DIY: Easy Off The Shoulder Heart T-Shirt

Hey guys! So today I'm going to show you how to make an off the shoulder t-shirt with a heart cut into the back. It's definitely time to make up for the lack of clothing posts lately and this only takes like 10-15 minutes. So let's get started :-)!!!

Sorry the after is so dark - I had to take the picture on my phone.

Materials:

• Chalk
• Old Shirt
• Fabric Scissors 
• Cardboard
• Paper Clips

Step 1:
To begin cut the collar off of you shirt following the seam. After you've done that flip the shirt over and decide where you want the heart to be. After you've decided the placement slip the cardboard into the middle of the shirt and use your paper clips to keep it in place. Now that the cardboard is clipped in place draw the heart and the lines where you will cut onto the shirt like so:

Step 2:
Next you will cut across the lines that you drew in the heart. To do this use your scissors like a knife to start the cut (1) and once you have ripped the fabric cut across following the line (2). Do this for all of your lines and once they are all cut gently pull them to stretch the fabric (3) so that it won't look so rugged and so that it will roll in on itself to prevent tearing.

Step 3:
Now it's time to do the off the shoulder part. To do this first decide what shoulder you want the shirt to be off. Once you have that decided, cut straight down the shoulder of the shirt roughly 1-2 inches. (1) Then take this extra piece of fabric and cut down until you meet the collar of your shirt; (2) try to not cut it any deeper than it already is and then do the same thing on the back of the shirt.

That's it!! Now you're done, I hope you guys enjoyed the post! And by the way; this isn't my super cool shirt idea. That should be next week ;). By the way if you guys like my blog it would mean a lot if you could share it on any social media that you use so that more people can find my blog and hopefully read it. Don't forget to comment if you have any ideas for future posts! See you next Wednesday!!! :-)

DIY necessities

Hey guys! So I have a super cool idea for a shirt but no old shirts left to make it with. I'll be picking up more shirts this week though so you'll be seeing a cool up-cycled shirt post next Wednesday :-). I figured that instead of doing another cooking post I'd do a 'diy necessities' post so that you guys have access to a list of things that you need for most of the posts found here.

Things needed for most of my posts:

• Fabric paint
• Paint brushes (sponge and hair)
• Paper clips
• Cardboard
• Buckets (or laundry tubs)
• Fabric scissors
• Over sized t-shirts

This next list will be things that aren't necessarily important for my blog; but things that I find myself looking for whenever I want to try to do a diy that isn't something that I normally do.

Other necessities:

• String
• Wool
• Fabric glue
• Wood
• Acrylic paint
• Beads
• Dye for tie-dye
• Rubber bands
• Garbage bags
• Rubber gloves
• Lace fabric
• Wire
• Tissue paper

I'm sorry that this post was so boring but hopefully it will help anyone that is getting started off 'diy-ing'. If your new to the whole diy scene maybe you could even print this off and take it shopping with you. Don't worry, I have three super cool up-cycling posts that I'm planning on posting over the next few weeks and I can't wait!!!! If you have any suggestions for future posts don't forget to comment! :-)

DIY: Vegetarian Casserole

Hey guys! Today I figured that I would do a cooking post since 50% of the votes from last week's poll was for cooking/baking posts. What I am going to be making is a vegetarian casserole that I modified from this recipe. Lets get started!

Prep Time: 20 minutes Baking Time: 75-85 minutes Total Time: 95-105 minutes
(I know that's a lot of time but it's just soooo good!)

My casserole with cheese on part of it.
Did I mention it was delicious?!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups vegetable broth 
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice
• 1 1/2 cups onion diced
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano 
• 4 cups cauliflower diced
• 4 cups broccoli diced
• 2 cups red pepper diced
• 1 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Step 1:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees celsius. Combine vegetable broth, rice, 1 cup of onion, soy sauce, butter, oregano and garlic powder in a 3 qt casserole dish. Put the dish in the oven and cover it; letting it bake for 65-70 minutes or until the rice is tender. 

