Are you feeling naughty or nice this holiday season? I had the idea to make this clutch so you can choose which side to wear it on depending on your mood. I used these plastic boxes, vinyl letters, and some christmas bulbs. For the second one I used modge podge, glitter, a metal bow from a napkin holder, and a jingle bell. Sorry, this is more of an outfit post than a step by step DIY, but you get the point. You can do so many fun/festive designs on these boxes for that perfect statement bag for all your holiday parties! They really are the perfect size for all your necessities too! 

Top: Thrifted (always check the little boys section!) (Similar/Similar) // Skirt // Shoes: Nine West via TJ Maxx (Similar/Similar) // Necklace // Earrings // Rings: Buffalo Exchange (Similar/Similar) // Coat: French Connection (Similar/Similar)

Watch out Pinterest, I’ve got all the DIY pumpkin options you’ll ever want to recreate right here!

I went mainly with a gold theme, and you know what that means…. lots of GLITTER!! For the skull head I gave it a light coat with gold paint and shaded darker in the crevices, then painted on modge podge and sprinkled glitter in the eye & nose parts. 

I had two of these veiled fascinators on a hat form that I thought could add some creepiness to my display. This spider ring that I found at Michael’s went perfectly on the veil, resembling a spider web even more. 

The two gold pumpkins are fake ones that I bought at Michael’s and spray painted gold. I stuck gold thumb tacks down the ridges of one pumpkin, and on the other, created an ombre effect with gold glitter. 

My sister and I had a fun pumpkin decorating party together. To see the steps for her color block pumpkins below head over to Ciera Design.  

All of these DIY pumpkins are really quick and easy to make, so you can still get your home spooky & sparkly in time for Halloween! 

Photos taken by Ciera Holzenthal

I am very happy with this new addition to my kitchen decor! This vintage perfume garland was super quick and easy to make. All you need is a few mini perfume bottles and something to tie them together with.

I used jute twine and some neon rope and tied it around the neck of the perfume bottle, then screwed the top on. In between each bottle I tied a knot just for an extra detail. I really like the combination of the vintage bottles, with the rustic jute twine, and how the neon gives it a modern feel.

I thought it might be weird to have perfume bottles hanging in my kitchen, but I tried to hang them in my bathroom and my room, and this is just where they worked best! They would also look cute hanging over a vanity, or in a closet if you are so lucky to have a walk-in.

I made some herb and flower arrangements from my garden in a little jar and an extra perfume bottle to add to the window sill. P.S. how freaking awesome is that little elephant perfume bottle??

Next up, some painted wooden spoons to hang on the other window sill!

Happy DIY FRIDAY!

XOXO

I am so excited I finally made a pair of these American Flag shorts I have been wanting for a while now! And honestly I have to say, from all of the ones that I have seen online, mine really do look the best! So, let’s get into how to make these awesomely American shorts!

You will need:

- A pair of jean (Preferably vintage, high waisted, relaxed fit, with a  light wash) or cut off jean shorts

- fabric scissors

- masking or painters tape

- measuring tape

- fabric paint

- stiff paint brush

- star stencil or stickers

- studs (optional)

STEP 1-3: MESURE, LINE UP & CUT – Line up the inseams of your jeans (not the waistband). Measure and mark the inseam of your jeans (I measured about an inch longer tan I thought I would want, just in case) then measure from the bottom hem to the inseam. Subtract about an inch from this measurement and them measure from the bottom of the outside of your jeans on each side. This creates a slight angle upward on the outside which is more flattering. I lined up a pair of cut offs that are the perfect fit to compare to my measurements. Next, cut one leg, and then line up that piece to the other side to make sure you have the same angle. Try them on, and make adjustments as needed to length & angle.

STEP 4-5: TAPE & PAINT – Tape off all the areas that you do not want to be painted – The waistband, belt loops, pockets, the middle crotch part, and the sides. Next tape the stripes. Use a scrap piece of tape to measure the width in between each stripe. If you are using star stickers, place those on at this time as well. Now, time to paint! I suggest not using the spray kind of fabric paint, because it seeped under my star stickers a bit so I had to touch them up by hand with white paint. (The spray kind does give more of a washed out look though if you prefer that, as opposed to the red that I used which looks a little more opaque). You will need to paint, not spray if you are using a stencil for the stars. So for the regular fabric paint, pour some out on a plate, and apply with a stiff paint brush. Let dry according to the directions on the bottle. I left the tape on while it dried, and took it off the next day.

STEP 6: STUD – These are really easy to apply, and only take a few minutes, so I really suggest this last step to make your jeans even more rockin! you can order pyramid studs from online, or I found these at a local leather factory (Tandy Leather Factory). You will need a sharp tool to puncture holes in the jeans. I used a piercing tool called a brad setter, that I found at Michael’s. Insert the studs along the rim of the pockets, in the stars, in between the stripes, or anywhere you like!

And now for the last step, and most fun, style! I chose to style my shorts with all vintage and/or thrifted items (except the bracelets).

I found this Halston top at my last visit to the thrift store! Um hello? White, collared, button up, lace trim, Halston! It was the perfect find for a classic white cotton shirt for Summer and the perfect vintage style when tied up at the waist with these shorts!

I used one of my navy Whiting & Davis chain mail purses from my accidentally accumulated collection (obsession!), my new Chloe + Isabel stud bangles (that are a new staple in my wardrobe) and this red medallion bangle.

I finished off the look with my All-American, red All-Star Chucks!

