DIY: Chalkboard box (photo prop)

I'm back!!

Photo prop DIY #2!

Supplies:

-Box or object to paint

-Folk Art Chalkboard paint

-Painters tape

-Paint brush of your choice

-Elmer's Painters Pen 

-Chalk

Dont worry about messing up your favorite brush, just as long as you 

clean it out right after you finish a coat.

Before:

This was the box before.

(I almost forgot to take a picture so you can see where I started painting, LOL)

I didnt take very many pictures for this tutorial, so i apologize for that!

Step one:

Tape off the edges around the area you want to paint,

Step two:

Paint 3-4 coats on the area you want to be chalkboard-ed.

Waiting 1 hour, between coats!

(WASH YOUR BRUSH!!!!)

After it looks the way you want it to,

leave the tape on!

paint the rim around the chalkboard, or the inside edge of the frame with the 

Elmer's Painter's Pen. 

After that remove the tape and 

WAIT 24 HOURS!

After you've waited for what seems like forever,

bust out the chalk and enjoy!! :)

This should be what you end up with!!

I hope this tutorial seemed easy enough, and if you try it go ahead and tweet me (@PandasNElephants) or email me (pandasandelephants@yahoo.com)!

Thanks for reading!!

xoxo,

Sami!!

Chevron Small Photo Backdrop - DIY!

Hey guys!

Today i'm posting about a small photo backdrop i mentioned in my last post! 

So lets get started! 
: D

-Teal-

-Pink-

Up close:

Measure up 2" from the bottom left (or right) corner and poke a hole.

Then measure 3 1/2" over and 2" up & poke a hole.

Then measure 2" on top of that and poke a hole.

(The scoring step is not necessary to make the chevron design but I added it for texture)

Score the foam core from the corner, to the bottom hole that is 3 1/2" over.
You could use a pencil if you want, but i prefer to score it because
sometime pencil runs when painted over.
(next 2 pictures should help you out in understanding what i meant)

If you look closely you can see the scoring...

I hope this made since, if it didnt please email me or leave a comment below 

and I will try to help you out the best I can! :)

I have another photo prop DIY going up either later tonight or Saturday,

So lookout for that! :)

xoxo

Sami!

Photography

Today's 

post is about my photography...

I'm not sure if i've mentioned it before, but I do LOVE photography.

I'm trying to become a photographer, but as a teenager

money isnt all that abundant, if ya know what I mean!

So combining my want to become a photographer, and my craft skillz (with a z),

i've been making some of backdrops, props, etc.

Thats what im going to be posting soon!
I'm kinda focused on making smaller backdrops because i'm thinking baby photography 

will be something i'll be doing first since my niece or nephew will most likely, 

be my first client! :)

So stay tuned over the next couple of days!

I'm thinking, photography Friday? 

If there is any budding photographers out there like me that have any suggestions,

of things for me to DIY, let me know! :)

Until FRIDAY!

xoxo

-Sami <3

I'm Back!

I'm Back!

So I don't really know what happened!

I think I stepped through some kind of portal that made July & almost all of August disappear!

But have no fear, I am back!!

I'm planning on doing some pinterest crafts soon and

doing alot more here on my blog! :)
Today I helped my mom set up her quilting blog, 

which inspired me to dust off the 'ole blog!

I cant wait to get back to blogging and creating! :)

Sorry this blog post is so short, and kinda all over the place, but I promise I will be back really soon!

xoxo,

Sami!

Pinterest-a-holic

Hello,

My name is Sami and i'm a pinterest-a-holic!

This is possibly one of the most dangerous things to be addicted to!

In order to become un-addicted to it,

on should create every project he/she has pinned!

Also, you should do the following to everything they've pinned

~buy every animal 

~Bake & Ice/Wrap in Fondant every cake 

~Throw every party you've

~Dress every child

~Give every gift

~Make every diaper cake

~Own every piece of fashion 

~get married and use every tip from pinterest

~build your dream home and decorate it

~make a bazillion things out of wooden pallets

~Achieve your perfect body

~Loose your perfect body because of all the weight you gain from cooking and baking

~etc.

Well that was fun to type!

But seriously, I think i need to become like a party planner

or a diaper cake maker, or a professional artist,

or a interior designer or something!

I've been loving pinterest!

I Havent forgotten about my blog, and ill be back soon!

Until then, if you want to leave my the link to your pinterest or to a pinner you love

i'd love to go check them out! :)

xoxo,

Sami!

Paint Problems!

Paint Re-cap/Oil Paint Problems!


