Adieu Blackheads

Blackheads are a skin condition that plagues virtually every person.  I feel it’s safe to assume that most people have searched high and low for that ‘magic solution’ for becoming blackhead free which is something that I have done myself.

While we all know there is no fool proof method for ridding ourselves of these unsightly blemishes, we can somewhat battle them with the right products.

Being an avid Pinner I often see DIY posts for beauty concoctions. One of the recent posts that caught my eye boosted such claims of waging war against the enemies known as ‘blackheads’.  The post was linked to 'Bye-Bye Blackheads' which listed the ingredients, brief instructions and the fellow blogger seemed pleased with the outcome yet indicated that some tweaks could be made if the product proved to be too harsh for the readers skin.  I browsed the comments left by previous readers and decided that this might be worth a shot!

 

The ingredients required are more than likely already in your kitchen which is always a bonus because who really wants to add more strain to their pocketbook?

'Memory Terrarium' DIY

Since moving to Southern California I have been fortunate enough to become friends with a handful of ladies whose husbands are in the military. While these friendships have not only allowed me to meet people from all walks of life but it has also permitted me an inside look at just how much these families sacrifice. 

One of the ladies that I felt very much connected to and had developed a friendship with, told me that when her husband came back from his most recent deployment they would be moving to Virginia. I knew that I would miss the puppy play dates and massive amounts of frozen yogurt we had been known to enjoy.  Even more than the laughs and days spent at the local dog beaches, I knew I would miss her company and her friendship.

As her farewell lunch date crept closer I began to think of some small token that she could take with her as she began this new chapter in her life. I wanted her to be able to reflect back on the years that she and her husband had lived here and remember the beauty of San Diego and to be reminded of the people she had befriended.

I decided to make a terrarium of sorts using elements that remind me of life in San Diego and would also represent memories that she and I have created with our pups. 

DIY Gel Air Freshners

With Christmas right around the corner I have decided to run a few 'test DIY crafts' in advance this year. I am crossing my fingers that I will stumble across something cheap, fast and thoughtful. While pinning on my Pinterest account I saw this DIY for making Gel Air Fresheners and thought that I should give it the college try. 

The very simple ingredients

DIY Inexpensive light tent

We have all seen what the results of using a light tent while photographing an object can look like, even if we were not aware that was indeed what we were being shown. The objects displayed in the images appear to be completely without shadows or reflections. This is made possible when a light tent is implemented by the photographer. 

A light tent is composed of a translucent material hung around a frame. The translucent material diffuses the light coming from outside the tent and this limits the amount of reflection. This makes photographing highly reflective objects,  like jewelry or glassware,  much easier and effective. Likewise, the objects appear to be bathed in a soft glow that is evenly distributed. 

After a quick internet search I was able to find light tents listed for purchase.  Light tents have a vast price range with the least being shown for $13.50 and the most costly listed for $10,000. Yet with the times being as tough as they have been on everyone's pocket book I wanted to share a low-cost and fun DIY process for making your very own light tent. 

A fellow craft-addict and close friend of mine brought this project to my attention as we are both just getting our blog-feet wet and we decided to give this a shot and see if it was worth re-sharing. Needless to say we were pretty excited once we tested the tents and saw that they were indeed able to produce high quality photos.