I hope you embrace your patriotism and go make a pair of these shorts for yourself. Oh, and you’re welcome in advance for all the compliments you will get when wearing them! ‘Merica!

Are y’all ready for some DIY Fridays? Today’s DIY is a really simple one I completed with things I had in my own home (or my parents shop). Mason Jars, scissors and colored tape or decorative washi tape is all you need. I have been keeping my makeup brushes, mascara, and liners in these mason jars for a while now, but I decided they needed a little jazzing up. My dad just happened to have tape in two of the most trending colors right now, mint green and neon orange (well anything neon)… yea he knows what’s up!  Also, anything is better with some metallic, so I added copper tape too.

I suggest laying out your design on paper first. With this design that I chose, I needed to know how far apart to put the horizontal lines so that the zig zags would meet at the top and bottoms of them. I cut individual lines with diagonal edges for the zig-zag design (slant opposite ways for the opposite side of the triangle). Once you have one piece cut in each direction, use those as your guide, holding them up to the tape to cut the rest.

Once you have enough laid out that you feel comfortable with, go for it, stick those suckers on there! The tape will remove pretty easily from the glass if you do happen to mess up, so don’t fret. I keep the makeup I use everyday on this vintage brass tray so that everything is visible and easy to find when I need it.

You can also use these mason jars to hold your pens on your desk, storage for dry foods such as nuts, granola, beans or coffee, and your bathroom essentials like cotton balls and Q-tips.

Stay tuned for more DIY Friday’s, but in the mean time, go get your tape on!

** If you have any DIY ideas you would like to see featured on the blog, send them my way, and I will try to make it happen!

My inspiration for this headdress came from Free People, the brand that more than any other, represents femininity, creativity, confidence, adventure, and good ol’ free spirited fun! When I saw this headdress on their website, I fell in love, and knew it was the perfect DIY project right in time for the festivals!

It was really easy and took less than 20 minutes to make. All you need are scissors, a hot glue gun, fake flowers, and fabric, or a strand of lace. I bought the flowers from Michael’s, and just pulled them off of their stems and found this fabric on the clearance rack at Joann’s and bought 1/8 of a yard (which I cut in half length wise to make a second).

Starting from the middle, I folded the width of the fabric on one side half way, put a dot of hot glue, then folded the other side on top. Glue about every inch, on each side, until it fits around your head. Next just glue down the flowers, tie fabric in a knot, and I cut the remaining length of the fabric into three, to give it a fringed look. I cut the fabric on one side of the knot shorter, and left the backside long, then cut each strand slightly different lengths.

I wore it with my hair down, like pictured below, and when it got too hot at the fest, with my hair pulled back with a high, messy bun on top.

It may be the last weekend of Jazz Fest, but Hang Out Fest is 2 weekends from now in Gulf Shores, and this would be the perfect beach accessory! But it’s not like you need a reason to wear a flower headdress during the fun, sunny days of summer anyway!

PEACE. LOVE. HAPPINESS.

Well, it was not as easy as I just made it sound! Extremely time consuming and tedious actually, but well worth it. Here are the steps in more detail:

• Start off with a nude or gold fitted strapless dress

• Go to Michael’s or any craft store and clear out their feather department!

• Tape down strips of tape (sticky side up) to large pieces or cardboard and spray (Rustoleum works the best)

• Let dry then peel off and store all together

• Start hot gluing at the bottom of the dress, overlapping and working your way up

• We were running low on feathers so I sprayed some tulle and tacked it in place to finish the bust

• For the shoulder epaulettes, I had some random bikini top linings in my drawer that we cut down to a smaller triangle shape and hot glued the more pointy style feathers to. To adhere them, use double stick tape (or I might recommend spirit gum)

• Our hair accessories are little decorative wire berry things I also had lying around that we painted gold and wrapped around our head and twisted to close

• For the eye makeup I used black eye liner & shadow, gold gel body paint, and gold leaf adhered by tapping on a small amount of eyelash glue over the makeup then placing on with a tweezers

I live by myself now, so that means I have to either do the Christmas decorating or have a boring, non-festive apartment for the Holidays. I chose to decorate! (Before Thanksgiving even, I was in such the Christmas spirit) Thanks to Pinterest I have many DIY decorating ideas saved and decided to try out this one in particular because I remembered that I had a box full of empty wine bottles I had been saving in hopes of doing something with one day! This idea was so easy, inexpensive, and I am very pleased with how my decorations turned out. Next year I am determined to buy my first real Christmas tree though!

How to DIY:

- Collect empty wine bottles or other glass bottles, preferably different shapes & heights (I used one Perrier bottle as well)

- Remove labels (I was lazy and did not so it took a lot more paint to cover them)

- Spray with white primer or a matte finish white spray paint // Let dry // Spray with adhesive glue

- Pour out Epsom salt on flat surface and roll bottles to coat

I picked out the least cheesy looking sparkly branch things and a bunch of berries from the craft store and arranged them in the bottles. I placed the bottles on a vintage mirrored cosmetics tray and put loose ornaments around them. A few years ago I was given a framed black & white print of an old photo of my dad on Santa’s lap for Christmas, and never really knew what to do with it. I thought what better way to display it than on a vintage hat box that I got from my Grandmaw, a cool martini glass I had, and some ornaments and jingle bells…. Totally random, I know. Oh, and I can’t forget my 2 little reindeer friends! I could not decide which style I liked better, the silver porcelain or the dark red velvet, and didn’t want one to felt left out, so I brought both of them home with me. I hope I have inspired you to make next year a DIY X-Mas.

Cheers!