OR.GA.NIZE! #1 Spice Labels

Spice Label Organization

I get very grouchy when the house is a mess, or when there is dust on the floor, or when I can't find something I need...
You know what I mean?
I want it to CHANGE!

So on my quest to be organized, I started a new Pinterest board where I am pinning all the smart, interesting, space-saving, and crafty ideas/projects which will help me fulfill my goal.
And I'm going to share my progress with you!
This means every time I do something from that Pinterest board and it was a success, I will post it here! This series will be called OR.GA.NIZE! Today, I present you with #1. I'm so excited!


Do you, too, have a shelf with spices bunged together in a manner that makes the spice you need UNFINDABLE?

That WAS the case for me. Not anymore! 

This project doesn't cost anything. And most importantly,  it doesn't eat up your whole day! The only tools you'll need are scissors, glue, and a printer.

Here's what I did:

DIY SPICE LABEL ORGANIZATION

1.     Empty a drawer in your kitchen, and organize everything that was in that drawer into two piles: STUFF TO THROW OUT and STUFF TO PUT ON THE EMPTY SHELF (this helps you get rid of a bunch of unnecessary stuff kicking around!). What empty shelf? The shelf which is currently holding all your spices! Now that your drawer is empty, place all your spices in it, and organize what was in your drawer onto your shelf.
2.     Now, label all the lids of those spices. Otherwise, it will be hell to recognize them! Click HERE for free printable labels. Cut them out and glue them onto your lids!

DIY Spice Labels

Spice Label Organization

I had to modify a bunch of the labels, as you can see, but they're still super cute!

Tell me what you think! 

GIVEAWAY ALERT!!!

Want to know something cool?

My mom is an AUTHOR!

And... she is hosting a giveaway! Three lucky winners will win her book! You have six days to enter. All you have to do is like her Facebook page. Here is the link to the giveaway:

https://www.facebook.com/TrailingAMemoir?sk=app_228910107186452

The book is called Trailing: A Memoir. It chronicles the experience of a "trailing spouse" who followed her Médecins Sans Frontières husband to the frontlines in East Africa (in other words, it's the story of five years of my mom and dad's life in Africa, in which I happen to be born). It's been voted one of the best Indie Read of 2013!

Take me home

I wonder if some of you out there, after reading the review I posted last Sunday of the movie How I Live Now, went out and watched it... have you?

If so, then you'll recognize this song.

Yes, things have not changed since last Sunday, and I am still completely obsessed with this movie (and, uh... George Mackay who plays the role of Eddie. Teehee). In fact, I've had its whole soundtrack running through my head non-stop.

This song especially. It is used in one of the scenes where Daisy and Piper are walking through the forest on their way back "home", and you can just feel Daisy's despair and longing for Eddie. So romantic... *sigh*

This song is called "Home" and it's sung by an artist called Daughter. I'd never heard of her before!

Take me, take me, home.
Take me, take me, home.

'Cause I don't stand a chance in these four walls.
And he don't recognise me anymore.
Burned out flames should never re-ignite.
But I thought you might...

Take me, take me, home.
Take me, take me, home.

Now he's moving close,
My heart in my throat.
I won't say a word,
But I think he knows...
That I've hardly slept,
Since the night he left.
His body always kept,
Mine inside of it.
Keep the nightmares out,
Give me mouth to mouth.
I can't live without you,
Take me to your house.

How I Live Now- Movie Review

I just came back from the movie How I Live Now... And I'm already writing this review, because- well, because- it was simply amazing. So keep reading.

How I live Now

     Let's start with the background of this movie: it's adapted by Kevin Macdonald from Meg Rosoff's novel, How I Live Now.
Although I know the movie is a little bit different from Meg Rosoff's story, this is the description I found of the novel on Goodreads, if you're interested (if not, scroll down):

Fifteen-year-old Daisy is sent from Manhattan to England to visit her aunt and cousins she’s never met: three boys near her age, and their little sister. Her aunt goes away on business soon after Daisy arrives. The next day bombs go off as London is attacked and occupied by an unnamed enemy.

As power fails, and systems fail, the farm becomes more isolated. Despite the war, it’s a kind of Eden, with no adults in charge and no rules, a place where Daisy’s uncanny bond with her cousins grows into something rare and extraordinary. But the war is everywhere, and Daisy and her cousins must lead each other into a world that is unknown in the scariest, most elemental way.

