DIY Nautical Octopus Art

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I have a lot of decorating posts to catch up on, but for now, I wanted to share a quick and easy DIY you can follow to create a visually interesting and unique piece of artwork. 

In our guest bedroom, I had been visualizing a somewhat nautical/preppy theme, combining white, navy blue, and gold with natural wood tones. I decided not to go with a headboard in this room, so I knew that I wanted something visually interesting and unique to hang above the bed.

Then, I came across this picture on Pinterest (follow me here!) and immediately knew I needed an octopus. But, with light walls, I was not sure a white background with a navy blue octopus would work.

After all, it needed to be a standout.

Here's what I ended up with:

 

DIY Nautical Octopus Art

What You Need:

• a canvas or any solid surface (I used the back of a pre-cut sheet of beadboard that was left over from our bathroom remodel)
• pencil for drawing
• hot glue gun (and hot glue)
• spraypaint in color of your choice for background
• acrylic/latex/any kind of thick, oil based paint in your color of choice for your octopus (or animal of choice)
• paint brush

Directions:

1. Start by drawing your shape on your blank canvas. I eyeballed an octopus and purposely tried to make it somewhat asymmetrical so that it had more of a natural feel.

2. Use a hot glue gun to fill in your shape. I started by outlining and then used a squiggly design to fill it in. Then, let the hot glue dry.

3. Use spraypaint to spray the entire canvas, including your hot glue work, to the color you wish your background to be. I was planning to do navy blue and white, so I painted it navy blue. 

After one coat

After three coats

4. Once the spraypaint has dried COMPLETELY (<--this is very important, or else your colors may bleed. I waited a few days), paint your feature item. I used a paint brush and the leftover "satin snow" paint from our bathroom. If you brush over it lightly and don't fill in the lower parts of your hot glue work, you will end up with a textured look that will blow people's minds and have them inquiring about your creative process!

That's it! 4 steps to your very own textured artwork!


WHAT ABOUT YOU?

• What shape would you create?
• What colors would you use?
• Have you created any of your own art for your home?

Homemade Watercolor Cards

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Last weekend, we had a "Housewarming Party." In preparation, we did a few things, like mount the TV to the wall (yay!). 

As usual, with Housewarming Parties, comes awesome housewarming gifts. And, as usual, with gifts, come thank you cards.

And, as usual, when it comes to me, it has to be DIY. It's like my personal signature. 

I stopped by Blick on State Street on my lunch break and picked up a few supplies:

• Blank Cards ($3.99)
• Watercolor Paint ($6.99)
• Martha Stewart Baker's Twine ($3.99)
• Washi Tape ($3.99) 

I also ended up using these supplies, which I already had on hand:

• Alphabet Stamps
• Passport Stamps
• Stamp Pad, black

All of the cards are different. I started out by randomly painting the cards with blues, greens, and a smidge of yellow. Thankfully, watercolor paints dry fairly quickly, as long as you don't over saturate the paper. Within ten minutes, I was ready to tape, stamp, and write.

I randomly added Washi Tape and stamped on "Thank you" as well as a few randomply placed passport stamps.

I also tied the green and white twine around the spines of most of the cards, forming a cute bow on either the inside or outside.

Voila!

Chocolate-Cheesecake Protein Yogurt (Pro-Yo?)

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The flavor of rich, delicate chocolate cheesecake. The texture of smooth frozen yogurt. The health benefits of protein powder. It's a triple threat. It will soothe your soul, delight your taste buds, and cool your body. What's not to love?

It's a hot one, folks! I'm one to make an extra stop at Chicago's frozen yogurt shops when the temperature climbs this high. 


But, as with everything in life, there's an equation for frozen yogurt procurement. Here's mine. Getting frozen yogurt from one of the local shops requires:

1. that the place be open -- which it often isn't, and that's just depressing...
2. that it not be pouring rain -- because God knows I'm not walking 8 blocks in the rain to get anything...
3. that I spend money -- which I hate to do...
4. that I spend calories -- which I also hate to do...

Most of your typical frozen yogurt shops are slightly deceiving. They not only give you so many topping options that it's easy to add at least a hundred calories in toppings alone... but they also tend to add a lot of sugar to the flavors they have. Trust me, friends, there's a reason it tastes so darn sweet.

