DIY: No-Sew Hair Bow

 

Materials

• Any type of fabric (My friend and I used an old pair of pajama bottoms that were wayyy too short for her; not only did we not have to go out and buy fabric, but they also had cats on them!  Win-win!)
• Iron
• Scissors (ones that can cut through fabric would be ideal)
• Measuring tape/ruler
• Twist ties or pipe cleaner
• Hot glue gun
• Bobby pin or hair clip

Steps

1.  Cut a piece of fabric so it's 12 inches long.  How wide you decide to cut the fabric is up to you (it just depends on how wide you want the bow to be; we cut ours 6 inches wide)

2.  Cut another piece of fabric so it's 6 inches long.  Again, how wide you decide to cut the fabric is up to you (it depends on how wide you want the center piece of the bow to be; we cut ours 1 inch wide)

3.  Fold over the edges of each piece of fabric (about 1/4 or 1/2 of an inch) and iron the folds down

4.  Fold the bigger piece of fabric into thirds and iron the folds down

5.  Fan-fold the larger piece of fabric that you just ironed into thirds and pinch it in the center

6.  Twist the twist tie or pipe cleaner at the center of the fan-folded piece of fabric to hold the center together

7.  Glue the smaller piece of fabric that you cut/ironed earlier around the twist tie/pipe cleaner so that the twist tie/pipe cleaner is hidden

8.  Glue a bobby pin or hair clip to the back of the bow

9.  Rock it out!

- M.

Outfit(s) of the Day: Back to School

Makenna and I did two quick looks for just some of our back to school outfit ideas. The first outfit has a blue button up shirt with lace detailing at the top and an ombre look from blue to white. I got this in Japan over the summer for just under $20. I love this shirt so much! It's very comfortable and very easy to wear, plus it's just so cute! The shorts are from Forever 21 and I got them on sale for, get this, $2! Bargain finds! I love being able to find deals that are close to thrift store prices, but new!

The second outfit, Makenna put together. She has a green maxi skirt that she got when we went to the mall together and it was less than $15. For the top, she is wearing a white tank with a Forever 21 jean vest that she got for around $25 (I can't remember the exact price).

Both of these outfits are super casual, easy and comfortable! I know that sitting through a lecture for 2 to 3 hours can be really hard, and dressing comfortably is something that will help make the time pass by faster! Plus you can look cute, just in case there's that cute boy in your class!

Stay tuned for more back to school ideas and posts coming up soon! 

- E.

Review: Crest 3D White Toothpaste

Okay, so it may be a bit weird to do a review on toothpaste, but I just had to! I know that not everyone has this problem, but after having braces for 3 1/2 years, my teeth weren't as bright as they were before. I have tried the Crest 3D White Strips before, but because I'm pretty forgetful, I didn't use them every single day like the directions said to. Because of this, I didn't really get the results that I was hoping for. I then thought, why not try their toothpaste? There was no way I would forget to brush my teeth! So far, I really love this product! I was a little worried that it wouldn't feel as fresh as other toothpaste, but I definitely feel that radiant mint! I've also noticed that my teeth seem a lot whiter, and I've actually gotten compliments on how they're looking whiter. I love this toothpaste, and I would recommend it to anyone who needs an easy way to whiten their teeth.

- E.

Super Easy DIY

Step 1: Get into your car

Step 2: Pick up one of your best friends

Step 3: Get ice cream (or any other sweet, guilty pleasure - a caramel frappuccino or sour patch straws will also suffice)

Step 4: Spend the rest of your time eating ice cream, catching up with a pal, and simply enjoying the moment

I generally consider myself more of a winter gal than a summer gal.  Despite the fact that I prefer the rain over the sun, I can't deny my love of warm summer nights, ice cream, and hanging with good people.  After a long day of work and summer school, I couldn't think of a better way to end my evening than with an amazing person, a sunset, and a cone of coffee ice cream.

What an excellent way to start off the week.

- M.

Retail Therapy: Cat Sweaters, Maxi Skirts, and Hoodie Vests, Oh My!

Yesterday, Erika showed you what she bought on our shopping venture to one of our favorite malls.  Today, here's a peek at what I bought.

For those of you who took a look at Erika's purchases in the previous post, yes that is the same cat sweater that Erika bought.  To be clear, I bought the sweater first.  Haha, just kidding.  But not really...

