Saturday 29 August 2015

Favourite Things on the Web this Month




I haven't done one of these for about a billion years, and actually it's probably not really as needed as another DIY (I haven't done one of those for ages either bc laziness), but I just found the absolute coolest thing in the entire world of internet, and it needs to be shared. I may slightly be guilty of spending too much time on this but the point is that if everyone else does too then it becomes normal, like calling flip flops thongs (you're mad Australia bro) or racism (you're mad humanity maaan) . Anyhoo, I've just picked ten today, but prepare to have your time truly and completely wasted. Love you too.

The Kanken website
Currently I'm in the stage of not quite denial about the beginning of school. I refuse to believe that it's starting in under a week, and yet I'm perfectly happy to search for hours for the perfect school supplies. School supplies are basically the only thing that's nice about coming back to school, and I've become strangely obsessed. Kanken is only one of the things, but it's the highest profile. Kanken bags are expensive for a school bag, if you're as broke as I am, but they are beautiful, as I'm sure you can see. I don't have one yet, but I shall, mark my words. I shall indeed. The shop is particularly lovely, and makes me particularly jealous.



I love picnics. So much, that I forced all my friends into having one at the end of the summer term. At lunch time. In the middle of the school field. It was great. When I discovered this post though, I kicked myself, because the recipes on here are so super tempting that it made me feel like doing it all over again.

Caprese Sandwiches with Parsley Pesto

Everyday things you never knew had names
Pointless knowledge is crammed into my head against my will every time I'm forced into a classroom, so why would I ever have the desire to learn more? The thing is, school pointless knowledge is a lot less interesting than the random dregs that float about on the internet, and as a special little bonus, these particular bits of learning improve your vocabulary at the very same time. Have you ever wondered what the bit in the middle of a window pane is? No? It's a muntin, fool, and don't you forget it.


Muntin 

I am a mystical and mysterious creature, with basic magical powers  and an air of otherworldliness. The ability to tell the future is always good to add to that, even if it is total lies and a pile of dung. This is pretty interesting even if you don't believe in anything the author says, and maybe it could pull you a job in the circus someday. Maybe.


Read Palms Step 2.jpg


 Is this cruel to even consider these? I'm writing a book at the moment, and these torture methods really inspired me - in the best way, I swear. My characters are in for a word of pain I'm afraid, although I swear some of these are just totally made up. Check it out though if you're writing a book, or in the mood for something gruesome.

Print what you like
I swear I'm single handedly responsible for deforestation, even if it's really not my fault. Sometimes, I just have to print something because it'd so great, or I want it on my wall, or just because. This little tool through let's you print exactly what you want, and crops out ads or pieces of irrelevant junk, so you can save the orang-utans in a low key and stress free way.


It was a slightly shorter post today, so I'm sorry about that, but I have been very busy, in my defence. School starts in under a week now too, so I'm getting all sad. I swear the summer lasted about three minutes. Life just isn't fair these days.



Until next time
x

Monday 10 August 2015

Summer Bucket List



Ah, summer. A time for relaxing. A time for unwinding. Nothing is required, and there is nothing you have to do. Or is there? Yes, you too can make a long list of things that you don't have to do, but now do, and can set yourself even more work to do! Yay! At long last! No, but really, bragging about everything you've done is kind of the main thing about summer, and let's be honest, ticking things of lists is really satisfying (is thar just me?). I made a summer bucket list because I'm no way patient enough to complete a real life one, and six weeks is a lot shorter than the whole rest of my life (I mean, touch wood.) Me and my friend Elyse made this list together, so have a read. Maybe it'll inspire you to write your own, or maybe it'll just make you laugh at us, but that's fine too, so go ahead.
 
 
I've done someof these now, and I'll post it again, all ticked off at the end of the holidays. Until then though, have you made a summer bucket list? If you have, what's on it? Anything I should add? Let me know peoples. Show me you care*
Until next time
x
 
*If you don't care, pretend. Sarcasm doesn't work in writing, so I'll never even know.

Tuesday 4 August 2015

A Fairytale Themed Party for Seven Year Olds



This was actually a while ago now, but that doesn't diminish how very good I was. I was amazing. I was a saint. I was extremely nice. Basically, I organised a party for my sister. It wasn't just any old party though, not by any stretch of the imagination. It was a fairytale themed party, and it was quite a lot of work. Here's how it worked, so that if anyone fancies to copy it, or even just to use it for inspiration (and let's be honest, why wouldn't you. Age isn't an excuse.) then they can.

To begin with, I made six toadstools. These had empty stems, to hold pieces of a map, and I included a tutorial for them here: http://aminorityofonelunacy.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/paper-toadstools-diy.html

Next, I made a map. Being a naturally creative and artistic person with a ton of skill I drew it myself, of the garden and house, but fairytale styley. You could just use a real map of your house, or something I guess.


Then (sob) I cut up my beautiful map that took about an hour to draw (not that I'm bitter or anything, obviously), into six little pieces. They weren't all that little, because my map was huge- the size of our kitchen table, but anyway, it fit into the hollow stems when it was cut, and I then took them down into the woods, and hid them.


Obviously, they were easy to find, but that was better, because the kids could find them easyly. If I fancied being charming I'd say that the faces that they made when they saw the first one in the woods made it all worthwhile, but I'll just say that they were pretty good.




When they'd collected all the toadstools, fought over who could carry them and managed to get it all back to our garden with minimal ripping they put the pieces of the map together. On it were three crosses, and when they worked out that the house was the palace, and the lawn was the lawn (smart cookies, these kids.) they all sprinted to the marked places. The treasure was hung on poles, and wrapped in scarf things, in a bundle.


They contained a fairytae notebook, a pen and a gold box, holding a gold bean. This they took to the lawn and planted in pots, which they decorated with stickers. The magic beans got a bit of water, and then we went to 'grandmothers house'. They knocked on the door, and a grvely voice (my lovely friend lucy) asked if it was Red Riding hood, and then told them to go away when they said it wasnt. Ten we led them to 'Jack's Beanstalk. This was my favourite bit, by a long way.


Jack (My brother, bribed into helping.) and his cow (My dog, in a mask, also bribed.) climbed up the stalk to fetch a red cloak, which he gave to the birthday girl. She walked, (with her posse of friends) bcak to grandmothers house, where grandmother allowed her to come in. In the shed they saw a bath cap peeking out from behind blankets on the sofa bed, and picnic hampers. When they took the hampers, Lucy jumped out from under the blankets, with a wolf mask on, and chased them, screaming back onto the lawn. They ate their picnic, had cake, played pass the parcel on the rug, ate doughnuts from a string, and then got their party bags and went home.

Because me and my friend were being so very creative we decided to make the garden beautiful. This meant a lot of effort, balloons, and a ton of paper. I reckon it was worth it, but what do you think?





In general the party went remarkably well, I reckon,and my sister said it was 'best party she'd ever been to' and my brother wanted me to organise his party too , so that's pretty good. It was a lot of work,but worth it, I suppose.
Until next time
X