How to Clean & Waterproof Leather and Suede Boots

It's so important to make sure you waterproof your leather boots. If you take good care of your boots, it will last you for many years. Click on image for YouTube tutorial.

Click on Image to View YouTube Tutorial

Funny story, around 10 years ago, I purchased some boots that were faux leather and I was so excited that the price was amazing. I think they were four pairs for $100. Steal right?!? The next following year, I was getting my boots ready for Fall/Winter. Unfortunatly, the boots I purchased were all worn out and it had some holes on the faux leather. I wasn't too happy; my husband was rubbing it my face stating that's what you get for buying cheap stuff. 😂

Supplies:

• Kiwi Suede/Nubuck Care Kit  
• Sof Sole Leather Lotion
• Sof Sole Water Proofer 
• Horsehair Cleaning Brush - I got mine at Nordstrom

***I've used the Kiwi shoe products as well and they all worked great. Click on link to view Kiwi's other products on Target.com goto.target.com/P076Q.

Directions:

New Boots

1.  Spray protectant all over boots. 
2.  Wait 20-30 minutes.
3.  Repeat steps 1 and 2. 

***Make sure that you're outside while doing this. 

Leather Boots:

1.  Use leather cleaner to clean any dirt and residue. 
2.  Spray protectant all over boots. 
3. Wait 20-30 minutes. 

***There are some leather cleaners that are cleaner/protectant so you might not need to do step 2. 

Suede Boots:

1. Use horsehair brush to remove dirt. 
2.  For tough stains, use the harder brush and eraser in the Kiwi kit. 
3.  Spray protectant all over boots. 
4.  Wait 20-30 minutes. 

***Sof Sole and Kiwi both makes a suede cleaning product as well. I haven't tried that yet but I'm planning on getting some soon. I will keep you posted. 

Easy Chicken Enchiladas Recipe

My two coworkers taught me how to make enchiladas a few years ago. I modified the recipe a little bit. 😜Please click on the image to view YouTube video on how to make this easy dish.

Click on image to view YouTube video

~* INGREDIENTS *~

******************************

(This is all approximate measurements. Please adjust according to your liking.)

♡ Rotisserie Chicken - 1 (Recommend buying it from Costco/Sam's Club because it's bigger)

♡ Flour Tortillas 

♡ Red Enchiladas Sauce - 12 oz

♡ Green Chile Enchilada Sauce - 12 oz

♡ Onion - Medium Size

♡ Seeded Jalapeno - 1 

♡ Salsa - 1 Cup 

♡ Cheese 

♡ Minced Garlic - 1 Tsp

♡ Cream of Mushroom - 10.5 oz can

♡ Sugar - 1 Tsp

♡ Garlic Powder - Few Dashes

♡ Olive Oil - 1-2 Tsp

♡ Salt and Pepper - Few Dashes

 Here are the instructions:

1. Shred the chicken into thin strips. It tastes better smaller. I’m using the breast only but you can use the dark meat as well. 
2. Chop the onions.
3. Dice the jalapenos. Seeded.
4. Turn the stove to medium heat.
5. Drizzle some olive oil into the pot. 
6. Wait until the oil is warm and put in the onions and jalapenos. 
7. Add pepper, salt and garlic powder onto the onions and jalapenos. Stir. 
8. Cook the onions until it’s golden brown then add minced garlic. Stir. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Make sure you don’t overcook the garlic. 
9. Add salsa and cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic powder and salt. 
10. Then add the cream of mushrooms. Stir. Add garlic powder and salt as desired. Cook for until it starts boiling. Boil for 1-2 minutes. (Optional: you can add cheese and/or rice to the sauce as well.)
11. Next, add the shredded chicken. Mix. Turn off the heat. 
12. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
13. Add a little bit of the green/red enchilada sauce into the baking glassware to make sure the tortillas don’t stick to the glassware. 
14. Start wrapping the enchiladas. Add the chicken filling onto the tortillas then wrap. You don’t need that much filling then put the wrapped enchiladas into the glassware. 
15. Fill the glassware with wrapped enchiladas. 
16. Pour the sauce over the enchiladas.
17. Add cheese. 
18. Bake for 20-30 minutes until cheese is melted and sauce looks like it’s boiling. 
19. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes then ready to eat. 
20. You're done. Celebrate 😝

How to Clean and Dry Your Makeup Brushes

Your makeup brushes will last forever if you take care of them correctly. Instructions are listed down below with do's and don'ts. Click on the image if you want to see the full YouTube tutorial. 😉

Click on Image to View YouTube Tutorial

Instructions:

1. Use cool/cold water to get your makeup brushes wet. 
2. Apply makeup remover face cleanser to all your makeup brushes that you're washing first. 
3. Gently brush your brush side to side saturating the brush with the cleanser. The way you would use your makeup brush to apply your makeup is how you would want to wash it. 
4. Then rinse. 
5. Repeat if necessary. 
6. Use shampoo, baby shampoo, hand soap or dish soap to wash your makeup brushes until the water runs clear. 
7. Lay your brushes FLAT on a paper towel/towel to dry or you can overhang your makeup brushes from the edge of countertop to dry.
8. It normally takes up to 24 hours for your brushes to dry but big dense brushes it may take up to 48 hours.   

