Three Magnificent Mason Jar Christmas Crafts

Hey, guess what time of year it is? That's right, it's the most wonderful time of the year! Now, before we break out into the real life musical that I have always dreamed would happen, we need a few things. On this list are some Christmas DIYs that that can appeal to everyone! Not only are they Christmas themed, but they all use mason jars! My love for mason jars grows exponentially each time I use one in a craft, and now I am not afraid to admit that I am obsessed. Moving past that, here they are:

1. Snowman Lid Ornament

I have no idea why I decided to make this. My family already can't fit all our ornaments on the tree. Will this masterpiece make the cut? Probably not. Because I already know this post is going to be super long, I'm going to skip the supplies, and jump right in. First glue white paper to the inside part of the mason jar lid, and glue that to the outer part. Cover the paper in hot glue, and sprinkle glitter into it to create a snowy background. Now make the snowman and tree. Get creative, I used makeup sponges for the tree and snowman, but you can use anything from cotton balls, and stuffed animal fluff to marshmallows. Don't have paint, or are too lazy to walk up the stairs where a never-before -used paint kit is waiting? I used nail polish and glitter glue. Glue together your winter scene, slap a ribbon on the back, and voila! Your dream of a white Christmas has come to life!

2. Brownie in a Jar

I love brownies. If you don't, you are are either lying or are insane. Sorry, but it's the truth. This project was ridiculously easy, it literally took twenty minutes to get the supplies, find a recipe, and create it. Speaking of a recipe, I found one here that was perfect, but if want to use your own, make sure it calls for the dry ingredients to be mixed up together. Once you layer the dry ingredients to your artistic desiring, list the rest of the ingredients and instructions on a card to complete the brownies. I had to halve my recipe in order to fit all into this smaller jar, so keep that in mind when listing the rest of your ingredients. If you have room at the top, add marshmallows, chocolate chips, or walnuts for an extra touch. Perfect as gifts, and visually pleasing, I can't think of a reason not to make this!

3. Mason Jar Snow Globe

This is probably my favorite project out of the three. It's super easy, quick to make, and very customizable. The first thing I would suggest doing is finding or making a figurine to glue onto your lid. I got mine at Michaels 50% off the original price. There are so many adorable scenes to choose from: a family making a snowman, a boy playing with his dog, a snowy Christmas tree. Naturally, I chose the raccoons hanging out by an outhouse. It just screamed Christmas (I'm being sarcastic)! Now choose a mason jar that will fit your figurine, and glue it onto your lid. I needed a short and squat one. I added quilt batting on the bottom to look like snow. Now fill it with water and glitter. Make sure to take water displacement into account, and leave some air in to shake it. Now you have a your very own snow globe!

Sorry for the super long post. Comment which is your favorite, and what else you would like to see. Thanks for reading!

Two Points of View

Image courtesy of Twitter.

One thing that I have always found helpful in my life is changing my point of view. Seeing the "bright side" of a situation can change everything, but more than that, seeing the argument from the other side is extremely important. I have always prided myself in seeing from multiple perspectives, and now we are going to talk about that.

First, a little bit of back story to help you understand what I am talking about. Last year in my social studies class, we were waiting for class to start and had randomly started talking about marriage equality. The general theme of the conversation was that it was wrong to keep marriage just between a man and a woman. While I strongly agree with this, I also wanted to add more to the conversation. I suggested that we also see this argument from the side of those who oppose gay marriage. After all, if we want others to acknowledge our point of view, we need to offer them the same courtesy. I immediately regretted this sentence. Some my classmates started attacking me with their opinions (that I didn't disagree with), and calling me homophobic. While never stated that I agreed with those who opposed gay marriage, just recognizing their feelings and opinions made me a target.

Not to be rude, but what those classmates did was wrong in so many ways. In my own opinion, gay marriage should allowed mainly because we are all allowed to have our own beliefs. If we blatantly tell those who are against gay marriage that they are wrong, and can't have their own point of view, we give them the right to do the same. It is not about deciding what is right for everyone, but being given the right to decide for ourselves. We may never be rid of homophobia, but maybe everyone will begin to realize that we all have the right to our own principles.

