DIY Cake Stand

When my niece celebrated her 2nd birthday in October,  I offered to make the cupcakes. Because I'm an overachiever and didn't want the cupcakes to be presented on just any old plate or tray, I decided to whip up a coordinating 3-tier cake stand- Princess themed!  After searching the interwebs, I came up with a pretty solid idea of the mechanics of said stand, and went hunting for supplies.

Here's What You'll Need:

• 3 cardboard circles (I chose 3 different sizes)
• 3 cans from your pantry (You'll want a large one for the base, and gradually smaller ones for the upper level tiers)
• Double sided tape
• Fabric and/or Construction paper
• Ribbon
• Hot glue gun

All of the materials needed for your DIY cake stand. 

I covered the three cans with white scrapbook paper. I secured the edge with double sided tape.

Then, I covered the foil circles with my fabric. I used double-sided tape to stick it down, with some hot glue around the edges. Then, I trimmed the excess fabric off the edges, and hot glued ribbon around the sides.

The bottom tier covered with fabric.

The top tier covered with fabric. 

After you cover the cans with paper and the cardboard circles with the fabric, align the cans in the centre of the cardboard. You'll want to apply a generous amount of hot glue to the inside lip of the can, and then apply more around the outer edge. Press firmly into the cardboard. I let mine sit for a long time before flipping them right side up. 

Once the glue was dried, I applied crown stickers I found at the Dollar store to the can. 

When you're all done, centre the cans on top of each other. Make sure it's stable! As long as you place the cans in the centre, you shouldn't have any problem with it toppling over. If you're worried though, you could put a circle of hot glue around the base of each tier as well. 

And here she be, ready with the cupcakes and all. They were a huge hit, and my niece had a fabulous birthday! 

Next time you have an event, why not make a DIY cake stand? It's a little more work, but it's totally customizable to your theme, and the cake stand will be one of a kind and sure to impress.  

oh the weather outside is frightful....

... but you can still look delightful. The holiday season has passed, but that hasn't stopped the blustery wind and snow from coming our way. In fact, we had an unusually balmy Christmas and New Years. Our first major snowstorm on January 3rd in this neck of the woods is better than normal, so I'm not complaining (even after just spending an hour outside shovelling). I basically rolled out of bed with my fuzzy hair, glasses and comfy clothes and threw on mitts, a hat, boots and a coat. But because I live in town, I had to see many people whilst outside *and when I say many, I mean like a car every few seconds and people walking by me upclose. So, this got me thinking, how does one pull off a cute wintery warm look without a) looking like an abominable snowman, and b) freezing your a$$ off?

Fur or faux-fur always looks chic. This lady effortlessly masters layering to stay cozy. 

This quilted coat looks toasty, and her chunky knit scarf keeps her neck warm.  If she zipped up her coat, she would stay W-A-R-M! 

These coats utilize fur around the neck to stay warm as well, and negates the need for a scarf. Notice the belt to emphasize her waist? That's one of my favourite tricks to look chic and feminine while staying warm. 

I adore the colour scheme of these coats. She looks chic and warm! In my experience, unless there is a sheet of ice, there's no excuse to not wear a boot with a heel. It elongates your leg and also puts you a few inches above the snow! 

It's not hard to look cute and stay warm during the winter months. As long as you find the perfect coat (preferably belted) and pick cute accessories (hat, mittens/gloves, boots, and an array of scarves) you'll be WCW (winter-chic-warm). Yes, I just made up that acronym.

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For Auld Lang Syne

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The beginning of the new year is a time to reflect on the previous year, and consequently, the future. For Auld Lang Syne literally means "for the sake of old times." I've reflected on my past year, and I'm in the mood for great things. It's Monday. It's the second day of the New Year, and the holiday season is officially over. I'm ready to begin my new mantra of living life each day to the fullest and making the most of it. 2011 was a great year for me. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it was the best one I've had so far, and I'm not being cliché. 2012 however, has been forecasted as the year that I've been waiting for my whole life. You see, this is the year where I graduate from University; where my dreams of becoming a teacher will finally be realized. Such big changes are just around the corner, and are impossibly inevitable in 2012. It's exciting. It's scary. It's overwhelming. Sometimes it makes me want to freeze time in place and remain where I'm comfortable. But that's not going to happen. I've always had big dreams- ones where I sometimes become too complacent to actually follow through with. Not this year. 

Dream big, Do big things. And that starts today. 

Happy New Year!

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New Year, new beginnings. Think of each day as a new page. You always have the ability to make it interesting, full of love, and wonder. Embrace it! 

2011 Wrap Up

Well, I thought it seemed fitting to do an update before we ring in the New Year tomorrow evening. And what a better way to wrap up the year than to do a run-down of my 12 Before 2012 list. Also, as a way to celebrate change, what a better way to ring in the New Year than with an updated blog layout- you like?

Let's refresh our memories about my list of goals I wanted to accomplish before the year's end, shall we?

• Re-read the entire Harry Potter series
• Have an afternoon outing by myself- Go out for lunch and a movie shamelessly solo and enjoy it!
• Finish the in-class portion to my final year of University 
• Put $500 away for my “someday” fund
• Lose my final 20 pounds for a total weight loss of 75 pounds
• Get professional photos taken 
• Go to an antique flea market (like Aberfoyle) for an afternoon of inspiration and unique purchases
• Bake a pie from scratch (pie crust, filling, and all!) without Mom’s help
• Make some major decisions about where I want to be next year with my career (this obviously will be an ongoing process, but I want to have a semi-concrete idea about my plan by the end of this year)
• Invest in a few high quality wardrobe staples (i.e., a pair of leather shoes, a structured handbag, and tailored blazer or jacket) for pleasure and profession 
• Get crafty! Make home bracelets like the ones here, a necklace like this one, a DIY dry erase board, and other goodies that I come across in my travels (cough, cough Pinterest)
• Attend a cultural event (like a symphony or a theatre production) ... and get dressed up! 

