::i can do it myself::

While I love adventuring on the weekends and seeing new places, it doesn't leave much time at home for arts & crafts. It been a long while since I've done a DIY here (or anywhere for that matter). I'm pretty particular in the 'to make' pins I add to my board. I'm itching for some downtime to create these...

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::sticky art::

I bought my first package of decal paper. Just call that my weekend plans.

Whatever you're doing this weekend, have fun!

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::colorful ribbons::

Instantly on my to make list: these dyed ribbons from Ruffled blog. I'm always looking for fun new ways to package items whether it's for gift wrapping or my shop packaging. Or, you could just tie one in your hair. And of course the colors choices are endless.

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::it's the little things::

Who knew that little pieces of fabric could look so perfect. I love how Miss James decorated for her daughter's birthday. 

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::i will be making this::

I'm a big fan of twine, hemp, lace + string. I use it pretty often for all sorts of crafts + packaging. I found this string holder DIY on Lover of Vintage and it's such a simple and easy idea for an old metal hanger. It doesn't take up much space, and those metal hangers are so pesky in the closet. I can't wait to try this one out.

All images from the Lover of Vintage blog

::DIY // inspiration (clip)boards::

Since we're just renting until we find a home one day, it's difficult to decorate the place. I'm reluctant to purchased wall decor (like this) until I know it will work in our future space. So as an alternative, I've gone for a cheaper and less wall-damaging form of wall art. I found this image and did it myself.

I'm a huge fan of mixed-media and thought this would be a perfectly easy way to incorporate lots of things that inspire me. When I spotted four clipboards on the shelf at the thrift store this weekend, I was ready to start creating...

I went through my craft drawers and picked out things too pretty to be stored away. I tried to use things with different colors, textures and materials like metal, paper, cotton, leather, and plastic. After assembling each board, I hung them on a blank wall. I'm sure they'll change often as I find new things and cross of some of the projects that are up there. 

::tipping the scale // DIY::

A while back I picked up this vintage wooden scale. I figured it'd go in the shop, but I realllly liked it. I imagined it holding jewelry on a vanity or fruit + veggies in a kitchen-- tipping the scale each time something was added or removed. Anyway, I kept it, painted it a mustard yellow (not sure why everything's getting coated in yellow?) and roughed it up with sandpaper. Right now it holds handfuls of acorns I found on a recent hiking adventure (see below). These acorns are impressively large, or maybe they just run smaller in Florida.

Preface: J's new hobby is shooting and editing little videos of our adventures. We visited his brother about 3 hours away. That's Katie in the still frame below. I did some vintage hunting while the others jumped off some high platform with a blow up shark, we watched a college soccer game, hung out with his brother's pet pig and hiked in Shenandoah National Park (were I collected acorns). At the end, that's me surprised-- I spotted a deer about 6 feet from me eating. He looked up at me and kept eating, then scattered once he knew he was being filmed...camera shy.

 

::do it yourself // yellow utensils::

You may have seen this picture (or one like it) running around Pinterest. This was on the top of my "to make list" and I love how they turned out. Now, I'm on the lookout for a set of jars so they don't have to hide in a drawer.

I found this set at a local thrift store for like $5. The floral pattern on the handle sold me. All it takes is a set of silverware, spray paint, painter's tape + clear spray sealer. I chose a mustard yellow color that works well with everything I own. 

Prepping was the time consuming part. Wrapping each top with painter's tape is easy, but being a perfectionist, I wanted to make sure the tape lined up evenly on each side. Two coats of paint + sealer later, I unwrapped them like it was Christmas. 

On to the next project!

::the gift of food::

My friend, Cathy, pinned this amazing recipe the other day, which made the perfect birthday gift for J's mom. It was so easy + delicious (you can never go wrong with cheese).

::wet weekend::

After spending a day + a half indoors, it felt so nice to go to the beach today. Here's a little look at our time (J's sister + roommate had to evacuate their apartment and stayed with us) cooped up inside while Hurricane Irene soaked Virginia.

I organized my office, hung wall art and other decorations, we painted and got crafty, found neat decor tips from old books and when we finally lost power...lit every candle we had (and it looked so pretty).

p.s. I got my camera back...yay!

::project restyle // hold those scarves::

Let's wipe those cobwebs off the ReStyle posts and get down to business, shall we?

This one is a no brainer. I picked up the trellis for $4 at the hardware store (aka Lowe's). I kept the two posts on the bottom in case I found a neat way to display it. And now that I think about it, I could paint it, but I like the look of natural wood. For now, the pretty scarves hide the posts as it hangs on the wall. And, how about all the color it brings to a blank wall? I'll call it art.

::Project ReStyle // leafy earrings::

I took a break from packing to get a little crafty.

I've been using this floral wire as a decoration on my light fixture since my college dorm days. It's survived a few moves, but this time I decided to part with the little pieces. Instead of the trash, I found a quick way to turn the pretty glass leaves into earrings. It was so easy.

I removed the leaves from the wire using a jewelry tool, opened the ear wire and added the glass leaf. Close it up and voila!

::flowers in your hair::

My friend Walt had a musical gig at a local wine bar {their porch is lighted with candles and string lights under aged oak trees, and they serve lemon-mint infused water + "funkadelic" wines. You should go}.

Walt played his own tune based on a true story "Lost My Wallet Last Night" -- a classic. I decided to wear flowers in my hair. You may recognize this flower headband from my second Project ReStyle. Go ahead, make your own.

Thanks for the photos, jbo!

::Project ReStyle // collared halter top::

A while back I saw an amazing Free People blue striped, collared halter top, but didn't buy it because I told myself I could make it. Fast forward 2 years and I finally did it.

