The Pinterest Challenge

I confess. I am an avid YHL reader and Pinterest addict. One day, I came across this picture and I knew I had to make it. It was the perfect solution to my makeup storage woes. I like my makeup to be easily accessible. I had been storing it in a basket/makeup bag/cup on the shelves over my toilet. But this left me with no working space, the constant need to riffle through my bag to find what I needed, and the fear of things falling in the toilet. Not good. This board would allow me to store everything in one place and be able to see all my options at once. Plus I could easily use one item, put it away, and move on to the next one. The Pinterest Challenge over on YHL was just the impetus I needed to get my butt moving on this project.

I started by looking for a frame. I checked Goodwill and a few thrift stores but everything was too small, not the right look, or way too expensive. I wanted something under $30 because I wanted to keep the total project cost under $50 and I knew paint, fabric, sheet metal, and magnets would add up quickly. I kept coming up empty-handed. Almost on the verge of giving up, I decided to check out some ready to go magnet board options. Leave it too Ikea! For $9.99 I got this round Spontan magnetic board in black.

This definitely took things in a more modern direction and made the covering part rather more difficult. Instead of covering the whole surface, I decided I rather liked the black and wanted it to show. A stop at A.C. Moore got me this scrap book paper which coordinated with the other colors in my bathroom perfectly. And it was just $0.50 a sheet.

I also made a quick stop at Lowe's and obtained a few different kinds of magnets for about $13. Using the ever classic Aleene's Original Tacky Glue, I attached magnets to all my makeup products. I allowed about 12 hours of dry time before attempting to use them and then I stuck them on the board and tested their sturdiness for about 24 hours before I hung anything up. It was a good thing I did as a few needed sturdier magnets then I had chosen and would have had quite a long fall on to the tile floor otherwise. After I retested my magnets and everything held up, I hung my magnet board with three screws as directed. Now it was time to decorate.

After playing around with my scrap paper, I decided to cut something out of it to attach to the board. I choose flowers to echo the flowers on the shower curtain across the room. I simply flipped the paper over and free-handed a few large flowers and leaves and then cut them out. I attached them to the board using some glue dots I already had on hand. Finally, I just stuck my makeup up! Instead of attaching cups like my inspiration project, I used glasses on top of a nearby shelf to hold brushes and pencils. Here's the finished project. Total cost? A little under $25. Not too bad!

Eat Ice Cream, Save the World

I love ice cream. I love fair trade. And now, by 2013, these two loves will be seamlessly melded in one indulgent and socially responsible pint thanks to....Ben & Jerry's! Today, Ben & Jerry's announced that every ingredient it uses that can be sourced fair trade will be by 2013. That's a life changing announcement for the 24,000 farmers in the co-ops around the world that B & J's plans to work with. And those fair trade flavors will not only be available in the US, but globally. What a statement to businesses every where. Fair trade is here to stay!

Jerry Greenfield, company co-founder, said, "Fair Trade is about making sure people get their fair share of the pie. The whole concept of Fair Trade goes to the heart of our values and sense of right and wrong. Nobody wants to buy something that was made by exploiting somebody else.” I agree! That's just one more reason to enjoy an already terrific product.

To read more about fair trade and Ben & Jerry's plans, check out their partners website, TransFair USA.

Lent 2010

I'm not even going to mention the fact that I haven't posted since July (sorry formerly loyal readers) or the reasons behind me attempting to resume this blogging business (Hi weird spam commenter!) so I'll just get down to business. Lent is here.

Lent for me usually goes something like this. A day or two before or after Ash Wednesday I realize it's Lent. Then I become motivated to do something for Lent. Start a devotional, give something meaningful up, become a better person and solve all the world's problems in 40 days...that sort of thing. I go online, google a devotional, skim a few, and dismiss them all as lame. Then I try to think of something to give up. But all I can come up with are selfishly motivated things (Hello diet!) which almost makes me feel worse about the whole process. So instead of having a meaningful season of repentance and renewal, I end up feeling simultaneously guilty and self-righteous.

This year, I got off to a slightly better start. I realized Lent was beginning the weekend before it actually did. I made it to a nicely intimate imposition of ashes and communion service at my church. I have to confess that my attention wasn't what it normally is, but I liked what I took away from the service. My pastor spoke about how on Ash Wednesday we are "smudged" with ashes. Lent is a time to reflect on how we, both personally and corporately, become smudged with sin and to look with joy towards the redemption and resurrection of Easter Sunday. It really made me reflect on just how smudged I am right now. More importantly, it called to mind just how smudged our world is.

In our attempts to walk more closely with God, we often forget the corporate sins of omission that we are all participating in every day. We live in an imperfect society and world, and just going about our daily lives can innocently contribute to the pain and injustice done to others. As we confess and make ourselves new before God, we need to remember to confess and repent for the many ways that we are complacent in the evils of this world. Injustice surrounds us and yet, how little we do to change it.

With this in mind, I think I finally found a devotional I won't write off after a few days. The premise? A carbon reduction fast. I know, I know half of you just went whoa you're even nuttier then I thought. But really, maybe you should give it a try. Living more simply is a goal that we should all strive for and what better way to do so then by focusing on the waste and extravagance in our lifestyles. The guide calls attention to a different issue each day by having you collect coins in a jar each time you do a different activity. Thursday it was each time you turn on the faucet and Friday is each time you use a sheet a paper. At the end of the forty days of Lent, you give the money you collected to the organization of your choice. To go along with it, I'm going to be reading from the book of Luke and trying to focus on the "social justice" themes found there. And truthfully, I'm excited about what God is going to show me. You can get a copy of the devotional from Alternatives for Simple Living. If carbon reduction isn't your thing, check out the archives for past Lenten devotionals (like the one on hunger). Or just check out the website for lots of great resources on living a more simple, peaceful, and just life.

Job Description

WANTED

People to work long hours with frequent mandatory overtime. Few holidays and weekends off. Must be able to keep massive amounts of paperwork up to date while making split-second, life or death decisions.

Must be immune to verbal abuse and able to neutralize occasional physical assaults. Must display patience, kindness, understanding, and caring even when your personal life is coming apart at the seams.

Must show no aversion to blood, vomit, oozing infections, or human body wastes. Salary in no way commensurates with knowledge and ability. Only those interested in dealing with depressing situations on a daily basis need apply.

The El 6/24/09

Girl in excessively short plaid skirt with cat ear head band. Guy in pimped out pin striped suit with fedora carrying the metal leash attached to the girl and a black leather flogger. On a Wednesday people!

Healthcare Basics

There's so much I could say about the current discussion on healthcare in our country. I'm just so glad we're finally having it. The system is broken. That much is clear. I was too young in '94 to know or care about what the Clinton's were trying to accomplish, but I'm glad that the door is open wide to healthcare reform once again. For a basic overview of why we so desperately need reform, check out blurb's great post on some of the most important healthcare talking points. You might know him better as dooce's husband. It looks like he's planning on doing a couple updates on this very current issue, and I for one plan on reading them.

Twitter

I decided to finally try Twitter. I have no idea if I will actually do it. But so many times I have a thought that I would love to blog about, but by the time I get home to do so, I've forgotten it. So I will attempt to share them with you via Twitter. We'll see how this goes. Look to the left for my last 5 updates. At least it's something to do at 4am at work.