***For bigger brushes, PRESS out some of the water before laying it out flat to dry. Don’t squeeze too hard because you might pull the hairs out of the ferrule.  

Do's

• Wash in cold or cool water. 
• Depending on how resistant your makeup is, you may possibly only need dish soap, hand soap and/or shampoo to wash your brushes. 
• For hard to remove makeup, use a makeup remover/cleanser like Clinique Foaming Cleanser or Estee Lauder Soft Clean Foaming Cleanser to remove the makeup from the brushes.  
• Your makeup brushes collect bacteria, wash your brushes every 3 months and foundation brushes every 2-4 weeks. 

Don'ts

• Don't submerge your makeup brushes in a cup with soapy water. This will ruin the glue that’s holding the bristles together. 
• Don't use warm or hot water to wash your brushes. 
• Don't put your brushes in a cup to dry because it will ruin the glue that holds the hairs together. The brushes need to lay flat. 
• Don't dig your brushes while washing it. This might ruin the glue and push the hairs up into the ferrule where the hairs can disappear into. 

Also, when you wash your brushes often, your makeup goes on a lot better with cleaner brushes. If you tend to break out a lot, you may want to wash your brushes more often. If for some odd reason you’re breaking out for no apparent reason, trying washing your brushes first before splurging on skincare.  

I have high-end brushes to cheap ELF brushes. All my high-end brushes have lasted me over 10 years. My cheap brushes are hit and miss but for the value, I'm okay with a few that didn't make it past the first year. 😜 

How to make Bun Rieu | Vietnamese Crab Noodle Soup Recipe

Click on Image to view YouTube video

My aunt taught me this recipe when I was 16-17 years old. This dish will take approximately 2.5 hours to make. Click on image to view YouTube video.

INGREDIENTS:
(This is all approximate measurements. Please adjust according to your liking.)

♡ Pork Ribs (Use any meat bones you can find) - 1-2 lbs.
♡ Chicken Broth - (3) 16 oz Cans
♡ Cot Bun Rieu Crap Soup Base - 1-2 Jars
♡ Crab Meat - 2 Cans
♡ Crab Paste with Bean Oil Seasoning - 1 Jar
♡ Ginger (Optional) - 1 Large
♡ Onion - 1 Large or 2 Medium Onions
♡ Fried Tofu - 1-2 Pkgs
♡ Tomatoes - 3
♡ Vermicelli Noodles
♡ Ground Pork - 1 lb
♡ Egg - 1
♡ Salt and Pepper
♡ Olive Oil

*GARNISHES*
♡ Cabbage
♡ Green Onions
♡ Lime
♡ Bean Sprouts
♡ Cilantro

DIRECTIONS:

1. Fill up a 2.5-gallon pot with water halfway full. Bring to a boil.

2. Add meat bones to the boiling water. It takes approximately 1.5 hours to cook the bones.
*You can use any bones of your choice like beef/pork ribs, pig’s feet, pork leg, pork backbone, pork shoulder. Pretty much whatever you can find at the market.  

3. While the bones are cooking, start making the crab meatballs. Mix 1 lb of ground pork, 1 egg, 2 cans of crab meat (make sure you drain it before putting it into the mixture), stir the crab paste with bean oil and add 80% of the jar into your bowl, save the 20% for later, add a dash of salt and pepper then stir. Set it aside

4. Cook the vermicelli noodles. Add olive oil and salt into the boiling water. Cook the noodles until it’s soft then drain.

5. Add (3) cans of Chicken Broth to the pot with bones. 

6. After 1.5 hours cooking the bones, I start adding the crab meatball mixture. Form mixture into balls with your hands then add it into the hot boiling water. Cook the meatballs between 20-30 minutes. You can tell when the meatballs are done by it floating on top of the pot.

7. Fry the tofu until the exterier of the tofu is golden brown and firm. 

8. Add the Cot Bun Rieu Crap Soup Base into the pot of water. Add according to your taste but keep in mind that it needs to be a little bit salty because when putting the bowl of noodles together, the vermicelli noodles will bring down the saltiness.