So I painted a poppy flower last week!
the painting was a red poppy, with black outline, a stem & swirly things in the corner!
I posted it on my facebook and my Sister-n-law LOVED it!
So I gave it to her for her birthday. (which was Monday)


We went out to dinner for her birthday on Sunday night!
While we were at dinner her best friend (who is also a good friend of mine)
asked me to do a elephant painting for the bathroom she was decorating for her son!
So she showed me a picture of the shower curtain and i painted pretty much
the exact same elephant that is on that shower curtain!
It turned out great if I do say so myself, I even added a tree that is also on the shower curtain!
 BUT i did a bad thing...
I used a oil paint!! :/
Never do that! After i had finished painting it and everything else had dried EXCEPT
the tree trunk (where I used, said {evil} oil paint)
So I thought i was done for! 
(after having another accidental bad experience with another oil paint)
So, I went where?
GOOGLE!!!
I dont know what we would do if we didnt have the internet!!
I mean, 
we wouldnt know how long it takes for oil paint to dry
(or if there is a way to make it dry faster)
we wouldnt know the color payoff of that lipstick on the MAC website you've fallen in love with!
Or if that new BB cream that you wanted to try was worth the $13.. 
(that answer is no, thanks to YouTube)
And my personal favorite:
We wouldnt know if our favorite TV show was being renewed for another season or not!


Anyway!
I went searching for 
"how to dry oil paint"
Someone else had asked this question and there were multiple answers!
All of which said...dont dry it!!
Making it dry faster could cause the paint to chip off the canvas!
(which of course is the last thing you want to happen when you are making something for somebody,
and you're name is going to be on it!)
So the other part of this answer...
IT WILL DRY NATURALLY WITH-IN ONE TO TWO WEEKS!
...Not exactly what I wanted to find, but oh well!
So the painting is curantly finished and looks great, but it will be a few days before she gets it!
I showed it to my sister-n-law and she said she loved it
(I sent her friend a picture of it and she loved it too, by the way)
But she said that the wall is bigger than the painting, 
so, im going to make 2 smaller paintings to go on each side of the main painting!
Instead of doing more elephants or something,
im going to do one smaller canvas with
trees on it, and the other will have a bird on it!




Well thats all for now!
I promise i'm going to be back really soon with more posts!
I've got some new favorites for you guys, so be on the look out for that!
Talk to yall soon!
xoxo

-Sami-

Catchup!

Catch up time!

Well I totally failed at the pinterest thing...

so We're going to change it!

The first Friday of every month i'm going to post a

Pinterest Favorites!

Seems like the first week of the month is going to be a "favorites week"

each month will have a different "theme".

More favorites for the first week will be:

~Monthly Makeup Favorites

~Art Favorites(?)  

~Pinterest Favorites 

So other than that...I really dont have an excuse as to why I havent been blogging,

but I'm finished with school for the summer, and i've been 

sleeping in, and painting...

And totally overloading pinterest! LOL!

I've been so obsessed with it!

I found this on Pinterest:

Click here! :)

I had been searching for an idea of what to do on a 8" x 24" canvas

that I had...

I found this and I loved this so much and i thought I could do it on my canvas...

SO I did it! :)

And It turned out pretty good! 

Top 10 Pinterest Boards - My Style

Top 10 Pinterest Picks!

So I love Pinterest and i know alot of people do!

So the title says top ten but really its going to be 10 categories with

5 boards....

The five boards for each category are not in any specific order, 

just some that i like!

I hope you guys enjoy this! :)

Category #1:

Style!

1. My Style - Catherine Fair

http://pinterest.com/catiefair/my-style/ 

2. My Style - Sarah Thomson

http://pinterest.com/sarahliz762/my-style/ 

3. My Style. - Amy Thorpe

http://pinterest.com/amylane7/my-style/

4. My Style - Sara Buzzitta

http://pinterest.com/sarabuzz617/my-style/

5.  My Style - Denise Kubala

http://pinterest.com/yaya2005/my-style/

Mine: Fashion

http://pinterest.com/pandasnelephant/fashion/

Next Category will be up, either tonight or tomorrow night!

Hope you guys like it!

Leave your "My Style" boards in the comments,

or leave a "my style" board you love!

(leave the link)
Also leave the link to your account and i will check it out and follow you!
:)

Thanks for reading!

-xoxo Sami! <3

WW Snack: Fro-Nana's!

Weight Watcher Friendly Snack:

Fro-Nana's!

If you'll look back at my last post you'll remember 

i said i had been craving ice cream.

I was browsing the internet today when i saw a WW snack

that was frozen fruit salad.

SO i thought about doing it, then realized all we had in the house

were oranges, apples, and bananas.

Freezing oranges and apples, might not be so good!

so i thought "hmmm...frozen bananas. Let's try it!"

So after dinner i cut up a banana into slices and put it in a bowl 

and put it in the freezer.

about a half hour to an hour later, i took the bowl out,

grabbed a fork, and dug in.

it was really cold, at first, then it started to "melt" in my mouth.

At that point I realized, This has the same texture as 

ice cream!!

I was so excited!