Supplies: collared shirt {thrifted $2}, fabric scissors, needle + thread

Simple steps from left to right:

• Start by cutting off the front portion of the sleeves, from the armpit to the collar. 
• Continue on the back cutting from the armpit straight across the back {I left a 3" section connected in the back to add a braided detail}.
• Snip the back piece.
• Cut three strips in the longer bottom portion.
• Braid the strips and make a few stitches to attach the braid to the top portion.

::restyle // window seating chart::

I'm a big fan of Ruffled, a wedding blog for vintage and creative brides. There are so many neat DIYs and it's so fun to see how clever couples get with their photo shoots, rehearsal dinner parties and wedding festivities. It's been a great resource for ideas for my brother's wedding.

Lucky for me, the bride's father had this random window in his garage. I snatched it up, gave it a good scrub and it was ready for it's debut.

The 6-paneled window was perfect because the rehearsal dinner was 6 table settings. I used purple, white and silver paint pens and went to work on the seating chart. The dinner was setup buffet-style on the dining room table across from the fireplace-- the perfect location to get your plate, see where you're sitting and enjoy the night.

And boy, did we enjoy celebrating. Cheers to Brendan & Heather!

P.S. If you need one (two, three +) of these for your wedding, I'd be happy to customize windows for you. Email me and we can talk about your project! 

::Project ReStyle // fabric hair clip::

I'm a big fan of hair decorations-- flowers, headbands, clips, barrettes, hats, scarfs...

Here's a super easy DIY for Project ReStyle.

Seriously, this project took me about 5 minutes and I love the result. I used fabric from a vintage tie I cut up a while ago {regretting it in hindsight, such a neat tie}. After cutting out a sized piece, spray the top and sides of the hair clip with adhesive-- oh, and do it outside because this stuff is sticky. Then, just apply the fabric on top and tuck in the edges around the bottom. If needed, you can use a glue stick for the bottom edges, too.

Clip it in and show it off.

::Project ReStyle // logbook::

For this ReStyle I decided to spruce up a boring logbook.

I've had this pretty, hardcover journal laying around for a while with hopes to use it as a sketchbook. It's the same size as my skydiving logbook, so...

First, I started by removing the journal pages with an X-acto knife. I wanted to make sure to keep the cranberry-colored paper inside the front and back cover.

I ran a piece of ribbon through the logbook spiral and tied it around the hardcover. I didn't trust just using the ribbon, so hot glue reinforced the hold to the binding.

...that's it!
You can check out all of my ReStyle projects here. And, in case you're new to Project ReStyle, you can join, too!

::Project ReStyle // bohemian love fort::

I wanted to do something different this year for J. Instead of fighting the crowds at fancy restaurants, I knew I wanted to do something at home. Thanks to Justina of Compai Design Studio, I found this awesome fort idea a couple weeks ago and couldn't wait to build my own. And, it was perfect for Project ReStyle because I didn't spend a dime {except for wine & dinner} and used everyday items from my house.

Materials: 1 sheet, 2 curtains, 1 sarong, 2 scarfs, 1 bamboo pole, 1 blanket, vintage table runner, jute twine, 3 hooks, 10 metal clips, end table, hanging ceramic candle holder, crocheted snowflakes hung with clothes pins, every pillow I own, candles, wine + glasses, strand of feather butterflies, candelabra, vintage ottoman w/ random decorations, and pretty Lasater flowers in a vintage milk jug from J.

The whole project was so much fun. I was worried that it'd be a complete disaster-- something catching fire as the whole fort collapsed. However, all emergencies were avoided and it was the perfect setting for dinner, wine and missed episodes of Modern Family and The Office via Hulu.

And then we fell asleep...in the fort.

::ReStyle // week 5::

Yes, another ReStyle involving a flower. This week I ReStyled an old {circa 2005} cardigan. I bought it because I love the color, but only ended up wearing it once. You may be asking yourself, "why do you still have it?" I asked the same thing.

1. I started with an old, knitted cardigan, scissors, buttons, needle & thread, safety pin and a fake flower.

2. It's hard to tell from the picture, but the cardigan had a row of iridescent, pink beads. I removed these for a more casual look-- snipping them off one at a time {it was tedious}.

3. And, I took off the pair of pink buttons, too.

4. I sewed on two mismatched brass buttons for a more original look.

5. Attached the flower with a simple safety pin so it's easy to remove for washing.

Finally, I
made
asked my friend, Danielle, to model the final product.

For those of you that don't know about Elise & Rachel's Project ReStyle, you can read all about it here and begin ReStyling yourself. There's also a Flickr group where people from all over the country are uploading their ReStyle pictures-- in case you need some inspiration.

And remember, the giveaway ends on Tuesday. Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

::ReStyle // week 4::

This week's ReStyle is a bit ridiculous. My girlfriends and I are participating in the Warrior Dash this weekend. Of course, we are dressing up in goofy outfits that Danielle titled "Bearded Ballerinas": fanny packs, tutus, black leggings, tank top and beards {luck for me, I didn't purchase a beard}. The tutus were super easy to make and more fun than buying them.

1. Get your materials ready: 3 yards of tulle, 1 yard of black elastic band, scissors and glass of wine (optional)

2. Begin cutting the tulle into 1"-2" wide strips, about 24" long. Tip: fold the tulle in half to save cutting time :)

3. Begin double knotting the tulle strips onto the elastic

4. Keep knotting until you've covered most of the elastic. You can close tie the ends together to secure onto your waist. Or, run through a sewing machine for a quick, strong closure.

5. Try your tutu on for size.

6. Take a peep at the mess you've made...and multiple glasses of wine it took you to create your masterpiece.

7. Lauren's dog wanted to try it on, too. So cute.

Gotta love girls nights.

In case you missed my other ReStyles: Project ReStyle Week 1 , Project ReStyle Week 2 , week 3? oops...