Today I woke up early, I took my dogs hiking, I made pinto beans in the crockpot, rice to go with them, homemade eggless salad (vegan of course!) for sandwiches at lunchtime, a jug of iced tea, a frozen lasagna for my husband's dinner, raspberry vanilla mousse for dessert and lavender lemonade. Somewhere in between all of this I brought some food over to my mom's.  Whew!

Now this may not seem like such a big deal, but to me this is huge.  This is the grand prize, like hitting the lottery.  Today, was a reckoning.  Today, was coming home.

There was a time, not long ago, that I couldn't have done any of this, much less all in one day.  Toward the end of 2016 I started getting sick.  I really didn't know what was wrong, but I knew I wasn't right.  I spent a lot of money and time going through doctors trying to figure it out.  Eventually, in the summer of  2017, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism.  Finally, it had a name.  Finally, my feelings were validated.

During that time of not knowing what was wrong with me, I have never felt so tired in all my life.  I was always cold, I was dizzy, and my brain was foggy.  I was severely depressed.  I was literally an empty shell, devoid of any feelings, energy, passion and possibly a pulse.  I wrote about my experience in a previous blog.  I was barely able to make it through the work day.  I went from being a bubbly, energetic person who obsessively worked out every day most of my life (my husband and sister will chuckle reading this because they both know! Lol) to barely being able to make it through the work day.  Such a horrible feeling becoming someone you don't even know.  And as a woman, you experience guilt over not being able to clean the house, not wanting sex and not being able to exercise, etc.  Feeling completely worthless because you're unable to do all of the things you normally would do.  And swearing up and down to anyone who will listen that you are not lazy, something is wrong!

I was put on thyroid medication.  It takes a while to get the dosage right.  The medication helped, but I still was not myself.  I still carried 20 plus extra pounds and no matter what I did it wasn't budging.  I still did not have the energy I normally felt.  I was better than I was but I wasn't where I knew I should be. And of course many people might blame it on age (I am 50).  I knew better. I researched everything, bought  meal plans, diet plans, you name it. To no avail. Either they didn't work or I just couldn't stick to them.  One night I picked up this used "thrift store" book I bought somewhere and left sitting on a shelf at home.  The book is "THE HORMONE SECRET" by Tami Meraglia, MD.  This book saved my life.  By following Dr. Tami's protocol, I lost 9 pounds and I feel better than I've ever felt before. Within a week I started to notice a difference! I actually have energy! I don't get vertigo like I used to, I am able to actually go home after work and cook dinner.  I get up in the morning early enough to do some yoga, morning prayers/chants and meditate.  All of these things are small victories! All things I could not do before.   These  things have all helped with the depression. I am pretty happy with myself for the most part.

Just to clarify, I am in no way being paid to promote this book, I absolutely got lucky picking this book up!  Dr. Tami's protocol is clear and easy to follow.  You are required to do a 15 day liver cleanse (sounds worse than it is) by avoiding certain foods, eating whole foods on a schedule and taking certain supplements.  Once that is done, you do a 15 day adrenal reset.  Same thing, avoid certain things, stay on schedule and take supplements.  Easy. And so worth it. Dr. Tami also addresses the stress factor in everyone's life and how to deal with it through natural healing such as yoga, meditation, etc. Now I am just trying to stick to eating a whole food plant based diet, continuing to walk on my breaks at work, continue to do yoga and meditate in the morning.  So far it's working for me.  2 years later and I finally feel free!! Lol.

For anyone who is suffering from hypothyroidism or any other type of hormonal or auto-immune issues, please consider reading this book.  If I can help just one person feel normal by having them read this book- it will be totally worth it.  I want to tell the world about this book because that is how much it saved me. I feel like myself again.

Happy Independence Day to me!!

Love and Light,

Michelle

Millennials often get a bad rap.  And some of the time I would tend to agree, but most of the time I would not. Lazy, entitled, Tide pod eaters-these are just some of the adjectives I hear people use when describing Millennials.  First of all, I gave birth to a millennial.  My daughter will be 29 this summer. Sure, she had her problems like we all do, but she has grown into a kind, funny and smart individual who takes very good care of her grandmother. Secondly,  I  have met quite a few millennials through veganism, and I can honestly say, these kids are going to change the world for the better.   

