* 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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