Let's get motivated TOGETHER

I find that this time of the year is a very dangerous one- it's when motivation dies and sadly, good marks follow. That's how I'm feeling at the moment, anyway. Recently, everyone I've spoken to is feeling the same. It may be a combination of winter blues and everyone's general lack of good eating habits and exercise at this time of the year, but I really do feel like third term blues is a real thing.

I woke up feeling like death today, and whenever I wake up like that, I make a change in my life. Until I started up Crafty Fox, I'd get unhappy and frustrated every few weeks. When I did this, I cut off my hair and dyed it a funny colour. People often didn't recognise me because my hair was always a different shade of unstable.

Some delicious hair colour examples, I couldn't find a photo of the blue!

Today I woke up desperately wanting a nose ring. I didn't get one, but believe me, if it weren't for my insane fear of doing so I totally would have :P Anyway, this is not the point of this blog post. Let me try again.

Motivation? See, I can't even concentrate long enough to write this blog post! I find that the worse thing about having a lack of motivation is the fact that the days just go by and there's no caring about anything. Class is boring, crafting is boring, socializing is boring. Everything is just white noise- and then every now and then you get a feeling of clarity where you pretty much just beat yourself up for doing so little and for feeling so demotivated. So, I've compiled a list of articles that I think could actually help in some way, before any of us fail our degrees!

16 Ways to get Yourself Motivated When You're in a Slump

This article gave me the idea of not taking on so many goals at once. So I'm going to set myself small amounts of work/activities that I have to do everyday, because I'm finding that I end up doing nothing at all some days.

25 Ways to Get Back on Track Today

This article is focused on the healthy living aspect of things, which I've been terrible with recently.

How to Feel Inspired When You've Lost Motivation

This one made me have a closer look at my work space. Sadly at the moment, I find any work space to be super depressing. I think I'm going to have to just spend a bit of extra money on coffee shop studying. It's sometimes the only way I can get to feel inspired- an environment is a very important part of one's inspiration.

So that's it, hopefully this has helped someone else who is feeling in a similar way to me! Feel better, friend :)

Sewing tips by a beginner, for beginners

Okay, so after years of being off of a machine, I've recently gotten back to sewing NOT by hand! And wow, it has been a pain. I am one of those people who SEAM (ooh I'm awful) to screw up no matter how  much I think things through. This blog post was actually inspired by a VERY recent sewing f-up, so I thought I'd share a few tips I've learnt in the past week or two- hopefully this will help you with your sewing too!

Check that you have thread...

...Not only on the top bobbin, but the bottom one. There's nothing much more frustrating than sewing something perfectly and running out of thread half way, especially when you're a beginner and you don't quite know how to deal with the situation!

Use pins... but don't sew over them!

Now is not the time to be lazy. I am very guilty of this, I mess up many projects just from not using pins. Pins really do help with keeping things in place. When you use them, DO NOT SEW OVER THEM! This will be an even bigger mess, and it's really bad for your machine.

Go slowly and don't get tooooo confident

I do this often- I start thinking I'm more capable than I actually am and I speed through things. This is where mistakes happen, and where ones ego gets crushed! Rather take more time to think and spend less time unpicking!

Write down step-by-step if you need

If you are really struggling to get your mind around a project, write things down as a step-by-step guide. I often do this when trying a new project, it means that it's easier to do the project the next time around, too. 

Cut off loose threads to avoid getting confused 

I so often find myself pulling the wrong strings and messing up something that was actually fine! So, rather clean up as you go, you'll thank me for this!

Use the internet 

Yes, we all like to figure things out ourselves, but sometimes it's necessary to contact a resource. The internet is FULL of wonderful tutorials and ideas, so don't be afraid to have a look around!

Before you sit down, make sure you have everything you need

There's nothing worse than sitting down to do a project and finding that you don't have everything you need. If necessary, make a "things I need when sewing" list and refer to it whenever you are setting up a project.

Get yourself a pair of pinking shears

Really, these will save you a lot of pain when it comes to fabrics that tend to unravel. My mom bought me a pair and they have become my best friend! Invest in good pair, you won't regret it.

How do I use Pinking Shears?

Keep a magnet near by

This will help you to find any pins or needles that are left lying around, and it'll mean that you're less likely to stab yourself in the foot while next walking across the room!

