Circus Animals

Lions, Tigers, and Bears oh my. Good thing I am not Dorothy and in the woods anymore but if I had to be someone else I think I would quit my job (oh wait I already did that) and join the circus. Why? Well if I was a member of the circus these heels inspire me to be a lion tamer. I would sport them every night under the Big Top especially because I think they are the best representation of a circus animal from the color to the ferocious lion.

These heels have also inspired me to whip up a couple circus animals of my own after all what is a circus without acrobatic animals. Mine, however, have not been beaten so they can perform. That is the beauty of cardboard animals they are harmless. So without further adieu here is the rare ribbon tail giraffe in his natural state...

He will also be joined by his pals the worlds smallest elephant and the ball balancing seal. Oh the joys of the circus. I was originally planning to make the circus animals be a ring toss game for the upcoming carnival themed birthday party for my stepchildren but I later changed them simply into decor since I fear they may be harmed in the ring toss.

If you need any advise on creating your own circus animal I can always hang my hat as a lion tamer and assist you and to get your very own lion tamer heels here T.U.K. Women's A7712L Pump ♥

Its all in the Finishing Touch

This bowtastic heel would be nothing without the finishing touches of the aged metal pattern and the stone encrusted spiked bow and neither would my current diy cardboard letters project (see Monday's blog for further details).

And for those of you who are tapping your finger around the word "finishing touch," dictionary.com defines it as a final detail or action completing and enhancing a piece of work. Or as I like to say the creme de la creme of a piece of work.

Which is exactly the word that defines my finished diy cardboard letters... drum roll please, because here they are:

As you can see for my finishing touch I used both paper and paint which was very practical with the curves of the letters. I think they came out simply fabulous thus the artsy fartsy photo opp.

Now that the a, b, c of the alphabet is complete I need to get the ball rolling on the other 23 letters. I will be posting a complete tutorial on the next letter "d" for you devoted readers until then you can get your finishing touch heels here Naughty Monkey Women's Mish Mash Ankle-Strap Pump ♥

The alphabet is a stylish little number

This lovely heel reminds me of the letters A as in ankle strap, B as in bow, and C as in color. Truth be told I am not trying to reteach you the alphabet or make you think of the Jackson 5 song I am merely trying to emphasis on them. Point be taken this heel also reminds me of the currently project I have bestowed upon myself. You know the one I have saying you will get a glimpse of. Well here it is but please note this is only the start and not near close to the finish...

I am planning to do the whole alphabet and hang them around the shared room of my darling stepchildren. I came across this idea when I was trying to rearrange their room (for more on that see the Monday June 13th blog entry). I simply love this idea as it it a learning tool for the children and no cost to me yet just labor of love. For you dedicated readers here is the How To:

• First I freehanded the letters onto cardboard (you can also print out letters from the computer and trace them onto cardboard if this is easier for you).
• Then I cut out the letter and traced another copy of it onto cardboard (you will need 2 cardboard letters for the front and back).
• Next I cut 2" strips of cardboard and bend them.
• Then comes the tricky part, follow the edge of the letter with the 2" cardboard and secure with tape.

• Once edges are complete place the back on and repeat taping (you may need to alter/cut the letter to properly fit in the back of the letter).

You now have a free standing cardboard letter and are left to determine how to proceed with them. As you can "C" my next step was to paper mache the letters for more strength. The recipe I used for the paper mache paste was 1 cup flour, 2 cups water and 2 tsp of salt. And that is where my alphabet stands and I am left to ponder should I finish them with paint, fabric, or decorative paper. Oh the choices.

If you have any questions on the A, B, C's on this project feel free to ask me. In the mean time you can get the spotted heels here Naughty Monkey Women's Mish Mash Ankle-Strap Pump ♥