Oh why hello! Yes, I have been MIA for quite awhile now.  I wish I had a good reason but the truth is sometimes I just run out of steam and in all honesty I really haven’t had any projects in the works.  Well I am here today to share a fun little change-up I made in my kitchen.  Remember these frames?

So, these suckers have been sporting those Fall leaves up until last week. I know, major fail. Would you believe me if I told you that I didn’t even notice until the other day? Well regardless, I finally changed them.  Since they reside in the kitchen and there are three of them I thought how cute would it be to have them say “EAT”. So I hit up the craft store and picked up some green colored scrap paper that not only tied in with the rest of the kitchen but that also gave the feeling of spring time!

To achieve this I simply printed out each letter from Print Shop.

Cut each letter out and then traced them on brown scrap paper. I used painter’s tape to hold the letters down.

Once they were traced I cut them out and then measured them so that they sat right smack in the middle of the 12×12 paper and used craft glue to hold it down.

Once I had them all done I just placed them into the frames and just hung them! They definitely brighten the space and I certainly can’t help but notice them!

Anyone else out there making some fun and colorful changes to their decor? I’m currently crushing on coral (say that 5 times fast!) and have some ideas for the living room. Now that the weather is slowly warming up I’m getting very excited to wipe out the spray paint! Bring on Spring!

I am so flippin’ excited for the winter edition of the Pinterest Challenge! Now there is a very good chance that you may have pinned this image or you have at least scrolled past it on Pinterest.

Well this image was my inspiration. I couldn’t help but think how cool it was and I totally wanted to tackle an elbow patch.  Being true to who I am I knew that needle felting was not the direction I wanted to go in but rather something with some more bling! I’ve seen some tops online that offer sequin elbow patches but they were well over $50 and that just wasn’t happening so true to form I decided I would DIY it.

I went to Joann’s to see if I could find a sequined fabric but they just didn’t have what I was looking for. I also looked online but I was worried that what I would order wouldn’t be what I expected. My idea was to head down to NYC and go to Mood…this was months ago. So when I saw the Pinterest Challenge post over at YHL I knew exactly what I wanted to tackle. The only problem was, I was just not looking forward to going into the city nor did I have time so I went back to Joann’s and thought I would try something else, sequined ribbon.  I had no idea if it was going to work so I was just hoping for the best but to save you from the gut wrenching nervous feeling of not knowing I’ll let you in on a secret: it totally worked!

Keep reading to find out how to:

What you’ll need is 1 yard a sequined ribbon, any extra fabric you have laying around, fabric adhesive, (that’s right, no sew!) fray check and scrap paper. I happened to have a sweater that has elbow patches so I used that as my guide but you could easily trace your hand and use that as your guide.  

Using the shape, I traced it out onto some leftover fabric I had, creating two elbow patches.

Now to apply the ribbon to the patches I used Tear Mender which is a fabric adhesive. The reason I chose to use Tear Mender was because it allows for flexibility and considering these are going on my elbows they need to be flexible. I purchased it at Joann’s.

To attach the ribbon I simply added a thin layer to one half of the patch as well as a thin layer to the ribbon and then pressed them together, waited a few minutes and then did the same thing for the other half.

Then I trimmed off the ribbon and added fray check all around the edges.

The best part was that even though there was ribbon on top of fabric the patch was still quite flexible!

To add them to my sweater I just marked the area where I wanted it to start and with the adhesive, applied a thin layer and laid it down! Be sure to add a small piece of cardboard inside the sleeve so that the glue doesn’t seep through.

I wore this all day on Monday and it really added that little bit of sparkle I was looking for!

If I head into the city soon I may still try it again with just a sequined fabric but for now this works just fine!

Linking up to:

YHL
Bower Power
Decor & the Dog
The Remodeled Life

Last week I went looking for my hot glue gun for something that needed a quick fix. I checked in my desk…I checked in the basket in my living room…I checked the top shelf of the closet…I checked in the bag under my desk…I ended up finding a ziplock bag with all my glue guns at the bottom of my pantry.  This was a major wake up call – I need proper storage! I literally have stuff everywhere and I don’t remember where I put anything so I end up searching for something as simple as mod podge for a decent amount of time.  I went looking online and found this great piece from Ikea that I knew would work perfectly. While I don’t exactly have the space for it, I would make it work because it was necessary.  So at 8:30pm I got in my car and drove 45 minutes and bought this bad boy.

The piece itself was $119 and I had a $75 Visa gift card so it came out to about $50 for me which is pretty much what had me sold on it. What didn’t have me sold was of course the fun times of putting the piece together.

It actually wasn’t all that bad until I got to that moment where I thought I put the one piece on backwards and realized I had to take the whole thing apart. You know you’ve witnessed this if you’ve ever put an Ikea piece together! Luckily, I was wrong and I just threw in the drawers and finally organized all my crafty goodness!

Did you see that, an empty drawer ha! A whole drawer with nothing but a clipboard to fill with more goodies! By the way, do you think I own enough hot glue guns? I feel so accomplished having everything in one spot now!  What storage solutions have you found work for you?

I’m back today to share some of my bathroom organization.  The truth is keeping the sink storage area organized can be quite a challenge especially since most products are all different sizes and some spaces can be really tight.  I have 3 designated areas for storage and I was doing a terrible job of utilizing them!

First things first: PURGE! I like to pretend I am moving and I am only allowed to keep the things I absolutely need. It’s so easy to think you’ll use that product or you might need that lotion one time but you don’t so toss it! I really needed to get better use of the storage so just like I did with the kitchen sink I took everything out and only kept what was necessary. 

What bugs me the most is that I cant make the under sink area look organized but at least I have only what I need and I put most used item up front. The suspended tension shelf is a great way to create more space in a small cabinet. I purchased mine at Bed Bath and Beyond.

In another cabinet I placed things like hair and body products that I do not use often but that I do use and also cosmetic bags. I thought about getting baskets but then I realized that all of these things are hidden by a door and rather than having to scrummage through a basket to find what I need I would rather just stand them. 

After all the purging it allowed me to completely free up the other storage area I had. Now I finally have a place for all my travel makeup that doesn’t fit in my travel case as well as my palettes! So excited about this!

Have you started getting rid of any unused items in your home?

Spring cleaning is right around the corner and I certainly can not wait to pack away all my winter clothes and crack the windows open! For now, I will stay cuddled under the blanket and wait for the snow on the ground to melt. This past weekend I decided to get my butt into gear and do some early purging! My victims were under my kitchen sink and kitchen junk drawer! My first goal was to tackle the kitchen sink cabinet and toss anything I wasn’t using and find a place for everything. It’s so easy to just throw things wherever there is room when you take something out but if you designate an actual spot for those items then it helps you keep things organized. I just started by taking everything out and sorting through what I had.

By the way, this thing on the right is a great tool to have under the sink because it allows for more space. Just make sure you use it right unlike me who was just tossing things in it!

I wiped it all down and placed everything in its right spot. I placed all kitchen and bath cleaning supplies in the top rack and the bottom rack holds items that I don’t use as frequently like oven cleaner, oxi clean, plant food.

It’s so nice when everything has a place! Speaking of which let’s move on to the next task at hand…the junk drawer! We all have them. Those drawers that just manage to get filled with things you probably haven’t needed ever like “oh yes, let’s save those chopsticks for when I learn to make my own sushi.” Who are kidding, you don’t make sushi!! Anyway, whenever I think about organizing I immediately think of the mecca of organization – The Container Store. They sell these amazing “everything organizers” which of course I got my hands on!

You can also find these on Amazon and they are awesome because they have a top drawer that slides and allows for even more storage. If you’re anything like me then your drawer looks a little something like this…

You know, chock full of goodness (crap), so much so that your crazy glue explodes?

I ended up throwing so much stuff out. I also found the right place for more than half of the stuff in there that when I started to put it all back I had so much extra space!

It makes me so happy to have these spaces cleaned out! Next up, making better use of my bathroom storage. That’s right, if you haven’t used that spray gel, you’re not going to so toss it! I’ll be back tomorrow to share what I did in there!

Today I’m blogging about something that is super important to me and I wanted to share it with all of you because A. you rock and B. why not?  Hair and makeup are a huge passion of mine. I can spend hours on end recreating makeup looks and different hair styles.  I am constantly trying out new products and always learning new ways to keep my hair as healthy as possible. I’m going to let you in on a little secret…I grow back gray!! UGH! I hate it! While it’s not 100%, it’s a good 70% grow back which means that every 3 weeks I need to color my hair. All those chemicals can really do some damage so it’s really important for me to take good care of my locks.  After doing some research I found the easiest and all natural way to help keep my hair not only strong but shiny and soft with coconut oil. I’ve had a lot of friends ask me what I do so I thought I would share it with all of you guys. Let’s start with the product I use which is an organic extra virgin coconut oil that I purchased on Amazon. The extra virgin oil is important to get because it’s not processed.

This stuff is crazy versatile. Not only is it great for cooking but also for hair and skin. Coconut oil can be absorbed better than any other oil out there and helps to strengthen the hair follicle which in turn helps to stimulate growth. You will literally notice a difference in the feel of your hair the first time you try it. So let’s get started! Here are the steps I take, I try to do this at least once a week. Hope you enjoy my mug!

First, I part my hair down the center and clip each side.

Working with one side at a time I take a 1″piece and rub the oil into it starting from the scalp all the way down to the ends.

I continue to repeat this (1/2 tbsp. of oil to 1″ piece) until all of my hair is covered.

If you have a shower cap I would suggest putting that on top of the towel to help hold in the heat.  Keep your hair wrapped for 30-40 minutes and then shampoo regularly.  I always do 2 shampoos to make sure it’s all out! You’ll feel the difference right away but make sure to keep up with it, it’s really a great thing to do for your hair!

Depending on the lighting my hair can look very red…clearly this is one of those times!

Happy Valentine’s Day!! A few weeks ago I posted a photo on my Instagram and Facebook asking you guys for your opinion on an update I was doing on my lampshades. I knew I wanted to add ribbon and once I had picked the ribbon I was going to use, I didn’t know whether I should do just the bottom, or top and bottom (The ribbon is being held on with painters tape.)