I was invited to a millennial's birthday party over the weekend, which surprised me in a good way. The person expressed that she just wanted some cool company with chill vibes (or something close to that anyway, lol) which meant-shit! I must be cool and chill! That is awesome for a 50 year old to hear, lol.  Especially from a young person.  This is the second millennial birthday I was invited to,  by the way, which is even more cool!! 

So, I was told it was going to be a pool party,  it  was BYOB (bring your own drinks) and to bring a snack (vegan, of course).  Naturally I wanted to come fully prepared, as is my way.  Picked up a cooler, some ice, a six pack of Modello Beer and some organic chips and salsa.  Ready to roll!   I've got the phone plugged into maps and I am being directed to the party address over my car speakers.  The party is clear across town, 21 miles away to be exact, lol.  Hey, will travel for fun!  The directions took me through a new housing development in an old Henderson neighborhood,  which actually brought back fond memories of my childhood.  As I hear "the destination is on your right", I look over and see a construction site, lol.  Huh.  I will find it. I think. 

Now I have to find the community pool AND carry all the crap I brought! So if you could picture this: a short, chubby lady with a big floppy hat struggling along with a Styrofoam cooler and her towel , and phone,  trying to find the pool.  This cooler was HEAVY.  I was semi-dragging it and dropping my towel the entire way. That is what the group of young people in just their suits, towels and young healthy bodies, saw coming at them as they were exiting the birthday girl's house .  For a moment they all just stopped and stared, lol. It was quite comical, almost like a movie where I was the weird friend's mom!

Thankfully, a kind gentlemen in the group  who I've previously met came to my rescue.  Everyone was friendly. It was a LONG walk to the pool. Especially for the guy carrying the cooler, lol..  We made it to the pool and I grabbed a beer out of the cooler. Once it was established the rules only stated NO GLASS (nothing about alcohol),  and the kind gentleman offered me his plastic cup, I was good to go. Or so I thought! Modellos are NOT twist offs, lol. Once again, same guy came to my rescue and used a rock to open my beer.  Yeah, he probably felt sorry for me, lol.

The rest of the day was just lovely.  Everyone swam and played and talked. More people showed up late.  Everyone ended up at the crazy lady's (me) shady table.  Shared my chips and water, listened to the Grateful Dead on my phone. Somebody brought "medicated" (cannabis) guacamole! The kids did yoga on their towels. It turned out to be a nice day. 

These millennials were funny, kind, not on drugs, working and owning their own businesses.  They do not want to live a life stuck in the 9 to 5 grind. I don't blame them.  They want to live lives that they don't need a vacation from.  They care about the planet, They are vegan, They care about social justice.  They aren't eating "Tide pods".  I liken them to modern day hippies. And that I love, because the world needs hippies now more than ever.  They see the future. They know they are stuck with the damage of our over-consumerism and plastic addiction.  They want to live more natural and sustainable lives because they have learned form previous generation's mistakes.  Every generation is different.   I believe these millennials are going to change the world for the better.  Don't worry, the kids are all right!  

Love and Light,  

​Michelle

I attended a protest with Compassion Works International on Saturday, October 21, 2017, protesting animals in captivity.  We protested on the strip here in Las Vegas in front of the Mirage Hotel and  Casino.  From the CWI Facebook page:  "We invite you to our main event to be held outside the Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, where dolphins, tigers, lions, and other animals are being held captive for the purpose of entertaining Las Vegas tourists. MGM Resorts International, which owns the Mirage and is the LARGEST EMPLOYER in the state of Nevada, has been unwilling to hear a call for change. "  Also from CWI's Facebook page:  "They can't protest, create law, or speak out against those who abuse them. They need YOU. Never stop fighting!".  And that is why I was out there.  Fighting for their freedom , BECAUSE THEY CAN'T.  

