Dreams Do Come True — You CAN Own (and Make!) a Confetti Cannon

Remember when parties meant games, candy and new toys?! Before your celebratory sugar intake of choice came in a cocktail and gifts still came in a huge wrapped box? Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, promotion, engagement or other life event (large or small), grown-ups deserve some fun too! We teamed up with Studio INK to bring a little bit of that festive magic back to adult life and make this specific wish come true: We’ll show you how to make your very own confetti cannon!

Who knew your house (and recycling bin) held the perfect confetti cannon making supplies?! We’re already scheming up all sorts of occasions to use this bad boy. New job? CONFETTI! End to a bad relationship? Good riddance confetti! Roommate not a morning person? Rise and shine confetti! This handy little cannon makes everything better (or at least more entertaining ;) Scroll on to get the full lowdown on how we put ours together.

Materials:

Tools:

Instructions:

  • empty paper towel roll
  • card stock paper
  • tissue paper confetti
  • embroidery thread
  • 2 plastic bottle caps
  • needle
  • tape
  • nail
  • spring

  • hot glue gun
  • hole punch
  • hammer

1. Tape cardstock in the pattern or color of your choice onto your paper roll. Fold the edges of the cardstock into the roll and repeat to add additional strips of color.

2. Nail four holes into the top of one of your plastic bottle caps and string two long pieces of embroidery thread through the holes so that they cross in the middle and leave a long strand coming out of each of the four holes.

3. Hot glue each end of the spring onto a bottle cap so that the cap with the embroidery thread is facing outwards and the plain cap is facing inwards.

4. Punch a hole into either side of your paper roll near the end, place your glued spring into the roll thread-side first and pull two threads through either hole. Hot glue the outer bottle cap into the paper roll and tie all four threads together in a knot.

5. When your hot glue is totally cool, fill the open end of the cannon with confetti, pull back on the string and let go for a confetti explosion!

Tape cardstock in the pattern or color of your choice onto your paper roll. Fold the edges of the cardstock into the roll and repeat to add additional strips of color.

Nail four holes into the top of one of your plastic bottle caps and string two long pieces of embroidery thread through the holes so that they cross in the middle and leave a long strand coming out of each of the four holes.

Hot glue each end of the spring onto a bottle cap so that the cap with the embroidery thread is facing outwards and the plain cap is facing inwards.

Punch a hole into either side of your paper roll near the end, place your glued spring into the roll thread-side first and pull two of the four threads through one hole and the two leftover threads through the other hole. Hot glue the outer bottle cap into the paper roll and tie all four threads together in a knot.

When your hot glue is totally cool, fill the open end of the cannon with confetti.

Pull back on the string and let go for a confetti explosion!

#iamcreative

@BritandCo.

Some men may not like posting their significant others on social media, butAaron Taylor-Johnson definitely isn't one of them. He recently celebrated his wife, Sam Taylor-Johnson's birthday, highlighting what he finds so special about her in his eyes on Instagram. They may have a controversial age-gap relationship, but their marriage is beyond a PR stunt. Frankly, they could give some of us a much-needed lesson in the ways of maintaining a long-term relationship... 👀

Anyway! Here's what Aaron Taylor-Johnson had to say about Sam Taylor-Johnson in his loving birthday tribute!

See the sweet and spicy way Aaron Taylor-Johnson celebrated Sam Taylor-Johnson's birthday!

Cindy Ord/Getty Images

Sam Taylor-Johnson's nearing her golden years as she turned 58 this week! We're sure all birthdays are a big deal, but we especially appreciate the way Aaron Taylor-Johnson praised his wife on Instagram. His caption reads: "💕Happy Birthday gorgeous! ❤️ Love spending every moment with you 💚💛"

Instead of choosing his favorite picture of her, Aaron posted a lengthy carousel of his wife. Pictures include Sam doing an impressive split (we're jealous!), taking photos on a yacht, enjoying a steamy smooch with him, and being highlighted by the sun's golden rays. Aaron even made sure to throw in the classic "sunglasses on vacation" photo that's almost feels mandatory for couples to pose in.

It didn't take long to find Sam's response to Aaron's beautiful PDA post in his comments. "❤️❤️I love you ❤️❤️," is short, sweet, and to the point as she seems to know how cherished she is.

