Nerd School

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Let's go ahead in this direction!
You don't born nerd, you become :P

And the easiest way is to use the internet: I didn't want to write untrue things on my resume -like 95% of the people do- so I looked on the net to fix this.

Again, the magical words are "tutorial", "guide" and "how to".
Of course you have to couple these with the name of the program you want to learn.

So I'm linking you my favourite ones, the ones I used to... and please know that the only way to learn this kind of things is practicing! At least one day from now you won't be that kind of parent calling your offspring asking things like "how do I turn down the volume?"... for the 25th time in a row!

Excel Is Fun
A whole youtube channel to learn Excel!
The "Excel Basics" is going to give you all the knowledge about all the stuff an office will ever ask you. Any single thing is explained in a specific video, you can download the workbook free, and follow along with the video.
Then if you want to go super excel you just have to keep watching!
I also have Calc from Openoffice, it's almost the same, you just have to get used to the commands different positions, then you may do the same things!

Gimp Guide
Rejoyce, there is a way to learn to smooth out your skin in pictures, or recover those fantastic colours, that turned out a little washed out. Look for what you need to know and follow the instructions. Maybe with a little adaptation because Gimp versions are different... or with Photoshop, again commands may be placed differently, but the functions are always the same!

Anything guide
This is the first time it happens to me, but I have a resource in italian while not having a "dupe" in english. But don't worry, dear old google is there to help you with the magical words I gave you and any (and more) of the following: want to know how to blog? how to write a newsletter? what's HTML? what's CSS language? Just go ahead, search for it ;).

Here's the point: tryouts, try again, ruin it all, make horrible stuff, keep a notebook with notes if you want (I did... too nerd?), learn the magic keyboard shortcuts (oh how I love them!)... you don't need to learn the periodic table of elements, but there is always something good to learn from all these brainy people, who are so generous to give us all this knowledge for free!

Sewing and Shopping

A shy Muse, with a skirt made of Ikea's fabric for interior design.

How do you link needle&thread to shopping, you may be wondering...
Can you picture to yourself that sweater you left in the store, during the last sales, because it had that horrible flower applied on it? Or that cute skirt that could have been perfect if it was just a tad shorter? Or that tshirt that would fit you so well if it was a little more tight?
Or yet, that jacket that's rooting in your closet, since you're not using it at all, just because the lining has some stitches off? Or your perfect jeans, that lie there without button, or the shirt that has lost a couple of sequins?

Threading a needle isn't only for grandmas, I can grant it. Nor I'm saying you should become a taylor/seamstress with a huge lab, experts in pattern making or stylists-to-be, if you're not interested into it.
But can you figure the freedom it gives you while shopping (during sales, at markets, in thriftshops), you'll be able to look at the stuff displayed with new eyes, with possibility.
I'd say you need to know just three things: sewing a straight line (by hand or by machine), hemming, attaching a button. Really, for all those modifications, this is enough.

I don't sew a lot, nor on a constant basis. I learned out of "desperation" because I had enough not finding stuff like I really wanted it to be, and I couldn't stress my grandma so much each carnival or halloween. I've sewn from pillows to bags, from waist chinchers to sweatshirts (with rat ears)... just one note from my experience: follow the instructions religiously. If instructions say to sew a waistband... for pete's sake do it!!!

Plus, can you feel the awesome in saying "I did it myself!"?

So, next time you'll go shopping, consider shapes, cuts, colours, fabrics and so on, carry with you your "personal style list", and put a little effort in it.
I've already mentioned a little daily effort, to introduce new stuff into an old habit, and most of all you have to remember this while shopping... otherwise you'll get back home with the 5th black jumper to add to your collection...
If you're fancying something peculiar, instead of saying "oh whatever, I don't know what to wear it with" and put it back on the racks, really think about it: would that colour fit with anyone of your colours? Can that cut work in with your shapes? Can you take this ruche off without damaging the dress? Can you add a button here?

Little daily efforts ;)

The Cheshire cat stays, the skirt will turn into a bag... or a corset, I haven't decided yet.

DIY makeup (and recycle)

In topic with this week style post, like I promised I'll tell you the secrets behind my dvd eyeshadow palette.

I want to make it clear that it's not my genuine idea, other genious minds are to be credited for my enlightment. 

