A Kate Middleton Easter DIY

Dear friends,
sorry it's been so long. Chalk it up to winter, unemployment, laziness, lack of laziness, whatever you will. It's hard to get on and blog! Props to the many fantastic blogs out there who never let us down.
Anyway, perhaps it was a reunion of the JEM girls or the extra hour of sunshine in the afternoons, but I was just ITCHING for a DIY. Turns out, I had the perfect excuse to crack out the glue gun AND to purchase tacky, dusty silk flowers. Ladies and gentleman, I give you: The Easter Hat.
When my boyfriend's grandmother saw our Ugly Xmas sweaters on December 24th, she flipped. She couldn't get over the creativity, the hilarity of it all (clearly, she's not online). Only two of us had made ugly sweaters for the occasion, opting to surprise my in-laws rather than get them in on the fun, but everyone was eyeing our warm, cozy sweaters with eggnog-fueled jealousy. And then, Mrs. P came up with a brilliant idea: Easter hats.
The Easter hat is the ugly Christmas sweater of spring. Go for bows, bunny ears, grass/moss, flowers, flowers and MORE FLOWERS. You cannot lose.

from roaylwedding.hellomagazine.com

My original sketch was for a very dramatic bonnet inspired by Kate Middleton and the royal family's elaborate fascinators, but considering I got the flowers for $2 and the hat for free, I couldn't justify spending $4 on the tulle or lace for the veil I envisioned. Yes, I am poor. And YES, I am cheap. (Since being unemployed, I've even taken to cutting my own hair. And it doesn't even look bad!)

from lifeloveandlouis.blogspot.com

So if you want to surprise (or full-on stun) your relatives this re-birthday (death-day?) of Mr. (?) Christ, follow this step-by-step guide to a DIY Easter bonnet.
1. Assemble cheap materials. Get a free sunhat, strawhat, bowler hat or whatever you can scrounge up for free. I got extra lucky in that my free hat is light green, perfect for my springtime theme. You'll also need fake flowers (see Value Village), bunny ears, yellow chicks, plaster eggs and whatever other dollar store crap you want to throw on there. Also, hot glue. Loads and loads of hot glue.

 2. If necessary, cut back the flowers so that they are a workable size. Whatever you do, don't get cocky with the scissors and slice your left index as I did. I almost not blood on my hat!
3. Play around with the design; place things randomly until they look good. I tried my hat on once or twice during the process to see where I needed to add stuff.

4. Mostly, just cover up unsightly stems and go for fullness and depth. A lot of the leaves came in convenient branches of three, but I cut some of these into individual pieces to get a more unique, garden-like look.

5. Use every bit. I had some smaller buds leftover which I glue to bobby pins. Now when I'm feeling spring-ish I can wear those!

6. Go hog wild. Like Ugly Christmas Sweaters, I imagine Easter hats should be vivacious and loud, not subdued or stylish. I was going for a girly, garden theme, but I encourage you to make, salvage or up-cycle bunny ears, faux-chocolate rabbits, birds' nests, robins' eggs, straw, butterflies, book pages, bows, ribbons, burlap... the sky's the limit. I feel like my hat could use something more, but for now, this is my finished product:

All in all, it took about 20 minutes and half a pint of blood (haha). Definitely will add some fun to our holiday weekend. And now, I'm back to my mug of mint tea and Brian Jacques' Redwall. 

Gotta book it!

xoxo

JEM

The Least Lame List of Affordable Valentines Day Ideas Ever Written

You can tell how romantic I am based on the title of this blog. I’m sick of all the articles about “rekindling the romance” and the ideas are like rent a tandem bicycle or eat strawberries dipped in chocolate. No one does that shit. Plus, it's like -40 in Canada so no one really wants to do anything let alone fall off a two person bicycle into a snowbank. Like many recently graduated twenty-somethings we're on a bit of a budget this valentines day but refuse to miss out on any of the spontaneity or romance of the day.