In addition to the cat sweater, I also bought an olive green maxi skirt.  I've been looking for a maxi skirt for quite some time but haven't had too much luck.  Until now that is.  I actually can't take any credit for this find for Erika is the one who found this sweet deal.  While she was off digging up cute maxi skirts, I was at the food court ordering myself a falafel sandwich (come on, priorities people).  After satisfying my craving for fried garbanzo beans and hummus, I met back up with Erika who immediately pointed me in the direction of these unbelievably well-priced maxi skits (only $12 at Love Culture; most of the skirts that I had come across were $20 and up).  I hemmed and hawed between olive green and black but finally settled on olive green (after Erika reassured me that I didn't look like an asparagus, of course).  

My last purchase of the day (not including food) was a gray, sweatshirt hoodie/vest ($20 at H&M).  I thought that this hoodie/vest would be sooo comfy to lounge around in around the house.  Although I have many sweatshirts from high school and college that I could easily bum around the house in, I love the fact that this hoodie/vest has real pockets and is long enough for me to wear with leggings (leggings are my fav!).

So, as a you can see, when it comes to fashion, I'm pretty boring.  In fact, my go-to outfits generally consist of some form of athletic shorts (or leggings) and a t-shirt.  However, on those rare occasions when I do "dress up," I like to keep it pretty simple; I stick to basic pieces in neutral colors.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend and that your upcoming Monday isn't too manic.

- M.

Retail Therapy: Shopping on a Budget

So this weekend, Makenna and I decided that since we hadn't been shopping in a while, it was time to take a visit to our favorite mall. I had decided earlier on that I was going to stay at a $50 budget, and was really hoping to be able to meet it. After some extreme sales and being very picky, I was able to purchase everything just around $50!

One of the first items that I picked up was this amazing dress that I found for $16.95 at Love Culture. I can't believe this dress! Makenna found it hiding in the corner and when we turned it around...well I can't resist a bow. From Love Culture I also got a grey crop top, which is not pictured, for $5.95.

While I was purchasing these items Makenna decided to go try on some skirts. While I was waiting for her, I decided to browse the clearance section and came across these gorgeous rings. Okay, not only are they super cute and on sale BUT it was buy one get one free! Oh my gosh, such amazing luck! The more expensive ring was the elephant one, which was on sale for $3.95 so I got the cute bow ring for free!

After the super amazing deals over at Love Culture, Makenna and I went to H&M. There we both found this unbelievably cute cat sweater (which is soooo soft) for $19.95. Since it's kind of cold where I go to school (especially at night), this sweater will be perfect for the school year! I love cats, so this is the puuuurfect way to show my appreciation for them.

I needed some new sandals for the school year and Mak had been talking about this amazing deal at Old Navy. Two pairs of flip flops for just $5! I have been looking for cheaper flip flops for a while, so I ran right over to Old Navy and got three pairs of flip flops for only $7.50! I was way too excited and wore one of the pairs (purple) right away, which is why it is not pictured.

Overall, I think it was a wonderful shopping trip and I can't wait to wear my new clothes! This was just the retail therapy that I needed, and I'm glad to have such an amazing shopping partner. Remember, setting a limit is good so that you make sure to not go over budget. You'll know exactly how much to spend, so you'll look even harder for those bargains.

- E.

I Wouldn't Pick That Nose

So the nose-shaped glasses holder modification/DIY (ish) project was a complete and utter fail.  Rather than looking rustic and weathered, the glasses stand just ended up looking dirty.  I really don't want to bore you with the miserable details of my attempts at making this look somewhat decent (obviously my attempts did not work...).

I think a trip to Home Depot is in store for me this weekend; I need to pick up some white paint to cover up this horrendous sanding job of mine.  I suppose I can (err, will have to) deal with the matchy-matchy, black-and-white thing for a little longer...

(Check out Which Nose Would You Pick? for more before pictures!)

- M.

Which Nose Would You Pick?

A couple of years ago, I found this really neat-o nose-shaped glasses holder/stand at World Market.  One glance at the nose (and the price tag; less than $15) and I was sold.  What can I say?  It was laugh at first sight.  I had the option of buying this glasses holder in either a sleek, shiny black or a natural, wooden brown.  Digging the matchy-matchy look, I opted for black for I thought that it would go perfectly in my all-black-and-white room.

Fast forward to two-ish years later and I am officially over the matchy-matchy, absolutely-everything-in-my-room-has-to-be-either-black-or-white look.  As a result, I decided to modify this glasses holder to go along with my taste now.  I (well, okay...my dad) sanded some of the paint off of the glasses holder in order to give it a rustic, weathered look.

