Replacing Negative Thoughts with Beautiful Colours & Positive Energy

It helps me to create something, that I feel is beautiful, that didn't exist before, and put it out into the world. Sure most times they don't make it any further than my apartment but I find peace in the process of creation.        
 & when it comes down to it the goal of everything I create is exactly that, to slowly replace my negative thoughts with beautiful colours & positivity!    
Because the mind isn't Mathematical - a negative & a negative DO NOT make a postative... In this case the only thing we can do is to attempt to flood the negative with positivity.

One of the hardest parts of this for me, has been learning the patterns of my anxiety-related negative thoughts. Which though difficult has made it easier to control the outcomes of my thoughts & focus on the things I DO want to be thinking about, doing, & ultimately inviting into my life. As well as finding a balance between doing those sometimes not-so-fun things that I may not necessarily think I want to do in the moment, but know will benefit me in the long run & making time for the people, places, and passions I love & bring joy into my life.  Sometimes my anxiety can manifest it's self in some pretty obscure symptoms which makes it difficult at times to truly gauge "is this just my anxiety or is this real"& while I would like to say that I have mastered this - the truth is I haven't & am sometimes guilty of ignoring messages my body is trying to send me to slow down & just write it off as anxiety.

Aside from that some of the other issues I have faced are with people who see it as fake, which it truly never is! One of the good & bad quailities of anxiety is that I have almost no ability to hide or fake my emotions... So if I am smiling and happy then that is real & genuine & I have no way of containing it even if i tried - but on the same hand, I also was never given the ability to contain the not so pretty emotions either, & when I get upset there is no hiding or concealing it either. I guess what I'm getting at is that I feel things in a BIG way - both the good & the bad, so why not let me laugh, smile & create in this moment, even if in the next I am riddled with anxiety! My concentration on the good is not a denial of the bad; it's a shift in focus.

Dream Big Sparkle More Shine Bright

Natural Summer Day Glow 5 Minute Make-up Tutorial - NO BRUSHES NEEDED!!

During the summer months I (and I know many of you) spend the majority of my down time at the beach, swimming, kayaking, camping & at the cottage. I don't typically like to wear any makeup for these activities, & with this summer heat I sometimes just can't be bothered with a full face of makeup. But nevertheless, there are still those days/moments when you want to look a little put together [and not like you've spent the last 5 days playing outside sun up to sun down, showerless]. This also cuts down on packing - No Brushes saves a LOT of space, & all you need to pack are the 6 products I used, for a complete makeup look Using Just Your Fingers in Less than 5 Minutes!!!

Step 1. Before anything else apply a moisturizer with SPF or Facial SPF cream ~ I used Nurturing Day Lotion with SPF 20.

Step 2. Start with cc cream which is a fantastic all in one product, I did a mini product review on this a while back which you can find HERE.

 

The Next 2 Steps can be done individually or simultaneously.
Step 3. Using the Sheer Glow Highlighter Apply a small amount to your finger and dab onto your Highlight areas, Under the eyes, down the nose, under your brows, & in the corner of your eye, as well ass your cupids bow to give your lip extra dimension.
Step 4. Then grab your Bronze Sheer Glow Highlighter & using the same application process, apply instead to your Contour Zones to create shadow & bronzing where the sun would naturally hit your face; the cheek bones, outer portions of the forehead, sides & bridge of the nose, & chin.

 
   
Step 5. Next I used It's A Long Story Mascara - & apply 1-2 coats.

Step 6. Lastly apply your choice of lipstick, lip gloss, or lip chap. * If you are going to be in the sun I recommend using one with an SPF. I used the Arbonne Lip Saver (Sold Out) - A similar product can be found HERE.

Some of the best memories are made in Flip - Flops.

Happy August! - Thank you for reading. Wishing you a beautiful last month of Summer, full of sunshine & good memories! & Always

Dream Big Sparkle More Shine Bright

DIY Upcycled Mason Jar Tumbler & Canada Day 2015 Photo Round-Up

Creating Your Own Mason Jar Tumbler Lid.

This super Simple 2 Step process using NO POWER TOOLS will transform any mason jar lid into an adorable Tumbler lid! Perfect for any of your Summer Events, Parties, OR just to take with you On The Go & are incredibly inexpensive & simple to do!What You Will Need:

~ Mason Jar(s) & Lid(s)

~ Straw(s)

~ Hammer

~ 3/4" Step-less Taper Bit
~3/4" Screw

~ A thick book / scrap of wood (to work on)

Step #1. You are going to want to begin (regardless of if you do end up decorating them or not) by puncturing the Hole in the Lid. To do this you will want to use a 3/4" step-less taper bit ( I attached a photo of the one I used below), place on the lid where you would like your straw to be & begin gently tapping with your hammer until punctured. Once you have punctured through continue hammering the bit completely through.

