Tag Archives: arts

DIY Lies That You Should Never Listen To

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DIY Lies That You Should Never Listen To

DIY work is something that everyone has tried at some point in their lives. Perhaps you have tried to put together a fence in the garden or maybe attempted to repair something in the kitchen. Some are successful…. some aren’t. DIY success depends on a number of different factors, but there is one major source of information that everyone attempts to follow when they’re presented with a broken appliance or issue: the internet.

The internet is full of useful facts, information, and tutorials that can teach us everything from how to dance to how we can use cardboard boxes as furniture. It goes without saying that the internet is a valuable learning resource, but there’s one problem that far too many people overlook; is the information even credible?

With so many articles and blogs on the internet, it can sometimes be hard trying to discern if something is true or false. In this article, we’ll be going through some of the most common lies that people tell you about DIY and why they’re false. This is to prevent you from making bad decisions when it comes to home repairs and also to alert you about the dangers of false information on the internet.

DIY Is Cheaper Than Calling A Contractor:

Perhaps the biggest flaw in this way of thinking is that DIY is the cheaper option. This assumes that you already have all of the tools and materials to do whatever repair or renovation that you want. And we all know that this can be expensive! Let’s assume that you want to repair a leaking pipe in your bathroom. Not only do you need to purchase the right tools for the job, but you also need to purchase the materials, such as piping, and it needs to be cut to size and shaped appropriately. Add in the additional cost of delivery and you’re going to be paying more than it would cost to hire someone to repair it for you. If you look at plumbing services, such as www.alltex-plumbing.com, you’ll find that it’s actually fairly cheap to hire a contractor. Compare this to the cost of learning something, purchasing the tools, and getting the materials and you’ll see how much cheaper it actually is.

DIY Is Easy to Learn:

DIY is never easy to learn. Among all of the articles that you might read and tutorial videos that you can watch, there’s going to be some information missing. Most of those people usually aren’t qualified teachers, which means that they aren’t exactly the best at explaining things. In addition, experience is what makes a good contractor and unless you have a large supply of broken appliances to fix, it’s difficult to get enough practice in. Small DIY projects can be fun and fulfilling, but larger repair projects should be left to the pros.

In short, DIY is not easy to learn and it’s not cheap, either. If you’re absolutely certain about learning DIY, then you can check websites, such as https://www.familyhandyman.com/skills, to get more information. Just be warned; you need to dedicate yourself to DIY if you really want to get something out of it. And all of the Pinterest projects will be waiting for you when you’re ready!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Should You Major In Liberal Arts Or STEM?

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Should You Major In Liberal Arts Or STEM?

There was a time, perhaps a couple of decades ago, where the liberal arts – a.k.a. the humanities, dealing with the study of literature, history, philosophy, art, and the like – and STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) worked together in harmony. These days, there seems to be a major divide between the two when it comes to college. At least, that’s what a lot of commentators and even politicians believe.

Back in 2014, Barack Obama called into question the usefulness of a liberal arts degree. He caught quite a bit of heat for suggesting that a degree in art history may not provide you with the job opportunities that an education in trade and manufacturing will. Oddly enough, this actually put him on common ground with the Republicans, who have long questioned the usefulness of degrees such as literature and anthropology!

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He didn’t always please the liberals!

But how right are the critics of an education in liberal arts? Before people even get an opportunity to ask “How do you get a bachelor’s degree?”, they seem to be hounded by such a question. If you feel a bit torn and confused about the whole thing, here are a few points that you should keep in mind:

Manufacturing and Trade Aren’t Dead: So many people out there seem to think that we’ve moved past the need to have so many students doing STEM subjects because there isn’t much career potential in manufacturing and trade. Here’s the thing: Obama wasn’t actually so much criticizing liberal arts as he was criticizing this idea. The fact is, that these are still essential fields in our economies, and fulfilling and lucrative careers are still common in those fields. Don’t dismiss manufacturing and trade as dead fields because they are very much alive and kicking if you know where to look.