9. Dump the tofu into the pot. Now add the remaining 20% of the crab paste with bean oil into the pot and cook the tofu for 10-15 minutes.

10. Taste and adjust accordingly.

11. Turn off the heat and add the 3 tomatoes, sliced. Stir. I leave it in the pot for 10-15 minutes then pull it out because it will disintegrate.


Enjoy. 😋

Different ways to cook meat bones:

1. The first way is blanching, meaning you’ll boil the bones in boiling water for 15 minutes and dump the water out. Thereafter, you start boiling the bones again. 
2. Rinse the bones before putting it into the boiling water, bring back to a boil and skim off the residue that the bones left behind. I use this method because I feel like if you blanche it, it’s loosing all it’s flavors but it's up to you. My aunts would tell you to do the 1st way and my mom would tell you to do the 2nd way. 

October 2018 - Halloween FX Makeup Tutorials

For the month of October, I created a series of Halloween FX makeup tutorials. Here are the five Halloween videos (click on images for tutorials):

HALLOWEEN SCARS AND SCARS WITH BOILS

Click on Image to view YouTube video

There are 2 parts to this video: 

• Part 1: How to make Halloween FX scars
• Part 2: How to make Halloween FX scars with boils

I watched lots of YouTube FX Halloween makeup tutorials and it can seem pretty intimidating at first but it's super easy. Here are the supplies needed to create the bloody scar:

• Liquid Latex
• Blood
• Eyeshadows (I use whatever cheap eyeshadows I have at home)
• Tissues

For the scar with boils, here's what you will need:

• Same supplies as above
• 1 Tbsp Knox Gelatin
• 1 Tbsp CVS Glycerin 
• 1 Tbsp Water
• Crayola Air-Dry-Clay
• Food Coloring (Optional)

The gelatin and glycerin products are hard items to find. I found the gelatin in the baking section at the grocery store; it's near the Jello. The glycerin I had to go to two different stores to retrieve this item. Walmart was completely out. The Walmart employee said that during the month of Halloween, this product tends to fly off the shelves so try to get it ahead of time.  

=========================================

THE MAD SCIENTIST FX HALLOWEEN MAKEUP

It was hard in trying to figure out what Halloween makeup tutorials I wanted to create, especially in September. I wasn't in the mood for Halloween or wanting to do FX makeup but the show must go on. 😉

As I'm researching online on what Halloween tutorials I should create, I came across an image with veins and arteries on Pinterest and that was what inspired me to create this look. 

Click on Image to view YouTube Tutorial

For this makeup, here's what supplies you'll need:

• Liquid Latex
• Red and Blue Yarn
• Blood
• Tissues
• Eyeshadows
• Eyeliner

I always love doing my daughter's Halloween makeup for school but this was the first time I did FX makeup on myself.  I was scared that the latex would kill my skin but it didn't. Yay! 

If you're recreating this look, make sure to crack the lab glasses and distress the lab coat. These two items belong to my daughter and she still needs them for school. 😜

=========================================

THE ROTTING ZOMBIE | THE WALKING DEAD ZOMBIE | DECAY ZOMBIE

This Halloween look was inspired by maggots. To be perfectly honest, I hate maggots and that's why I wanted to use maggots. 😀While trying to figure out where to buy fake maggots, I came across a tutorial on how to make maggots. Click here to view that tutorial. However, that tutorial put a lot more work into making the maggots look realistic and I didn't want to do that much work. I created the tiny buggers a little bit differently and it worked. Click on image to view the full YouTube tutorial and I will show you how I made the maggots as well. 

Click on Image to view YouTube Tutorial

For this Halloween look, here are the supplies:

• Liquid Latex
• Blood
• Eyeshadows 
• Ben Nye Cream Colors (Optional)
• Tissues
• Ben Nye Scar Wax
• Brown Paint 

Also, it was my first time trying out the Ben Nye cream colors and I liked it a lot, surprisingly. You would still need to set it with eyeshadows but I really like how it goes on.  

=========================================

SPIDER WITCH 

Click on Image to view YouTube Tutorial

How I came up with this tutorial was interesting. My daughter had lots of requirements and I was trying my hardest to accommodate the teenage queen. Here are her "requests":

• 2 hours max because of homework
• No backcombing
• Don't use that much liquid latex

From there, I tried to premake everything like the scars around her eyes before I started the tutorial. I knew I wanted to do some kind of spider theme and I decided to create the web on her chest. I finished everything under two hours. 💪 

Supplies used for this look:

• Liquid Latex
• Blood
• Eyeshadows 
• Ben Nye Cream Colors (Optional)
• Tissues
• Black Liquid Eyeliner
• Black Eyeliner
• Black Yarn
• Elmer's Glue

=========================================

THE BASEBALL ZOMBIE | DECAY ZOMBIE

Finally, the last tutorial for the year is the Baseball Zombie. This look was inspired by a baseball Halloween costume and I decided to incorporate a baseball. I wasn't sure how to cut the baseball and my husband showed me how to cut the ball. Click on the image and the tutorial will show you how to cut the baseball. 