If you can afford this you're in the wrong place
Source: We Heart It

Although we don't stand for this bullshit either
Source: We Heart It

Here at WTD we've decided to find the perfect combination of thoughtful and affordable, cute and creative: we decided to have a date night on a dime brainstorming session for our own benefit as much as yours this Valentines Day. I’m sure some of these ideas will be lame but in my opinion it’s almost impossible to write about Valentine’s Day without being lame. The consensus here at WTD is that Valentine’s Day isn’t about buying marked up chocolate and Hallmark cards however if you have someone you love you should probably do something this v-day because NOT making an effort says a lot more than making one does… if you catch my drift. Ladies and gents take note: we all agree  a simple love letter would have us swooning this Friday. So remember, cute trumps corny and a little gesture can go a long way. Feel free to weigh in on our free and low budget V-Day ideas in the comments or on twitter @jemcolborne.

Sentimental Gifts 

• a framed photo of the two of you
• print the photos from a trip - no one makes photo albums anymore
• a scrapbook
• a love letter
• a poem/song/short story
• a copy of their favourite book with an inscription from you inside

DIY & Crafty Gifts 

•  make a set of homemade mugs with quotes from his/her favourite book/movie/song 
•  make a cookbook (paper in a simple binder works) with all of your fave recipes
• a jar full of pieces of paper, each with a reason why you love them or a memory and they can pick one out of the jar every day or whenever they need it
• a jar full of popsicle sticks, each one with a different date idea on them for future dates:
  i. white popsicle sticks = inexpensive date nights (i.e. rom-com night, hot chocolate date night, dance to our fave album in the kitchen date night)
  ii. pink popsicle sticks = moderately expensive date nights (go out for dessert, go to a local hockey game etc)
  iii. red sticks = expensive dates (go to fancy restaurant, river cruise, museum etc) 
• buy that movie they've been dying to see that isn't on netflix yet and watch it at home!     

Food Gifts

• a jar of his/her favourite candy corn or homemade chex mex
• can you say Valentines Day baking: cookies, cupcakes, cake, squares…. mmmm
• a "spluge" food item from a gourmet shop
• despite the fact that I made a dig at it, you can never go wrong with chocolate (good chocolate, that is) try to pick out your s/o's favourite kind

 Out & About Gifts

• if you can't afford to go out for dinner this year go out for a drink before heading home for dinner; you'll get the enjoyment of going "out" without the bill at the end of the night
•  go for a nighttime walk (if you can - I know, the snowbanks are high) there's nothing more romantic than unfiltered conversation under a starry winter sky
• find a public skating rink. I realize this verges into "tandem bike" territory but skating is fun and wintry and oftentimes free!
• go into a store of your choice together and set a price limit. Buy each other the best gift you can "under pressure": it might end up perfectly or hilariously but either way no one overspends.
• go for coffee at a nice coffee shop (skip Timmies on v-day)

Oh and if you don't get what you want, or you're single? We have absolutely nothing against:

Source: We Heart It

Jem's Guide to Proficient Packing

Is anyone else heading to a tropical destination this holiday season? As excited as I am, I am worried about packing. When I went to L.A. in the spring my bag was open and getting packed for two weeks pre-trip. Now I have a matter of days to pull it together. Packing can be an annoyance and can seriously ruin your trip if done wrong! (My most forgotten items: hair ties, hair brushes and my camera charger). This year, follow Jem's Guide to Proficient Packing and you'll be ready to jet anywhere at anytime. 

Source: We Heart It

P.S. this guide is technically made for a one-week Caribbean vacation for a twenty-something female traveller but  can be adapted to any locale or person!

I don't buy into the idea of "light" packing. Every time i've ever packed lightly i've felt like I didn't have enough clothes. There's nothing worse than having a suitcase filled with dingy clothes and nothing fresh to wear. For a reasonably fashionable female traveller I estimate that you will need two outfits per day; a daytime beach-going outfit and a  more formal dinner/nighttime outfit. Luckily, you can mix and match pieces to make more outfits out of what you bring.