Since we were out on the strip, there were lots of folks/tourists walking by our group.  Some people walked by reading the protest signs and just kept walking.  One lady clapped in support as she walked by.  Another lady actually stopped to talk to us about her journey trying to become vegan.   Some people just scurry  by and don't look. And shockingly, some people actually got angry, lol.  One gentleman shaking his head in disbelief, a couple walking by muttering and giving us the evil eye, and one gentlemen muttering something about us being thousands of miles from the ocean.  Hmm. Then there are those who said things out of sheer ignorance.  For instance "That is what they're bred for"  (REALLY??!!) and  "They got it pretty good in there though".  Both of these statements made me very angry.  And instead of standing on the rooftops SHOUTING the reasons why both of these statements are so wrong, I chose to write.  To educate.  Because as I said, these statements were made out of ignorance.  People do not know any better.  They haven't made the connection yet.  Once upon a time  I thought this way.  So, that is what this blog post is about.  Education. And why Freedom Matters to All.

I will never forget the first time that I started connecting the dots about animals being used for human entertainment.  My sister had a sticker on the back of her van that stated "CIRCUSES ARE NO FUN FOR ANIMALS".  At the time I didn't think much  about it, but it always stuck in my mind.  Now that I am vegan (meaning I do not eat or  use  any food or product that comes from or harms animals in any way), I  am aware of the horror and degradation that these poor innocent animals endure for human entertainment, food and clothing.  I cannot in good conscious contribute to any of it.  I cannot "unknow " what I know.

Let's get back to the animal attractions at the Mirage, which is home to Siegfried and Roy's  Secret Garden and Habitat.  This  is where a  baby dolphin was born in captivity recently.   The  calf's mother and  older sister were also born in captivity at the habitat according to the Mirage website.  So yes, unfortunately  these poor creatures were bred to be entertainment  as ignoramus #1 suggested.   According to MojaveDolphins.com, the original stock  of dolphins were wild caught.  Stolen from their real homes and families.  Now they are forced to entertain and breed more little entertainers in captivity.  This is not normal. Dolphins do not come  from pools inside of  "dolphin habitats".  A dolphin's natural habitat is  THE OCEAN.  A pool is like a cage for them.

Here  is what the Mirage offers  as "entertainment" with the dolphins (from the Mirage website);

1)   Meet our new baby dolphin, housed with sister, mother grandmother and another female dolphin.

2)     Become a trainer for a day, "You'll participate in hands-on activities including playing with, training, getting in the water with, and caring for our family of dolphins".  Starting at $495.00, 5 Hour Experience,  Fruit & Pastry Breakfast from Pantry Express, Poolside Lunch over-looking Dolphins & Digital Photos of Experience. (Mirage website)

3)    Painting with the dolphins, "With a canvas in your hands, watch as our bottlenose friends bring their art to life. You will receive your masterpiece, a certificate and a photo of your experience." (Mirage website) Starting at $159

• 1-3 colors for Dolphins to paint with
• 8x10 Art Canvas
• 6x8 photo with a Dolphin

4)     Yoga with the dolphins in the underwater viewing area

• 1-Hour Morning Session
• Full Spa Facility Access
• Complimentary Smoothie

5)   Enjoy a one-hour escorted tour behind the scenes where you'll learn about how our specialists care for all of our wondrous creatures. Every participant receives a complimentary 6x8 photo to seal in the memory. (Mirage website)

• Starting at $200
• 1 Hour Tour
• Groups up to 5 Guests
• 6x8 Photo for Each Guest
• (All information above from the Mirage website)
  

​They make a lot of money off of these dolphins as you can see by the prices listed.   Dolphins do not paint in the ocean.  Dolphins do not take selfies in the ocean.  Dolphins do not do stupid human tricks in the ocean.  None of these ridiculous activities come natural to a wild animal.  I guess kidnapping and enslaving wild animals is worth it to greedy mega-corporations.  All under the guise of conservation and research.  BULLSHIT.  I agree that there are some institutions who are dedicated to conservation and rehabilitation, but the Mirage is not one of them.  These dolphins are being exploited  to make them money.

