Hair Spa at Home

I cannot bear seeing so many of my hair dropping on the floor, chair, carpet, kitchen and everywhere in the house. It is also very demotivating for a woman to lose what it looks like million strands of hair in a day. What can I do to stop this? The expensive way is to get myself an appointment at the ladies salon. That would be my last option. In this oil rich country, nothing is cheap.

I have read somewhere that Extra Virgin Coconut oil can be useful for our hair. The last time I had coconut oil in my hair was when I was in Primary school and had lice in my hair. Eek. My mother was here in Abu Dhabi when I delivered my second baby and she brought a bottle of Virgin Coconut oil. When she left I decided to put it to good use. First, I used it as my baby's massage oil. Did not like the smell at first but after that I love to use it on my baby's skin. So smooth! Second, I warmed up the oil and massaged my scalp using the warm oil. How to warm it up? Actually I am not sure how other people do it. Is there a rule to this? I do not know. I simply pour a bit in a mug (depends how much oil you want to use on your head) and use a bigger ceramic bowl at the bottom to support the mug. Run my tap water to reach hot temperature into the bowl and leave the hot water heat the mug. Oil will be warm in few minutes. Voila ~ Hot oil treatment! Use your fingers to gently massage the scalp. Very therapeutic. I had the oil in my hair for two hours before I washed it with shampoo. I used an organic shampoo that has Extra Virgin Olive Oil. 

I had my first spa last week and I love the smoothness and shiny look. I intend to do this hot oil therapy for my hair once a week. 

Black Rondelle Bead Bracelet

I was looking for an easy bead bracelet to start with after a long break from doing any crafting. I have forgotten how addictive it is to craft. Once I hit the Google search button there was no turning back. So many projects, so little time in a day (or in my case, in a night). So here goes my first pick :)

Was trying to recreate another project from here but I do not have certain supplies that she suggested so I improvised. I might just make few more with different colours. 

Not bad eh?

Supplies for Papercraft and Future Projects

I have been buying several purchases for papercraft and to-do projects right after confinement period and eager to show you what they are and where I got them. 

This is one of those to-do projects. Looks like a good challenge :) Bought this at Jarir Bookstore at Mina Centre Abu  Dhabi 

 

I have been wanting to buy these stamps since my last visit. Great for cardmaking , scrapbook or Project Life. Bought at Jarir Bookstore, Mina Centre Abu Dhabi

This book was calling my name! Bought it at Jarir Bookstore, Mina Centre, Abu Dhabi

Another to-do project, felt craft! Perry (my husband) bought me a glue gun recently and I am eager  start on this project. Felt sheets bought at Jarir Bookstore Mina Centre, Abu Dhabi

Index cards are great as journaling cards if you are a scrapbooker or do-it-yourself Project Life. Bought this at the Abu Dhabi Co-op Madinat Zayed Shopping Centre, Abu Dhabi

Wire and Beads Projects 2012

I took breaks from my weekly crafting and whenever my back can take it, I would sit and create! So in no particular order, here goes some of the stuff I made.

I am so pleased with this - my first handmade Christmas decoration!

Did you see that?

Another achievement for the year - a decade of Rosary, can be a car rosary or pocket rosary. 

Another rosary done

Another rosary

I like this bracelet - looks exquisite!

Bracelet using wires

Bracelets on stretch chord

This is quite big and heavy - I like the weight on my wrist!

Another one (or two) of my favourites - unique beads

Purple and pink

This is another heavy bead but very nice and comfortable to wear - I like!

When the two favourites are together, they look awesome.

Made this as a Christmas gift for a colleague

This went to a little girl

Trying my hand on brooches, this could look good as a wedding brooch too

Happiness Project 2012 Review

Well, in few days the year 2012 will be a thing in the past and we would have to get used to writing the year 2013. I realised that my last post was in July 2012 and no updates after that. Do not worry, happiness project is still on. In fact, the month of July probably marked another 'big' happiness entry if I had the time to write it down here.