Below are pictures of the glasses holder before I/my dad started sanding as well as the materials I used to do this semi-DIY project (glasses holder, sand paper, box lid - to catch the debris from the sanding of the nose*).  Check back tomorrow to see the final result!

*No cats were harmed in this DIY (ish) project.

(Click here to see how the nose turned out!)

-M.

Photo Diary #1

The other day I was over at Makenna's house attempting to do a DIY (which failed horribly). While I was trying to work, I found that her cats were just dancing around me, trying to get my attention. I grabbed my camera and obliged. These are some of the photos that I took from that night of her gorgeous kitties.

Ugh, how gorgeous are they? It was like they were posing for me the whole time; they know how good looking they are. Photographing pets is never easy. They often love to move around, or run off. My recommendation is to keep your camera close and be ready to take photos!

- E.

Dresser Organization: Close Up

So I recently posted my dresser top organization that I did (you can view that post here), and I wanted to showcase some of the items that are on display up close and personal. Makenna really helped me utilize the space on top of my dresser that had previously been used for storage of whatever was lying around my room that didn't have a place. I really couldn't deal with this anymore, so she helped me turn it into a wonderful makeup area. Without further ado, here is a close up of the organization!

First up is my candle and the little glass jar I use to store my lotions in. My friend bought me this super cute (and AMAZING smelling) candle at Target for only $10! For the amount of candle you get, I'd say that this is a super deal. I love this soy candle, and am definitely going to buy more. The little glass jar that I have on top of it, I got at the Dollar Tree for only $1. It stores my little lotions in there perfectly, and I love having the colors displayed.

Next to my candles are my brushes and eyelash curler. I got this fishbowl jar at Michael's when they were having a sale, so it was only about $1. Super cute, and perfect for storing my brushes. I also bought some sand to help them stand up better, but I have yet to locate where I placed that (oh my forgetful mind).

The way Makenna organized my little drawer set from Target absolutely blew me away! If you had seen the state of these before...well you'd never think that it could look so great! We sorted through all of my makeup and now the top drawer has my face products, the middle drawer has liquid eyeliners, and the bottom drawer has all of my loose eye shadows. I LOVE this! I can quickly reach in and grab my bronzer now; no more searching through piles of makeup! I think as long as things are put away in their proper places, it really helps my mind calm down.

Now this is one of my absolutely FAVORITE parts of the organization that was done. All of my everyday makeup is neatly displayed on my dresser! When Makenna first suggested that we put my everyday makeup up on top of my dresser, I was a little weary because I thought it might look cluttered. Luckily, I had this organizing tray that I had picked up from the $1 bin at Target which was perfect to store all of my most used makeup in! It doesn't look messy at all and now I never have to search for anything in the morning; it's all right there! So functional, yet cute.

The left hand of my dresser is provides such a cute decorative area! I have two $1 picture frames that I got from Ikea and my lighted flower display in the background. I also have another one of the Sweet Spun Sugar candles from Target (this one was $5) and that is sitting on a cute chair stand that I found at the dollar store in Japan. I'm in love with this area, it's so pink and girly, just the way I like it!

Phew! That was a long post. Hopefully not too long. I'm pretty hyped up from Starbucks forgetting to make my coffee decaf at 8:00 at night! But my closing statement is this: organization. I can not emphasize this enough. Organization helps create a balanced and calm mind. Take a few minutes every day to put things back where they belong, it might seem like a hassle at the time, but in the long run you will thank yourself. It will help you spend time on things that are more important in your life. I hope you enjoyed this post!

- E.

You Light Up My Life

Whenever I hear this song, I immediately think of that scene in Miss Congeniality where Miss Texas belts out, "Youu light up my li-i-ife," and points to the audience in slow motion.  For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about (ahem, Erika), just scroll down and keep reading.  For those of you who do, let's be friends.

Anyways, as promised, here's how you can jazz up a plain candle and make it light up your life.

What you will need for this project is as follows:

• Candle (any color, preferably a solid color because it will be covered with tissue paper)
• Tissue paper (any patterns/colors that your heart desires)
• Scissors
• White Elmer's glue
• Paint brush (water color size, not I'm-going-to-paint-the-outside-of-my-house size)

Follow the steps below and you will soon have a personalized, jazzy, room decoration.