Step #2. Begin threading the screw through the whole to spread the metal.
If needed use the screw to gently push the metal on the lid open slightly to allow enough space for the straw to pass freely(as shown in the photos above).

If you decided you want to leave yours as is, that fit your straw and Enjoy!
Step #3. Optional Using a Non-Toxic, Water Proof paint decorate your lid however you'd like!

During the Month of July I will be participating in the ‪#‎STMplasticfreejuly‬ (Save the Mermaids Plastic Free July) challenge to Quit all single-use plastics for the month of July. Using this Tumbler to replace any unnecessary throw-away bottles!

" The challenge is quite simple. Attempt to refuse single-use plastic during July. "Single-use" includes plastic shopping bags, plastic cups, straws, plastic packaging...basically anything that's intended only to be used once and then discarded. Remember it's not going to be easy! It's a challenge, not a competition so do not worry about being perfect."

If this sounds like something that interests you I encourage you to join the challenge & help spread the word! All of the information can be cause at savethemermaids.org.

Canada Day 2015 Round-Up.

Yesterday was Canada Day & I hope that you managed to get out between the spurts of poring rain & wind storms and enjoyed the sunshine! Things have ben chaotic around here so for the first time ever I didn't put up to many decorations aside from a few red & white decor items I already had laying around. I did however make the DIY Mason Jar Tumbler which came in handy yesterday! 
We started our day with Canadian Flag Fruit Pure Popsicle's for breakfast (they are actually much more nutritious than they look, & I shared the recipe yesterday which if you are interested, you can find it up on the @Upcygirl Instagram. 
It was pretty cold here in Ottawa but we did get bundled up in our Red & Whites & headed downtown to catch a glimpse of the madness! It was kind of stunning to see how many people made it out despite the off and on downpour of rain.
We walked through the market & got some fresh fruits and veggies from some local vendors to bring home (out of the rain) for dinner.
We can actually see the Ottawa Fire Works from our Balcony so we decided to stay in & enjoy them from there with the company of our cat, snuggled up nice and warm in blankets!

Be sure not to forget to check out the Save the Mermaids Plastic Free July...

Floods of humanity, lakes of peace, rivers of gold, the tides of war; all we are and do is linked to the water of life.”

— David Mead, Early Settler, Wyoming, 1789

Dream Big Sparkle More Shine Bright

CANADA DAY Inspiration & DIY Beaded Fringe Crop Top

Canada Day is right around the corner & I have slowly started to prepare by digging out all of my red & white dishes, decorations, & of course clothing! 

I have shared a Tutorial on the DIY Canada Day Top, as well as my tablescape from Last Year's Canada Day Celebrations.
Check back in a few days to catch this years!

Downtown Ottawa Canada - Canada Day 2014.

DIY Beaded Fringe Crop Top (scroll down to bottom for DIY tutorial)

Custom silk & satin floral headpiece: By: Nixie Available for purchase through the Upcy Shop.

This was something I woke up and did frantically decided to do the morning of Canada Day. Hung a  Red & White Tassel Garland, & drew a quick mini art 'print' which you can't really see in this photo (which in the only one I snapped that day) it says "Keep Calm & Love Canada". I painted a pair of Red & White recycled glass bottles that I used to stick the Sparklers & Paper Straws into, added a lantern candle, a table runner & some coloured napkins all of which I already had laying around the apartment. As far as food / drink goes I kept it super simple, wine & some home made cookies in cute little Red & White paper cuplets!

DIY Beaded Fringe Crop Top

What You Will Need: 

~ A Tank Top / T-shirt 

~ Mixed beads

~ Scissors 

DIY Beaded Fringe Crop Top

DIY Beaded Fringe Crop Top

(I apologize for the complete lack of photos)

Step #1. Starting off with A Tank Top, OR by trimming the sleeves & neck off an old T-shirt.

Step #2. Using a sharp pair of scissors & beginning at one of the side seams start cutting strips from the bottom of your top, up (however high you wish your Crop to be) about an inch apart - the fabric will stretch and thin out, so be sure to not cut your strips to fine.
Continue this process around the entirety of your top.

Step #3. Once your slits have been cut you will want to go back through and individually trim the bottom seem line of the top off each fringe strip. (I know you are probably thinking that this would have made more since/ been easier to do prior to cutting the fringe but leaving it intact until after will give you a better shape to follow when cutting & prevents your top from twisting or rolling up/out of shape) As somewhat shown in the photos above.

Step #4. Pull gently on each strand & string on your beads! (The ones I used & pictured below are ones I have had since the 90's & were SO HARD to find for a period, but now you can pretty much find them at ANY Dollar or Craft store.) Just as a reference I added 4 per fringe but you can put as many as you'd like!