Liberal Arts Education Isn’t Just “Training for Starbucks”: An education in the humanities does not doom you to a dead-end job, the way that a lot of people tend to dismiss it. Having said that, there are certainly courses out there that are so steeped in postmodernist denials of reality or objective truth and so much closer to ideological indoctrination rather than education that job prospects after graduation are genuinely lackluster.

But, a degree in philosophy has been shown to get people into well-salaried positions. In fact, the average philosophy major earns more than the average accounting major. As for an English degree, so often mocked by humanities haters, it’s a massive boost for many careers due to the degree showing your ability to read and analyze deeply. Talent in theory and criticism is more useful in business and technology fields than you may think! You can also combine philosophy with technology with a NU London Philosophy and AI Masters degree. This offers the best of both worlds in creative thinking and analyzing the constant changes in our increasingly technological world.

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Starbucks & studies!

And Remember: while Bill Gates has dismissed liberal arts degrees, Steve Jobs has pointed out that his company would never work it if hadn’t been a perfect marriage of STEM and liberal arts.

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Take that, Bill Gates!

Remember Part 2: the value of a degree is both overestimated and underrated – it’s the former in a more general sense, but the latter when you take into account oft-disparaged subjects such as those you’ll find in the humanities. At the end of the day, higher education isn’t pointless, nor is it a waste of time – as long as you pursue your education with purpose, you’ll get something out of it.

Featured Image By: Wikimedia

Reader Map Update

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Reader Map Update

Hiiii everyone and happy weekend! So yesterday I was hanging out and listening to a little I’m From Barcelona and their song “Collection Of Stamps” came on. This song, a little ditty that gives an ode to friends and locations world wide reminded me that it’s been a while since I posted an updated reader map picture. So first, take a listen. And then, take a look!

(As always, I have no rights to this song. I just like it a lot.)

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I started making my reader map once I had a little over forty countries reading me with the pure intention of keeping track of them all. But now, with over one hundred and seventy different countries that are hip to lifewithlilred, this map serves as so much more than a location tracker. This little project that I began gives me such an immense feeling of pride every time I look at it – which is frequently, considering it’s located in my bedroom!

To know that the page that little old me started two and a half years ago is reaching locations that I never even knew existed completely blows my mind. This map has also made me SO much better at the geography questions on Jeopardy, which is a really nice added bonus! As soon as “Collection Of Stamps” came on, it made me think of all of my wonderful readers, friends, and followers in the blogging community and I just knew that I had to send a shout out to them in an Updated Reader Map post.

Thank you all so, so much for stopping by my page. If it’s as a one time reader or a loyal follower, I appreciate it far more than you know. Many well wishes and a ton of love to each and every one of you!

What country on my reader map would you like to visit some day? Where are you located? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Live Well And Be Happy! Bringing Luxury Into Your Living Room

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In this day and age, it’s important to try to live well. Of course, it’s just as important to live within your means so you don’t have any financial problems or get into any debt, but equally, if you have the cash, it’s important to try to enjoy it with a little luxury in your everyday life. Maybe you do that by using high quality toiletries – there’s nothing like hand soap that moisturizes as well as cleans. Or maybe you like to check out the occasional high priced restaurant in the city where you live. No matter what your vice is, though, we all have a home – and we all like for it to look good. Here are some luxurious touches you can add to your living room for a dose of comfort and glam:

A New Couch: First things first: do you need a new couch? If yours is starting to make protesting, grumbling noises and creaks every time you get up, then it’s probably time to go for a new couch – for example, check out the Duresta sofas and chairs. You want to make sure that you get a couch that looks good but that you can curl up on during the long winter evenings. And speaking of that…

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 Lol at her book!

Comfortable Throws: What’s the point of a couch if you don’t have a throw to snuggle up beneath? Of course you’ll need soft pillows too, but the throws are really where it’s at. Go for soft, colorful wool that you can keep folded on the back of the couch during the day. If you’re feeling decadent, you could go for fake fur so you can imagine you’re on Game Of Thrones as you watch it on TV. And seriously, who doesn’t want that?

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Surround Sound: If you enjoy watching TV, then go for some new speakers and surround sound. It might not be great to feel like you’re in the aforementioned Game Of Thrones – what if you die? They all seem to die a lot – but as a general rule, better sound is always good for your TV and to enhance your viewing experience. Speaking of sound systems, you might want to check out Graham Slee HiFi sale & deals to further improve any of your musical endeavors with the best preamps.

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Blackout Blinds: If you don’t have blackout blinds in all of your rooms, it’s time to invest in some. Make sure you keep them pulled back during the day so they let some daylight and heat into the room, but at night you can draw them. Not only does this mean you won’t have to deal with any creepy reflections late at night, but it’ll also keep the heat in, meaning your heating bill will go down. But mainly creepy reflections – Yikes!

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 Make sure you give your plants some light!

Add Some Art: If you’re into art, your living room is the perfect place to put it. Make sure that you don’t overwhelm the space – don’t put more than one piece on each wall. You could even go for just one spectacular piece, like a piece of sculpture or a painting that stretches the length of the wall. If it’s a really incredible, breath-taking piece then you can arrange the rest of the furniture around it so it becomes the focal point of the room and people will pay attention to it.

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 Check out local artists for a one of a kind piece!

Amazing DIY Projects You Need To Try Next Year

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Being able to make something out of practically nothing is pretty awesome isn’t it? There’s nothing more satisfying than starting out with just a few chunky pieces of wood and ending up with something super awesome to fill your home or garden with.

Furniture and decor these days is so stupidly expensive that it makes sense to do it yourself. Even the pieces that are supposed to look old and shabby cost a fortune these days, if not more, so why bother forking out all of those extra dollars when you can do it for a much cheaper price yourself?

DIY projects aren’t just great for the final result, either. You’ll have something to fill your time with, a new set of skills, and, of course, the patience of a saint afterwards. If you’ve got some spare time on your hands (or little to no spare cash), then try these DIY projects and kick start your new year in style.

  1. The Most Stylish Table Lamps You’ll Ever See: This one is actually amazingly cheap as well as super easy. If you have some spare wine glasses around the house and a few paper shades (if not, both of these items are easy to find and can literally be purchased for a few dollars), drop an LED tea light into the wineglass and cover it with a paper shade. These make the perfect dinner table lampshades that are both safe and stylish to use.
  1. A Side Table With Style: If you have some old window shutters in the garage that haven’t been used in years, then why not put them to good use? You’re clearly not going to use them for their original purpose again so, instead, make a table from them and have an amazingly quirky looking table in one of your rooms for little to no cost.

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  1. A Lick of Paint Never Did Anyone Any Harm: If you’ve opened a tin of paint recently and got all of your walls finished, then you don’t need to throw the leftovers in the bin. Paint is expensive these days so you don’t want to waste a drop! Use what’s left to freshen up the furniture around the house. Chairs, tables, display surfaces – whatever is looking a little downbeat, spruce it up in the simplest, cheapest, and easiest way possible.

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  1. A Little Woodwork Knowledge Goes a Long Way: If you’re not much of an expert where woodwork is concerned, then don’t worry because that doesn’t need to stop you from having great wooden furniture in your home. Simple projects like a stowaway bench will bring character to the kitchen or garden play area. For tips on what sort of equipment you’ll need to get the job done properly, check out Straight Kerfs’ homepage.
  1. Make Your Decor Pop With Mini Bursts of Color: If you find that your all white furniture leaves your home looking a little boring, then there’s no need to go out and spend a fortune on replacing it all. Simply cover the metal or wooden handles with patterned fabric swatches. You can mix or match and have your home looking far more colorful at the cost of just a few dollars.
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    Bring on the color for a fun new look!

How do you DIY? What is one DIY project that you’re really proud of? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Easy Peasy Craft Tips For The Non-Crafty Gal

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Easy Peasy Craft Tips For The Non-Crafty Gal

In the world of Pinterest and DIY projects, you might just feel like the worst arts and crafter on the planet. But, fear not! Here are some fab tips to get yourself crafting in no time:

Easy Peasy Craft Tips For The Non-Crafty Gal:

Sometimes it seems as though the whole world has gone craft mad! Ever since the emergence of Etsy and other handmade marketplaces, people have jumped on board the craft wagon. But what if you’re not crafty or artsy? The simple answer is, you don’t have to be. If you fancy flexing your creative muscle, there’s a project for everyone.