My progress as of the end of September was as follows:

Re-read the entire Harry Potter series (progress & progress)

Have an afternoon outing by myself- Go out for lunch and a movie shamelessly solo and enjoy it!

Finish the in-class portion to my final year of University 

Put $500 away for my “someday” fund

Lose my final 20 pounds for a total weight loss of 75 pounds (progress & progress)

Get professional photos taken 

Go to an antique flea market (like Aberfoyle) for an afternoon of inspiration and unique purchases - I went to St. Jacobs with my mom and sister and spent over an hour in an antique mall, wishing I could purchase so much more than I could afford. Read about that trip here. (I also went to Aberfoyle! Read about that in this post.) 

Bake a pie from scratch (pie crust, filling, and all!) without Mom’s help (read about that here)

Make some major decisions about where I want to be next year with my career (this obviously will be an ongoing process, but I want to have a semi-concrete idea about my plan by the end of this year)

Invest in a few high quality wardrobe staples (i.e., a pair of leather shoes, a structured handbag (read about that here), andtailored blazer or jacket (I purchased a wool peacoat for winter, and a jacket, read here) for pleasure and profession 

Get crafty! Make homemade bracelets like the ones here (I made some bracelets here), a necklace like this one, a DIY dry erase board, and other goodies that I come across in my travels (cough, cough Pinterest)

Attend a cultural event (like a symphony or a theatre production) ... and get dressed up!

So, how did I end up faring in these absent past few months with my list? 

  

Re-read the entire Harry Potter series I finished the 7th book on December 22nd. I can't believe how after all this time, the books still evoke such strong emotions from me. Harry Potter forever! I'm so glad that I made this a goal. 

Have an afternoon outing by myself- Go out for lunch and a movie shamelessly solo and enjoy it! I didn't specifically go to the movies, but I did enjoy quite a bit of time with just myself. Shopping, watching movies at home, and reading all allowed me to be shamelessly solo... and I loved every minute of it! 

Finish the in-class portion to my final year of University I had my final exam on December 16th, and moved home the next day. To say that I felt relieved, sad, anxious and accomplished all at once is an understatement. I'm still trying to deal with the fact that I will never have to sit through a University lecture again, but I'm embracing the future with open arms! 

Put $500 away for my "someday" fund- Sadly, I did not accomplish this goal. My monetary funds were sadly lacking this year, to the point of poverty on most occasions. I do not feel badly about this one, because money isn't everything, and I know that to have accomplished this goal would have put me in an even more severe financial situation. 

Lose my final 20 pounds for a total weight loss of 75 pounds I accomplished this goal, and I could not be prouder of myself. I feel amazing, and I know that I never want to go back to my "before" weight. This is the goal that I am most proud of... not only this year, but EVER. 

Get professional photos taken I didn't have a "photoshoot" necessarily, but I did get my grad photos professionally done, and I'm considering them as successfully completing this goal. 

Go to an antique flea market (like Aberfoyle) for an afternoon of inspiration and unique purchases As I stated in previous posts, I went to not one, but two flea/antique markets! So inspiring, and so much fun!

Bake a pie from scratch (pie crust, filling, and all!) without Mom’s help I made a Dutch Apple Pie and it was amazing! 

Make some major decisions about where I want to be next year with my career (this obviously will be an ongoing process, but I want to have a semi-concrete idea about my plan by the end of this year) I'm not going to cross this one off because as I stated, it's an ongoing process. I have looked into various avenues that I may very well pursue. I am in the process of applying for my Social Security Number so that I can work in the States, but I've also looking into teaching in the UK with a friend. All the possibilities are still open to me, and as I complete my 13 week placement this year, I will look into each further. God knows where I'm supposed to be, so I can't let myself get too worried yet, because He will look out for me. 

Invest in a few high quality wardrobe staples (i.e., a pair of leather shoes, a structured handbag, and tailored blazer or jacket  for pleasure and profession  I did indeed have to buy a whole new wardrobe because of my weight loss. In the coming weeks you will get to see my new pieces as I post them! 

Get crafty! Make homemade bracelets like the ones here, a necklace like this one, a DIY dry erase board, and other goodies that I come across in my travels (cough, cough Pinterest) I used Pinterest as inspiration for DIY crafts and goodies more times this year than I'd like to count. I'm considering this one successful, even though I may not have created those items that I specifically mentioned in my original goal post. 

Attend a cultural event (like a symphony or a theatre production) ... and get dressed up! Sadly, because I was so poor this year I was not able to attend something that cost too much money. I look forward to accomplishing this goal in 2012! 

2011 was a successful year. Bring it on, 2012! 

Well, I know this post was quite wordy, but I hope you enjoyed following my progress as the year went on, even though I took extended periods of absence on more than one occasion! Needless to say, 2011 was, by far, the best year of my life! I can only imagine what 2012 has in store for me, and in the next few days, I hope you'll stop by to follow me in my new adventures! 

It's been awhile...

I suppose I haven't had much to say. I've been stuck in a rut, not really feeling the desire to write blog posts and be creative on top of everything else I've had to do. I only write when I'm inspired, or when I need somewhere to put all of my thoughts. I guess I just thought I'd pop in to say hello. I'm not promising daily or weekly postings, but I guess I just wanted to say thank you to all those who have read/continue to read my posts!

autumnal bliss

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