City Snaps: Seattle, Washington

I had the pleasure of spending my new year's in Seattle. It's a gorgeous city!

Naturally, I had to be an obnoxious tourist and take dozens of photos. Here are some of the snaps I took before it inevitably started raining.

The first place I stopped at was Gas Works Park, which used to be an old gas company plant.

I ate lunch at a restaurant in the Space Needle that gave great 360 views of the city. The room actually rotated to give you the full view!

This was an awesome thrift store in downtown. I spent almost two hours here!

Seattle also boast's the world's first Starbucks store. Definitely a must-see travel destination for hipsters.

I really liked the feel of the city and its mix of both urban and nature. It was super chilly while I was up there! I don't know how native Washingtonians (is that what they call themselves?) do it. I'd love to visit during the summer.

Have you ever been to Seattle? What do you like about it?

Stay beautiful,
Patricia

DIY How to Paint Your Guitar

Today, I'm going to be showing y'all how to create a painting on the back of an acoustic guitar using acrylic paint (yes, I just used the word y'all. Sue me.).

My guitar's name is Ellie! She's very happy to meet you.

Start off with a clean, dust- free guitar.

Next, sand down the surface to prep it for paint. Apply painter's tape around the guitar's border to prevent paint from getting where you don't want it to be.

Apply a wash of white acrylic paint; this is going to be used as a primer and will help to make the colours stick and stand out. I applied two coats.

Once the white paint dries, you're ready to paint! For my piece, I'm doing a recreation of Van Gogh's "Starry Night" and mixing it with the San Francisco skyline.

Did you know Van Gogh considered "Starry Night" one of his greatest regrets?

Please excuse the awful photo quality; remind me never to use my phone's camera ever again!

Then, when you've finalized your design, add the finishing elements.

Happy with your painting? Now's your time to autograph it!

 Give the paint time to dry, then coat it with a clear acrylic varnish. When this layer dries, take off the painter's tape, and you're all done!

I'm appropriately titling my painting "Starry Night and Clam Chowder." 

Are you trying this out for yourself? Do send me photos of your masterpieces!

Stay beautiful,

Patricia

Guide to Vintage/Thrift Shopping

I am a huge, huge fan of thrift shopping. In fact, I'd be content with shopping at vintage and thrift stores for clothes for the rest of my life. I'm in love with the idea of recycling clothes and expanding their shelf life. I feel like if more people shopped at thrift stores, we could increase product sustainability and help decrease the superfluous consumerism that characterizes today's society.

Yes, I love Macklemore. Sue me. 

Anyway, here are some tips for those of you who frequent thrift stores!

1. Don't judge a store by its window display.

Some thrift stores seem really dirty/gross/messy/etc from the outside (some from the inside, too!). However, don't let that stop you from seeing what they have! Just tolerate the not-completely-par quality of these stores for the time that you're inside, and the gems that you find will be well worth it. Most thrift stores, in my opinion, are diamonds in the rough. All the thrift stores in my neighborhood are less-than-luxe, but the great deals I get on good-quality clothes are beyond worth it.

2. Be careful when trying on clothes.

Especially with vintage clothes, be careful with how you handle them. Much of these items are very old, so there's a higher chance of them ripping or tearing. Make sure to tug gently when pulling things off your head or over your hips. Also, be wary around things like buttons and zippers. The majority of thrifted clothes don't come with extras!

3. Leave no section of the store unexplored.

Just because you couldn't find anything in the women's section doesn't mean there isn't something ultra rad waiting for you in the men's or children's sections! I've bought a couple shirts and jackets from the men's section that I wear oversized over dresses and skirts. You can also try looking outside your size range. The opportunities are endless, I promise.

4. Give these clothes a chance!

One time, I bought a men's button-up shirt from Goodwill and wore it as a dress! You never know what you can make. As my sewing teacher puts it, see these clothes as fabric that you can transform into whatever you want. Even minor changes like adding new buttons or ironing on a patch can make a huge difference in the look of a garment.

5. Be flexible with sizing.

This really only does for vintage clothes, but just because something isn't exactly your size, doesn't mean it won't fit. Sizing charts from ages ago tend to run a lot smaller. Don't be freaked out when you find that something that's normally your size doesn't fit you! For instance, I'm usually a size 2 and I recently bought a size 14 dress that fits me perfectly. If it looks small/big/long enough to fit you, then by all means try it on!

6. Wash or dry clean your purchases before wearing them out.

This goes for any time you buy clothes, but for thrifted stuff especially. As a rule of thumb, I generally dry clean my thrifted clothes. If you don't know whether or not an item needs dry cleaning, and it doesn't have a tag, take it to your dry cleaners and ask. Also make sure to wash or sanitize your hands before and after thrift shopping. Always be wary of germs!

Well, that's all I have for now! I hope that was helpful for some of you. Stay tuned for my upcoming thrift haul.

Do you have any tips to share that I've left out?  Please share in the comments below!

Stay beautiful,

Patricia

January Lifestyle Challenge

Happy new year, everyone! I hope everyone's determined to make 2014 a fantastic year.


I'm quite the artist, am I not? ;)

That being said, is anyone making near-impossible-to-maintain new year's resolutions this year? It's a recurring problem I have every January, but this year, I'm taking a new initiative to change. Today, I'm introducing my new method of self-reform that I call Monthly Lifestyle Challenges.

Every month, I'll challenge myself (and you as well!) to work on doing something to improve my outlook on life. A little challenge to tackle once a month is much less daunting, and much more doable, than an overarching feat to accomplish in a year. It would mean lots to me if some of you took a crack at these challenges with me!

To wrap this up, January's Lifestyle Challenge is:

smile more often.

Not sure if anyone else runs into this problem, but I am constantly bogged down with comments like "You look sad today!" or "Is something wrong?" when in reality, I'm perfectly content. Thus, this January,  I'm determined to smile more often. Maybe not an ear-to-ear grin every hour, but a smirk every now and then would surely lighten my mood and the mood of those around me.

So with that, let's make the world a tiny bit happier--one smile at a time.



Best wishes,
Patricia