flower child

Remember the flower crown I made this summer? Since I couldn't wait to photograph someone in it, I haunted down a pretty girl Julia on the Internet and asked her if she'd like to be photographed as a flower child. She said "yes" and here's what we've got.

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RUS: Помните веночек, который я сделала этим летом? Так вот, мне не терпелось поскорее в нем кого-нибудь пофотографировать, поэтому я выследила прекрасную Юлю в интернете и предложила ей съемку на природе. К счастью, Юля любит фотографироваться и согласилась на авантюру с незнакомым фотографом. :) Вот, что получилось.

how to create a picture with multiple links

Lately I've been so interested in web and graphic design, trying to create simple changes in my blog on my own. It challenges me, and I like it. :)

About 2 months ago I've changed the banner, and yesterday (God knows why these ideas come to my head around midnight) I created the "About Me" page. It still needs work, but I am happy I started the change. 

Instantly I had this idea to finally update my profile picture. I didn't like the generic blogger tiny picture with text added on the bottom. So, I went on the internet for inspiration and noticed that I enjoyed the look and functionality of the profile pictures with built-in social media icons and links to those profiles.

Now, how the heck do I do that?! I've never studied html or CSS. I even learned the "image mapping" word combination last night (apparently, that's how making a picture with multiple different links is called. You're welcome!).

Apparently, there is a way around all the programming! There is a website called www.image-maps.com which does all the dirty programming work for you. Here's how I did it:

1.  I created a 300x300 px white square in Photoshop and threw in all the pictures I wanted to show up on my final image, including pretty watercolored social media icons (which you can download for free here). If you want the picture to look seamless, choose the color of the background (white in my case) according to the color scheme of your website.

2. Go to any image hosting website and load your image there to receive a direct link to your image. Image Maprs website deletes the images that were loaded from your computer within 24 hours without premium membership. We don't want our work go to waste, right?

3. Go to www.image-maps.com and paste the link to your image.

4. Click "Continue."

5. You will land on the mapping page, which is basically an empty page with your image on it and a yellow banner with instructions. Follow them. Basically, for every link you want to include on your image you will make a little rectangle. After you are done, your image will look something like this.

6. For each rectangle you make, you want to change the Map URL to the link you want this exact part of the image to lead. For example, for the rectangle with my portrait I added the URL of my "About Me" page and changed the title to "About Me."

7. After you are done with all the rectangles and links, right click on the screen and choose "Get Code" option. Copy the HTML code of your image map. Go to your Blogger menu, choose Design - Add New Widget - HTML and paste your code into the new widget window. Save changes. Move the widget into the desired place of your blog layout. You're done! That was easy, right? :)

Please, share links to your blogs if you decide to make image maps with this tutorial, I'd love to see your hard work! :)

flower power

Lately I've been obsessed with flower crowns (as you can see from my Instagram). They just make so much sense to me now, when it is summer and the nature is at  its wildest state.

Since I am a lazy crafter, who obsesses over DIY-ed stuff but rarely gets to do the projects, I decided to give myself a little cick in the bum and make the crown myself.

So, if you've ever wondered how to make your very own flower crown, listen up. The process of making is quite easy and self-explanatory: you cut off the flowers from stems and hot glue them to the headband. Nothing revolutionary here, it's what any other tutorial on the internet teaches us. But trust me, you will feel so proud of yoursel for making the effort and creating something on your own!

Finito! :)

 Obviously, I had to make an impromptu photoshoot (read "phone snapshots") in my newest creation. ;))

What is your latest creation? 

taking stock

I found this beautiful post at Pip's blog and thought it would be a good idea for me to reflect on life once in awhile. I rarely do such things. Most of the times I am afraid I would dissapoint myself by understanding how unexcited my life seems at times. But you know what - this is still my life and I only live it once. So I am trying to teach myself to love little things around me.

Photos from my Instagram: sasha_zeen

making: plans for the future.
cooking: macaroni and cheese over and over again. I need to stop.
drinking: green tea. Always.
reading: young adult literature. This is my guilty pleasure and an embarassing secret I never tell to anyone.
wanting: to find my place on this planet. 
looking: forward to wearing my white keds. It's been cold and rainly lately, so I kept them safe in the closet.
playing: Solo. Love this card game. (emm, it's the same as the Uno one. Just different name)
wasting: time.  Much more time than it would be wise to waste. In need of changes.
sewing: a hole in my cute sock. Apparently, my new cute boots tear my cute socks. It sucks.
wishing: for strong will to make bold decisions in life.
enjoying: morning hours in a sunlit emprty appartment. Always loved being home alone.
waiting: for the meeting with my friend who has lived in Brazil for the last couple of years. Now she came to visit!
liking: being woke up by sun rays into my window. 
wondering: where life will take me.
loving: nights in, watching movies, playing board games, and drinking tea. I am boring.
hoping: to find my calling soon. I get frustrated when I cannot choose between multiple passions of mine. There are so many things I like to do, but I feel like I finally need to choose one main big thing and be very good at it.
marveling: at blooming apricots. They have my favorite blossoms - reddish pink.
needing: to make a healthy diet for spring season,
smelling: the parfume I had as a teenager and recently was given again as a gift. So many memories!
wearing: ankle boots. I have no idea why I shied away from this trend for so long. But I got a pair last month and have been loving them since.
following: my passhion for photography more often. I am still searching for the genre I love the most.
noticing: how nature gets more alive with each sunny day.
knowing: that I have to make some important decisions very soon.
thinking: i have to cook more complicated dishes sometimes. Afterall, I love cooking.
bookmarking: lifestyle bloggers.
opening: the windows.
giggling: all the time.
feeling: anxious.

If you decide to make such list, feel free to share the link in the comments. I'd love to read them!

Pastel

How gorgeous is this pastel style shoot photographed by Jason Kibbler with Lexi Boling (Ford)? I seriously feel like the spring wibes have already gotten to me and I fall for fresh colors more often. Too bad that weather is not that allowing me to experiment with pastels yet, so I stick to my winter colors for now. But I do anticipate the moment when the sun gets a bit warmer and I can go hardcore on spring colors, don't you? :)