Also, I wished I used black crochet thread instead of red but I wanted the red thread to match the baseball. It's up to you on which color thread you want to use.  

The supplies needed for this Halloween tutorial are:

Click on Image to View YouTube Tutorial

• Liquid Latex
• Blood
• Eyeshadows 
• Ben Nye Cream Colors (Optional)
• Tissues
• Black Eyeliner
• Red Crochet Thread
• Baseball

Alright everyone, be safe and have a Happy Halloween! 👻👻👻 Tune in September of next year for more FX makeup tutorials. 😝

=========================================

Additional info:

Liquid Latex:

• Wear clothes you don't care about. When the liquid latex gets onto your cute top it's pretty much game over.
• If you get a drop of latex on your clothes, you can try to pick at it and use paint thinner but it's pretty much permanent. 
• When removing the latex just start tearing it off your skin. It almost feels that you're getting a wax job but that's really how you get the bugger off. 

Scar Wax:

• Use alcohol to remove the scar wax. 

How I started doing FX Halloween Makeup

I started doing FX Halloween makeup on my daughter when she was in 6th grade so around 6 years ago. Each year I have to top the year before, which can be really hard. Ideas started evolving and I start self-teaching myself on how to do FX makeup by watching YouTube videos.

To be perfectly honest, I only do FX makeup once a year on my daughter and this year I did five looks, four for the YouTube tutorials and one on my daughter for school.

Most of the looks below ranges from $0-$15 and I try to use what I have at home. Here are my cute daughter's Halloween looks:

~2012~
6th Grade:  Skeleton Ballerina

Skeleton Ballerina

This costume I got from school for free and the makeup I used what I had at home.

Supplies:

• Lightest color foundation (Use Estee Lauder Double Wear - Shell)
• White eyeshadow
• Black cream shadow
• Black eyeliner
• Black eyeshadow

Directions:
1. Google multiple skull images and see which one you like.
2. Apply foundation to the face and decollete.
3. Outline the shape of the skull with a black eyeliner.
4. Start coloring in the skull.

=========================================

~2013~

7th Grade: Zipper Face

My daughter made this knit dress out of yarn and she really wanted to wear this. The other day she mentioned that it's a horrible outfit and she didn't know why she really wanted to wear it. 😂

This was my first time using liquid latex. We didn't know how to take it off; she decided to jump into the shower after trick-or-treating and that wasn't a good idea. She was in there for hours. To take off the latex, start peeling it off the skin first. It feels like you're giving yourself a wax job while you're trying to remove the latex.  

Zipper Face

Supplies:

• Latex
• Tissues
• Zipper
• Blood
• Eyeshadows

Directions:

1. Use the latex as glue to glue down the zipper. 

2. Start applying latex and tissues on the sides of the zipper to cover the tape. 

3. Thereafter, apply latex and tissues all over her face and decollete. 

4. Once the latex is dry, start creating bullet holes. 

5. Use eyeshadows to color the zipper face.

6. Once complete, add the best part, blood.

=========================================

~2014~

8th Grade: Frankenstein Teenage Daughter

Of course, this Halloween look was inspired by Frankenstein. I think this was the look that I spent the most amount of money on.  

Frankenstein Teenage Daughter

Supplies:

• Black Crochet Thread
• Spirit Gum
• Blood
• Green Halloween Paint
• Eyeshadows
• Scar Wax
• Halloween White Hair Paint
• Mehron Rigid Collodion

Directions:

1. Use the scar wax to create the main scar across the face.

2. Glue down the scar with the Spirit Gum. 

3. Use the Mehron Rigid Collodion to create additional small scars on the face.

4. Start coloring the face with the green paint in the Halloween kit and eyeshadows.

5. Use the blood to mark the dots on where you want the stitches. 

6. Cut the thread to the desired length and apply it to the bloody dots. Use Spirit Gum to glue it down. 

=========================================

~2015~
9th Grade: The Mummy

The Mummy

Her 9th-grade year, we decided that she should dress up like a mummy. The cheesecloth was hard to find; I had to go to two different Walmarts.

