Thursday, November 21, 2013

The Decorista Chronicles//Sweet Hanging Organizer DIY

Back then with all the photoshop fiddling, I realized that one of my all time oohlala combinations is fresh roses and black n' white stripes! I just can't seem to get enough of the vintagey (that's not a word, I know) sweetness of the roses paired with the modern edgy stripes! So, in my quest to relive this combination in someplace besides my free paper printables (download 'em here!), this adorable hanging organizer was born - from pillowcases!
Let's first peek in on my own inspiration shall we, girlfriends?
Okie, back to the DIY now, you'll just need two pillowcases for this, either the same pattern or two different coordinating ones. I'm not sure whether you'd want to sew up really pretty pillowcases to make a really pretty organizer but if you're single (aha!) and there's lonely pillowcases hangin' round your home, this is for you. If you found some awesome pillowcases at a thrift store, this is for you. If you are a dorm room girl this is for you and if you are a lover of cute things, oh this is DEFINITELY for you!

Apart from the pillowcases you'll need: some basic beginner sewing skills/sewing machine. pins to pin the fabric in place while sewing, a pencil to mark the fabric, a pair of scissors and a hanger in a coordinating color with the pillow fabrics. I had a white hanger and I painted it a bright red-pink to cheer me up!

HOW-TO
NOTE: This is just a 5-step process and I  tried really hard to make it as simple as possible for beginners (cuz' sheh I'm such a dork at this whole sewing business too), so please don't let this scare you cuz' it's really simple and if you do have any queries, drop me a comment below!

1.Begin by cutting folding your pillowcase around 7 inches over one side like this. The printed side should be folded over the plain side as in the picture below. (If your pillowcase is printed on both sides, then just fold over one side onto the other across a length of approx. 7 inches)
2.Then run your sewing machine (or sew by hand) along both the 7 inch sides. I did a zingzag stitch for a more graceful edge (wee!) and make sure the seams are just touching the edge.
If you are not much of a sewer then use strong good quality fabric glue along the border of the pillowcase and fold in. Then fold seven inches over and glue down thoroughly over the just folded- in border. The below picture will help you understand.
This should form one pocket of your organizer; you can do as many pockets as you want, I think two is great for hanging just about anywhere if you're using small-medium sized pillowcases.

3.Next fold your second pillowcase exactly as in step one above (don't sew the edges yet!) and place it on above the first pocket-you-made's flap so that they overlap.

4.Mark a line with a pencil for the depth till where you'd like your first pocket to overlap the second one.  (The first pocket you'd sewn actually goes on second in the organizer and the second pillowcase you sew "over it" is the first pocket after the organizer is done).Then sew along this line. Remember to sew along ONLY the base (and not over the folded side too) of the second pillowcase to the base of the top of the first pillowcase so that these both are now stitched together.
Once both are attached you can now sew the sides of the second pocket just like you did for the first.
NOTE (SEQUEL): You may have noticed that in the pictures the floral pocket is ABOVE the striped one. That's because when I took the pictures for the process I had decided to put the striped one first but later interchanged them as I though floral on the top looked better. (indecisive much? Yep)

5. I don't have pictures for the last step but it's really straightforward. Fold the topmost edge of the entire organizer over the rung of the hanger and stitch at the back or apply fabric glue.

Alternatively, you can skip the whole sewing/gluing process depending on what you're doing and instead punch holes on the side edges of both the pockets and loop through a ribbon and tie taut, like this.
And that's all there is to it. Strut your stuff to the organizer and hang it anywhere you'd like with adhesive hooks. Right now mine's hanging down on the wardrobe knobs! :)
The floral fabric was designed by me, so overjoyed at how it turned out and I'm thinking of uploading the design on Spoonflower. What do you think? Beauty or beastly?
If you liked this simple and cute DIY, do share it with all the other girlies in your life out there and pin this!
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And if you really dig it, consider following me on Pinterest and Facebook or become a subscriber!
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Have an outrageously fun weekend! 
Love, Nash

Get the image to pin below!







Friday, November 15, 2013

Beauty In A Nutshell // Two-Minute Glow Scrub!

The other day I looked like I belonged to a zombie novel with my skin looking terribly tired and dull. Ever been there? I remembered seeing a lady commenting on a beauty blog once how this remedy works for her better than store-bought skin brighteners and needless to say, I got to the task to give my...well, verdict! And look what we have here, a successful beauty potion, tomato sugar scrub!
I think a lot of people use this technique with lemons for darkened knees and elbows and even for facial exfoliation. Lemons don't react well with my skin leaving it crimson and burning; so if you're lemon-sensitive, try tomatoes! They are amazing!
two-minute-glow-scrub
Tomatoes are especially epic for oily skin as they remove all excess oil due to their astringent properties. Their high vitamin C content ensures a sparkly radiance and they are also pro pore-shrinkers! Plus, tomatoes have high acidity levels making them great for drying out mild-severe acne! Don't they seem like your dream beauty all-rounders?

You'll need:
1. 1 tbsp white granulated sugar
2. One third tomato cut from the top

You only need to scrub this on your face for two minutes and can then relax while the juice soaks and beautifies your skin for another fifteen minutes!
How to use:
Having the tomato cut from the top makes it easier to hold while you massage it on your face. Use the cut tomato chunk to swirl into the sugar. You'll see that the granules get mushy enough on the surface of the tomato cuzza the juice so that it's not too harsh for your facial skin.
Can you see the sweet sugary mush above? That's how you want it to be. Now massage this little guy over your face for about two minutes making sure you have a firm hold on the tomato so that the juices released work in combination with the sugar to exfoliate your depressingly tired skin. If you find the sugar crystals dissolving, swirl the tomato in the remaining sugar and continue massaging until you've used most of the tomato juice. If you have any excess, rub it over your hands! Now let the tomato-sugar mix sit on your face for about fifteen minutes and then rinse with cool water.
When I did this, I could immediately see clear skin and NOT the glow but five minutes later when I checked in the mirror I had the most beautiful sparkle you could have on a bare face...and it lasted the whole night and the morning next! I plan to use this once in three-four days to get my skin renewal done!

If you have dry skin, make sure you follow up with a good moisturizer to get the pH level back! Let me know how this fared for you! (PS: I have combination skin)

Another quick beauty tip : Make sure you limit your time on your gadgets since harmful rays from the screens can really dull out your skin and make you look grey!
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Did you like this recipe? Why not share or pin it to let other people know you found out something great? And if you really liked it, do consider following Craft A Doodle Doo on Pinterest and Facebook so you get regular awesome updates!
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Loadza Love
Nash

Friday, November 8, 2013

Cravings Ravings//Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani

I know you've heard of Biryani, (you just had to, you can't answer no to that) but have you ever heard of Hyderabadi Biryani? Hyderabad is a state in India, the home to the most wondrous Biryani creation ever. It's succulent pieces of marinated meat layered with aromatic rice. This is one dish when you work smart and hard for, your results actually surpass that effort. Yum.

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