Homemade Cotton Candy

This week I was able to make my own cotton candy. At home! I never really thought that could happen. I can't wait to make some for my next party (or to bring to another party. Everyone would love that).

The LA Shop sent me this cheap and easy-to-use cotton candy maker. It works great! I will have to say that the directions were a bit confusing to follow, but other than that the process was easy peasy. It came with it's own sugars in seven flavors. I tried the blue-raspberry one and it was delicious. I had never heard of The LA Shop before but now that I've browsed through their site, I've found that they have many unique and random products. One of my favorites is their photography equipment. They have everything a professional photographer would have. They also have a ton of gardening equipment, which is on sale right now (yippee!) I'll definitely be making more cotton candy soon. It would be seriously soooo cute if I made mini cotton candy on lollipop sticks, don't you think?
This post is in collaboration with TheLAShop.com. All opinions are 100% mine.

The Biggest Design Sale Ever!

This Summer, I've had a lot of time on my hands. So I thought, why not take that time to make really cool web designs for really cheap? It's a win-win! I've put together two design packages for your Blogger blog that are only $20 and $35! I love bringing affordable designs to bloggers, because let's face it, $400 for a design just isn't worth it. So if you're looking for a quick blog facelift or a complete makeover, I'd love to help you out. This sale starts July 28th and ends August 25th. As long as you get your purchase in before Aug. 25th, you're good to go! A cute but functional blog design catches the eye and keeps the readers reading. I'd say it's one of the most important things about a blog, besides the content, of course. :)  Click here to check out my shop and click here to see my portfolio.

Psych Gifts!

A few days ago, it was my birthday. Now, it's no big secret that I'm a HUGE Psych fan. I even decided to have a Psych themed birthday party. So of course my family got me Psych-related gifts. Be prepared for the awesomeness...

Oh yeah, this just happened. A Carlton Lassiter talking bobble head! "I'm gonna crack her like a bad back." Some wall decals of Shawn and Gus, plus some of their ever so popular lines.

A Psych magnetic poetry set! You know, like those little word magnets? But they're even cooler, because they spell out Psych quotes. Thanks for all the birthday wishes on Facebook! sources: 1, 2, 3

Cincinnati Necklace!

Last night I flew back from Cincinnati, Ohio. I can't wait to share all of my pics with you guys! While I was gone, this adorable necklace I won from Oh So Antsy arrived:

I love the idea behind Jessica's shop. She sells state and country necklaces that 'tell your story'. In my case, I used to live in Ohio and it is a special place to me. It was a fun thing to get right after I got back from Cincinnati! Thank you so much, Jessica! (head on over and check out her shop)

Time to go settle down with a movie and 600 photos to edit ;)

Birthday Wish List

Right now I'm all about vintage cameras! I would love to start a collection sometime, if I could only get my hands on some. lol :) And check out that plant pot! Pretty much best thing ever. With my birthday being a week away, I thought it would be fun to put together some of the things that I've dreamed of buying but never actually have. Aren't they pretty? ;)
sources: Polaroid / sunglasses / print / pillow / pot / dress

I'm a geek

Did I really just announce that to the world? Yes.... Yes I did. To tell you the truth, there are a lot of things you don't know about me. Especially that I'm a geek. I'm a Whovian, a Trekkie, a Sherlockian, and a gamer. :) Do you love any of the shows/games above? You're my new bff. img sources: sherlock, doctor who, minecraft, mario, star trek, pokemon, avengers

Dear Summer...

Dear Summer, I hope you aren't as miserable as you were last year. I can't wait to go swimming again and escape your BFF (Heat). My birthday is coming up soon. One of the best things of 'you'. I look forward to your warm rainy days. Thank you for giving me an excuse to wear my sunnies (even though I wear glasses and can't see very well without them) Thanks for the extra daylight to take more photos for my blog. ;) Bust out the popsicles!
Sincerely, the AZ girl (psst - today you are official. Yay!)

New Products + The Shop's Newsletter!

Hey all! I'm so happy to announce that I have *finally* added real products to White Rabbit! (woot woot) Here are some pics:

Check them all out here. I'll be adding some more items soon. I just got home from working a White Rabbit booth at a convention all day. I am so exhausted (and I'm doing it again tomorrow). I have also created an awesome monthly newsletter for the shop that you should totally sign up for.
Nighty night. ;)

DIY Pokeball

 
My brother went to Comicon a couple weeks ago, which is basically an awesome geek-fest where everyone dresses up as fictional characters from video games, books, movies, etc. It's pretty awesome. He dressed up as a character from Pokemon, so I threw together this cute little Pokeball in about 10 minutes. Here's how I did it:

Super easy, right? Just paint half of a styrofoam ball red, and glue on a black strip of felt and three felt circles. Sadly, I didn't get any photos of the whole costume put together. :( Apparently several people wanted to hold the pokeball so it got a little smashed, but altogether it held up pretty well for styrofoam. :)

Check 'em out!

Summer 2013 (Color Palette)

I don't know about you, but I've never been a big fan of rainbow colors. You know, like red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet (but everyone always forgets about indigo ;)). I've put together a new rainbow color palette filled with some of my favorite colors that are perfect for Summer. Let's break it down:

Let's break it down again: poppy red... a bright and popular color this Spring/Summer! tangerine... muted, but still a fun color. Plus, it looks great with aqua and yellow. sunny yellow... not quite lemon, but not quite banana. This color makes me want to wear my sunnies! mint... one of the most popular colors of the season. A personal fav too. aqua... another popular color you'll see all over. It reminds me of the pool! lilac... pastel, pretty, and sweet. You really can't go wrong with this purple.
What are your favorite Summer colors?

Dream

Does this sum up how I feel today? :) image via: 1, 2 (source unknown), 3

5 Tips for Starting a Blog

Maybe you've been keeping up with your favorite blogs for a while, and now you've decided to start your own! I've gotten several emails from readers asking how they can start their own blog. Here are some of my quick tips... 1. Topic Pick a topic or two (or three!) that your blog will be mainly about. Make sure that you have lots of post ideas for each topic and it's about something that you really love. Here are some popular categories: fashion, cooking, crafts, photography, lifestyle, beauty, interior design, and parenting. 2. Blog Name Now that you've got a topic, you get to choose a name! Try to keep it somewhat short (a long blog name is hard to remember) and original. It should, but doesn't have to, reflect you or your topic. If you're planning to buy a domain, see if your name ideas are available before settling on any of them. 3. Design First impressions are important. A good design should be easy to navigate, not too busy, and pleasing to the eye. You can buy a design, which usually costs somewhere between $60-$300 (I have full design packages for $45 here). Or you can make your own, using Photoshop or this free online editor and coding tutorials (google it!). 4. Photos If you've ever been on Pinterest, you know how intriguing a big, beautiful photo can be. Almost every post of yours should have at least one photo in it. I like to put my photos at the top, so it will draw the reader in. You don't need to have a fancy camera to take good photos, but these tips can certainly help you. 5. Getting connected Sign up for a Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, or Bloglovin. These are some of the most popular social media for bloggers. Not only is it fun to chat, pin, and keep up with other bloggers, it's also a great way for people to follow your blog. Another fun way to get plugged in in the blogging world is to participate in linky parties, which are virtual "parties" bloggers have weekly. In their post, you will see a long list of thumbnails that link to specific blogs. Always follow the blogger's simple party rules, and link up your own post! (find a huge list of linky parties here) What are some of your blogging tips?

Adding Green + a Free Printable

Right now I'm working on a huge project (pssst: Project Redo-My-Room), and one of the things I want to do is add lots of green. I usually kill every plant I try to grow, so I picked out Golden Pothos, which is pretty much the easiest plant ever!

And of course, since i'm now crazy for plants, I made this free little printable. Download it here. :)

DIY Blog Organizer

Hey everyone! Sorry for the lack of posts... Right now is a craaazy time for me. I have so many ideas spinning around in my head, I don't know where to start! Today I wanted to share my blog organizer. It's a simple 3-ring binder that keeps track of all of my post schedules, DIY ideas, and inspiration! Here's a peek inside to find out how to make your own!

The first page(s) is a calendar to plan posts and write out deadlines. I made this mid-way through April, so there's hardly anything in it yet. Each month, print out this page and fill in the month and the numbers for each day (check a real calendar or find one online). There's also a space at the bottom for notes.

In the middle is my "inspiration" part. I cut out pages from magazines and slipped them into clear sleeves. Some of them are just photos, some are articles - whatever floats your boat!

Near the back is my "brainstorming" section. I have pages (above) that are labeled with different categories, and sticky notes to illustrate my ideas.

Right behind the "brainstorming" section, I have a clear pocket that has a pen in it, a ruler (came with the binder), and a big sticky note pad. I actually got mine as a prize at an adult's arcade called Dave and Buster's (cool, right?), but you can easily make your own by gluing sticky note pads to a thick piece of cardstock.

Download the calendar here Download the cover here Do you use a planner? What have you found works best for you?

5 Tips for Decluttering

photo Today I'm feeling motivated to get rid of stuff (!!!). I have a dream of working in a clean, organized room (don't we all), but clutter all around my bedroom makes it hard to feel fresh and inspired. Here are my tips for whittling down to the things that really matter.
1. Memories Items that hold sentimental value can be the hardest to get rid of. If it's pictures your daughter drew in second grade, let her pick out 5-10 to keep and toss the rest. If you're hanging on to photos, try loading them onto your computer instead. Realize this: keepsakes are just things. The real memories won't be forgotten if you toss an item. You don't have to get rid of everything, but whittling down collections of paper, plushies, books, photos, etc. will make you feel so much better! (I have a "memory box" in my closet where I keep things I want to remember but I don't use, like childhood dolls, awards, etc.)
2. Necessities When my sister came back from a six week trip to Japan, she realized that she could live off of only the things she packed in her suitcase. So she began a huge get-rid-of pile outside her bedroom door. If the item is something that you'll never use, you don't like, or doesn't do anything but take up space, donate it.
3. Guilt We've all gotten that ugly gift from a friend that we don't want to give away because we feel guilty, especially if it's an expensive gift. Read tip #2 ;)
4. Clothes I love clothes/shoes/accessories (who doesn't?) I also have a lot of clothes that I don't wear. I've heard of this simple trick that I'm going to try, and it goes like this. Turn all of your hangers backwards in your closet. When you wear something, put the hanger back the correct way (not backwards). After 6-12 months, you'll be able to tell at a glance which clothes are cluttering up your closet (the ones with backwards hangers). As for anything else, if it's too small, stained, ripped, or doesn't fit right, get rid of it.
5.Finding a place for everything. Cleaning will be SO much easier if you know where everything goes. I have random things laying around my room because I don't know what to do with them! The more clutter you give away, the more room you have for things you really  want/need.
What are your tips for decluttering?