DIY Nature Pendant Necklace

November 20, 2012

SHARE THIS +

This post was originally published on my old site Four Flights Of Fancy in August of 2011.  It is one of the funnest and most sentimental DIY projects I’ve done, so thought I’d share it with you all.  I hope you like this new to here DIY!

It occurred to me after we were already driving home that we probably shouldn’t have taken a few of the acorns we found on our trail hike.  At the minimum we probably broke some sort of nature center law and/or etiquette about leaving nature exactly as we had found it.  Aside from rule breaking though, we probably caused a squirrel to have to work a little harder for his meal that day, which does make me a little sad.

When we get home Syd wanted to immediately glue his acorns to a piece of paper.  Never wanting to be the domineering arts and crafts task master, I let him create his master piece of glue, paint dots and acorns.  I set one perfect acorn aside though and vowed that the poor little squirrels extra hard work that day would not be in vain.  So I made a necklace.  And painted it gold.  Because really, you can put some glittery gold paint on just about anything and call it fashion right?  Just like you can put a bird on anything and call it art.  All kidding aside, it is a sweet little nougat of a reminder of our good day.

(note, the cute little top of your acorn may come off when you drill, which is fine.  Just add a spot of glue from your hot glue gun and it’ll be good as new).  Also, wanted to mention that to speed up drying, just hit it with a blow-dryer for a few minutes.

I wanted to be extra fancy so I bought myself some real expensive gold filled chain.  Nothing but the best for my cute little acorn 🙂  Seriously though, the chain was less than $9 on sale and I figure I can use it for all sorts of fun pendants in the future.  But if you want there are plenty of cute chain options for as cheap as $1.50/ft.

Fun stuff huh?  Best part is this little gem took less than 20 minutes to make.  I love my little acorn nugget and Syd gets a kick out of it too.  I figure you can take lots of different things you’d find on a nature walk and turn it into a pendant.  A little shell, or even a pretty little twig painted gold and wrapped in filament wire would be so cool.

Happy Trails to you and yours!

LEAVE A COMMENT / 6 COMMENTS

The Best Skinny Jeans For Real Women

November 19, 2012

SHARE THIS +

I’m currently about 20 pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight, which at 12 weeks postpartum I’m okay with.  What I’m not okay with however, is a) not having any button-up pants that fit, specifically jeans; and b) spending a fortune on a pair of jeans that fit me now, but will, fingers-crossed, not fit me in a year when I’m back to my pre-pregnancy weight.  So I set out in search of some reasonably priced skinny jeans that I could wear during this postpartum period.  I chose skinny jeans because they go with everything, especially boots, and now with Fall hitting, boot wearing is essential.  I gave a shout out to my friends on the FTLO Facebook page and asked for their recommendations for a reasonably priced pair of skinny jeans and the answers were so varied it was dizzying.  So I decided to take on the challenge, and try on as many pairs as I had time for, and find the best pair of postpartum jeans around.  Let me also say that while these challenges are not limited to just the postpartum time frame.  I think I can safely say that a lot of women, weather they just had a baby 5 months ago or 5 years ago, can relate to the need to find a good fitting pair of skinny jeans for a real women’s body with curves and bumps.

I developed a 5 star rating system, and simply gave 1 star for each category that the jeans met.  The 5 categories were:

Fit – overall fit of the jean.  This is crucial for a pair of skinny jeans on a postpartum figure.  For starters, most of us carry our weight in our mid-section and our hips when we get pregnant, and that’s where we tend to hold onto it.  Once the usual swelling goes down, our calves and ankles go back to normal, but the thighs and mid-section require a bit more work and time.  Therefore in a skinny jean, we need a pair that will be forgiving at the waist and hip, but still fit like a skinny jean where it is most important; the calf and ankle.

Comfort – Of course this is a high priority.  We don’t want to feel like we’re being squeezed in like a sausage.  The jeans need to have a somewhat stretchy waistband (some jeans pinch in while some waistbands feel like they have some give to them).  We also need some give in the actual denim, and most importantly the jeans need to pass the sit test.  Sit down in them.  DO you feel like you’re being pinched in all the wrong places and you can’t breathe?  If so, that’s not the pair for you.