It didn’t take long for me to realize that you guys loved both the top and bottom. I have to say I am happy with the outcome (thanks!) I thought that the ribbon just on the bottom had a look of simplicity but after doing the top and bottom it seemed unfinished. This project will literally take you no time at all. All you will need is a lampshade, ribbon and hot glue. I decided to go with a white and gold Greek key print that I purchased at Joann’s.

I started adding the ribbon right underneath the top trim and where the shade overlaps. To hold the ribbon in place I simply added a dab of hot glue and pressed down.

Then I pulled the ribbon all the way around adding another small dab of hot glue about every 5 inches.

I continued this until I made my way all the way around and then added the last dab of glue to the end.

Next, I just flipped the shade and did the same thing on the bottom.

This took me no time at all and it really dresses up the lamps!

Think you’ll add some trim to your shades?

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Seeing that tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, I thought I would share some last minute V-Day internet goodness with all my lovely procrastinating friends! You can call this a one stop shop for all things Valentine!

If you’re looking for some ways to add some last minute decor to your home look no further! The Idea Room shared a super cute heart wreath using red felt.

How about a candy heart topiary as a centerpiece for your table? Bitterman’s Eye Candy shows you how to make one along with a candy vase!

A great craft that can be done at any age is this super cute idea from Little BGCG.

In need of some Valentine’s for the kiddies to hand out at school? Why not try some heart shaped crayons from Catch My Party?

This year my students will be getting the much obsessed over mustache which I hot glued to a sweet Valentine pencil! You can check out a similar craft I did last year!

Maybe you have a crazy lover of S’mores in your life like I do…I can guarantee they would love this treat from Fabulessly Frugal.

Speaking of treats let’s not forget dinner! Check out these super easy heart shaped potatoes over at The Shabby Creek Cottage.

And for dessert, how about Raspberries & Cream from A Pretty Life!

For a great last minute gift idea Hellolidy used a gold leaf pen to make these heart printed mugs.

Let’s not forget that we need to look good too! Here’s the top I’ll be sporting on this years V-Day that you can find at your local Target! It also comes in black with a white heart.

Last but not least you’ll need to complete your outfit with a sweet manicure! Her Style Trends has some chic ideas for Valentine’s day mani’s!

Anyone else wait until the last minute to get things done? Have any exciting plans for this Valentine’s day?

Hello All! So sorry I’ve been MIA. It hasn’t been for lack of interest but mainly just not getting home until late and having no time to get anything done! But with Nemo blowing through NY this weekend I had plenty of time to get some things done which I will be sharing this week. Today I am here to share my first try at gold leafing! It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. It certainly was messy but I knew that going in so I was prepared. The project all started when I purchased a frame and was looking for a print to put inside.  I went on Etsy thinking I would purchase something.  I came across a print of a wishbone and being the DIYer that I am I thought, “I can make that.” So I found an image on Google of a wishbone, printed it, traced it and then I used a gold marker to fill it in. That’s when my clever friend Emily asked, “why don’t you use gold leaf?” Gold leaf it was! I followed the same steps as before to trace the wishbone onto thick drawing paper. I purchased an adhesive pen and gold leaf sheets from Michaels.

I used the marker to trace the wishbone and then fill in the middle.

I waited about 10 minutes until the glue was tacky. Then I just took a sheet and laid it down on the print and pressed down with a brush where the glue was. If you look closely you can see the image in the sheet.

The next part is tricky! I slowly started tearing the parts of the sheet that I didn’t need and you’ll see from the next picture that it didn’t exactly stick perfectly.

To fill in the empty spaces I simply put down more glue and smaller pieces of gold leaf. I used my fingers a little more than the brush but the brush came in handy to get the clean lines on the edge.

After messing with it I was pretty pleased with the outcome. I do love the texture that the gold leaf creates!

If gold leafing isn’t your thing then you can use a gold marker like I had originally done.

It definitely doesn’t give you the same finish that gold leaf does but it’s an alternative.

Now that I’ve popped my gold leaf cherry I can’t help but want to gold leaf something else! Maybe another stab at the paper mache bowls? Wouldn’t an ampersand print in gold leaf be awesome too! Oh the possibilities!!

I love having the ability to change the look of something over and over again and continue to get good use out of it.  With that said, let’s revisit my handy tray which has seen it’s share of changes.  The last time we saw it, it was hanging out on the console all glitterized! (Yup, there I go again with that word)

So with the holidays gone it was time to change 1. the tray and 2. the console (Miss Kelly)! It was all so very simple. I happen to be perusing the dollar section at Target and found the cutest gift wrapping paper which I knew would be the perfect fit. I snipped it to fit the tray, inserted it, and it was done! For those wondering, the tray has a glass bottom that originally had frames to insert pictures.

I just threw it on the console along with my favorite new chevron urn and a few other accessories. This space really makes me smile when I come in!

Do you have a space that you love changing? A mantel, console, entrance? Do tell!