Daenerys Targaryen Costume: Khaleesi

Winter is Coming. 

So I decided to be an over achiever and make a Khaleesi costume from scratch for Halloween this year. It was not an easy task, and not cheap. First, I could not find a single person in the Los Angeles area that owned a sewing machine that I could borrow. So, I ended up buying a Brother CS6000i sewing machine from Amazon. It was originally about $450 and I got it for $150 because apparently September is "sewing month." Who Knew?!

After I finally got the machine to help us create this glorious costume, Kathryn Begle, who was the brains behind this operation, and I went to Jo-Ann Fabrics to buy all the fabrics, muslin and thread we needed. Luckily, Kathryn already owned an impressive sewing kit with pins, needles, seam ripper, etc. The picture above shows the sewing machine I bought, the burlap fabric for the top and front section of the skirt, the tan fabric for the main part of the skirt, a light fabric for the top of the skirt and a small piece of dark brown fabric I used for the gloves.

For the top, I bought a cheap strapless bra and Kathryn sewed the burlap fabric to it so I would have some structure to it. I braided strips of the burlap and used that as the lining at the top and for the strap to go around my neck. I had 2 layers of burlap sewed onto the front part and cut them unevenly into a V shape to look similar to Khaleesi's outfit. I used this website: http://screencapped.net/tv/gameofthrones/ to find screen captured shots of Khaleesi wearing different outfits and from different angles. These were my main inspirations.

The Top

 

The Skirt

 

Pants

From Macy's

 

Gloves

I distressed the burlap using a seam ripper. I would randomly cut parts and pull out the burlap to make it look snagged and worn. I tried using make up to give the dirty look to my skirt, but it clearly looked like make up smeared on it. So, I went outside and put dirt in a cup and got it damp and whipped or dabbed it onto my skirt to make it look dirty.
I went all out and made the gloves that Khaleesi wears, like once, in the show. I used snaps on one side of the gloves to make them fit around my wrists.

The Wig was by far the most expensive part of the entire costume. I reallllly wanted to make my own hair white, because I knew it would have looked way better. I tried using soft chalk, but it didn't really show up on my hair. I also tried using white hair spray, but it just made it look gray and sticky. So, I knew I would end up having to buy a wig, sadly.

I went to Hollywood Wigs off Hollywood Blvd after reading great reviews on Yelp. (I have also written one myself). The lady there, Christine, knows her stuff and was very helpful. I was able to email her pictures of Khaleesi's wig and hairstyle. She was able to style it by putting in 2 braids for me and loose curls. I thought it looked great from the back, but kinda mullet-like / old fashioned judge-like from the front.

I even had a baby dragon! =)

My Washi Tape Wall

Hi again!

Remember I said I'd have another project to post using Washi Tape? This is it!

What is Washi Tape, you ask? (I didn't know either...until recently).

Washi 和紙 is a style of Japanese paper tape that started in Japan, but manufacturing has now spread throughout the world. Washi comes from wa meaning Japanese and shi meaning paper, and the term is used to describe paper made in the traditional manner, regardless of where it’s manufactured.

It is really growing in popularity. Washi tape comes in so many colors and patterns. I bought a Washi Tape Pack from Cutetape.com. Also, Etsy.com has many shops selling Washi Tape as well. You can use Washi tape for decorating just about anything because, like masking tape, it is not permanent. Many people use it for wrapping presents as well.

 

I bought the Classiky Washi Tape 12 pack because I loved the variety of colors. I found inspiration to use it on my wall from this lady's blog: annkelle.com. I love her site! It's so bright and colorful...which is right up my alley.

Like her, I did not plan out the color order. I liked the randomized colors. She also pointed out that washi Tape is very forgiving. So true. It stays sticky even if you have to peel it off a few times to get it straight. It isn't rip-able like regular masking tape. I used scissors to cut the ends. 

I love how my wall turned out! It brings a splash of color to my room without the commitment of paint.  It's a great way of decorating an apartment! I'm already planning on using my Washi tape in other parts of my apartment, if my roommate gives me permission. ;)

Masking Tape Makeover

Ello Govena'! 

Once again I have to thank Pinterest for inspiring this project of mine. I never thought of using Masking Tape as form of decoration until I found this pin: 23 Ideas For Apartment Decorating. Scroll down and you'll see the kitchen decorated with black tribal looking designs. I thought this was an amazing idea. It's cheap and not permanent. You can easily remove it when you move out of your apartment.