Keep Calm Love Canada 

Dream Big Sparkle More Shine Bright

Beach Bag Essentials

Summer 2015 has started & the weather has been warming up steadily, Bring on the long summer days & nights at the beach!

 Ever since I was a child I have loved the water & when summer rolls around you would find me outside from sun up to sun down! Not much has changed since then, I still can think of no better way to spend the entirety of a day then outside; at the beach! 

Here you have what I consider to be my beach bag essentials!

•    Beach Blanket - Similar HERE
•    Water Bottle - Similar HERE
•    Head Phones
•    Bikini Cover Up - This is actually intended to be a scarf but I love it as a cover up!
•    Bug Replant - I use Awaken Rejuvenating Body Mist - It is All Natural, Vegan, & contains very few ingredients but works as a natural bug repellent due to the Citrus!
•    Sun Glass - Similar HERE
•    A Good Book - Right now I am currently reading "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me & Other Concerns - By Mindy Kaling" - I got this book for Christmas & it is one of the books on my Summer Reading Goal list, & I am loving it so far - It's nice to know I am not the only one who stresses/thinks about some of the things she talks about.
•    Bathing Suit - The pieces I happened to picture here are super random & honestly ancient, the Top I believe is from Walmart & Bottoms are Micheal Kors... Talk about Top & Bottom... 
•    Hair Tie & a Head Band - Both from Ardene
•    Lip Chap with SPF - Similar HERE
•    Mini First Aid Kit
•    Renewing Body Gelee - Some poor soul always forgets or decides to skip the Sunscreen and ends up with a nasty burn - this stuff provides instant pain relief and will also reduce the redness and limit the after peal!
•    Sunscreen - I use Arbonne Liquid Sunshine Mineral Sunscreen
•    Flip Flips - Also from Ardene... They have no shortage of fruit clothing & accessories!
  Now Get Packed & Get to The Beach!!
  

  Dream Big Sparkle More Shine Bright

DIY 3D Geometric Gem

I made this 3D Geometric Gem wall hanging last week, & after a lot of re-working of my original plan & a Re-Do or two (My cat who decided to partake was more helpful with the 
de-constructing process); I am super happy with how it came out. 

There is so many fun & creative ways that you can style / display them from simply placing it on a table/shelf, creating a hanging display or mounting it onto the wall like mine (That will soon be a back drop) - I will be making many more! They are perfect for summer (which is just DAYS away) and if you used silver/blue(s) they would look like ice crystals!  I am always striving to create my DIY projects out of materials I already have around the house, & you more than likely will to! 

What You Need:

~ Paper Straws
*I recommend paper straws as they are much firmer/durable & will also take the paint much better than a plastic one would*

~ Wire

~ Hot Glue Gun & Glue Re-Fills
~ Paint 

~ Pliers / Wire cutter

~ Scissors 

Step #1. Before you do anything else, you are going to start by painting your 15 straws. You could also use a decorative washi tape to cover them, for a much faster process.

Step #2. Trim three of your staws down to 6" with your scissors ( the remaining 12 straws should be left full length). This step can be done before or after painting your straws.

After your straws have been painted, left to dry completely & cut down to size, you can begin creating your DIY Geometric Art. 

Step #3. Using your wire cutter, begin by cutting 8 lengths of flexable wire - roughly 4feet long (you want to be sure to have a fair amount of excess for maneuverability).

Step #4. Using pliers twist all of the wires together at one end - see image. 

Step #5. Separate the wires into 4 sets of two, & thread on two full length paper straws.

Step #6. To create the horizontal lines on your Gem fold / bend the wire as tight to the bottom of the last straw as you can creating a right angle inwards as shown in the image below. Repeat this process with ONE wire from the first three sections ONLY!

Step #7. Thread the Three smaller straws that you had previously cut down to 6" into the folded wires. As shown below.

Step #8. Begining with the first of your horizontal(s) secure it in place by folding the wire creating a right angle again, (always making sure to keep it as tight to the straw(s) as you can) this time so that it meets up with the section of wire(s) next to it. & weave both wires together (as you did with the first sets). Repeat this process for all four of your sections. & again see the images below for clarification. 

Once you have added all 15 Straws - your basic Flat 3D Geometric Gem Template is complete & should look very similar to this!

Step #9. Once your Entire template has been constructed you can begin folding the wire(s) into 3D shape, & securing the straws into place using your Hot Glue Gun.
I recommend starting where you began constructing and working your way up the Gem shape.

Step #10. Lastly, once your template has been folded into shape & the straws have been secured in place you can begin to gather all the wires; To create your final shape & secure it all into place simply twist the wires together just like you did in Step #4.

 If you decided to display yours on a table or shelf than you're done, otherwise you can play around with coloured or sheer string or flowers to create a hanging display, or mount it to the wall!

