September Everyday Makeup Shelf & August Looks

 Hey Y'all!

There are not many looks for August. It was far to hot, and we were too busy for me to want to mess with makeup very often. For September's shelf the only thing I swapped out was the eyeshadow palettes...

Makeup Shelf:

https://craftinwifescreations.blogspot.com/2023/08/august-everyday-makeup-shelf.html

No review since I have mentioned all those products previously, also since I kept most of them there wasn't really a need to review anything. If you have questions about anything, just post in in the comments below!

August Looks:

There's not much here...

1) Probably the best "look" and the most effort put in all month long.

2)

3)

4)

5)

6)

7)

That's all folks!

Have a great day,

Craftin' Wife

Nail Polish Collection & Declutter

 Hey Y'all!

I finally got to the nail polish. It's packed enough for now. It'll most likely get put in one of the bathroom bins, and I'll take 2 or 3 colors with me at a time when out on the road...

I did not do a count beforehand:

This is what I'm decluttering:

30+/- 

Some were just old, and needed to go. Some of the others I have too many that are similar. The glitters are just too chunky for my current likes. The pale pink is a decent polish, just not a color I gravitate towards.

What I'm keeping for now:

Probably still too many, but my goal was a single later in this basket, so it's not too far off..

Y'all, I did it, I edited it down some more after this and it fits as a single layer...

These also got decluttered:

Here's the final basket:

There's room for all the nail tools, and polish remover as well.

I definitely noticed a trend- I had quite a few mint green/blue shades, as well as oranges. What's your favorite nail polish color(s)? Share in the comments below!

Have a great day,

Craftin' Wife 

The crackle went back in, I'm a sucker...

<3

September Blog Schedule

 Hey Y'all!

It's fall! 

Not really quite yet, especially in the south, but we're ready.

September Blogs:

1st F- Blog Sched.

4th M- Nail Polish!

6th W- Aug Looks, Sept Shelf

8th F- D.I.T.L.

11th M- How To: Infusible Ink Pen, Mugs

13th W- Current Favorite Outfits

15th F-  What'd We Do For Our 20th Wedding Anniversary?

18th M- What I'm Working On

20th W- Bathroom Clean & Pack PT 1

22nd F- BOOKS!

25th M- Sis B-Day Gifts

27th W- Bathroom PT 2

29th F- Oct Blog Schedule

Anything you'd like to see me cover? Let me know in the comments below!

Have a great day,

Craftin' Wife

Sorry...

 Hey Y'all...

I got busy packing and decluttering, plus I had a port flush today, so this blog has been moved to Sept 20th.

Bathroom Packing Pt 1: Hair & Skincare 

Thanks,

CWC

How To: Hotel Keychain (Glow in the Dark!)

 Hey Y'all!

Let's jump right in to this how to!

Supplies:

Glow in the Dark Hotel Style Keychains (Hobby Lobby)

Cricut (or any other vinyl cutter)

Vinyl (I used a piece of Cricut white I had left out.)

Weeding Tool

Transfer Tape

Squeegee

Step 1) Open DS and choose your design(s). Edit as you like, and to fit the keychain. My measurements were roughly 2.25in by 1in.

I used this van, and this Manifesting my best Life images. I then hid the second layer from the Manifesting image. After that I fit it into the van image until I was satisfied, and sliced the two images.

Next I contoured all the dots out of the tires, I know they're too small to really cut correctly. (Spoiler, it cut well, but I don't love the final image. It'd be great for something larger.)

Step 2) Prep your mat (or mats if using multiple colors).

Step 3) Begin the cutting process, follow machine prompts.

Step 4) Weed your vinyl... This is where I realized the image was probably too small to look how I wanted it too.

I didn't need to use transfer tape on this one, just did it by hand.

I knew I didn't love it, but on the keychain it was even worse.

So...

I peeled that vinyl off, and started over!

Same steps 1-4.

This time I used text, and the warp tool...

Step 5A) Apply transfer tape. Optional: use squeegee to help the vinyl adhere to the transfer tape.

5B) I find it best to apply the squeegee to the backside and slowly remove the backing paper from the vinyl vs the reverse. Use which ever method works for you.

Step 6) Adhere to keychain and peel transfer tape off. Slowly and at an angle works best for me.

Admire your work, and look at this glow!!!

Even the backside is cute.

Questions? Need help? Let me know in the comments below!

Have a great day,

Craftin Wife

Books! What I Read Last Month

 Hey Y'all!

