So you wanna DIY?

So I've been getting a lot of positive feedback on my DIY projects and tutorials - Thank you!  But the one thing I keep hearing from people is, "I wish I could do that."  I swear, that line leaves me with a confused look on my face every time - if I could do it, why can't you?

Most times when I ask the "Why can't you?" question, I get a response like, "I'm not that creative" or "I wouldn't know where to begin".  That got me thinking, why not put together a beginner's guide to crafting and DIY?  Thus, the purpose of this post.

 Original image by Heather Bailey

So, first thing's first:  What is DIY?  DIY is an abbreviation for the term "Do It Yourself".  That means that YOU, yourself can do it.  Just like the little engine, YOU CAN DO IT!  All you need is a little inspiration - and you can get that for free all over the place.

DIY projects are the best because most times, you can make something wayyyyyyy cheaper than it would cost for you to buy it at a store.  And unless you sh*t diamonds, I'm pretty sure your budget would greatly appreciate that.  They also allow you to explore your creative side (that you think you don't have) so you can make things that are truly unique and show off your own personality.

I know that ALL of you (yes, even you diamond sh*tters) have seen something and thought to yourself, "Pshh, I could do that."  THAT is where your DIY inspiration comes from.  You see something and you know you could recreate it...but then what do you do?  Most of you probably just put it in the "maybe one day" file in the back of your mind and then end up forgetting about it.  There's your problem:  Don't forget about it!  Quick tip:  If you don't already have a Pinterest account, GET ONE NOW!  If you do, create a board specifically for DIY projects that you KNOW you can do.

Some of the most basic tools and supplies that I use constantly when working on a simple DIY project are:  a good pair of scissors, a glue gun, some scrapbook paper, a bunch of yarn or embroidery floss (you can buy packs full of different colors at Walmart and other stores), a needle and some thread, and my printer.  Obviously you'll need to add to your supply kit as you go along and depending on the type of project you're taking on - home decor and home improvement need an entirely different beginner's supply list.

When you're first starting out, the most important thing is to take on projects that you are 110% sure you can accomplish.  Just like when learning to walk, we all need to take baby steps first - otherwise we'll fall flat on our asses.  Taking on small, manageable projects will help you to practice some basic skills like stitching, painting, cutting, and drawing before taking on more ambitious projects.

Here are some DIY projects that are both cheap and simple to make:

- Wire Heart Bracelet
- Hand-Sewn Cards
- Chalkboard Coasters
- Copper Pipe Necklace
- Map String Art

The most important thing to remember when taking on any type of project:  Be Patient.  Mistakes are bound to happen, so instead of stressing out about them, learn from them.  Mistakes can always be corrected somehow - and sometimes, mistakes can turn a project into something else entirely!  Learn to adapt and use that imagination to make something wonderful!

I hope this post has inspired you to go out and make something.  We've got a three-day weekend, folks!  Let's use it wisely and creatively!

DIY Fabric Panel Shorts

So remember those shorts I showed you in my last post?  If you don't, here's another look at them:

Well, as promised, I'll be showing you how I made these bad boys so you can make a pair too!  They're actually very easy to make, all you need is a pair of shorts, some fabric, scissors, pins, and a needle and thread.

So the first thing you need to do is measure and cut your fabric.  What I did was place the fabric over one side of the shorts and cut around the area, using it as a guideline.  Be sure to cut your fabric a little bigger so you can fold the raw edges under to get a cleaner line.

The next step is to fold and pin the edges of the fabric to the shorts.  This will keep your fabric in place as you sew.

Now we're sewing!  I'm still a beginner at this sewing biz so I just used a basic stitch - nothing fancy.  So, using your needle and thread, sew your fabric to your shorts, taking the pins out as you go along.

And, that's it!  You've got some fancy new shorts to rock this summer!  Oh, and don't forget to add a little flair to the back too!  (Use the same method for the back pocket).

