a US$68million diamond ring!?

Saw this posted on someone's Facebook profile and I just had to blog it and see what you all think.

Now let me present to you....the 'world's first diamond ring'

This isn't your average 24 carat gold ring with a lovely diamond on top. What you're seeing here is a full diamond ring that has a total of 150 carats and costs a whopping US$68million!

So as an April baby with diamond as my birthstone, you can imagine how pleased I would be with more diamonds in my life. 

But in the world I live in, this is the perfect reason for just about anyone to stalk/kidnap/steal from you!

I do want an amazing diamond ring made of gold or platinum even lol....but I guess I would be quite worried walking around with US$68million on just one finger (note of course that I would also be wearing a bracelet, chain or earrings...maybe even all together).

So although quite gorge.....I think for my safety I'll stick to a 'normal' ring with diamonds! (but feel free to get adventurous you future husband you lol)

Plus......think about how many persons around the world or even just in Jamaica who are in need and could use that US$68million to cover the cost of their basic survival...........

45-minute dress

The other night I was influenced by the design and sew bug (yes believe it or not I can do a bit of that).

I got my mom to do some of the fine-tuning when I got tired of doing it all (the somewhat short attention span is the issue) but more or less it was me. =]

The influence of course are the cute free flowing dresses that are perfect for spring. What's cute is that the material I used has tiny yellow and green flowers on the navy blue background.

I don't love the pic.....but it's the best one showing the dress.

All I added to complete it was a children's belt (yes that's right I shopped in the little kids department), simple accessories (because I had a play-date and meeting at a school that afternoon) and of course my handbag and wedges.

Although there really is no pattern that I can share with you...I can tell you that you can use a dress you already own, inexpensive material, and just a few minutes. =]

all wrapped up: gift ideas

It's now Christmas Eve and I know that quite a number of persons haven't figured out what to buy as gifts for some of their loved ones. For many persons, buying Christmas gifts can be one of the most challenging tasks for the season...and when you really just don't know where to start or have limited funds, then it can be extremely frustrating.

photo credits: www.christmaswow.com

A few readers asked for my help in giving some gift ideas, so here goes. The first thing you need to consider is 'who am I buying this gift for and what kind of person is he/she?' As simple as it may seem, this is often overlooked and in my opinion that's the cause of half your problem. So I've put together some categories for you to think about, and in another post I'll give you some tips on having a successful shopping trip.



Clothing and accessories
I believe the first thing to consider when getting clothing/accessories for anyone is to find out what they already have and what they want/need. Being realistic, it's kinda pointless to buy someone something they already have, when you could have instead gotten something they actually want/need. Try getting them to compile a mini wish-list or do a little Facebook/closet stalking to somewhat see what their wardrobe already has. (lol yes that's a bit creepy....but I guarantee it works).

You also have the options of 'window shopping' with the person and then going back to purchase something they liked; or getting someone with similar taste to accompany you on your quest. With clothing, be sure to take into consideration sizes because it would definitely suck to get something you love but cant fit into it.

Tech savvy stuff

To be honest it usually is hard to buy tech gifts for someone who is totally into that kind of thing. Why? Because usually they already have all the cool gadgets they want...or the one they want is a pretty penny. Gift certificates are a good idea for the tech-lover so that he/she can pick the gadget they want from a store full of fancy gadgets.

Accessories, gift cards and special offers related to the gadget they love is also an option; especially if you go for something personalised. Like clothing, it's good to find out what gadgets the person already has (although you may not understand the specs at all) so you can have at least a place to start.

Sport-a-holic

Sport fanatics are usually very particular with the gifts they want (that's if it's sports related of course). They have a specific team, or star athlete that they believe is best and you can always play on that to get a gift.

A team jersey, sports book/dvd, or some other sports memorabilia is always an option....as long as you ensure that the item is in support of the persons team (would totally suck to get an amazing sport gift but the team/athlete is wrong). Another option is finding out if the person needs any specific sports gear. You could purchase the particular item and get it personalised or find one that has his/her initial on it.

Home and garden

Whether its something cute for inside or outside, a home and garden gift is great for persons who are passionate about gardening, cooking, decorating or home improvement. Personalised gifts and specially organized baskets are great for these persons because usually you need to really tap into their passion to make the gift perfect.

A cookbook with unique recipes, personalised utensils, a special plant or an unusual piece are nice gifts that you can usually find without much trouble. Once again, checking on what the person already has, and what he/she wants is very important in selecting an item.

