Cherry and the Hoot, Author at Cherry and the Hoot

Today we live in a “selfie queen” era. When you see a large variety of your followers’ photos on social media, nine times out of ten, they were taken in selfie-mode. For sure, most of my portraits are because I’m a camera freak and I love capturing memorable moments. When taking selfies you can see exactly what you’re capturing- the lighting, those “popping” angles, if anything is between your teeth, your hair sticking up, and much more. Pretty sure that’s why most prefer selfie-mode.

The Museum of Selfies can be found in the Hollywood tourist area of Los Angeles, California. It is also where the Hollywood Walk of Fame is located. I knew immediately I was going to love this place before I could visit. My sister and I went on a great day because there wasn’t much traffic inside of the museum. Minimum traffic equals extra time to capture the perfect selfie. Haha! We were able to freely explore the museum without other visitors rushing us. Overall, the entire museum is a fun-filled, creative, and cool place, plus it is suitable for all ages to enjoy. My favorite part was the pool filled with emoji balls. It reminded me that I’m still a big kid at heart, and I’m not ashamed to admit that.

Long story short, if you’re ever in Los Angeles and you love taking selfies, add this museum to your itinerary. Be sure to go selfie crazy!

Crafts

Simple DIY Marble Magnets

August 21, 2020September 17, 2026 Cherry and the Hoot

Hey guys,

Here is a quick, easy, simple, and cute crafting project to spice up your refrigerators, blackboards, or whatever else you can attach a magnet to.

I started making and selling these magnets a few years ago- some of the quickest money I’ve ever made. Although most supplies can be found at your local Dollar Tree, I found mine at Joann. The essential design is within whatever fabric or card-stock paper you choose to use. Joann and Michaels have a great selection of both fabric and card-stock, so that shouldn’t be hard to find. Of course, other stores carry decorative paper, but these are my preferred crafting stores.

Listed below are the simple supplies and steps to achieve these magnets:

Supplies include:

-Large clear flat marbles

-Mod Podge

-Small sponge

-Magnets

-Hot glue gun w/ sticks or E6000

-Fabric and/or decorative card-stock paper

-Scissors

-Water soluble pencil- (doesn’t matter just something to trace with)

— and a dab of PATIENCE!

Lets get to it:

-Step 1: Gather all of your supplies, clean your marbles, and dry them

-Step 2: Trace marbles on desired pattern of fabric or paper

-Step 3: Cut out the shape

-Step 4: Take your Mod Podge and sponge then apply to the back of the marble

-Step 5: Apply the cut piece of fabric or paper and seal it with the Mod Podge

-Step 6: Allow the marble to dry and then attach the magnet using your hot glue gun or E6000 (I recommend E6000 due to its strength- it does take a while to dry)

-Viola! You have successfully completed your first marble magnet so keep going!

Crafts

Hoop Art Crafts

July 26, 2020September 17, 2026 Cherry and the Hoot

One of my favorite crafting projects to do is hoop art. I like the craft because it can be used as a simple wall art or as a technique for the base of another project. I have used hoop art as wall decor, making pillows, designing stuffed animals, fabric drawstring bags, and more. It is one of the simplest one could do plus, beginner and kid-friendly. Most hoop artwork is done using embroidery string for those who like to embroider. I hand embroider and I use felt for most of my projects.

It is as simple as drawing a picture or writing a name, phrase, or quote on your fabric of choice. Once you’re satisfied with your design, you then cut the fabric to the closest size of the hoop you have or want to use. Separate the hoop by loosening the screw and pulling them apart. The smaller hoop is placed down first, the fabric, and then the larger hoop- tighten the screw so the fabric is tight and stretched. You now begin to thread or stitch over your design being careful to not get the thread tangled because it will be a complete nightmare. When you finally get the hang of it, it will be a piece of cake. Once you’ve finished the design you can either cut or fold the excess fabric to the back of the hoop and cover the back with a piece of felt to hide the stitching. This would be the method for wall art. Of course, you’re able to paint the hoops prior, add gems, or even ribbon to make them cute.

Using felt is a little different but also easy. Instead of drawing or writing on the fabric, you leave it blank. Use whatever colored pieces of felt you want, cut out your designs, and place them on the fabric as you envision. You then thread or stitch the felt along the outside of each shape starting with the bottom piece first. Upon completion, you can either close the back as stated in the previous paragraph or you can use it to make a pillow, blanket, or whatever else. I may actually make another post going more in-depth with that process because it’s fun, not too time-consuming, and the outcome is pretty amazing. Stay tuned for that!