The List

Source:  We Heart It

Clothes

• Pants: one pair of comfortable pants for flying and optional use at resort (example: lululemons)
• Shorts/Skirts: two-three.
• Leggings: optional but they are a great multi-use wardrobe piece 
• Dresses: five-seven. Dresses are a staple for a tropical vacation. They're great to throw over your bathing suit and also wearable at dinner.
• Sweater: one. You might need it at night and its nice to have on the plane.
• Tops: seven. I want to have one shirt per day that I can wear with pants/shorts/skirts/leggings. Shirts are the one thing I find I never have enough of and they're not as re-wearable as other items. Don't forget to bring camis for layering. 
• PJ's: this is kind of a personal choice. If you sleep naked score! one less thing to pack. If not, I recommend one pair of long pant PJ's and one pair of shorts with two comfy shirts. If you're going with your S/O you might want to pack something sexy!
• Blazer: one. Optional but is a great option to dress up your dresses for evening wear.
• Intimates: bras & underwear for everyday
• Bathing Suits: at least three. Nothing worse than a wet bathing suit!
• Shoes: practical flip flops for the beach, dressy sandals for evening/around the hotel, flats
• Hats: optional but a good idea in the sun!

Toiletries 

• Smile: toothbrush, toothpaste & floss
• Face: make-up & remover, face wash, toner, moisturizer, sunscreen formulated for your face!
• Hair: hair brush, hair elastics, bobby-pins, shampoo & conditioner (if you're away for a week you definitely want your own!), straightener/curler
• Body: moisturizer, sunscreen (buy new before the trip and get the right SPF for your skin), body wash, deodorant, shaving supplies
• First Aid: birth control, medications ect. 

Extras

• Beach Bag: something you can roll up and fit into your luggage easily is best! A beach bag/tote is a must for bringing what you need with you to the beach!
• Beach Reading: as a bookish gal I don't do "beach reads". I am going to take this opportunity to delve into the books on my "to read" shelf and get some serious reading done while I have the peace and tranquility to do it!
• Travel Essentials: travel insurance, passport, address of your hotel, money, copies of passport and drivers license (learned this the hard way one time)
• Hospitality Gifts: if you are travelling to a third world country its important to bring some gifts for your hotel staff. I bought my housekeepers soaps, toothpaste & toothbrushes, notebooks, crayons, stickers, pens & pencils, a hairbrush & hair ties, deoderant and a few fun girly items like pretty bracelets.
• Electronics: camera, phone (depending on country), chargers, iPod 

Well, that's it for now. If you think of anything I am missing PLEASE comment! Now you should be ready to lounge in the ocean like these adorable baby sea turtles!

Source: We Heart It

Jem's Reindeer Roundup

So by now you've realized that if you follow WTD, you're going to hear a lot about animals. We're kooky for critters, passionate about our pets, and adore and admire the animal kingdom. Had enough alliteration?
Anyway, I don't go in much for angels and Santas at Christmastime. Elves and snowflakes get very little of my attention. Creches with little baby Jesus inspire me to reconfigure them in rather rude postures. (Think of Mary wearing a tiny "I'm with stupid" sign pointed at a certain Joseph and you'll get what I mean) ((Sorry in advance for offending you)).
But my lifelong, non-cynical, still-feeling-the-Christmas-wonderment OBSESSION is with reindeer.
I was the kid who made sure next to Santa's cookies and milk were carrots and water for his fleet. Rudolph, that sexist, corny old claymation movie is, for me, the apex of cinematography. And yes, at 24 years old, I still tune in to ReindeerCam.com...just to watch those fuzzy, antlered cuties hang out.
So, as I window-shop my way through this Christmas without a penny in my pocket or a home of my own to decorate, let me present the cutest, weirdest, downright tackiest reindeer I've encountered so far this season.