• After selecting your candle and tissue paper, cut out the tissue paper into various shapes and sizes (you can cut out the designs that are printed on the tissue paper, make up your own designs, or simply cut the tissue paper to fit around the entire candle)
• Pour some Elmer's glue into a small cup or container
• Place the tissue paper on the candle (one piece at a time)
• Dip the paint brush in the glue
• Gently paint directly over the tissue paper that is placed on the candle in one fluid motion
• In order to avoid getting wrinkles in the tissue paper, begin brushing from the center of the tissue paper out towards the edges
• Also, be sure to keep your brush strokes all going in one direction (either side to side or up and down)
• Don't worry, the glue dries clear
• Once the desired areas of your candle are covered with tissue paper and glued down, let the candle dry (I let my candles dry overnight, just to be on the safe side)
• Finally, let your newly refaced candle light up your life!

 

I'm having way too much fun with the title of this post... I think I'm going to go watch Miss Congeniality now.

- M.

Tissue Paper Candle

Check back tomorrow to learn how to jazz up a plain candle using tissue paper!

(Click on You Light Up My Life to learn how to make these candles!)

- M.

Delicious and Nutritious! (Banana and Strawberry Smoothie)

Oooh what can I say about my love for fruit?? I can never get enough! I love how there are so many fruits and so many different ways to eat them too! One of my specialties is a strawberry banana smoothie. Forget paying $5 for one at Jamba when I can make one that is as equally delicious, for a quarter of the price! This morning, after my run, I was craving one of these smoothies. The ingredients are simple (as they should be), and it only took like 3 minutes to make!

1. First, I cut the banana in half, wrapping the other half up and sticking it in the freezer (this is a delicious, healthy treat for later)

2. Then, I cut up 4 strawberries

3. In the blender, I put about 8 ice cubes, and added about 1/2 a cup of milk and 1/4 of a cup of orange juice. After this, I added all of the bananas and strawberries I had previously cut up.

Mmmmmm, that smoothie hit the spot after a good run!

- E.

Fitness Progress Diary Entry #1

So I took this picture after my brief run before work the other morning. I've been looking for ways to have more energy throughout the day because trust me, with taking care of two young children, I need it! Although it would seem as though running would actually deplete you of energy, it did the opposite for me! I woke up early, tried not to hit my alarm too many times, went for a run and had a protein shake before work. I felt great throughout the day and had plenty of energy! I can't wait until I get my distance up, and I look forward to having more energy throughout the day! I've lost four pounds so far and am working up to losing about 10 before the school year starts. I'm also trying to eat better, which proves to be difficult when I am balancing meals for three people at once, as well as breaking up fights between the kids. Hopefully I can keep track of my progress and continue to post about my struggles as I move back into the apartments at school! Fitness is important in making life changes, and my health and having things organized in my life are what I've found to be the most important changes that I need to make. Anyone can be healthy, just remember how important your health is, and remember that you can start with small changes to make a huge difference in your life!

- E.

Feeling Cage-y

Bird cage-y that is.  Lately I've been super into decorative bird cages.  I especially love when they look rustic or a little weathered.  I can't exactly describe why I'm so drawn to bird cages; I don't even like birds.  There's just something about these bird cages that I gravitate towards - maybe it's their simplicity or their ability to add character to any room.  Whatever it is, I just can't get enough of it.

These are some of the few bird cages that I have out on display.  I wish I could take credit for finding the charming white and black bird cages myself; however, both were actually selected by my mom.  My mom bought the white bird cage from Michaels which originally cost around $12.  However, with a coupon, she was able to buy the cage at a discounted price.  Woot woot!  My mom also bought the black bird cage.  She found this particular cage from World Market and paid less than $20 for it (unfortunately, no coupon here).The cream bird cage (also a votive holder) I picked out myself.  I found this weathered gem from Michaels.  I want to say that it cost less than $10, but I'm not entirely sure.  However, I do know that I paid less than the retail price because I had a coupon!  What can I say?  Like mother, like daughter.  

Overall, I couldn't be happier with they way the bird cages accent my room.  Although I could hang all of the cages from my ceiling thus clearing up the surfaces of my furniture, I prefer to stand them on my desk hutch and dresser top.  Even though I am running out of space to display them, I am sure that my decorative bird cage collecting days are far from over.

Do you have any favorite room accessories?  Let us know in the comments below!

- M.