Start Small: Like most things, it’s a good idea to start small. Find a simple project like an adult coloring book and go from there. Find a coloring book that you like and enjoy the simple pleasures of coloring in. And if coloring doesn’t appeal, find something that does. Try photography or give sewing a try. Look online for simple projects that are easy to complete but will make a big impact.

Find The Right Tools: In order to be creative, you need the right tools. They don’t have to be anything fancy. For some people, a pen or pencil is enough. Don’t go mad in the early stages. Take time to explore what you enjoy, then build up your tools slowly. It’s worth checking out online reviews and blogs to see what other people are using. Craft supplies are expensive so it makes sense to do your research.

Once you’ve found a craft you really like, it might be time to invest in the right tools. It may not be necessary to have something with all of the bells and whistles in the early stages. But as you become more experienced, you can save to add more to your craft cupboard. For example, a basic sewing machine may be sufficient for your early requirements. But as you begin to experiment, you may decide to add other accessories, such as a Singer walking foot, etc.

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The Fear: One of the greatest obstacles to creativity is the fear of the blank page. This is a combination of feeling overwhelmed and fear of failure. A common symptom is buying lots of beautiful notebooks but never using them. It’s that fear of making a mistake or messing up the page. The simple answer to this is that there are no rules when it comes to crafts. If you make a mess or a mistake, no problem. Just paint over it or start again. Some people bend their books or make a few ink blots on the cover to get past this initial fear.

Find What You Love: Finding a craft that you would like to invest your time in can be easier said than done. Look around, read blogs, and check out Pinterest pages. Find something that appeals to you and have a go. Don’t get stuck on one idea or technique. Experiment and keep on going. Strive to learn and discover as much as you can.

But a word of warning. Crafting is addictive. Prepare to spend evenings and weekends trying out new ideas and shopping for new tools. Expect to become a regular on craft forums and share your ideas on social media. And make sure to clear out some space in your home! Every closet, shelf, and spare room will soon be home to fabric samples, paints, glitter, and glue.

What is a DIY project that you are most proud of? (I welded a table in high school that I still have and I LOVE that thing!) What are some of your tips to struggling crafters? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Monday Update: Paint Nite Edition

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Monday Update: Paint Nite Edition

Hi everyone and happy Monday! For Christmas my brother and sister-in-law got me a Groupon for two admissions to a Paint Nite. For those of you not familiar with the event, it’s a lot of fun! You go online and pick a bar as well as the theme of the picture that you would like to paint. Then you make your way to whatever location you picked and paint a beautiful picture and enjoy some drinks while doing so. My boyfriend, Kyle, and I went to the Paint Nite that we chose last Tuesday and we had a blast. Kyle took pictures of our progress on the canvasses throughout the night, so take a look and then let’s chat:

^^^ The one on the left is mine and the one on the right is Kyle’s.

Kyle and I spent close to a half hour browsing through Paint Nite’s website to find a theme and a location that we both liked. We settled on the Love Birds theme which would take place at the Canton Brewing Company in Canton, Ohio. This location was good for Kyle because he’s a beer drinker but looking back on the event, I would have preferred to be at a wine bar! We booked our tickets thanks to my Groupons a few weeks in advance so for two or so weeks all we could talk about was how excited we were for our night out.

Finally, our date night on Tuesday the 26th rolled around and it was all I could think about for the entire day! We arrived at the Canton Brewing Company which was gigantic and then headed down into the basement where the event was taking place. After we walked down the huge stairway we saw all of the canvasses set up on easels and a bunch of people gathered around to enjoy their evening. We snagged a spot where we could sit together which I was afraid was not going to happen because almost everyone was there by the time we arrived. After we established our spots we went to the bottom floor bar to get ourselves some drinks before the extravaganza began.

