Archive for February 5th, 2011
New Obsession: Kate Middleton
Posted on: February 5, 2011
It’s official, I’m coming out about my fascination with Kate Middleton. She is being made out as the up-and-coming woman to watch. I’m thinking she’ll join the ranks of Audrey Hepburn, Michelle Obama, Jackie O and of course her famous mother-in-law, Princess Diana. Though I was rather young when Princess Di passed away, I did commemorate my adoration of her by purchasing a Princess Diana purple Beanie Baby- which is just how a young lady of eleven copes with the loss of an idol.
Truly, I hope to emulate more of the classy-fashion that many women of power and prestige are known for…. not to mention this little gem:
Read below to join me in the ranks of KM fandom:
People’s Kate Middleton Fashion Piece
Knit/Crochet: Sexy and Frugal
Posted on: February 5, 2011
- In: Crafting
- 2 Comments
Knit and crochet has seen a revival lately with the popularity of amigurumi (seen here) and a need for cheap pastimes that doubles for gift-giving!
Why should you learn to knit or crochet?
-Amigurumi, Scarves, Coffee Sleeves are always a big hit. Friends will love that you made it yourself, and you will be beaming with pride. For those that actually appreciate a gift like this, you will get quite a reputation since they have a tendency to brag whenever inquired about their adorable scarf or legwarmers.
-It *can* be really cheap. Granted, if you go crazy with buying more supplies and yarn than you need, or start out with a bunch of artisan/hand painted yarns, you can easily spend $40 on a single scarf. It might be tempting to go overboard and buy the gorgeous alpaca blend on your first project, but for starters- get an affordable yarn and try to find coupons!
-Stitch-N-Bitches. SnB’s are essentially modern day “knitting circles,” and consist of women and men that get together at a park, coffee shop, yarn shops, etc. to just craft, brainstorm projects and socialize. Find a local SnB on meetup.com.
-Baskets of yarn are great décor. You know how when you walk into a space that has a bookshelf full of books it leads you to believe the person is well-read and cultured? Or someone with a shelf of nicely arranged wines makes you think they’re mature and have great taste in food? Seeing an adorable basket of gorgeous yarns next to a chair or in a windowsill will leave your visitors thinking, “Wow, this person is totally way cooler than I am, I wish *I* had their taste.” I’m serious.
-It makes movies bearable or at least productive. If you’re on a budget and watch most of your movies in-house, getting through 2 hours of SAW with hubbs (or wifey) will be that much better, and you can knit through the tension! I once had a large Prayer Shawl to knit for a friend and finished it through the three Lord of the Rings movies. Two birds. One Stone. Good times.
-Learning is easy. Your crafter friend will be overjoyed if you ask her for lessons (trust me). Anything you don’t know or need a refresher on can be found online at YouTube or another crafting website named below.
My favorite sites:
Lionbrand.com -Tons of free patterns and online tutorials, plus a great podcast.
Ravelry.com -A community of other yarncrafters with patterns, forums and tons of pictures.
Craftzine.com -Great resource for inspiration and patterns
Getcrafty.com -This was my first experience with the online crafting world (awww)- So nostalgic.
Crochetspot.com – Great crochet patterns
Hookandneedles.com – Online tutorials, ideas and an adorable layout.
MochiMochiLand.com – This woman is a knitting machine! She churns out some of the most adorable creatures!
Paying For College: The FAFSA
Posted on: February 5, 2011
I graduated from my (relatively affordable) state college DEBT FREE and was able to save enough to put money towards my graduate education. How? It all starts with an application.
If you’re attending college- you need to fill out the FAFSA. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is available online and can be done in a relatively short amount of time-don’t be intimidated! Doing so will help you qualify for any available aid in three categories: Federal aid, State aid and School/Private aid and scholarships.
As soon as your taxes are done for the previous tax year (and your parents if you’re claimed as a dependent) start the application.
Even if you feel you will not qualify for Federal or State Student Aid, your FAFSA results are still required in order to apply for certain scholarships through your school or charitable scholarship funds.
Log on to Fafsa.Ed.Gov with the following:
-Your social security number, along with your parents if you are claimed as a dependent (and under 24 years of age).
-Driver’s license information, and the birth dates of your parents (if they are claiming you).
-Your most recent income tax return AND that of your parents (if they claim you).
-Your bank statements and parent’s financial information. (This will be used to document your assets- if you fill a form out online, you will not have to have an official hard copy, but you will have to be honest!)
-Apply for an online PIN to log in. If your parents are claiming you, you will need to register them as well- which might delay your completion (based on how cooperative your parents are). DO NOT lose your pin- you will need it to access your information to edit or reapply later!
The Deadline:
Each school has a different date for the priority registration of the FAFSA. The sooner you apply, the better.
Don’t get frustrated or hung up on the details- just like doing taxes, it’s an annoying process and sometimes not having the right information on hand can be a stumbling block.
Frugal Beautiful 