how to: sparkler painting.

so i did this thing called light painting or sparkler painting.

it was so much fun, & a great summer activity.

what you'll need:

sparklers (i bought 60 & it was just enough for 2 nights of doing it)

a lighter (you'll use it a lot, so make sure it has enough fluid.)

a dlsr camera with manual settings

a tripod (or tall tabletop)

a bucket filled with 3 inches of water

step 1:

find a background (in your backyard or something) that will have no lights shining on it when it gets dark. 

then set up your tripod and camera there. 

step 2:

set your camera to manual mode, then put the ISO to 100 or 200.

if it is still a little bit light outside, go with 100, but if its like pitch black, you should do 200.

set your shutter speed to 8 seconds.

set your aperture to f/11.

set your camera to "self timer" (i do it on ten seconds) & 

"continuous" (i do it on five. the sparkler usually goes out at, or during, the fifth one.)

& make sure your flash is OFF.

step 3:

wait for it to get pitch black. 

at my house we usually wait until about 9:45ish.

so sit down, eat your ice cream, and wait.

& make sure all your patio lights are off too.

step 4:

click the shutter button, and run to the place where you're gonna take the picture.

you now probably have about 7 seconds left to grab the lighter & light up the sparkler.

so light it up......

and for the first few pictures, just do simple shapes & stuff. 

words are tricky because you have to write it backwards.

but if you want to give it a go, then by all means do!

so if you did it exactly the way i explained it, 

your camera should wait 10 seconds before the first picture takes,

then it will take 5 pictures continually for 8 seconds long each.

i always count the clicks of the camera so i can know if im supposed to be done or whatever.

so yeah! now take a look at some pictures that didnt work, so you can see how to not do them:

letters arent realistic enough..

lighting the sparkler too late, and too high of ISO.

two different people writing the words, so its not even & very sloppy.

now, take a look at the pictures that did work:

cool right?

so now try it for yourself. :)

hannah mae

Read more...

diy personalized journal

hi! i came up with this idea how to transform plain journals and planners from being boring and unusable, into something super cute and super easy to make, and once i tried it (and it turned out awesome..) i thought i would share it with you!

all you need is...

a plain journal (it can be paperback, hardcover, leather, ect.) 

old postcards, envelopes, vintage typewriter paper, ect.

mod podge

scissers, glue stick, paint brush (not shown)

first see if one of your envelopes or whatever you're using fits the cover of your journal nicely. if it doesn't, you will have to cut it down to size. mine did. 

next cut it into strips. this was extremely nerve-wracking for me because i only have a few of these old envelopes and i didn't want to ruin any of them. just be brave and do it.

heeeeyyyy lookie its my strips of envelope wahooo

next put glue on the strip you want to go on the top part

okaaay now glue all of them and put them all on. they don't have to be perfectly aligned or anything. see mine, its all like, everywhere. and i like it like that.

now put some mod podge on there. and then spread it around with a paint brush.

now just wait for it to dry and it's done! see below for finished project (i did it like 3 times.. hahah)

i covered my planner with postcards... and i didn't realize this until it was done, but the cover was clear. so it made the cool backside of the postcards on there. i love it.

i made two journals and a planner. (:

the edges kinda curled on this one. but that's okay. it gives it character. 

hope you enjoyed this quick little tutorial!

Read more...

pinterest.

sorry for the lack of postage lately. i feel like i haven't blogged in forever. 

i haven't done any "things i love" or whatever posts in a while, so i thought i'd give it a go.

but instead of doing the normal thing, you know, just posting things i love from a certain category, i decided i would just show you my favorite pins from this week on pinterest.

these piercings are so cute. i want them all. credit.

this is smart. i might actually do this.. maybe. credit.

poor gale. oh well...i love peeta:) credit.

credit.

put lace on the sides/bottoms of your shorts. its a good way to make tight shorts not tight anymore and also its super cute. i might just do this. credit.

this is exactly what i do whenever i'm with hannah or becca. we are retarded seals. credit.

rewind. credit.

credit.

credit.

swinging. i love summer. i can't wait. credit.

hope you enjoyed them. now go try pinterest for yourself, you will love it.

xo, hannah mae.

ps: i will be back with more poems soon. excited? very.

pss: i am shadowing at a high school tomorrow. i will tell you more about it later.

psss: read this, its hilarious. i am so doing this with my friends.. yolo.

Read more...

treats // birthday food

my birthday is on sunday. i love sugar. when would be a better time to do a post on some amazing birthday treats?

this cake is adorable. credit.

cake batter cookies? oh yes. credit.

and while we're on the subject of cake batter, i give you... the cake batter pancake. i can hear the hallelujah chorus ringing. credit.

starbucks cake pop recipe. credit.

a cupcake with lots of candles. cute. credit.

cupcakes in an ice cream cone. credit.

cupcakes. with ice cream inside. yeaaahh. credit.

diy ice cream without an ice cream machine. awesome. credit.

little birthday cakes. so cute. credit.

this looks amazing..lemon raspberry cake. i just about die every time i hear that. credit.

s'mores cupcake. oh yeah. yumm. credit.

last, and definitely not least, is the beautiful ribbon cake. i wouldn't for the life of me even begin to describe how difficult this would be to make, but i bet Peeta could make it. credit.

hope you enjoyed looking at these delicious treats as much as i did. now im off to go eat some amazing home made zucchini bread.

Read more...

favorite tutorials this week.

This week I found a whole bunch of awesome tutorials... and I just had to show you! :)

DIY Dog Tug Toy made from T-shirts. From Dog Milk.

Accessories made from T-shirts... headband, bracelet, necklace/scarf, and  ring! from Tripping Over Joy.

Chiffon and Tulle flowers... from Project Wedding. i would use these on a headband or something:)

DIY Sharpie Mug! Color away on a Dollar Store mug! from Oh, Hello Friend.

DIY Poncho. from She Exists.

Not a tutorial, but these bows are super cute, and they would be really easy to whip up. I love them on a necklace. from Etsy.

Lace iPhone Case.... super easy and awesome. from stylelist.

Hope you love these awesome tutorials as much as I did! I would love to know if anyone tries one of them! Leave me a comment, an email, or a message on FACEBOOK! I love to hear from you guys!

xoxo,

                Hannah Mae

Read more...