Easy concrete pattern

Ever wondered of a DIY method to have patterned concrete that fits a tight budget? I’ll share a little secret of how you can get it done in no time and basically for free. Take notes, it’s complicated!

For all intended purposes, it’s best to do this in the evening:
- Mix concrete according to specifications on the packaging.
- Pour concrete wherever needed.
- Smoothen it out carefully until it looks perfect. 
- Watch it like a hawk for about an hour, then go work on something else for a while.
- By the time you come back you’ll have the perfect paw print patterns in it courtesy of curious, but very helpful cats.
For the fullest effect it helps to have three cats so the pattern will come out looking more random and with different paw print sizes. 
  – Note: it probably works just as well with dogs if you’d like to have a pattern of bigger paw prints.

Note to self

Sometimes I do things I may later wish to kick myself for, but which turn out funny enough to share. So here goes, a few notes to myself you can take a peek at –>

• The result of adding: bookshelf + mom’s "help" + my toe = sooo not a good idea! I’m perfectly capable of injuring myself on my own, so don’t ask my mother for help again! Ever! EVER!
• Disregard inner clock while reading at night (or I might just end up going to bed after 3 AM every morning).
• Making the cat swallow her medicine is so much easier at the vet – she isn’t too scared to move (nor bite, nor scratch, etc.) at home!
• Just because the crosswalk light is green it doesn’t mean that guy in the tuned up car making half the city listen to his music also got the memo.
• Having glasses does not equal with seeing in the dark. On the contrary…

 

PS: I’ve fallen in love with Bookshelf Porn

Insert catchy post title here

Okay, so I wanted to come up with something amazingly funny, and witty, and impressive to sweep everyone off their feet… but that’s just not happening today. So bear with me please.

I woke up at 6 AM this morning to go the eye doctor’s after my appointment magically disappeared in December and I was forced to reschedule for today.
Found out that I do in fact need glasses *sarcastic Yay*.
It’s been fun though as the eye doctor’s resident started flirting with me. Hmmm… so I do have beautiful eyes *winks*

The fact that I’m functioning on little to no sleep, again, really isn’t that safe for anyone around me. Had a cappuccino this afternoon which hasn’t had the searched for effect.
Sometimes a cappuccino will turn me into something like Tessa here. And then there are these other times, like today, when it’s all for nothing and I end up grumpier, and believe it or not, more tired than as if I stayed up all night.

I’m definitely a puzzle even to myself *sigh*

Oh, just got distracted by something shiny! Hope your day went much better!

Can you spot the differences?

I know, I’ve been spending way too much time tweaking my business blog’s new theme, but I’ll just post a quick thought over here.

Okay, so I’ve noticed this a long time ago, way before I had my blog and since I just remembered: I’m wondering…

How do people in the movie industry replace characters? Based on what? Shouldn’t one try and find someone very similar looking to the original actor?

I saw the first Mystery Woman movie and a while after that a few of the following ones and the difference is eye striking.

Why did they replace one of the main characters with an actor who so obviously looks nothing like the original actor?

It’s a mystery

In the first movie, Ian Philby is played by actor J.E. Freeman. In the rest of the movies, Ian Philby is played by actor Clarence Williams III. Both great actors, I’m not contesting that but strictly from replacement viewpoint.

I couldn’t find a normal photo of each of them separately, but the movie posters will do.

Can you spot the differences?

 

Just an observation…

Signs of being tired

Given how last week was one of the most tiresome weeks of this year, I noticed a few things and remembered a few other things too, which are funny enough for me to share.

Here goes, I know I’m tired when I:

• answer my personal cell while at home with the line “Hello, flower shop X this is Estrella speaking, how may I help you?”
• measure a cup of plaster and instead of pouring it into the mixing bowl, I fill up the water cup with it
• search for the tea kettle in the bedroom, kitchen and pantry for a good 15 minutes before looking for it in the sink, which I passed at least 10 times during the big search
• read worms (râme) instead of frames (rame) on an ad board…

So… there’s my confession of the day.
How do you know you’re tired? Any similarly funny signs to share?
I promise, it will stay between us!

PS: I know, I totally disregarded my posting schedule this week, but like I’ve said on Monday, I’ll be back to following the usual schedule starting next week.
Already working on my posts and great craft project for Tuesday

One obstacle course coming right up!

I’ve never been known as a clumsy person.