If you give the other side of the argument some thought, you can better understand those who believe that. Creating peace isn't about agreeing with people, but understanding them. Spending time in a different way of thinking can only add to your personality, and intellectual depth. Now I understand that it was a good thing to have that experience in my social studies class. From it I was able to get a better outlook, and a way to hopefully help others gain the same thing.

Frendship Bracelet Style Headphones

These are coolest headphones ever to be created.

You my dear readers, are fabulous. The fact that you are reading this blog proves it. As a fabulous person everything in you life is just naturally amazing! So why shouldn't your headphones be the same? Lucky for you, decorating your headphones is really easy. With cheap supplies, and some free time, your headphones can be as cool as mine.

First, as always, is to gather your supplies. You will need a pair of headphones (like that wasn't obvious), and some kind of string or thread. I used embroidery floss, but I have seen people use baker's twine, or even yarn. Keep in mind, the thicker the string, the less time it takes to finish. That being said, I have no clue how much string you will need.

To start, measure out five times the length of your headphones in your string of choice. This may not cover the entire area you need, but it's a good length to start with. Tape the end of your headphones to a desk and double knot your string onto the chord so that there is an equal length on either side. Coil your extra string so that it is easier to work with, and doesn't get tangled.

Image courtesy of Friendship-Bracelet.net

Now it is time to begin the knotting pattern known as "Chinese laddering". Take the string on your right hand side and create a backwards four shape by placing the string under the chord and over the other string. Now take the left hand string and place it over the chord, and through the loop created by the other string. Pull tight, and repeat. At one point as the spiral pattern begins to appear, your two strings will start to look like they need to flip to the other side. When this happens, just switch what sides they're on to continue the spiral.

When you run out of string, or want to change colors, leave at least half and inch of extra string left after your last stitch. Repeat the beginning steps of measuring and double knotting, and creating the pattern. Do all of this while adding your extra length of string to your chord, and including it in your stitches. After about three repetitions of your pattern, cut off the rest of the extra string, and continue you pattern. When you reach the end of your headphones, cut off  as much of the extra as you can, and secure the end of your pattern with clear nail polish.

Now, not only do your headphones look super swaggy (I am so sorry for using that word), but they also don't get tangled as easily. Add an iTunes gift card and you have the perfect combination of gifts for a friend family member, or even a celebrity crush that you stalk. After making multiple pairs for myself, and my friends. I have become an expert, so if you have any questions make sure to comment, ask me in person, or watch this video. Thanks for being fabulous!

Hello, I'm awkward. What's Your Name?

Written by me, illustrated by Charlemagne

Welcome to the blog post on how to be awkward! Presented by your host, an expert in extreme social awkwardness, and someone who often finds herself in incredibly uncomfortable situations, Allison Lambert! Now I know what you're thinking, no one could even come close to being as awkward as you are Allison! You're right, I'm a natural, but that doesn't mean that there isn't any hope! With decades, years if you are lucky, you might come close to my skills.
 

Let's begin with the advantages of being awkward. It took some time, but I was able to come up with four reasons. One, blame any problem on being awkward. Oh, I dropped my plate of spaghetti all over your wedding dress? Sorry, I'm awkward. Oops, did I just laugh really loud during a silent religious ceremony? It's because I'm awkward. Oh boy, did my inability to make a decision lead to multiple problems for you? One word, awkward. Everyone just laughs, and says "Yeah you are!" The whole situation ends with a second of happiness and laughter. Second, people take pity on you. No, I can't read that paragraph, make that speech, or lead that group project, I'm awkward. I guess that ties into the first reason too. Third, being awkward is just one step closer to being an introvert, and introverts have a lot of free time, and get a lot of stuff done. Lastly, why not? In the wise words of the Dictionopolis guard,"That's a good reason for almost anything - a bit used, but still quite serviceable."