Classic white-on-white PRANCER

This beauty was in a store window at the mall. Not sure if he's actually for sale, but he's definitely for the savvy shopper who wants to get in the spirit without sacrificing style. Note his majestic pose: arched neck, upturned face, one poised leg... and those curvaceous, mythic antlers! He's even coated in a sheer shine of white glitter. 

"There are two kinds of people on this earth: everyone else and you." Definitely BLITZEN.

Who else could be this bold?  This sparkly gold Canadian tire moose says: "Fuck reindeer! I can plow down a car, a beer is named after me... for sure I can pull a sleigh."  I guess you would display this big fella in your yard if regular reindeer just "aren't enough" for you.

Elegant DANCER from Canadian Tire.

Light up your yard with a whole fleet of Dancers: in soft gold lighting, and not in some stupid grazing pose, this sturdy girl looks like she's on the move and ready to deliver toys to girls and boys.

Cutest Couple: COMET and CUPID

OMG AREN'T THEY JUST ADORABLE?!  Available from Costco in giant yard size and smaller inside size, I think they're made out of heavy duty coated ceramic.  And they come with "leather" jingle bell harness/wreaths. Look at Comet, just wishin' on a star. And Cupid, just lovingly looking up at him, lounging in the warmth of their romance.  Ah-mazing.

Nice try, driftwood DONNER. "A" for effort. "A" is also for "Antlers?????"

This strange Canadian Tire reindeer is trying hard to do that "nature, reclaimed wood, up-cycling, home-made goodness" thing, but he falls short. For one, where are his antlers? Two, why does he look like a child just glued together some jenga blocks and dowels? Still, I would take little reject Donner home in a heartbeat... he could be a talking point!

Daring DASHER Decimates Driftwood Donner.

So, right next to poor, weird Driftwood Donner is another moose. This one at least looks like he's made out of birch and bark, has antlers, and his hysterical moose beard (which he grew for Movember). I'm liking the natural looking wreath complete with pinecones and holly berries. You could even say he looks "dashing" in it.

Head-turning VIXEN

White as snow and covered in sparkles, this lil' lady is strutting her stuff, flicking her tail and casting a sultry glance over her shoulder. She's also available posing with her adorable, flawless nose pointed perfectly in the air-- they way all pretty reindeer girls do.

 Wanna-be Rudolph sucking up to Santa

Well, there's no red nose in site at my local mall's Santa village, but the reindeer frolicking amongst the candy canes, glittery gifts and plasticy-plush Santa throne are whimsical (in a very 2013 kind of way). I liked this one because he is sporting both a onesie and a toque/sleeping cap, which is so very Night Before Christmas. However, he is also making kind of a "blah" face.  Like, he really isn't in the mood to be serving the Big Man in Red his cookies and milk.  And I kind of don't want to be thinking about reindeer slavery right now.

TO BE CONTINUED AS I FIND MORE REINDEER...

It happened!  I found more reindeer!  Here they are:

Seen at Taffy lane in Ottawa!

Amazing decorations at Taffy lane.

One of my christmas presents!

Didn't Max just make the cutest, albeit reluctant "reindeer"?

Literary Gifts for Every Kind of Bibliophile on your List! Part One.

My grandmother insisted on always getting us kids books for Christmas-- even when our lists outlined My Little Ponies and action figures.  It's not that she was trying to disappoint us; it was her signature, her way of giving us something much more lasting.  She's gone now, but the library she helped me build is still growing.
With Christmas right around the corner, we've got you covered: from booklovers to bookworms, from the kid who "hates" reading to the friend who ONLY reads Harlequin romances, we've got the skinny on over 21 positively charming presents, the kind that says "Love from the English Major."

For the Friend who Reads a ton and Doesn't Need your Help with Books:

1. Gift cards to Chapters, BookDepository or better yet, your local used bookstore.
2. Vintage Dictionary Art: it's the perfect combo of bookish yet not a book.  Combine two passions: the love of words and the love... whatever it is they love!