 Well I hope you liked this tutorial as much as I enjoyed making it!  It is really so easy to do - I finished the pair I wore in about an hour while I was waiting for the parade to start.  I really love the fact that you can use different colors, washes, and fabric to create unique looks.

So whaddaya waiting for?  Get that fabric and start creating!

[Guest Post] Fresh-faced Easy Summery Makeup Look Tutorial

Hey everyone! I'm still on vacay and still super busy (today is Trace's birthday) so I don't have much time to sit down and write a post but I've got a very super special lady to cover for me today!

She's one of my blog-crushes and I'm so stoked that she's offered to guest post! She's absolutely gorgeous and she always looks flawless so take notes on this tutorial!! I've already got my notebook open!

P.S. She's also giving away $25 to Sephora in the BIRTHDAY GIVEAWAY that ends tomorrow! Hurry up and enter!!! ---------------------------------------------

Aloha, FrikkenDuckieFriends!!

Jessica/Duckie invited me to guest post while she is away with epic journeys in Hawaii and the Mainland US. (Thanks so much, Jessica! xo)

My name is Mae, and I'm a fellow Pacific Island style blogger like our girl Jessica here! I'm based in Hawaii Kai (East Honolulu), Oahu, Hawaii. You can find me writing intermittently at thereafterish.com. I'm super lucky to live in paradise, but as my website name suggests, "Happily Ever Thereafter" is only half the story. 'thereafterish.' is all about my style, beauty, finding happiness, and documenting this huge adventure that is my Hawaii Life--its ups, downs and in betweens.

Although we live in the "Kingdom of Eternal Summer" here in Hawaii, where it can feel summery year round, it can get pretty hot during spring and summer. I'm all about being easy and lighter on the makeup during the warmer months. I want to look, healthy, flushed and radiant, like I just got back from an amazing beach trip (which is likely, since I live in Hawaii!), but I don't want to feel like I'm wearing a ton of gunk on my face. This is the look I've been sporting for the last month or so since the mercury and barometer started rising.

This is how I achieved this glowy, chic and easy summer makeup look:

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{ Makeup Used }

Clarins Beauty Flash Balm (Primer)
Chanel Correcteur Perfection concealer
Real Techniques Blending Brush
Eco Tools mineral makeup brushes
Tarte Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder
Korres Wild Rose Mineral Foundation in Medium Beige
Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder in Golden Medium
Ecotools Kabuki Brushes
Illamasqua Blusher Powder in Lover (bright apricot)
Benefit Creaseless Cream Eye Shadow in Birthday Suit
MAC pigment in Vanilla
Lioéle Artist Auto Eyebrow Pencil in Grey Black
NARS Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eye Liner waterproof liner in Rue Bonaparte (nude)
Black waterproof eye liner (MUFE - Similar to Rimmel)
Vichy Thermal Water anti-aging mist
Shiseido eyelash curler
Kiss Me! Heroine Make Curl & Long fiber mascara (waterproof)
Physicians Formula Organic Wear Fakeout Mascara
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Kiss Me Coral
Revlon Super Lustrous gloss in Coral Reef
Tokyo Milk makeup bag

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{ Kissed by Coral makeup look with coral colors for a healthy, spring glow }

I'm hoping you found this tutorial super easy. Although it looks like a lot of products, it's super light on the skin and makes you look fresh-faced, glowing, and healthy--perfect for spring and summer! And, best of all, it actually doesn't take too long to do!

Thanks for watching! Let me know if you found this tutorial helpful and tried it out by dropping a line on the video on my YouTube Channel (while you're there, please subscribe for more)!

You can also be my homies on my blog, thereafterish., on thereafterish.'s Facebook Page, Bloglovin', on Instagram (User @maeluu), and on Pinterest!

Much Aloha, Lovers!
Mae Xx

How To: Be a Better Blogger [Creating and Editing Images]

Its no secret that the best blogs have the best images.  Whether they are photographs they took or something they created themselves on some cool program, it is pretty obvious that posts with visuals get more attention than long, wordy posts.

