yep, I’m a dot com er now.
DIY: Oversized Valentine’s Photo Booth Props
Is this kiss big enough for you?? HA. I am in charge of a Valentine’s Party at my church, and I really wanted a photo booth. And you can’t have a photo booth without props! So I made ginormous ones because I think they’re kind of funny and over-the-top, and that’s jus the sort of thing a party needs. These pictures were taken in St. George, UT in the neighborhood where my in-laws live. Those rocks were so pretty, I had to use them as backdrops!
Of course AKG thought this ^^ was for tick tack toe…no silly! Hugs and kisses. ^^
Gotta have a pretty picture frame. ^^
Supplies:
- Scissors
- Pencil & eraser
- Colored poster board paper (I got mine at Walmart for $0.33-$0.95 each). Get the stiffest you can get without it actually being poster board.
- If you want, you can add glitter or spray paint them …whatever your hear desires 🙂
Click through for the tutorial! Continue reading
Weekend Wardrobe: Snow Bound
AKG’s grad school is on break for a WHOLE WEEK! We headed to the mountains in Utah and prayed for snow. As usual, we stayed at his family’s cabin in Brian Head (they also rent it out–check out their website here for availability & details!).
A few days before we arrived at the cabin, it had snowed around 17 inches. And when we woke up after our first night there, we got 7 more inches! We headed to the slopes to shred some of that pooowwedderrrr. All weekend we have been bundled up in beanies and layers of sweaters, jackets and warm boots.
My brother and his wife drove down and met us there, as well as more of Austin’s family…it was a perfect day, hardly anyone was there (it was Monday!) and there was plenty of powder to get stuck in ride. I am not that good riding powder, but by the end of the day I had improved a lot. Enjoy the pictures!
Later, we went to Cedar Breaks. Remember what it looks like in the summertime??
Snow flurries are the prettiest!
hugs, hanalei
hello weekend! + Happy Chinese New Year
This photo was taken when Aust & I went back to Taiwan & Hong Kong, May 2013
Happy Chinese New Year! 新年快樂！Chinese new year is, like, THE holiday in Asia. When I lived in Taiwan, the new years celebrations would include 2 weeks straight of eating delicous food until your eyes popped out. And people were giving me 红包 (red envelope) with money inside $$ (but I couldn’t accept it because I was a church missionary at the time!). It’s a great holiday; older family like parents, Aunts & Uncles, would give us red envelopes (hundreds of dollars!), but once we were married they said ‘Sorry! No more!’ So last year I gave my little brother the first red envelope I’ve given out, and it made me feel old.
This week I’ve been learning a new language, and you should too! When someone starts to learn a brand new language at 21, you’d think it was too difficult an endeavor and almost unachievable. Well I started learning to speak, read and write Chinese when I was 21, and somehow I achieved a basic grasp of the language in a short 18 months. Granted, I had God on my side (literally–missionaries are promised the gift of tongues!) because I honestly could not have done that on my own. But this time around, I’m picking up a language at 26 (did I say I’m old already?)! I’ve been taking free online courses from Code Academy and I HIGHLY recommend them! I’ve been able to pick up the basics of HTML and CSS and have been tweaking my new website aaaaallllllll week long. My eyes hurt, but I’m pretty excited to show you on Monday!! (Thanks for all the help, Ivan!)
Eat lots of good food , try learning a new language, and 恭喜发财 ‘congratulations on obtaining riches’!
hugs, hanalei
Sweatshirt Makeover + How to Install a Zipper
We all either have a sweat shirt like this (pictured left) or have seen them around Walmart / Target for $5-$10, am I right? Well for another $3 (zipper), plus a little sewing & cutting, you can give that sweatshirt a MAKEOVER.
I am going to call this a “California Sweatshirt” (can I patent that??) because let’s be honest–we Californians don’t need a sweatshirt even in the wintertime. But we looong to wear one, if only for a change in wardrobe. This one keeps you cool b/c of the sleeves AND the choice to unzip when it’s warm out.
Ok did I sell you on the cuteness of the sweater yet??? I love how just cutting off the sleeves gives it a boxy, square look. Not to mention helps it breathe & cools us Californians down a whole lot. The zipper installation was super easy & quick! I decided not to look up how to install a zipper, but instead just looked at a zipper on a dress I have, and attempted to mimic it. I want to learn how to read the construction of clothing and guess what guys…it worked! It may not be the conventional/standard way to install one, but it works perfectly for this sweater. I love the pop of gold it gives it. Ok I’m done obsessing over this sweater –er– tunic… keep reading for the full tutorial!
foggy dress 