The Intrepid

There’s always these pieces of history that take us back, and remind us of all that we have to be grateful. The Intrepid fits that exact description, as it is a sight that represents our freedom, our fight, and our efforts for America. You may not know all that there is to know about the Intrepid, or maybe you barely have a clue about this battleship...so how about I give you some facts so you too can learn the majestic history of the Intrepid.

The Flight Deck Aircraft

An aircraft that would be on the Flight Deck would be the Avenger torpedo bomber, which made a few great achievements. The Avenger torpedo bomber is part of the Intrepid’s collection of distinctive aircrafts from around the world. The significance about the aircraft was that it took part in  World War II service, and therefore, was very strongly built. The Avenger torpedo bomber was launched into World War service from 1942-1945.

 

 

Fo’c’s’le

 

This part is the foremost part of the ship, and home of the anchors. The Fo’c’s’le contains the anchor windlass, the machinery that raises and lowers the ship’s giant anchor and anchor chain. The deck also carries a very massive chain in it. The deck has two 30,000 pound anchors, where visitors can now get an up close look of them. The deck has recently been restored and and open for viewing.

Some Facts!

- Every sailor had a locker called a three man locker. This locker was used when the sailors were living on the USS Intrepid. The locker would be packed with their clothes, and personal belongings. This shows the life the sailors had to adapt to during the time the sailors were aboard.

- The berthing area was where sailors slept in bunk beds. This place was also where they would socialize, and relax.

- The mess deck was where the Navy cooks would prepare meals. Often, around 10,000 meals would need to be prepared each day!

 

The Ports of Call!

1. Newport News, Virginia

- The Intrepid launches (April 26, 1943), and starts its journey in August, 1943

     2. Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

- The Intrepid arrives in Pearl Harbor (Jan 10, 1944)

    3. Western Pacific ocean, Philippines

- The Japanese Kamikaze attack, 69 men died, 35 wounded (Nov. 25, 1944)

    4. Ulithi, Micronesia

- Men were allowed to explore the ports on Liberty

   5. North Atlantic Ocean

- Helicopters pick up astronaut Scott Carpenter from the Mercury 7 space mission

   6. North Atlantic Ocean

- Intrepid picks up 2 astronauts and the 2-person capsule Gemini-3

  7. Egypt

- Intrepid passes the Suez Canal during her second deployment in Vietnam

  8. New York, New York- Pier 86

- The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum opens on August 3, 1982

 

Closing

Overall, the Intrepid is a great experience and I hope you all visit it! It fought for our freedom and shows the wonderful history, giving us a remembrance of the past, and making us grateful for our future.

 

Recycled Nail Polish Jewelry

Hey everyone, sorry for not posting for a while....Anyway, today's craft is going to help use up some nail polish, and possibly make the nail polish that you didn't like anymore part of a beautiful creation! In this specific craft, we will be making fashion rings. The results are gorgeous, and the craft is both simple and doesn't create a mess! In this craft some materials that you will need are: small glass stones (clear), a topcoat of nail polish, glitter, a variety of nail polish of your choice, craft glue, and a ring blank like the picture on the right. All of these materials can easily be found at any craft store (Hobby Lobby, Micheals, A.C Moore, etc.)I hope you all are as excited about this craft as I am, let's get started!

This video is by CraftKlatch, so if you enjoyed this tutorial, be sure to check out her channel on YouTube. This video seemed very simple, and also a great craft to keep kids busy. Speaking of kids, it's a great party favor as well as a thoughtful present. The rings can easily match with any outfit, and costs next to nothing! I'm sure that you must have seen these types of rings in the stores, but now you can make your own, using some basic items in you house, making it cost less than $5! I hope you all plan on trying this out, and let me know if you do! Feel free to comment below on opinions suggestions, and just about anything! That's all for now, bye!

Homemade Collage!

