☆ November in a Nutshell.

Well, it is ALMOST December, so I'm going to round up November as a whole. It also prevents me leaving the apartment; and trust me, I do not wanna go outside in this weather. Hot and windy? UGGH. However I've not been outside in a few days now, totally a hermit!

Mt Fuji in the distance during sunset.

   I am finally settled into our new home. Albeit a few things I am nitpicking at like storage boxes, and I avoid one room here like the plague, which I am basically leaving it up to my partner to rearrange. Men and their gizmos!! For someone who suffers from OCD it's rather difficult setting a new 'routine' with someone who just... likes to destroy any order I have created. (_ _ ||)
 
We celebrated D's Birthday a few weeks ago, actually D is the 'last' of the Birthdays this year - in Japan - because my Father's is next. So I hope to send him something back home on time! There was a large-ish earthquake during the celebrations, and everyone seemed keen to see my reaction. I'm strangely never phased?

   My Partner and I have been congratulated endlessly over the month, and finally was the end of my visa application which had been granted! (*^ω^*) It was difficult, but not impossible? I will write a more detailed blog about the entire application etc soon!

Disney GOAL!! Christmas Stitch!

   After finding out Yokohama has a Disney Store I pretty much demanded we went to find it. Traffic was insane for a Sunday which always seems to be deemed a holiday. I'm glad we have a car now.. even if I have to put up with One Direction. (￣□￣;) But the shopping center is full of Christmas spirit which I love! We visited a couple "Import Stores" as there is a current mission to find... gravy? We ended up with chocolate and C-R-I-S-P-S. It's (unwisely) agreed we learn British English and not American English, thus it's crisps not chips.

   We also went out one evening and I was introduced to a couple more Friends and I was actually the youngest in the group. ( ´艸｀) We ate okonomiyaki which was my first time eating it and then we went to karaoke which was horrible because due to health reasons (another topic) I can't drink, so while EVERYONE else was drunk I was just so quiet and timidly on the verge of an anxiety attack.

I post photos often to my Instagram, however my account is currently private.

My ID: PINPIKO

★ DIY Memo Board！

Being left home unattended, I often get 'itchy paws' and my creativity ideas/thoughts just seem to spew out uncontrollably. I had seen this DIY task before and since I had the free time I thought I would take the challenge in my own way!

( ´θ｀)ノ What I used:

♪ Memo board; cork is recommended.
♪ Decorative tape. I used two types of tape.
♪ Ribbon!
I also used:
♪ Black felt.
♪ Glue & Pins.

(*‘ω‘ *) Total cost:
★ 735 円
-- all items were purchased from 105円 shops making this a really cheap but creative craft.

 

First have a nice dedicated working area, usually a floor is best or large table depending on the size of your memo board. I first taped around the edges of the frame using a patterned masking tape. Any kind of tape will work obviously depending on your theme even electrical wire tape will work! 

It is such an easy and simple task! So easy that anyone can do it. At this point I had a blank edge which bugged me and my OCD ways - so off to the store I went again and purchased another tape with a similar theme and some black felt. 

I had some minor issues with purchasing glue - who knew it would have been THAT difficult? I settled for wood glue, considering cork and wood are similar. (´;ω;｀) RIGHT? Actually most of the products had pictograms of what the glue can be used on. Shoes. Plates. Car. Bike. MEMO BOARD?

(I forgot to rotate the picture, but) I finished the sides of the frame with ease and started to cut the felt to size. Yay! Using felt isn't actually necessary, many people leave the cork for show. 

 

FINALLY; attach your chosen ribbon in whatever pattern you like. A lot of guides wrap the ribbon around the board and pin it that way but I cut the ribbon to size and then pinned them down. I used the remaining ribbon for the hanger, which isn't strong enough so my next mission is to find a sewing kit and sew the knot in place. 

Bad point alert!! (╯⊙ A ⊙╰ ) The pins were too long for the board and as a result ended up sticking out the other side. Having thought the felt would help pad it out more and prevent this. I'm going to attempt to hammer/bend the pins around so it avoids damaging the wall when I go to hang it.

And there you have it!! A easy and simple creative task that anyone can do. If it wasn't for the second trip to the store (and the glue drying) this is easily accomplished within 30 minutes.