At the end of the day, maybe you're trying to avoid paying. Maybe you're trying to avoid calories. Maybe you don't want to walk in the rain. Or maybe you're just too lazy to leave the house. But you know what? I've got you covered. Here's some Chocolate-Cheesecake Protein Yogurt. 

Let's start a new thing. Instead of Fro Yo, let's call it Pro Yo. Ya dig?

Chocolate-Cheesecake Protein Yogurt

Servings: 2 per recipe
Calories: 115 per serving
Ingredients:

• 1 cup Vanilla Greek Yogurt
• 1 scoop Chocolate Protein Powder
• Optional: Freshly sliced strawberries

Directions:

1. Combine yogurt and protein powder and mix well.
2. Top with strawberries.
3. Serve!

DIY Gold Chevron Computer Case

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When I purchased my Macbook Pro, I bought a black case (this one). It was thrilling for a while but then lost its sex appeal... as with any good teen movie, it was time for a makeover! Thanks to a random purchase of some Gold Leaf paint on my last trip to Home Depot, we were ready to rummmmmmmble (hear: daaaa bulls)!

What you need:

• Computer Case (Any will work! I used this one but anything that fits your computer will be jusssst fine)
• Masking Tape / Painter's Tape
• Gold Leafing
• Paint Brushes

What you do:

1. Remove the case from your computer. Be sure to paint your computer case and not your actual computer. Seriously. 

2. Tape your design on the case. I went with a slightly off-center chevron stripe. Be sure to wrap the tape around the edges to make sure you get everything!

3. Paint! Shake up the gold leafing first, then stir it a bit with the brush. Slowly spread the leafing paint around the designated area.
*Note: Depending on the material of your computer case, you should end up with some really neat crinkling of the paint, which is what creates the typical crinkly-leaf look that most gold-leaf-covered items have (though, for the record, painting silver hoop earrings did not produce the same effect. I suspect that painting metal allows the paint to dry much more smoothly).

4. Remove the tape. The active chemicals in this gold leafing paint dry quite quickly (even in 15 minutes). Check the paint with a towel or finger to be sure it's dry, then begin peeling the tape off on one of the ends, just in case it's not fully dry.

And... Voila!

 

Self-Guided, Half-Assed Gangster Tour of [The North Side of] Chicago

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This weekend was my birthday. Perhaps you recall my ridiculous dancing at work video... well, here's what transpired the rest of the night! No, there is no recipe in this post... just a healthy dose of humor, alcohol, and speakeasy gangster bars. Pretty much all you need... right?

Wrong. Because I forgot to mention my lovely birthday guests... my parents and aunt and uncle. Yes, I'm from one of those families where we can go out for drinks with our parents. Yes, it is wonderful!

The original plan for the evening had been to go on The Untouchables Gangster Tour of Chicago. Because, ever since I began watching Boardwalk Empire, I've been obsessed with Prohibition (Can I have a Great Gatsby themed wedding some day? Please?)... but, as it turns out, some of us (you will not be named) had already been on the tour... and it sounds like a lot of sitting around, anyway, which I can assure you I am quite bad at (I fail at just about anything involving silence and/or sitting). And so, with a bit of research and a whole lot of gangster ambition, we embarked on the "Self-Guided, Half-Assed Gangster Tour of [The North Side Of] Chicago."

Stop One: "The Apartment"
We started the night with cheese and drinks (or, as I like to call them, dranks). No, my friends, that is not a glass of rose wine with ice in it (that would be wrong on so many levels... unless you, yourself are a fan of watered down rose wine, in which case it is perfectly normal!)... we made Old Fashions. And beer and tequila. Yeah, we may have been doomed to a painful Saturday morning from the start.

Why is this part of a Self-Guided, Half-Assed Gangster Tour of [The North Side Of] Chicago? Because we drank Old Fashions. And because you gotta have some place to start!




We devoured said cheese and drinks at Justin's apartment in Wicker Park... which has changed quite a bit since the makeover we gave it a few months ago. Notice the beautiful faux-leather futon? Yep, it's fancy. Yep, it's from Wal-Mart. Yep, I'm proud of it.