Step 2:

While the rice base is cooking; cut the cauliflower, broccoli, red pepper and carrots. After the vegetables are cut put 3 tbsps of olive oil into a large frying pan and begin to saute the vegetables until they are tender.

Step 3:

Once the rice is tender spoon the vegetables on top of it. Cover the casserole dish and put it back in the oven to bake for 10 minutes. Now if you would like add cheese to your casserole. You can always just put cheese on some sports and leave some spots without cheese. Voila. You're done!!! Enjoy your casserole.

I hope you guys enjoyed the post and also the casserole! Don't forget to comment if you have any suggestions for future posts. If you like this blog please share it on any social media that you use as it helps me out a lot :-) 

How To: Morning Runs

Hey guys! This is an extra post. Isn't that exciting?! This post is going to be about morning runs just to help anyone who is interested in starting to run in the morning. Maybe it will even help people that are new to running and want to get started. First I'm going to talk about what to eat before a morning run. Lets get started :-)


Short Runs:
Long Runs:

• 4-6 strawberries

• 1/2 banana

• Milk

• Water

• Coconut oil

• Honey

P.S. I am not a professional whatsoever and everything in this post is based solely on my own experience.
I hope you guys enjoyed this and I also hope that it helped someone! Come back Wednesday to see this week's post and don't forget to comment if you have any suggestions for future posts.

For the purpose of this I consider a short run anything under 4 km. Before a short run I will usually eat a banana, half a granola bar and 1-2 glasses of water. I advise eating as soon as you wake up so that you will have some time to digest before heading out for your run. Don't be afraid to eat a bit more than that if you're still hungry! Just listen to your body when deciding how much to eat and you should be fine.
I also advise not considering anything over 4 km a 'short run' ff you only eat a banana and half of a granola bar and run over 4 km you may 'hit the wall' very quickly, and it's not a good idea to run on an empty stomach. 

For the purpose of this I consider a long run 5-6 km. Before one of these runs I usually have a strawberry banana smoothie (the recipe for that will be below), 1-3 glasses of water and depending on how hungry I am I might have half of a granola bar as well. I haven't ran anything over 6 km after having this smoothie and I wouldn't advise anyone to try it. I am usually starting to feel pretty hungry and tired at the 6 km mark compared to when I run 6 km after already eating throughout the day.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie:
Ingredients:

Add 4 strawberries to the blender with half of a banana. Then add 1-2 tsps (or to taste) of coconut oil and honey.

The base is milk and water. I don't have any measurements for this base because I just eyeball it. The milk to water ratio is probably about 3/4 milk to 1/4 water. I add the water to the base because I find that it makes the smoothie a bit easier and quicker to digest.

 Blend this together and taste it. Add more strawberries and/or banana if needed.  I usually wait 20-30 minutes after having this smoothie before beginning my run.

Warm-up:
For my warm-up I usually just do some walking lunges and then begin my run at a very light jog so that my muscles are warmed and loosened before I am running at my normal pace.

Cool-down:
For my cool down I usually do a light jog/walk combination outside for 1-2 minutes. After that I always do this yoga routine that is designed for runners and it is absolutely amazing!!!

Post-run Breakfast:
After I go for a run in the morning I usually come home and have eggs, toast and fruit with water.

 If I just go for a short run and I'm not too hungry I usually have 1-2 pieces of toast with 1 egg and then some fruit and maybe some yogurt.

If I go for a long run (or even a short run and I'm just hungry) I have 2 pieces of toast, 2 eggs, some fruit and maybe yogurt as well as water.

*Note: When you're running with not much in your stomach (and any other time for that matter) please remember to listen to your body! If you're starting to feel too tired or extremely hungry just turn around. A good run isn't worth pushing yourself harder than you should and possibly hurting yourself.*



P.S.S. If you enjoyed this post or any posts on my blog; sharing it on any social media websites that you use would really help me out a lot. :-)

DIY: Easy Vest!

