Of course you can make clothes without a sewing machine!

Hello! ~(∘3∘)~
So err... I don't have much to talk about right now! ^-^
I haven't packed for the plane just yet, so I can't talk about that...
Today wasn't particularly exciting, either o^o
Hmm.
I'm just going to write about random things that come to my head, and then I'm going to see where this post ends up <(❂u❂)>
First off, if I DO get to go to Central London before leaving for vacation, it's most likely going to be on Thursday,Friday or maybe Saturday. Sunday... nope, and Monday or Tuesday? Ha, dream on! I will be too busy getting ready for vacation and there won't be much point anyway ^-^
...But if I don't get to go then I'm hoping to go for my birthday, so that's in October.
How big can my wishlist get? O_O
Perhaps I can leave out some stuff, save some for later or just get them another time :]

I was looking at a website and I came across a bit of text saying you can't make your own clothes without a sewing machine...
I'm going to debunk that! ;3;
Okay, sewing machines make it WAY more easier to sew your own clothes, but how do you think people got some of their clothes before the late 18th century?

Look at that fine 16th century dress. All before sewing machines were invented!

Sewing Machines just do the sewing part, which humans are capable of doing. It's just that sewing machines are way faster and efficient, but with enough time and effort you can do what sewing machines do ;3;

Well,almost. Maybe not exactly the same, but similar, right? :]

So, I'm thinking of making my own clothes at some point? :O

No, I'm not crazy.

Not this Summer, but maybe if I get some material and get used to sewing I can try making a skirt.

Then a shirt! :OOO

Anyway, that same site said you can't make a skirt without a sewing machine. Wrong! :O

There were some pretty good-looking skirts in the FOURTEENTH CENTURY, way before the sewing machine was invented.

Would you look at those posh dresses! Before, like, 1755. 

So umm...

I want the skirt to be REALLY CUTE.

Made out of CUTE FABRIC.

Then I'm going to sew the hem ;3; 

More sewing. Which will probably hurt my fingers a LOT.

After a few hours... going to add ribbons and frills and pretty stuff! :o

And then... I'm going to  be  SO PROUD! XD

So umm... here's what I know that's happening over the next few days ;3;

Tuesday- I'm going to the doctor's to pick up my medication and on the way we need to buy some stuff :3

Wednesday- I know that my mum is going to work, so I can't go to Central London ;o;

Thursday- Nothing so far, hope to go to Central London!

Friday- Nothing either ;o;

Saturday- ;o;

Sunday- Maybe going to the car boot! :D

Monday- Vacation prep

Tuesday- Vacation Prep

Wednesday- VACATION! :D

Eh, of course- I'm going to squeeze some fun stuff in there if I can. Which will result in interesting blog posts!

I know that some people already started school today O_O

School in August seems a strange idea to me, but I'm quite sure school in July and June is a strange thing to others too! ^-^

Like...

Me: Oh, my last day of term was the 18th of July. ~(=^u^=)~

Person: Wha-? I finished in May O_O

Me: O_O When do you start?

Person: Today

Me: O_O

Person: What about you?

Me: September 3rd >:D

CUTE STUFF CUTE STUFF MAKE EVERYTHING CUTE

FROM YOUR UMBRELLA TO YOUR PHONE CASE

DA DA DA ♫♪♫ > ~(◕◡◕)~<

Yup, that's it for today ^-^

See you all tomorrow, and don't forget that making your own stuff is super awesomely amazingly epic! :3

You can make a super-rare, one-of-a-kind object! :O

Bye bye!

-Lilac

P.s; Look! I made this super cute doll on Doll Divine ^-^

Vacation; change of plan!

Hello there! :D
Turns out there has been a change of plan, meaning my Summer fun posts have to be cut short :O
Remember this might change, and if it does I will let you know :]

I am not going on vacation by car and ferry, instead, I'm going by plane. It's an approximately two-hour flight, and instead of leaving on the 22nd of August I am leaving on the 20th. I asked my dad about it, and he said the flight is going to be for around 2 in the afternoon.
So... I have to wait less for vacation! Yay... XD
I plan to start packing and getting ready next saturday, the 16th of August.
From the 16th-19th of August I have to do the following;

• Clear out Kindle and install new apps and books
• Pack suitcase
• Pack travel bag

Okay, so maybe I can start on the 17th...
Either way, this means there are only 10 more days left...
Here is what you might find! I hope I will be able to post about those things this Summer, though this isn't a guarantee ^-^

• Car-boot sale experience; 98% chance of this post coming since I'm going tomorrow! I hope I will find myself something nice... 
• Summer Smoothie; I hope to make one, and I hope to share the recipe with you!
• Summer Food Spotlight: Coconuts. There's a coconut sitting in my cupboard and it's waiting to be opened :P
• More random drawings, when I draw them
• My garden! I spend the most time in my garden during the Summer, obviously :O
• Crafts and stuff like that
• Other weird and wacky things that happen to me!

