Greeting Cards by Elephant Print.

I am a sucker for snail mail. A couple years ago, I wrote about the importance of handwritten letters + I was a dutiful pen pal. I slacked off for quite some time, but within the last few months, I have been into finding fun cards to send to friends.

My friend Victoria is a graphic designer who owns Elephant Print, a company specializing in greeting cards. One afternoon, we were discussing how I needed the perfect card to give to a friend, but didn't really know what I wanted, in terms of style. I told her to create something unique, that would fit my personality.

The card reflects an inside joke, but we soon realized that this is a great card for people planning a surprise party, bridal shower, or anything that needs to be kept on the down-low. Victoria hit the nail on the head with this card - its so me, which makes this even more special.

Elephant Print offers an array of unique, eco-friendly greeting cards for all occasions. Personalized messages can be added to any card, which is another awesome feature. Who doesn't love receiving a card that was created specifically for them? The back of the cards also feature a sweet message as well.

Elephant Print is offering 40% of all orders with the coupon code "SHORTGIRL." Head over to the shop + support this budding small business. Make sure to check out Victoria's graphic design portfolio as well.

Iron Craft '13, Challenge #4: "… and the Winner is…"

This challenge was inspired by television or film [or the red carpet], due to the award season that has sprung up. I don't watch them, but if there is a clip of something awesome [usually a performance], i'll YouTube it later on. Since Sarina is the craftier of the two of us, she decided that making headbands with some awesome fabric she had would be perfect. She snagged some Star Wars, Star Trek + Marvel Comics prints a few weeks ago, so that is what we used. This is also the first time I used a sewing machine to sew fabric - the only other time I used it was to make paper streamers for Halloween.

Believe it or not, this was not as hard as I imagined it to be, although the bobbin decided to go apeshit on me at one point [I swear, it wasn't my fault]. I definitely feel more comfortable sewing + would love to create some cute pouches + headbands with the awesome fabric I picked up a couple months ago.

For our crafting adventure, I wore my old school E.T. shirt + donned my Black Milk The Last Judgment leggings, which is actually taken from a piece created by Jan van Eyck, created back in the 1400s. Pretty cool, huh?

I looked at Challenge #5 + its Green or "Green," which means we can use the color green, or create something that is earth-friendly. I'm thinking earth-friendly would be more up my alley, but who knows what I'll come up with!

Life As of Late.

Life has been crazy, but in the best way possible. I have been relaxing, crafting, working, finding Nemo in my backyard + found a sinus infection that I was eager to get rid of. But, the positives have kicked the negatives in the butt, which rules. I figured I'd post some pictures of what has been going on lately!

I've been disgustingly creative lately - even moreso than normal. I have always told everyone that I could only draw stick figures, which is true. But, when some of the little ladies I watch wanted me to create fun things for them, I decided to actually sit down + give it a shot. I sketched first, had a picture nearby for a general reference + gave it my best shot. I impressed myself! The boys created butterfly valentine cards for their younger cousins + last night was an experiment with ice cream sandwiches filled with vanilla ice cream + chocolate pudding. 

 On Friday night, I was supposed to go see Lady Gaga at Madison Square Garden, but due to the announcement last week that her entire tour was cancelled, I didn't go. Since I won a contest two years ago, which included tickets, a hotel + car service to the show, I was told that I needed to take the hotel + the car service, because that was the agreement I had signed two summers ago. I was pretty pissed, until a friend suggested I come into Brooklyn for dinner.  I convinced them to pick up another friend en route + take us into Brooklyn, to feast at TRAIF.

I can honestly say it was one of the best meals I have ever enjoyed. This place is not vegetarian friendly, but its a bacon lover's BFF. We enjoyed twelve small dishes between the five of us. Their site has a menu from last Spring available here, but many of the items we feasted on are staples of TRAIF. My favorite dishes were the bacon wrapped bleu cheese stuffed dates + strawberry cinnamon glazed baby back ribs, but it was all amazingly delicious.