Styling – After comfort and fit, this is most important to me.  I look at the color of the wash, the distress marks, if any, the hem length, the fit on the ankle and the inseam, the color and width of the stitching.  And for goodness sake, you’ve gotta be mindful of any designs on the pockets.  Nothing over the top, no sparkles or sequins, not swirly weird designs for me.

Value – I’ll drop $125 on a good pair of designer jeans, but no way am I willing to spend that for a pair of postpartum jeans that will only fit me for a limited time.  I was looking for jeans under $50 (The Gap pair made it in here even though they are $69 at regular price, for the sole reason that the Gap has a sale about every other week and you should be able to snatch up a pair on sale).

Flattering – In other words, how do these jeans make my butt look?  Because that is always the most important thing about a pair of jeans, right?  🙂  Pocket placement and size of pocket is key!  The pocket can’t sit too low on the butt or it makes you look like you have a slouchy butt, and if they’re too high and it flattens you out.  I find that for my rear, the pockets need to fall right at the top of the crease of my rear.  The stretch and give of the denim is also important here.  If the denim is too stretch, I find it makes my hips look bigger.

So let’s get started shall we?

I started out at Ann Taylor Loft and tried on the Modern Skinny and the Curvy Skinny.  At $69.50 these were one of the more expensive pair I tried on, but since the Loft tends to have lots of 40% off sales, I included them in here.  I did not like either of these jeans at all and only gave them 2/5 stars for Comfort and Value because when purchased at 40% off, you can grab a pair for about $40.  The denim was too stretchy so I felt it make my hips look really wide, and the fit at the calf was way too loose.  I also didn’t like how short and loose they were at the ankle.  I tried on the Curvy to see if it would fit my hips better and instead the overall fit of the leg just got bigger, as you can see in the bottom right photo.  Overall these were not flattering to my body at all.

Next I went to the Gap and tried on their Deconstructed Always Skinny jean.  I really liked these jeans a lot and loved the styling and pocket placement of these, although I wasn’t in love with the design on the pocket.  They fit nice and slim throughout the whole leg and were tight at the ankle, but not too tight that I couldn’t roll them up for a cute peg legged look.  The length was nice and long too.  They passed the sit test and felt like they were just slightly confining at the waist, but maybe 2 more pounds would release that feeling 😉  The only reason I gave them a 4/5 was for value, being that they were $79.95.  If snagged during one of their 30% off sales, it would have brought them down to about $55, but still over my $50 threshold.

Next I tried the Gap Always Skinny Mid Rise, which have the same fit as the Always Skinny, but come just a little higher at the waist.  I loved the fit and comfort factor of these jeans, but I knocked them down for the coloring.  I’m just not into the dark denim right now and this is the only option in this fit.  They were also slightly looser at the ankle and calf, which was a bummer.

Lots of rave reviews came in for the Target skinny jeans, but for me I just didn’t love them.  Massimo offers several fits in their denim so I tried on Fit 3 and Fit 4, pictured here.  Fit 4 comes in a little higher at the waistline and is curvier through the leg.  These actually did fit great, but I knocked them down in the overall styling and flattering department.  I didn’t love the pockets or the bright yellow stitching trailing all the way down on the very dark denim.

Fit 3 still has a mid waist rise, but has a straighter fit through the leg and hip, which I liked more than Fit 4.  I also liked the wash of this style more, but I thought the pockets were sort of strange and the stitching details around the pocket.  The waist also pinched a bit, so overall I gave this jean a 3/5 stars.  Not a bad option, but not perfect either.