Hey guys! Today I'm going to show you how to make a super easy no-sew vest from an old t-shirt! This vest only took me five minutes (if that) and it looks super cute!!! So let's get started :-)

Materials:

• Fabric scissors

• Over sized t-shirt

Step 1:

Start off by laying your shirt out flat on your work space. Cut the collar off of the t-shirt (following the front seam so the cut is the same depth in the front and back). Then cut the sleeves off also following the seams. Try to cut smoothly so that you do not have jagged cut marks. By now your shirt should look like this:

Step 2:

Next you are going to cut along the seam on the side of the shirt right up to the armpit. You want to cut it all the way up. You don't want it to be attached anywhere along the side anymore.

That's it!!! Now you just have to pick your shirt up sideways so that the holes from the collar and arms are one big hole in the back.

To wear this vest you just put both of your arms through the big hole in the back. This is what the finished product looks like.

See?! Super easy and cute!!! It's also a perfect vest for Summer time. I hope you enjoyed this post! Keep checking my blog throughout the week because there may be an extra post!!! Don't forget to leave a comment if you have any suggestions for future posts. :-)

DIY: 5 Seconds of Summer Shirt

Hey guys! So today I am going to show you how to make your own 5sos (5 seconds of summer) band tee! If you haven't heard of them... Well go listen to them because I promise that you won't regret it! Just because I am creating a tutorial to make your own band tee or merch, that doesn't mean that I don't think you should go buy some anyways to support them! You can find their merch here :-). You can also go to their youtube to listen to their music! Anyways, enough about the band. Let's start the shirt!

Materials

• Old shirt

• Scissors

• Fabric paint

• Paint brushes

• Cardboard

• Paper clips

• Sharpie

• Ruler

To begin, cut the sleeves off so that it is a tank top. Cut the first sleeve as thick (on the shoulders) as you want and as deep (on the sides) as you want. I just eyeballed this, but after you cut the first sleeve; fold it over to use as an outline for the other sleeve.
Step 2: 
Take a ruler and approximately find the middle of the shirt. Once you found the middle, mark it with your sharpie. 
Next measure how high you want the middle of the shirt to come up. After that is done, draw a diagonal line from that point down to the edge on each side of the shirt. Then follow this line with your scissors; cutting the front and back of the shirt.

This is before I painted it; it is only outline of the logo.

This is before I painted it; it is only the outline.

Front

Back

Step 1:
We're going to begin with cutting the t-shirt. It's very similar to my tie dye tank top two weeks ago. Except the hem of  the shirt will come up in the middle. 

Next we are going to cut the collar. This is very simple since the collar was left fairly high. Cut the collar that is sewn onto the shirt off, following the stitching. Next cut the front of the collar down on both side about 2-3 inches; letting the sides meet in the middle in a shape that resembles a triangle. Just leave the back of the collar as it is. 

Now we are going to cut the hem of the shirt. I completely forgot to take pictures for this part, so you're going to have to bear with me trying to explain how to do it through typing. To begin, cut the hem that is already sewn onto the shirt off and cut it to the desired length (keeping in mind that the shirt will come up in the middle). I cut mine up higher than the shirt was originally; because mine was extremely long on me.



Step 3:
This is the fun part! Now you get to put the logo onto your shirt.  I created the circle on paper so that I could trace it onto the shirt. I also practice drawing the logo itself on a scrap piece of paper before I drew on the shirt. Once I had the circle traced onto my shirt and practiced drawing the logo enough I drew the logo onto the shirt freehand with a sharpie.

Then I flipped the shirt over and drew "Hemmo 1996" on the back sort of like a jersey. This was also freehand with a sharpie.

Step 4:
Once you have the outline of your logo and Hemmo 1996 on your shirt, it's time to begin painting! Slide a piece of cardboard into the middle of your shirt and secure it with paper clips so that your shirt stays still while you're painting.

Then pour some black fabric paint (or whatever colour you prefer) onto some cardboard. Take a small paint brush and trace the words so that it will be easier to paint without making a mess. Once you did that you can use a bigger paint brush or the same one you used to trace the words and finish filling everything in.