That craving for ice cream had just been satisfied,

and for only 0 points!!!

I will deffinately be doing this again whenever i have that craving for ice cream!

I hope you guys will all try it, even if you arent on 

Weight Watchers!

It's so much healthier!

Until next time, I hope you guys enjoyed this post!

xoxo, Sami!

The Beginning of My Weight Watchers Journey

The Begining of My

 Weight Watchers Journey!

Resently, I decided to start weight watchers, because well for one it was

very much needed and two my best friend did it

and it worked and she looks amazing! :)

SO I did it!

But I didnt realize how much i snacked throughout my normal day!

I also didnt realize how much unhealthy junk i ate during those snack time!

Anyway!

I started sunday and i've already lost four pounds!

I'm so excited!
I expect to fluctuate, but still its progress!

Anyway!

One of the first things my friend told me when I told her i was starting

Weight Watchers was,

"You will feel like you're dying the first week, but then you'll be ok!"

And while I dont feel like i'm starving myself, 

I do find myself having terrible cravings for things i dont really crave that often!
For instense, I love ice cream, fro-yo, etc.

BUT!

I rarely find myself saying,

"I REALLY WANT ICE CREAM"

(you could also replace ice cream with any other sweet treat! lol!)

This week I have been saying that!

Also 

I drank, Coca~Cola, or Sweet Tea with

EVERY MEAL!

I never drank water before, especially not at meals!

So i've found that i had become somewhat "addicted" to caffeinated drinks.

(another reason why ww is a great idea for me to do)

I am a person who gets headaches really easily, so i have been getting

small headaches everyday, from not having caffeine.

So for one cup (8oz.) of coke or sweet tea, its only a few points.

So i have one cup a day (or two depending on how many points i have left at dinner), 

and drink water with the rest of my meals.

(although i still dont much care for water but i've found that it

taste better if you add lemon juice)

I know that's helped!

Meals arent so much a big deal, but snacks

and drinks are really where i'm having cravings!

So i've found some snacks that i like that i make at home,

so i'm going to be doing posts on those,

and i'm going to do a weekly weight watchers diary!

I hope you guys enjoy

and maybe i'll inspire some of you to start 

your Weight Watchers Journey too!

xoxo, Sami!

Feed Back Time!

OK guys!

It's feed-back time!

I really want this blog to do well and succeed but in order to do that,

I need to know what my readers want to see!

So EMAIL ME!!

I have put together alot of ways for you guys to connect with me,

Email me: pandasnelephants@yahoo.com

Tweet Me: @PandasNElephant

And of course, you can always comment below!

Also I have a Pinterest account: Pandas&PinkElephants

One more thing, i'm thinking of making this a arts/crafts, etc. account

and making another account specifically for makeup!

Please, please, please contact me with your feed back!

Thanks guys!

xoxo, Sami!

April Favorites 2012

APRIL FAVORITES!!!

Yay! My first Favorties post!
I'm so excited!
I'm going to be doing beauty favorites and a few random favorites!

I hope you guys like it!

My first favorite is
Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in the shade
05 Fresh Pink

The description says that it is lightweight like a powder,

yet melts into your skin like a cream!

And this is very true! It is cool and creamy and feels great

on your skin!

Fresh Pink is the perfect color for my skin and gives me a light

pinky color without going overboard, and without needing alot of product!!

My Next favorite is

Maybelline One-by-One Volume Express Mascara

in the shade Blackest Black

I bought this mascara a few months ago and I really like it,
but I forgot to check and see if it was water proof or not when I bought
it and it wasnt.
But other than that I love it and I love the way it looks on my eyes!




The Next Favorite is
Almay Intense i-color powder eyeshadow
trio for blues 202

I've had this for a very long time!
Almay doesnt even sell this one anymore, sadly!
I've been using when i dont feel like doing alot for my makeup.
I'll just sweep the top shadow on my eyelid, 
and sometimes i'll put the darker blue color (middle one) in my crease.
It looks great and it's really simple!
(usually i'll wear the Maybelline One-by-One with it)




My Next Favorite is
88 Color Shimmer Palette from BH Cosmetics

 (excuse the glare)

 (second row, bottom two, the pinky peach colors)

(second row from right, the top one and the third one down)
I got this palette for Christmas and I think it is great 
for someone who is just getting into
makeup or wants to experiment with colors, other than neutrals.
:)




Last But not least,
Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Color 
Coral Crush

This Gorgeous spring color is definately one of my favorites!
If you want to know more about it check out my last post here!


-Other Favorites-


Gel Eyeliner: It's something that i'm new to but i really, really like it!
I thought I would like liquid eyeliner more that gel, but (while i do still
like liquid eyeliner) I like the gel eyeliner much better! :)


Favorite Song: 
Stronger - Kelly Clarkson!


Favorite App:
Draw Something!!