Dolphins are highly intelligent and social animals. They even have their own culture according to wikiipedia.  They are also known to help each other out, when other  dolphins or even other species  are in trouble or ill.  And, dolphins live long lives.  According to DefendersofWildlife.org, a bottlenose dolphin can live up to 40 years.  They can swim up to 50 miles per day in their natural habitat ( MojaveDolphins.com.)  I'll say it again, a dolphin's home is in the ocean.  A pool is a cage for them. 

Have you ever wondered just how a dolphin is caught?  The most common method of hunting and capturing dolphins is called  dolphin drive hunting.  This is done by hunters/fisherman chasing down pods of dolphins with boats into a bay or beach and closing off any escape  routes with nets or boats.  Some end up as meat, others end up  in pools as entertainment.   "Many dolphins do not survive the trauma of capture.  Of those that do 53% die within three months of confinement".  (MojaveDolphins.com)  They die from  intestinal disease, stress-related illness and chlorine poisoning.  (MojaveDolphins.com)

So there are 9 dolphins currently at the Secret Garden and Habitat in 3 pools.  They have no shelter from the sun and get to breathe in the fumes from the surrounding roads and highways..  Twelve dolphins have died  while in captivity since it's opening in 1990.  (MojaveDolphins.com)  Food is commonly withheld to force dolphins to do tricks.  Tell me again how good they have it, Ignoramous #2.  If they could speak English, maybe they could tell us where they would rather be.  Until then, humans should leave wildlife wild.


I could not find anything on the lions or tigers at the Secret Garden.  However, MGM has made the decision to retire their lions.  (MojaveDolphins.com) We protested for all of the animals in captivity everywhere.  Freedom Matters To All.

Love and Light
Michelle



​All information and facts are from Wikipedia, Compassion Works International, Defenders of Wildlife.org, Mojave Dolphins.com & the Mirage website.  

Sunday, October 1, 2017, is a day every single person living in or visiting  Las Vegas will never forget.   The day evil struck down happy festival goers at the Route 91 Country Music Festival.  The day Stephen Paddock  decided to bring his heinous plot to fruition, to bust the windows out of  the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino, and start shooting  into the festival crowd  across the  street,  Killing 58  and injuring over 500 innocent people.  People who just went out for a night of  fun and music.  Drinking and dancing. Celebration.

I remember waking up sometime in the night as my husband was watching video news on his phone.  I asked "what the hell are you doing?"   He replied "there's a shooting on the strip!"  And I remember saying "how horrible" and fell back asleep.  I had taken some Nyquil before bed because I had a head cold, so I was out of it.  I woke up that Monday morning to the horrible news of what had happened.  I remember looking at my Facebook feed and seeing all of the posts from friends who were either on their way to or working on the "strip".  "Shooting on the strip", "freeways closed".  And then I watched the chilling videos of it happening.  The sounds of the bullets. The poor people screaming that there was nowhere to go as a spray of bullets rained down on them.  I cried. My chest felt like it was sucked up inside itself.  My heart broke into a million pieces as I watched these poor, innocent people scramble to escape.  This was a sad, dark  day for our city.

Stephen Paddock checked into the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino  on Thursday, September 28, 2017.  He was a frequent gambler. A 64 year old retired millionaire who lived in a Mesquite, Nevada retirement community..  There was absolutely no reason for anybody to suspect him of anything.  He must have smuggled the 23 weapons and ammunition into the hotel  with the 10 suitcases that Las Vegas Metropolitan Police found in his hotel suite.  He ended up killing himself before the police got to him.  He had no criminal record.  No affiliation with any political or terrorist groups. You could see that his poor brother Eric Paddock was completely baffled and horrified to find out that his brother was responsible for such an evil act. when the media interviewed him.

But despite this horrible tragedy, I watched my city come together in droves to help those in need.  I watched and read the stories of heroes in the midst of chaos. Regular people who shielded one another from the spray of bullets.  Regular people who used their own,  as well as random vehicles, to transport the wounded to hospitals and then  come back for more.  A young Marine who shielded a young woman as they both ran out of the festival, and used his phone  to  text the young woman's sister that she was safe .  A young man who saved 30 people's lives by carrying them out. A woman who stayed with a young man and held his hand while he died.  A man who shielded his wife.  A young mother who shielded her fiancé because he was hit and then got hit herself. Amazing stories of bravery and courage and compassion.  

