How To: Clothes Dividers / Organisers

Found this tutorial online for how to make clothes dividers – primarily used for organising clothes in a baby’s cupboard, but useful for other things too I’m sure (well, the OCD among us will definitely think of something!)

Made a couple for use in Baby Bird’s room but used slightly thicker corrugated board, which is  harder to cut, but I prefer the more rigid feel. Also used some scrap wallpaper samples instead of scrapbooking paper – reckon you can use anything you want though, a nice thick wrapping paper would do fine too. Also stuck my paper to the card with double-sided tape instead of spray glue (less mess)…

Here’s the final product:

And, the dividers in action:

Happy crafting :)

Crafty Christmas Ideas

Seeing as Christmas is just around the corner (can’t believe it’s the last day of Movember already!) thought I would share some of the awesome craft ideas I have been looking at online – there are some really cute ideas here that will help make the festive season even more special and exciting.

Christmas Countdown! An easy-to-make advent calendar for each day up until Christmas, with a little surprise wrapped up and held in place by a peg! {image}

Hand-sewn decorations – so simple – cut a shape out in fabric of your choice, stuff with batting (cotton wool!?) and stitch together with contrasting thread. Add buttons or beads for fun and attach a thin ribbon for hanging… {image}

Gift Idea – Christmas cookie mix in a jar – layer dry ingredients to your favourite biscuit recipe in a jar with some coloured candy, nuts etc. Finish of with a ribbon and and gift tag explaining which wet ingredients to add and how to bake etc! For recipe ideas and printable tags, SEE HERE {image}

Christmas Table Decor – simply add some water to a glass jar or vase, put some holly in at the bottom and float some cranberries at the top with a floating candle, et voila! Festive and pretty :)  {image}

Christmas Themed Snacks – how divine does this look?! And super easy – use fresh rosemary to create a wreath shape on a plate/board, finish your ‘wreath’ with olives, gherkins, mozzerella balls, sundried tomatoes etc as decoration (anything you fancy I suppose) – and then eat! Great for a Christmassy get together… {image}

Decoration/Gift – Felt Poinsettias – another stitching project, also very easy – cut out some red 5-point flower/petal shapes, layer two-up, stitch together in the middle with some gold beads or vintage buttons… You could attach these to a brooch fixing, or even a hairclip – they would also be great on a tree, or as the finishing touch to a beautifully wrapped present! {image}

More DIY Gift Ideas – Bath Salts in a Jar or Tins of Hot Chocolate – visit the Blonde Designs Blog here for instructions on how to create these simple gifts, and also for free printable gift tags to use for them {image}

Happy Crafting x

How To: chunky-knit snood

Despite the fact that “snood” doesn’t even sound like a real word, I can assure you that this is a nifty little Winter-Warmer and I can’t wait to make full use of it during the UK’s colder months (i.e. 90% of the year!) ALSO – it’s super easy and relaxing to make in front of the telly, and don’t you just love the ribbed effect? If you wanted, you could leave it as a scarf instead of joining the two ends to make a snood (FYI, a snood is tubular and typically wide enough to cover the head like a hood…)

{By the way, forgive my terrible photography, trying to take self-mirror-shots in bad light is not ideal!}

All you need is:

Chunky Wool in your preferred colour
Big Knitting Needles {I used size 12}
Scissors
Wool Needle {this will have a wide eye large enough to fit your chunky wool through it}
Time {!}

1. Choose how thick you want the width of your scarf or snood to be and cast-on accordingly – to give you an idea, mine was pretty wide and I cast-on 35 stiches
2. Knit 1 row
3. Purl x 2 rows {HERE is a great video on how to knit the purl stitch}
4. Knit x 2 rows
5. Purl x 2 rows
6. Knit x 2 rows – and so on until the scarf/snood is the desired length. {I used a notebook to keep track of what rows I had done – much easier than trying to remember if your last one what a knit or a purl!}
7. Cast-off. Loose ends.
8. For a scarf, add tassles if you want, otherwise your chunky-knit neck-gear is done!
9. For a snood, make sure you’ve saved some wool to sew up the two ends together to make it tubular. Using your Wool Needle, you can either sew the ends straight up, or you can twist the scarf so that there is a twist in the snood (I actually meant to do this but I got side-tracked and ended up sewing it into a classic tube shape! Wear as is or double-up for extra warmth!