A shopping blog

Yes, this is a strange post for me! But I am a huge follower of CutiePieMarzia and I love her clothes hauls. I never buy new clothes, so me taking money and actually buying an item is a big deal! I thought I'd do a clothes haul of my own- from my birthday shopping spree :D I only went to two places, Jayjays and Mr. Price (yes, I'm a Mr. P girl! I can't afford much more- I spend too much time at craft supply stores!)

Those of you who know me, know that anything
with an animal catches my eye :P

Teehee, boob shot! Mr. Price

This photo does nothing good, I just like how I'm framed! This is my mom's
dressing table, with all sorts of little things I've made her on it!

Jayjays

I love dresses. I always wear them with tights! This one was
found at Mr. Price

I'm a huge sucker for lace. This was also Mr. Price,
believe it or not!

A pajama top that I'll wear as an everyday top :P

My fiance can't handle it when I wear these- I run around shouting
"I'm a fox in socks, I'm a fox in socks!"

Pug socks? Erm, hell yeah O.o 

So there's my first ever clothing haul, I don't think I'll ever make one again, I just thought I'd try it out :P

Genki, Stellies

There’s nothing quite like starting the day before it’s even light, although at the moment it’s not a hard thing to do in Stellenbosch. The other morning I found myself leaving for class in the semi-darkness, which really isn't safe, but the class occasionally promises pop quizzes that count for marks, so I have to go! I ran into class with a piece of half toasted bread in one hand and my half drunken cup of tea in the other hand, wearing my pajama top and my fiance’s study hoodie- the now shared study hoodie, worn for any form of educational crisis (but that’s a tale for another post). But anyway, this morning I woke up with a really big ache in my leg and couldn't get back to sleep because of it, so now I’m sitting here blogging with a chocolate in my left hand :P (it’s no wonder I gained so much weight when I moved to Stellies!).

So, last night I went to Genki, Stellenbosch, which is a *really* nice little Japanese restaurant down an alley way in the centre of town. Thankfully, I was not paying- a friend of my fiances dad took us all! The menu initially looks very sparse, but once one gets around to tasting things…. Well, wow. I was really impressed. I've been there once before, but being poor students, my fiancé and I went for starters and a glass of wine and called it a night :P So, “What to order?” you may ask…

Firstly, everyone has to try the Saki. And then once a Saki has been consumed, everyone has to try the plum saki! Wow, it’s a dessert Saki from what I can tell (well, that’s what my tongue says, whether it’s true or not is a matter for someone who cares a little bit more about specifics)

Vegetarians: Tried and tested! Miso Soup (tofu) and the tempura shitake mushrooms.... Something I couldn't imagine until I'd tried it, and then I couldn't get enough of it! The menu has many vegetarians options, I just haven't tried them all!

Non-vegetarians:  The yakitori grilled skewers are very, very delicious. The prawn ones come super fresh (yes I’m a vegetarian, and yes I made an exception for the sake of trying Japanese food for the first time) and I was told that the chicken was very nice too. We next had some Miso Soup. Wow, it was delicious! In terms of sushi, we ordered a large platter that consisted of a few things that I'll never be able to remember, but by far the best is the Genki crunch roll. Along with that, drink lots of wine. Wine is always a good choice on the menu :P

So in terms of service, food and atmosphere, I'm very impressed. Being a student with low standards and super limited funds, I unfortunately can't eat there more often, but if you're looking for a meal that's different and more of an experience than an evening, give it a try. 

Genki Website with Menu

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Washi Tape IDEAS PARTY!

Okay, so if you've seen my previous blog post, you'll know that I am now obsessed with Washi tape! So I decided to look around on the internet for some really cool ideas that pretty much anyone can do. Washi tape really does make crafts easier, whether you're the creative kind or not :)

The Washi Blog

Tinker with This

Honey we're Home

Lia Griffith

Craft and Creativity

All found on Buzzfeed

I hope you enjoy all of these ideas, let me know if you've tried any of them or have any ideas to add!

SPEED BLOG: Washi Tape

For what seems like years, I have waited to see Washi tape come into the stores.

What the butt is washi tape?!