As I’ve stated in the past, I will not go too much in detail with these crafts because there’s plenty of tutorials all over the web. Should you have any questions, I’d be more than happy to assist via the Contact form.

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Devil’s Punchbowl Loop Trail- Pearblossom, CA

July 26, 2020August 4, 2022 Cherry and the Hoot

With so many trails to explore in SoCal, I try to hike a new location each time. There are a few I would revisit, but why when I have various options to choose from? It’s such a great feeling to be able to view the mountains or parks from multiple angles and heights. Not only that, it’s intriguing how each site gives me a different unique experience. Nature is amazing, and I adore all of its offerings because it never gets boring, and it’s fun to explore and learn.

Devil’s Punchbowl Loop Trail is a one-mile trail located in Pearblossom, California. Just before the state shut down all trails due to Covid-19, my sister, brother-in-law, and I were able to explore this adventurous park. It was our last hike before everything closed, and I’m glad we were able to do so. We honestly were not expecting the park to be packed, but it was. From my previous hikes, I knew there weren’t many people out due to the cold. This situation was different, and I assume it was because they didn’t have anything else to do. The parks and beaches were slammed with so many families out and about causing the closures.

The start of the trail was pretty interesting, there was a sign-in box for visitors to write their names and where they were from. I hadn’t experienced that and thought it was cool to see everyone coming from so many different states (possibly even countries). The hike in itself was a breeze but definitely a work out towards the end- going uphill almost killed me! The massive rocks were amazing to see- the next time I go I’m going to climb them. My favorite part of the hike was towards the end when we discovered a soothing creek at the bottom of the trail. There’s something about the sound of a creek that I absolutely love! I guess it’s because creeks give me a sense of relaxation, peace, and serenity- causing my heart to smile.

I highly recommend visiting this park if you’re ever in the area because it isn’t too bad of a hike. I use an app called All Trails (I’ll talk about it soon in another post), and it classifies the trail as easy, even though it seemed longer due to all of the turns. If you are afraid of heights, there are a few steep areas but nothing too bizarre- then again, I’m not scared of heights so you may think otherwise. Some may think many areas are dangerous, but I’m a daredevil so I like taking a little risk at times. Since we went with snow still on the mountains and freezing cool, there weren’t many annoying bugs out. I’m sure there’s plenty during the hotter months. I can assure you all I will be visiting this beautiful scenery again and staying for lunch to really enjoy the peacefulness!

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Monrovia Canyon Waterfall- Monrovia, CA

July 5, 2020August 4, 2022 Cherry and the Hoot

Hiking alone is probably something most wouldn’t dare consider. The good thing is, I’m not most and I actually prefer to hike solo. My family for sure doesn’t agree with those choices but hey, I choose to not live my life in fear. Hiking gives me a sense of happiness and peace so going alone is best. So yes, I hike alone most of the time.

Lately, since the weather has been warming either I’ve been terrified of running into a rattlesnake or thanks to this particular trail- BEARS! Plus, due to Covid19, California keeps shutting down trails so I haven’t been able to explore too many new trails.

Monrovia Canyon Park is located in Monrovia, California. The waterfall can be found deep in the park making it an “out and back” trip. Before this journey I was pumped and excited. I went early in the morning before work thinking it was going to be refreshing. As I’m preparing myself in the parking lot, I notice a huge bear statue and that to me was a red flag. I’m well aware wild animals happen to be throughout all or most of the trails I hike. Seeing a bear was not something I was prepared to encounter especially being by myself. I honestly did not get concerned until I headed towards the start of the trail and a warning sign read, “ATTENTION, YOU ARE ENTERING BEAR HABITAT.” Ha!

It took everything for me continue and I had no choice because I had to get to work on time, and I didn’t drive all that way to just leave! Luckily, I did not see any bears, rattlesnakes, or mountain lions and I felt more comfortable seeing other women walking alone. I stopped one Asian woman to ask her about bears and she said, “Oh honey, it’s no scary! You’ll be fine, I’m here everyday”. Okay, that was relieving and I was able to enjoy the remainder of my trip with no worries. I did see a cave but I kept it pushing as fast as I could!

