DIY Phone Tripod Mount

I take all of my photos using my iPhone's camera, even my product photos for my shop's website.  I decided that it was time to invest in a phone mount for my tripod, so I can take better photos and selfies (for when I model the clothes I sell).  Then I thought, "Hey, why should I buy one when I could probably just make one?"  So I looked online, and sure enough, I found a DIY video.

If you watch the video, he shows everything a bit more clearly.  And I didn't have the exact same tools that he did, but thanks to Dad, I was able to improvise.

Here are the things I needed:

     

• Flux (or whatever you have that attaches solder to things)
• A pencil
• Some 1/8" solder
• A 1/4" nut
• A binder clip
• Sandpaper
• Something to cut the solder with (hence the giant shears)
• A torch
• A thick rubber band.  I didn't have a thick rubber band, so I used fabric glue and some thick elastic to make a decent substitute until I can find an actual rubber band.

First, I used the sandpaper to remove the paint from the bottom of the binder clip, until it was mostly just the metal.

Next, I wrapped some solder around the pencil, to make a little spiral.

Then, I secured the binder clip using a vice (in the video, the guy uses a second larger binder clip, which I didn't have).  I put some of the Flux on the binder clip and on the nut.

Then I made a nut/solder sandwich, with the nut on top, some Flux, the solder, more Flux, and the binder clip at the bottom.

Next, I had my dad use the torch to melt the solder, so that it secured the nut onto the binder clip.

We waited for it to cool down, and we were a little skeptical that it would work at first, but it seems to be holding on pretty well!

I brought the clip inside and used it to hold the makeshift band.  If you watch the video, you can see this next part more clearly than I can explain it.  I wrapped the ends of the band around the corners of the binder clip, so that it looked like this (I know it's tough to see, since the elastic is the same color as the clip... just watch the video!):

I used it to hold a phone, and then I twisted the mount onto my tripod.  Voila!

So far, it works really well!  I can set a timer on it to take photos of myself, or I can just keep the phone in one place while I switch products out and take photos of them.  It's super useful!  And if the nut happens to break off or something, I can just make another one!

I hope you guys find this project as useful as I did!  :)

Starved Rock Adventure!

Arie and I went on an adventure to the Starved Rock park area, and we got a few cool shots from inside the canyons.

We found this stack of rocks in a stream, and I warned Arie not to knock them over.  I mean, what if a witch put them there?  Then he'd be cursed!  While we were talking about the witch thing, a gust of wind knocked them over.  It was spooky.

Here's a shot of a waterfall that was still half-frozen.  Last year, we went on a warm day when everything was still almost completely frozen; we were able to walk under and on top of waterfalls!

Someone wrote, "Yer a wizerd" and I thought it was hilarious.  :)

There's a cool little stream tunnel that goes under a bridge, and Arie walked through it.  I chose not to this time, because my shoes and socks were already cold and wet!

Here's another pretty waterfall!

If you ever get a chance to go to the Starved Rock area in Illinois, DO IT!  It's a lot of fun!

Valentine's Day Gifts for Him

"Oh shit, Valentine's Day is coming up.  What should I get for my boyfriend??"

Basically the same last-minute question I ask myself every year.  Personally, I think his birthday or our anniversary are a bit more important, but I know I can't just skip over Valentine's Day!  So here are my top favorite gift/date ideas for those of us who want to make Valentine's Day special this year.

1. Personalized Wallet
   
   Guys usually keep their wallet on them at all times, and they get worn out easily.  So buying him a sturdy one that will last a while can be a good gift idea on its own.  But why not take it a step further?  Visit a customization website and have it monogrammed with his initials.  Some sites to look into include:  Leatherology, Fossil, and of course, good ol' Etsy.
2. Brewery Tour / Home Brew Kit
   
   A lot of local breweries offer tours where they teach you about their process and show you their crazy-impressive equipment (no innuendo intended).  See if you can schedule a date for a Valentine's Day weekend tour.  It'll definitely be something he'll remember.
   
   Alternatively, you could get him a home brew kit.  For his birthday, I got my boyfriend this kit, and he's super excited to get started.
3. Something Techy
   
   If your boyfriend is really nerdy, or his phone just always seems to go dead at the worst possible times, consider getting him one of those new fandangled cordless charging stations.  Or, if he's into being clean (or if you want him to get into being clean), maybe buy him a smartphone sanitizer.
4. Beard Care
   
   So, your boyfriend's a hipster with a big, fancy... BEARD.  Maybe he's been looking for new ways to take better care of this creature.  If that's the case, a beard care kit might be just what he's looking for.  Many of them come with fancy oils, shampoos, pomade, and combs to help him keep his face fur looking its finest.
5. Breakfast Date
   
   If he's more of a foodie, treating him to a breakfast date can never go wrong!  Everyone loves breakfast!  Find out what his favorite diner is, make sure they're not packed for Valentine's day, and take him out for a big morning meal.  After all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
6. Industrial-Strength Socks
   
   Does your boyfriend get holes in his socks ALL. THE. TIME?!  Mine certainly does.  So I ventured into the world of industrial-strength socks, and bought him a pair for Christmas.  I told him that if he likes them, I would get him a few more (because they're expensive for socks, but they last forever).  I went with Darn Tough socks because a) they're made in America, right in Vermont, and b) they have a lifetime warranty where if they do somehow get a hole in them, you can return them for a full refund or exchange.  He was pretty impressed with his new socks.

So those are my favorite ideas for Valentine's Day this year.  And I know it's hard to shop for guys, but don't give up!  So if your boyfriend happens to mention something like, "I should get a new wallet" or "Why do all my socks keep getting holes in them?" that's your cue to start looking into a new and better option for him.

