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Christmas

    Outfit, Travel

    Christmas Time

    December 22, 2014
    Photos by Ale Veyna
    Outfit Details:
    Ruche Earrings
    Anne Klein Satchel
    H&M Parka (Similar)
    Beige Pleated Dress
    ASOS Leather Belt
    Black Tights
    White Mountain Loafers

     

    This weekend I went out with my sister Ale on Saturday morning to do some last minute Christmas shopping. Afterwards we headed over to Burlington Arcade, which is located on South Lake Avenue in Pasadena. It’s such a cute place that is very similar to the Burlington Arcade in London. What I love about this place during this time of year is that it looks so festive, and all you need to do is sprinkle some fake snow on the ground to create the perfect Christmas scene.
    Last time I visited Burlington Arcade, I wanted to go into Float-a sandwich, pop and coffee shop-but unfortunately they were closed. My sister and I ended up wandering in there on Saturday, and enjoyed some delicious coffee and sandwiches. I honestly don’t know why it took me so long to try out this place because it’s so close to my house, and the coffee is delicious!  I think I’m also going to try one of their ice cream floats next time I visit. After coffee, Ale and I made our way next door to Tiny Universe, the cutest stationery shop.  I’ve been very good about not spending money on clothes, despite all the sales going on this season, but I couldn’t resist buying a couple of trinkets from the shop’s beautiful selection. I ended up buying a pinwheel pin, another pin with an illustration of a fox and cacti, and a gorgeous card from Rifle Paper Co. That’s $20 well spent if you ask me!
    I hope that you’re all enjoying this holiday season and making time for family and friends. Most of my plans are taking place on the 24th, since it’s Mexican tradition to have dinner on Christmas Eve and open up our presents when the clock strikes midnight. I’m not only excited about spending time with my family, but also getting to eat delicious food that I only get to have during this time of year. Tamales are one of my favorite traditional dishes, but because making them is very labor-intensive, my family really only makes them for special occasions such as Christmas. I’ve never learned how to make them myself, but I guess that I better add that to my list of resolutions for next year so that I can pass on the tradition. While I’m on the topic of resolutions, have you all started thinking about yours? I’m curious to hear about what others have planned to accomplish in 2015.
    xoxo,
    Helen

     

    Food & DIY

    D.I.Y. Stamped Holiday Wrapping Paper

    December 17, 2014
    Today I’m going to teach you how to make your own stamp and wrapping paper, which is very fun and easy to do. If you like being crafty like I do, but don’t have enough time to make something for everybody on your list, this is a good way to add a personal touch to all of your holiday gifts. You might remember that I already did a tutorial on blockprinting if you’ve checked out my handmade Valentine’s Day card tutorial earlier this year. Even though I used the same concept in this tutorial, I ended up switching the materials a bit in order to make it easier for you to create a print, which is kind of necessary when you’re using a much larger area of paper. Instead of making a printing block, we’re going to make a rubber stamp that is more easy to transfer on paper. This method also allows you to use an ink pad instead of printing ink, which makes for a much quicker clean up.
    SUPPLIES:
    X-Acto Knife
    Pen or Marker
    Speedball Speedy-Cut Carving Block or any other rubber carving block
    Ink Pad
    Cookie Cutter (Optional)
    STEP 1: Start off by drawing and filling in your design on a rubber carving block by using a pen or marker. If you’re not artistically inclined, you can do what I did, and just trace a cookie cutter–there are plenty of festive molds that are less than a dollar during this time of year.
    STEP 2: Use a linoleum cutter to carve out the areas around your design on the block. Just trace out your design and don’t worry about carving out the entire block since you’ll be worrying about these areas in STEP 3.
    STEP 3: Use an X-Acto Knife to cut out your stamp. Doing this will help you see the outline of the shape that you’re printing, and better determine the placement of your stamp. When completing this step, make sure to cut at 1/4-1/2 inch away from your design in order to make sure that you have something to grip when you use your stamp.
    STEP 4: Place your stamp on an ink pad and then transfer it on to the postal paper. Your print does not have to be perfect, but if it isn’t dark enough for your liking, you can always re-ink your stamp and print over the area again. Continue to stamp until you’ve filled up the area of wrapping paper that you’ll be using, and then you’re done! You can space out your print as far apart as you’d like. However, I found that it was easiest to create a consistent design by printing out one row at a time.

     

    I hope that you enjoyed this tutorial and that you put it to use if you haven’t already wrapped all of your holiday gifts. As I said before, this is super easy to do, so it shouldn’t take up too much of your time. In less than an hour, I managed to carve out my stamp and make enough wrapping paper to package 4-5 presents. If you do end up making your own paper, make sure to tag @SWEETHELENGRACE on Instagram so that I can see your projects.  Have a great rest of the week!
    xoxo,
    Helen