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.