The Canton Brewing Company had a great selection of beers (obviously) and that was great for Kyle but not so good for me! I’m not a big beer drinker at all – mama likes her sweet white wines! Unfortunately, they only had two wines to choose from which was a red and a chardonnay which ended up being way too dry. I threw back the chardonnay even though it was extremely unpleasant and was then able to get a drink that I actually like upstairs at the main bar. After I got a vodka sour in my system, I was feeling much better!

Our painting party started promptly at seven o’clock and was led by a lovely hostess whose name I can’t remember for the life of me, so we’ll call her “Anne”. Anne is a high school art teacher and had a lively personality which made listening to her talk a lot of fun. The basic idea of Paint Nite is that Anne will paint a section of the canvas and tell you how to do it and then you repeat the process. This back and forth went on for about an hour and then we dispersed for a fifteen minute break to get more drinks, go to the bathroom, and let the paint dry.

Once we returned from our break we got to work on the second half of our painting. Our hostess did a really good job of explaining the process in laymens terms which was so helpful because Kyle and I don’t have an artistic bone in our body. It was also nice to have another art teacher there who made her rounds around the tables to give some pointers and replenish our paint supplies. Before we knew it, another hour and a half had passed and our paintings were finally complete! Again, here are the finished products:

I was really pleased with how our paintings turned out – everything except Kyle’s dumb old cardinals that he decided to paint hair on to differentiate which bird was which. He gave his alter ego bird spiky hair and he ended up giving mine a mullet…Thanks, babe. -_-

I had so much fun at Paint Nite but there are a few things that I would do differently. It was nice to be among such a lively crowd while we got our paint on but at times, it was almost too much. There were around thirty or more people there so it would get incredibly loud which made it hard to hear Anne teach us what to do. I would definitely prefer smaller groups because then you would be able to get some type of attention from the hostess and her helper. You also wouldn’t have to deal with the insatiable urge to yell “SHUT UP” at everyone. 🙂

Other than the over abundance of people, I’d say that Paint Nite was a wonderful time. I was so thankful for my Groupon Christmas gift because the cost to go to an event is forty five dollars per person. I honestly think that that’s a bit pricey which is too bad because I would love to go to another one but I don’t particularly want to break the bank for it – especially when you still have to pay for drinks, snacks, and parking.

My best friend, Lea, wanted to try a Paint Nite after I told her about how much fun it was so we looked in to going to an event together. We were both not too keen to spend sixty or so dollars for the evening so we planned our own Paint Nite to have at home. We searched on YouTube for instructional videos on painting canvasses so we’re going to get our own supplies, grab a bottle of wine, and let an over enthusiastic YouTube painter walk us through creating a picture. Hello, girls night in!

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Paint Nite Edition! If you’re looking for a unique and memorable date night, girls night, or gift idea then I can’t recommend a Paint Nite outing enough. How many of you have attended a Paint Nite before? What did you think of it? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oh you crafty huh? Part two!

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I had a lovely time hanging out with one of my dear friends Tyler today. One of our favorite things to do when we hang out is indulge in a bottle of wine and get nice and crafty! Here’s the results and the how to’s of our fall inspired creation today!

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All that’s needed for this craft is:

  • mason jar
  • acorns
  • rope
  • candle holder
  • candle

Here are the steps for making this cute little craft, even though it’s pretty self explanatory!

  • Acquire acorns! Go to your nearest hiking trail or even your backyard and turn into a human squirrel and collect as many acorns as needed to semi fill your mason jar.
  • Place the candle holder with candle into said mason jar. Tyler and I purchased a taller candle holder and a tea light candle, and the acorns fit very nicely around them.
  • Fill your jar with as little or as many acorns as you’d like. I’d recommend filling it a little more than halfway so you get a nice effect from the candle light peeking out of all the nooks and crannies of the acorns piled on each other.
  • Tie the rope around the top of the jar for the final touch.
  • Light your candle, dim the lights, and enjoy your new fall themed candle jar!

And there you have it! Simple as that. A ten minute craft gave Tyler and myself a fun new autumn decoration! If you guys have any quick and easy fall crafts, let me know! Have a great night! -Sarah