I would also like to say that our police department did a fine job of acting quickly, bravely and professionally to stop this madman.

Our county commissioner started a Go Fund Me account with 10, 000 dollars of his own money for the victims.  It's up to over 8  million dollars  3 days later.  The lines to donate blood that Monday were 2 miles long.  They had to turn people away because they were at capacity that day.  The waiting list is booked for the next 2 weeks . People and local businesses donated food and beverages to the folks waiting in line to give blood.  Evel Pie Pizza in downtown Las Vegas donated boxes of pizzas.  Hotels and casinos offered free rooms for those victims who were displaced.  I have never been more proud of my hometown.  In the wake of this despicable tragedy, we rose up.  We came together. We are Vegas Strong.

We offer our thoughts, prayers and love to all of those affected by this horrible tragedy. 

Love and Light to all.  

Hey Campers! Been a while! I've been on a little hiatus called depression.   And what is so surprising is that I didn't even realize it. That is the thing about depression, it sneaks up on you. It  comforts you with it's dark dragon wing embrace so you don't notice that you are just an empty shell.  The walking dead.. It was exactly this time last year when somebody close to me made me realize something was wrong. And for that I am grateful.

Everything in my life suffered. My hobby work, my regular daytime job and my relationships. I was a walking zombie, empty of anything warm or real. Maybe even a pulse. I couldn't concentrate on anything , I couldn't remember anything, and I was so tired that by the time I got home from work all I could do was go to bed. My soul was devoid of all passion. I wanted no one and nothing.

And finally one day it all came to a head. Some stuff happened that I was responsible for (or irresponsible for, really) and finally I had to face myself.  That day was very ugly. I will never forget it.   That was a very dark  moment in my life.

Before the depression, I  knew something was also physically wrong with me, so I had started going to doctors.. I had vertigo, severe tiredness and some other symptoms that I knew weren't right. Long story short, after a few different doctor trips with no answers and lots of money, I finally found a doctor who discovered that I have hypothyroidism  and  it can be easily managed with medication. Many people have it. This was also a cause of the depression.

Who would have thought such a common condition of   lacking a simple  hormone could wreak so much havoc into one's life and turn ya into a walking zombie?!  I am so blessed to have  a wonderful and caring husband and family! As well as being surrounded by good and kind people at work and in my life. Know that you all helped me get through a very difficult and confusing time in my life.

Well, here I am one year later feeling better. I'm back! I'm not 100 % , but I am better, and I do have a pulse. Yay!

So I had some favors to loved ones that helped ease me back into sewing. Once I got started the fever hit, lol.  My husband actually had a pretty creative idea for a denim quilt.  He does come up with some awesomely creative  project ideas quite often. He does his own thing, but when it  involves sewing, I get to help out, lol.

The project I'm going to share though,  is not the denim quilt  YET, but  a T-shirt quilt I sewed for a friend. The T-shirts are her father's who passed on.  Such a sweet and creative way to preserve the memory of a loved one, and wrap yourself in the warmth of their love by way of a quilt! I looked up tutorials on You Tube, and even bought a Craftsy class, but eventually just did my own thing. It turned out better than I expected.

Mind you, I have never sewn a quilt before. Ever. So this was truly nerve-wracking because the T-shirts were so special.  I just took a deep breath and started cutting the T-shirts. At the beginning, I was following along with the Craftsy class video, but I didn't like their quilt idea for just using the logos, and then more of a quilting pattern in the background. I only had  10 T-shirts to work with  and only one had logo writing on the  front and back. (So that made two squares).  I ended up with one blank square and no more t-shirt logos, so I utilized leftover T-shirt material.

The back of the quilt is just plain black fleece.  I did not use any batting as it didn't seem necessary. The fleece worked out perfectly, not too bulky and still cozy enough to keep ya warm cuddled up on the couch. This meaningful project was a  perfect end to the Winter Blues of depression, and  the  perfect beginning of  a  new and grateful me. Spring has begun! Here in the beautiful desert, and in my soul.

Love and Light to all!

