DIY No Sew Cushion - The Jungle Book

I've found I have a habit of coming up with some DIY ideas very last minute! 

My latest DIY project is a gift for my cousin's birthday (which was 4 days ago!) Whilst I already had a present for him, I trawled the net looking for specific gifts relating to Mary Poppins or The Jungle Book as these are his all time favourite films. I couldn't find anything suitable - boo! :( 

However, during a spontaneous shopping trip, I found a Jungle Book t-shirt in the women's section of Primark.  There was no way I could give my male cousin a women's t-shirt so I thought about how I could adapt it. I then came up with the idea of turning it into a cushion! 

Primark came up trumps again (just another reason why this store will forever be my fav!) and my Mum found the perfect cushion and cover. I could've gone all out on the DIY front and sewn my own cushion cover but I'm already giving this as a belated gift so I thought I'd cut some corners... The cushion was cream which was perfect but what made it even more perfect was the detailing around the border of the cushion. I think it fits the Jungle Book design perfectly!

Whilst I had my idea and resources, I was still a bit unsure as to how to put it all together because of the t-shirt material being so lightweight and stretchy. I called upon my Nan - who has taught me so much in the craft department - and she met me at out local haberdashery (this is one of my all time favourite things to do with her) to help me out with the other products I'd need to pull this off. We bought an off-cut of plain white cotton, some fabric glue and some ribbon. The ribbon was a last minute extra I decided upon and we found the perfect leaf detailed ribbon! 

I was keen to avoid sewing this together as I wasn't sure how to go about this with the cushion cover already made and the t-shirt material being so stretchy so I opted to just use the fabric glue. 

To start I used my pinking shears to cut the design out and then glued together both side of the t-shirt to create a thicker piece of material.

I then cut the plain cotton to size and glued that onto the cushion cover. I made sure I removed the cushion from inside and replaced it with some cardboard to avoid a mishap with the glue. I also used the iron to iron out any creases and secure the glue in a more permanent fashion. 

Next I glued the Jungle Book piece onto, followed by edging it with the ribbon, waited for the glue to dry and again ironed over the cover to finish it off. 

All that was left to do was remove the cardboard, replace with the cushion, gift wrap, finally give my cousin his presents and share my creation with you guys! 

I'm always so proud of my crafts and it makes me soooo happy when I've made something unique with my own hands. I'm now full of ideas to create more cushions and crafts! Watch out family and friends... birthdays and christmas is sorted! LOL!

Hope you liked my DIY!

What have you crafted lately?! Do you have a WIP?

Emma

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Last minute DIY Valentines Gift

It's Valentines Day in a matter of hours here in the UK. I'm not one for getting over excited about this particular holiday (is that even what you call it?) so we only planned on exchanging cards again this year. 

But... An idea struck me and I wanted to share it. This idea is virtually free and quick but meaningful. 

I'm sure you've all seen vouchers/coupons that can be shared between family and friends allowing the receiver to redeem things such as 'a massage' or 'breakfast in bed' whenever they present the voucher..? 

Well, I decided to have a go at creating my own as a quick, last minute but fun gift for my other half to receive tomorrow! 

Here's what I created! 

If you would like to download my design click here! If you use them, please tag me in photos using #indecisiveemmaDIY 

Please let me know what you think and if you would like to see more printable designs on my blog! 

Happy Valentines Day! 

Emma 

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OMG WE'RE GOING TO DISNEYLAND!

Ok...so I might be 23 years of age but I cannot contain my excitement right now because in April we are going to Disneyland Paris!!

Disneyland's target market might be children and not young couples but I'm going on this holiday for more reasons than just to hang out with Mickey and his friends. 

My anxiety has held me back from so much so far through my life, especially with new experiences and travelling abroad. I have been out of the UK twice (to Spain) but I was young and I don't really remember the experience. My negative thinking and anxieties made the thought of travelling on a plane to a country where English might not be the language and where I would have no idea where anything was TERRIFIED me (especially now I'm a "grown-up" lol!). I became far too settled within my home comforts and was content only visiting Cornwall for our annual holiday. All I could think of was the negatives - typical me. 