Olympics Tickets Update

(image source)

If, like The Bird, you were one of the many poor unfortunate souls who didn’t get ANY tickets during the first round of ticket sales for the Olympic Games (thanks guys, great work!), here is the dealio…

We’ve been “invited” to “take advantage of an exclusive opportunity to purchase some of the remaining tickets, in advance {GASP} of those customers who were allocated tickets in the initial application phase” – thanks, you really shouldn’t have!

So, between 6am on 24 June until 6pm on 3 July 2011 we get first dibs on the sloppy seconds, listed here {download and/or print this PDF} SO EXCITED by the awesome choices left. Not.

Jokes aside, I would love to watch the Dressage or Synchro but I’m quite skeptical about my chances of actually getting any tickets. Ya, ya – be positive and all that  – but really, what are my chances? According to reports, the majority of those who applied and those who will re-apply WILL miss out. Of the tickets that are left, very few are in the cheaper range and there are very few available for the more desirable events…

I know the vibe around London is going to be amazing in any case, but how cool would it be to say to your kids one day that you actually watched a real life Olympic event?! Please don’t kill my dreams organiser-people, I’m already gutted that I’m not going to see the Opening Ceremony… Just throw me a bone and let me watch some pretty ponies m’kay?

Photography Cheat Sheet

For anyone interested in photography (real photography, not the point and click kind) – this is interesting, nicely designed and very, very useful if, like me, you have a failing memory!

(Courtesy of)

Nice things in jars…

The Bird has been collecting glass jars for a while now (old sauce/jame jars etc) and needed some inspiration on what to do with them – thought I would share my findings… These ideas are great as gifts and/or to make any party/celebration just that much more special! Links under each image to instructions on how to create these amazeballs jar treats – cannot wait to try some of these myself!

(South Africans – Consol jars would be amazing for most of these ideas…)

Red Velvet Cupcake In A Jar - amaze! have to make these. SOON.

Pancake Mix Gift Jar

Herb infused vodka – thinking the mint must be amazing…

Cowgirl Cookies – cookie mix in a jar, how cute for a gift?

Mocha Cocoa in a jar – mmmmmm

Scented Sugar – geranium, rose, orange and lemon or vanilla flavours!

Ice Cream in a jar – awesome for a summer party!

Cocktail in a jar - need I say more…

How to: Get out of your chair ALIVE!

Very clever and interesting… Too much SITTING kills! A good enough reason if any to throw in the towel at work and enjoy life!

(Coming from The Bird who spends 90% of the day behind a computer I realise the irony…)

Click to view at full size. Courtesy of Mashable.

How to: Etiquette 101

Something SEREEEEEEously amusing to banish those Sunday night blues…

Visit Etiquette 101, a “How To” blog Nic Callegari and Mike Sharman that I came across earlier this year via Twitter:  step-by-step instructions for dealing with some of life’s most irritating moments… It’s hilarious!

“Life is full of douchebags. Douchebags that don’t refill the sugar, douchebags that leave the seat up after having a pee, douchebags that leave empty milk bottles in the fridge and the list goes on.

It all started with a step-by-step guide to filling the sugar pots in our office, which NOBODY was clearly capable of doing.  Soon, we had a flood of requests and a massive gap began to appear in South Africa’s basic education – the need for etiquette re-inforcement.” (…from the blog)

I KNOW we can all identify with some of these scenarios, love the blatant photos and messages… My personal favourite, one of the first few instructions posted:
A step-by-step guide to stopping people stealing your lunch at work (the “NOT ALEX” signs kills me!)

Enjoy creeps <3

PS. please note, you too can become an Etiquette Ranger and make a request to the boys here.

2012 Olympics Tickets

Anyone interested in applying for Olympics tickets, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to apply (lifted straight from the official 2012 website) – The Bird’s application for Opening Ceremony tickets has just been confirmed, fingers crossed we get them – now we wait…
Applications open from today until 11.59pm on 26 April 2011…

Tickets for the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games will be sold via an application process. For sessions where demand for tickets exceeds supply, London 2012 will use an automated and random selection process (‘ballot’) to ensure the fairest possible distribution and allocation of tickets on a session-by-session basis.

Please read this step by step guide before you start the application process.

Please note that applications for tickets to the Olympic Games are open now, and applications for tickets to the Paralympic Games open on 9 September 2011.