Favorite Show:
America's Next Top Model


Well that all for this month! There will be alot more posts
coming soon! In the mean time,
Email me your suggestions, or comment below, and i'll talk
to you guys later!
xoxo Bye!

Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Color - Coral Crush!

MAYBELLINE COLOR SENSATIONAL LIP COLOR!

-Review-

Maybelline color sensational lip color comes in 68 different colors!

Today im going to review one of them, Coral Crush!

Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Color

515 Coral Crush

I'll be honest, at first I was alittle bit afraid of this color 

because it is very bright in the tube, but a watched some reviews 

on YouTube and heard that it was very buildable.

So I decided that I would take the risk and buy it.

And I am SO glad I did!

It is very buildable and does have the potential to be the color 

that you see in the tube.

I love this color!

It's a very pretty coral color that looks alittle red/pink

at times...

Coral Crush swatches (top: layered, bottom: single layer)

Bright colors are very in for spring and this fits right in with the trend!

At only $7.49 this is a great product to stay on trend 

without breaking the bank!

Coral Crush on my lips

This lipstick feels glossy and not dry, which I love!

it basically stays the same texture from the time you put it

on until you take it of...

It has pretty good staying power, but of course if you eat or something

its probably going to loose some color.

I'm totally in love with this product and I will be wearing it alot

during spring (and maybe even summer)...

The scent of this lipstick is great too!

But, the only think i dont like is that it transfers...

Overall Rating: 9/10

I hope you go try this product and love it as much as I do!

It you have any suggestions or items you would like a review on,

comment below or email me

pandasandelephants@yahoo.com

Hi!

Hope you feel beautiful today and everyday! :)
More posts coming soon! :)

DIY Circle Scarf!

DIY Circle Scarf!

Do you have those scarves that you wish you could wear as a circle scarf, but ya cant?

Well im going to show you how!

~ Materials ~

~The scarf you want to transform

~A sewing machine 

(or you can use a needle and thread if you want to do it by hand)

~A Rotary Cutter, Ruler, & Mat 

(you can use scissors for this if you dont have those)

~Scissors 

~Any other embellishments etc. you want to add

Ok Let's get started!

Step 1: Fold your scarf in half width wise

Step 2: Line up your ruler. this doesnt have to be even or straight 

or anything but you dont want it to be too wonky

Step 3: Cut  along the edge of the ruler with your rotary cuter.

(You can save your fringe scraps for other art projects)

Step 4: Flip your scarf over and repeat first 3 steps.

Now you should have a fringe-less scarf!

Step 5: Fold the ends you just cut together and lay it down so you can pin it together

Step 6: Pin the ends together.

Step 7: Pick the stitch you want to use!

I am using a blanket stitch but whatever you want to use will be fine!

Step 8: Pick your thread and start stitchin'

(remove pins as you go and stay about a 1/4-1/2" from the edge)

Step 9: Stitch all the way to the end, and then back stitch about a 1/2"-1" backwards.

Step 10: It should look like this!

Step 11: Trim the edge to make it even.

Step 12: Turn it inside out and wear it!

Thats all the steps you need to turn your regular scarf into a stylish circle!

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter Review

REVLON COLORBURST LIP BUTTER!

-Review-

Revlon ColorBurst Lip butters ($7.49) are my favorite makeup item

of the moment!

There are 20 shades, but im going to show you three of them!

Cherry Tart, Brown Sugar, Peach Parfait

Cherry Tart in tube and swatches

Cherry Tart on my lips

Cherry Tart

A Red Color

This Lip Butter is very layerable.

In the the bottom right picture is swatches of the lipbutter.

The top swatch is layered, the bottom is a single layer.

I like this product because it is red without being too bold!

As far as red lipsticks go this is my favorite because its sheer and very wearable!

Pigmentation: 5/10

Peach Parfait in tube and swatches

Peach Parfait on my lips

Peach Parfait

This Lip Butter is a sheer pink, but again very layerable!

It has alot of shimmer!

It's close to my lip color so it works well for me, making this one of my favorites!

The swatch on top is layered about 3 times, 

and on the bottom is just one layer.

Pigmentation: 6/10

Brown Sugar in tube and swatches

Brown Sugar on My Lips

Brown Sugar

A Light Brown

Once again very layerable!

You can go as light or as dark as you want!

This one (out of the three) is probably the most pigmented one!

I wanted a color like this but i was afraid of it being too dark,

but this (compared to a regular lipstick) is perfect!

Alittle shimmer!

Pigmentation: 7/10

I Totally recommend this product to anyone!

Its like a two in one product, because it feels like a mix of lipstick and lipgloss!

It's not sticky at all, and they last a few hours without re-applying.

The only thing I dont like about them is that they are really soft, so dont leave

them in your car or anywhere warm.

Other than that, i LOVE them! 

Overall rating: 9/10