So,yes...
I'm signing off, going to bed soon because I need to get up early tomorrow ^_^
Have a fantastic day, stay safe and enjoy the Summer!
-Queen Pickle
P.s; I might create a few random characters using some of the cool games on Doll Divine,do you think it would be fun to see some of the Hope For The Best characters being recreated on there?

Summer Snacks:Watermelon

Hello! ~(⚈∇⚈)~
★☆★Remember, there might not be a blog post tomorrow!★☆★
Wow, it's already the 7th of August, which means there is only so much time left to post about all sorts of fun Summer things while it lasts. Today, I am going to post about one of my favourite Summer snacks, which I did eat quite a lot of this year. It's delicious ice-cold, very sweet,red,and has a habit of being quite messy to eat!
The snack I'm talking about is...
♥WATERMELON!♥
Watermelon is a delicious Summer snack, and during other times of the year you can't buy them, or they are difficult to find.

Serving suggestion

If you remember, a few days ago I also posted a tutorial teaching you how to make a mini watermelon out of various rubber bands.

Anyway,there are loads of ways to enjoy this sweet fruit, here are my favourites!

~-Don't forget-~

➤ Watermelon tastes best and is most refreshing when ice-cold.

➤Don't leave watermelon out for long! It will dry out and taste strange, the texture will be unpleasant too.

➤To store leftover watermelon, I suggest wrapping it in something such as cellophane and storing it in the fridge.

➤Watermelons need large,sharp knives to be cut. I suggest that if you are young, you are supervised and assisted by an adult while cutting watermelon, or have an adult cut it for you.

 How to enjoy watermelon!
❃ Cut the watermelon up into slices, this is best done by cutting it in half over and over again until you reach your desired size. Remove the skin if you want to, and enjoy! This is great for tossing in a bag and taking with you as a snack on the go.
❃ Cut the watermelon into slices, then take how much watermelon you would like. Remove the skins, and dice the flesh. You can have this as a snack on the go, or you can toss it into a bowl and enjoy with a fork like dessert ^~^
❃For a summery oatmeal, ditch the classic blueberries and replace it with watermelon chunks! Sounds strange, but tastes good. If you can't stand watermelon chunks in your oatmeal, how about mixing it with watermelon puree instead? Alternatively, add watermelon to your cereal.
❃Use watermelon juice to sweeten up your water, surely makes a change from boring old water or that sour lemon water!
❃Purée watermelon and enjoy as a delicious,healthy smoothie. Add milk or yogurt if you wish.Bonus for dieters: Guilt Free!
❃Watermelon Yogurt- Start out with plain yogurt, mix in with  some watermelon purée and set it aside. Grab a bowl or something, then put leftover purée at the bottom. Purée more watermelon if needed, and then add the yogurt on top. Enjoy as a homemade alternative to fruit flavoured yogurts!
❃Watermelon Popsicles- Purée watermelon and then place it in individual popsicle moulds. Freeze and enjoy!
There are so many other ways to enjoy watermelon, from the juice to even adding it to cake! What is your favourite way?

Of course, watermelon is extremely healthy, too!
Here are the most notable health benefits you get from enjoying a watermelon popsicle or smoothie- proof that getting some beneficial vitamins and minerals can be yummy and fun!
~The red colour comes from Lycopene, an antioxidant. Antioxidants are known for their ability to protect your cells, and for fighting damage by harmful free radicals. Lycopene is also found in tomatoes. Watermelon also is a good source of other antioxidants, such as flavonoids.
~Watermelon is rich in Vitamins A and C, which are needed for good health. Hence, watermelon does good for your immune system and eyesight!
~Watermelon is also a source of Vitamin B6, needed for brain function and energy release. Back to school, anyone?
~Watermelon is a good source of potassium, essential for electrolyte balance and nerve function. It can also help with sleep!
~Watermelon contains amino acids which are beneficial to cardiovascular function.

