Packing Tip

I am headed for a lazy vacation with family and decided to share the #1 packing tip. 

Here is my suitcase with folded clothes. 

Three pairs of jeans, 1 sweater, 2 skirts, 1 t-shirt, 2 shirts, gloves and scarf.

Now, here is the same lot but rolled, 

which helps clothes keep from getting wrinkled. 

I put in the rest of what I am packing for the week. 

more sweaters and undergarments, 

pants, and other stuff that seems important,

like sweat pants and more sweat pants! 

Did I mention this is going to be a lazy vacation?

Now it is time for vacation!!!!

Best Wishes 

 By -J

December/Winter Phone Backgrounds

Hey!

Someone has been so busy and bad at time management that she hasn't been on the blog in weeks. I have a good excuse though.

I signed up for my first college classes!!! 
I am absolutely terrified and excited at the same time. 

Also I am going out of town several times before the new year so I think I'm just going to declare it Christmas break until January. 

But back to the title. 
Here are my current backgrounds on my phone

And here are some of my recommendations!!

These are so adorable!!

Also Pinterest, what is up with the new zoom in icon? I can't screen capture anything because it has that on it. 

Best Wishes and Merry Christmas!!

By -J

Opinions : Audible

I recently signed up for Audible through Amazon, and who doesn't love Amazon? 

It is the best. Anyway when you sign up you get two credits to buy any book. Each book is one credit and you get one every month. It is only $15 a month and most books are $10-$20. 

With the holidays there is a lot of time spent cleaning and wrapping and organizing, plenty of time to listen to a book. 

I love it! Especially as a reader, Audible lets me multi-task while enjoying something I love but don't have a lot of time for. You can also listen offline while on the go so you don't eat up data. 

Check it out!
Audible 

 Also I didn't make a video this weekend because I've been on holiday. Yay!

Best Wishes!
By - J

Opinions: How to Make it YOUR Space

To piggy back off of another opinion post I was thinking about how I would decorate my new crafting area. And decided to start with some curtains. They are expensive so I decided to use some fabric that I had and instead of sewing hot glued it into curtains. :) Yeah I'm cool like that 

Here is a step by step process. 
Pick a cute fabric. I started with the top, make sure you leave enough room to thread the rod through. Then glue a hem on all four sides. 

I hung some lights up. I like it and it took me 10 minutes. 

By -J

Glitter Lightbulb DIY

Heelllooo!

Busy weekend here prepping for the holidays, everyone is going to my parents house and its a mess so crazy cleaning mode has been engaged. Which led me to hide away and edit my DIY video. 

This video was so fun and easy! Also CHRISTMAS MUSIC!!!!!! I'm a big fan of Christmas so I had to add in some Jolly Music. 



Happy Holidays 
By - J. 

Find me on Instagram @by.j_blogger

DIY Felt Fox

My friend's birthday is this weekend so I've been giving her gifts last week and this week. 

So she likes Foxes and I found this really cute fox ornament and decided to make it for my Tutorial weekend. 
I was having some technical difficulties  with my cameras so it ended up being shot by hand which makes it a bit messy. 

Here is the Youtube video. 

Here is a picture of the final product.
 I think it is super cute. 

Opinions : Decorating

I'm getting so excited!
The By J has found a craft studio!
Well I recently got the go ahead to redo an extra room. 

Now I have the chance to decorate a WHOLE studio!!
I am so beyond excited. 


Anyway, my opinion on decorating is this. Do it!
Make your space your very own. Sometimes that is not easy, like painting or new furniture. But somethings you can do. Pillows, curtains, pictures, paintings, sculptures, bonus points if you make something yourself :)

So I have begun the journey of decorating my new space. So off to the store!

Also my opinion on Once Upon A Time is I love it!

Best Wishes 
By - J

Opinions, Crafting, Also I'm Losing My Mind

Oops, someone is so busy she can't even fathom a blog post!

It's me.