Aside from her husband's grand gesture, Sam has been reposting more "happy birthday" posts on Instagram stories so we think she's happily soaking up all the genuine love in her life. We can only hope our friends and families will commemorate our birthdays in a similar way this year!

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Trader Joe’s current lineup of Easter goodies is better than ever. They’ve got so many sweets on deck – including chocolate bunnies, of course – as well as festive spring snacks that simply make the perfectEaster basket additions! This year, there’s really no shortage of fun TJ’s finds to brighten up your season.

Scroll on for 11 Trader Joe’s Easter finds that are totally worth grabbing before they’re gone!

Trader Joe's

Milk Chocolate Bunny Bar

This adorable bunny-shaped chocolate bar is topped with tons of bright candy gems and rainbow nonpareils (which are crafted with dyes from natural ingredients) to liven up your Easter snack collection! This limited-time item will definitely not last long on shelves, so run to TJ's soon!

Trader Joe's

Peas & Carrots Sour Gummy Candies

Shaped like tiny little peas and carrots, these bites are far from actual veggies. In fact, they're made of a delicious gummy candy tinged with just the right amount of sourness that balances out the sugary goodness.

Trader Joe's

Break Apart Bunny

This is not your average chocolate bunny. While still hollow like most traditional treats, this one's actually loaded up with a handful of carrot-shaped gummy candies – like a perfect little (and edible!) Easter-themed piñata. Your Easter basket recipients won't be able to resist breaking it open!

Trader Joe's

Chocolate Truffle Eggs

Ooh, fancy. Perfectly packaged for Eastertime gifting, this collection of egg-shaped chocolate truffles boats 7 distinctive flavors that feel oh-so bougie. You're def going to want to grab one for yourself – we're absolutely eyeing that pistachio egg. 👀

Trader Joe's

Raspberry Mousse Cakes

These lil' cakes are almost too cute to eat! Each one starts with a base of moist vanilla cake that's topped with raspberry-flavored mousse. The batch then is covered in a sweet confectionary coating (including an edible leaf!) to emulate the sheer magic of raspberries on one easy-to-eat treat.

Trader Joe's

Italian Chocolate Eggs

Add these eggs to your Easter candy bowl, stat! This pack comes with 4 decadent flavor pairings encased in colorful coatings so you can easily sneak in a bite of springtime joy throughout the day.

Trader Joe's

Sea Salt Brownie Bites

We are obsessed with these brownie bites. The added sea salt on top of 'em adds some extra flavor oomph that feels super elevated and perfectly fancy for a special occasion such as Easter.

Trader Joe's

Teensy Candy Bars

Basically like 'teensy' versions of a Snickers bar, these micro-sized candy bars are dangerously easy to snack on. Your little ones will adore them!

Trader Joe's

Chocolatey Drizzled Strawberry Kettle Popcorn

Drizzled with freeze-dried strawberries and chocolate, this kettle corn is unlike anything you've tried before. The fruity notes most definitely qualify it as a great spring snack, while the chocolate adds Eastertime decadence.

Trader Joe's

Organic Sparkling Rosé Tea Beverage

For something to sip on, this can is the epitome of spring flavors. It's made with a blend of four teas along with white grape juice, hibiscus flowers, orange peel, and rose hips for some insanely good floral and citrusy notes!

Trader Joe's

Tangerine Probiotic Sparkling Beverage

Crafted with probiotics, this bubbly bev contains a "light, refreshing, sweet-tart flavor" that'll have you hooked from first gulp.

Subscribe to our newsletter to discover more epic Trader Joe's items!

In our Take 5 series, sponsored by Verizon, we ask women in business about unexpected challenges, their inspirations, recent wins, and how the free Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program has helped propel their business forward.


In this segment, Paige Wiese, founder & CEO of Tree Ring Digital in Denver, CO, walks us through some of the ways she encourages clients to double down on marketing when business is slow. Paige built her business as a solopreneur graphic designer to a team of 15, helping clients with SEO, online ads, and social media management. Here’s her Take 5, plus more tips for surviving the business lulls below!

What's a recent small win for you and your business?