 Dessert was also stellar. Nutella mousse with pistachio ice cream, panna cotta drizzled with fruit + the best dessert ever - bacon doughnuts with dulce de leche + coffee ice cream. I am still drooling over those bad boys. Amazing, amazing, amazing. To help us gluttons digest, we were brought a plate with pineapple, which hit the spot. I can't wait to go back again; I'm really hoping this can become a monthly venture.

 Now that I'm done talking about stuffing my face, I am pretty stoked about this month's Whimseybox. All the supplies can help you create a few memo boards/notepads, with tons leftover. I'm pretty stoked about the fun washi tape, neon rubber bands + those ultra cute pins! Whimseybox is only $15 a month [cheaper + cooler than most subscription boxes] + when you use the link above, your first box is only $10. Trust me, if you've ever gone into a store to buy crafts, its a miracle if your bill is under $25.

If you haven't noticed yet, the blog was revamped by the super talented Justine, who blogs over at Pirates and Mermaids. She is a fellow Long Islander, so who better to create something for my space? Both she + her boyfriend, Steve, are insanely creative [he's actually done one of my tattoos for me + I plan on going back for more] + they have the cutest little dude, Benjamin. Make sure to swing by + say hi!

That's all for now. Hopefully with my schedule starting to become more consistent, my posts will be more as well. Enjoy your day!

Stepping Up My Snail Mail Game.

I have a bunch of pen pals + love sending ultra-cute stationary to them [although i've been slacking as of late]. I always handwrite my return address on the envelope, because most return address stickers are cheesy or just bland. My letters were cute, adorned with stickers, but I wanted to make them look even nicer; more polished. 

Thanks to Laura, the gal behind the Etsy shop lauriebreaker, I now have a fancy pants return address stamp to adorn my letters + parcels with! In December, Laura contributed a custom made stamp as a giveaway item + also offered to create one for me as well! I told her to surprise me with the design she would use. I had to proof the design before it was sent + realized she was using her new design, The Elliott! I was super stoked for it to arrive + wanted to show you all how awesome it is!

I used my awesome Kaleidacolor inkpad to test out a variety of fun color schemes shown in the photo +   obviously had way too much fun with it. Laura, being super awesome, is offering a 10% discount to my readers - use the coupon code SHORT10 during checkout. Don't forget to check out the other designs + cards Laura has in the shop. These stamps make really awesome gifts - this would be the perfect addition to a housewarming gift, or to send to one of your pen pals!

DIY Sharpie Mugs.

Sarina + I finally got together for a long overdue craft night. Head over to Nerd Craft Librarian to see how Sarina, Morgan + I made these fantastic beasts!

Teach Me Something Thursday, Volume Fourteen.

Welcome to Teach Me Something Thursday. This week, Cindi, owner of Bracelets by Cindi, teaches us how to make a double stranded pearl rhinestone chain bracelet. If you prefer to give handmade goods during holiday season, this would be great addition to a goodie bag filled with cookies + homemade chocolates!

Double Stranded Pearl Rhinestone Chain Bracelet

What You’ll Need:

-18 inches of leather cord

- 12 inches of pearl rhinestone chain (2 strands, 6 inches each)

- embroidery floss

- button

- scissors

- craft glue

Directions:

Fold leather cording in half so that you form a loop. Make sure that the loop fits around the button, which will serve as a clasp. Run the tip of the embroidery floss up the length of your leather cording towards the loop, and wrap your embroidery floss around the cording 5-10 times working your way down the leather cord.

Place both strands of the pearl rhinestone chain along the leather cording and begin wrapping your embroidery floss around the pearl chain 3 times (between each pearl rhinestone) down the length of the cord.

Continue wrapping, meanwhile checking for fit around your wrist.

When you reach the end, wrap the embroidery floss around your leather cording 5-10 times, like you did in the beginning, and secure with a double knot. Add a dab of glue.

To finish, thread button onto both pieces of cord and tie an overhand knot with the leather cord ends. Snip off extra cord.