 

Dream Big Sparkle More Shine Bright

10 Fashion Trends that have come back from the 90's

This week is all about 90's Nostalgia & it's return; easier this week I shared my Top  10 Hair & Makeup Trends that have com back from the 90's & today the theme continues as I delve into my Top 10 returning 90's Trends in Women's Fashion! 

1. Floral Dresses:
   
   I don't think these timeless beauties ever left & I hope they never do! Though there has definitely been an increase in 90's inspired shapes/silhouettes such as this super simple 'Jumper' style worn by both ladies a decade & a half apart. Another classic 90's dress style that has returned is the slip dress, another simple timeless classic!
2. Platform / Wedge Heels: 
   
   I can't be the only one who is guilty of owning multiple pairs of clunky platform sandals with that awful stretch band.. Thankfully when Wedge heels returned they took a different much more modern shape & design(s)! I Personally prefer wedge heels as I find they are much easier to walk in - even the more unique designs with cut out features are a lot easier than they look to walk in -(allowing me to stack on a few extra inches of height without walking like a calf)!
3. High waisted / Over-sized / torn Jeans:
   
    When it comes to denim right now just about anything goes which is awesome, because it really is kinda like a bathing suit in a sense that finding the right fit will change your life!!! Can I just say that I love that wide leg denim is slowly returning though I'm sure not everyone is with me on that one! High waisted denim has been the staple for a few years now & doesn't seem to be going anywhere (which is great for anyone like me who has short legs & more than enough torso to go around)! I Shared around tutorial last fall showing how you can DIY your own Boyfriend Jeans, which can very easily be altered into DIY shorts - if you're interested you can find the link HERE.
4. Denim Jackets: 
   
   Maybe it's just the country in me coming out but I just love a good Jean Jacket! & YES you can wear them together ...it's become crystal clear Justin & Brittany were ahead of their time!
5. Crop Tops / Front Tie Shirts / Matching Separates:
   

   

   Crop Tops / Matching Seperates: Crop Tops & Tie Front tops are back!!
   I Kind of lumped these all in together because I felt they just worked kind of went hand in hand! I think that Front Tied tops might just be one of my favourites for summer, & has a certain 'girl next door' (the movie) vibe to it!
   

   

   I think crop tops get something of a bad rep, yes like everything else there are absolutely ways that it can be worn that would look less than classay' & yet in the same light there are few things quite as chic as a set of matching Separates!
6.  Overalls: 
   

   

   Jennifer Aniston seriously can do no wrong, & you best believe I'd take fashion advice from her in overalls! She rocked her last 'THEN' look in my previous post of returning 90's cosmetic look too! She truly has her own unique style which which i think shes proven can truly stand the test of time! There is so many different styles of overalls now, but some of the most popular that I've seen are; The Full length jean overalls warn tight & sleek or lose& tattered but always cuffed, Shorty-Overalls, as well as Trouser (dress pant) which can be dressed up super easily with a pair of heals & some statement jewelry!
7. Slouchy / Over-sized knitted sweaters:
   

   

   I think this goes with the Floral Dresses - When was/will knitts NOT be around?! I love anything knit (especially by hand) & the bigger the better! I also like them all year long, chunky cable knitts, & turtle necks for the winter months & light, sheer pastel colours for summer!
8.  Dock Martens:
   
   
   Because returning fashions from the 90's would not be complete without them!
9. Choker Necklaces:
   

   

   'Tattoo chockers necjlaces' are those classic 90's black spiral chocker necklaces that you could get for about $0.25 at just about any dollar store, the same one that you'll now find on the neck of Kylee jenner, & many other young celebrities who if I'm being honest - are they even old enough to remember the 90's?! - Try not to get stuck on those, there are so many great ones out there & i think they may just be the next big trend in statement jewelry!
10. Face/ Body Jewels & Temporary Tattoo's:
    
    
    The 90's were all about covering yourself in temporary tattoos if you were a kid; & having rhinestones on your face was just about as cool as you could get! Fast forward 15 years, The tattoos are metallic instead of colour, us 90's kids are getting to relive it all!!

Never To Return 

1. [Those pants that ZIP-Off & become shorts]:
   
   OR Pants, Capri Pants, & Shorts... & Never with a shortage of pockets!
   Now... These pants are suited perfectly for camping or a week out in nature & would certainly help to reduce on packing! but let's leave it at that ... okay!?
   
2. Juicy Coutoure Valour Tracksuits:
   
    I heard a nasty rumor that these things are coming back & I for one just refuse to believe that could ever be the case!
   [Shout-Out to all my fellow short girls who would wind up dragging around half the school yard / hallways with the draping excess of pant... or was that something I once shared exclusively with Brittany?]
   
   Thank you so much for browsing & ALWAYS 
   Dream Big Sparkle More Shine Bright