The Zara Dark Wash Skinny jeans were pretty near perfect.  I loved the super stretchy fabric, which was also very soft and comfortable.  The waistband had just the right amount of give so they didn’t squeeze in my muffin top, and the fit through the leg was great.  The $49 price tag was pretty great too.  They could have been a little longer but not a huge factor, as they were long enough.  My only complaint about these jeans were the strange pocket and wide hem at the bottom.  Looking at their website, it appears they have the same jean with different pockets and hems, but I wasn’t able to find them in the store, which can be a little crazy at times.  I asked a salesperson for help finding skinny jeans and a dude just pointed me in a general direction.  I’m pretty good at finding stuff on my own when shopping retail, but when it comes to a store’s huge selection of jeans, some help and guidance would have been nice.

So which jeans did I choose?  Did I ever find the perfect pair?  Well yes I did!  And at the place I least expected it, Kohl’s!

A reader recommended the Lauren Conrad skinny jeans, referred to as the Kate and I have to say I was a bit skeptical.  What would a reality show star in her 20’s know about designing denim jeans for a real women’s body?  But I have to say I was completely and pleasantly surprised.  Not only did these jeans look great, with a nice distressed wash and very subtle rips, but they fit fantastic, and the quality seems fairly decent!  I did have to size up to a 10 to accommodate my muffin top, but the difference between the 8 and 10 did not change the fit in the leg, which was important.  I love the fit through the leg and ankle, and the length is perfect.  I currently have these cuffed twice and they look so cute with my loafers, the perfect ankle skimming length.  And can I just say, I like the way my butt looks in them too.  The best part of all though?  They have them on sale pretty much 100% of the time for $31.99, and with a $10 coupon I got in the mail, I paid $21.99 for these jeans!  So not only did they fit and look as good as the Gap pair, but they were also a fraction of the cost.  I am a sold believer.

So what did we learn from this all?  Well first off, I know my experience will not be the same for everyone.  You may end up hating the LC jeans and love the Target ones, but if anything I hope this gives you some ideas of where to start, and things to consider besides just cost and fit.  Second, don’t feel like you need to put off buying yourself something until you lose the weight or get to the place you want to be.  No one should have to wear pants that don’t fit, and as you can see, there are affordable, cute options out there.  You just have to be patient and persistent in finding a pair you feel good in.  Don’t settle!

Lots of friends recommended going to TJ Maxx or Marshalls for a better pair of designer jeans, and I thought about doing so.  But first, I didn’t ever have the time to stop and sort through all the racks.  And second, I figured the selection at each store is so varied that I thought I’d focus on brands and styles that can be found across the country and online.

So what do you think?  Have you tried any of these jeans and what were your results?  Do you think I made the right choice?  I would love to hear any of your feedback on finding good skinny jeans and share any advice you’d have for a different body type than mine.


LEAVE A COMMENT / 40 COMMENTS

DIY Ombre Tote Bags

November 18, 2012

SHARE THIS +

This tutorial was originally published in January 2012 on my old blog, Four Flights Of Fancy.  All this week I will be adding my most popular DIY’s from Four Flights onto For the Love Of.  I hope you like the new to this space content!

I’ve had some plain canvas totes taking up space in my craft bin for awhile now.  I bought a few of the 3 packs the last time they were on sale at Joann’s and just hadn’t had much inspiration for doing something with them until this past week.  With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I thought some heart totes would be the perfect little gift to have on hand for friends and cousins or even the kid’s teachers, so I made these in about an hour using the trusty freezer paper method, and instead of cutting out hearts by hand with my xacto knife, I put my heart punch to good use.

Here’s what you’ll need to do:

Step #1, gather your supplies which are: a roll of freezer paper (found at the grocery store), a plain canvas tote, a large heart hole punch, fabric paint (I always use Tulip because really that’s all Joann’s and Michaels carry), and some paint brushes or sponges.  You’ll also need a pair of scissors of course and a hot iron.

Step #2, cut strips of freezer paper.  For these tote bags I cut 4 strips of paper approximately 3″ wide, but you can really just eyeball it according to the punch.  I am terrible at measuring, and it drives Art insane, who believes in the motto “measure twice, cut once.”  Malarkey, the eyeball it way of measuring hasn’t failed me yet!

Step #3, punch out your hearts, but don’t punch your loved ones heart.  Haha, I’m so funny at 11:30 at night.  4 across fit just perfectly.