Michelle

Greetings Campers!! Happy Fall to all!! I know it's been a while since my last blog post, but sometimes  you've just got to wait for the right idea to come along.

I just recently took my vacation from work, and spent an entire long and luxurious week at home! It was just lovely. It was exactly what I needed, to slow down, rest and recharge. I was really starting to burn out from the same grind everyday. But I'm back and I'm ready to roll!

So during my stay-at-home vacation,  of course I had some projects that had to be done around the house.  One of them being the spare room! We all have that spare room, don't we? Part extra bedroom for company, and part storage room for everything, lol. We just had company stay over before my vacation and were a little embarrassed! Our spare room looked like a cross between barren wasteland and old junkyard with a queen sized bed in the middle of it all!  Very bad feng shui I'm sure! lol. All in all, not a very warm and welcoming room for company.  Needless to say, that was my first project, which I have chosen to share with you all.

So I used what I had around my house that was not being used, and I redecorated our wasteland of a room and turned it into a cool and comfy hippy hideaway!!  On the cheap! I think the only thing that I bought was a plant! I used some beautiful Moroccan inspired fabric given to me by a dear friend, (thank you Zsu Zsa!), an old Hendrix poster I had lying around and my very own handmade purses to hang on the wall! Unfortunately, I do not have any before pics because I didn't know this would be part of my blog. But here are some after  pics. This is still a work in progress, and my next two blog posts will be the finishing touches-a DIY Boho lamp and then DIY pillows!  (Hopefully, lol)

So, that is where I am so far, more work, ideas and decorating  to come.


Love and Light,

Michelle

Greetings Everyone! This post is a little different than the usual crafty stuff, but I think creating a sacred space is an important component in our daily lives for our sanity and our happiness.

I am not a religious person, but I am very much a spiritual person. When I need to "go to church"  or connect with God, The Universe or my Higher Power, I go hike. For me, communing with nature is connecting with my Higher Power and spirituality. Outside is my church. I'm sure it is different for everyone, but that is the beauty of spirituality. "To Each His Own". We all have our own path to walk on this journey called life. I believe that our purpose here is to be happy, help others and harm no one,  Trying to figure out what makes one happy, now that may be the greatest challenge of all  in life. I know it took me 40 plus years to figure that out, and some days I'm still not sure, lol!

There are so many distractions we humans have-the television, the radio, the Iphones and Ipads, the To-Do lists, housework, etc. I think an important part of being happy and staying sane, is having a place to go to quiet the everyday noise of living.  A place to unplug. A place to sit down and be grateful for this life we have been gifted. A place to sit still and just be. Be present in our own being. And since unfortunately I cannot hike outside everyday because I do have a job and a house to run like most of us, I thought I would finally create my own sacred space in my home. 

So, we are going to create a Sacred Space. The "Place to Unplug". It doesn't have to be anything fancy. It can be whatever you want it to be.  It can just be an empty  corner in your room or office, or a small unused space anywhere in your home.  And we are going to do this on the cheap! I am going to share what I have done and where I got some of my inspiration from.

My space is an empty piece of wall in my office/sewing room. And I had to move a bunch of crap to get that empty space, lol. I inherited a pair of nightstands from a friend. I'll be using one of them as my altar. For the wall background I am using one of two posters I purchased a while back from www.amybrownart.com  called "sisters" .  The poster artwork is of two fairy goddesses, which to me represent my angels. Of course I gave the other poster to my sister.  I bought two candles from Wal-Mart for a dollar and some change each. The burning of candles with meditation and prayer connects one to the spiritual realm, fire represents the spark of creation. It also gives a warm and calming glow. One candle is green which represents healing and the earth, a bountiful harvest. The other candle is white, for higher consciousness and divine light, purification. Really you can use any candles you have lying around. I got some ideas from this link http://www.diy-stress-relief.com/home-altars.html ‏.  So I used some personal items to represent the four elements  (I actually only have three at the moment, lol, more on that later). You can also  use personal items   that have sentimental meaning or represent what you need from the spiritual realm in your life right now.  Your altar should be very personal, after all, it is YOUR Sacred Space. The objects should bring you peace and happiness. Maybe you don't even need objects on your altar! Maybe you're a minimalistic individual!

