Pour Cup Painting

This is another free class I signed up for at our local library.  We created two "paintings" and this was my second one.   I decided to call it "Busted Eyeshadow Pallette" as that is what it reminds me of.  For the above, I used red, black, white and gold paints

The project is called "pour cup painting" as you literally mix paint  a flow medium, water, and I kid you not, a squirt of Coconut Milk hair serum, then pour each of those a bit at a time into a larger cup and literally pour it all over the canvas inside a box lid.

This is the hair serum we used.  It helps create the "cells" or small voids in the paintings.

Here is the set up to prepare for doing the "paintings"

Here are the paints I chose for my first painting after I added the flow medium to the paints I had chosen.  I had too many dark colors which is why my first one didn't turn out so well.

This was my first project using the above colors.  Calling this one "Black Forest" as that is what it looks like to me with the greenish trees.  Looking at it now with the red in the center, it looks more like "After Bear attack Black Forest" with the red in the center.    You can turn the canvas in different directions to assist the paintings flow/final look.  I had tried drawing buildings with the sticks in the project below, which is probably why it looks like tree trunks at the bottom.

I sat near a woman who said she has done over 100 of this "pour" type art to sell at craft fairs.
She said the bubbles are usually a result of mixing the mixture too quickly.   She said no two painting turn out the same.   She also said the mixture she uses at home is about 70% paint to 30% flow medium and less water than we used in the class.  She showed me pictures of some of her projects and I liked how they turned out.

To help with drying, we put push pens on the edges for "legs" before starting the project. 

Here is the instructor in front of the table of paints.

Here are projects by some of the other participants.   This was done by a young girl and she called hers "End of The Easter Bunny".  I can sort of see that.

I really liked this one.  The gal that created it called it "The 80's"; it is sort of reminiscent of a tracksuit I used to have from that time.

This was by a teen and she called this "Crime Scene"

Here are some more pics.  I like the brown one on the lower left.

It is fun and easy and glad I had a chance to try it.  I can see where it could become addicting as you sort of could become sort of a mad scientist trying different techniques/ratios/colors to get different results and it would be a fun craft for kids to make and give as a present.

Closet Purge - Thrift Store Donataion

As part of my continuing declutter, before I went thrift shopping this weekend I went through more items to donate to charity.

An article I read indicated taking a picture of items to let go can help if it is sentimental so here goes.

In the above picture, the yellow baby hat was crotcheted by a former co-worker when my son was born. There are also several shirts that were his that are too large, like the Shelby Racing shirt in front, or too small.  I hung on to them in hopes he would have a child that might want to wear them someday.    He is now 26 and has no children and he has said before he doesn't want any.  Time to let them all go. 

The vest below was used in a movie that my son was in through a local video production company, Windsong, for their movie "Michalimacinaw" set in the 1770's.   I couldn't afford an authentic costume so I bought a blazer, took the sleeves off, shoulder pads out and changed/added buttons. 

While the transformation was minimal on my part, there was a lot of effort on my part to get him to rehearsals and shoots and many times I tried to sleep in the car as I had to be into work at 7pm and work until 8am.  We also went up to Mackinaw City where they filmed at the Fort up there.  We had a good time and have great memories of our few days up there.   

Not something he would ever wear again and Halloween is coming up; maybe someone else can use it.  

Nope, never going to wear parachute pants again.  Maybe someone has a 90's themed party that might love them.

This was a little more painful as I loved these shoes, but I can no longer wear heels. I haven't worn them in over 15 years so time for them to go too.

This was a present and I did like the scarf, but see how it wrinkles?  I don't like to iron so it is going too.

This was probably the hardest of all to let go of as I have had it for many years and only wore it around Christmas.  I am sure people are tired of seeing it and it is bulky and takes up too much space for something I wear a few times (or less) in December.  Also, I have lost weight and it is way too big and would be a pain in the butt to resize it to make it look decent.  Time to be welcomed to another gal's closet to bring holiday cheer.

