My New Up-cycled Lamp!

Ok, so I don't know the definition of "up-cycling," but I found a way to make my old, out dated lamp look really cute again! I stumbled upon the idea while browsing around the internet one day and and inspiration hit me! It took me a really long time to complete it, but the finished product is just too cute not to share! And it's really, really easy to do and costs less than $10! It could cost you $0 if you already have the materials laying around the house (score ^.^)

Materials:

rope (any shape or size)

party streamers (any color you desire)

hot glue

something to keep you entertained while you work (music, movie...)

The hardest part here is making the flowers. That's why it took me forever! My hand would cramp up at times, but you have to have to have to have to have to HAVE PATIENCE!!!

Start off with a about 12 inches of your streamers (doesn't have to be exact)

Fold down lengthwise a third of the way

Start by rolling about one inch and then STOP!

Fold like shown. Not sure how to describe this step...basically you are folding at a diagonal

Continue rolling until the end of the diagonal fold then STOP!

Make another fold just like the first so you end up with another diagonal

Roll again until the end of the diagonal fold, then stop!

Fold again and roll again...

Continue folding and rolling until it looks like this!

Takes about 2 minutes but it's worth it! 

Next, just use hot glue to place it onto the lamp shade. Careful not to burn your fingers!

For the base, just take your rope and while you wrap, glue! (sorry I don't have pics of this step, but don't be afraid to let the creative juices flow)

The finished product was well worth all the time and burns!

Foodaholic Diaries: Eggs with Tomatoes and Saltfish

We bringin' back some memories now! My dad used to jam to this back in the day. When I got dropped off at school, my dad would play it so loud! It was so embarrassing  Everyone was able to hear it when I got out of the car. I wanted to just run away as quickly as I could so no one would know that was my car...*sigh*...good times! But, I had to post this song because whenever I make anything with saltfish, it gets stuck in my head! Thanks dad!
Anyways, I don't eat saltfish, but the people I live with do. I will only eat it if it's cut up really small and I can't see it in my food. I know, you're probably thinking what kind of Trini am I??? But I don't care what anyone says, born a Trini, always a Trini!
My mom always made this dish and I recently learned how to make it. I like to eat it with cheese and fry roti...it sounds weird eating cheese with saltfish but it's really good!

Ingredients:

Saltfish

Tomatoes (toe-mah-toes)

Eggs

Poudina (Spanish Thyme)

Garlic

Onions

This is what you need to do:

First, cut up the saltfish into small pieces. Whenever you take it out of the package, give it a quick rinse with water to get rid of the excess salt.

Add about two tablespoons of oil to your pot with the onions and saltfish

While the onions and saltfish are saute-ing, I crushed up the garlic and poudina into a paste and added it to the pot.

When the saltfish is cooked, it's time to add the tomatoes.

When the tomatoes are about 75% cooked, go ahead and add the eggs.

You can mix them in a bowl beforehand or just crack them and add them to the pot.

When the eggs have cooked your meal is done! I like to eat it like a sandwich with fry roti and some cheese. But this is how normal people eat it:

Bon appetit!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Saltfish is cod fish that has been salted and dried. It is also known as: bacalhau (Portuguese), bacalao (Spanish), bakaliáros (Greek), baccalà (Italian), bakalar (Croatian), makayabu (Central and East Africa), and last but not least, toe rag (UK)...no comment on that last one.

Where Did the Summer Go? Oh Yeah, to Harry Potter World!

The summer of 2012 flew by like no other. One minute we were celebrating everyone graduating and the next I was gearing up to restart classes. It seems as though every year, the time just goes by even faster. Sometimes I wish I could control time. That way I could slow it down or speed it up whenever I wanted.

The best week of summer was when I got to visit Florida. I've been there a million times, but this time topped all previous visits. I got to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure! :D:D:D

I absolutely love this place! If you are a fan of Harry Potter you will know exactly what I mean. Everything was so accurately executed to provide the ultimate experience. One day there was not enough to absorb everything I was surrounded by. The little shops in the village, the butter beer, the owl post, the Hogwarts choir, and the castle! There are not enough words to describe the experience, that's why there's pictures! (I apologize in advance for the bad photography skills!)

Entrance

The shops of Hogsmeade

The Hogs Head 

Mandrake! (It cried too!)

Snow in July!

Pumpkin Juice...absolutely delicious!

Didn't get a chance to take a photo of my butterbeer because that was also very delicious and I finished it too quickly...:(

Also, we weren't allowed to take photos inside Ollivander's :(

Chocolate Frog

Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans

Honeydukes Candy Shop

Zonko's Joke Shop

Wizard's Chess

Buckbeak

Talking Portraits

Dumbledore's Office

Potions Classroom

The Sorting Hat

Wizards Chess Set only $105

Okay, besides the Harry Potter section of Universal Studios we visited other areas too...

From this area, this is what Hogwarts looked like...

The view from up high...

Haha, just kidding.

Poseidon's Fury

The Lost Continent

Minions!

Men in Black Headquarters

Yay for Krustyland!

Lucille Ball

More Minions!

Despicable Me 

Now here are some more pics of our other adventures in Florida...(sorry this is a long post, but I'm making up for being absent for so long!)

Gator Mini Golf

Tall stack of books at Ripley's Odditorium

Pluto!

Cinderella's Castle

Pirate Pluto

Mickey and Minnie

Aladdin :D

Belle...I love her dress! 

Buzz Lightyear

Stitch!

Snow White

Aladdin and Jasmine but no Abu :(

The castle at night was so pretty. Amazing what technology has come to.

Clearwater Beach...the water was really clear!

The only bad thing about visiting the parks during the summer was that the weather was so unbelievably, scorchingly hot...I suggest that if you want to visit, go during the fall or winter months. Hopefully there will be less people too. The average waiting time for rides was anywhere from 90 to 120 minutes. What made it even worse was that some of the lines were outdoors where the Mr. Sun had so much fun burning us all. Take a lot of water and wear a hat. The parks allow you to bring in food and drink. If you run out of water, all the refreshment stations give out free cups of water and ice. Regardless of all the downfalls, it was totally worth it. I got my elder wand and I'm ready to conquer the world. :)