DIY IDEAS: MY Valentine's Surprise

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE!  


I hope everyone is having a good Valentine's today with your love ones :)

I thought I'd share my Valentine's gift with you guys with a quick step by step on how to achieve this kind of gift idea. This year, for Valentine's Day I decided to make an accordion book/picture frame for my boyfriend.

So a little on to how this idea started in the first place. Okay, my boyfriend's room is bare ... I mean EMPTY! I just recently was talking to one of my good friends about this and they said that that is actually pretty normal for many guys. Rooms BECOME decorated when there's a lady in the house LOL. Anyways his room just has the necessitates: Bed, desk, closet, and two dressers. Anyways, his desk is really empty there's really nothing there except for his computer. That's when I thought to myself ... "Hey! why don't I make him something to decorate his very naked room?!" and that's where the accordion photo book/frame came from!

I also wanted to make something special and on a budget for him because February 12th was our one year anniversary (the very first day we started talking) :)

SO let's get started!

Here's what you will need:

Cardboard
Cardstock Paper (anycolor)
Pictures (I used 5X5)
Glue (I used a gluestick)
Colored Construction paper (Optional)  
Scissors
Pencil
Eraser
Permanent Marker


Step #1 Get your Photos READY! 

Order photos that I wanted to put into the album. I wanted them to be square shaped and a little bit bigger so I ordered 5X5. (I printed out 13 photos)

Step #2  The accordion/bookpages of your album

Get the cardstock paper and measure it to the size you want each page to be.
Make sure you measure the cardstock to fit two pages on the paper, that way you can fold it and it will be easier BUT cut it to the size that you like.
(Mines are sorta a rectangle shape because I wanted room on the bottom to write something for each photo ... sorta like a bigger version of a polaroid!)

* A great tip is to cut out a stencil piece to help you measure it on the cardstock paper before you start cutting on your "good paper" it will save you time and help get you all the same size pages :)

Step #3 "Greeting Card Shape"

Cut the cardstock pages out. As you cut them the paper should be a rectangular shape since you will be folding it in half to create two pages (like a book!) After you cut all your pages out fold them all in half and they should look like little "greeting cards"

Step #4 THE ART OF ZIGZAG

Now to make the accordion look you are going to take two of these pieces and places them in a zigzag way.

Here's an illustration:

Take the second piece and flip it so its "upside-down"

Take P#1 SIDE B and glue it to "Upside-Down" P#2 Side A to create a zigzag accordion look.

Do this until you have enough pages for your pictures.

(I made 10 pages for 10 photos)

GLUE on your pictures!

STEP #5 COVER FRONT and BACK 

Now take the cardboard paper and cut it out to be a little bit bigger than your accordion pages since it will play as the front and back cover of your photo album.

*For cardboard, you can cut some out from an old box you aren't using anymore OR a unused gift box from Christmas :)

STEP #6 TO make the FRONT and BACK PRETTY

Take pretty construction paper. I used a construction paper that you use for scrapbooking and measuring it out to be a little bit bigger than your cardboard pieces. Place the side that you WANT not showing facing you. Take one cardboard piece and put on the construction paper. Fold all four corners of the construction paper. Then CUT the corners off of the constructions paper.

 


Fold the FLAPS of the construction paper onto the cardboard paper and GLUE. DO the same for second cardboard piece.

    

STEP 7: Putting it all together 

Take the ends of the accordion book pages and GLUE the ends to the front and back cover




STEP 8: ALMOST DONE! 

DECORATE the front and back cover

Put little captions for each photo

STEP 9: FINISH !! 

Now wrap GIFT!

TA DAH! 

SO that is my attempt of showing you a step to step DIY accordion PhotoAlbum :) Hopefully you enjoyed it! 

And I know Valentine's Day is coming to an end but hey! I just wanted to share with you so maybe you can use this idea for other special event/holidays during the year :) Its great for birthdays...Christmas...Anniversary... Be creative! :D

Until next  time! Thanks for visiting!! 