***FUN FACTS ABOUT WATERMELON***
✣It is 92% water, hence the name watermelon!
✣There are over 1,200 varieties around the world!
✣Watermelon is grown in about 96 countries!
✣July is Watermelon month
✣Watermelon is a fruit and a vegetable!

Hopefully,you will enjoy watermelon at least once this summer!
How about spreading watermelon puree on toast?
-Queen Pickle

Food Serving Sizes-Doritos,Oreos,Cereal,Soda and Prepared Mac&Cheese

Hello! ~(⦿⟒⦿)~
How much soda do you typically drink after buying a bottle? Every single millilitre of the 500 in there? What if you were told this is double the serving size defined by the manufacturer?
Oh yes, ridiculous food serving sizes. What a juicy topic!
As you read this post, I have picked out many popular foods and compared the serving size listed on the packaging to what an average person would typically eat in a single serving. However, don't slash your consumption of Doritos just because the serving size is that small; one of the reasons for tiny serving sizes is the fact more people are scrutinising labels and no company wants to lose customers through seemingly scary nutrition information. (OH NO! TOO MANY CARBS! -faints-)

It's all marketing, children.

Okay seriously, back to reality now. Sit comfortably kids...

Doritos

What is it about Doritos that people love so much? I never liked them (mainly because I never even ate them in my whole life, and for some reason I just don't intend to).

What an average person would eat in a serving: Umm, the whole bag. Like, if you buy yourself a bag on the way home from work, what are you gonna do to the leftovers? O_O

An actual serving: Nope. The manufacturer disagrees. They expect you to stop once you reach 11 chips. Uhh...

Much more tiny than you thought it was.

Irony, please? The commercials show people wolfing down way more than 11 chips.

Oreos

The average person would eat: Once you eat one, it's hard to stop,right? Well,I don't know, but the average person eats 6-20 Oreos in a serving. Yes. 20. T-W-E-N-T-Y. Some people are that amazing.

An actual serving: Nah, the company is going to spoil your fun by declaring a serving is THREE COOKIES. THREE. SERIOUSLY?

Admit it- this is about how many Oreos you eat in a serving

Ha, no. Because Nabisco are all 3 year old toddlers with stomachs too small for anything above 3 (sarcasm). Gee, I  bet even a 3 year old would be shocked if they saw this midget serving size!

Froot Loops and most other cereals

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIINNNNGGGG.

That's your alarm clock, waking you up for the first day of school after a long Summer off.

Exhausted, you trail out of bed; depressed, exhausted and downhearted. The next summer is a year away. Hang on, only one thing raises your spirits...

GEE, THERE ARE FROOT LOOPS IN THE CUPBOARD!

You technically jump down the stairs and dig into your bowl, until...

Okay, from what I've seen ,this is how much most people eat.

Even Kellogg's say so! Why? This picture belongs to their website.

Let's see.... the serving size is 30g (or 3/4 cup)

WHAT?

No pictures anywhere, but I can tell you it's very small compared to that huge bowl you see above.

Here is 30g of other cereal brands;

Cheerios.

Okay, to be honest, this looks a bit bigger (but not too much) than what I would eat on a regular morning.

However, the person who owns the picture says the usually eat around this much;

A similar amount to that shown in most commercials! I assume that the owner of that picture isn't the only one who eats that amount.

SHOCK. CEREAL BRANDS. WHY?

Curiously Cinnamon.

I like those little guys, but haven't had them for a while O_o

This is meant to be 30g, which looks roughly the same, maybe just a bit bigger than what I would eat.

However, most people eat about 2-4 times that size, then again...

WHY CEREAL BRANDS?

Try weighing out your cereal, and see for yourself the serving sizes set by the companies!

Ha, not enough to stop me eating more than 30g of cornflakes though :P

Soda

Umm, what a tiring day! Thank Panda there's a Tesco right around the corner...

You grab a 50cl bottle of cola and gleefully sip it- great reward after such a long day, right? 

Though not all at once, this seems like the serving size... right? I mean, it's one bottle, so...

WRONG.