My roommate and I are always looking for ways to bring life to our very bland, neutral, blah colored apartment. I thought, using colorful masking tape would be a great way to bring a splash of color to our kitchen area. I used 5 different colors of Scotch Expressions Masking Tape, and regular blue painters masking tape. I had to go to a few different stores (Staples, Micheals, Office Max, Home Depot) to find different colors. It seems to becoming more popular and Scotch has now made many different colors and patterns of Washi Tape. (I recently ordered a pack of Washi Tape on Cutetape for a future project to do in my room. =D Stay Tuned)!


This was my Summer project that I finally finished today! It was a slow process because I kept running out of pattern ideas! I had to look at magazines and on Pinterest for inspiration.

 I decided to get fancy with one of the cabinets and created a beach picture. It was very time consuming. I spent many hours sitting on the couch watching Netflix cutting masking tape into these designs. I thought they turned out really well!

So far everyone who has seen my kitchen in person loves it! I'm so happy it's finally finished! Hope this has inspired you and your next project.

Be seeing you,

Life is a bold adventure

I celebrated my "2 year in LA" on June 21, 2013. It's been the fastest 2 years of my entire life! A lot has happened since I moved here. I feel like I have been accomplishing a great deal recently which reminded me of the Bucket List I made for myself.

On November 10th, 2011 I wrote a blog titled, "Things to do." I recently went back to that list to see what I wrote almost 2 years ago. I was very surprised on all the goals I had actually accomplished since then!

UPDATED LIST:

1. LEARN TO SURF! I finally DID learn to surf!!!! My best friend, Kathryn Begle, and I accomplished that in Santa Monica on August 6, 2013. It was an awesome experience. Both Kathryn and I did much better than we expected. We both stood up 4-5 times. =) Finally fulfilled my dream I've had since 8th grade!

2. Go to the Sequoia National Park. I crossed this goal off the list TWO days ago! I finally saw the largest trees in the world!!!!! It was incredible. We saw General Sherman, the largest tree in the world, hiked in the Giant Forest, and hiked to the top of Moro Rock. SPECTACULAR VIEW! I hope to go back again and see more sights!

3. Visit every beach in SoCal from Malibu to San Diego at least ONCE. I'm getting closer to accomplishing this one! Went from only 4 beaches to 9. (Zuma, Malibu, Santa Monica, Marina Del Rey, Will Rogers State Beach, Venice, Playa Del Rey, Manhattan Beach, Torrance)

4. Visit San Francisco. UGHHH I still want to go so badly! I did adventure up the Pacific Coast Highway with my IU friend Scott Brown. We stopped in Big Sur, Carmel and Monterey area. So we were very close to San Fran, but yet so far.

5. Go to Mood. Well I'm obsessed with Project Runway, so I wanted to go to the Mood in LA. It's pretty anti-climatic and tiny. It is nothing compared to the NYC Mood. At least I can say it's a huge accomplishment and honor to be working on Project Runway Allstars as an Assistant Editor!

6. Learn to long board.  I totally own a long board now and enjoy going boarding with Kathryn whenever I can. It's a really fun new hobby. I just need to make effort to go more often so I can actually improve.

7. Go to Whimsic Alley. I have yet to go to this Harry Potter themed store because I know I'll buy everything. This isn't me being lazy, it's responsible...for the good of my bank account.

8. Be in the audience of an Ellen show. AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! Totally accomplished this fantastic goal. Last year I was FRONT ROW at The Ellen Show for my 24th birthday. It was definitely one of the best days of my life. Ellen touched my hand and Britney Spears said, "Hi" back to me. I also got to see Sophia Grace and Rosie!!!

On set of War of the Worlds

9. Go camping. I still have never been camping! Does going to a cabin on Kern River count? Maybe a little? No. I'll work on this goal.

11. Go on studio tours to pretty much every studio in L.A. Luckily, I had VIP treatment from the help of Matt Jensen. He drove me around on a golf cart through the entire Universal Studios Back Lot. I freak out every time. It will never get old and not fascinate me.

12. Buy a bike and cycle down The Strand. So crazy that this was a goal of mine because I do this as often as I can. I bought a Giant brand bike, and I LOVE riding it along the beach.

13. And of course, to become Taylor Swift and Emma Stone's BFF. Still working on this, but it'll happen.

I dedicate this blog to all the dreamers and believers out there. You can do whatever you set your mind to. Make a list and watch how you check off the things you have always wanted to do. Ask Questions. Be weird. Experiment. Have goals. Believe you can.

Single and Trying Not to Look

People always say, "You will find love when you aren't looking for it, and then it will find you." Among many other versions of that sentence. I definitely believe that is true which brings us to:

Part One: My Shudder-Inducing and Cliched, What Seemed to be a Totally Worthless Online Venture Turned into a Hysterically Eye-Opening Observation. 