This is my personal altar and sacred space. You can see I used a bonsai tree to represent Earth, eagle figurine to represent Air, the candles representing Fire, and the poster representing my Angels, I have a small box containing various crystals and the topper of my wedding cake to represent love, home and family. There is also a large crystal given to me many years ago by a dear friend.  I have not found an appropriate vessel to represent water yet. It is a work in progress.

The picture above is my favorite! Well, as you can see, it doesn't take much to have a Sacred Space. I hope this has inspired you to take time out and unplug!


Love & Light,

Michelle

Greetings and happy belated Independence Day to all!! I've got another cute wearable craft for you,  This is a super easy tutorial for cutting up a t-shirt to wear with some cute cut-offs or a denim skirt!

A lot of today's styles have a bit of decades past in them and this particular trend reminds me of the 80's. A time when boys and girls shared eyeliner, spandex and AquaNet, the schools still had smoking areas and MTV was ACTUALLY MUSIC TELEVISION!! I am lucky enough to say this was "totally" the decade I grew up in!! From Jr. High to High School.! I was a "Stoner" in high school, my sister was a "Mod".  (Admittedly, there was that Madonna phase I went through, lol) Funny, nowadays I think everyone is all rolled up into one! Back then you knew exactly what kind of music a person listened to just by what they wore!  There were a lot of cut up  rock band t-shirts, shredded  jeans,  lace and fishnet stockings, and of course we cannot forget the legwarmers, scrunchies and the mile-high AquaNet sprayed hair!

The 80s were a fun time,  I'm glad I grew up when I did.  So here is my salute to the neon decade!

Here are the supplies you will need:

1) T-shirt

2) Ruler

3) Scissors

4) Marking Pencil

5) Beads (optional)

STEPS


1) Lay out t-shirt flat and mark with your pencil where you want your fringe or cuts to start.

3) Cut off the bottom end of shirt, just above the hem, using the hem as a guide.

4) Using your ruler, mark your fringe cut lines about every half inch.

5) Cut the side seam of the shirt open to start your cuts. 

7) Start cutting on the lines you have marked, cutting through both layers of your shirt.

8) Your shirt should look something like this after you are finished (and don't forget the other side seam!

9) Now your are going to pull on each fringe from top to bottom.

10) Until you have something like in the picture. See how fringy it is?

11) Now we are going to make our cut lines for the neck.  Measure about 2 inches from the neck seam on the front side of the shirt and mark on both sides (right and left of front)

12) Draw a cut line from your 2 inch mark. This cut line is for the FRONT SIDE ONLY!  (TRUST ME, DON'T DO WHAT I DID ON MY FIRST SHIRT FOR THIS TUTORIAL, MORE ON THAT LATER, LOL) Make sure you do the same to the other side of the FRONT OF SHIRT.

13) Now we are going to mark our cut lines for the back side of the shirt. I just started my mark at the same 2 inch line on the front of the shirt and made a line across to the bottom of the neck seam like you see in the picture.

14) It should look something like this. Make sure you do the other back side.

15) Snip at your 2 inch mark through both sides, but do not cut through both sides, just cut off  the top neckline, being careful not to cut the back. It should look like the picture. Then just cut the back side across, above the name brand is a good guide or you can turn the shirt over and follow your back cut lines.

16) Your shirt should look like this after you cut off the neck line.  The first shirt I cut for this tutorial, I cut the front and back side of shirt at the same time which rendered the shirt completely un-wearable since there was not much to hold it up!! lol. Yes I like to learn my lessons the hard way.

18) Now we are going to make our sleeve cut lines, and cut off our sleeves. Start at the top of the shirt and follow along the inside of the seam line and about 2 inches down like you see in the picture. Do the same for the other sleeve. You could also leave your sleeves on if you wanted to.

19) Your shirt should look something like this after you cut both of your sleeves off.

And that's it! Now you have a cute cut up, fringy tank top to wear this summer! If you wanted to, you could add some beads to the fringes! I see a beaded shirt tutorial in our future!

