Cupcake Flags

It's no secret that I love cupcakes. I almost like to make them more than eat them. Ever since I got my Kitchen Aid mixer I look forward to making cupcakes for every holiday and random party. I'm constantly on the hunt for new cupcakes recipes and new ways to decorate them. 

I found a package of short craft skewers at a local craft store near my home and I've also seen them online at restaurant supply stores. 

For my wedding I made over fifty cupcake flags with ribbon and hot glue. Although, I loved the end result it was messy and time consuming. This project was so much easier not only is Washi Tape already adhesive but you can buy it in all kinds of different patterns and colors to fit any theme and color scheme. Buy, buy glue gun and burnt fingers.

Supplies 

1 // Scissors

2 // Craft skewers

3 // X-Acto

4 // Washi Tape

Step 1 // Measure out your desired length of Washi Tape. I made 5 inch stripes so each flag would be 2 1/2 inches long. 

Step 2 // Place your craft skewer in the middle of the Washi Tape. Firmly press the skewer onto the washi tape and make sure they have adhered. 

Step 3 // Bring the two sides together starting with the pieces closest to the skewer. Make sure to keep the sides aligned. Don't worry if one side is slightly longer than the other. We're gonna trim it. 

Step 4 // Finish by creating your desired shape. You can finish them in any style you would like: keeping them straight, using a pair of pinking shears, or my personal favorite cutting out a triangle. 

Minimalist Challenge // DAY 4

We're 4 days into the minimalist challenge and I can’t see a visual change. I can see why a lot people quit during the second week of this challenge. It's hard and, I'm not a materialistic person. I hate clutter and stuff. HATE IT. It's hard because it requires a lot of time, time to sort out the things that are important from the things that aren't. You have to organize the junk drawer that hides all those random odd and ends. Further into the month, it will only take more time. The project becomes daunting.

But, with every item I throw away I feel a sense of accomplishment. Change is around the corner a new chapter in my life is beginning. A cleaner, calmer and more productive life is closer than it was three days ago. That feels fantastic and enough to keep me going.  

His

 Two t-shirts // Cordless Drill // Power Cord

Hers

Pair of Shoes // Bottle // Two Packs of Paper 

The Minimalist Challenge

Constantly trying to improve my apartment with D.I.Y projects and crafting has created a home full of unfinished or unsuccessful projects. Having a husband who loves to collect and fix up bikes has only complicated things. We have created a clutter monster that has endless piles of food.  So, for the month of February my husband and I will attempt The Minimalist Challenge. For those who haven’t heard, The Minimalist Challenge is a project geared towards reducing clutter and taking an inventory of personal possessions. Much like the 100 Things Challenge. 

Each day of the month each participant will give up that many items. So, on the first day each person will give away one item. On the second, two items. So on, and so on until the last day of the month. The 28^th. The items MUST be gone by midnight each night, they can be donated, sold, or thrown away.

In total: 812 items 

Through this project I hope to define what is needed, what is wanted, and what is completely unnecessary. We will have a clean house and a house free of distraction where we can focus on what we want to do and not what we have to clean up. 

Each day I will post our donated item and document the project. 

Day 1 

 

Today we finally donated a box full of old clothes, shoes and silverware that has been sitting in our apartment for weeks and a t-shirt that my husband has a duplicate of. 

New Year, New Goals

As 2013 begins to fall away and a shiny 2014 surrounds us everyone begins to look at the future and make resolutions. Resolutions about a toned body, a cleaner more organized apartment, a smarter mind, and an all around better life. I find myself falling into this same pattern. I’m evaluating my life and only seeing the negative things. And that is terrible. I have so many things to be thankful of and I truly have a wonderful life. I like my job, I have a magnificent and loving husband, and a fantastic cuddle bug of a dog. It’s true there are things in life I would like to accomplish and changes I would like to make, so instead of listing a series of resolutions I have decided to make a list of goals. Hopefully, through focusing on completing my list of goals I will succeed at changing my behavior. 

Goals of 2014

• Start an Etsy
• Sell an item on Etsy
• Sell items at a craft fair
• Keep up Tulle&Wrench
• Compete in a bike race
• Minimize the clutter in my apartment

DIY// Where We've Been

We've been looking for a "Where You've Been" map for a while. Looking in every store possible for the perfect map in a color scheme that matched our apartment and lives. We were looking for a United States map specifically as we wanted the map to be fairly detailed.  Finally, we found a map at Paper Source.

We wanted to create an interactive piece of art that told a story about of travels as individuals and as a couple. It turned out to be a wonderful conversation piece because it allowed our friends to ask us about our travels around the nation as well as tell us stories about their travels. 

1 //  Map

2 // Spray Adhesive

3 // A Roller

4 // Map Tacks

Spray the adhesive on a foam core board or piece of cardboard. You will want to do this outside or lay down plastic as it will be very sticky and impossible to remove from surfaces.

Also, make sure the foam core is exactly the size of your artwork. If  not, you will need to cut it down to size on your own or you can ask an employee at your local craft store; most art and crafts store will cut them for a small fee. 

Line up two corners of map at one end of the foam core and gently place down. Using the roller, gently press the rest of the paper onto the foam core.
Once the map is down you can then use the roller to press out any remaining air pockets. You may need a partner in crime for this step. 

// If you do not own a roller you can use a rolling pin. //

Have fun placing your map tacks where you've been or where you someday what to go. 

We divided our colors into three categories:

Yellow // His

Green // Hers

Blue // Ours'

Dollar Store Date Night

Having been together for almost 7 years Ace and I are always trying to find creative and inexpensive date nights. Both of us had wanted to watch a movie on our Netflix queue for a while but, we kept putting it off. We decided to turn our apartment into a private movie theater. During our weekly errands we normally stop at the dollar store where we bought two popcorn cups and several small boxes of candy most movie theaters sell. Then, once we got home we popped our popcorn, turned off all the lights, put our cell phones on silent, and cuddled on the couch. 

The candy store at our local dollar store is gigantic. 

Bike Check-up // Spring

After a long winter people are always very excited to to get outside on their bikes. To make that experience as problem free as possible here are some things to look for.