When people read blogs and go through their blog feed everyday, they click on:  1)  Their favorite blogs first (friends, family, popular blogs, etc.) then 2) The ones who have a captivating title (giveaways, blog hops, tutorials, announcements, etc.) and finally 3) Blogs with eye-catching thumbnails (outfits, products, food, art, photos with interesting angles, etc.).

Now, before you start making excuses like "They have a better camera" or "I can't afford those expensive editing programs", remind yourself that you're here reading this to become a better blogger.  Don't go backwards by putting yourself down because a negative attitude will not make you a better blogger at all.

The best camera in the world is useless to someone who doesn't know how to use it and even a disposable camera can capture beautiful and interesting images if you have an eye for it.  Do some research and take some notes on the photos that other bloggers post.  What makes this photo great?  Keep in mind all the different elements of those images.  Background, lighting, pose, angle of the camera...

Here's an example:

This is a plain ol' plastic kids' chair.  There's nothing special about it.  They've had this for ages - you can even see the white parts where they bent the plastic.  It just looks boring.

And here is the same chair but in a different angle and with more of a background behind it.  Big difference, huh?  This photo is more eye-catching and interesting and all I did was move the chair over a little and take the photo from a different angle.  This image tells more of a story than the first one.

Here's another example:  Let's say you're writing a post about this really pretty leaf you found on the ground when you went for a walk the other day.  Now, which photo do you think will captivate your audience better?

This one:

Or this one:

While the first photo does show us how the leaf looked to you when you found it, it doesn't really show us the details of how beautiful it really is.  The second photo makes it seem as though we're an ant crawling on that leaf and it allows us to see the colors and textures better.

Take as many photos as you have to until you get the best ones.  Ask others for input, do some research on different types of photographs (scenery, close-ups, self portraits, food, etc.), and apply that to your photos.

As for editing photos and creating graphic images, you really don't need the expensive software and programs to do all of that.  While programs like Photoshop and PaintShopPro are pretty cool and do have a variety of tools for you to use, there are similar programs that you can find online that are FREE.

The program I use to edit all my photos and create almost all the graphic images you find here on Frikken Duckie is Pixlr.  My header, tabs, button, profile picture, etc. were all created with Pixlr.  Though it doesn't have ALL the features that Photoshop has, it is very similar and remember, it is FREE.

Check out some other cool little doodles I created today on Pixlr...

So now that you have no more excuses as to why you can't include amazing photos and images in your post, it's time for you to get creative!  Take some photos and go play around on Pixlr!  I'd love to see what you come up with!

And if you have any other tips and tricks about taking photos and/or creating images I'd love to hear them and I'm sure everyone else would too!  What kind of camera do you have?  What editing programs do you use?

P.S.  Like my new signature?  Created it on Pixlr - duh!

How To: Be a Better Blogger [Gaining Followers]

Now if you're a serious blogger, you've probably asked yourself, "How can I be a better blogger?" about a million times.  I love blogging and I treat it as a job (sure I come in late and call in sick sometimes, but you know what I mean) so I ask myself this question at least once a day.  It is a question that even the best of bloggers ask themselves often, which is no wonder why they're the best.

In order to become a better blogger you need to figure out what being a "better blogger" means to you.  To start off you can ask yourself, "Who are my blogging idols?"  We all have different favorites and that's okay.  There is no real right or wrong answer to that question, it just depends on what your idea of a good blogger is.

Now that you've got your idol(s) in mind, the next question you need to ask yourself is, "What makes them a better blogger?"  Do they have lots of followers?  Are they making a living by blogging?  Do they post stunning, Pinterest-worthy outfit photos of themselves?  How you gauge their greatness affects your blog strategy.