A New Year, A New Perspective

Hello FRIENDS! HAPPY NEW YEAR! WOW its 2016! I still cant't believe its already the new year. I felt like 2015 went by so fast or at least Christmas/New Years Eve came quick and left for me. So now its that time of the year where everyone bust out their paper and pencils, put on their thinking caps and start their list of resolutions for the new year. I also like every other person during the start of the new year have new resolutions I'd like to reach too! Yet I've notice though, sometimes we get a little too ambitious with our resolutions that we sometimes start them but never finish them. "Giving up half way" and then trying again the following year as a "new resolution" (WHICH I DO QUITE OFTEN LOL)

So this year I tried to start something different. Or at least try to see the new year in a different perspective. We have one year ... 365 days to make ourselves even better than the last so why not use the whole year to do so? What I mean is ... why not take our BIG AMBITIOUS GOALS for the year and cutting them into smaller chunks. Doing things in a step by step process so we don't feel as overwhelmed with one HUGE goal. I know that when we imagine accomplishing the goal its such a great end feeling but sometimes it gets stressful just thinking about the GOAL as a whole.  Making yourself stressed out wont do you or anyone else any good. Os I say why not make things into stepping stones until you reach your goal. The smaller the step, the more you build a habit, the prouder you will be of yourself. :)

For my resolution, I pledge to be better to myself and I think you should too! This year I want to remind everyone just as I do to myself is to love who you are and what you have become over the past years. You may have struggled and battled some wars some people may not understand but the with all of this YOU understand and that's what makes YOU.... YOU. No one can be you. So please take care of yourself because there's only one of you... you CANNOT be replace! This may feel a bit cliche but I'm serious! Honestly at times I feel like I don't belong or I don't fit in and all I can think about is if others like me or not or how can I be more LIKABLE ?!? But when it comes down to it, when you are your true self ... people like that. People like you for you ... not for someone else. If that's the case then we should just all be programmed robots lol :P I guess I'll further into this another day.

ENOUGH HEARTTOHEART lol hopefully you're still with me here and reading to the end lol.

What's your NEW YEARS RESOLUTION for 2016? (And when I say New I mean NEW for this year. No more repeats of what you tried to do :P )

p.s. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Let's be Friends!
New Friends New Year!

www.sshrimppaste.blogspot.com
IG: Michelebanhxeo
Tumblr: www.shrimppaste.tumblr.com



 

The NEUTRAL Rainbow

[NAIL POLISH]

HEY EVERYONE!! HAPPY DECEMBER! If I haven’t said that yet  :P So excited that the “MERRY” month has arrived! Though to be honest … November is probably my favorite month since Thanksgiving is my ALL TIME FAVORITE holiday is in this month as well as the change in season … when you can actually feel the season changing to Fall especially in sunny California lol. Okay enough said about November … let’s get down to business! To defeat … the HUNS! :) Today’s post is about my recent  purchase at Target on NAIL POLISH!  My mom, sister and I have just CLEANED out our old nail polishes from our little “nail polish bag” ( You know the ones that have become EXTREMELY thick, dry and CRUSTY … but for some reason you just keep and have no idea why. YEAH! So there was a 25% off all beauty items at Target and I just recently got a Target REDcard (yay 5%!) AND to top that … Essie was having a 10% on Cartwheel (which by the way if you haven’t discovered this APP you should! It’s an app with additional discount “coupons” at Target! Very easy to use so check it out to save some extra  money :D) Anyways I said to myself … “What the hey, let’s buy some Essie Nail Polish” Since the Essie brand has just a great “rave” I’d thought I give it a try. I bought  6 different shades … all in a pink/grayish color. My thoughts on my purchase were to buy polish that I could use on an everyday basis but also be professional with.  So I was immediately drawn to the “nude”/ “natural “shades.

