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Tis the Season for Pack Rats

It's that time of year again....not Christmas, but wrapping a ridiculous amount of gifts time! This is a little DIY project that is so easy, it's actually fun to do! Alexis has demonstrated a few various and creative ways to wrap gifts this year. Most of the things used in this little project are found in your own home, therefore it’s inexpensive. Some items used are most definitely things I would never think to use on a gift, but that's where Alexis comes in.

Alexis is an artist who has been creating art for years. She creates anything from mural sized paintings to redoing furniture and even making her own clothes. She has an extraordinary vision for everything she encounters. I've known her for close to 3 years and I clearly understand that Alexis honestly visualizes most everything in a different light and/or fashion, for lack of better terms, than most of us. She has most definitely found her endless talent and niche in this world. Check out what she came up with:

I don’t know about you but I usually have a different passion monthly. Anywhere from thrift store remodels to sewing clothes. Due to these frequent obsessions I usually end up having scraps of all kinds around the house. This post shows how I’ve used some of them this Christmas! I barely spent any money on this project and when I did I went to Dollar Tree (the best place ever). If you are a perfectionist, I strongly advise you let loose with this one. I found that the less precise I was, the more I liked the out come. There are so many awesome materials that go in to this so its kind of impossible to mess it up.

First, round up! I gathered all kinds of stuff, pine cones outside, sticks, wrapping paper, tissue paper, newspaper, styrofoam, feathers, hemp, yarn, left over ribbon, cabinet liner and decorative paper. I even used one of my old headbands that broke that had a flower on it. Also, I had some long purple grass type stems that you usually use in vases that I got at dollar tree. You could even use sticks or old jewelry anyways, the list is limitless.

Start off by wrapping your gift with whatever you choose. I personally LOVE newspaper its easy and incredibly cheap. Then instead of using ribbon to glam up the box, I cut strips of some different wrapping paper and taped it in place. Then I added hemp and yarn to dress it up. Next is my favorite part to do, the bow! I collected a ton of different tissue paper and placed it all on top of each other. I cut a large circle and wrinkled up all the tissue paper to add depth. Then cut a slit in the center, string some ribbon through and tie it off. I had some clear plastic that my tissue paper came in and used it as well with the tissue paper. It looks awesome up close, nice and shiny.  I added a bow out of fabric, some strands of decorative grass, and some hemp. I found it’s best if you just hot glue this whole piece to your gift box.  

Also instead of buying To and From stickers, I got some cool cabinet liner at Dollar Tree and cut out a bird. You could use whatever pattern you wanted or keep it simple with a square or circle. Another To and From idea was cut out 2 circles out of decorative paper. Then I poked a whole towards the top of both circles and strung some ribbon through. Be sure to tie both ends off with a bow or knot, then loop this threw the back of the bow or behind some ribbon. It kind of reminds me of snow balls or ear muffs!

  



 











This one is one of my favorites, I got the center pine cone/ pear piece at dollar tree 2 for $1

 These were really fun projects. They are a bit time consuming but so much more rewarding. It would make for a awesome girls night with some music and hot coco!

This grey flower was my old head band that broke

 

I absolutely love pine cones! In the top picture I got a pine cone, tied some hemp and strung it behind the bow.



Jami's Album Suggestion of the Week

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Being the hardcore MGMT super fan that I am, I feel it's only natural that my first Album Suggestion of the Week be about Congratulations. It has been one of the most controversial albums of the year with everyone from NME to Pitchfork suggesting the group had succumb to commercial suicide. That being said, I cannot explain the pride and excitement I had when I came across this piece of information earlier this week:

http://www.billboard.com/features/critics-picks-billboard-s-top-10-albums-1004134327.story?page=3  Andrew VanWyngarden & Ben Goldwasser, the core duo of MGMT, took a leap with their sophomore album according to most music critics. But not according to me. Congratulations is an epic journey of a record that shines brighter with each listen from beginning to end. It sounds very similar to their first album, Oracular Spectacular, IF you are familiar with any of the album tracks other than Kids, Time To Pretend, or Electric Feel.  This record uncovers a world of psychedelic sounds mixed with 80's influenced pop and is by far, my favorite album of the year. MGMT never cease to amaze me and at times, I feel as if they should be categorized in their own genre. It's hard to put your finger on what exactly is the type of music they create, but that's the beauty.

Congratulations starts out by sending you on a surfing trip with the killer track "It's Working". With its catchy surf guitar riffs and upbeat tempo, you can't help but jam out to this one. "Someone's Missing" has begun creeping it's way into my top five favorite songs lately. The beginning of the song has a despondent feel to it with it's ghostly vocals paired with the echoing guitar and spacey synthesizer, but you're left with a feeling of hope once the track soars into it's 60's pop ending. "Flash Delirium" is the song the band decided to release as a "taster" off the album back in the spring, and because it's the 1st suggested track from the record, I inherently tucked it away and never gave it the attention it deserves. That was a huge mistake! This is another creeper from the album and I can't get enough of it. It's a hodge podge of sounds and layered vocals that were composed in chaos that simultaneously makes perfect sense. I'm trying not to name and write about each song, but it's very hard to contain myself when it comes to this record, so bare with me. One of the slower tracks off Congratulations is "I Found A Whistle". Every time I listen to this song, I feel like it's embedded a bit deeper into my heart. Musically and lyrically, the song transcends into greatness with psychedelic synths and a deeper meaning behind what really works. Is it the whistle that's working? We'll never know. Where do I even start with "Siberian Breaks"? This was definitely the first track that I quickly became obsessed with when the record came out. Nearly 13 minutes long, this song is an epic amalgamation of classic psychedelic sounds that fuse together perfectly. I'll quickly give you a tour of "Lady Dada's Nightmare" and "Brian Eno" - The first mentioned is an instrumental track that is precisely composed into a haunting yet beautiful masterpiece. The second mentioned is a nod to the famed British producer/artist. And what a better way to do so with a musically upbeat and 80's pop influenced tune - - this one is still one of my favorite tracks. And finally, the title track "Congratulations" is lyrically most definitely a spin off from "The Handshake" in the duo's debut.

I know it may not seem fair to speak so highly of this band and this album, since I am a self-proclaimed super fan, but trust me on this. After your first listen, you'll be locked in and there's no going back. MGMT have had their doubts after the release of Congratulations and throughout this tour, but I have to say this....what they are creating could not be more right in the world of music, and my only hope is that they continue to do so for years and years to come. This band has the power to transcend this brilliantly created music to all ears across the globe and that is definitely a good thing, my friends.

Hello World!

Hi Everyone! This is our first blog post. So, that being said, here's a bit of info on us. Our names are Jami and Alexis and we are in charge of this blog. We hope to spread ideas and interests to everyone who happens to come across this website. Our main interests consist of music and design of all kinds and that's what will be posted here. We'll post photos and DIY ideas for anything art or design related, and tons of music and album suggestions/news. Hope you enjoy!