After 2 weeks of swimming the guy infested waters of online dating I want to share with you my experience and observations. I can't say I got much out of it, because honestly at the end of the day I don't think I wanted anything out of it. Online dating isn't for me. It's scary, over whelming, and just plain weird. I stopped myself and was like, "What am I doing? I'm like online shopping for dudes." First I signed up for Plenty of Fish and after a week I got about 120 messages from random guys. I made an OkCupid account and quickly noticed how many guys had both a POF and OkCupid account! It was bizaare. I don't know how they can keep up. I deleted my POF account and decided to focus only on OkCupid for 3 days.

- plain, easy to use, simple. Large photos when browsing. Home of every douche-bag known to man.

 - Colorful, aesthetically pleasing. Question/Match % based. Information heavy, small photo thumbnails.

One of the first guys that ever messaged me on one of these Online Dating sites was the guy I was most attracted to out of all of them. Yes, I am only going off about 3-5 pictures, but still. He was too good to be true when it came to connections between us, etc. He messaged ME, but never made the effort to talk again. He kept saying, "We'll be in touch."
It's like a scene from the film, He's Just Not That Into You where Gigi meets this dude in a bar and he gives her his card and says, "We'll be in touch." She then awkwardly calls him out on who will indeed be the one to contact the other first. Let's just say she never heard from that guy again.
Justin Long's character, "Alex" gave the best piece of advice that is SO INCREDIBLY TRUE:  

"If a guy doesn't call you, he doesn't want to call you. If a guy wants to talk to you, he will talk to you. If he wants to see you, he will find a way to see you." 

Guys are simple (usually). If he isn't thinking about you, you will not be hearing from him. Sadly, the 2 main guys whom I had a decent conversation with, and possibly could see myself being friends with in the future, were not thinking about me. 

Part Two: The Hilarious yet Completely Alarming First Message From Lonely Creepers and Oddly Creative Bachelors.
(Keep in mind, this is the FIRST message I received from these guys. The 1st message is suppose to be different and interesting enough for you to want to reply to them. Think of it as a guy approaching you in a bar.  And no I did not respond to any of the following).

1. Do you think vampires are sexy? (WTF?!)

2. First off I want to say I find you very attractive. Given the chance, I would invite you over for a romantic dinner. As soon as you got here I would pull you in close and say, "Baby I have a TV dinner in the freezer with your name on it." Then I'll proceed to plug in your favorite scent of glade plug it in, just for you, then pour you the finest glass of welch's grade juice. For dessert I will feed you some gold fish with a spork.

Sincerely, Your Knight in shining armor. (Oddly Creative isn't it?)

3. Hey. dtf (gross)

4. Wow you are gorgeous. I need a Midwestern girl like you to melt my country heart.

5. What are you looking for in a guy? How do you feel about video games? I like your smile.  :-) (A.D.D.?)

6. How was yoir dau (Spell check?)

7. hiiii princess ;) may I step into ur lil world 4 a lil while?

8. I know this will sound weird...Are you special?

9. i heart you

10. Hi there! Just a quick question; How about coffee,wine&beach, tea, lunch, dinner or just get married !? :)) as simple as it is :) (Well, that escalated quickly)

11. Happy 24th bday! (it wasn't my birthday)

12. lol gotta remove that madrid bathroom pic! Haha (I have NO idea)

13. I have a net. (Get it? Plenty of Fish)

14. Cute, I'd spank you.

15. You must be going insane...
I mean, all these brain dead emails in your inbox? How could you not be?
At any rate, I'm ambitious, creative, have never been known to settle for the mundane.... and you surprised me the way you seem a little more three-dimensional than the average user.
But before we waste 10 years on toxic marraige where we throw the family china at each other across the living room and end up fighting over who gets Fluffy in divorce court, let's cut straight to the chase...
What would your friends say are your strangest quirks? Don't worry...I've got mine too and I promise not to judge (much). 

16. Meep.

17. i would love to make you my girl

18. Hey sexy do you model? (HAHAHAHAHA. No.)

19. Rawr

20. French toast, waffles or pancakes? What do you dislike most about the dating process?

Well to answer guy number 20...the entire thing! I won't bash it because Online Dating has created many success stories, I just know that it isn't for me. So here I am...deleting my accounts and trying my best to not look for love so it can accidentally bump into me one day.