Now that that's settled, I have no idea how to explain being awkward to you, so instead I will give you a few situations where my social handicap comes into play. If you are truly awkward, then receiving directions to get something should give you anxiety. When I am receiving directions from a teacher, I get so scared that I will forget them that my fear tunes out the instructions. Then in a burst of awkward energy intent on making my situation worse, I assure the teacher that I know where I am going. At that point, I begin my journey and end up wandering the halls until someone helps me find my way.

Another way I prove my awkward status is in normal conversation, specifically with someone I just met. As an awkward person, my brain periodically zones out of the conversation. At first glance, these "zone out" times may seem to occur randomly, but a closer look will show that they happen normally during the most important parts of a conversation.

I hope this post has either ensured or prevented your own social awkwardness. Be sure to comment, and read my other posts.

 Special thanks to Charlie for the illustrations. If you want to see more, click to his blog. Thanks for reading!

A Dumb Blonde's DIY

You may not like it, but I'm really proud of this.

Sometimes I overestimate my abilities, and making this spooky "diy" was one of those times. Honestly, for anyone else, this would probably be ridiculously easy. I however, spent about three hours on it.

Keeping with the Halloween theme I seem to have this month, I decided to make this spooky craft. I'm no fan of spiders, but I couldn't resist the chance to use those beautiful wooden frames found at Michaels. Not to mention, I had a coupon, and most of the supplies already at home. This is right around where I would tell you how long it takes to make this craft, but I seem to be incompetent with spray paint, and many other things, so my estimate would be inaccurate.

Anyways, the first thing you need is supplies. You will need, some sort of frame, spray paint (or paint), white yarn, and whatever other decorations you want (I used spider stickers). One thing I failed to remember is that a hot glue gun is extremely useful for this project. I managed without one, but you would be better off just buying one (they're pretty cheap anyways). I had most of the supplies at my house, but I couldn't pass up a chance to go to Michaels. If you also plan on going to Michaels, use the link for coupons.

To begin, paint or spray paint your frame. If you spray paint it like I did, here are some tips that I learned while being dumb blonde. This was my first time using spray paint on my own, so try not to judge me. Things I didn't do, but you should: shake the can before use, make sure you know which way to point the nozzle each time you pick it up, spray at an angle, and let it dry before flipping it to the other side. I'm glad my mistakes can not only prevent your own, but also entertain you.

This is how a professional works.

When it's dry, glue a total of four pieces of yarn from the middle of each side, and each corner like you were drawing a snowflake or star. Next, create a spider web pattern (I made a spiral) with another
piece of yarn, gluing it where it needs to be strengthened. As you might remember, I don't own a hot glue gun, so after many failures, I was able to secure the yarn with a mixture of staples and mod podge (I don't recommend it).

Now you are free to decorate it however you want! Comment how making this turned out for you, and vote on the new poll. Tell me whether my next "do it yourself" project (when I decide to make it) should be with food, or another craft.

Mark the Date

Image courtesy of OpenCareer

Get out your pens, pencils, and other writing utensils! Today is the day we laugh in the face of fear! No longer will we worry, and wonder in anticipation of an audition, performance, or test. From now on, we will walk with a confidence, and certainty that will make the teachers ask you for a grade, interviewers will ask you for a job, and parents will ask for your permission to leave the dinner table!

So maybe I was a little bit too enthusiastic, but who can blame me? As teenagers, our lives are riddled with unnecessary anxiety. Not doing well at events like sports games, tests, or auditions may not be the end of the world, but as teenagers, they are still and important part of our lives. Everyone works, learns, and feels in different ways, but this is how I go into a potentially stressful situation.

A small warning, this post isn't about how I prepare beforehand. You can use this advice if you have studied and practiced for hours, or if you walk in completely unprepared.

 First, when I am dreading the event to come, I try to remind myself that just as sure as it is going to begin, it is going to end. At this point, there is nothing more you can do to change what is going to happen. You will get through it, I promise.