When I successfully made it to the waterfall the short expedition was well worth it. The waterfall was so beautiful and I was able to relax alone on a boulder for a few minutes to admire the scenery. Although I was able to capture a lot of amazing photos my favorite part was walking alongside the stream and listening to the peacefulness of nature. I had to stop a few times to take videos of the soundscapes for memories. I will definitely be returning to the park (especially now that I have a new iPhone with a much better camera).

Enjoy the journey!

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White Sands National Park- Alamogordo, NM

July 5, 2020August 4, 2022 Cherry and the Hoot

Visiting and exploring New Mexico was pretty interesting. My aunt took me all over the whole city of Alamogordo and it had a lot of nice places to see. White Sands National Monument (before they switched it to Park) was probably one my favorite places to visit. I referred to it as, “The Beach With No Water” because that is literally what it reminded me of. There was nothing but cool waves of sand dunes throughout the entire park. Entering the park I was not sure what to expect but the deeper we drove, the less vegetation and I felt like we were somewhere in the Middle East- just no camels or the excessive heat. No, I’ve never been but I assume that’s how it would be based on pictures and movies.

Overall the park is a, “must-see” so add it to your bucket-lists because my description, pictures, and videos, give no justice!

*A small fact, the sand isn’t our ordinary “sand”, it is actually a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate called gypsum. You could always research elsewhere to find out more information- I stick to the basics.

Crafts

Simple and Cute Mason Jar Crafts

July 5, 2020September 17, 2026 Cherry and the Hoot

Being miles away from home you have to get a little creative when communicating with family and friends. What better way to do so than a crafting FaceTime session?

Last week I had a FaceTime date with one of my little sisters and she chose piggy bank mason bars as our initial craft. I loved the idea because they were inexpensive, cute, and simple to make. These days I use debits cards for everything but the idea didn’t hurt for my existing loose coins. There are so many ways to design the jars, she hand-painted hers, and I made a design using E-6000 (not shown because it looks horrible) and then spray painted once dried. I will be truthful and let you all know, I have yet to cut the small insert but I’ll get to that!

Since it took forever for the spray paint to dry I decided to use materials from another project to make a second mason jar craft. This time I used Twine, Mod-Podge, and seashells- so simple! The supplies were originally meant for a string-art and liquor bottle project that I will present in a later publishing. The twine jar was as easy as applying the glue, wrapping the twine, sealing the twine with the glue, and attaching the seashells! At first, I added fake flowers but since my birthday just passed, I added my birthday flowers and they look phenomenal in the jar.

Take a peek and see for yourself.

*As I’ve explained before I will not go in too much depth with crafting directions. More-so because this craft is simple to follow just by looking at the photos. If you’d like additional assistance please feel free to email using the Contact tab.

Crafts

Quarantine String Art

June 28, 2020September 17, 2026 Cherry and the Hoot

String art has always been on my “Crafting Bucket List“. The craft has seemed complicating since I first discovered it- probably the reason I did not attempt sooner. Of course, during “quarantine” I had nothing else to do and plenty of time to build my patience. When choosing my crafts, I can either be inspired by tutorials on the web, home decor, television, or crafting stores. Home Depot inspired me to execute this project!

When we went in to grab supplies for my sister’s new sewing table, seeing all of the wood immediately sparked my “crafty” fuel. Strolling down the wood aisles made me think of all things I could possibly create. Since I currently have no desires of using super tools, I needed something easy, simple, and cute. String art popped in my head and I knew it was a done deal! I started to search all over Pinterest and Google images for inspiration and then the games begin.

Hammering all of the nails into the wood was time consuming and extremely annoying due to the noise. BUT… the outcome was a success once I did get the hang of it! I’m very happy I was able to accomplish the project but even more excited one made a great gift for a very special someone.

Take a look at the process below (please keep in mind I do not go in depth with details):

*Supplies needed for the base of the project- minus the sanding block.*

*Print or draw a design of your choice*; *hammer the nails along the perimeter.*

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Venice Beach- Los Angeles, CA

June 28, 2020September 17, 2026 Cherry and the Hoot

Venice Beach can be a “hit or miss.” I’ve visited a couple of times, and each time I’ve fallen in love with the atmosphere in general. Although, there is a crap ton of homelessness- the best part about the beach is seeing all of the crafty artists selling their creations and artwork along the strip. The random graffiti and murals are also super dope, so I tried to get as many pictures as possible. Plus, I can not forget to mention the beautiful palm trees! Minus all of the homelessness and tagging, Venice reminds me of the Virginia Beach strip back home.

Check out some of the dopeness I captured: