DIY Bleach Stencil Lettering on Apparel

For Fashion 'a la Mode at Saddleback College, we are having many volunteers that will need identifying "Staff" shirts.  I looked into screen printing "Staff" or a Saddleback logo on some t-shirts and was surprised that it would cost at least the cost of the t-shirt itself (the shirts were bought for $2 online).

So in DIY fashion, Misty and I decided to take matters into our own hands and do a bleach "STAFF" stencil on red t-shirts (It was completely her idea, I just decided to document her brilliance).  It's super easy and would be fun to try with other designs.

You will need: 
-dark colored t-shirt (or fabric you may be stenciling)
-Exacto blade for cutting out the lettering
-Printed logo, design, or lettering
-cardboard to put inside of t-shirt to prevent bleaching on other side
- 1 spray bottle ($1 at dollar store or Walmart)
- bleach (do not water down)

Print out the lettering or design you need and cut with an Exacto blade.  Make sure to leave connecting parts, so design remains a whole, as you see here:

Align your design on your T-shirt or garment for the placement you desire.  We wanted it front and center.

Make sure you place a piece of cardboard or plastic in between the shirt so the bleach doesn't run onto the other side of the shirt.  Spray as desired.  A little goes a long way.  If you like that graffiti spray look, it only requires 3-4 spays.  For more white coverage, a couple more sprays will do the trick.  Make sure you do this outside.  Here's Misty spraying away:

This is what it might look like with 3 sprays at first.  Remember the bleach takes a couple minutes to process.  It will turn even more white. 

With a few more sprays it will look like this.  Experiment with the amount of bleach you would like. 

We ended up spraying 30 shirts.  After all of them were done, we put them in the wash to rinse out the bleach.  Make sure you do this right away when you've completed spraying your shirts.

It's a fun and easy project!

Sour Cream, Berry Tequila Pops

Sour Cream, Berry Tequila Pops (adapted recipe by Fany Gerson)

I made these for a friend's baby shower recently and they were a hit! They seem intimidating to make, but it was actually pretty simple.  Your friends will be impressed, I promise!

For amazing popsicle molds, I used these ones on amazon for about $20.  

• 8 ounces fresh or frozen berries... I used Costco's Nature's Triple Berry
• 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons silver or blanco tequila
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream

Put the berries in a nonreactive saucepan with the confectioners sugar and cook over medium heat. Stir until the mixture comes to a boil and the sugar has dissolved. Lower the heat, stir in the lemon juice.   Simmer, stirring often, until the syrup has thickened and has a consistency like maple syrup. Remove from the heat, stir in the tequila, and refrigerate until completely chilled.
Next, drain the berries, reserving the liquid for another use (soda or punch?!).
Combine the milk, granulated sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture just comes to a boil.
Remove from the heat, add the sour cream, and stir with a whisk until completely smooth. Stir vanilla extract in.
Put a bit of the sour cream mixture into each of your molds, to a height of about 1 inch. Freeze until the mixture begins to set, about 30 minutes. Divide the drained berries among the molds, then pour in the remaining sour cream mixture, dividing it evenly among the molds.
Freeze until solid.
Enjoy!

Sincerely, Malia

April 2013

It's April 1st.
     This is the month I turn 30 (Wow, that sounds old).  No doubt, my twenties were up and down, but I feel like I have reached a firmer ground.  Maybe the timing is no coincidence - Andrew and I contracted concrete to be poured in the giant hole in our backyard this past weekend.  The hole is a vacancy of what used to be a beautiful gazebo.  The gazebo symbolizes so much for me.  To give you a little background to the story, my husband and I currently live in the house that once belonged to my grandmother.  A big reason she purchased this house was because of the beautiful gazebo in the backyard and the view she could see while sitting in it. The gazebo was rotting terribly and so my Uncles and father had it torn out to avoid massive expenses of replacing it.
     I had to let the dream of the gazebo go, as with many other dreams in life.   We could have put another gazebo up, but it wouldn't have been my grandmother's gazebo.  Instead, we will be replacing it with outdoor furniture and a fire pit. We can enjoy the view with roasted marshmallows in our hands.  Creating new memories with family and friends here. I will be sure to post photos when we have it all set up. 
     I don't doubt that my thirties will also be up and down, similar to my twenties, but I feel more prepared and steadier for the ride.  The rotted, broken pieces have been removed and pruned back, a rather painful process, and a new foundation has been laid. 

This month I want to focus on a few things:

• Fashion 'a la Mode: April 19th - For the third year in a row,  I am organizing this Fashion event for High School students.  If you have a High School student interested in Fashion careers, this is an amazing event for them to attend.  Check out more info HERE.  It is a day full of workshops, industry speakers and more.  I love this event, but the enormity can stress me out at times.  One. day. at. a. time.
• Teaching: Improving my teaching and giving my all to students everyday.
• Yoga: I am following Tara Stiles Yoga videos online and want to do her April calendar of yoga this month. I encourage you to follow along.  She's got this amazing, youthful and earthy vibe to her.
• Running: I am continuing to run with Andrew several times a week.  We have a running date tonight, in fact.

Here we go April! Cheers to Spring :) 

Sincerely,
Malia