Coca Cola expect you to know where half of the bottle is as a serving is 250ml, and let's be honest- drinking is easy. You can easily drink 400ml without even noticing.

Finally...

Prepared Macaroni and Cheese

How much do you eat in a serving? The whole bag, perhaps? Nah, Kraft doesn't doubt your amazing visualising abilities as they expect you to know how much 1/3 of a bag is exactly!

Yup, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.

You ate the whole package?

Kraft says you're a greedy pig because it's 3 servings.

Ignore them! :O

Yup, tiny serving sizes. See you all tomorrow, don't forget there might not be a post on Friday! 

-Queen Pickle

How to make a mini watermelon charm out of rubber bands

Hello everyone! ~(\(・•⋁•・)(\~
Please read through the whole tutorial before attempting
The time has finally come for me to post a tutorial which will teach you how to make a mini watermelon charm out of coloured rubber bands, which is perfect for raising the summer spirit at any time of year!
This is an ideal first charm to make, as I try my very best to explain each part here for beginners. Sadly, I have no video, but hopefully you will be able to follow my picture guide.
After you're finished, the charm makes a great addition to keyrings, bags,pens and more- there are so many different ways for using them!

Without further ado, let's make watermelons! ⋀ℨ⋀

Mini Rubber Band Watermelon
For this tutorial, you will need;

➢Red loom bands
➢Green loom bands
➢Black loom bands (optional)
➢Any type of loom (I'm really sorry, but I don't think it's impossible to make one without a loom!)
➢A hook tool

Begin!

1. Firstly, make sure your loom looks like this; (all pins have to be in line with each other)
2. Flip your loom so it is in a vertical position, and the pins are facing downwards.

3.Grab a green band, and put it on from the top-left pin to the pin below.

4.Carry on putting bands in that pattern until the 7th pin to the left. Your loom should look like this;

5.Grab a red band, and place it from the 7th pin to the left to the 6th pin in the centre. Repeat with another red band, but this time from the 6th pin in the centre to the 5th pin on the right.

6. Place single red bands going up from the 5th pin on the right to the 3rd pin on the right.

7. Place a single red band from the 3rd pin to the right to the 2nd pin in the centre. Repeat for the 2nd pin in the centre to the top-left pin.

8.Put one red band on the second pin to the left to the second pin in the centre. Do the same for the 6th pin to the left to the 6th pin in the centre. 

9. Put a red band across the 3rd pin to the left, going from there to the third pin to the right. Repeat for the two rows below.

10. Put a red band from the third pin in the centre to the fourth pin in the centre. Keep doing that until you reach the 6th pin in the centre. 

11.If you want seeds, take a black band and find the pin you want it on. Wrap it around that pin 2-3 times.

12. Take a green band and wrap it around the 7th pin to the left 2-3 times.This is known as a capping band. Do this again on the top-left pin.

13. Take your hook and find the 7th pin to the left. Grab the green band at the bottom, unhook it then hook it back on the 6th pin to the left. Keep doing that until you reach the top left pin.

 (This picture is flipped, but you can still see the green bands)

14.Go back to the 7th pin on the left, and reach for the red band. Hook it on to the 6th pin in the centre.

15. Go to the 6th pin in the centre. Hook the first red band to the 5th pin in the centre, and then hook the second red band to the 5th pin to the right.

16. See the 5th pin in the centre? Take the red band at the bottom and hook it upwards to the 4th pin in the centre. Keep doing this until you reach the second pin in the centre. 

17. Grab the red band at the bottom of the second pin in the centre and hook it to the top-left pin.

18. Repeat what you did from the 6th pin in the centre to the 2nd pin in the centre, but this time from the 5th pin to the right to the 3rd pin on the right.

19. Once you reach the 3rd pin on the right, take the red band and the bottom and hook it on the 2nd pin in the centre. 

20. Almost there! Locate the top-left pin and push your hook through all the bands. Now, place a band of your choice (I chose black) on the hook, and then push the hook back up, still holding on the band you just placed. Place the end that you just hooked on the pin, but keep grabbing the band. Put the other end of the band on the hook, then take the end that you just put on the pin off the hook. Let go, and you have a slip knot!

21. Remove your watermelon from the loom. Take a deep breath...

You will notice two red bands sticking out at the bottom. If you would not like this to happen, place a capping band on the 6th pin in the centre and the 5th pin to the right while making the charm. 

