The Perfect Handmade Gift!

As the holidays are approaching, I'm sure we're all thinking about what we are going to give to the important people in our lives as gifts. I, personally, always find it difficult finding the perfect little gift to give to those people who are not quite family but still special to me. This easy handmade gift is the answer!

I'm a huge believer in handmade gifts. I think they really show people that you care to take the time to make them something special. There's a reason we gave our parents drawings and clay sculptures when we were kids. Those gifts meant something we put part of ourselves into it. They mean so much more.



I made these heart-shaped hand warmers two Christmases ago for my friends and a few of my instructors. They are super simple to make, don't take too long, and are budget friendly. Plus, they help you get rid of all the craft scraps laying around your house. All you need is two scraps of fabric (6-inch by 6-inch squares are plenty), a needle and thread, and some rice. I like to add little embellishments to mine as well.

Here's what you do:

* First, decide how big you want your hand warmer to be, and trim down the fabric if you need. Then, with the two pieces back to back, cut out your heart. The cute part about these is the lack of uniformity, so don't be nervous!
* Next, double thread your needle and knot the end. Pick a matching thread, and enjoy the fact that it shows through. If you want to get really creative, try using ribbon or twine to sew your two pieces together. With the two pieces still back to back (pattern sides facing out), stitch all the way around the heart, leaving a small opening somewhere so that you can still fill it. Again, don't be scared! TIP: I found that I can just leave the needle dangling while I fill the heart so that I don't have to worry about so many knots and loose threads at the end.
* The next step is to fill your heart with rice. This is the part that heats up and serves as a mini heating pad. I would recommend using a funnel for this part. Fill it so that it's full, but the grains still have room to move.
* Finish sewing up the gap. Tie off the thread and trim the ends.
* If you wish, add an embellishment! I'm a fan of using ribbons to make bows and attaching buttons, but get creative!
* To use it, put it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to warm the rice. Then it can be used as a hand warmer or a mini heating pad.



There you have it! The easiest handmade gift that shows you took enough time to show that person how much they mean to you. Of course, if you really don't feel like taking that time, they are available on my Etsy shop!

Life Lately

Guys, it's been nuts around here over the last week or so. Life has just been a whole bunch of crazy! It's a good crazy, though. I would really rather be busy than not. Between school, work, all my extracurriculars, and starting our show, there has been a lot going on.





I suppose I should elaborate on those things. We're about a month into school, and so far I've really been enjoying it! I'm totally overloaded on classes this semester but rather than feeling overwhelmed, I feel like I'm actually learning things, which is a wonderful feeling. I'm a talent scholarship student this year, so I also have a few more responsibilities than I did last year. I have more service hours that I have to complete and a community service project to think about. I'm also on the dance company this year. So much to do!





I've also been working at Catan Fashions, which is a bridal salon. I've been there for about a month now, and I really enjoy my job! It's so fun to work with brides and help them find their dream dress for their wedding. I love being around the dresses and getting to talk and think fashion for a while on my weekends. Plus, I like getting paid. It's kind of like Say Yes to the Dress, but in real life.

Now for the big news: We're starting our rehearsals for our musical, "Cabaret", today! I am so incredibly excited for this, I can't believe I haven't blown up my blog with updates. We went through our entire audition process two weeks ago and I was in hell waiting for the cast list to be posted. It all paid off, though, because I was cast as Sally Bowles! For those of you who aren't familiar with the show, that's the lead... We have our first read-through tonight and I cannot wait to get started!





Otherwise, I've been working on getting really in shape and getting back into healthy eating. Living at home makes that more difficult than when I'm on my own, but I still think I can lose ten pounds by the time we open the show. It's gonna happen! I've also been trying really hard to make more time to take outfit photos, even though that's not always an easy thing to do, and it's going to keep getting harder as we get farther into the rehearsal process. I'll figure out a way to make it work, though! I've also been spending time with my man whenever I can. We actually just celebrated eight months yesterday. I know that isn't really a milestone, but we still had dinner together and made a fire outside. I know, awwwwwww.




dress: forever 21, shirt: H&M, belt: H&M, neckace: sister's, shoes: H&M

A note about this outfit, it's totally a maxi dress with one of my sister's shirts over it. I hadn't realized it until just now, but most of the pieces that I'm wearing are actually from H&M. That nail polish is probably one of my favorite colors I've ever put on my nails, not to mention it lasted well! I think I'll need to invest in a new wide belt soon, though, because that one has gotten a lot of wear. It's my go-to belt. Also, those curls are still left over from when my grandma set my hair, which totally ended up being worth the time and effort because they lasted for about three and a half days and they were so pretty!





Life is pretty great. Things are going well and even though I don't have much time to do other stuff, like read or do random photography or see movies, I am just loving how things are right now. Everything is sort of falling into place, and that makes me feel like I'm in the right place and doing what I'm supposed to do.

What about you? How's life going?