I knew that there had to be a way to make your own palette at home: depotting with a candle (Euforilla's Advice: put a scarf over your mouth and nose, keep the windows open and pause each two or three pans. Then remember that the pans will be hot, so handle with pliers and wait a while, unlike me who forgot, and that's how some pans got chipped) and use a dvd case, I don't have a specific tutorial for this, I just read about "palettes in dvd cases" and I figured it out on my own (E'sA: hotglue doesn't work that well, don't even think about vynil glue, just go for superglue. then just slide a pretty paper in the cover part, and you're done!).
This is the result:

(in the background there are a brown, a burgundy, some "skintone" ones, and a pink blush...let's see if you can guess my eye colour based out of the shadows I use :P).

But there's more DIY, in a recycling way: what do you do with super old shadows, or shadows you don't use for the unfitting colour, or shadows you want to substitute with "green" products? Use them to paint! Or hand them over to someone who paints, with these instructions: mix the powder eyeshadow with vinyl glue, et voilà! Supershiny opalescent acrylics ready to use!

An then, am I giving you the colours but not the brushes??? Never! This summer I finally sew myself my own brushroll, two fabric rectangles with a slightly elastic strip applied in the center, with all the casings sewn on. But this is not the interesting part! This video by EnKore will tell you (I bet there are several more, but this is the one I used) how the most high end, big name, professional brushes are totally like common painting brushes, and you can buy them for a fraction of the price, in any art department store.
(I had to cut the handle of the big fluffy one, but some sandpaper and black nail varnish and could you tell? And the angled one was a regular one that I bent with pliers)

Watching makeup videos may leave you with the urge of having tons and tons of different brushes, but if you think carefully about it, you can be ok with the brushes you'll use most! 

Post-christmas recipe

 

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Post-christmas recipe (apply at least a couple of these points)

- sleep in
- take a loooong hot shower, with essences, beauty masks, deep moisturizers, scrubs and home made treatments (hot bath works even better)
- drink 2l of water
- eat lots of fruits and vegetables, but do not skip meals (it works for the worst), magari integral pasta with vegetable sauce
- have a walk
- wrap yourself up into baggy, soft and warm clothes, don't even tie your hair, don't wear makeup nor contacts (I'm going with hidrating drops!)
- password: lay back. Nap, read one of the books you found under the tree, paint, dig your hobbies, listen to music, do whatever, basically! And if you want to you can do nothing, too!
- we accept suggestions: what's your best post-christmas remedy? I'd really use some, today I was one of those who had to go to work!

Mad Hatters' Day

Hey!
Today's the second international Mad Hatters' Day!
(Sixth of October... 6/10.. the other one is obviously the tenth of June... 10/6... or switch the dates, depending on how you write them ;) )

How are you celebrating it?
I have the flu, so I'm celebrating with meds and toons... anyway, this is just a small reminder to think about those insane things we now came to accept as normal.

Normal is just a word.
Find your own rules.

Oh, and about hatters...

Yes, that's me! And a bit about sewing, clothes & co is coming along this way.

Happy Mad Hatters' day everyone! And a very merry unbirthday ;)

What's in my bag - DIY edition

It has been a rough and tough week, so I want to start this one (even though monday is almost gone) with something frivolous.
So I've decided to jump on this wagon and show you what I carry with me, but most of all, to show off a bag I've sewn myself this august.
That's why "diy edition".

The front, the lining, the pockets and the shoulder strap are upcycled from an old bag I had and liked but didn't use anymore (it was some kind of backpack, not very handy), the back comes from and old tshirt I loved but couldn't wear anymore, and the button -so it seems- comes from a veeeeery old coat my mom once had.

And here's the usual stuff, in the pencilcase I carry bobbypins, bandaids and small stuff I don't want to lose into the bag, then some pretty boring stuff, like pen, diary, phone (I say it's a little remote), something quirky may be soap bubbles (the small yellow bottle you almost can't see, in the low right corner) and violet candies in the tin box with an hydrocephalus Tigger, an army knife (it's so useful in so many situations!) and I definately need a new wallet, I'm tired of carrying one for coins, one for cards (at least four from bookstores, if not more) and one for money and documents (even though I'll miss mister Jack).

Any suggestion? Something light please, it's monday ;)