Good luck this Valentine's Day!  <3

DIY Skater Skirt

I've had this plain black skirt skirt for a long time, but it just never really looked right, so I never wore it.  So I decided to turn it into a cool skater skirt with straps.  :)

First, I put the skirt on, and I measured where the straps would go.

I cut two pieces of elastic to this length.  Then, I used chalk to mark where the straps would be going.  I put the chalk marks on the inside of the skirt, so they can't be seen when I'm wearing it.  Next, I flipped the skirt inside-out so I could sew the straps onto the inside.

Next, I used fabric glue to attach the elastic straps to the chalk markings.

Once that was dry, I put the skirt back on with the straps over my shoulders.  It still looked a little bare, so I decided to add one more strap.

I measured around my waist, about two inches above the top of the skirt, and I used chalk to mark the insides of the straps where I wanted this new strap to go.

I cut another piece of elastic to this length, and I used fabric glue to attach it to the inner sides of the shoulder straps.

Here is what the finished project looks like:

       

Aerial Silks Class

For Christmas, my sister got me a Groupon to take an aerial silks class.  If you haven't heard of this, it's basically where there is this giant silk cloth hanging from the ceiling, and you wrap yourself up in it and do tricks.  It's really pretty, graceful, and can even be sexy.

I have taken pole dancing classes before (and I even have a pole in my room), and it was extremely hard, so I thought that the silks would be just as difficult, but I actually had an easier time with them.  I think the reason I found it a little easier was because with pole, I would have to use my own upper body strength (which is very limited) to pull and hold myself up.  But with aerial silks, I used the silk more than my own strength to hold my body up.

My teacher said showed me a few tricks and I caught on right away.  She even said that I was doing better than most newbies!  That was nice to hear!  The only thing I had a tough time with was climbing... I kept slipping!

So, I signed up for 8 weeks of classes so I can get more practice!  I'm so excited!

How to Wear Dread Falls

I recently started accepting orders for custom dread falls, so here is a short tutorial video on how to wear them.  If you would like to order some for yourself, you can do so here:  www.lunamidnight.com

Modeling Safety Tips

I have been trying to build up my portfolio lately, but finding a good photographer is tough!  Most of them are just creepy guys who want to hit on me.  I have been trying very hard to find a reputable and professional photographer, but it may take some time (and trial and error).

With this modeling project going on, I decided to write about my top safety tips for models looking to meet with photographers for the first time.

1. Never give out too much information
Don't ever give a photographer your home address or credit card information (duh).  If you can, use an alias, and try not to give out your full name.  A professional photographer won't need to know all of this information for any reason, and should be completely comfortable not knowing (and not pushing you to give out this information).

2. Ask for references
Any professional photographer will have worked with models before.  Asking for references should be no big deal, and the photographer should be able to willingly hand over a short list of models that they have previously worked with.  Contact a few of these models and see what they have to say about their experience with the photographer in question.  If they seemed to like working with them, that's a good sign.  Otherwise, you may want to steer clear of this person.

3. Meet them before scheduling a photo shoot
It's always a good idea to meet the photographer prior to a photo shoot.  This gives you both a chance to get to know one another a bit, see if you might work well together, and discuss a few concepts you may have for the shoot.  This also brings me to my next point...

4. Always bring an escort
A professional photographer will always be okay with you bringing someone to accompany you to any meetings or photo shoots.  It's a smart idea, and if the photographer says no, then something is wrong.  Even if you just have someone go with you for the ride and browse the bookstore while you and the photographer chat, at least someone is able to be nearby if you suddenly want to leave or feel uncomfortable.

5. Never do anything you are not comfortable doing
If a photographer is asking you to send photos before they have even met you, that's a red flag.  They're probably just a creep looking for some kicks from pretty faces.  If a photographer is consistently pushing you to do nude or implied nudity shoots, and you aren't okay with that and have made it very clear, then you should probably just block that guy and move on.

6. Always be prepared
If you met up with your photographer and everything seemed to go alright, and you have scheduled a photo shoot and decide to go alone, there are a few things you should do.

• First, always let someone know where you will be.  Give a friend or family member the photographer's information, the location of the shoot, and what time you should be expected back.  Maybe ask a friend to call you if you aren't back by a certain time, just in case you go over your expected time frame.
• Second, keep your cell phone fully charged and nearby when you go to the shoot.  This is just a precaution in case you need to call someone or your contact person tries to check up on you.
• You might want to bring pepper spray or mace, and know how to use it -- you really never know.
• Never accept unsealed beverages or food from the photographer.  Unless you two go out to eat and you watch your drink the whole time, you should not risk taking a drink from someone you barely know.

I know this all might sound scary, but if you really want to work with someone new, it's much better to be safe than sorry.  Let me know if you have any other tips that are worth mentioning!

Knick-Knack Shelf Revamp

I saw this shelf at Goodwill for $12, and I knew I could turn it into a really cool piece.  I wanted to paste a pretty card stock background onto the back of the cubbies, and paint the whole thing.

I took it home, and the first thing I did was measure the individual shelves to see how much paper I would need to cover them.  I wrote all of the measurements down, so that I could use them later to cut the paper to the proper size.

I went to Michaels, and found a few sheets of some gorgeous card stock.  I chose black and white because then it won't clash with anything that I might put on the shelf.  Next, I used a brush and acrylic paint to paint the entire shelf black.

While that was drying, I cut the card stock to the sizes that I had written down earlier.  I used a straight-edge cutting tool from Cricut.  Then I carefully pasted them into the backs of each cubby using Mod-Podge (on the front and back of the paper) and a paintbrush.

Here is what the finished project looks like:

What do you think I should display on the shelf?  I have a collection of bones and crystals... that could be a cool idea.  :)