Paige: A recent small win has been just seeing business pick up again. I am seeing businesses start to engage with their marketing efforts and really trying to get to the root of why their website might be underperforming. We look at what they can be doing to see their money actually go to a place that it should be going.

What's a big piece of advice that you give to your clients?

Paige: A lot of them want to back off anytime there's a little bit of scarcity. I really think that's the time to double down, whether it be your digital presence, your website, or just adjusting how you're spending your money. But instead of just saying, ‘Hey, we're going to stop [investing in marketing],’ ask ‘How do we double down in the correct way and make sure we're seeing measurable results out of it?’ I do it myself anytime business is a little slow. I think we have to either change or we need to be doubling down. A lot of clients come to us when the pipeline is already dry and money is tight and they’re hoping for a quick fix. Marketing, unfortunately, isn't a quick fix.

See more tips for surviving business lulls below!

What's an unexpected business challenge you’ve faced and how did you overcome it?

Paige: I think one of the bigger challenges that we've run into has been more on the employee side, some of the retention or the hiccups that come along the way and then just learning from them. So how can we be a better, stronger company coming out of this and how do we use it as a growing opportunity?

How has the Verizon Small Business program helped propel your business forward?

Paige: I learned about the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready program through the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). It's a free resource that’s self-paced and very digestible. The variety of topics it covers is a large gamut for any size business. The Selling with Storytelling course, especially, was really valuable to me, just really getting your messaging out there. I laugh that I sometimes enjoy the marketing ones a little bit more just because it is a refresher or another take on how we do this.

Thanks Paige!

Here Are More B+C Tips For Surviving The Small Business Lulls

Photo by Kampus Production

  1. Refine Your Strategy
    • Review your business plan and goals. Are you on track? What can be improved?
    • Analyze customer feedback and sales data to spot trends and areas where you can grow.
  2. Boost Your Marketing Efforts
    • Refresh your website or social media profiles. Verizon Small Business Digital Ready’s free Put Your Website to Work course will help you get started with best practices for building your business website.
    • Create engaging content through blogs, videos, and newsletters. Verizon’s free Creating Compelling Content course can help you create consistent, quality content for your target customers.
    • Offer promotions or limited-time discounts to attract new customers.
  3. Invest in Learning
    • Take an online course related to your industry, like Verizon’s free Planning for the Unexpected course for building resiliency in your business.
    • Stay updated on industry trends and innovations.
    • Engage with customers too. Send personalized emails to loyal customers or clients. Ask for reviews!
  4. Improve Your Processes
    • Streamline operations or explore new tools to increase your efficiency.
    • Organize your workspace and declutter your digital files.
  5. Self-Care and Rest
    • Take advantage of the slower pace to recharge. A refreshed mindset is exactly what you need to bring forth fresh ideas!

Learn more about the free Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program and Tree Ring Digital.

Illustration by Daniela Jordan-Villaveces.

One Tree Hill fans were heartbroken (and a little bit confused) when season 6 ended and Peyton (Hilarie Burton) and Lucas (Chad Michael Murray) left without a trace. It had been a season of danger, life-threatening situations, and literal murder, and for two of the show's leads to just fall off the face of the earth felt inconsistent with how tight-knit the friend group had always been. And viewers weren't the only ones to think so.

"This is the problem: They didn't give us enough to make where our friends went make sense," Drama Queens host Sophia Bush said of the "unfortunate" decision to write Hilarie and Chad out of the show. (Hilarie has said in a previous episode of the rewatch podcast that both her and Chad were "treated badly, and he defended me...Chad was my teammate.")

Keep reading for what Sophia Bush, Bethany Joy Lenz, and Robert Buckley's thoughts on Peyton and Lucas leaving One Tree Hill.

Sophia Bush thought Peyton and Lucas leaving 'One Tree Hill' was "really weird."

Warner Bros. TV

One Tree Hill season 6 ended after Peyton almost died giving birth to her and Lucas' daughter, and after introducing baby Sawyer to the rest of the crew, they just...drive off into the sunset.

"I don't even remember where they moved. Where did they go?" Bethany Joy Lenz says, to which Robert Buckley replies, "They left in a convertible, so I'm gonna guess maybe the West Coast where it's a bit warmer and less rainy."