I'm not entirely sure what has happened but something has changed towards the end of 2015 and I feel like I'm really starting to show my anxiety who's boss. I'm feeling the most positive I've ever felt and I don't want to be held back anymore. I want to experience new experiences and push myself out of my comfort zone.

Booking a holiday abroad might not be a big deal for some but I'm proud of myself for finally stepping out of my comfort zone and I cannot wait to visit a new country to make new memories. 

I have no idea what to expect from Disneyland Paris (other than what I've seen on the website and from friends pictures) so I would love it if you could leave your experiences and links to blog posts in the comments! 

Let the countdown commence!!! :D :D :D 

D.I.Y Phone Case

When shopping in Paperchase a while ago I saw a phone case but I was begrudged to pay £12 for it. When at the till, I saw some stickers which were the same design as the pattern on the case... It was then that I had this simple but bright idea! 

For £1.50 I bought the stickers and later went on eBay and purchased a clear iPhone case for a couple of quid. 

From there it was simple, stick the stickers onto the case in any order, put case onto phone and VOILA!

My very own, one of a kind, phone case made for less than a fiver! 

Paperchase sell so many different stickers, the possibilities are endless! I'm amazed at how well they last too! So far, none have come unstuck and I'm the sort of person who will drop her phone at any given moment! 

I also made a Christmas case and I LOVE IT!! 

What do you guys think? Let me know in the comments below! 

Emma 

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Happy New Year!

New year, new me? Not this time. I've decided that I don't want to change who I am and I don't think I should have too. I don't think anyone should have to. I'm me for a reason! 

Every year, I make resolutions but I never keep them and I have certainly never change myself drastically from them. This year I have decided to make some resolutions but I don't see them as massive changes; just adaptions to my life that will make me healthier, fitter and happier. 

Here's my resolutions:

Exercise - even if it's just once a week, I need to get some form of exercise into my life. 

Have more dates - in 2016 I want to make more time for me & Joe to enjoy each other's company WITHOUT mobile phones! 

I feel like these are quite achievable! I have also decided to set myself one goal to achieve during 2016. I haven't been on a plane since I was 10 and as I don't remember the experience, I want to fly on a short distance flight to Ireland or Scotland. These are two places I've never visited and feel like that sort of fight would be nice to "break me in" as I'm dying to visit America (I don't fancy jumping right in the deep end and doing a 10+ hour flight)! 

Around now, everyone starts to reflect on how their year went and how they hope the next year will turn out. Obviously everyone hopes to have the best year yet but I've been thinking and I've decided to take a more realistic approach to the next year of my life. During 2016 there will be ups and downs, highs and lows, good and bad days. From my new way of thinking, I feel quite prepared to tackle whatever 2016 throws at me! 

I'm really excited for 2016 as we have lots planned for the next chapter in our lives and relationship! I'm  feeling the most positive I have ever felt and I'm proud of how much I've changed with regards to my anxiety. I can't wait to spend another year making new memories with my family and friends! 

I hope you all have an amazing time celebrating the New Year, let me know what your resolutions/goals are, and I hope you're also ready to handle whatever 2016 has got to offer you! 

Emma 

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Life Updates! I'm back...

I am writing this post to explain my absence and share a few updates that have happened in my life since I last posted. I can't promise it will be overly exciting! Lol!

Soo... I have kinda been neglecting my blog for numerous reasons. I have been in a bit of a slump about blogging as my anxieties got the better of me and knocked my confidence. I'm the sort of person who worries about what people think of her ALL THE TIME. I have had a few ideas about blog posts to create but I kept letting my thoughts get the better of me. I thought no one would be interested in what I had to blog about and convinced myself that people would think I was strange for wanting to write about my favourite beauty products etc. But as I enjoy reading blogs and watching Youtube to find out about the lastest products and other people's beauty regimes etc, there must be someone who might enjoy what I have to share. 

As well as this, I have started my second year of my foundation degree. I found the first year very stressful so I wasn't looking forward to going back. I need to get back into the swing of writing assignments and organising my time efficiently, which is why my blog ended up on the back burner. 