1. Create an account

You will need a ticketing account before you can apply for tickets. Registering is a quick and easy process which will only take a few minutes to complete. Create an account now. You can search events and prices without signing in or creating an account; however, an account is required when you are ready to create a ticket application. You may only submit one application per email address and Visa card so please consider your Games experience carefully.

2. Search

Start your search to decide which sports, in which venues, and on which dates, you would like to attend. You can choose from one or more of the drop-down menus.

3. Select sessions

Select the session or sessions which you would like to apply for. There is often more than one session taking place within a day for a sport. You can only select a maximum of 20 sessions per application so please consider your selections carefully.Medal winners will be decided and/or the medals awarded at a victory ceremony during some sessions. Look out for this symbol when you are searching sessions:

Medals awarded

4. Special prices

Special prices are available for young people aged 16 and under at 27 July 2012, who will ‘pay their age’ for a ticket. You will be asked to specify the age of each young person at 27 July 2012 in order to calculate the cost of their ticket. For example, if a child is aged 12 at 27 July 2012 the cost of their ticket will be £12.

Special prices are also available for seniors aged 60 and over at 27 July 2012, who will pay £16 for their ticket.

Special prices for young people and seniors are available in more than 220 sessions, Look out for this symbol when you are searching sessions:

Special prices

5. Select number and type of tickets

Select the number of tickets you would like to apply for and the type of tickets you would like. There are ticket limits for each session which will be clearly shown.

6. Increase your chances

For some sessions you will be able to choose higher and/or lower price categories to increase your chances of obtaining tickets to the session, in the event that your preferred price category is not available. If you indicate that you will accept a higher or lower price, a higher price will be considered your second option. If tickets aren’t available at a higher price, then you may be allocated tickets at a lower price if they are available.

7. Online verification

When you select your first session, you will be required to complete an online verification to enable us to protect our site from automated programmes. You will only need to do this once during each application window, when you select the first session you would like to apply for.

8. Summary and merchandise

Continue to search for additional sessions, if required, or proceed to a summary of your ticket application. You can also select items of merchandise to add to your application at this stage.

9. Delivery and payment

Confirm your delivery details and enter your Visa card details. We are proud to accept only Visa (debit, credit or prepaid products) on this website. If you do not have a Visa card, the easiest way to obtain one is to contact your bank who will be able to help you select and apply for a Visa product which best suits your needs. Alternatively, a Visa prepaid product (including a Visa Virtual card) is a quick and easy way to start paying with Visa. Please visit the Visa website for more information.

10. Submit

Once you are happy with your application and no further changes are required, press the Submit button.

11. Process payment

We will verify your Visa card number is accurate and, once this process is complete, a ticket application reference number will be provided. Write this reference number down and keep it safe – you will need this number if you have to contact Ticketing Customer Services, for example. No charges to your Visa card will be applied at this time.

12. Withdraw application

If you decide you no longer want your application to be processed or you need to add or remove sessions, you can withdraw your application (between 15 March and 11.59pm on 26 April 2011 only) and, if required, create a new application and re-submit. To withdraw your application, please go to Manage your profile. Caution! Once you withdraw your application it will no longer be valid so please think carefully before you do so.

Don’t be fooled by bogus websites and organisations claiming to sell tickets to the Games. To check whether a website is an official sales channel use our website checker.

Wedding Wonderful!

It’s that time in our lives where people are getting engaged left, right and center – and with engagements, comes wedding planning! Happy times and lots of planning fun to go along with it all <3

One of my favourite websites EVER is The Knot – it’s an American site (not that it matters) and it’s like the internet bible for wedding inspiration, ideas, suggestions, etiquette and more… Any brides-to-be, mother-of-the-brides, bridesmaids and even grooms should check this one out for great ideas, hints and tips – there are loads of images from real weddings and you can also do specialised colour searches for more specific ideas.

The site also offers news and advice on planning, style, decor, dealing with tricky situations and working within budgets. With interactive tools like budget calculators, check-lists, guest-list management and so on, its a great help for the less organised among us – and if it’s your vibe, it even offers to help you to create a micro-site for your special day!

GO! NOW! Great for ideas…

PS. for those already hitched, there is The Nest, and for anyone with a bean on the way, there is The Bump… cute huh!