This week is fair week! Yay, so all my crafts I've been working on have been submitted and judged. Here are some pictures of the final products. 

The Apron got 3rd, as did the Bicycle, the origami got 2nd, and the Fairy table got 1st. I don't know yet what the decorated baked goods got. 

So I've been volunteering at the fair to check in all the arts and crafts that come in and I am exhausted. I've been working 10-14 hours days and I am done. Thankfully, the long days are over, and all that is left is a couple of 4hr shifts and check out day. 

Also, be kind also. It pays so much. It can be beyond frustrating to be kind, especially to people we don't like or who are nasty. But I should respect and a sense of humor and even kindness to these older ladies volunteering and they showed it back. To me only because everyone else was ignoring them because they were mean and nasty, but they would come up to me and talk and laugh and be funny, then they would go and be rude to people because people were rude to them. 

So be kind, Please and Thank you :)

Best Wishes 
By -J

Opinions: Fundraising Hagglers

Let's try something different. Mostly the look of the blog, but it is kinda confusing to me. 

Anyway, it is Monday which means another totally biased opinion on something. 

Today it is fundraising Hagglers. I am cool with fundraising, encourage it when a group is trying to achieve a goal. My church youth group where I teach is raising money for Operation Christmas Child. I've talked about it before, we pack shoeboxes full of items, toys, clothes, hygienic stuff and more. So to raise the money we have held events all summer. Our last one was a yard sale this past weekend. I was literally selling bedding sets for $0.50 (I can't find the cents icon). Just about everything was 50 cents. But I had a few items labeled for more, a kids toddler bike for $3. This lady comes up to me and tells me she is buying it for a kid who's house burned down etc. And all I could think was "you want to haggle over $3 for charity. For children who live in impoverished nations, who don't have food or parents sometimes. And you want to haggle over $3?" yeah I sold it for $1.50. But it really bugged me that some people see only what is in front of them. 

I had another lady who was shopping for people in Jamaica and how she collects stuff for them and they just need so much.... So I gave her half off too. But they still don't see that I'm in the same shoes as them. I'm trying to raise money for a good cause. Give me a break!

Argh. So that is my opinion. 

Best Wishes

By -J 

DIY Origami Chandelier

Lets discuss my favorite website...

Pinterest.

I'm a big fan, 

for the crafts, humor, travel, clothes, 

gifts, technology, and more. 

It is the best of the internet in one app.

And also a space eater 

not heater, eater.

It takes up like 3gb on my phone. 

But back to pinterest, 

I found this awhile ago and put 

it on my to-do list. 

Really pretty right?

Well if you notice it has instructions 

on how to fold origami butterflies

but the chandeliers have butterflies

 that were punched out.

Hence my problem.

I entered an origami chandelier into 

the county fair, yet I bought a $17 butterfly punch. 

Yeah not really smart thinking. 

So I returned the punch and bought 

origami paper instead. 

Here is a video tutorial on

 how to fold the butterflies.

Butterfly Origami tutorial


Hot glue has become my best friend. 
So I used some tulle to cover an embroidery hoop,
and used some string, 
hot glued my butterflies on
and that was it!
Here is the end product, 
not the best picture but its been a long week 
and my weekend is packed so....

Best Wishes 

By -J 

More fair crafts and decorating coming!

Opinions: Theme Parks

I convinced my younger brother and parents 

to play hooky on Monday, 

Which is why I am writing my Monday blog on Tuesday. 

We went to an aquatic theme park

and last time I went a posted a picture 

of a whale on IG and someone commented

how sad it was that a beautiful creature was in captivity. 

And that is the topic of today's opinion. 

I like aquariums and zoos. 

And most of these places take care of their animals

and a lot of those animals are in need of 

rehabilitation or are unable to live in the wild. 

I really don't have more to say. 

I don't support animal cruelty, 

but I do enjoy visiting zoos and aquariums 

and learning about all of those beautiful creatures. 

Here is a picture to finish this biased, 

opinion only blog. 