I did pretty well with four books this month (plus the magazines). I pulled almost all of them from the library sale stack. There in the giveaway pile now, even though I enjoyed them all. We can't be keeping every book, especially now. I still prefer a physical book, but the kindle is something I'll have to get used to.

Anyhow, this month's books...

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment (James Patterson)~ When I picked this one up I wasn't sure. It was a Goodwill find, and I thought for $1 why not? If it wasn't my thing my Mom would like it. I've not read much James Patterson, but I need to read the rest of this series. It was that good. 

Maximum Ride and her "flock" -- Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel -- are just like ordinary kids, only they have wings and can fly. It may seem like a dream come true to some, but their lives can morph into a living nightmare at any time.

Angel, the youngest member of the flock, is kidnapped and taken back to the "School" where she and the others were experimented on by a crew of whack jobs. Her friends brave a journey to blazing hot Death Valley, CA, to save Angel, but soon enough, they find themselves in yet another nightmare: fighting off the half-human, half-wolf "Erasers" in New York City. Whether in the treetops of Central Park or in the bowels of the Manhattan subway system, Max and her adopted family take the ride of their lives.

Along the way, Max discovers that her purpose is save the world. But can she?

Spoiler.. Nothing about saving the world comes up in book one. Still more than enough going on, but it's mentioned toward the end that this is her job, but that's about it.

These two were quick reads of a few hours each, and actually just okay for highly rated preteen YA books, I only had the two and read them while doing a weekend yard sale. I'd read the others if I had them simply to see if the characters get any better as they grow up.

This review is spot on with the "problem" in the book(s) though I didn't think they were the worst books ever:

Alyssa Marie

2.0 out of 5 stars Don't Bother

Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2011

Verified Purchase

I really didn't like this book. I thought I would like it, because it seemed to get a fairly good reception from others (YALSA even chose it as a quick-pick for YA readers). But this is honestly one of the worst books I've ever read.

The biggest problem I have is that I don't think it gives pre-teens and teens enough credit. Every single character in this book is superficial, even Claire, who is supposedly the average, normal sort of girl. To me, they all seemed to be different versions the same character. They're all petty and selfish; they all only care about boys, make-up, and clothes. What about activities? Favorite TV shows? Books? Granted, Massie rides horses, but right away this activity turns into a device to attract an older boy. What I love about YA is that it shows that just like adults, young adults are complex people. They have varied interests and they have real problems. This book doesn't portray that at all. The characters are down-right mean and don't show significant growth throughout to redeem themselves by the end.

Also, the stuff they have to deal with is trivial. For example, Massie doesn't want to be friends with the new girl, but her parents are trying to force her to be nice. I don't see why or how we're supposed to relate to such an awful character. Then there's Claire who is the new girl and would have a legitimate problem about trying to fit in and be friends with Massie, but then she ruins it by playing horrible pranks on Massie and her friends and trying to fit in with them even after she realizes how awful they are.

There are some redeeming factors, though these don't make up for all the bad stuff in this book. The writing itself isn't bad and it's a quick, easy read. Also, there are some funny moments that don't have anything to do with mean-spirited pranks. At moments I thought we were going to see into a deeper side of the characters, but these moments were fleeting and didn't follow through. Maybe they are more fully developed in later books, but from what I've skimmed through, I doubt it.

The Clique Series (Lisi Harrison):

Claire Lyons, the new girl from Florida in Keds and two-year-old Gap overalls, is not Clique material. Unfortunately for her, Claire’s family is staying in the guesthouse of the one and only Massie Block — Queen Bee of Octavian Country Day School. Claire’s future looks worse than a bad Prada knockoff. But with a little luck and a lot of scheming, Claire might just come up smelling like Chanel No. 5.

Hidden Passions: Secrets from the Diary of Tabitha Lenox~ Remember the Soap Opera Passions? It came out the summer I broke my leg (I was 17) and I was instantly hooked, even though soaps were not my thing. This one was different, however I only watched the first season, so I only know from reading the Wiki page that the show gets way more out there before it ends.

Harmony is a picturesque small New England town. On the surface, things may look peaceful and normal in Harmony, but that couldn't be further from the case. "Passions" explores the lives, loves, and losses of four core families who reside in Harmony: the Cranes, the Lopez-Fitzgeralds, the Bennetts and the Russells.

The book takes place from the witch Tabitha's POV. The diary is written about events that transpired 20ish years before the soap opera begins. It gives a lot of backstory to some of the older main characters of the show. While not necessary to have watched the show, I think it reads best knowing something about the leads beforehand.

What are you reading? Let me know in the comments below!

Have a great day,

Craftin' Wife