To start with, God Almighty has blessed me with good news, I am going to have another baby! So, soon enough my little family will become four in total. This second baby is not easy to deal with, mood swings that never exists, cravings and morning sickness which is more like all day sickness to me. I still hug my tummy with all my love. My first son, who is turning 3 years old in April next year, is still too young to understand that he will have a little brother or sister soon and becoming very attached to us. I still struggle in potty training him.

If you are in Instagram, you will see all my other bracelets and bead projects (follow me on Instagram @aliepey). I would post them here soon. As I grow bigger in size, it is beginning harder to sit and do the projects for long period. Surprisingly now in my third trimester, I can sit a bit longer to do my bead projects. I managed to do few bracelets and gave them away as Christmas gifts.

Recently I have added another craft projects to do, making handmade greetings cards! Lucky in Abu Dhabi I could find paper supplies easily and for the other craft supplies like craft punches, stamps, stickers, different kind of papers, embellishments etc I can find them in Daiso shops and Paperchase. Even stationery section in Lulu hypermarket and WH Smith and Magrudy's bookstores can surprise you with supplies. I admit, this new hobby is very addictive and I am only talking about supplies here :) I will post more about this along the way for sure.

So there you go, a short list that goes a long way to make someone happy. Have you found your Happiness Project yet? Keep looking. It's there.

Getting Wired Up

This week I have not much time to sit and create as my two year old son is demanding more of my attention. This necklace and earrings were done in parts, especially the necklace (it was meant to be a bracelet).

Findings for My Rosary Project

Rosary necklace is one of my 'to-make' project list. Inspired by one of the blogs I read about rosary repairing service, I decided I should make this as a challenge. On Friday 29 June 2012, my husband and I (together with our son) went to Dragonmart Dubai to buy more of my bead project supplies. Trying my luck, I asked the sales assistant from the 'DaDa Trading' if they have this cross and medallion for rosary and she said no. That shop became crowded with people so I left and went to the first shop I bought the beads before, the 'DuDu shop' (see my previous blog in June). Not so many people so I can breathe and think while choosing the beads and findings. I asked the Chinese lady about the rosary cross and medallion and she produced both in less than 5 seconds. I wanted to give her a hug! I bought about 5 sets plus few more supplies and this time, did not even ask for discount. She gave me discounts herself :)

Playing with Wire

I thought I would practice on wire techniques last weekend. The cutting, bending and linking - all paid off!

The wire bracelet is a bit too big for my wrist but will make a nice anklet :)

Marble In A Cage

This looks easy on the guidebook so I decided to try it myself this week. Unfortunately I did not have a thick string or leather strings to make this properly but I made a silent promise to buy it next visit to the craft shop. Instead, I have used thin black elastic string, normally for hairband and waistband. This is just for practice and blogging purposes but hubby has requested me to make him a necklace like this when I get the strings next time. :)

Reem Island 'Reem Cafe'

After so long I visited Reem Cafe at the Reem Island again. Found this sign outside:

I forgot to ask the cafe staff about this sign :D

Little girls' bracelets

I made these bracelets for two lovely girls, Selena and Tiana as a surprise even from their mother. Simple gifts made from the heart.

And for their mother, a simple pair of earrings..

Marble-lous

Will be practicing some bead wrapping with these marbles :)

Daiso at Madinat Zayed

I have not gone to this Daiso branch for a long time so I thought I would go and visit. Got these from them:

Three tubes of seed beads, two star-shaped beads and colourful round beads. I am going to do two bracelets and maybe earrings for my friend's daughters this weekend. Sssh.. it's a surprise.

For a Little Girl

I had few small packs of plastic beads which are colourful and young girl-ish. I bought them from Daiso when I first started the bead project. I do not think I can use them with the other pearls so I decided to make a pair of earrings and bracelets out of them. This is such a great way to practice and it is fun too.

Dark brown, maybe maroon?

I have been occupied with this project for almost two weeks, partly because I was walking around Madinat Zayed area to look for small metal beads and debate with myself on the design.  I have summarised my trips to MZ as pointless if I need to do serious, money-making business out of this hobby.

