* Welcome 2012 *

New Year's Eve is a time where you inevitably reflect on the year that passed. From the start of 2011, last year was full of stress, hard decisions, saying goodbye to people closest to me, and starting over in many ways. In a lot of ways 2011 was my hardest yet, and has left me with a lot of open-ended questions facing 2012.

That being said, I do not regret what happened this past year, for it has only brought me closer to realizing many of the dreams I thought would never be tangible. I feel strong enough to move forward into this new year, knowing without a doubt it will be a difficult yet defining year. I have no resolutions except living the best way I can, and being grateful for all that I have.

The Mayans predicted this as the year of transition. Destruction of the "world" as we knew it. I can feel it, and am doing my part to join in and letting the change happen.

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* More DIY Christmas Gifts *

Here are some gifts I made for my friend's preteen daughters (one is obsessed with hedgehogs). They are the coolest girls.

I made these little stuffed plush animals for each one as well as handmade books. One is a writing journal, and the other is a fashion illustration workbook, with croquis templates for her to draw over. I put them together in these bags to make it fun. Hopefully they like them!

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* BOOKS! *

Holy shit! So, my love of holding/smelling a new book stems from childhood, as does most people who didn't grow up with video games and kindles. I was in Barnes and Noble looking for some gifts when I found these newly re-designed classics.

EDIT: not sure why some of these do not exist online anymore...I swear they are in store though!

I was immediately racking my brain for who I could buy one of these for (besides myself) who would appreciate the design, and not be scared of the weight of the book. I ended up not buying one, but if you know me, and want to get one for ME, I would be ok with that. ;]

(images from google and B&N)

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* DIY Christmas Gift *

My brother had taken a trip several years ago to Thailand for 6 months. He brought back a bunch of souvenirs, including a cool t-shirt for me that was too small for him. After a few years of wear, this ill-fitting tee became more ill-fitting, and soon never left the back of my drawer.

Because I'm making a good portion of my gifts this year (hi, I have very little money, how are you?), I decided to salvage the design and the memory for my brother. I scanned the T-shirt and played with it in photoshop until I got the look I was going for. And, now he will have a great, custom-framed reminder of his adventures, and I still have money for groceries! Everyone wins.

Before:

After:

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* Girl Style Crushes *

1. Zooey Deschanel: adorable, nerdy, and perfectly hipster enough without making me gag.

2. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen: say what you will about the olsen twins, but i still crush on them for dressing without giving a shit.

3. Tegan and Sara: adorable hipster style with a rocker-ish edge. plus they always have amazing hair styles.

4. Mila Kunis: hot. style-wise she always looks good, but i rarely see her taking big fashion risks. nonetheless, she is mega hot.

image sources (1, 2, 3, 4)

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