loveliness. | Live, travel, adventure, bless and don't be sorry. | Page 53

- dye job
  
  Posted at 6:06 pm by jasminedesirees, on January 15, 2013
  
  I bought this dress in Vegas last spring, and even though I loved it when I bought it, that’s the only time I’ve ever worn it. I realized after wearing it the first time that I absolutely hated the long lacy sleeve on one side, and that while the dress was gorgeous, the nude part under the lace was actually a lot lighter than my skin tone, which made the dress extremely unflattering on me, kind of like I was just wearing Spanx with lace stapled on top.
  
  I viciously hacked off the sleeve one night, and even bought some light brown dye to try to dye the under-fabric, but sadly it is made of polyester which is apparently the only fabric in the world that can’t be dyed, and it looked exactly the same afterwards.
  
  I accepted my failure and the dress had just been sitting in my closet for about 6 months, but last week for some reason I remembered it, and refusing to accept defeat, turned to Google for answers.
  
  There were a bunch of kind of scary tips involving gas masks and goggles for dying polyester, usually in random out of the way “WikiAnswer” type message boards, but I decided to try one of them. It’s not like I am wearing it the way it is now anyway, so if it doesn’t work, what have I lost?
  
  I bought a spray bottle, some Camel coloured dye, some rubbing alcohol and some gloves and set to work.
  
  I had originally planned on using the spray bottle to saturate the dress with the alcohol/dye mixture, but I got sick of that after about 2 minutes (patience isn’t my strong suit) and ended up pouring the whole thing into a plastic garbage bag with the dress, and rubbing it around to get the colour on it.
  
  According to the instructions, you use rubbing alcohol because it evaporates a lot faster than water, then you iron it on a really hot setting to get the dye to absorb into the fibers, then you rinse it quickly in the coldest water you can find, and once it dries you are good to go.
  
  The dress still isn’t as dark as I would like it, but it is darker than it was. If anyone has any tips on dying polyester, I’d love to hear them!
  
  Posted in DIY | 0 Comments
- new lens
  
  Posted at 5:28 pm by jasminedesirees, on January 14, 2013
  
  My new camera came in on Saturday, I am so excited. I take more pictures than anybody I know, I love to document everything, but I’ve always had really cheap point and shoot cameras. I got some money from my grandpa for Christmas and decided to use it to buy myself a new Nikon.
  
  I am a bit nervous because there is definitely a lot to learn, but I am going to have tons of fun experimenting.
  
  This picture makes me laugh, Derek was looking for something in the other room and I was yelling at him when I took it
  
  Posted in photography | 0 Comments
- favourites
  
  Posted at 6:31 pm by jasminedesirees, on January 11, 2013
  
  A few of the things that are making me happy right now:
  
  My new shower curtain, it was love at first sequin
  
  My kindle almost always has chocolatey fingerprints on it, oh well
  
  I resisted getting an E-reader for the longest time because it kind of made me feel like a cheating girlfriend. I love books, the smell of them and the feeling of flipping the page, and the library is my happy place, where I go whenever I am sad or upset, but the boy bought me one as a gift last year, and I love it. I still get library books all the time, I only use my Kindle to download new books that I know I really want to read.
  
  I discovered yesterday that you can rent library books on your Kindle, which is basically amazing. I will still go to the library to get books, there is nothing like “finding” a great book on the shelves that turns out to be one of your favourites, but it is nice to be able to get newer library books right away, that you would have otherwise had to spend ages on the waiting list for. Learn about renting Kindle books here.
  
  The gorgeous aztec pattern on the Express skirt I got for Christmas
  
  Chocolate Soufflé Cake from Tartine
  
  I was lucky enough to try this magnificent cake last night, it was truly amazing. If someone would please buy me the Tartine Cookbook, I will attempt to make it, and then let you watch me eat the whole thing.
  
  Posted in favourites | 0 Comments
- 808.
  
  Posted at 4:06 pm by jasminedesirees, on January 10, 2013
  
  Exciting news for me! I am going to Honolulu in 9 days with my mom and sister. I absolutely can’t wait, it’s been a year and a half since I left and I miss it every single day. I am basically too excited to do anything but jump up and down really fast, so I decided to distract myself by looking back through some pictures of my time on the island.
  
  It is truly such a special place to me, I lived there for 4 years, met my best friends and the boy, and had more fun than I even thought was possible. I woke up every morning, and truly felt lucky and so grateful to be able to spend another day there. To me, it will always be home.
  