DIY: Under $5 Lighted Flower Display

I needed something to brighten up my room, and I had these flowers from Michael's that I had bought a while ago. They were on sale, so they were just a little over $1 each, and had also found this vase at the Dollar Tree for $1. I had these lights that I bought at Ikea on sale for under $1, that had been lying around. The stems on the flower were really long, but I didn't want to cut them so I bent them up and tied them together to help them fit into the vase. To fit both the lights and the flowers in was a bit of a struggle but after a while, they finally settled in. The lights are battery powered, so I pulled the battery pack out, and set it behind the vase in order to be able to turn the lights on easily. The vase looked a little boring to me so I remembered that the day before, my friend had given me one of her old ribbons as we were cleaning her room. I tied this around the vase and it instantly became so cute and girly, just the way I like it! Super easy and cheap DIY! Enjoy!

Here is a picture of what it looks like when the lights are turned off; so cute!

                              

- E.

Before and After: Dresser Top Organization

Before:

   

After:

I am a relatively messy person. Okay, I take that back, I am unbelievably messy. However, I've had some life changes within the last year and organization has become something that I've not only incorporated into my life, but have made to be a necessity. It helps me keep a calm mind when I am stressed and being able to find things easily really helps ease the stress in the morning. Makenna came over for an hour the other day and she helped me reorganize my dresser to make it a more effective space. I had originally had my makeup over on my other dresser, but it was time for a change. I hadn't really planned it when I had put my makeup on that side and it looked extremely cluttered and unorganized. I absolutely love the way that I have it now! My most used makeup is easily accessible during those rushed mornings. I absolutely love the arrangement now, I feel much more at at peace.

- E.

Are You Afraid Of The Dark?

When I was younger, I was totes afraid of the dark.  Actually, I still kind of am.  As a result, I thought it would be fun to attempt making glow in the dark jars as a DIY project.

Okay, so actually, my friend recommended this DIY project to me when she first heard that Erika and I had started a blog.  (The part about me being semi-afraid of the dark is still true.  I just needed a transition from the title of this post to the actual content of the post...see the tie-in there - being afraid of the dark and making glow in the dark jars?  Eh, eh?  Anyone?)  Anyways, eager to start doing crafts and sharing my experiences, I jumped right on this DIY project.  Below is a list of all the materials that I used for this project:

1. 2, 12 inch glow sticks ($1 for a pack of 4 from the dollar store)
2. 1 Empty jar with lid
3. 1 Pair of latex gloves
4. 1 Plastic grocery bag (or any other sort of protective covering)
5. Scissors

After gathering all of the materials together, I began this DIY project.  Below are the steps I took to complete these glow jars:

1. Put on latex gloves and lay plastic grocery bag out flat on the floor (By reading about other people's experiences with this DIY project, I learned that the liquid from the glow sticks could stain my hands and clothing.)
2. Remove the lid from the jar and place the jar over the plastic bag (I hoped to prevent getting any liquid from the glow sticks on my work surface by working over a plastic bag.)
3. Crack 2 glow sticks so they glow
4. Cut the end off of one side of 1 glow stick and swirl/tap the glow stick along the inner rim of the jar to get the liquid out (repeat this process with the second glow stick)
5. Once the liquid is out of the glow sticks and into the jars, shake out any large pieces of glass that may have fallen into the jars from the glow sticks over a garbage can
6. Put the lid back onto the jar
7. Swirl the jar so the liquid spreads around the whole jar
8. ENJOY!

Creating 2 glow jars took me about 40 minutes to complete - this included set up and clean up time as well as actually creating the 2 jars.  I struggled in the beginning trying to figure out how to get the liquid out of the glow sticks.  At one point while I was working on the first jar, I found myself cutting the glow sticks into tiny pieces and pushing the liquid and glass out with a toothpick.  Super time-consuming mistake.  It wasn't until I started the second jar that I realized that I could get the liquid out by simply swirling/tapping the glow sticks along the inner rim of the jar.  Had I known this from the get-go, this project would have taken me 10 minutes tops.  Or so I like to think...

P.S. The glow jars only stayed glow-y for about an hour.

Do you know of any other fun, crafty projects using glow sticks?  Let us know about your experiences with glow jars and other glow stick projects in the comments below!

- M.

Photography: Canon Rebel T5i

I wanted to share some photos I snapped today of my friend Renee and her boyfriend John. They both took some beautiful pictures and it was so much fun taking their pictures! I recently bought the Canon Rebel T5i, my T2i was stolen, and this was really one of my first chances to put it to the test! This was seriously one of the best sessions I have ever had. Every picture came out unbelievably clear and it was a breeze to use! I am so thankful that I was able to make this purchase. Photography is something that makes me so happy no matter what kind of day that I've been having. Anyways, enough ranting about how much I love this camera. I am going to share a few photos that I took the last few days. 

- E.