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little monsters

Cacti Growing

Yesterday, my sister came home with two baby cacti from the local drug store knowing my love of growing. Well, first, I'd like to say, who knew the local drug store sold cacti? Also, what a good sister I have. Anyway, I looked up care of cacti and went to Walmart to grab something to put them in. So, as of the 29th day in July, 2012, I am a cacti, or rather, desert plant grower. One looks kinda like Aloe Vera and I have no clue what the other one is. If you know, please tell me so I can get more specific care-giving details.

Calling Avid Readers!

     Well, I'm certainly feeling productive today because it's before noon and I've already looked through my entire summer reading list and chose which book I would like to read. In addition, I defined all of the rhetorical terms that I need to know by August. This is definitely a rare occurrence, so I'm taking it and running with it. Also, I'd like to share the books that are on my summer list. At the moment, I want to read Teacher Man by Frank McCourt, but please feel free to comment if you truly loved any of the other books on the list. I'll put an asterisk by the books that I was considering and two by my final three choices.

• *A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah
• American Sniper by Chris Kyle
• Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver
• Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X
• **Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy
• *Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
• Black Boy by Richard Wright
• The Hiding Place bu Corrie Ten Boom
• Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace by Greg Mortenson
• Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
• *The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
• Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez
• **Teacher Man by Frank McCourt
• Catch Me If You Can by Frank Abagnale
• The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
• *The Innocent Man by John Grisham
• The Liar's Club by Mary Karr
• Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
• *Seal Team Six by Howard Wasdin and Stephen Templin
• Fighting Back by Deena Burnett
• Lucky by Alice Sebold
• Pulphead by John Jeremiah Sullivan
• Boomerang by Michael Lewis
• In The Garden Of Beasts by Erik Larson
• *Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
• **Riding the Bus With My Sister by Rachel Simon

     Okay, those are all of my choices for the summer, and like I said, I'm probably going to read Teacher Man because I find high school teachers very interesting, and also I'm currently in high school, so I think that it will give me a different perspective of things.

     Please leave a comment if you have read any of the above books and feel free to give me a short review. Thanks to all!

Savaging A Lamp: Easy Fix

     As I explored my basement today, looking for something simple and fun to do with myself, I pretty nice, modern lamp that I think works well in my room. The only problem is that the shade was falling off and looked hideous. Well, with the help of some old jean scraps, a needle, and some thread, I easily fixed my problem.
     First of all, welcome to my room! I've been working on it since I was about ten. It's always a work in progress, but I love how t is right now, and even better, we are getting new carpet at the end of this month, so, I'm pretty good to go for now.

     Well, there it is, sitting on my desk. Anyway, time for a makeover. Let's start.

I cut out a strip of the jeans that I cut up yesterday and the hem from the bottom of the leg and lay them around the shade. I, then, secured the pieces on with a bit of thread. This also attached the shade to the lamp more securely so that it wouldn't keep falling off.

See? A nice and simple way to spruce up a lamp shade.

DIY Vintage Shorts

     Not only are DIY projects trending, but something else making a comeback in men's fashion are jean shorts. Remember the glorious days of jean shorts in fashion? Those baggy, super lengthy shorts will hopefully never come back, but with this years resurgence of short shorts, jean shorts have become a more acceptable part of life.
     I really wish that I had an old pair of light-wash jeans to cut up, but unfortunately (and fortunately), I got rid of anything that isn't dark as quickly as I could. Dark-wash has been a way of life for me throughout the past few years just because of the difference in class that it provides. When summer arived, I decided it was time to create a new pair of shorts so I grabbed some old jeans and whipped out the thread and needles.
     First, I measured down the inseam nine inches. Remember that you need to fold up the hem. Also, I'm a pretty tall kid, so you can cut off a few inches if you aren't six feet tall. I used the natural lines from the jeans and drew a straight line all the way around the legs. Well, afterwards, it's pretty simple. Fold the hem up as much or little as you want and sew along the inner and outer seams. Lastly, I took a few pockets and threw them on for a more home-made look. Experiment with some different fabrics for a different look and have fun. Stay hot!

After Terrariums: The Next Level

     For those daring souls willing to go the extra mile to add beauty throughout their homes, the next step continues the care-taking skills needed in a terrarium. If you are truly comfortable constructing and modeling your very own terrarium, something that you'd probably enjoy would be fish-keeping. Serving nearly the same purpose, aquariums add beauty and fun to any home with two slight changes. Firstly, aquariums are homes to fish which require a bit more care and cash. Second, and most obvious, aquariums hold a lot more water than any terrarium that I've ever seen. Other than those two differences, aquariums and terrariums are very much similar. Of course, I say, "the next level", because aquarium keeping requires a bit more involvement. After buying a tank, though, and going through the long process of cycling your aquarium, it eventually does stabilize. Then, when the fish are settled in and everything is good and happy, all that is needed are occasional water changes and daily fish feeding. Well, anyway, I see aquariums on the rise as well, so just something to consider. Personally, I  love my aquarium and wouldn't give it up for anything. Good luck!

Okay, maybe not quite like this, but you get the drift...

Terraria Life

     Such a huge trend right now, green space is taking over homes everywhere. With many varieties and levels of difficulty, anybody can have their own little ecosystem right under his/her roof. These tiny habitats add a splash of color to any room and, depending on their style, can change the entire feeling in a room. Sleek vases and oddly shaped containers also add interest to the room. Not to mention, it is extremely exciting to watch, kindle, and grow something of one's own. Check out a few of these beautiful, attention-grabbing terrariums for ideas to use in your own home!