  Sandy’s BBQ
  
  Waikiki with my favourites
  
  My 21st birthday
  
  Valentine’s Day
  
  Hilton Lagoon
  
  Seeester
  
  Navy Ball
  
  Best picture ever taken
  
  Cha Cha Cha’s
  
  Baby J, Baby A, Mama C
  
  don’t ever leave me cuz i’ll come find you
  
  Shower cap night
  
  love them
  
  this hurts my heart, i miss her so much
  
  lighthouse hike
  
  west coast best coast
  
  roomies
  
  one of the good ones
  
  my lovely island from Tantalus
  
  That’s actually a lot of pictures, but it doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of all the wonderful times I had. I am SOEXCITED to go back to see all my favourite places, I just wish all of my favourite people could be back there with me.
  
  Posted in Hawaii, thoughts, travel | 0 Comments
- rock your body…
  
  Posted at 6:10 pm by jasminedesirees, on January 9, 2013
  
  I’ve always been an active person, I ran my first competitive race when I was 5 years old. I’ve done track, cross country, volleyball, swimming, yoga, Pilates, I even took a jazz dancing class for a couple months a few years ago during a particularly interesting phase of self discovery.
  
  After the Las Vegas Rock ‘n Roll Marathon with my momma
  
  I’ve played almost every sport, tried almost every machine at any gym, and even, for one particularly heinous hour, took a spin class. I’m pretty sure hell will be just like that. Never again.
  
  I tried Crossfit for a few months this year. The workouts were awesome and challenging, I get a serious high from the competition and intensity, and I could see a real difference in my body after only a few months.
  
  Even though I liked it, I decided not to go back after awhile because it was very expensive, and most of the workouts (except for the really heavy weight lifting, which I didn’t like anyway) I could do at home, for free, and on my own schedule.
  
  Then a few months ago, a friend told me about BodyRock. It’s a daily 12 minute work via YouTube video out that you can do with minimal equipment, in your own home. The workouts are different every day, they are intense, and challenging, but you can do anything for 12 minutes, right?
  
  The only problem is, they keep switching up the format. When I first started checking them out, it was just a 3 minute video, zoomed in on the BodyRock hosts while showing the highlights of the workout. It was kind of hard to see what they were doing, and it was difficult to push myself to that intensity, while I was stopping to see what she was doing the whole time.
  
  Then a few weeks ago, I checked back in, and they had a new format. It was the full 12 minute workout in real time, usually with an ab or leg bonus video, and the trainer went through the entire video with you, and actually did it with you, screaming at you and pushing you to go faster and work harder.
  
  I was completely obsessed, and I went back every day for almost 2 weeks, because it was an awesome workout, and there were new videos every day. It was like having a free personal trainer on duty any time you wanted.
  
  A personal trainer who looks like this.
  
  Sadly, after those few weeks, they switched up the format again, and went back to the shorter videos, just demonstrating the workout for you and letting you do it on your own, which you can get from tons of other sites and fitness sources.
  
  I’ve stopped doing it since then, just sticking with running, and my week day elliptical and body weight resistance training, but I check back in with them every now and then just in case they decide to switch up their format again.
  
  You can check out BodyRock’s YouTube videos here.
  
  Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments
- i heart glitter
  
  Posted at 4:57 pm by jasminedesirees, on January 8, 2013
  
  We moved into our house almost a year ago, and we did a LOT of work to get it looking the way we wanted. Most of the big stuff is done (except the kitchen cabinets and countertop) but now I’m trying focus on the smaller details that will change it from someone’s house to our home.
  
  I’ve been wanting to find some art work or something to spruce up our bedroom, but I’ve had a hard time finding the right thing. Then a few weeks ago I attended the Renegade craft fair in SF, and I was struck by inspiration. One of the booths had a garland of tiny gold glitter hearts and twine at a paper card display.
  
  I tried to buy it from her, and it was embarrassing for both of us when she had to explain that it wasn’t actually one of the products, just a decoration she had bought to brighten up the table. I was able to find sort of similar ones on Etsy, but they were all very expensive, and not large enough for what I needed, so I decided to make my own.
  
  I already had twine from an old project, so I picked up some gold glitter paper and a heart stencil at Michael’s, and set to work.
  
  It only took me about 45 minutes to make, and I really like it. The after pictures aren’t the best (my new camera should be here today or tomorrow, can’t wait!) and I don’t know if I’ll keep it up forever, but it’s really nice to have something up there and it adds a little extra glitter to my day.
  