     I haven't read the book, to be honest, which is why I just bought it on Kindle.
The story is touching, and surreal- but all the while SO CLOSE TO REALITY. It illustrates what a World War III would look like. We often look at footage from World Wars I and II thinking, deep-down inside, that it's all in the past and part of history. But we don't stop to think that in that day it WAS the modern time, it WAS the present moment. This movie shows us how scary war really is, and most importantly that it's REAL and not just some chapter of history to be forgotten.

     Can we talk about the characters in this story?
They are brave, determined and so young! I fell in love with each and every main character. Well, more importantly, Daisy and Eddie. They are both so strong and sweet (even if for Daisy it may not show right away). And how they fall in love... how they fall in love... *sigh*
It made me fall in love. The falling-in-love process was portrayed so beautifully.
Not to mention how amazing the actors are: Daisy is played by Saoirse Ronan and Eddie by George MacKay. Can we just obsess over the beauty of these people? I mean, just look at them!

How I Live Now

Saoirse Ronan

George MacKay- I'm pretty sure that's what perfection looks like.

     The war separates Daisy and Eddie, which makes their relationship all the more powerful when they find each other again. They've both gone through unspeakably horrific events, which I won't spoil for you by naming, which makes their reunion heroic, and...tear-provoking.

     This is a story about relationships- not just the romance between Daisy and Eddie but also Daisy's relationship with her other cousins. It's a story about survival, about love, and about hate. It's about loss, and confusion, and how war changes a person.
It's about finding the meaning to life.

     The music in this film is wonderful. There's all types of music: lyrical, hard-rock, upbeat and fun... they really suit the story and were well chosen (heading over to iTunes to buy the soundtrack right now!)

     I'd have to say the most beautiful part of this film was the ending. It was tender, touching, and simply perfect. I cried. I think it was the most beautiful end to a movie I've ever seen. I can't wait to find out how it ends in the book. Please watch the movie, you'll understand.

I give How I Live Now five stars.

Here's the trailer:

Thinking of a new blog design... HELP PLZ?!?!

Hi everyone,
Just a quick word: I've had this blog for a year and six months- and I'm starting to wonder if it's not time to update my blog design.
I like my background pattern, and my bio... but I feel like changing the shape, or the display, or SOMETHING on my blog.
 So I was wondering... how did you design your blog? Could you give the names of blog designers, or free template websites? That would be a HUGE help. :]
Or if you have any suggestions?

Thank you!

Silence

There are some things, in this world, which are irreplaceable, rare, and precious; you have to look out for them and appreciate them fully while they're still happening.

Like the sound of silence.

In a noisy city like mine, how often do you find yourself in complete and total silence? Whether it's outside or inside, there is ALWAYS some sort of noise:
The tick of the clock, the motor of a car.
The sound of my brother eating cereal, the clickety-clack of my mom's fingers on her keyboard.
A baby's cry, the whoosh of the wind through the trees.
So when I find myself enjoying a book on the sofa, while my brother, next to me, is doing the same, and my dad is upstairs, and my mom is sipping her coffee without a sound, I literally

d
r
o
w
n

in the silence.
I drown in the silence, willingly, because it's one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard.
Silence, I've come to realize, is one of the loudest things you could ever hear.
Your ears are overwhelmed, in the best way possible, by the piercing absence of any noise, and your thoughts are crystal clear.

Remember to treasure these moments of silence: they don't come often and they are just as beautiful as a melody.

image is from pinterest

The height of your success.

quote of R.Kelly; photography by me

We all know easy it is to lose ourselves to the TV when we could be working hard at reaching our goals.

I've been thinking a lot about this lately, with all the schoolwork and pressure I've been experiencing from everything and everyone around me. This last week I had several moments of pure laziness and carelessness where, when coming home from school, I decided to put my homework aside and watch TV while eating snacks and thinking "WHY do I have to do what OTHER people want me to do?

The thing is, nothing worth having comes easy, and if you really want something, you've got to work for it.

I want to succeed in my future. I learned that laziness feels good temporarily, but in the long run, hard work is what really makes you feel good.

Us humans tend to put what we love to the side, in acts of procrastination and fear that we might not succeed.

But the only way to succeed is to never, ever give up. This is something I've had to remind myself of many times. 

Us humans like to rest, relax, and enjoy ourselves, which is totally understandable, but I feel that sometimes we forget what we'd like to be living for. 

Sure, hard work can be HARD... it will often be a true STRUGGLE to get where you want.

But please, please keep struggling.

Because in the end, it's the depth of your struggle that determines the height of your success.