This is the finished product:


Keep in mind that by posting this I am not encouraging you to not support 5 seconds of summer by buying their merch. This is just a fun project that you can do to create a shirt of your own.

I hope you enjoyed this post! :-) Don't forget to go and check out their youtube channel!!! :-) 

P.S. There is a poll that will be up until next Wednesday and if you vote you have a say in what kind of posts I make in the future! :-)

DIY: cheap, easy at home spa night

Hey guys! So today I am going to show you how to treat yourself to a cheap and easy spa night at home. Do you ever have a long, stressful week and need to unwind on Sunday night? Well what better way to end a that week and start the new one off than by having a spa night at home? I'm going to show you an amazing chemical free moisturizing bath, face mask and lip scrub that you can make on your own with things found in your kitchen! Ready to get started?! I know I am!!

What you need:

• Coconut oil
• Baking soda
• A lemon or lemon juice
• Honey
• Brown Sugar
• A Banana

Coconut Oil and Baking Soda Bath
Moisturizes and clears away dirt/dead skin cells.

Materials: 

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 cup baking soda

While your tub is being filled add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and 1/2 a cup of baking soda. Your coconut oil can be solid or liquid, either works fine.

You can also have a bath with only the 1 tablespoon of coconut oil or only the 1/2 cup of baking soda. I just enjoy the combination of the two.

The benefits:
If you're wondering why on earth you would want to have a bath with coconut oil and baking soda here are your answers. Coconut oil is amazing for your skin. It is extremely hydrating; it naturally clears away dirt and dead skin cells and it also has antibacterial properties that kill harmful bacteria! It smells really good as well. This is probably my favourite part about the coconut oil because your skin smells nice once you get out of the bath but you didn't have to soak in any chemicals to get the nice coconuty smell. Ok... so now you know why you would want to have a bath with coconut oil; but why baking soda? Baking soda relieves irritated or itchy skin while moisturizing at the same time; it also has anti bacterial properties which is an added bonus.

Now just light some candles, get a good book and enjoy your bath. Maybe even get some ice water and a snack to make it even more enjoyable. :-)

Face Mask
Tightens, brightens and moisturizes your face. 
I found this face mask here.

Materials:

• 1 banana
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Take one ripe banana and mash it up in a bowl. After you have your banana mashed add one teaspoon of honey and one teaspoon of lemon juice. Once all of the ingredients are in the bowl mix them together thoroughly until you have a paste.

After you have a paste, apply the mixture to your face. You will want to have washed your face prior to applying the mask. Applying it after a bath or shower is ideal because your pores will be open and your skin is clean. You can apply it with an old makeup brush or your hands if you prefer. Just make sure that you apply it evenly and all over your face. Once it is on your face, leave it on for fifteen minutes and then wash it off using a warm facecloth.

The benefits:
The honey has skin lightening properties and it also kills bacteria, which then prevents acne. Lemon juice lightens the skin and can even out and lighten dark spots and acne blemishes. The banana fades dark spots and blemishes while smoothing out rough skin. The banana also moisturizes your skin and enhances the skin's UV protection. For a more thorough list of the benefits look at this website.

Lip Exfoliating Scrub
Moisturizes skin while clearing away dead skin cells.

Materials:

• Coconut Oil
• Honey
• Brown Sugar

Add some coconut oil and some honey to a bowl. I roughly added one small spoonful of each. Thoroughly mix together the coconut oil and honey.

Next add the brown sugar. I'm not sure how much I added because I just eyeballed it. 

Add some brown sugar and mix it in; then feel the mixture. You want to add enough so that it has a semi-rough texture but you don't want it to be so rough that it hurts your lips. I left mine fairly smooth because I wanted it to be more moisturizing than exfoliating. 

That's all! I hope you guys enjoyed this post and have a nice relaxing evening to end a busy week or even just to start the next week off nicely. Leave a comment if you have any suggestions for a future post. :-)