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 :)