 From left to right:

1 Ballet Slippers, 2 Fiji, 3 Eternal Optimist, 4 Chinchilly, 5 Smokin’ Hot, 6 Berry Naughty

** NOTE: The color swatches given through the internet doesn't ALWAYS match the colors seen in real life

Smokin’ Hot, and Berry Naughty wasn’t really a “nude” polish but I really liked the gray pigment of the Smokin’ Hot. That color was like a shade darker than the Chinchilly which seemed very much a neutral tone.  The Berry Naughty … Despite the NAME! Just kidding :P I really liked this dark wine/blood red color it gave off that red tone but not that “too bright red”  that stands out.. It also reminded me of Christmas so I had to get it. So I guess it is considered “neutral” in my eyes lol.

Nude nail polish is just an easy “go to” color whether you have an interview, want to be professional and clean, or just plain simple. I feel like these colors are the way to go.

The first color I started using was "Chinchilly" because it looked like "shrimppaste" HAH! 

What is your favorite “nude” or “neutral” nail color? Please share! I’d love to hear it!

p.s. Let’s be friends on other Social Media!
IG: michelebanhxeo  

Until Next time! 

s h r i m pp a s t e

BeautyBox Haul [October]

TARGET: BEAUTY BOX  OCTOBER 05, 2015/OCTOBER 19, 2015

So I couldn’t resist and bought the two recent beauty boxes that they had in the month of October.  These were NOT supscription boxes. These were a “one time box only” kind of beauty box where you get know what’s inside beforehand.  

The first one was a L’Oréal  box which included samples and travel sized items valuing up to $16.00 for ONLY $5 +FREE SHIPPING

What’s Inside BEAUTY BOX #1?

1. L’Oréal Paris: Voluminous Mascara

-  “Soften and build lashes up to 5 times their natural thickness for more a defined, voluminous look.”

2. L’Oréal Paris: Advance Haircare Total Repair 5

-  “Works both instantly and over time to help repair the five visible signs of damaged, overworked hair.”    

3. L’Oréal Paris: Age Perfect Cell Renewal Night Cream

-  “Rich, creamy moisturizer helps speed cell renewal for more youthful looking skin.”

4. L’Oréal Paris: Revitalift Volume Filler

-  “Advance re-volumizing technology helps improve skin’s volume with hyaluronic acid and Fibroxyl.”

5. L’Oréal Paris: True Match Shade Strips

-  “Shade-matching technology helps you find the perfect liquid foundation color for your skin.”

6. L’Oréal Paris:  Elnett Satin Hairspray

-  “A cult beauty fave, this legendary hairspray offers an all-day, strong hold with a soft, shiny finish.”

7. L’Oréal Paris: Advance Haircare Ultimate Straight

-  “Smoothing shampoo formula reacts with heat to maximize straightening & minimize damage.”

* Additional Target Coupon: $5 OFF L’Oréal  Paris beauty purchase of $20 or more

The second one was not as specific as the first one. The beauty items had much more variety. This box included sample and actual sized items valuing up to $50 for only $10 +FREE SHIPPING

What’s Inside BEAUTY BOX #2?

1. Goody: Ouchless Silicone Lined Elastics

-  “Made without metal for reduced snags & pulls.”

2. Covergirl: Intensify Me Eyeliner 300

-  “Intense black formula glides on smoothly and dries quickly for instant drama.”

3. Revlon: ColorStay Ultimate Suede Lipstick

-  “Velvety soft formula moisturizes with shea butter and aloe for color that last; available in 20 shades.”

4. RoC: Deep Wrinkle Night Cream

-  “Lightweight retinol treatment hydrates skin cells and helps reduce the appearance of expression lines and deep wrinkles.”

5. ACURE: Morroccan Argan Oil + Stem Cell Triple Repair Shampoo & Conditioner

-  “Organic argan oil provides moisture for even the most damaged hair, leaving it soft & manageable.

6. Skinfix: Ultra Rich Body Butter

-  “Super-rich formula quenches dry, parches skin.”

7. Hello: Toothpaste

-  “Dye-free, sugar-free paste safely polishes teeth and freshens breath.”

8: Olly: Beauty Vitamins

-  “An expert blend of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and collagen that promotes healthy eyes, skin & hair.”

