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Clean cup, clean cup, move down…

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Move down, move down, move down, move down… And now my dear, as you were saying?

Alice in Wonderland is probably one of my most favorite Disney films so it is only fitting that I create a piece or two honoring my love. Here is a look of the Alice in Wonderland inspired Mad Tea Party piece that I am working on. Once complete it will be listed in my Easy shop. So far, coming up with 4 different patterns that matched each of the cups but that were all the same color proved to be the most challenging. I also wanted to incorporate hearts into every element as a nod to the Queen of Hearts herself.

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To give you an idea of how big each tea cup is, they measure roughly 2 1/2 inches tall. I plan to mount this in a shadowbox.

1 May, 2016
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Succulent Sunday

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So I’ve never been one to have a green thumb. My intentions are always good, but you know what they say about those. My downfall is that I care so much about the plant that I over-do it. I water it too much, I trim it too much, I whatever it too much. I gave up on gardening long ago, not only because of my black thumb, but because in the time that I have lived in Sacramento, I have really had no space to.

It wasn’t until about 6 months ago that I decided to adopt a few cactus friends. I guess its kind of the trend right now, because I see posts all over Instagram of peoples cute collections. Originally I started out with a couple but it has progressed beyond that.

Here are a few tips that I have learned from my experience if you have been thinking about putting a collection of our own together.

– Buy pots that have drainage holes. I see lots of succulents planted in things like cute cups, containers, etc. but in my expierience, my cacti have grown better in pots with drainage. This allows excess water to run off instead of pooling at the bottom which will eventually give you root rot. Root rot will kill your cactus quickly, and for someone like myself, its painful to watch and eventually throw away.

– Don’t over sun. Common misconception about succulents is that because they are often desert dwellers, that they can take the sun. WRONG. Always read up on the type of cactus/succulent you are buying to see what kind of sunlight it requires. I killed one of my plants by oversunning it and in essence, giving it a plant sunburn. Sad story!

– Buy potting soil made for cactus/succulents. Most potting soils that you buy are made to retain water, which isn’t best for your new friends. When I first started my collection, I used regular potting soil, and have sine switched to a cactus/succulent/citrus blend and my plants are much happier.

– Don’t over water! Another common mistake that I learned from ignorance is that cactus plants do need to be watered regularly, just not as much as regular plants. I have a schedule for mine that works well (every Sunday), and my plants are growing at a rapid rate. Now that it is winter, I don’t give them as much water (quantity) as I do in the summer, but I always make sure that the soil is dry before watering.

– Feed your friends. Because your plants are in a controlled environment, they are not getting new nutrients from things that are returning to the soil. (insert Circle of Life Lion King song here) I feed my plants with a liquid plant food called Cactus Juice that I picked up at a local nursery for 6 dollars. You don’t need much – follow the instructions!

So there are a few tips that I have learned in my short time creating my ever growing collection. Do you have a collection of your own? Tag me on Instagram at @pyropixie or post a link below!

23 November, 2014
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2012 in review…

Hello dollfaces! It’s been a hot minute since I have had the chance to sit down and update my lovely little blog. There has been a ton going on in life, which I will touch on soon. I hope everyone had an incredible Christmas, and I can’t believe that it’s New Year’s Eve! So instead of rambling on about what’s going on, I’m going to take this time tonight to look back on some moments from the past year.

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JANUARY:
1 – One of the first pictures of me earlier this year in January.
2 – Did a ton of dancing at Asylum, which I so lovingly called my $4 therapy session. Barcode shut down in January and Asylum moved to The Park.
3 – I attended Baconfest with friends and had my first maple bacon donut from Doughbots here in Sacramento.
4 – Started hitting the gym to burn off some feelings instead of eating them.

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FEBRUARY:
5 – Spent a lot of time at parks on the swings.
6 – Dug out my old Game Boy and started playing some old games.
7 – Finally moved my bed out of my closet.
8 – Something died in the wall at work and we tore the office apart trying to find exactly where. We were unsuccessful.

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March:
9 – I had some really blue hair for a while.
10 – Richard and I went to Knotts Berry Farm after foiled plans to go to Disneyland.
11 – Despite the minor hiccup, we did spend 2 days at Disneyland and it was one of the major highlights of my year.
12 – We also hit the Santa Monica Aquarium and saw a bunch of awesome creatures that had been right under my nose for the 14 years that I lived in the area.

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April:
13 – In March I also took a pole dancing class which ran into April. I had never been more bruised and banged up in my entire life. I also felt myself getting stronger, but ultimately had to quit because it’s freaking expensive.
14 – I made this fancy pants Easter basket for Richard.
15 – We visited my parents and had a chance to show Richard my Dad’s studio.
16 – I packed up my toy collection due to lack of space.

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May:
17 – My hair grew exceptionally long.
18 – I worked a few shows that I actually enjoyed the music that was being played.
19 – I changed my name to apron according to Starbucks.
20 – I found this pallet at work and it worked perfectly to display my toy collection.

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June:
21 – Hung out with friends and kicked serious laser tag ass.
22 – Played at more parks.
23 – Started really getting into The Guild and comic books.
24 – I also tried my hand at painting.

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July:
25 – Played lots of video games to win tickets for junk.
26 – My roommate is engaged and we celebrated in Reno, NV in June and had a nice shower for her that I designed the laminates for in July.
27 – Richard and I bought an arsenal of fireworks and had a great time with friends in the driveway.
28 – A friend left for med school and we had a great time at her going away party and her now fiance’s parents house.

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August:
29 – In need of a change, I cut 14 inches off my hair. It still feels weird.
30 – Finally saw Iron Maiden in concert. AMAZING.
31 – Worked Outside Lands in San Francisco and had a great time.
32 – I was a bridesmaid for the first time for my roommate.

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September:
33 – Started to try to enjoy reading.
34 – Richard and I went to Effie Yaw and threw rocks in the water.
35 – More comic books and video games passed through my hands.
36 – Spent more time outside.

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October:
37 – Tried my hand at fancy nails that I saw on Pinterest.
38 – Spent a lot of time hanging out with a handsome fella named Midnight.
39 – Moved out of my old place and put a bunch of my belongings into storage.
40 – Started a new blog that took off.

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November:
41 – Found out that this cat has extraordinary skills.
42 – Blogged lots about food.
43 – Started writing to my best friend.
44 – Had an amazing Thanksgiving feast with my parents.

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December:
45 – Lost my job for the first time. (Hopefully the only time)
46 – Started taking an online class.
47 – Christmas!
48 – Had to put this sweet boy down way too soon.

Here’s looking to 2013 – please be safe tonight if you plan on going out!

31 December, 2012
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My new project

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Earlier in the week I mentioned that I was working on a new project that I would be announcing soon – and that day is today!

SPOILYOURDINNER.COM!!

I really wanted to create a space for all of my junk food reviews and keep my blog here focused on my life. I have lots of reviews queued up, so be sure to check it out and see if there is anything you’d be willing to give a taste! And if you have any suggestions of something to try please feel free to get in touch with me.

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Tonight shall be spent in pajamas, with mashed potatoes, and playing The Unfinished Swan on PS3. I became curious about this game after my friend Jason talked about it on the podcast he is part of. You play as a small boy named Monroe armed with a paint gun that is in the search for an unfinished painting of a swan by his mother. I can’t wait to play it. I plan on spending as much quality time with my gaming systems as possible this weekend.

What are your plans for the weekend?

19 October, 2012
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