Have fun with this project and be creative - you can substitute the pearl chain with rhinestone chain or ball chain to create a whole new look! Also, you could turn this into a double or triple wrap bracelet by doubling or tripling the measurement of the materials. Happy crafting!

Make sure to stop by Bracelets by Cindi + Hello Cindi, to see her latest creations.

Teach Me Something Thursday, Volume Twelve.

The twelfth installment in the TMST series comes from someone who has become dear to my heart over the last year. She is Kiley Miltsch, the founder of Kouture. While they were shooting for the online store, Kiley was often coloring her pal Paulina's hair - she's the adorable gal with the violet hued 'do that you see throughout the site [she has also gone rainbow + most recently, green]. Kiley + Paulina reveal their secret of how they got Paulina's hair the perfect shade of lavender.

Supplies:

Manic Panic in Virgin Snow & Ultra Violet

(Thicker hair may require 2 cans of Virgin Snow)

Mixing bowl, tint brush, comb, and gloves.

Step 1: Combine one can of Virgin Snow with 2 generous spoonfuls of Ultra Violet.

Step 2: Mix together.

Step 3: Completely cover hair with mixture and then comb through until the hair dye is frothy.

Step 4: Tightly wrap head with saran wrap and let it sit for at least 30 minutes - we usually wait an hour.

 Step 5: Wash out the color with cold water and then condition hair and rinse. Don't use shampoo!

And Voila! The perfect shade of ultra violet lavender. 

Be sure to head over to Kiley's store, blog + Facebook. Don't forget to sign up for the Klique list - you will receive special offers + perks available only to the Kouture Klique!

Teach Me Something Thursday, Volume Four.

The fourth post in the TMST series comes from my friend, Lauren. She has been making killer nail art for quite some time, + I asked her to create something special for the blog. Lauren is going to teach us how to create an ikat pattern nail art manicure!

This nail art tutorial is for an ikat pattern nail art manicure.  Ikats are patterned textiles and fabrics produced by tying and resist-dying threads before weaving, similar in process to tie-dying.  Ikat nail designs are fun and easy to do and you can use just about any colors.  Also, this mani is great because it doesn't have to be perfect!  This is always a plus, especially when trying to paint your non-dominant hand.  When doing an ikat pattern, I personally prefer to use bright contrasting colors but neutrals will work too.  The options are endless!  

Suggested materials:

ANY brand is fine, but I will tell you which brands and colors I am using for this particular mani

  • Base coat - Seche Clear

  • Top coat - Seche Vite, which is very quick drying and super shiny

  • White nail polish - Sally Hansen Insta-Dry in "Whirlwind White"

  • Black nail striper - Kiss brand Brush-On Nail Art Paint striper  "Black"

  • 2 different colored nail polishes, a base color & an accent - China Glaze "Turned Up Turquoise" as the base color, Sinful Colors "Fusion Neon" as the pink accent color 

  • A clean, small paintbrush or cotton swabs, for cleaning the cuticles afterwards (optional)

  • Nail polish remover (optional)

Before you begin painting your design:

These steps are totally optional, but definitely recommended!

  • Put down some paper towels on your work area, in case of any spills. 

  • Be sure to remove any old nail polish.  

  • Gently file nails into desired shape and remove any deep ridges with a buffer

  • Push back cuticles with a cuticle pusher or orange wood stick and trim if desired.

  • Put down some paper towels on your work area, in case of any spills. 

  • To make things easier to find (and because I'm super neurotic) I always set up my polishes in the order that they will be used.  

  • Apply a base coat to protect from potential staining from color polish; wait for it to dry completely.

Step 1:

Apply 2 coats of the base color and allow to dry.  

It is important to allow all polish to dry before applying a different one over it, otherwise the colors will bleed.

Step 2:

Apply the white polish in an oval-type shape.  It doesn't have to be perfect, just a general oval.

It is better to make the ovals going up and down the nail, instead of across, because you will run out of room.

Try not to keep too much polish on the brush, because you don't want the color to accidentally drip on the nail in a spot that doesn't look good.