But no matter where Peyton and Lucas moved, the One Tree Hill cast can't quite wrap their heads around the fact that, in the story, Brooke literally never hears from Peyton again. "I used to ask, 'Why can't Brooke [Davis] be getting text messages from Peyton? Why can't you see them texting? Like, why am I not getting photo updates of this baby? It feels really weird.'"

And while Lucas returns for an episode in season 9, he was also radio silent for his three-season absence, as was his mom Karen. "Everybody, they just faded off into the distance," Bethany says. "I do wish they had kept that up in some more clear way. I don't think it would have been hard."

While Bethany Joy Lenz think is was because of "personal beef" behind the scenes.


But Bethany theorizes the onscreen confusion boils down to behind-the-scenes drama with creator Mark Schwann, whom the cast accused of sexual harassment in 2017. The women of the show wrote an open letter explaining how “many of us were, to varying degrees, manipulated psychologically and emotionally," and how "more than one of us is still in treatment for post-traumatic stress."

"I think it was some sort of personal beef behind the scenes," Bethany adds in the Drama Queens episode. "He was hoping the audience would just forget about them."

"Which seems so stupid because it's a choice rooted in ego," Sophia adds. "It's like, 'Dude, you wrote those characters, so you knew they were great. So why are we suddenly pretending they're not?'"

Fred Norris/Warner Bros. TV

Hopefully we'll see all our favorite Tree Hill Ravens return for a One Tree Hill sequel series. While the show hasn't been officially greenlit at Netflix yet, Hilarie Burton exclusively told Brit + Co that everyone involved in the show is "really proud of the work that we did back then too. And so to see the public support this little show we made 20 years later, that's so special and it's so rare."

You can stream all of One Tree Hill on Hulu now — and read up on Chad Michael Murray's Perfect Idea For The One Tree Hill Reunion.

Colleen Hoover (and her books) aren't afraid to make a statement. BookTok is still reeling from Verity, while the rest of the internet can't stop talking about all the It Ends With Us behind-the-scenes drama. and Hoover's newest adaptation, Regretting You, is just as gripping and emotional as all her other stories. The movie is based on the 2019 novel of the same name, and while It Ends With Us centers around romantic relationships, Regretting You is all about mother-daughter relationships.

What's 'Regretting You' about?

Amazon

Regretting You follows Morgan Grant (played by Allison Williams), who put her dreams on hold years ago when she got pregnant with her daughter Clara (McKenna Grace). Their age gap mirrors the one we see we see between Lorelai and Rory in Gilmore Girls, but instead of the Gilmores' close bond, Morgan and Clara's relationship becomes more strained the older Clara gets — especially when Morgan's husband Chris passes away in a tragic accident, revealing a secret that could change Clara's life forever.

While It Ends With Us is a larger production from Sony, Regretting You will be an indie production. Stay tuned for official production details!

Who's in the 'Regretting You' cast?

Monica Schipper/Arturo Holmes/Getty Images

Allison Williams (Get Out) and McKenna Grace (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire) lead the Regretting You cast. These two are joined by Dave Franco (Now You See Me), Mason Thames (The Black Phone), Willa Fitzgerald (The Fall of the House of Usher), and Scott Eastwood (Wind River: Rising).

The movie will be directed by The Fault in Our Stars' Josh Boone and written by Susan McMartin.

When does 'Regretting You' come out?

JESHOOTS.com/Pexels

Regretting You comes out on October 24, and it's easily one of our most-anticipated movies for 2025!

Is 'Regretting You' a spicy book?

Pixabay/Pexels

Regretting You definitely has less spice than Colleen Hoover's other books. In fact, this TikToker ranks it as her least-spicy book! Since the story focuses on Morgan and Clara, instead of a romantic relationship, this is a good pick for any readers who prefer less spicy books.

What's the message of 'Regretting You'?

Alexander Grey/Pexels

Regretting You is all about life, which I know sounds like a huge message! But the story introduces us to an established family rather than two people who want to begin a family. Chris, Morgan, and Clara already have relationships with each other, and as time passes in the story, Regretting You shows us how circumstances can change, how overwhelming our emotions can feel, and how strong our family bonds can become.

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