  Posted in DIY | 0 Comments
- ixtapa numero dos
  
  Posted at 7:10 pm by jasminedesirees, on January 7, 2013
  
  A few more pics from our heavenly trip to Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo:
  
  favourites
  
  we’re gonna need a bigger boat
  
  our surboards on Troncones beach
  
  she is practically a professional fisherman
  
  you can’t really tell how sunburnt I am but pain, lots of pain
  
  we don’t want to go home
  
  yum
  
  Posted in exploring, Mexico, travel | 0 Comments
- ixtapa is for lovers
  
  Posted at 4:12 pm by jasminedesirees, on January 5, 2013
  
  We had an amazing Christmas trip to Ixtapa, here were some of the highlights:
  
  heavennn
  
  Ixtapa
  
  yuck
  
  oh christmas treeeeee
  
  Christmas morning mimosas
  
  sexy christmas socks
  
  v-ball skillzzzz
  
  dancing in the town square
  
  don’t tell my husband
  
  Posted in exploring, Mexico, travel | 0 Comments
- skinny soup
  
  Posted at 3:28 pm by jasminedesirees, on January 4, 2013
  
  Whenever I feel like I’ve been overindulging and I need to get my eating back on track, I make skinny soup. It came into our home as one of my mom’s old Weight Watchers recipes, and has evolved from there. Whoever makes it adds their own ingredients, and basically wings it, as to the best of my knowledge, the recipe has never been written down.
  
  The holiday season this year was a bit rough for me, I basically ate anything I wanted, in any quantity, and in Mexico I subsisted almost entirely on margaritas and snack food, so it was definitely time for a pot of skinny soup.
  
  The great thing about this soup is it is delicious, totally full of fiber and protein, and about 800 servings of veggies per cup, and it actually fills you up for hours so you aren’t tempted to snack between meals. Also, it’s really easy to make.
  
  Here are the ingredients (if you want to make it even healthier, omit the potato):
  
  1 LB extra lean ground beef
  
  1 medium onion, chopped
  
  1 large cube beef bouillion
  
  1 can black beans
  
  1 can kidney beans
  
  1 can chick peas
  
  1 can lima beans
  
  1 large can crushed tomatoes
  
  1 small can diced green chili’s
  
  1/2 of a small can of diced jalapeno’s
  1 can Rotel diced tomato and green chili’s
  
  1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
  
  1 cup chopped carrots
  
  1 small, or 1/2 of a large potato, cubed
  
  Water
  
  Salt and pepper to taste
  
  Brown the onions and ground beef in a large stockpot. Once meat is cooked through, drain any grease from the meat, and transfer back into the stock pot. Open and rinse all of the beans and add them into the pot, along with the crushed and diced tomatoes, the can of green chili’s, and half the jalapenos.
  
  You can add the whole can of jalapenos if you like it super spicy, I only add half the can and it still has a really good kick to it.
  
  Let the mixture simmer while you chop carrots and potato, and add them in. Add in the beef bouillion cube, and approximately 3 cups of water, enough to fill the stock pot up almost to the top. Add in some salt and pepper to taste, and let it simmer on low to medium for at least 2 hours, or until carrots and potatoes are soft. The longer it simmers, the better the soup will be.
  
  Serve.
  
  This mixture makes a lot, so I make a huge pot of it, and eat it every day until it’s gone. It’s so hearty and delicious that you won’t feel deprived, and the mixture of protein and fiber will keep you full for hours. You will be back in your skinny jeans before you know it.
  
  Posted in food, recipes | 1 Comment | Tagged food, healthy, recipes, skinny soup, Weight Watchers
- favourites
  
  Posted at 4:23 pm by jasminedesirees, on January 3, 2013
  
  Here are some of the things that are making me happy right now, Ixtapa edition.
  
  One of the things I love the most about Mexico and the Mexican culture, is the bright colours that are so prevalent. Sometimes if feels like everything here is some offshoot of beige, and then you go somewhere else and see amazing, vibrant colours on everything from fence posts to table legs and everything in between.
  
  I want to live here, or else paint my whole house this amazing blue
  
  I would do unspeakable things for a purple fence
  
  A bright red gate off the dirt road in Troncones
  
  A tablecloth at a restaurant near the marina in Zihuatanejo
  
  Bright blue and gold leaf in a church in Zihuatanejo
  
  A pinata on Ixtapa Island
  
  I also adore the skulls and Dia de los Muertos decorations you can find all over the place.
  
  Love this, spotted on a random wall on a street in Zihuanatejo
  
  And the wildlife:
  
  We saw pods of wild dolphins and sea turtles out in the ocean
  
  Posted in exploring, favourites, Mexico | 0 Comments
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