August, 2016 | Purple Rampart

Browse Month by August 2016

DIY Silk Magic Garden Terrarium

I had been having trouble keeping different plants alive inside my bathroom terrarium for a few reasons, but mainly not much light, not much airflow (no opening to let in air) even for low maintenance air-plants. I hate to keep fake plants, so I thought why not make my own little fairy garden/magic meadow terrarium?!

I picked up some moss, silk flowers/filler, a cute little bird, and a small nest at Michael’s crafts.

There’s this baking clay (sculpty clay) you just mold and bake for a few minutes and let cool before painting, It’s very easy to use, and comes in a variety of colors. I bought two packs of just plain white, and only used a fourth of the packet. My mushrooms got baked a little too long, but it ended up looking more like a real mushroom because of it (there are no mistakes with art).

before clay was baked

After clay was baked…you can see the little browning on the sides! I even made little lady bugs! I might end up glazing the lady bugs with some clear nail polish, to give it a shine.

I had so much fun with this. It makes me want to create more elaborate pieces for friends and family perhaps for the holidays??? Sometimes we just need to take a step back into elementary school art class and remember how much fun we had creating something to bring home. My mom and sister still have some of the little trinkets we (my sister and I) made for her.

I had this little butterfly hanging around too that I decided looked cute in there too. Also I re-purposed one of my candy jars as a second terrarium garden. This is before I added the ladybugs and mushrooms. I used just basic acrylic paint…about 2 to 3 coats on each piece.

So cute how they came together! I just need some pixie dust now or something. One is going in my living room and the other being hung back up in the bathroom, but looking much more adorable now.

What would you put in your magic terrarium garden??

Photography, Poetry

A Green Ribbon

“Once there was a girl named Jenny. She was like all the other girls, except for one thing.
She always wore a green ribbon around her neck.”- Alvin Schwartz

I watched her fall, a maple leaf turned to brown.

Before the time of Autumn.

Riding beside me she drifted through the howling wind of lost conciousness.

Where will she float off to without direction from the others, to crumble to ash?

Fasten a ribbon emerald & pure around the neck for safekeeping.

Health

Preventative Care- How I Avoid a Cold!

It’s that time of year again…right? I don’t have kids, and I’m not in school anymore, but still…school is back in session and we all have to be careful! I don’t think anyone enjoys having a cold right? Just think how you would feel if you beat the cold before it takes over your body. That’s right, tell that cold who is boss!

Now I’m not a medical doctor nor do I work in the healthcare field, I just have a lot of caregiving people (which include nurses and natural holistic healing fairies) in my family, and have learned what works and what doesn’t with home remedies.

So today I’m sharing with you what I do when I feel a cold coming on!

1st sign of a cold…Zicam!!!!! This little diddy is my go-to stuff (thank you Aunt Gina). If you start to get that little tickle/scratch in your throat, or even are feeling a little meh, start taking Zicam! I prefer the oral mist, but they have other versions of it. If you don’t know, the active ingredient is Zinc! You spray this every 3 hours. This stuff works…and if the cold is unavoidable…I promise it cuts the cold in half. Drink LOTS of water though (duh).

Oil pulling. It’s not for everyone but put a few drops of thieves oil onto a spoonful of raw coconut oil, and swish in your mouth for 15-20mins – make sure to spit it out in the trashcan so it doesn’t clog your drain!

“Oil pulling, or oil swishing is an ancient Ayurvedic technique, touted by yogis as a natural way to strengthen the immune system by killing toxic yeast that makes its way from your stomach to mouth while you sleep. The science seems to stand sound: our mouths can determine non-oral health issues and unsurprisingly, dentists can diagnose acid reflux, diabetes and heart disease just by symptoms seen during normal check-ups” -(http://thechalkboardmag.com/would-you-or-wouldnt-you-gargle-with-coconut-oil).

This will help get rid of that sore throat too! Thieves oil is probably one of my favorite oils…it’s a combination of clove, lemon, eucalyptus, cinnamon, and rosemary. You can ingest it to increase immunity. I like paring it with the oil pulling, or gargling it with water and drinking it (only a few drops). You can even put it in a diffuser!

Counter Attack! It’s my new favorite stuff (thanks to my neighbor Brittany). A natural remedy product. You can find it at health food stores, or online. It might even replace my Zicam…So I also will take this at first sign of a cold. It has the following ingredients: Vitamin C, Zinc, Oregano Oil, Berberine, Elderberry, Andrographis, Shrubby Sophora, Isatis, Yerba Santa, Xanthium extract, Polygala root, Echinacea, coptis, horehound, Mullein, Chinese Lovage, Chinese Licorice, Peppermint oil.

Tea tea tea! Lemon and fresh ginger root. There’s ginger lemon tea too, but fresh is what you want. The virus lives in your gut, and the ginger aids in digestion health…so drink up! I love a good spoonful of honey as well. Honey kills bacteria! I like to put some in my tea, as well as just gulping down a spoonful.

This one you gotta be brave for, or really love vinegar. Make sure to get this brand/a brand that is organic, raw, and says “with the mother”. That is the good stuff that floats around in the bottom of the bottle, the stuff your gut needs! I have a mixture that makes it more bearable…cause it’s not a good idea to drink this by itself. Magic concoction: 1tsp honey, 1tsp lemon, 3 tbs apple cider vinegar, and mix warm water in to dilute.

Oil of oregano to help fight infections!

Antioxidants! Garlic is your best friend, it also keeps the vampires away! Mix it with spicy foods that will break up mucus and open up your sinuses. I love some gluten free pasta with arrabiata sauce and extra garlic! Phở soup is also one of my go-to’s when I feel sick. Lots of leafy greens too. Flush out your system with healthy goodness!

Make sure to stock up so you’re ready to fight the good fight!

Sewing

Sewing Adventures- The Bowtie

Sewing is one of my many hobbies. I started in high school, where I worked as a costume crew member for the many theatrical productions throughout the school years. I was taught everything I know today, and even dipped into the design aspect of costuming towards my junior and senior year. That being said, I have a special place in my heart for sewing more dramatic pieces…(especially renaissance attire. I love a good corset!)

I’m starting to get into sewing more clothing for everyday wear…I’m starting off small, so I tried perfecting a bowtie (not as easy as It sounds to get it just right) design from this amazing fabric I hunted for about two years ago (when I surprised my boyfriend with a trip to the magic castle-hence the rabbits)! The fabric was used for pocket squares, and my 1st attempt at the bowtie. Round two was sure to be a success.

This time I didn’t use any kind of interfacing…some of the patterns you find online call for it, but this fabric was a thick cotton blend, so I decided to leave it out. I also only had enough fabric for one more cut- no space for error! You basically cut the 4 pieces making sure all are on the same directional grain, and sew them right sides together leaving the tail end open for where you connect them later. I used a plastic chopstick to push the fabric right side out. It helps with the corners too!

Obsessed with this thimble…have 5 others in different variations! Thimble’s are always good to have around when hand sewing (which was not necessary for this design), especially through thick fabric…although sometimes I end up not using one and stabbing myself…I never learn my lesson apparently.

My best friend, the seam ripper. This little guy has gotten me out of some big mistakes I’ve made sewing new projects together…it’s the learning process, when you go too far, you have to go a little backwards and rip out a few seams. Definitely a sewing necessity for any level seamster.

Making sure the corners are clipped after you are done sewing the two pieces (right sides facing each other) together is key to have a nice pointed corner when you turn the fabric right-side out. Also, learning how to tie a bowtie takes a minute…so save time for that.

Looking good! Make your own bowtie! I used a simple pattern found on pinterest here.