Wait for the white to dry.

Step 3:

Apply the accent color over the white ovals.  This can be done any way you'd like.  You can leave more white showing or less, it's up to you! 

Paint the accent color in a similar fashion as the white, not using too much polish on the brush to avoid drips.

For the sake of variety, on some ovals I did a smaller oval-ish blob in the middle, others I did 3 smaller blobs and some I made a C or G shape.

As always, let it dry!

Step 4:

Using the black striper, begin to paint multiple thin lines lengthwise, thus creating a border on the white ovals.

Don't worry if your lines aren't perfect and the same length.. varying and imperfect lines actually look better and more "textured" and fabric-like!

Personally, I found that starting with the longer lines on the side of the ovals was easier to get the desired shape.

The side edge borders can be as thick or thin as you'd like, just paint more or less lines.

Step 5:

Once the 2 longer sides are done, paint shorter lines lengthwise, very close together until you've made lines all the way across the top and bottom.

As in step 4, varying lengths look better than using the same length line over and over.

You can make your end borders as short or long as you'd like, just by painting shorter or longer lines.

Step 6:

Using the black striper again, and in the same manner as the border, paint thin lines lengthwise somewhere in the center of the oval.  

This will create an imperfect center dot.  The center dot can be as big or small as you'd like and it doesn't have to be perfectly centered.

Allow to fully dry, and apply top coat.  

Step 7:

This step is completely optional, but if you are as neurotic as I am, it will help achieve that perfect neat manicure.

You can use either a small paintbrush or cotton swab, dip it in nail polish remover, and use it to erase any excess polish on your cuticles and skin.

Be careful not to use too much remover, otherwise you will risk ruining your design.  If you opt for the brush, be sure to use brushstrokes in the same direction, don't "swish" the brush around, it tends to spread the excess polish rather than remove it.

And that's it!  I hope this tutorial has inspired you to try ikat patterned nail art!

Check out more of Lauren's awesome nail art on Instagram + her brand-new blog, Bad Luck Barbie.

Introducing Teach Me Something Thursday.

Happy Friday, everyone! I hope you are all ready to welcome September with open arms. As many of us associate the upcoming holiday weekend with the arrival of the school year (you can't walk into any store without being greeted with an array of school supplies), this was the perfect time for me to roll out something fun + new on the blog - Teach Me Something Thursday! Seeing as my background is teaching, I love learning and helping others learn. This is just as important outside of the classroom as it is inside of the classroom.

There will be a variety of areas that will be covered, so there is something for everyone. Anyone can contribute, so feel free to contact me regarding your submission. TMST will premiere on September 6, and our first contributor is one of my first friends in the blogosphere, Callie, from the awesome blog Coffee and Cardigans. I'm so excited, this is one of the many things I have been working on for short girl, long island. Once autumn arrives, there will be even more awesomeness - for now, its being kept under wraps. Trust me, its going to rule.

Blogger Craft Night!

Last night, I met up with Sarina, the gal behind the awesome blog, Nerd Craft Librarian. Now, we were both connected in numerous ways, but hadn't officially met until yesterday. Sarina went to high school with my brother, Vinnie, and I went to kindergarten with her brother, Charlie. Also an interesting fact: in kindergarten, I tried kissing Charlie on the school bus (I was very forward, even at the tender age of five). The bus stopped short and Charlie fell, which gave him a pretty gnarly gash, and I'm pretty sure he had to get stitches. At his birthday party, which I want to say was at a bowling alley (I'm trying to remember 25 years ago, so bear with me), I was saying goodbye and I was afraid to hug him (I hugged all of my friends, and actually contracted mono from a girl I hugged who bit my face. No bath salts, just a girl who hated hugs), but our moms said I wouldn't hurt him by hugging him.

We hit it off right away, and Sarina gave me a tour of their awesome new house before we got to work in the craft room. Yes, she has a craft room, and it rules. I had brought over supplies to make tile coasters, and Sarina was going to teach me the ways of using freezer paper to make a stencil for a tote bag I had. Our first project we embarked on were the coasters. Here is a quick tutorial on how we did this.