Available on Etsy by AdamsAleArtPrints

3. If he/she already has a sizeable library, why not an embossing kit?  It's a very personal and thoughtful present.  There is a wide variety of price ranges, from stamps to embossers, so that your friend can label each book in their collection.  It’s also handy for your friend who is constantly lending books- and not getting them back.  I found a great customizable one at Acornsales.com.

For your Boyfriend who Needs to Know Books are NOT scary:

Sorry, why are you dating him?  Just kidding.  Surefire wins for your man-child include:

4. Russel Brand's Booky Wook or Shit My Dad Says by Justin Halpern (if he wants a laugh)

5. Theo Fleury's Playing With Fire or The Game by Ken Dryden (if he's a hockey fanatic)

6. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes complete series of short stories (if he has a short attention span).  Check out the sweet copy I scored for $14 at the used book store!

7. Or try the great Hunter S Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (if he kind of feels like he should maybe hop on that band wagon.  You know what they say... buy the ticket, take the ride.)

For your Friends who just had a Baby:

Wait, will you even be seeing them this Christmas?  I jest.

8. They NEED a copy of Adam Mansbach's Go the F**k to Sleep.  And if you want to class it up for their baby, might I suggest Little Miss Austen's Pride and Prejudice or classier still, a beautiful hardcover of The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame.  THIS JUST IN: Found at IKEA, adorable stuffed badger wearing blue blazer for only $5.99 would go perfectly with WINTW.  Brain. Explodes. 

Pair with a copy of The Wind in the Willows (5$ paperback at Chapter's) and you just made a great $10 baby gift.

For your Knight in Dork's Clothing:

9. A Tolkien Bestiary by David Day

Dune

Persepolis 

10. A legit Harry Potter wand... WB shop has a sick Death Eater one here.

11. Anything autographed

12. Personalized t-shirt or tote bag.  Last year, I got my sister-in-law a tote that says "Team Darcy" and stuffed it with Austen-y things, like candles, tea-cups and biscuits.  Their favourite quotation would serve nicely.  Come to think of it, anyone who is part of a fandom loves fangear.  So related wall decals, laptop/car decals, fridge magnets, dishwasher magnets, teapots, mittens, blankets, scarves etc. are all winners.  My bro just picked up a Doctor Who teapot for his secret santa.  

13. Anything from OutofPrint or Litographs (be warned: not budget friendly).

For Your Sister who just got a new Apartment:

14. Invisible bookshelf, available from Chapters and IKEA, among others.

15. If they own boring billy bookcases or thrifted bookshelves, pretty wallpaper and spray paint to liven them up.  Also works great if given with a coupon for your services in helping with the DIY project.  PS. if doing this in winter, use a tarp.

Stocking Stuffers for Literally Everyone:

16. Adorable magnetic bookmarks.  These are the ones my guy got me from Indigo, but there's a sweet Youtube tutorial on how to make them here.

17. A plant.  Every reading nook needs some greenery.  Go with succulents that don't require much care.  You can even plant succulents in teacups and other non-draining containers (like mugs and terrariums) because they require so little water.  If your friend is a responsible adult, consider trusting them with a boston fern or philodendron. 

18. A Christmas ornament filled with passages of their favourite books.  $10 on Etsy at NovelAdornment.

19. This reading journal from Amazon.

For your Mom:

20. She's probably the most selfless person on your list, so give the gift of reading to a less fortunate child.  Various charities have “reading” gifts: individual books, entire libraries, or reading kits for teachers.  You can make the donation in the name of your friend. Don’t forget- you can always send books to your foster child too!  They are great for shipping! 

21. Magazine subscriptions are underrated. The great thing about subscriptions is that you can lessen the cost by cutting back on the number of copies they receive, and you can usually find great deals online or from coupons- they usually beat the cover price by 40%.  Go for National Geographic or Gardening Life or Maclean's or something that has to do with her hobbies.  And if she complains that they pile up, tell her to donate her read copies to women's shelters or office spaces.

You can also check out this helpful Buzzfeed article, Gifts for Bookworms.

Well, I'm tapped for now, but expect Part Two early next week!

xoxo

JEM