Last month, I discovered Bella Coco. I first watched a Youtube video on the Mum's Eye View channel, starring Sarah-Jayne and this led me to her channel, Bella Coco. She posts videos and blogs about lifestyle, beauty and crafts. Lots of her videos are about crocheting and tutorials. I have been wanting to learn to crochet for a few years now and with great thanks to Sarah-Jayne and her amazing tutorial, I have finally accomplished my 2013 New Year resolution and it is safe to say I LOVE my new hobby!!! The Bella Coco Instagram feed is beautiful and I have been inspired to make so many different things (I just need to find the time)!!

Yesterday (6th October 2015), I went into hospital to have my 4 wisdom teeth removed. As I am a very anxious person and I am also very pessimistic, it is safe to say I was nervous. I can be a complete baby about being in pain or feeling unwell and the thought of being put to sleep was comforting but also worried me. However, I am very proud of myself as I kept calm for the days leading up to the 6th and for the 4 hours I was in the waiting room. It wasn't until the nurse took me down and asked how I was feeling, that I burst into tears and all my anxiety that I'd been keeping at bay came flooding out. Thankfully, my Mum was with me and I'm so glad she was as even though I'm 22 years old, I don't think I could've done it without her. 45 minutes later, I was woken up and greeted by my partner Joe. Everything went well and I am now sat at home recovering with a swollen face. Recovery was something I was anxious about as I assumed that I would be in a lot of pain and very hungry. However, it has been nothing like I'd imagined and really quite bareable! I'm resting up and enjoying my time off work because it means I can crack on with my assignments, crocheting and catch up on daytime TV! :D 

I can't promise that I will upload regularly but I do want to use my blog as a space for me to share my crafts and thoughts and feelings about products etc. 

Love Emma

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Back to School: Study Tips

I have spent pretty much my whole life so far in education. I completed school and attended college for 4 years doing various courses.

In 2014, I signed up to a university course and I am now half way through so I thought I would share my study tips.

NOTES

Take lots of notes. Your future self will seriously thank you later!

You can note take in lots of different formats. Choose a style that suits you best. You can mind map, draw pictures, create your own shorthand code etc. Last year one of my lectures gave us the idea of using our phones/tablets to take pictures of notes from the boards or book covers we might want to refer to later. Following on from this, our class created a Facebook group page where we could all share pictures & notes. It's a great way of feeling supported and quickly getting help when you're stuck at home, ready to give up. 

DEADLINES

 As soon as you know your deadline, write it down. This is where I use my diary & sticky labels. You can then work out how many weeks you have to complete the task and use your time wisely – easier said than done, I know!

PAPERWORK 

My first day at uni was very overwhelming. We were handed 3 different project briefs, a course handbook which was about 200 loose pages thick and lots of other pieces of information. By putting this all into a folder, with dividers, it helped to prevent me loosing pages and I knew where everything was. This takes away a little bit of stress for me personally.

 SAVING ASSIGNMENTS

When you eventually begin writing assignments or creating projects, it is vital to save your work in numerous places. I will save my work to my laptop, a memory stick and to my One Drive/Cloud storage.

TIMETABLES 

Create a routine and stick to it – again easier said than done, I know. Use your time wisely but sensibly. Sometimes spending the whole day working can lead to you becoming unmotivated so try to do a couple of hours work daily then treat yourself to some time out watching Netflix or hanging out with friends. For me, it always feels better to know I've done some work rather than putting it all off to cram in one day, last minute. Little and often is so much more beneficial.

FEEDBACK

Once I got my first assignment back, I read the feedback and took the criticism really hard. I was really disappointed with myself when really I didn't need to be. It was my first assignment, my first time writing at degree/university level and I'd passed! I just didn't enjoy the examiners picking faults in me. After that I ignored all feedback and just looked to see what grade I achieved. Going into my second year I am definitely going to start reading my feedback because it can be so helpful for improving my next assignments. It might be hard at first but try to see the positive in the criticism and use it to your advantage.

HYDRATE

More often than not, I find myself switching off during lectures and trying my hardest to stay awake. This is why I always have my water bottle with me in class. I love my BRITA filter water bottle as it means I can fill it up from anywhere but still drink fresh water.

I was absolutely dreading returning to uni but this year as I know what to expect, I'm going to give it my all. It will (probably) be my last year in education too. I'm also hoping, if I stick to these tips, I’ll still get the time to blog alongside studying!

I hope these tips have been helpful! I'd love to hear any of your tips in the comments below!

Emma

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