Tile Coasters
4" x 4" tiles - purchased 5 at The Home Depot for under $1
Paper/fabric (we used stationery, tissue paper, scrapbooking paper and a bag from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter)
Felt

Fabric Scissors

Glue gun or Tacky Glue

Mod Podge

Foam Brush
Acrylic Sealer

1. Cut felt to be a bit smaller than your tile - don't want overhang. Glue to bottom of coaster BEFORE decorating. I did it after I started. It wasn't the end of the world, but it is wiser to get this taken care of first.

2. Figure out what you want to put on the coaster, paper/fabric-wise first. Lay the items out on the tile, before applying Mod Podge, so you can see if you like the layout.

3. Apply a thin coat of Mod Podge onto the tile with your foam brush, and start placing the paper on. Smooth down with your fingers. Once all of your pieces are on, apply a thin coat of Mod Podge on top.  Let dry for 10-15 minutes. Repeat process twice.

4. Wait a few hours (or overnight, like I do), and use an acrylic sealer. It will make the coaster last longer, because the Mod Podge won't protect from water damage. Follow the directions on the sealer bottle, and apply at least three coats to your coasters. On my last batch, I applied half a dozen coats of sealer, over the course of two days. I'd rather be safe than sorry, especially since these will be used as gifts!

Regarding the freezer paper, Sarina be posting a tutorial soon, so make sure you bookmark her blog. If you want to see a larger step-by-step photos of her latest Halloween themed freezer paper project, click here. I'll tell you this, though - it was simple and awesome. Check out the bag I created below!

We took a crafting break, and my gracious host fed my hungry little behind homemade doughnut holes and Caprese salad, while we discussed our next crafting escapade. I seriously had so much fun last night. It was the first time I've actually hung out with a fellow blogger - crazy, right? But we definitely have more blogging and crafting projects up our sleeves for the future.

I also had to post this for you Dr. Who lovers out there. Sarina made this amazing TARDIS bag, which will be up in her Etsy store shortly.

Do any of you often have blogger meetups or crafting nights? If any bloggers on the island are reading this, let us know if you're interested in either. Its always fun meeting new people and making fun creations.

Flashback Friday: Summer Camp Edition.

Remember the plastic lanyard keychains that were all the rage at summer camps across the country? Well, today I decided to revisit my youth. I snagged some plastic craft lacing (also known as gimp, boondoggle, and lanyard) at my local craft store today, in hopes of recreating some fun summer creations.

I attempted to create a bracelet on my first try, but failed miserably. I haven't used craft lace in close to fifteen years, so I shouldn't be too hard on myself. I can still make keychains, though! My first one took over an hour to finish. I don't remember it taking that long in the past, but it could be because I haven't had practice lately. If I have time this weekend, I want to watch a few YouTube tutorials on bracelets. I am determined to make a few by the end of the summer!

Late Night Ramblings of a Slightly Coherent Being.

I have been graced with the attention span akin to a child hopped up on refined sugar. So much is swirling through my head, and my focus shifts before I can finish blinking. Finishing this grad school project that's due tomorrow. The paper I don't want to write, but I feel guilty about, because I actually like the professor and enjoy the class content. Summer classes are such bullshit. 

My summer playlist on Spotify is seriously lacking - I need to add to it. But what? The songs I keep adding are recycled from prior summers. Am I creature of habit, or have I just lost touch with current music? Lots of new music sucks anyway, so I guess that'll be the excuse I use. Jimmi, one of my old baristas, sends me a plethora of tracks via Spotify. For being such a young creature, he has decent taste in music. He reminds me of myself at that age - anatomy aside. How old is he, anyway? I ask, and he responds with, "20 boom." You have to know Jimmi to understand how that would come out of his mouth. He speaks as he types - hand gestures and all. He was like, seventeen when he started at the latte hut.