Walmart Womens Swimsuit Clearance - $3.00 to $5.00

If you are still in the market for a swimsuit for a late Summer outing or vacation somewhere over the Fall or Winter, you might want to check out Walmart.

When I stopped in at Walmart this evening I noticed they have a good variety of swimsuit tops and bottoms on clearance starting at $3 and full swimsuits starting at $5.  I almost bought the black swim top in front and the vertical stripe swimsuit on the second rack and did pick up a blue swim top and a blue print maxi skirt for $3 each.

They do have a few swimsuits listed on Walmart's website. However, for a better selection, I suggest checking out your local store.

5 Trends You Can Rock at Any Age (Budget Edition)

This is from a Youtuber I follow, Busbee Style who is a professional wardrobe consultant and she has a list of current trends that any age can "rock".

My style these days is mostly oversized and comfortable, but working on improving that.

For a more limited budget though, I will offer a few suggestions:

Jeans

• Levi's jeans have a variety of styles and I have found them to be the most durable.
• Thrift Stores on half-price sale days.  
• Kohl's or JC Penney's when they have a sale and stacking with coupon codes.

Color Trends

• Surprisingly, in Dollar General    While the selection is not vast, I don't think I have seen a piece over $15.  Most of it is comfortable and they even carry Bobbie Brooks brand (as made famous by John Cougar Mellencamp in his 1982 song "Jack and Diane".

Modern Motorcycle Jackets

• Consignment Shops 
• Macy's  with sale or coupon usually $40 and up 

Animal Prints

I do think you can go wrong with too much animal print:Photo: Source

This I think is specially if you are older, so I will limit this to:

• Shoes - 6pm.com - they have pumps starting at $11.80.
• Scarf  -  Ebay.com - While a lot of items that come up under the sort are not animal prints, the Auctions start as low as .01 and some include free shipping.

Sunglasses

If more for fashion and not out in the Sun all-day:

• Dollar Tree - they have a variety of style during the Spring/Summer months.
• DIY your Dollar Tree Sunglasses.  Below is a pair that I glued a chain using E6000 glue to the top several years back as a copycat of a Chanel pair that sold for $2,200.

• Forever 21 - they have a large variety in current styles starting at $5.90.

McDonald's Limited Time Promotion: Worldwide Favorites

When going through a local drive-thru at McDonald's to get a soft drink I noticed the above limited-time promotion that McDonald's is offering where you can get a sampling of 4 foods served at other McDonald's globally.

• Canada's Tomato Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich
• Spain's Grand Extreme Bacon Burger
• Australia's Cheesy Bacon Fries
• Netherland's Stroopwafel McFlurry

The one I am planning on trying is the Stroopwafel McFlurry.  I wasn't sure what a Stroopwafel was, but in Googling found it a thin wafter of baked dough filled with caramel syrup.

Which, if any, appeal to you to want to try?

CLEAN CAR HACKS! How to Clean & Organize Your Car!

I subscribe to the above channel posting as she has to good tips for cleaning your car and shares some unique products.well and well worth a watch.

Note:  Links to products she shows are on her channel below the video.  Most are under $20, but a few of them there may be a lower cost alternative, so I have included that below as well. 

In the video, she has inexpensive DIY Window Cleaner and a DIY Seatbelt cleaner and I plan on trying out the window cleaner some time.

CRAFT FOAM PAINT BRUSHES TO CLEAN VENTS
I think this is a pretty genius idea.   Most of the craft shops sell individual ones for under $1 or you might be able to find a small bag at Dollar Tree.

WINDOW SCRAPER
She uses a plastic window scraper to get bits off a window or windshield and it links to a pan scraper, but you might be able to pick up cheaper at Walmart or a pack of putty scrapers from Home Depot for around $4.