Kiddies

Because I'm all for educating our youth, I believe that educational toys and books are the best gift options for children of all ages. While a cute outfit may be ok, I think it should be your last option. Usually now, wherever you can get children's toys, you can find a toy or book that is both fun and educational.

No matter the age or gender, there's something available for all kids. I strongly support gifts that help to develop a hobby, improve his/her level of academic performance, get kids active and of course the learning that's totally disguised as fun. If you're in Jamaica you could check out the Learning Zone where they have tonnes of fun educational games for as young as the little babies.

........and if all else fails............

Gift certificates and gift cards are always an option! Most stores offer them and it gives you a chance to contribute while allowing the individual to pick out exactly what they want.

photo credit: www.jdapos.com

There is always the option of getting a nice card and writing something nice and then dropping the money there instead. Special gift baskets are also nice, especially if you aren't quite sure what kind of gift the person would like. With a gift basket you can put a little of this and that, giving you a gift that is well rounded.

Taking the person shopping after Christmas is another option, but it takes away from the surprise of opening a gift on Christmas.

No matter the size of the gift, remember to make it into a special package. Be sure to check out my Christmas wish list! I hope this post lifts a bit of a burden from that shopping list.

pretty glitter fingers!

I'm usually very simple when it comes to nail polish colours and designs. As a matter of fact, I rarely go for designs unless I get my nails done with acrylic tips.....and even then I only go for french tips.

Overall I'm not the biggest fan of acrylic anyway because all it does is damage my already thin nails. So, I've been doing my best to give my nails some love and keep them all neat and girly. Problem is, I get tired of seeing them looking the same way for too long, and it's the worst thing ever when the polish starts chipping. My solution is to change my nail colour every week, or to not bother to apply polish at all.

But! I was feeling so darn festive that I kinda got way with myself yesterday. My little sister (who usually only wants something when you have/need it) wanted me to do her nails. As usual, I did the two coats of polish and then noticed the super fine gold glitter on my night stand.

And of course I decided to add a little sparkle to her tips. =D

There were a number of trial and errors because at one point the glitter looked odd with the colour polish; and at other times she just wouldn't keep still!

Anywho, I made a French tip stencil out of a piece of wax paper and pressed it against her dried nail. Using clear polish as my adhesive, I brushed a little onto her tips, and then sprinkled glitter onto the clear polish. Finishing it off, I allowed it to dry and did another layer of clear polish over the entire nail.

The final product: ten pretty glitter fingers! (although she was so impatient and wouldn't wait and have me clean them up)

I know she's like me and will get tired of them in no time, so I figure that in a few days her nails will go back to blah......maybe I'll do this on my own nails for my night out on New Year's Eve!

DIY: wrapped bead bracelet

I promised DIY projects but because I had not pics I wasn't posting them. (sorry)

Well, now that we've solved that problem! Here's one really simple project I did for less than JA$500 (US$5).

The first thing to note is the fact that I could probably find this here in Ja....but it would probably cost much more than it cost to make it.

Anywho there are only 3 items needed to make this happen. Please note that the colour, size and design of each item is really up to you.

You'll need: 
1 embroidery thread (about 34inches long)*
2 beads (the amount needed will depend on the size of the beads....but I'd advise to not make the beads too large)
3 jewellery fastener (the fastener I selected is very easy to attach)


*to determine the length of the thread I measured the size of my wrist (mine was about 6inches), multiplied it by 5 (totalling 30inches), and added 4inches (remember you'll be knotting the fasteners and needing that extra bit of string.

The project needed only 3 items, and was finished in only 3 steps:


STEP 1 - Knot one side of the fastener onto the thread. I would recommend that you knot about three or four times to make sure it's secure and leave some thread hanging in case you need to loop it again. 


STEP 2 - Start threading the beads onto the side that is attached to the fastener. This may be a tedious task if the beads are small so your patience is surely an asset lol

STEP 3 - When the string or beads is almost full, knot the other side of the faster to the thread. Once again be sure to do it about multiple times to make sure it's secure. Then of course you can cut those extra strings off.

And that's about it. But then of course you're probably wondering how this becomes a bracelet.....simple....wrap it around your wrist!

Remember to check the length of the embroidery thread in relation to the size of your wrist. As I mentioned, mine was long enough to be wrapped about 5 times but depending on the length of string you choose and the size of your beads it may be more or less.