Next, in a lot of situations, especially tests, people around you will be in a nervous and talkative frenzy. They will share information all about the hours they spent preparing, and how they still feel unprepared.. Try not to participate in this. I know it can be hard not to get caught up in all the sharing, but most of the time you will begin in an even more nervous state than when you first walked in. Try listening to music, or reading a book instead. I don't suggest studying, sometimes when you have spent a lot of time preparing for a test, the best thing to do is relax, and trust yourself. A last minute cram session isn't going to do very much good.

Last, when you are anxious and on edge, you might rush through what you are doing, and make silly mistakes. You will only make things harder for yourself if you don't have a clear and calm head. Freaking out isn't going to help solve your problems, and people are more willing to help out someone who isn't screaming, moaning, or acting generally insane. When I want to calm myself down I just pretend that it's no big deal, and that everything is okay. You don't have to believe it, but sometimes just acting cool and collected can help. This trick helps me when I forget something important, when I make a big mistake, or even when I'm just generally flustered.

I hope this helped you, make sure to suggest and comment!

I Was Feeling Really Productive

I had to lie on the ground to take this picture, so I hope you appreciate it.

On Friday night, I was overtaken by the urge to create something, and not just an ordinary something, but this life changing candy corn ice cream treat (I may be exaggerating a little with the whole life changing thing). This Halloween inspired energy would not last long, but luckily, neither would this project. I knew my Halloween inspired energy wouldn't last long, so this quick, and easy project was perfect. A "do it yourself" dessert was just what I needed to get my mind off of the stress I was feeling from school.

 Before you can start, you will need supplies. Vanilla ice cream, along with red and yellow food coloring are the only mandatory supplies to make this, but special glasses, whipped cream, candles, straws, or other decorations are optional. One container of of ice cream just barely filled four of my glasses, so take that into consideration when planning to share with others.

First, leave your ice cream out to let it soften. Then take one third of your conainer, and add yellow food coloring to it until you are happy with the color. After that, add it to your glass. If the ice cream smears on the sides of the glass, be sure to wipe it off to make your layers clear. Before you add the next layer, put it in the freezer for about 20 minutes.

Repeat the process two more times using the red and yellow food coloring to create orange, and leaving the the last layer white. When you are done, you can let it thaw to a milkshake consistency, or freeze it back to ice cream. Be careful abut how long you leave it out; the layers will mix as it begins to melt.

I hope you enjoy making and eating this sweet, make sure tell me about your successes and triumphs while making it. If you want to watch the video I go the idea from, and for another candy corn inspired dessert, click here. Be sure to comment, and suggest other things you want me to try, or talk about.

I was trying to take an artsy picture. I will let you decide whether or not I accomplished that.

So You Spent Three Hours On One Homework Assignment, And Now You're Freaking Out

Photo courtesy of OnTheRunEvents

So,  Thursday night I spent three and a half hours on one math assignment. These three and a half hours were spent before, and after dance. In fact, I even left dance early just so I could get a head start on the gigantic load of homework I had. In hindsight, I should have managed my time better so that I could take a break and work on something else to decompress, because when I finally asked my mom for help I found that most of my problems were just silly mistakes that wouldn't have happened if I had a better attitude. Luckily, I was able to finish everything I needed to do, but I went to bed way later than I should have.

In my position that night, there wasn't much that I could do to fix my situation, but here is how to prevent that from ever happening. First, it sounds obvious, but really make sure you understand the lesson taught in class. Ask questions, talk to the teacher, and do examples of what you are working on. Second, do your homework the night it was assigned. This makes sure everything is still fresh in your mind. Also if you have a problem, you have a lot of time to get help. Now, if you find yourself in a position like mine, and you have been staring at the same problems for 20 minutes, take a break. Do another assignment, grab a snack, do something that relaxes you. Once you get frustrated, the work becomes twice as hard. This is the game I like to play when I want to relax. Just remember, use this link responsibly. While I think that taking time to relax and having fun is important, procrastination is not a good way to spend your time.

I hope these tips work for you. If you have any suggestions, make sure to comment!