With the cheesecloth, I used coffee grounds to dye it into a dingy off-white color. Here's how I dyed the cheesecloth:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil.
2. Cut the cheesecloth in half.
3. Dumped the coffee grounds into the pot of water and boil for 5 minutes
4. Add the cheesecloth.
5. Boil for 10-15 minutes and let the cheesecloth sit in the hot water for a few hours.

*The cheesecloth wasn't dark enough so I repeat the same process, however, after dying it twice I don't think it changed the color much.

Neck Scar

Supplies:

• Cheesecloth
• Coffee Grounds/Beans
• Latex
• Tissues
• Eyeshadows
• Blood
• NYX Black Lipstick

Directions:

Halloween morning you tend not to have 2-3 hours to do FX makeup. I premade some of the scars a few days prior so I don't have to wait for the latex to dry in the morning. Click here to view that Youtube tutorial on how to make the premade scars.

Leg Scar

1. Start applying tissues and latex to the areas on where you want your scars.
2. Once the latex is dry, tear the latex to create the scar.
3. Add the premade scars into the latex and use the latex to glue down the premade scars.
4. I added the premade scars onto her face.
5. Start shading in the look with eyeshadows until you get the desired look.
6. Add blood.
7. Finally, start wrapping the cheesecloth all over her face and body.

=========================================

~2016~
10th Grade: College Zombie with Boils

Utes College Zombie

This year was hard for my daughter and me to figure out what she should be for Halloween. When I was at work, my supervisor forwarded the team a picture of what she was going to be for Halloween. It was a picture of Alice in Wonderland with boils. I Google the image and found the video by Jordan Hanz on how to recreate the Halloween look. Click here for her video.

Thereafter, I decided to do scars with boils and have her wear her Utes College Sweatshirt then we called it the College Zombie. I made the boils a little bit differently. Click here to view how to make this scars with boils

Supplies:

• 1 Tbsp Knox Gelatin
• 1 Tbsp CVS Glycerin 
• 1 Tbsp Water
• Crayola Air-Dry-Clay
• Liquid Latex
• Blood
• Eyeshadows (I use whatever cheap eyeshadows I have at home)
• Tissues

Directions: 
1. Use the Crayola Air-Dry-Clay to mold the boils
2. Mix gelatin, glycerin, and water together.
3. Microwave it for 20-30 seconds then pour into the molding.
4. Let the boils dry overnight.
5. Remove the clay from the boils.
6. Start applying tissues and latex to the areas on where you want your scars.
7. Once the latex is dry, tear the latex to create the scars.
8. Use Latex as glue and glue down the boils to desired areas.
9. Color in the look with eyeshadows.
10. Finally, add blood to the look.

=========================================

~2017~
11th Grade: Melting Zombie

Melting Zombie

 This look was inspired by Ellimacs SFX Makeup. Click here to view her video. My daughter got in trouble by one of her teachers at school because it looked like she's wearing a mask. It's funny because her principal asked to take a picture of her makeup.

Unfortunately, this makeup was coming up on one side of her face because the gelatin isn't an adhesive. It's pretty much like Jello laying on your face. The best way to do this makeup is by making the mask beforehand and using latex or spirit gum to glue it down.

Supplies:

• 1 Tbsp CVS Glycerin 
• 1 Tbsp Water
• 1 Tbsp Knox Gelatin

• Liquid Latex
• Blood
• Eyeshadows 
• Tissues
• Black food coloring or dark foundation
• Foundation
• Fake teeth (I premade mine with cotton balls, latex, and fake fingernails)

Directions: 

1. Apply the fake teeth around her mouth and use liquid latex to glue it down. 

2. Mix gelatin, glycerin, and water together. 

3. Separate the gelatin mixture into 3 containers then add foundation to one container, the dark foundation to the other and blood to the last one. 

3. Microwave for 20-30 seconds then pour it onto the face. I start with the black color first then red. The foundation color is last. Reheat if the gelatin gets to thick.
4. Apply latex and tissues around the eyes.
5. Once the latex is dry start tearing the latex.
6. Start coloring the face with eyeshadows.
7. Once complete, then add blood.

Hair:

I used olive oil to make it look greasy. 

=========================================

~2019~

Scars Around the Face

To be honest, I really had no motivation in doing my daughter's Halloween makeup this year. She was a pain because she had all these requests (no latex, can't look like a mask because of school's rules - which is understandable, have a test and don't want her face to be itchy). Also, it didn't seem like she wanted her makeup done. I love doing makeup on people who are excited to get it done and it didn't seem like she was excited this year to get her makeup done. Two days prior, she asked me what are we doing for her makeup this year and I said I don't know. I did a quick Pinterest search on October 30th and here's the look.