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!

When I was planning out my bedroom makeover in my head I knew I wanted to create some kind of art work for above my bed.  I knew I wanted it to be metallic and I wanted circles involved because of the whole “everything in my room is a rectangle” fiasco. It wasn’t very long after I thought about making something that I came across this picture on Pinterest:

I also saw a picture on Instagram that gave me the idea of using different sized circles so I headed out to Michael’s and grabbed my supplies. I purchased silver metallic paint, gold metallic paint, and a creamy white metallic paint.  I also purchased a 30×40 canvas, using a 40% off coupon. Oh and let’s not forget the foam circle stampers which came together in a package.

Now the next set of pictures were taken in my living room, at night, with my iPhone, so I apologize. There also aren’t many photos because I wasn’t really sure how it was all going to play out. I pretty much just winged it!

The first thing I did was grab some paper plates and poured out my paint. I mixed the pearl color with the silver because I wasn’t a fan of the silver on it’s own.  Then, starting with the largest foam sponge I randomly began dotting the top of the canvas (make sure you don’t overload the sponge with paint). I continued doing this with all the different colors. I just wiped the sponge on a paper towel in between color changes. I kept the large circles pretty close together, overlapping some as well.

Next, I moved on to the middle size sponge and did the same thing. This time I just spaced my circles out a little more because I was trying to create the illusion that they are starting to disappear into thin canvas air. Once I did enough of those I grabbed the smallest of the sponges and dotted those bad boys here and there.

And that right there is my gradient dot artwork! A friend of mine suggested adding some 3D elements to it which I am not opposed to just not sure what to do yet.  I also think I might want to paint the sides. I did hang it and all but that won’t stop me from taking it down and messing with it. I mean, am I ever really done with a project?

If large canvases scare you, you could always try this out on drawing paper and use erasers to create your circles or even a q-tip and simply frame it!