of right now in my History class. People tell me I need to relax about getting B's  but they seem to forget I had ONE B in 4 semesters of high school, and I have very high expectations for myself (aka A's) but my parents have still ensured me that they are proud of me even if I got those two B's so that is what really matters. The academics tended to be very stressful at times, and I didn't think I was even going to get B's I was struggling so  badly. But, my faith was proven after receiving an A in a 300 level (think Junior status) Philosophy course 1st semester, and after receiving an email from my history professor this morning that told me I did a good job this semester (also in a 300 level course). I managed to get through all those days when I threatened Jerry Bertrand that I was going to go to the registrar's office and change my major to anything but music education. I always laugh because when I would threaten to do that, Jerry would just look at me and ask what I was going to change to, and I couldn't  give him an answer because there isn't anything I really see myself doing for the rest of my life besides teaching music. I freaked out that I was going to fail my finals earlier this week, and even threw my studying materials across the room at one point, only to leave the test room feeling very confident in my performances. All these things have led me to the conclusion that I get too worked up about things that I shouldn't get worked up about. I know that I work really damn hard to  get the grades I get, and it's evident that my professor's see that also. On a sidebar, if my mother is reading this right now, she is probably laughing, because she has been telling me my whole life that I worry too much about things that I shouldn't worry about or can't control, so, MOM, YOU WERE RIGHT.
College so far has taught me a lot about myself. I met people with lives that are extremely different than mine, both in seemingly better and worse ways (but mostly better). I wouldn't change my life for anything though because I can have the good feeling that I am not a spoiled brat who is used to getting whatever they want like SOME people I met at BVU. I know the value of hard work and I am willing to stress out, cry, throw notes, punch things, etc to make sure I pull good grades and do as well as I know I can!
Well, summer. It's so strange from going to having tons of homework and studying to having nothing to do. I've done some stuff around the house to help Mom out, and yesterday I did a major cleaning and organizing of my bedroom. We are redoing the spare bedroom this summer and turning it into a study den for me to use in the fall. I've got a babysitting job all next week, and hopefully one the next week for the rest of the summer. I'm playing in Muni Band, and in the pit orchestra for the musical in Cherokee. I plan on reading a lot, spending as much time outside as I can, crocheting a lot, playing my horn, and just enjoying time to do things that I love. I'm also on the Orientation team at school, so I get to help welcome the new class of freshman and get them excited to start their college careers at BVU.
So, I say deuces, freshman year of college. I learned a lot, I cried a lot, I ate a lot, I studied a lot (but mostly learned and ate) :). I cannot wait to see what next year has in store for me (you can probably bet notes will get thrown across the room on at least one occasion though) ;)