manicure!

so, i couldn't decide which colors to use to paint my nails yesterday. it's a pretty tough decision to make when you have about righty bottles(don't judge!)

i lurked on tumblr for a while, and ended up finding a really cute colorblock manicure with every nail a different color. so i decided to give it a try!

here's the result! i'm very happy with how it came out, and how much it reminds me of warm weather and candy! i did, however, come to the conclusion that i need a good pastel yellow.

what do you think?!

yes, i know, i've been bad! i haven't posted in a little over a month, and for that i am sorry. sometimes, life just gets away from you, you know? work has just been exhausting me lately!

however, i HAVE been doing some crafting!

first of all, i've started embroidering again! embroidery is a great passion of mine, and it feels so very good to be holding a needle and thread again. i don't want to share anything quite yet, i'm starting a few new things and i want to dedicate a whole post to it, so stay tuned!

(here's a sneak peek though!)

 

on to the projects! i'm sure everyone has seen the melted crayon art that's been on pinterest and just about everywhere else. i had read somewhere that instead of using a torch(which i do not have),  you could put the crayons into a glue gun. so, i found a $3 glue gun at joann's and decided to give it a go! 

it didn't really go well. the wax melted, which was the point, but it squirted out from the side of the glue gun, and made a huge mess. the cooled down wax gummed up the gun and just made things, well, not fun.

so below you'll see the end result, which was much more splat-like than drippy, but i was able to do a  few doodles, but the consistency of the wax didn't allow for much freedom(using liquid wax for a project like this would be much more successful with a wider variety of tools and a more controlled heat source). overall, i would say that this was a really bad idea, and i'm going to be trying the project again with a torch that a friend is going to lend me.

for valentine's day this year, i had planned on doing a lot of crafting. i wanted to make my own valentines to hand out and some decorations for around the house.  of course, none of that really panned out, but i DID end up with these cute barrettes! i found the pattern here, and it was really easy to follow. different gauges and textures of yarn yield very different hearts, so it's super easy to get some contrast and really fun to experiment with!!

aren't they super cute?

i've got some other things i want to share but i am a bit crunched for time(yet again). i have a lot of ideas for posts, mostly things about myself and my home that i want to share with you, so stay tuned!

mani monday!

alright i'm back! sorry for the short hiatus there, but i came down with a horrible head cold out of nowhere!!! i'm still getting over it, but i have a lot more energy again.

so here i am, enjoying a few clementine oranges and some apple straws on my break at work! i'm going to try to do a quick post about the manicure i did last week. i really love doing my nails, it's a great way for me to add some color into my every day, and i'm BIG into color!

so here's the manicure! the theme was neapolitan ice cream! i used pink, white, and brown, all from various lines by wet n' wild. the top coat is the gold luxe effects by essie! to get the stripes, i used an ombré technique i saw on pinetrest, and the hearts are from the born pretty store(an online shop that has AMAZING nail stuff!!).

it's a horrible picture and my cuticles look horrendous, so i apologize for that!!! i'll post links to the pinterest post and the born pretty store later tonight!

speaking of pinterest, did you know that you can find me on there, twitter, instagram, and tumblr? my username is the same everywhere: mushabear! soon i'll be adding buttons and side bars for all of that stuff!

resolution ramblings.

in 2013 i have resolved to: learn new things, finish what i start, and be less selfish.

"learn new things" is kind of an umbrella term; part of it is to learn new craft techniques, like resin casting and decoupage, while the other part is to maintain a regular schedule of drawing, writing, reading, and crafting, so as to improve upon the skills i already possess.

"finish what i start" is exactly what it sounds like. i'm a pretty notorious procrastinator, losing interest in things because i'm always trying to do them all at once. it's not possible to learn everything ever, but i'll be damned if i'm not going to try!! so, as part of my new year, new me schtick, i'm going to try to learn some better time management, so that i can finish the things i've already started, but still learn something new every once in a while. the time management itself is going to be a heck of a learning experience, i'm pretty excited! :)

"be less selfish." i'll sum this up by saying that while i really do treat my friends and family well, i need to learn better money management skills so that i can give back to them what they've given me. 2012 was a rough year, and i owe a lot to those close to me, my friends and family really helped me out and i want to show them how much i love and appreciate them!

alright, i'm signing off for now, but later on tonight i'll be making a post with the research i did for next weeks projects, and a sum up of the projects i am working on this week!

speed bumps?

so, here i am, on a cold but sunny wednesday, sitting at my local starbucks and taking down some notes for my next post. i like coming here because i can feel more productive when i'm not at home, i don't bring my computer so i can't get distracted by pinterest and the like. also my BFF works here and hooks me up when i order a drink. ;)

what's troubling me today is that looking back on my only two blog posts so far, i can't find anything about the resolutions list i made! i swear that i posted it, and i wanted to check it so that i could write it all down in my new planner. i think i can remember it all so i guess it's whatever, but where the heck did it go?!?!?!?!

oh well, i guess i'll check when i'm on my computer and see if it's a mobile glitch. stay tuned, because later today i'll be doing my first project post! so not only will you get pictures, but you'll also get more rambles! hooo-rah!

dragging my feet.

yes, i was supposed to update several days ago. shame on me, i know! however, it's really hard to update your blog without a working keyboard! i should be getting one today, but if not, be prepared for more iPhone updates like this one.

any progress on my resolutions? yes, actually!

i've decided to finish the projects that i started in 2012 first, so that i can have a clean slate on everything i start in 2013. starting with my christmas cards, hahahaha. oh jeez. you wouldn't think it's that difficult to sign, stamp, and send, but oh no, i have to turn everything into a major project.

i'm collaging the front of each card, and most have a drawing or a special message inside. i'll post a few photos when i can. it took a lot longer than i thought!!! also, the glue didn't work out as well as it should have, so some of the cards are taped over and slightly crummy looking, haha. next year i'm going to do a few different collages, but i'll do it all digitally so that it looks cleaner.

sorry for the half assed update, but i'll be back!! ;)

new year, new blog, new beginnings.

so, the whole 'new year's resolutions' thing IS a bit hokey. everyone flocking to the gym, taking up yoga, making gradoise lists of things they will <i>finally</i> accomplish. all given up on and forgotten by april. it's the same thing every year.

i see the appeal, though. it's a fresh start, a clean slate. the new year gives you a chance

lately i've been in a bit of a rut. and by 'lately,' i mean since i finished school. the jobs i've had hadn't really been satisfying, and i haven't been very creative(no time, no money, sad excuses). 2012 was especially rough. trials, tribulations, me being unemployed and horrible with money. i could go on, but that's the boring part.

the exciting part, is that i'm plain fed up. this year i'm going to make some changes within myself, within my artistic work, and hopefully with my career as well!

and you all get to follow along for the ride, i suppose, since i'll be blogging about my journey.