Best Wishes 

By -J

  

Fairy Garden Table and chair DIY

I started volunteering at my local 

county fair about 7yrs ago. 

And I honestly love it. 

I work in the creative arts area 

for check in and check out of all the crafts. 

The first year I started I didn't enter anything, 

But on and off since then I have been. 

This year I really got into it. 

Mostly because I really got into making stuff. 

One category is theme table settings.

I entered a fairy garden tea party. 

So over the weekend

 I had to make my table and chair, 

because I wanted to do miniature.

This is my first video tutorial, 

so cut me some slack. 

It took me about 30mins to make 

2 chairs and the table, 

but I cut the video down to 12mins. 

Here it is!

The tray will look like this

I just haven't found a bowl at the 

thrift store yet to make the mushroom top. 

Anyway, I had such a blast making it and

 I loved the end result. 

Best Wishes

By -J

Keep an eye out for my other fair projects, 

including: cake decorating, cupcake decorating, 

sewing, Origami and string art. 

Saturday Shopping

Shopping is one of my favorite weekend things.

And when I feel good it is so easy for me to

shop and find things. 

Sometimes too many things to buy!

Jewelry has become my new thing. 

I love it!
I'm also a big fan sales!!!

So Buy one get one free clearance is  
beyond my self control. 
Which is why I ended up spending 
$25 in under 10minutes :) 

But look at all the cute stuff I got!!!

Some gold jewelry,

Which is what most of mine already is so I had to buy some silver.

I recently have started expanding 
my jewelry collection and I think these will be some 
great new additions. 

Best Wishes 
By -J 


I filmed my first DIY tutorial, 
Check it out!
Fairy Table and Chair Tutorial

Opinions : Leggings

You thought I forgot that I was starting

 a series of opinions blogs. 

You are right I did forget but I also put it on 

my calendar to blog and I remembered!

*Announcer Voice* 

"On this post of Opinions, we discuss.....

Leggings"

Yeah I have to say its a love hate thing really. 

I wear leggings in the winter to sleep in. 

And occasionally under a dress in the winter. 
I'm a tights person, mostly because 

I've been dancing ballet forever. 

But let me say leggings are NOT pants. 

I really don't care how nice your but is 

do not allow one thing piece of material to 

try and cover it. 

Which brings me to 

*Announcer voice* 

Yoga Pants! 

Do not wear yoga pants. 

I'm still iffy on yoga pants in yoga. 

I've heard some bad stories. 

Any type of workout gear is not 

okay in public, even if you just worked out. 

No take a shower.

There are enough options in the clothing

world that you do not need to wear that. 

Now to 

*Announcer Voice* 

Sweat Pants

Sweat pants are my jams, 

in the comfort of my own home, 

wen snuggled in bed, 

or doing laundry. 

I have never and will never 

wear sweat pants in public. 

Thank you for listening to this PSA

on improper pant - ing. 

Best Wishes 

By - J

Fall/Autumn Screen Savers

I live in FL.

Which means not a lot of fall/winter weather

or colors or looks.

Occasionally I will have to wear pants on 

Christmas. 

(For warmth) 

But I do like the idea of fall colors and 

pumpkins, Sunflowers, corn maze and stuff like that. 

But to really get in the spirit I changed my phone 

lock screen. 

This will be chosen quickly, so cute! 

This is currently what my lock screen is. 

Nice, simple, very cute colors

Kinda whimsical. 

I guess I'm a fan of greeting fall...

Yup....

Puppies!!! 

Which reminds me check out this Jimmy Fallon video 

Jimmy Fallon and Puppies

This is gorgeous 

(Also I can now spell gorgeous) 

I wish it was still September because I love this quote. 

Color pop!

Plain and Simple

Welcome back to greeting seasons, 

A little bit of glitter goes a long way, 

seriously......

This one I posted on IG so go check it out!

@by_j.blogger

These are some of my favorites. 

Use screen shot and display your seasonal

decorating with no hassle!

Best Wishes 

By - J