So, now that that's cleared, I got my first few rolls of it yesterday! While prices are still really high, washi tape is finally here. I call this a speed blog because I have about ten minutes to do the whole thing, and I got inspired and had to do a whole bunch of different crafts in a small space of time and took *terrible* photos of them so I could share the ideas with you!

1. If you're going to fix your glasses, do it in sTyLe!

I don't actually need glasses, these came out of my faculty building's lost property!
 I like them because they make me feel smart :P

2. Why spend hours painting a DECOUPAGE box? Washi tape works just as well!

3. Those of you who have tried those beautiful paper straws from the shops will know that although they may be pretty, they seem to die quite quickly. Use Washi tape to decorate proper straws quickly!

I can pull some really ugly faces sometimes ^.^

4. Use Washi tape to find your favourite pen more easily.

Ooh. I do like my favourite pen!

Alice in Wonderland Themed Party Ideas

As many of you know, I recently had my 21st birthday party. And as many of you also know, I'm a little bit obsessed with Alice in Wonderland! So we decided to set up a Mad Hatters Tea Party. I hope you enjoy my ideas!

Just me working on some photo props!

We made party photo props such as Cheshire Cat grins, bow ties and quotes like "Off with her head!". We painted them on cardboard and then glue gunned them to skewer sticks. Such fun!

My fiance and I working on props and stuff :D

Just messing around with photo props!

The good old "This way, that way" sign post idea- really effective! We put this in a pot and surrounded it with plants. It looked super whimsical and gave such an amazing feeling of CHAOS!

I added a lot of my own homemade crafts around the party area- it's good to have a variety of things, the more cluttered it is, the better! 

The party area in it's early state- use different tables and chairs, it creates an amazing jumble!

My fiance stuck illustrations up on all the glass and windows around the area- it left the place so beautiful and whimsical. It's a really good way of making the area seem less like a house!

I covered old wine bottles (yes, I drink a lot of wine :P) with different cheap papers I picked up. We then put "drink me" signs on them and put flowers inside! How pretty!

Steady progress!

My mom had the wonderful idea of using a large illustration to cover up a window. It was fun to do and looked lovely!

This picture refuses to rotate, either that or I'm technologically impaired. Either way, this is the idea of the signs that say "This way, that way". Easy and SUPER effective!

It's so exciting when things staaaart to come together. We went to the local SPCA (any charity shop will do) and bought different tea cups and saucers. It looked so nice on the table, added a mad hattery feel and we supported the animals in the process! Wheehee!

Your typical South African veranda! Braai (BBQ), dish washer and ladder (no, that's not all usually on there!) with beautiful weather. 

I made a house of cards using packs of cards (big and small) and a glue gun. It was really easy to make and came out wonderfully. If you're looking for a cheap and fun centre piece, I recommend making one of these!

My brother hung up Christmas lights for a super whimsical feel!

We used different colour serviettes/napkins to keep up with the mix and match style of the party.

My mom went into the garden and used various plants- sticking them in random places and making everything feel super cool! Also, note her Cheshire cat (secret- it's just fabric wrapped around other stuff :P) 

My fiance made a top hat for the occasion (see previous blog posts for ideas and how to do so yourself!)

The house of cards I made using glue gun. Note the little knitted bunnies! I made these a few months ago and after gifting some, these ended up on the table!

Just some pictures of Alice (me)

Thinking about doing a make up tutorial!

The illustrations really help to make one feel like they aren't on a veranda, but rather somewhere more outside!

At the entrance to the party, we put a box of old dress up clothes for the morons who don't dress up! You always get those party poopers...

The table in it's ready state

My moms beautiful work!

What is it with photos failing to rotate today?!

This was a big birthday surprise for me! My mom ordered lots and lots of cupcakes. Along with that, she made cheese muffins (my favourite) and my brother made brownies OM NOM NOM. Then we had marshmallows with plastic icing to look like mushrooms!

I really love what my mom did with the cupcakes- caterpillars, GENIUS!

We put astros around the yummies to make the plates look more crowded. And, you know, ASTROS!

Everyone at the party, having a good time! (I hope!)

My mom had the brilliant idea of putting a turtle into the soup we had to eat, I took it out soon to avoid having it melt, but what an awesome idea!

The best table cloth is paper. We put crayons around the table so that people could draw everywhere!

Thank you for reading my blog! Let me know if you have any ideas that you can add, or if you have any comments!

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