FLUBBER LOOKING DUST CLEANER

I have to say I have never seen anything like it, but I am intrigued and it looks like it might be fun to play with.   The cost is currently $7.99 on Amazon. 

In Googling, I did find a https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-make-cleaning-slime-for-electronics/ that uses borax, white Elmer's glue and water that would be much cheaper to make and it looked like it was working on a keyboard.  This may be a DIY in my future.

Photo;  Screenshot from video

Screenshot from video

BLINGED STEERING WHEEL COVER

This her mother got it for her and it is currently on Amazon for $14.57. 

Although I have picked up steering wheel covers at Walmart on clearance for $3 before and I suppose you could pick up bling ribbon from Dollar Tree or a crafts store and glue it around the outside that it might be slightly cheaper, it is not likely to last up as long and probably worth the investment.

CREVICE STORAGE BOXES

I had considered making something to attach to the door of my car to hold things, but I like this idea of utilizing the crevice between the console and seat to store things better and it looks upscale.

Currently, a set of 2 for $16.95 (on Amazon and it comes with spacers to help keep it open a bit.  If I had a nicer vehicle it might be worth investment, but on Ol' Red, my 2000 Hyundai Accent, it would probably look too much out of place, so space may continue to be an occasional 2 pocket binder holder.

SEAT HOOKS

I had not seen this before, but I love the idea.  I checked Walmart's website and although they have some individual ones that are cheaper, they also look more flimsy, so the deal for a pack of 4 for $6.90 on Amazon does seem like the best deal so far.

SILICONE BAKING MOLDS FOR IN CONSOLE 

It would make sense to have something you can put in and take out, but I have never had an in-console drink holder like this, but these cupcake molds can come in handy for a variety of things and can be picked up inexpensively at end of season Christmas sales.  I think the last ones I bought were at Walmart for $1.25 for 6 at after Christmas sale.

CAR SEAT PROTECTOR WITH TWO POCKETS 

If you cart around a young child in a car seat, at $24.97 on Amazon, it is probably going to be worth the investment.

A cheaper, but less aesthetically pleasing alternative that I used when my son was young was an old baby blanket and vinyl table cloth picked up at a 75% end of a season clearance sale on top of that.

CAR ORGANIZERS

For a hang on the back seat organizer, Sew Can She has a tutorial to make your own backseat car organizer, but the large grommet kit, even with a 40% off coupon from Hobby Lobby or similar one JoAnn's will cost more than buying one.  Making your own though would you could use a cheery fabric and it would be one of a kind, but both Amazon or  Walmart and have several inexpensive options.

I don't have one presently, but the last one I picked up for $2 from a thrift store and it looked brand new. 

In the past, I had purchased a trunk organizer off of Amazon that had a place for cold storage in the center in the past but found wasn't using it like I thought I would.   

Instead, I replaced it with storage cubes like this from Dollar Tree for $1 each and inserted a box approximately the same size inside for structure to hold up better.

Target Has Beauty Tip Basics

Photo; Source

It seems like lately Target has become invested in marking their beauty products and they now have basic beauty tips on their website.

The segments are short, concise with lots of pictures and a good overview.

A tip I picked up under their finding your foundation match is to test on your nose and forehead.  

On the Eyeshadow and Contouring it shows basic products, tools and a standard application that could be flattering for an everyday looks, but keep in mind contouring takes a lot of practice and blend, blend, blend, blend, blend to look natural and not like your face is dirty or a clown-like appearance, especially in harsh Summer light.   

The one title that I disgree with though is How To Grow Hair Faster.  There isn't really any way to do that, although your overall health, nutrition, and use of heat products that can damage hair can impact growth and breakage.   I can attest that I was not able to grow my hair past shoulder length until I stopped bleaching, blowdrying and hot-rollering my hair.

They also have tips on natural and curly hair, skincare, beating dandruff and cleaning make up brushes so if you are interested in any of those types of things might want to poke around that area and check it out.

Target Beauty Tips link