Hey guys, so today I’m going to show you all how to simply make a gorgeous collage to store years of memories! Collages are great ways to store pictures and remember your old and new friends! If you're moving, or going away for college, it’s a great way to store your childhood in a pretty, yet interesting way! Somethings to remember is that if you have a rather large poster board that you’re going to use for your collage, make your pictures bigger, so that they pop out more! Anyway, I’m really excited about this project, so let’s begin! Just remember to have fun with it! Overlap many pictures to give it a funky look, and add in as any colors as you want! Also remember that this is YOUR little souvenir, so whatever you put can never be wrong!

I hope you really are excited about this project! I'm going to show you how I would make a collage through steps. First, I would take a colorful paper, bigger than printing paper, but not a full poster board. Then, I would get a bunch of pictures, all different sizes, and print some out online, including photos, scenery, and clipart. Everything put on, should have a meaning for you, so really try to make it speacial. I would also get some construction paper and lay it on the clear poster board to add some color. After the construction paper is on, I'd lay down the larest pictures first, and then overlap with the smaller oes, to make an imperfect, and fun design! I hope this helped, but if you want another set of instructions, try the link below!
http://www.ehow.com/way_5848005_homemade-picture-collage.html

Decorate Your Phone Case!

Your phone case is a great way to express your personality, especially when you can decorate it yourself! I know that many phone cases are plain, and the ones that are more interesting cost a good amount of money. Today I will be showing you how to easily decorate your phone case to with some glitter and glam to reflect yourself! I'll be showing two easy ways to decorate your case, and I hope you try them out! All you need for these are solid cases, which can be found anywhere, from Wal-Mart to Target. Make sure to comment on your favorite idea in the comment section below!

Galaxy Phone Case
One of the cutest fashion statements of this year has been the galaxy design. It's also very cute and easy to do on your phone case. It only takes about an hour or two, but it's really worth it. All you need is a black phone case, and some nail polish colors like blue and purple that you will dab on with a makeup sponge. The video below will demonstrate how to properly achieve this look. It's by principessa3x, so if you like this video, check out her channel on YouTube.

 

 

Freestyle!                                                                                                             

 

This is my favorite one out of the two because it is so simple and can be changed everyday into something new! All you need is a clear case and wallpaper/printed paper. You just cut out the paper into the size of the case and place it in the case, so that the print faces the outside. It's very cheap, and if you can't find a clear case, try eBay or amazon. The video below is by Michele Baratta, so be sure to also check out her channel if you enjoy this video.

Pillow Decoration Ideas!

Hey everyone, I know that in my last few posts I've been discussing how to put some spark in you bedroom with the walls on the message and flower lampshade. So first off, if you haven't checked out those posts, I hope you do now. Next I'd like to introduce today's topic, which is going to accent your bedroom and really going to bring it to life. Today I will be showing you all ways to decorate your pillows with household materials that I'm sure you'll have. This time, I'll be doing a bunch of ideas, so I hope I mention one that is perfect for you! Also, before we start, I'd just like to say that you will need to think creatively to succeed. For example, if the project calls for ribbon, fabric or even recycling your old clothes could work. Let's begin! (Also, I won't be telling you specific topics, I'll give a few examples and you could decide what to do with them.)

Buttons!
Buttons are adorable, especially when it comes to decorations! All you need is a bunch of these from clothes, or anywhere else you can find them! I would recommend that you use different sizes, to make it look as fun and cute as possible! The picture on the right is a great example on how to use these buttons. To stick the buttons on, use super glue. Remember: You'll need plenty of these to create a picture, so try getting some from the store.

Lace!
Give your pillow an elegant, romantic feel with inches of lace-ribbon. You just need to trim it to your preference, and apply it on! Remember: you can never turn wrong with this project, because everything is done to your preference!  You may accessorize the pillow after the lace is applied. For example, a thin black ribbon across the center will be a great finishing touch, as well as some rhinestones to match your personality. Just remember to have fun with it!

Felt!
Last but not least, felt will enhance your pillows to reflect your personality. From butterflies, to trees, to just about anything, this one is most likely the most fun to use out of the three. These pillows are great to match with fun prints for children's rooms and nurseries. Also, add an elegant feel with a more sophisticated design. The picture on the right is a perfect example on a quick and cute design using felt. This one is actually creating a 3-D effect, and looks very professional. This actually may cost up to $50 in a store but can easily made for less than $15 at home.Again, you may use super glue to stick them on, or if you want, you may sew them on.

That's all for now, I hope you enjoyed this weeks post, and share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Flower Lampshade

Hey everyone, so today is another DIY on how to make a flower lampshade. This craft is adorable and illuminating, so I hope you like it as much as I do! The flower lampshade is also very simple to do, making the task of making the lampshade easier. The lampshade is a great decoration for bedrooms, hallways, and just about any place in the house! Some basic materials that you will need for this craft is super glue, a bunch of fake flowers, a lamp and lampshade, and patience since it takes time to complete. Before we start, the video below is by theeasydiy from YouTube, so be sure to check out her channel if you enjoyed this video.

 

As you can see, the lampshade is beautiful and clearly eye-catching.  It's very simple yet fancy at the same time. I hope that you all try it, because it's a great way to decorate a room and brighten it up! Lastly, this feminine and girly lampshade is quite inexpensive, especially if you already have a lamp. In the video, the lampshade only costs about $4, and the flowers can be found at the dollar store or any other retail store. That's all for this week, stay tuned for next week's post! And remember: the comment section is always open for tips, comments, and suggestions!

Message on a wall

Hey everyone, so today's craft is how to make messages on a wall as wall décor, using magazines! This craft is very unique and creative, so I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do! I have to say, that this craft is very simple, so for those of you who want something cute and simple, this one's for you! Not to mention, this craft is also quick and cheap- probably free is you get a lot of magazines that you don't want. The picture on the left is a reference on how the finishing piece will look like. As you can see, the craft looks very clean, yet funky for uniqueness. I hope you all are excited about this as much as I am... let's get started!

The craft calls for magazines, a pair of scissors, a marker, and either scotch or masking tape. All you really have to do is flip through a magazine until you find a page you like. When you find it, take your marker and draw a letter (make it big!) that is part of your message/word in block/bubble/cursive, and cut it out. Do the same with the rest of your letters. When your message is cut out, use tape to tape it on the wall. turn on a fan to make sure it is stuck on properly. For a better understanding, watch the video below, bye!

If you like the video, make sure you check out her channel: anatheglamdolll

The Answer is in Your Hands...

Throughout their career, both Vincent Van Gogh  and Leonardo da Vinci have done amazing work, yet people still have a question up in their heads, which one is better?

Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent Willem Van Gogh was a Dutch post-impressionist artist, famous for his work in the 1800s. Although he had died at a very young age, it wasn't until his death that his paintings had become famous. During his career, Van Gogh's work was only known by a few, and appreciated by even less. He started to draw at an early age, but didn't pick up painting until his late 20's, completing some of his best-known works during the last two years of his life, before he died at the age of 37, on March 30, 1853. In just over a decade, Van Gogh had produced more than 2,100 artworks, consisting of 860 oil paintings and over 1,300 watercolors, drawings, sketches and paints. Some of his paintings include the famous "Starry Night", his collection of self portraits, "Bedroom in Arles", and "Starry Night over the Rhone."
Information from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_van_Gogh

Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath:  painter, sculptor, architect, musician, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist, and writer. He is widely considered to be the greatest painter of all time, and perhaps the most diversely talented person ever to have lives. Living to the age of 67, he had an interest in many things, but is still known widely for his best known paintings, that include the "Mona Lisa". Due to his new techniques, which were constant and frequently disastrous, though, only about fifteen of his paintings have survived. Throughout his art career, his interest in science had influenced him. 
Information from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_da_vinci

Chart
Still don't know who to chose? Here's a chart comparing the two artists.

Vincent Van Gogh	Leonardo da Vinci
Famous after death	Famous before he died.
Over 2100 paintings	Only 15 paintings have survived to this day
Lived to 37	Lived to 67
Focused on mainly art	Famous for art but had many interests
Famous for Starry Night	Famous for Mona Lisa

Top Three Paintings by Van Gogh and da Vinci

1. Starry Night- Vincent Van Gogh

     1. Mona Lisa- Leonardo da Vinci
     2. A Wheatfield with Cypresses- Vincent Van Gogh
     2. The Last Supper- Leonardo da Vinci
     3. Irises- Vincent Van Gogh
     3. Head of a Young Women with Tousled Hair- Leonardo da Vinci
   

The Decision

Now that you've heard both sides of this argument, it's your time to choose. Whose the better artist out of the talented duo? Vincent Van Gogh or Leonardo da Vinci? Take the poll on the top right hand corner or comment below leaving your choice.

Should Creativity be Considered Illegal?

A bit inspiration, acknowledgement, and culture... should that really be illegal? Throughout the years, people have been arguing if graffiti, or street art should be legal, or remain illegal. Should it considered vandalism or creativity? Disrespect, or meaningful? It's up to the world to decide. The decision starts with you.

Reasons to be Legal

Throughout the years, many consider street art as "tasteful, expressive, and beautiful pieces of art, which adds culture to bland landscapes."  The meaningful pieces of art have been seen almost everywhere, and as many admire the pieces by the unknown artists, other shun them away. In one form or another, street art has been a part of human life since the ancient times. These artists, probably being "invisible " at one point get their own sense of territory with their meaningful and inspiring pieces. Many of these pieces are very appropriate, and at many times tell a story that relate to many others. Although street art is still considered illegal today, I feel that there are many more serious crimes today, and a person shouldn't be charged, or prisoner  for trying to find the voice inside of them. I feel that the consequence is way too serious, I mean, wouldn't chalk on a sidewalk be just as much of a crime? 

Reasons to be Illegal

On the other hand, others describe graffiti as vandalism, disrespect for others, and a "waste of time and paint." While many pieces of street art are inspirational, others feel that there is still too many inappropriate pieces of street art that are covered with curse words. One of the biggest reasons that people refuse to accept street art is because it decreases value of buildings, as well as costs millions for the city to clean up. This sometimes unattractive art causes these people to refuse to look deeper into these pieces. The mood, feeling, and story behind it. While they still admire modern art, they forget that most of the true artist are still yet to be discovered. 

Pros and Cons

Here's a chart listed with arguments defending both sides... so what do you think? Do you think street art should remain illegal, or do you think that we should accept the culture that has been with us since the dawn of man?

Pros of graffiti	Cons for graffiti
Makes a “statement”	Decreases value of building
Unusual, eye-popping images	Some “expressions”
Part of human culture, been part of the world since ancient times	Can lead to other crimes, especially for the youth
exciting to the eye	vandalism, and can lead to violence
Reveals talent	Costs thousands of dollars to clean up

 

The Decision

Now you've seen both sides of this argument. While it's clear to me that graffiti should be legal, as long as there are some restrictions, it's not my decision, it's yours. Take the poll on the side of this post, or just comment below, telling if you feel if graffiti should be legal or not.

Roses from Plastic Spoons

Hey everyone, so as my title says, today's tutorial is about How to make Roses from Plastic Spoons. I know that many of you all aren't expecting great outcomes for this craft, but all I can say is that you might surprise yourself! The finishing piece is actually really impressive, and the picture to the left shows an example of it. The rose is very realistic-looking, and a perfect home décor for any house or occasion! I definitely recommend that you try this craft more than once if you get off with a rough start, and just remember: no rose is perfect, and it isn't always going to look exactly like the picture! I hope that you're now as excited about this craft as I am, let's get started!

 

First off, I would just like to give the credit for the "producer" of this video, which in this case is FaveCraftsVideo  so if you enjoyed this video, be sure to check out her channel on YouTube. This craft is truly unique and amazing, so I hope you plan on trying it out. Next off, I'd just like to say, that this craft requires the use of flames, so if you use parent's permission and you may also want an adult to supervise you during the craft. One tip I have for you is to use the same colored spoons throughout the rose, to give it a more realistic feel. A colorful rose is fine, if you're not aiming toward that goal. I'm sorry that I didn't post this up during Valentine's Day, but it's still a great craft! Feel free to comment, critique, suggest, and opinionate in the comment section below! That's all for now, bye!

Tree of Life

The tree of life has been a very important and symbolic in both terms of religion and beliefs for many people throughout the world. With many areas having their own "trees", the common known fact is that it's close to many of us. Today's craft is once again a jewelry tutorial. This time, we are going to learn how to make a Tree of Life pendant. For those of you who don't know what the Tree of Life looks like, the picture above is an example of the Tree of Life. Anyway, I'm excited to start going with this craft, so let's learn!

 

So first of all, I'd like to give credit to the person who made this video. This video was by YrDesign, so if you enjoyed this tutorial, make sure to check out her YouTube channel. I feel that this craft is very unique and can be very personalized (shape of tree, color of beads, etc.) Anyways, I hope you all liked the video as much as I did. Feel free to comment below, because the comment section is always open for opinions, suggestions, and feedback. Stay tuned for next week's post, and see you next time!

Spray Paint Techniques

Hey everyone today I'm going to talk about different techniques in spray paint. These techniques are really amazing, and impressive. It's really great and not as time consuming as you might think... The results of these techniques coming together are awesome, so let's get started. The video that I'm about to show you is from YouTube, and is bySEIfilms, so if you enjoy this, please check out his page on YouTube. Many of these techniques that you will learn through this post are very simple, but create unique designs. Let's start!

 

The three basic techniques that are demonstrated throughout this post are: reflections, making trees, and using stencils. It's actually quite interesting what you can do in just a few minutes that can create something extraordinary. The stencil used in this tutorial can simply be made with poster paper, and achieved in a few seconds. Warning: this piece of art calls for a lot of space an is messy, so make sure you lay out some newspapers before you begin. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this tutorial as much as I did! Please feel free to comment on your opinion about this post as well as suggest ideas for future posts! That's all for now, bye!

Valentine's Day... Two Gift Ideas

Hey guys, so today I decided to post a few homemade tutorials for Valentine's Day, since many like to take part in giving gifts to the people you care about. Anyway, the two crafts that I will show you are called Matchbox Valentines and Handmade Conversation Heart Soaps. The first one, Matchbox Valentines are very, very simple, and cute! It is pretty much a covered up matchbox, which is empty, until you fill with something nice, like candy, letters, etc. The second one, on the other hand, takes a bit longer. I hope you guys are excited for today's post, let's begin.

Matchbox Valentine
Materials:
-matchbox (bigger than the mini ones, the bigger, the better)
-any piece of paper (wrapping paper, construction paper, etc.)

Steps
1. Take a decent sized matchbox and empty it. Then, hold it the long way, one end facing you.
2. Take it in your hand and pick up your paper in the other. From one edge, wrap it around the matchbox. If your paper is too small, grab a bigger piece.
3. Open up matchbox and fill it up with desired contents.
4. If desired, wrap ribbon around box. This benefits if you want to tuck in a note under the ribbon. Enjoy!
Here, to the right, are finished results of this craft.



Homemade Conversation Heart Soap
instructions copied from: http://www.marthastewart.com/266875/heart-shaped-soap
Tools and Materials
Nonstick 9-inch square pan
Heart-shape cookie cutter
Glass measuring cup
Glycerin soap
Bench scraper
Soap colorant or food coloring
Spray bottle filled with rubbing alcohol
Cutting board
Needle nose pliers
1/8-inch metal letter stamps
Masking tape
Heart-Shaped Soap How-To We used a 2-inch cookie cutter (1 inch high) and 2 1/2 pounds of glycerin soap-sold at crafts stores-to make 16 hearts.

Steps
1. Depending on your equipment, yields may vary. To determine how much glycerin you'll need, fill pan with water to 1/4 inch below height of cookie cutter; pour water into measuring cup. Record amount; discard water.
2. Cut soap into small pieces with bench scraper; fill measuring cup. Microwave on medium heat until melted; stir. Add soap and heat until you've reached the water amount. Add colorant; stir. Pour liquid into pan. Spray with alcohol to eliminate bubbles.
3. Let harden at room temperature, 2 hours. Freeze 10 minutes.

4. Turn upside down onto cutting board. Create soaps with cookie cutter; pull cutter out with pliers if it sticks. Tape stamps together to form words, and imprint on soap, applying light, even pressure.To the right are pictures of the finished results.





I hope you all enjoyed this post and these tutorials as much as I do. Please comment on your thoughts of this post, and suggestions on future ones!

Paracord Bracelet

Hey guys, so today I'm going to show you how to make a paracord bracelet. For those of you who don't know what that is, of how it looks, the picture on the right is an example of this bracelet. As you can see, this craft incorporates a lot of knots, and patient. Don't get me wrong; this craft has very simple steps, but it can also very easily be messed up! Warning: this craft uses the use of flames, so please be very careful of ask other to do that step for you.  Okay, let's get started!

 

I feel that this bracelet is very cute, and goes great with any casual outfit. In my opinion, I think that even though this video comes along with three tutorials, the first one is easiest. Remember, that you don't need specific colors for this craft. This bracelet make the perfect gift from the heart for Valentine's Day, Birthdays, and just about any occasion. I hope you all enjoyed this craft and plan on trying it out! Feel free to comment and suggest ideas as well asstate your opinion! That's all for now, bye!!

DIY Earring Holder!

Hey girls, how many times have you had your earrings scattered all over the place, and always say to yourself, that one day you'll take care of the mess? I've been there. Looking for a cute and affordable earring holder can be tough, so how about making one which is quick, and easy, and best of all, under $5! This craft is very simple and cheap. The picture on the right is how this craft will turn out. I feel that the earring holder looks fairly well, especially considering the small amount of cash needed to achieve this look. Let's get started!

Here's the website that has instructions on how to make this craft: http://www.alittletipsy.com/2011/04/diy-under-5-make-earring-holder.html

I feel that this makes the perfect gift for any occasion, whether it be a birthday, or Valentine's day, or just something to say that you love that person. The materials are very common: Splatter Screen, Hot Glue, etc., and can be found at stores such as Dollar Tree and Target. The background can vary as well as the style, depending on the type of fabric that you use. Remember, the important thing is that it's YOURS, so it should represent YOU! Creativity and uniqueness is key to any piece of art, so nothing has to be a precise way! I hope you all liked this craft as much as I did, and plan n trying it out! Bye!

Origami Magic Ball

Hey guys, so to the right are pictures of an origami magic ball. This is in fact, a craft that I've been working on for the last couple of days, and so far, I can honestly now say that I'm terrible at origami! Yes, I know that origami calls for precise directions, and total patience, as well as a good understanding on tasks. That aside, I know that many of your are origami lovers, so this post is for you. Also, if you're not great at origami, like me, take this as a challenge. Try it, I dare you to. Anyway, this ball not only looks cool, but is fun to play with! It's squishy, and tiny, and tons of fun! Do you have what it takes to make this ball? Let's find out...      

                                                                           

 

So above are two videos. The first one is the normal, classic magic ball. But the second one is a mini magic ball, which makes it easier to understand the steps, and is a little easier to achieve. They both require massive amounts of patience, and will probably take you more than one try to succeed. This craft also calls for a minimum of materials, and they are commonly found in households. Make sure that you clear your schedule before you start this project, because this will not be a quick project. This project is not easy, and that's a fat, so don't gt frustrated if it doesn't work the first few times. That's all for now, bye!

If you give up, here's a website where yo can buy the magic ball for $4: 
http://www.etsy.com/listing/102792362/origami-magic-ball?utm_source=googleproduct&utm_medium=syndication&utm_campaign=GPS&gclid=CNGw0YDi4bQCFcuZ4AodWg8Axg