9. S.W. Basics: Certifie Organic Body Scrub

-  “Gentle exfoliation & deep hydration made from three simple ingredients: sugar, coconut oil & shredded coconut.”

* Additional Target Coupon: $3 OFF Beauty purchase of $15 or more

Now I have YET to try all of these interesting items and give you the verdict of each lol. Thank you for visiting! Until next time!

**This blog post is not sponsored by Target in any way or form. This is just a simple beauty box haul (October 2015)  

s h r i m pp a s t e 

OOTD: HOT November

What I'm wearing: 

1. Jean Dress Overalls (Charlotte Russe)

2. O'Neil Crop Collar Top (Pacsun)

3. White Sunnies (Korean store)

4. Maroon Knee Socks (Forever 21)

5. Brown Heels (Cathy Jeans) 

Thank you For visiting! 

s h r i m pp a s t e

OOTD: Vertical Stripes

What I'm Wearing:

Vertical Stripe Blouse (Charlotte Russe)

Light Blue Mid-Skinnies (Pacsun)

Black Heels: Cathy Jeans 

Pearl Earrings: Vintage 

Thank you for for visiting! 

s h r i m pp a s t e 

Gifts On a Budget

Hello my wonderful readers! How are you guys doing today? Hopefully well and lively as the school year is about to begin! So today I wanted to share my go to idea when it comes to small sweet gifts on a budget.  My cousin/niece (I’m not sure on the perfect term/label for her is in English) has gone to a different state to go intern. She is supposed to do like 1000+ hours and she chose to go out of state to do it. It could be for a great experience, a new scenery change, becoming much more independent. There’s so many great possibilities. Anyways… she has set out once again to pursue her dreams J. I thought “wouldn’t be a great idea to get her a little going away/we’re her for you/cheering you on/so proud of you gift” ? So I rounded all the cousins together and decided we should do it together. Because we are ALL on a budget. College, poor, no money, loans … we thought of something cute, small, AFFORABLE, useful, and fun. We honestly just wants to show that we care and are cheering for her on towards her finish line. We ended getting …. STATIONERY !  I mean come on, who doesn’t like super cute stationery? 

So here’s the list on the things we bought:

#1 small pink notepad with pine trees

#2 yellow frog weekly planner

#3 bear water/juice bottle

#4 blue panda lead pencil, rilakkuma pen with assorted colors, white stick eraser

#5 cute “party bear” bookmark/post its

#6 Turquoise color large notebook with mustaches

Everything came to a rough $30 which isn’t too bad when you divide it amongst 5-7 cousins. !

These are just a few things that I personally thought of when I thought of my cousin whose interning right now. I’m sure there are a lot of different things that you can absolutely change from my list or a few more things you can add.

Just remember this, gifts don’t really matter as much as the thought that goes behind it.  The whole purpose of this was to let that special someone know that you paid attention, and that you’re still here for them no matter what or how long. Gifts and presents I think are just an added bonus to the love&support you give them !

So what would you give to someone if you knew they were going away to study? Name something you would change/ or add from my list! I’d love to hear it!

Thanks for reading ~

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESSICA: Little Tokyo Adventure

Hello viewers! So this video is a little late but I wanted to experiment with videos or "vlogs." Something new to try and explore :) Anyway this was a little adventure for my little sister. We decided to try out new things and places together. Little Tokyo or Little Tokyo Mall in LA  was one of them lol! Please enjoy! 

For more updates please follow me on Instagram @michelebanhxeo

TOODLES!

OOTD: Teatime

Hey everyone! Sorry for not posting as often as I should be. I know, I know I DO say that a lot. Probably in every post I think LOL. Anyways here's my outfit of the day. This outfit was inspired by fancy teatimes ladies would have on a Sunday afternoon. BRUNCH if you will :)

But really I was feeling fancy this morning :P 

Two Piece suit: Vintage/Mom's Closet
Shoes: ALDO
Sunglasses: Forever21
Bag/Backpack: Forever21

Pearls, fancy dresses, pinkies up,  triangle sandwiches, MMmm :)

 s h r i m pp a s t e 

Thank you for visiting! <3