Crafters always have tips stashed away in their back pocket. These tricks are discovered through everyday making or are passed down from crafty mothers. It’s amazing the ingenious tricks I learn from the artists and crafters I hang out with. Here are some crafty tips of my own:
I Try DIY has been up and running for nearly three years. I admit, the blog was born out of being unemployed for the first time in over a decade. It was a pastime, for sure. Amazingly, over the last couple years the blog grew into something more than just a hobby. In fact, I treat I Try DIY like a baby. This baby has grown over the years, and I’m proud of what it has turned out to be.
Until recently, I never felt the need to add a copyright notice on the site. After discovering a few sites who have used my tutorials in full on their site, I went ahead and added the following to the footer of this site.
When the book The Five People You Meet In Heaven came out, I decided to list five people I thought I’d be meeting in heaven when my time came. One of the people I listed was Severino Reyes–the person behind the Lola Basyang stories. When I found out that I was actually related to the Ama ng Sarswela, I was beyond myself. I’ve since attributed my love (and whatever talent I had) for the written word to him.
I remember Lola Aging would tell me all about him. I also remember watching Walang Sugat on stage with most of my extended family. Boy, was I proud!
The last few months, our family has been planning a grand reunion. So grand, that I’m technically the 6th generation of the clan. One of my distant relatives brought this well-kept vintage collection to a meeting.
The original book was split into three and had to be rebound to keep it in good condition.
I flipped through the pages and was so tempted to bag one of the three volumes.
Oh, what I would do to have this in my book collection!
Timely as it is, today is my Lola Aging’s 92nd birthday. Happy Birthday, Lola!
My day doesn’t officially start until I’ve had some coffee. Since I started working from home, I’ve consistently been brewing my own cup (or two). I’m a self-proclaimed addict, and it’s been my lifelong dream to own my own cafe. Until that day comes, I’m content with being my own barista.
I brought back a few bags of Kaladi Brothers Coffee whole beans.
I grind my own beans each morning.
My current espresso machine can’t quite steam milk anymore, so I’ve been having iced coffee the last few months.
Yum!
So what starts off your day?
One whole wall of my childhood bedroom was shelving for books. I had hundreds of them: the entire Mr. and Little Miss collection, Dr. Seuss books, a set of encyclopedias, a set of medical encyclopedias, BSC books, Choose Your Own Adventure books, and even ones I wrote, printed and bound myself.
My room was a library with a bed. Each book was carefully labeled as mine. At some point, I even instituted a library and borrower’s card system to make sure books were not lost when people borrowed them.
My mom came up with a (not so) secret method of marking each and every one of my books. Don’t you dare claim that book is yours, because I know how to prove it’s mine! To this day, I still flip to Page 45 of my books. Here’s a peek at the last few books I got from her.
Last year, I found myself crating a bunch of simple invitations and other party printables for family and friends. As I was compiling them, I noticed that it had a common theme: PINK, my least favorite color in the world.
I’ve been asked many times where I get my bracelet patterns from. Most of my patterns I get from (and submit to) braceletbook.com. Soon enough, these patterns just might be found compiled in a book available in your local bookstores. *winks*
