DIY Swan Pumps

I actually noticed the Manolo Blahnik Swan Pumps (online shopping is just evil) before finding out that they are related to Twilight. Whether you are a Twilight fan or not, you cannot blame me for being obsessed with THE wedding in Breaking Dawn.  It's just soooo dreamy and perfect (plus or minus the vampires depending on if you are a fan).  But not every one is married into the Cullen family (they are rich for ridiculous reasons).  And not every one can afford the $1200+ price tag.

So to further indulge my obsession with rhinestones and crystals, I decided to set out and make my own Swan-like pump. I searched online for shoes suitable for the project.  I actually ordered three pairs (and returned two) before deciding to stick with white satin (by Badgley Mischka).

Then came the most difficult part of the search.  I had to look for lace appliques that would give me shapes similar to the ones on the swan shoes.  Instead of going creative, I decided I should play safe and base the DIY version on the original shoes.  From the pictures online, the stones on the shoes seemed to be sewn in, but I figured I should stick to my routine and use the trust-worthy glue (industrial strength of course).

And after one night of magic - I am proud to present my own pair of special occasion/not-sure-for-what-function-yet shoes (definitely not for my wedding because according to my mother, I fantasized too much about my future non-existent wedding)!

Kitchen Experiment: Banana "Ice-cream"

Although I love to eat, I don't think I would make a very good food critic.  Even if I have the amazing ability to discern different tastes, I am much to emotion.  I can go from loving to hating in a blink of an eye.  Banana is on the top of the love-hate list.  I love bananas - it makes a quick and easy breakfast when I get up 5 minutes before the bus arrives; it's sweet and you can't go too wrong with anything sweet (and anything fat for that matter). But I also dislike bananas sometimes to a point that it disgusts me just to see their yellow skin.  One of the most hypocritical thing I do is to recommend people adding fruits such as bananas into their cereal or oatmeal in the morning (which I totally won't do at home).  Please forgive me because that was the most standard and easy answers to too many situations.

Anyway, when I came across this idea of blending frozen bananas to make ice-cream, I was very skeptical.  But as a dietitian, I have to say - whoever invented this was a genius!  Because I personally know people who love ice-cream, but they really shouldn't be having ice-cream too often. And there's really no such thing as healthy ice-cream because ice-cream by nature requires fat to give it the gooey texture that a lot of people love.  So here comes this healthier one-ingredient ice-cream (it might not be the exact texture, but it satisfies the craving):

Ingredient (just one): Bananas!
Steps: Peel and cut up bananas (I froze the whole banana the first time. Trust me, it's not a good idea). Freeze the bananas for 1-2 hours. Throw them into a food processor or blender and blend until it's creamy and gooey (almost soft-serve-like texture).  Enjoy!

Jewelry Display Board

Because of my recent summer holiday/unemployment period, I have the luxury of doing projects that have been on the back of my mind.  So today, poor Kenny had to get up early to drive me around to gather "ingredients" for making this board.  I couldn't decide between painting the board and using fabric, but since I love the natural cork color, I decided to go with the latter (maybe I will paint it when I get board again). 

Things needed: Corkboard (from TJ Maxx ~20USD), Lace (1/2 yard, ~2USD), Thumb Tacks and Push Pins (~2-3USD each)

Now the board is proudly displayed next to the vanity table.  Would everyone agree with me that the board needs more statement necklaces? *wink*

Shopping: Forever 21 Elephant Ring Holder

I have always wanted a ring holder ever since I saw the ones from Anthropologie.  Those bunny ones were so cute that I got one for my friend's birthday because I needed an excuse to buy them.  Then I saw this elephant ring holder over the weekend at Forever 21.  They are only $4.50 plus they are super adorable.  This made my day so I wanted to share it on the blog! Happy shopping/blogging/holiday in case I forgot on July 4th! 

Loaves of Bread Etsy Shop

Here's a few of my recent projects available on Etsy! Glitter rose thank you card shown above.  And other rhinestone projects.  I wish I have better lighting in some photos.