Part Three: Most Popular Names among online dating bachelors:
1. Tom
2. Matthew/Matt
3. Michael/Mike
4. Andrew

Cheers to all the Toms, Matts, Mikes and Andrews. May the force be with you. 

50 reasons why being a Guy is much easier than being a Girl

This topic constantly comes up between myself and others. Sometimes guys ask, "what makes being a guy so much easier?" I am then forced to rattled off a few that come to mind...(leaving off about 50 plus reasons why being a guy is so much easier than being a girl).

Well guys, here ya go.

My 50 Reasons why being a Guy is way easier than being a Girl:

1. They don't wear bras.
2. They can't get pregnant.
3. They don't have to deal with having a period every. single. month.
4. They don't have to wear make up.
5. They don't have to spend tons of money on make up.
6. They don't have to spend lots of money on bras/underwear.
7. Picking out their "swim suit" involves pulling a pair of shorts off a clothing rack.
8. Their hair dries in like 2 minutes.
9. They don't have to shave their legs or underarms.
10. They don't have to put on make up in the morning to look decent enough to go into public.
11. They don't really need to fix their hair.
12. They don't need to own hair dryers.
13. Some don't even own a brush!
14. They can get into a fight with another dude and be their friend the next day (unlike women).
15. They spend less money on jewelry.
16. They don't have to wear heels.
17. They don't have to take the time to take off all the damn make up at night.
18. They don't feel like crap from the symptoms of PMS.
19. They are MUCH less likely to get breast cancer.
20. Men are less likely to get an autoimmune disease than Women.
21. They don't deal with all that pressure on what women should look like based on the media, magazines, photos, and society.
22. They get paid more at their jobs.
23. They can lose fat when exercising easier.
24. They don't have to pluck/wax their eye brows (although some should).
25. They aren't expected to have pretty fingernails/toenails.
26. They don't have to spend money on nail polish, files, manicures or pedicures. (I know some do, though).
27. They don't have to wear tampons or pads.
28. They don't have to buy those expensive tampons and pads.
29. They rarely have to deal with people beeping, hooting, or hollering (cat calling) them by creepy men.
30. They rarely get their ass grabbed or treated as an object by jerk men.
31. I don't know the last time I ever heard of a guy getting the date rape drug?
32. Men can sleep with tons of people and get a high five, while women are seen as sluts.
33. They aren't as emotional.
34. Back in the day they blamed Women when they did not bare a son, when it is the male's duty to provide the Y chromosome!
35. Men aren't catty.
36. Men dominate the Entertainment Industry...more likely to get a job.
37. Men are less likely to get taken advantage of (money wise!) by salesmen, mechanics, etc
38. They can walk around alone at night and be safer than a woman would.
39. They are physically stronger.
40. They can take their shirts off and it's not considered "indecent exposure."
41. They don't have to go through the act of HAVING a baby.
42. They can pick out clothes for their body much easier.
43. They dont have to worry about loosing hair clips, booby pins, or hair ties.
44. It's easy for Men to "dress up."
45. They use wayyy less toilet paper than ladies do...saving more $$.
46. They don't have to worry about birth control.
47. Men don't often cry.
48. Men keep true friends and don't deal with gossipy bullying from mean girls in Middle/High School...and through-out life.
49. Men worry about their appearance less than Women.
50. They aren't constantly pressured for sex.

Paint Swatch Wall

Happy Weekend! 

Kathryn Begle and I have completed another Pinterest inspired project for our apartment! 

Pinterest Inspiration: Paint Swatch Wall

I actually found this quite a few months back, but I just never thought of actually doing it. One day I yelled, "Kathryn, can I do this." She leans over to look at my Pinterest decor album and says, "Do it." So we became starving artists and made what is free art essentially.

It just takes a sneeky "theft" to successfully nab the entire rainbow of swatches from paint stores. I went to Lowes (3 times), Home Depot (2 times), and Mark's Paint Store (1 time). Keep grabbing swatches until you have a pretty impressive rainbow of each color. Tip: Don't forget the in between (blended colors) like yellow-green, blueish-purple, etc cause I had to go back again to get more. 

I copied the lady from the Pinterest picture and taped my floor with the dimensions of our wall. From there I was able to plan the layout of all the swatches (and see what I needed more of). I think if I tried winging it and immediately started taping the swatches to the wall, it would have been horrible. This step is very important. I tried doing a diagonal effect like the lady, but as you can see it didn't really go so perfectly, but I knew the TV would cover up a lot of the bottom. 

Progress!