**This started off as just one post but it's a bit lengthy so I'm breaking it up into several different posts in order to cover more mini-topics.**

So lets say that your goal is to have lots of followers.  We all want that, right?  But, having lots of followers doesn't exactly mean having a lot of FOLLOWERS.  You get what I'm saying?  No?  Okay.  I've seen many, MANY comments from bloggers who write "Nice post!  Would you like to follow each other?" and then they go on to list their blog and say how they'll follow you back.  And of course you click on their blog and see that they have thousands of followers and start wondering how they got so many followers - until you read comments from other bloggers saying "Thanks for commenting, I'm following you now so don't forget to follow me back!"  Or something along those lines.

That, my friends, is called the cut & paste follower.  A blogger who uses the same comment for every blog they visit just to gain more followers.  Now, you can do that if you want, but I personally don't take those blogs seriously because they're usually just trying to make up in followers what they lack in content.

If you're really serious about becoming a better blogger, you have to put in the work.  No pain, no gain, right?  As a blogger, I love reading thoughtful, encouraging comments from my readers because it allows me to connect with them and vice versa.  Leaving a comment that says "Nice post!" tells me that they probably didn't really read the post or if they did read it and didn't have anything else to say, they're probably not being genuine.  I'd rather read a comment that says "I'm really not feeling this post, try writing about a different topic next time." instead of just "Nice post!"

In order to gain real-deal, genuine, and loyal followers, you have to be one yourself.  Explore other blogs and help other bloggers out.  Leave genuine comments and get a discussion going.  And when people comment on your blog, connect with them and support them on their blogging journey as well.  The more supportive you are, the more support you'll receive.

A good blogger has a lot of followers, a better blogger has a lot of friends.

♥ Duckie.

Makeup Monday: Make Up For Ever Aqua Brow [Review]

Happy Monday friends!

For today's beauty/makeup post I'll be reviewing Make Up Forever's Aqua Brow.

Aqua Brow is part of Make Up For Ever's Aqua Collection which was originally created for the Parisian water ballet.  The products in this collection are said to be "high performance, long lasting products withstand the most extreme conditions while staying completely waterproof, crease-proof, and fade-proof".

Make Up For Ever ("MUFE") is generally known for its high quality makeup products and tools and this product does not disappoint.  This is actually my first MUFE product and was given to me by my sister for Christmas.  Being that Guam does not have a Sephora, nor does Sephora ship to Guam (what's up with that?), I was really stoked to get to try a MUFE product for the first time.

This is what it looks like when you get it.  Since I have dark hair, I use the color Ash - it also comes in light blonde and blonde.  It runs for about $20.00 at Sephora and though it may seem pretty expensive for 0.23 oz, a little goes a LONG way with this, trust me.

To apply this product, I squeeze the tube a little - just enough to get some on the brush - then I swipe an angled brush on the tip of the tube to pick up some of the product.  I use the brush to shape from the arc to the tip of my brow first and then go over the rest of my brow in short strokes to fill it in.

Now, let me just tell you that I have very weird eyebrows.  They are thick in the inside (near my nose) and sparse at the ends (see the first picture).  This, my friends, is the result of years of over plucking, trimming, and shaving them.

Before using MUFE's Aqua Brow I was just using a dark brown eyeshadow and my angled brush to shape and fill my brows.  Never again!

Since using Aqua Brow, I feel like a new person!  Okay, you may be rolling your eyes and thinking that I'm over exaggerating but I'm totally serious - if you have brow problems, you'd know what I'm talking about.

This product is absolutely amazeballs.  It seriously lasts all day without fading or smudging.  I no longer have to keep checking to see if my eyebrows need to be touched up.  And one of the best things about it - it's waterproof!  That means I can swim all I want and still have eyebrows when I emerge from the ocean!!!!!

I give this product 5 out of 5 quacks and I definitely recommend this product to all my over-plucked and under-shaped brow sisters out there!

*The views and opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.  I have not been endorsed to review this product - though I would like to be.

♥ Duckie.