I decided to keep it simple because I have really small wrists and bulky bracelets tend to make me look super skinny. =(

Anywho, it's all up to you and you can make it as unique and complex as you want. =]

tweeking your foot candy!

these are just perfect!

At this point you are completely ecstatic about the pair of shoes you have on your feet. They fit perfectly, they're exactly what you want/need/like and they will definitely come in handy.

You've probably even started to imagine the pieces you have in your closet that you could pair the shoes with perfectly....and the more pieces you think of is the less guilty you feel about spending that cash/swiping that card you didn't plan to use. The more excited you get, the more you move about in the shoes; maybe even strutting back and forth in the store. (yeah admit it, you know that's what you do)

Now unfortunately, when you bought the lovely foot candy, you had no idea what they would feel like after a full day walking around in them.....or even an hour of being out and about. They didn't come with a 'carfax' and you've probably become a bit demotivated about rocking your once perfect shoes that have become a not so sweet treat for whatever reason.

So how do you fix this little dilemma? You really can't take it back and tell the clerk that the shoes weren't as kind to your feet as you hoped.....not like you want to give them back.....I mean they STILL are the perfect fit/colour/style....right??

Well, after having this problem myself ever so often with heels, flats, strappy sandals and sneakers, I've gone through a number of experiments and found a few 'foot candy fixers' that seem to work miracles for me.

Problem: it's rubbing the back of my heel/ I'm getting blisters on the side of my foot!
Solution:

       Band-aids are always an option, but they tend to not be very appealing to the eyes and ever too often they lose the adhesive and fall off at the worst times! This may seem strange but the solution is to somewhat stretch the back of the shoe. I used a glass bottle and set it into the back of the shoe so that it takes the shape of the bottle. This stretches the sides and helps the make the back of the shoe more rounded. Yes it may look weird but it works. And yes you may think this is going to make the shoe bigger than your foot, but it's all about how often you do it and how long you do it for. It does take a while to work though, I got my heels to feel better after 2 'sessions' for about 2.5 hours each, my flats have gotten 2 sessions and are still in need of another go.

Problem: these straps/shoes rub at my toes
Solution:
       Beautifully pedicured toes don't ever deserve to get blisters and bruises. Although straps can be simple, sexy or give that nice summer look; comfort is still a big deal. Once again, band-aids could be at your rescue, but depending on the style of the shoe and how it fits you, the band-aid may be of no much help. There are two ways we can solve this problem.

One solution is to push another shoe into the problem shoe. By pushing another shoe in, it helps to stretch it at bit, but the style of the problem shoe may make it a bit hard to get the worn shoe into it. Don't knock it until you tried it though, because it did work when I pushed my flats into my sneakers. This method may take quite a while to work, unless you really stuff the shoe in. Another method to try is to push an object into the top of the shoe to help stretch the area. You want to be careful about that though, short sessions are best (by short I mean about an hour each). Something that you can 'do and leave' is to stick a band-aid with some cotton into the shoe at the points that rub most (this clearly wont work for a strappy shoe though).

Problem: this zipper at the back of my shoes is nipping at my skin
Solution:
       I'm yet to come across a shoe with a zipper that has a nice little protector flap for you heel....but that doesn't mean you can't make one! With a few pieces of velcro and a bit of fabric you can help to not only hide the zipper for you shoe, but also make a softer backing for your heel. How this works is to stick a bit of velcro to the inner and outer sides by the zipper (the self-adhesive velcro is easier to work with). Get a bit of soft fabric and stick the other side of the velcro at the corners of the fabric.  All in all, the fabric and velcro should be able to make a small flap over the top of the zipper and make a softer backing for your delicate feet.  ][ sadly I can't find the shoe I tried this with, but when I do I'll post the pic ][


Now these are the 'solutions' that I've tried for myself and they work for me. More often than not, you would need to use the method more than once to get the result you want. Be sure to not leave them to stretch for too long, because then you may end up with shoes that are too big and that would be worse that them needing just minor tweeking!

Also make note loves, my feet and the way I walk may be different from you. That means that some of these tips&tricks may work like a charm for me and probably even someone else you know, but seem to not work so well for you. As you can see, I just tried a few random stuff and found what works for me, and trial and error is the perfect way to get the perfect thing for you.

By the way, these tips&tricks can also work for men's shoes....but most men probably notice a pair of shoes aren't comfortable and they just stop wearing them! -_-

Anywho loves, let me know if they work, and let me know what works for you!

Happy walking!