To remember my spacing of each swatch, I took a picture of each color section from the layout on the floor. I put the pictures on my computer so I was able to reference them each time I taped a new one up. This is really a two person project. Kathryn nicely taped every swatch and handed them to me, one by one, as I taped them on the wall. The only expense of this project was the tape. I just bought a 4 pack of tape from Target, and we used about 3 of them. 

3 Hours Later...

(and a food break)

Ta Da!

My Celebrity Family Tree

Come on. We've all thought about what it would be like to have certain celebrities in our family. I for one, have wished Jim Carrey was my Uncle for a long time. So I got the idea of creating my Ultimate Celebrity Family Tree. 

My Parents
The Parent Trap was my favorite movie as a 10-12 year old. So I have to say, the movie has made an influence on who both of my parents would be. (Yes, I know Natasha Richardson is in Heaven, but she still wins the role of my Mother). How awesome would it be to have an English mom!? Dennis Quaid would be a great Dad. Atleast, he was to the mutated Lindsey Lohans in the movie.



My Sibings! 
I'd like Justin Long to be my older brother. First, because he gave the best advice from He's Just Not That Into You. Second, he's funny, and third, he has awesome friends like Drew Barrymore, Blake Lively, and Zooey Deschanel.
Jennifer Lawrence would be a pretty awesome younger sister. (She is younger than me, isn't that bizarre?!) She's already had 2 Oscar nominations. She's from Louisville, KY so we'd be familiar with everything when we'd visit home. She's really down to earth and makes weird faces like I do. And, she is freakin' Katniss. What more could you ask for in a younger sister?


My Grandparents 
I picked the number one celebrity that I would not know what to do if I were in their presence. I would stand their with my mouth a gape in pure awe. This lovely lady is, Julie Andrews. She is the most talented actress and singer I ever heard of. She stole my heart at a very young age when I saw The Sound of Music.
My Grandpa would be William Daniels, because...He's Mr. Feeny. 'nuff said.

My other grandmother (you can tell I like having English grandma's) would be Maggie Smith. My favorite character from Harry Potter is Professor McGonagall, because she is a badass.

My other grandpa would be Martin Scorsese, because he is Martin Scorsese. I gotta have a relative in the movie making industry! (Besides actors). I'd visit him on set on a regular basis, but more importantly I would be friends with his incredible editor Thelma Schoonmaker! I'd be HOOKED UP.

My Aunts and Uncles

Like I said above, I've always wished Jim Carrey were my Uncle. He is HILARIOUS. Funniest guy on Earth. (In my opinion). So yeah, just imagine having Uncle Jim over for Thanksgiving dinner. 

(I didn't put much thought into the PAIRINGS of these people). So look past the fact of how difficult it is for you to imagine Jim being married to Kate Winslet. She is the definition of glamourous.  Oh, and I gotta have an English Aunt too, so I can have English cousins! 

Robert.  Downey.  Jr.  (Just look at that smolder).

I had to make my favorite actress, Reese Witherspoon one of my aunts! I would be hitting her up for hair advice all day. I love what she stands for. Here is an example: 2011 MTV Awards Speech.

My Cousins

I have a lot more cousins in real life, but I had to stop somewhere.

First, Taylor Swift cause I could see us getting along quite well, and I'd like to go see her new concert tour.
Okay. Now I made a lot of effort to not put people I am attracted to in my family, cause that would just be weird. I am taking one for the team with Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He is indeed fun to look at, but I put him as my cousin just so I can introduce him to Kathryn Begle (who will still be my best friend in this scenerio) so they can get married and live happily ever after. (She called dibs on him first). You're Welcome.
Now this is a very specific cousin that I want. I don't want Jonathan Lipnicki. No. I want Ray Boyd, the adorable kid from Jerry Macguire as my cousin. I'd take him to the zoo, and he can tell me how much the brain weights all day.
YAY English cousins! Emma Watson, duh. She's fabulous.
Sophia Grace and Rosie are already cousins, so why not make them cousins with me? I LOVE THEM!

Alright I know I am branching a little far from the Family tree limbs here...but I must. 

My Best Friend

Emma Stone is without a doubt my best friend in this scenario.  I'd go out and do dance dares with her all freakin' day. She is a great example of a woman that can be goofy, funny and beautiful. She represents the Itty Bitty Titty Committee. She rocks just about any hair color and has great taste in clothes. Her and her boyfriend Andrew Garfield are fantastic by using the paparazzi in a creative way to advertise charities. She's thheee bessssttt!

Family Friend

And of course, you have to have that one family friend that as always been around since the day you were born in the hospital. That DEFINITELY would be Ellen DeGeneres.

Tell me who would be in your Celebrity Family Tree!