I hope you love your shirt! And I hope you all are " like totally" enjoying your summer!  Heh.


Love & Light,


Michelle

Greetings Campers! In this episode we are celebrating summer! Sandals and summer memories!  Here in the desert, the heat is upon us! 110 degrees this weekend! I'm pretty sure summer has arrived. Every year I find myself wishing we had a pool!! 

When I think of summer memories growing up in Vegas, I think of swimming at the public pools,  walking to the arcade at the Chapparel Apartments in the next neighborhood (which was a looong walk!) and playing kickball in the street with our neighbors. When we got older, my sister and I, and just about all of Las Vegas back then,  would  head out to "the cliffs" at Lake Mead. It was just one big ol' party out there all summer long! Cliff diving, boating, and there may have been some alcohol involved. We had so much fun, it should have been illegal (and probably was, lol). 

I also think of spending summers in Florida with my grandparents.  I would help my grandmother by working the window on the lunch truck they owned (long before lunch trucks became so popular!) serving the best sub sandwiches on the beach! I can still hear her saying, "Always ask the customer if they want chips or a drink with their sandwich!"  I miss those days, my grandparents and the beach! Family, cool waves and my toes in the sand!

And since we are all going to have our toes in the sand or the grass sometime this summer, they may as well look cute! That is what this tutorial is for!  Decorative footwear. The beauty of these "barefoot sandals" is that you can wear them two ways! Barefoot, or with your favorite pair of flip flops! This is a fun, easy craft, and I will show you how I make these cute decorative beaded sandals. I made a pair for my sister and already shipped them to her. The pair that I'm going to make for this tutorial is going to be for my niece.

BAREFOOT SANDAL TUTORIAL


Supply List:

1) Hemp cord or similar (make sure it's thin enough for beads to slide onto)
2) Beads
3) Any other decorative hardware you want to add to your sandal
4) Piece of small bent wire (for pulling cord through beads) or large beading eyelet/needle

And that's it!

STEP 1


Cut two separate lengths of about 60 inches of hemp cord, one for each sandal.  A good way to make sure you have enough length is to wrap the cord around your middle toe and then your ankle about 4 times. If you want gladiator style sandals, wrap cord up the length of your calf and leave about 6 extra inches. You can always cut off any extra length. The sandals I am making are not gladiator style.

STEP 2:


Place beads in the order you wish to string onto hemp cord, or you can just wing it like I do and start beading until you figure out what looks cute or what you like! I just used the lid to my craft container to keep beads in place. Also, you can use whatever kind of beads you want.

STEP 3

Fold hemp cord in half evenly and measure about 2 inches down for the toe loop and tie a knot.  Or you can just place over your toe and knot where you like it.

STEP 4


Bend your piece of wire and loop both strands of hemp cord through at the opposite end bottom of strands as shown.

STEP 5


Place both pieces of wire through the bead.

STEP 6


Pull bead all the way through and down to the toe knot.

STEP 7

Now thread just one strand of cord through the wire.

STEP 8


Pull a bead through, or you can keep the strands doubled for a single line of beads instead of separate strands for your sandal. (you will see what I mean by taking a peek at Step 11)

STEP 9

Thread the second strand with a bead.

STEP 10


Thread about 4 or 5 beads down (depending on the size of your foot, which you may want to measure, or place sandal on your foot to see how far down the beads should go)

STEP 11


Then place a bead through both strands to lock the other beads into place as shown.

STEP 12


And now you are going to thread each strand separately with beads, these wrap around your ankle.

STEP 13


You can place sandal on your foot to measure length of beads you will need for each strand to wrap around to the back of your ankle. They should stop where they meet.  (Please excuse the ant bite on my foot!)

STEP 14

Double knot each end to hold beads in place.

STEP 15


Now just copy what you've done for the other sandal!

Now try on your sandal and tie around your ankle. You can tie it in the front or back. If there is too much cord, cut the extra now.

And there you have a super cute pair of barefoot sandals to wear!

THE END OF TUTORIAL

Go forth and run barefoot through the grass or the sand, with the sunshine on your shoulders and beads on your feet!  Enjoy making memories this summer!

Love and light,

Michelle :)