And so yeaaay.. the necklace and matching earrings are done and ready to be brought out to meet its fans.

Wrapped!

I almost forgot to post this latest wrapped bead earrings I made earlier this week. I love these wrapped beads projects. Will do more of these. I used 0.6mm wire for this. White faux pearl on top and Crystal white / black bead at the bottom.

Bead Obssession

Lookie lookie what I found... new beads bought from Dragonmart. If you are new in Dragonmart Dubai and want to find beads findings and supplies, go to the GA - GB area. Find a shop called Dudu Shop or DuDu shop (these are two different shop in a same row, no kidding). You should be able to find other related shops in same row. Please try to haggle for discounts :)

This is cheaper compared to the second bead strand. This is AED20.00 a strand. It's just plastic beads in funny shapes.

These are AED50.00 a strand. Purple jade stone.

I think next time I will buy two strands of cheaper beads. I am not daring enough to mix colours and a super perfectionist but I will get there. My new list of supplies to buy include more rolls of wires and a look out for stronger wirecutter. I nearly chipped my wire cutter cutting a 0.8mm wire. Will not do it again! I used my other wire cutters now that I have extra of those from my first few attempts in tool finding in Abu Dhabi.

Last night I have separated few beads from the maroon colour beads as I have plans for them. I have made headpins but short of energy in wire cutting. Next I just need to be brave in mixing colours!  

May Bead Projects

Having to discover a new passion, I am now in need of supplies. Thanks to few expat women forums, I found an area in Madinat Zayed which has almost what I need. They are only short of 0.6mm in diameter and above crafting wires and of course tools. Findings like earring loops and hooks are there but not the right colour. Too bright, too silvery, too bling-bling. I like silver jewellery. If you happen to find this blog and want to know where to get supplies in Abu Dhabi, you can head to Madinat Zayed Shopping Centre / Gold Souk. In the Shopping Centre itself there's one shop in particular that I visited twice to get supplies. It is next to a shop called Hollywood, near the G2000 retail outlet. I should really try to remember how to get to the shop, I seem to be always walking in circles whenever I go there.

Just outside the Shopping Centre, along side the Al Jazira Hotel there's a row of shops having more supplies. Naming a few, you can try to look for Golden Thread and Al Reza Trading. Malek & Shaheed shop has good supplies for Swarovski stones. All these shops are within the same block. Park on one area and prepare to walk. If you do not mind to walk around a bit you will find interesting findings. As the largest diameter of wire I found is 0.6 mm, I have to work with that for now. I hope the shops in Dragonmart Dubai can offer better supplies.

Last night I wanted to try out making wrapped bead earrings with the wires I bought, well not bad. Just need more practice.

Wrapped bead earrings - my first attempt

I love pearls!

Trying to play with the colour blue

My Happiness Project

Have you read this book, the Happiness Project? I have not read the book myself but I found the book on the display table in Magrudy's book shop in Al Wahda Mall, Abu Dhabi few months back. I was flipping through the synopsis and read few pages (was not planning to buy any more books that day). It is from reading that few pages of book that I have decided the 'Happiness Project' is what I would call my journey this year onwards.

I have made few list of to-dos in my project which has no timeline but will have an objective - Make Me Happy! So if it does not make me happy, it will not be in the list. Simple.

One of the projects in my list had made me really happy.

Yes, I made my first bead earrings! It even looks expensive (quoting my husband's words). One of the things that I always wanted to learn and do is making bead jewelleries. It is not easy to find the tools. Supplies are not easy to find and choices not many. Under the Summer heat, I had to plan my route on where to be dropped and picked up. I will be heading to Dragonmart, Dubai one of the coming Fridays to shop for more supplies as I was informed that there are more choices there. Hope so. If not, then online shopping we will do!

I was so happy about my first earrings I decided to make another pair. I could go on making more but having a headache and a toddler demanding for attention, certainly not easy.

My second pair of earrings looks 'ethnic' - my husband said.

I am so happy. Happiness Project is a go!