Complete!

Well, this charm didn't turn out as well as my original watermelon. I think the reason for this is when I put a single rubber band over three pins- I think I should have put one rubber band over two pins. So, when you are making this, try doing that and I hope your charm works!

This is the original charm;

Darn, it moved. Either way, you can see it didn't have the same problem as the charm in this tutorial.

If I develop this charm, I will post an updated tutorial. Surely, this tutorial was tiring to make O_O

Very frustrating, too.

Oh well! ^-^

See you all tomorrow, but for now have a thrilling day and stay safe!

P.s My liver biopsy is this Friday :o

There might not be a post on Friday for that reason!

-Queen Pickle

Art for you- Manga eyes, a person and random compilation no.1

Hello everyone!
First off, blog news;
*Now, your cursor creates beautiful rainbow sparkles every time you move it! Isn't it beautiful?
*My posts will now start featuring a wider range of symbols to help express myself, from 🍎 and 😱 to ☺!
*Can you see that? Don't tell me- yes, it's snow and I'm only testing it out right now. I am most likely going to remove it at some point and replace it with something summery, but don't worry- you can expect to see the snow again when Winter approaches! ♥
Well, I drew 3 pictures over the course of yesterday evening and today, so I'm going to share them with all of you in today's post!
I expect to post the adorable mini watermelon rubber band tutorial tomorrow, so stay tuned! 😊

Manga eyes- they come in so many different varieties and pictured above are just some of the ones I managed to come up with! The reason for this picture is that I have been using the same eye style for quite a long time now, so I decided to experiment with many different styles. They all came out much better than I expected them to!

On the other side of the page, I have decided to test out those eyes. Note this picture was quite rushed- I haven't even finished it yet! I probably won't, either 😅

Lastly...

The picture that was done yesterday evening...

Yes, all sorts of random stuff. A person, a pear, a patterned heart,water,rainbows... gee, even a bubblegum fish, green swan and a cat with wings! Please note this was my first attempt of drawing a cat like that, and I can do better than...well...that thing.

I guess that's all for today, but don't worry! I expect to post the tutorial tomorrow that will teach you to create a cute mini watermelon charm out of rubber bands, and later in the month you can look forward to summer snack suggestions, tips, art and so much more :D

Have a fantastic day everyone, and see you in tomorrow's post!

-Queen Pickle

Sunburn and heat...stay safe from the sun!

Hello!
Happy August everybody! ^-^
Today's post is yet another post with Summer tips, because there are some things in the Summer it would be really useful to have some tips and advice on.
I am going to post about staying safe from the sun, because even though enjoying the sun outside is fun, excess exposure without protection can cause problems. The most notable are increased risk of skin cancer and also sunburn, which is a painful condition that is quite common in the Summer months. With the sun shining down on us this month, we need to know how to stay safe and enjoy the sun without suffering from sunburn! :D

Follow the tips below, and you won't have red stinging areas on your skin again!

• Sun cream- Use a sun cream of an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15. For sensitive individuals, you might want to use a higher SPF. The SPF is clearly displayed on the packaging, so make sure you pick what is right for you! I currently use sun cream with an SPF of 50 before going out into the sun. Apply the cream to all exposed areas (usually arms, legs and face) before going outside into the sun for long periods of time, and apply it again after a few hours in the sun and after going in water. 
• Sun hat- Sun hats help a lot, to protect your head from all that sun. In fact, the sun's rays can give headaches if you stay out for too long, so if you know you are going to be out in the sun for a long period of time take a sun hat with you! You don't need to wear it ALL the time, but it's sensible to have it with you.
• Sun glasses- UV rays can also damage the eyes if exposed for too long, and it's why you have been advised since childhood not to look directly at the sun. Wear sun glasses to protect your eyes from the sun, but it's still not an excuse to look directly at the sun!!!
• Stay in the shade if you can- sure, enjoy your time in the sun, but be sure to take breaks in the shade frequently so you don't get too tired out there! It also reduces your exposure to harmful UV rays, so take breaks often and make sure to go in the shade!
• Hydrate! It's easy to get dehydrated in the summer, click here for hydration tips!
• Remember the hottest part of the day tends to be between 11am and 3pm.

Stay safe Pickles, and have a great day! See you all tomorrow!
-Queen Pickle