Shit, i'm getting old. I'll be thirty in less than five months. 

I start an internship on Thursday. I'm nervous for a few reasons. I've never had an internship before. Sure, i've gone through the hell known as student teaching, but this is different. The rest of the interns are pretty young things, who I doubt would get that reference. No offense. Actually, they might, since Ryan Murphy violated it for Glee. Ehhh, they'd probably have to Google it. This is just as bad, if not worse, than the first day of school. I will be up insanely late the night before, nervous as hell, for absolutely no reason. This has been going on since elementary school and it still happens in college. It didn't happen for my summer classes, because I was too preoccupied with what had happened with Dom. 

What the hell am I going to wear? I have a closet full of dresses, but I also have two hampers overflowing with dirty clothes. I'll have to settle for something hanging in my closet. First world problems. As long as I pair it with a clean bra and underwear (don't fret, there are plenty to choose from) and a pair of Jeffrey Campbell shoes, i'll be set. Tomorrow night I'll play dress up, and Erich will only half pay attention to me as I ask him what I should wear on my first day. He'll eventually say yes to an outfit, even if he doesn't really look at it. The next day, as i'm getting dressed, he will suggest something else I tried on the night before. This happens all the time. I'll get pissy with him, and say that he should have been paying attention when I had asked him the night before. The likely response (or excuse, call it what you will) I will receive? "Babe, I was raping noobs." Ladies and gentleman, I've lost my boyfriend to fucking StarCraft. 

It could be worse.

LA Music Scene Darlings + Musical Escapism = JJAMZ

Back in my late teens/early twenties, I would spend most weekends (plus a handful of weeknights) adventuring along the east coast, seeing bands from across the country. Although I was in New York, surrounded by many great local acts, I was drawn to many bands from the west coast, particularly those who were popular in the LA music scene. My adventures even took me to California a handful of times, in which my wonderful friend Melissa was my guide. Back in 2006, I remember receiving a MySpace request from someone, or something, called JJAMZ. I had no clue who it was, so I poked around before I let them be my friend. Once I looked around, I realized that it was a band, comprised of some of my favorite musicians. JJAMZ, pronounced, juh-jamz (you gotta put a little stutter in it), is the musical love child of long-time friends James Valentine (guitarist for Maroon 5), Jason Boesel (drummer for Rilo Kiley, The Elected and Bright Eyes), Alex Greenwald (actor and Phantom Planet frontman), Michael Runion (solo artist), and Z Berg (lead singer and guitarist of The Like), in respective alphabetical form. The side project was formed as an outlet for the friends to express themselves, outside of their current obligations.

Valentine, Greenwald, Berg, Runion + Boesel. Credit: JJAMZ

Since I received that MySpace request years ago, I hadn't heard much of the band, until late last year. JJAMZ was signed to Dangerbird Records, and their debut album, Suicide Pact, is slated for a July 10 release. I got my hands on the tracks "Heartbeat" and "Never Enough," and the tracks are amazing. Z's sultry, slightly raspy voice, pairs perfectly with the melody provided by her talented bandmates. The songs definitely have an electronic feel, but upon listening closely, you can tell that the arrangements are multi-faceted. These would be a perfect soundtrack for a Bret Easton Ellis novel (well, minus American Psycho), or a welcomed addition to the Drive soundtrack - especially "Heartbeat." If these songs are any indication of what will be delivered on Suicide Pact, this album will definitely be one of the best albums of the summer. I'd love to get my hands on a copy before it hits shelves, to give it a few listens and write a solid review, before it goes live. 





JJAMZ will be on the road, joining the Nylon and Starbucks Frappuccino Summer Music Tour with Neon Trees. Check out tour dates and snag your tickets here. Seeing as I have seen 3/5 of the band perform live on numerous occasions, I highly recommend you get your tickets early - its going to be a good show. 


If you like what you heard, head over to  jjamzmusic.com for a free download of "Heartbeat." While you're there, you can also check out the video for "Never Enough." Don't forget to check JJAMZ out on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates.