DIY Recycled Water Bottle Cases

Hello everyone! I’ve been swamped these past few months, and am excited to be updating the blog again! A couple of weeks ago, I came across a project on Make It & Love It through Pinterest, and decided to create a variation of the zipper case. I absolutely love these DIY recycled water bottle cases because they are sustainable and useful for organization, not to mention adorable!

Materials

• Plastic water bottle of your choice (If you happen to drink Evian water, I found that the Evian 500 mL bottles work wonderfully. The labels come off easily without leaving residue on the bottle, the plastic is sturdy, and the bottle opening is large enough to fit a quarter if you were to use the final product as a piggy bank!)
• Zipper as long as the circumference of your bottle (For the Evian bottles, an 8″ long zipper was perfect.)
• 1/4″ wide double-sided tape (After experimenting with various brands of double-sided tape, I found that Scor-Tape by Scor-Pal works particularly well.)
• Scissors
• Craft knife
• Pen or fine point marker

Steps

Start off by drawing a line around the bottle with a pen or fine point marker at the height at which your zipper will be. Cut along the line with a craft knife (or scissors) to separate the bottle into a bottom part and a top part. (Using a craft knife to cut through the plastic tends to leave a smoother edge than using scissors.) Be careful of the cut edges; they are very sharp. If you need to dry off the inside of the bottle, you can use chopsticks to hold the tissue.

Peel the labels off the bottle. I love that the labels of the Evian bottles don’t leave residue! Wrap the double-sided tape around both cut edges of the top and bottom parts of the bottle. Cut off the extra zipper fabric extending beyond the bottom stop.

Peel off the backing of the double-sided tape and wrap one side of the zipper around the cut edge of the bottle, starting from the bottom stop of the zipper. Then, unzip the zipper.

Wrap the other side of the zipper around the cut edge of the remaining part of the bottle, starting from the bottom stop of the zipper.

Use double-sided tape to secure the extra fabric extending beyond the top zipper stop to overlap the end of the zipper with the bottom stop.

Store your chosen supplies in your newly-crafted recycled zipper case! These versatile containers can store anything from colored pencils to coins. I had a wonderful time making these and hope you do, too!

Feel free to mix it up and use two bottom parts (or two top parts). Have a lovely day!

Hello 2018

Happy new year to all! Can you believe it’s already 2018?! Now is the time to look back on our accomplishments in 2017 and plan for the year ahead. Well, for the new year I’ve decided to share a fun graphic design piece with you all. I haven’t done much graphic design recently, so it felt good to start doodling again! I also have a few new year’s resolutions that I hope I’ll be able to carry out this year:

1. Don’t procrastinate
2. Think outside the box
3. Post more often
4. Believe in your abilities

What are your new year’s resolutions? Thanks for stopping by!

Hello again! Plus the Museum of Ice Cream

Hey everyone! I’ve been super busy the past couple of months and am so happy to be writing again! Truthfully, I’ve been wanting to blog for a really long time, but I never got the chance to do so. Finally I decided today that I would make an earnest effort to write a blog post and get back in touch with all of you. Thanks for being so supportive while I was gone and hopefully I can make time to blog more often! There’s been one major change to the site since the last time I’ve posted—I’ve changed my public display name to Joy. But feel free to call me whatever feels most comfortable! Recently I had the opportunity to visit the LA Museum of Ice Cream and it was absolutely spectacular. I have to say my favorite part was the Sprinkle Pool, although everything on display was incredible. The rooms are beautiful and give off such a great vibe. There are so many photo opportunities and the staff is amazing as well! The best part? There are sweets in almost every room. And since the Museum of Ice Cream is an art museum, I thought I’d document my visit with some photos!

The museum is located in a bright pink warehouse decorated with some awesome wall art. Pink and white ice cream cones on the ground trace a path from the parking lot to the museum.

In the California Room, pastel pink palm trees accompany a Venice Cream sign and Museum of Ice Cream wall art. Pink stars on the ground mimick the Hollywood Walk of fame, bearing the names of honorees like Scoop Dogg and Brad Pittstachio. We were offered delicious piñata ice cream, my favorite treat of all!

The Banana Split Room! I thought this was so creative—literally splitting the bananas down the middle by making half of them yellow and the other half pink. A beautiful installation, too!

I loved the color scheme of the Mint Room. Instead of the usual pink, the walls are a soft mint blue. We got to try mint chocolate chip mochi and sniff the chocolate-smelling soil in which the mint plants are growing!

The sherbert room was awesome as well—rainbows and mirrors line the walls, and we all got to try the claw machine containing prizes ranging from cotton candy to ice cream phone cases. It was also a really great spot for a selfie!

The Popsicle Room was just how I had imagined it. The colors of the popsicles are bright and loud in contrast to the white walls, and all of the popsicle sticks are engraved! There were no treats in this room, but admiring the popsicles was more than amazing.

In my opinion, the Gummy Bear Room was the most colorful room of all. Several giant gummy bear sculptures sat on blocks around the room, and whimsical shapes and neon lights decorated the walls. And, we were offered a handful of—wait for it—gummy bears!

My favorite art installation of all was the black ice cream cone installation. Unlike all of the other rooms, this room is entirely black and white save for the cones, which are a silvery brown. I loved it because it gives off a totally different vibe than the rest of the rooms.

And of course, there is the Sprinkle Pool—the best part of all!

Thanks for stopping by and have an amazing day!

Acrylics

Hey there! I know I haven’t posted much lately, so I thought I’d share some of my acrylics with you! Usually I prefer digital art or sketching, but every so often I enjoy trying out a different medium. I painted a bird a couple of years ago, but the hot air balloons and the Latte paintings are more recent. It was a little difficult to mix the colors, but the great thing about painting in general is that it is very forgiving. As Bob Ross says, there are no mistakes in art—just happy little accidents!

The hardest part about this one was painting the clouds. I did enjoy painting the water and the hot air balloons, though.

For this one, I spent quite a long time trying to perfect the folds in the fabric. Of course, my favorite part was painting the Latte plush!

This painting is based on a photo of a black-crowned night heron I observed in Hawaii.

What is your favorite medium of art? Do you enjoy painting with acrylics? Have an amazing day!

Autumn

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.

Albert Camus

The sun is bright

but not blinding,

coating the world

in a hazy afternoon light.

The orange and yellow leaves

drift gently to the ground,

and you are lost,

lost in the beauty

of the world around you.

You pause to think, only about

how lucky you must be

to live in this incredibly

wonderful world.

Happy autumn everyone!

Photo credit: pixel2013 on Pixabay.

Dream Bigger

Hey there! Sorry about the absence of posts recently—I’ve been extremely busy this past week getting ready for an exciting trip to the east coast with my family (surprise, surprise!)! I’ve missed you all! As of now, we’ve just gotten settled in our hotel rooms by Niagara Falls. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you posted with photos and all—but since it’s pretty dark out right now, I thought I’d share a poem in the meantime. Enjoy!

Dream bigger, dream bigger,

reach higher, reach higher.

Believe in your ambitions,

have faith in what you seek.

Dream bigger, dream bigger,

reach higher, reach higher.

Look far and deep into your soul,

fly until you reach your goal.

Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely day!

Liebster Award

Rules of the Award

1. Thank the person who nominated you
2. Answer 11 questions asked by your nominator
3. Nominate 11 bloggers and inform them of the nomination
4. Ask your nominees 11 questions

A huge thank you to the lovely My Thoughts blog for nominating me! She posts on “a little bit of everything”—from beauty and fashion to food and charming DIYs. Do stop by her blog, I’m sure you’ll love it!

My Questions Answered

1. Where do you see your blog in 5 years? Honestly I’m not sure, but I’m excited to see what the future holds!
2. What was the most challenging post (in terms of editing pictures, writing/explaining) you’ve done so far? Most likely my latest post, Bird Sketches—there were quite a few elements involved, but it was definitely worth it!
3. What is your favorite movie? The live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast!
4. How do you find ideas for posts? I write a post whenever inspiration strikes—which can happen anywhere and anytime.
5. What is your favorite post that you’ve written? I would have to go with one of my more recent ones, One Butterfly.
6. What is a pet peeve of yours? When people chew with their mouths open.
7. What is your favorite quote? Ooh, this is a hard one. Of all of the wonderful quotes in the world, “simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication” (Leonardo da Vinci) is probably my favorite.
8. What are the characteristics of a good blog post, in your opinion? Every blogger has a different writing style, but in my opinion, the best blog posts have at least one image and interesting and relevant content that draws the reader in.
9. What have you learned from blogging? Everyone has a different point of view.
10. When not blogging, what do you do for fun? In my spare time, I enjoy doing art, solving puzzles, writing, playing volleyball, and singing.
11. Two random facts about you. 1) My favorite animals are ducks and turtles, and 2) ever since I was little, I’ve loved folding origami.

Nominees

1. Living vs Existing
2. Reactionary Tales
3. We’re Going to Make it
4. Living for Experiences
5. The Travelling Diary of a Dippy-Dotty Girl
6. This Is My Truth Now
7. Growing Self
8. Inspiration Pie
9. Invisibly Me
10. Roads Bel Travelled
11. Busy Bee DIY

Forgive me for recycling these questions, but I’d really love to see your answers! As always, no pressure to do the award—just keep writing!

Bird Sketches

Be like the bird who, pausing in her flight awhile on boughs too slight, feels them give way beneath her, and yet sings, knowing she hath wings.

Victor Hugo

Hello there! As promised, I’ve gathered up a few quick bird sketches to share with all of you today. I found these adorable photos on Pixabay and had so much fun drawing them! I’m still trying to decide whether or not I should add to the backgrounds, but in the meantime, let’s get right to it!

I love how the weaver looks so calm, but aware of its surroundings at the same time. This one probably took the longest to draw, as I found it difficult to create the texture of the feathers.

My personal favorite is the robin—it looks so friendly and curious. I always enjoy drawing the face, as each bird wears a different expression and seems to have a unique personality.

Like the weaver, the hummingbird’s feathers were probably the trickiest part. Even so, I loved shading in the body—it’s so colorful!

Okay. This little one just melted my heart. Look at those eyes. I’ll bet he’s plotting something when we’re not looking.

Hope you enjoyed this post! Which is your favorite? As always, any and all feedback is welcome. Have a lovely day!

One Lovely Blog Award

Rules of the Award

1. Thank the person who nominated you
2. Share 7 facts about yourself
3. Nominate 15 bloggers and inform them of the nomination

I was nominated for the One Lovely Blog Award by two lovely bloggers—Audrey at Living for Experiences and Cherylene at Living vs Existing! Thank you both so much! Audrey explores living a life of simplicity, and writes about her travel experiences in Singapore and other countries. Cherylene shares her thoughts on various issues and topics, and strives to inspire and motivate others through her writing. Do check out their blogs as they are both fantastic!

Seven Facts

1. I am a huge pushover for anything art-related (or fluffy, for that matter).
2. I love ice skating and skiing. Unfortunately, since we don’t get snow around here, I rarely get the opportunity to do.
3. My favorite Girl Scout cookies are Thin Mints (yum!).
4. My wardrobe consists of mostly pastel colors.
5. I love drawing animals, especially the cute and cuddly ones!
6. My favorite sports are volleyball and tennis.
7. Blogging helps me unwind after a long day.

Nominees

1. Invisibly Me
2. Inspiration Pie
3. Reactionary Tales
4. This Is My Truth Now
5. The Travelling Diary of a Dippy-Dotty Girl
6. Growing Self
7. Simply Megan Joy
8. Rubberfroggies
9. My Thoughts
10. Frazier’s Racket
11. J. Rusolo Ward
12. DarWrites
13. poetry2473
14. Book Reviews by Shalini
15. Lauren’s Notebook

Real Neat Blogger Award

Rules of the Award

1. Thank the person who nominated you
2. Answer 7 questions asked by your nominator
3. Nominate any number of bloggers you like and inform them of the nomination
4. Ask your nominees 7 questions

Another first for me! Thank you Cherylene, author of Living vs Existing, for this nomination—a blogger who is real neat in every way. She writes excellent poetry and posts on various topics, such as health and wellness, everyday life, and simply thinking out loud. Make sure you stop by her blog and leave a like or a comment!

My Questions Answered

1. Name your 3 favorite foods. Curry, burritos, and chocolate ice cream. Need there be further explanation?
2. Do you prefer watching sports or playing sports? It depends on the sport. My two favorite sports to play are volleyball and tennis, but I most enjoy watching basketball and football.
3. Would you choose a vacation in Hawaii or Alaska? Why? I’d love to visit both, but if I had to choose one, I’d probably visit Hawaii—there’s so much color everywhere! Although I’m sure Alaska is just as pretty.
4. If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to? I would travel back 13.7 billion years to the Big Bang (sheltered in a Bang-proof spaceship, of course) and witness the creation of our universe.
5. What has been your biggest challenge? Overcoming writer’s block. Often I take quite a while to figure out what to write about, and then end up changing my mind and writing about something completely different. There are so many stories I’ve started and haven’t finished!
6. Something you miss the most from childhood? Comic books! My favorite is the Calvin and Hobbes series—all of their little schemes are so funny and genius and are guaranteed make me laugh.
7. What does a perfect day look like to you? I start the day off with a good, hearty breakfast. Then I visit the library and check out all of the books I’ve been meaning to check out for months. After getting some exercise and blogging a little, I spend time with my family for the rest of the day, maybe watch a movie or play a game after dinner. Then I get my ideal 9 hours of sleep and wake up the next morning feeling refreshed. Yay!

Nominees

There are so many bloggers I’d love to nominate—the list would probably fill quite a few pages. Therefore, I am going to break the rules and nominate all of you! If you’d like to do this award, please feel free! If not, no worries—just keep being the real neat person you are!

My Questions for Nominees

1. If you could have one conversation with anyone in the world, who would it be with?
2. What is your spirit animal?
3. What have you created that you are most proud of?
4. Which three words best describe you?
5. Do you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert?
6. If you could pick a new first name, what would it be?
7. What are you most thankful for?