Then again, if you really think about it, it’s not that hard to injure yourself.
The world is full of obstacles; wet floors, stairs, sweet “Let me just crawl under your feet so you can avoid stepping on me while I’m laughing my whiskers off!” kind of cats…

But on Monday… 

I met up with a neighbor at the main flat entrance and held the door open for him while he carried out a bag of clothes.
I then urged another neighbor’s dog to come in and go up home. She came into the hallway, but thought she’d stall for a bit; I think she knew what was coming!

Our neighbor had piles of stuff laying around at the entrance; I had my coat, purse, keys and a folder in my hands.
The result?

Well… let’s just say it wasn’t a “Hey, Estrella, that’s a flat surface, it might be just a tad tricky to walk on” kind of episode, but the singlehandedly proving the laws of physics with a “Darn, these sunglasses work wonders in the dark!” kind of revelation while trying to pick myself up from right before our apartment door and crawling out of the box of stuff our considerate neighbor left in the very center of the unlighted hallway.

I was torn between laughing at myself and the sheer hilarity of the situation, or crying cause my hand really hurt, and looked around; the dog was looking at me attentively while I though to myself “Lassie would’ve warned me…”

My fiancé’s reaction (after being properly concerned): “You should learn how to hop properly, my bunny…”

I’m fine now, several ice sessions later my hand is only slightly swollen, only hurts at strain and is starting to turn into my personal hands-on upside-down map of Africa

How do you write and relax?

Having the whole day to myself on Thursday, I decided to just relax and write some new flash fiction since it won’t write itself.

I had my alarm clock set for 9 AM so naturally I slept right through it and woke up at 11 AM. Had breakfast, washed the dishes, tidied up and vacuumed the room and hallways cause if I only do the room we’d just bring all the dirt back in. This took about two hours.

I finally sat on the couch and started my laptop.

I wanted to get everything done before starting to write, so I checked my e-mails, comments, FB messages, Twitter, etc. first which led to opening various interesting sites, reading posts, articles, and so on until another two hours later I finally closed everything, opened my Windows Live Writer and started writing.

I was almost done with my flash fiction when, aside from many other minor things that had distracted me constantly that day (for example thinking if I should cut my hair shorter, than searching for photos to see what I like), I looked out the window and saw an amazing color palette in the sky, clouds as the sun was setting.

I jumped up, went to get my camera, took a few photos and naturally wasn’t satisfied by them because of the flat(s), the trees, and the church, etc. were in the way.

So I quickly got my keys, and I rushed out of the apartment until the scenery won’t change too much (while noticing how crazy I am), got in the elevator even though I’m absolutely terrified of it and would rather go up the stairs to the 8th floor (with laundry!) if my fiancé can’t come with me.

After some terrible minutes in the squeaky elevator, I quickly ran up the remaining stairs to the 9th floor which is the dryer room, opened it’s lock and took it with me just to be on the safe side, and climbed out the window to the rooftop.

The view was amazing!

I took several photos mainly because I didn’t know which ones will come out pretty or blurry and thought to myself: okay it was worth it

Then I climbed back in the dryer room making sure I don’t break my camera or my neck (I may need to get my priorities straight cause I was way more worried about the camera!).

I gathered all the laundry which we forgot were even up there, and with a huge arm full of clothes I struggled to close the door, slowly went down to the 8th floor again seriously considering to take the stairs all the way down, but eventually decided against it (apparently I’m more afraid of the dark then dying in the elevator alone).

And here comes the not-so-much-fun-at-the-time part of the story which now I can smile about:

I somehow managed to be calm (okay so not calm… but calmer than usually) in the elevator, arrived downstairs, then struggled to open the apartment door with my camera and a set of keys plus the dryer room key in my hands and the clothes in my arms. Unfortunately when I tried to close the door, the draft slammed it behind me before I could stop it (insert big banging sound here) but did not close.

At this point my "darling" male roommate who saw my struggling, started shouting at me, cursing and mentioning my mom "asking" me to close the door without slamming it…

I think it’s rather sweet. He must really miss hearing my voice (I haven’t said a word to him since last year) and that’s probably why he provoked me. I see no other reason except if he’s not just pretending to be an idiot.

I didn’t say anything, there was no point. But my stubbornness somehow won the fight with reason and much to his surprise I slammed shut with proper banging sound all 3 doors I had to close (front door, hallway door, our room door (the last on to his face)) behind me.

Now I feel kind of bad, cause poor doors don’t deserve that treatment, but it did calm my nerves a bit, so that too was worth it (not even mentioning the look on my roommate’s face when I dared defy him).

Priceless!