Remember Hazel? She's pretty much the Supermodel of dogs (although her eyes look quite wonky in this picture...). And my Aunt Betsy is pretty much the Supermodel of aunts. Am I right?



Did I mention Hazel likes to rest her head in odd places? Like right under my dad's feet. Weird kid...

It wouldn't be a Birthday Party without the obligatory group pictures... would it?! Of course, having 3 is better than one... and candid is better than staged...

The next one is my favorite. Everyone looks so happy... and here I am, distracted by the dog, smiling down at her as she spins in circles to make sure my dad doesn't stop petting her. I totally understand you, Hazel. I would be doing the same thing.

And with a group picture, we were off to the second stop of our "Self-Guided, Half-Assed Gangster Tour of [The North Side of] Chicago" (can I get that name trademarked already?).

Stop Two: Lottie's Pub. 

Back in 1934, Walter "Lottie" Zagorski ran the pub. "Lottie" was a "flamboyant transvestite, and possible hermaphrodite, who stood six feet tall and could personally 'escort' unruly patrons out the door single-handedly." 

There was a gambling ring in the basement, which could be accessed via a secret door, and was run by a syndicate gambling and loan shark boss. 

According to the Lottie's website, "A simple knock on Lottie's private basement door opens a world of escape and debauchery -- lively parties, strip tease dancers, horse betting, and all-night poker games to those deemed worthy." (History from this site)

Did I mention the wings at Lottie's were amazing?

Stop Three: The Green Mill
After having dinner at Lottie's, we squeezed 6 of us into a cab, stopped at Jewel for some 5 hour energy, and were whisked back in time to The Green Mill.

During the 1920s, The Green Mill was mobster territory. Al Capone's henchman, Jack "Machinegun" McGurn, was given partial ownership of the club in exchange for "persuading" a comedian and singer from moving his act to a rival club (McGurn managed to convince Lewis by slitting his throat and cutting off his tongue. Miraculously, Lewis recovered, but his songs never regained their lush sound). (History from here)

The whole place has now been restored to its speakeasy, mobster splendor. Just check out the decor... and the old fashioned cash register!


Oh, and did I mention Sinatra used to visit during the mid to late 50s?  I suppose we shouldn't be surprised, then, that the Green Mill stage is now home to phenomenal jazz music and delicious cocktails...

Stop Four: The Red Line Tap


Okay, I should admit... this wasn't originally part of the Self-Guided, Half-Assed Gangster Tour. We were standing around at the Green Mill (that place is CROWDED!) when my mom and aunt suggested that we ace the place in favor of another venue... in fact, this "other venue" was The Red Line Tap, where their friends from college were playing with their band.

But you know what? Real gangsters roll with it. And real gangsters know the band. So, somehow, I feel like this fits.

Also, as it turns out, the bar has been around since the 1900s... so it, at very least, survived Prohibition... which is gangster, in itself.

And so is partying with your parents (see below).

Midnight rolled around and there was a chorus of "Happy Birthday"s (we were out the night before my official day, so midnight marked my true birthday).

Oh, and somebody gave my uncle 3D glasses. Obviously a good idea.

Step Five: The Next Day...

Breakfast in bed...

Beautifully wrapped presents (Justin wrapped that all by himself!).

...and a new lens! Get excited for some even-more-delicious-looking food!

...leftover beer... and 3D glasses...

And "A Book of Luminous Things," a whimsical book of poetry my Aunt and Uncle had given me the day before...

...which turned into my very own poetry reading, done by none other than my very own handsome man :) 

I have to say, as weird as it may sound, this was a wonderful moment. Here I was, looking at the sweetest man through the lens he had just given me... and he was reading me poetry. The light was coming in perfectly. It was so dreamy. I mean... he is dreamy :)

And then there was... food!

And Sweet Potatoes! And Asparagus! And Filet Mignon! Oh, My!

And semi-healthy German Chocolate Cake! (Using this recipe for the base and a homemade pecan/coconut frosting!)

And at the end of the weekend, I had a bouquet of flowers :)