Step #4, iron on your strips of freezer paper with a hot iron, making sure to really dig in and get all the little cracks which tend to not want to stick down without some elbow grease.

Step #5 involves a little mixology.  Since Tulip only makes one very basic shade of pink and red, I had to play around a little bit and mix my colors.  But it was fun.  I left one color the true original pink, then I added white to red to get the deepest color, added white to pink to get the 2nd to the lightest shade of pink, and then added pink to white to get the lightest shade.  You can play around with it and just have fun until you find the shades you want to create that ombre effect, there’s no rules here.  Rules are for sissies.  Be fearless.

Step #6 leads you to painting away.  I like these dot sponges best because it really seeps all the paint into the cracks of the canvas, but use whatever you’ve got on hand.

Step #7 well there really is no step number 7, I just needed another picture to complete the pretty foursome 🙂 just keep painting.

Step #8 let your paint dry for at least an hour and then carefully pull off the freezer paper.  You can set with a hot iron if you wish, but if you’re lazy like me no worries.  And you’re done!

After creating a couple of the heart totes I thought a more sophisticated striped ombre bag would be fun too, so I just grabbed some painters tape and marked out my bag into quarters.

Paint, let dry and then peel off the tape.  You’ve now got yourself a cute grocery tote.  Don’t you feel so proud?  Saving the environment and being chic all at once.  Well done!

My little girl is smitten with her bag.  I hope yours will be too.

LEAVE A COMMENT / 30 COMMENTS

Thanksgiving Table Setting With A Neon Twist

November 17, 2012

SHARE THIS +

I have a confession, I’m not hosting Thanksgiving this year, yet I still wanted to play around with putting together a table setting, because I’m strange that way.  Right after Halloween, these pretty fantasy pumpkins were marked down to $1, so I scooped up a few knowing that I could use them around the house as simple Thanksgiving Day decor, and as a Thanksgiving centerpiece seemed like the perfect place.  You all know my love for neon runs deep, so I thought I’d play around with adding little touches of it for Thanksgiving, nothing too overboard, just a bit here and there. 

I loved the idea of using other garden items I already had at home instead of spending money on fresh flowers (especially since this was just an experimental table setting), so I transplanted some succulents we have in big pots outside into smaller terracotta pots.

I added some paint to the terracotta pots and pumpkin stems to give them a little pop of color, and layered in lots of candles.

I experimented with painting a white pumpkin, but really they are so pretty all their own I decided to just paint the one and let the rest stay as is.  I added little bits of moss to succulents planted in votive holders as well.

I’m still in love with the table we got for a fabulous price at World Market, so I didn’t want to fuss it up with placemats and chargers.  Just simple white herringbone napkins.  By the way, I know my place settings are completely wrong, forgive me.  I threw this together in 20 minutes while baby napped, proof that a pretty table can be pulled together in a pinch.

The paints I used were the Martha Stewart Multi-Surface Acrylic Craft Paints in Putty, Sycamore Bark, Granny Smith and Neon Orange.  Her paints are the best on the market without a doubt.  Complete thick coverage in 1-2 coats.

I know this table setting isn’t for everyone, but I love how perfectly it represents me and the things I love so much; succulents, pretty pumpkins and bits of neon.  I also love that the pots of succulents can easily be added to the decor in the rest of our house, to use long after Thanksgiving has come and gone.  Pretty soon I think every room in our house will have a succulent in it, and that’s just fine by me.  Have a great weekend everyone.

To see how deep my obsession with Neon runs, please visit here.


LEAVE A COMMENT / 3 COMMENTS

DIY Seed Bead Necklace

November 15, 2012

SHARE THIS +

This DIY project went through a few transformations before I finally settled on this particular design, and I have to say I love the way it came out.  My original intent was for it to just be a plain clustered necklace that was much shorter in length, lying closer to my collarbone.  But the more I worked with it, the more it just felt a little too mature.  I tried braiding it, and while it looked cool, it also looked too young, almost bordering on tweenish.  Finally this morning, it came to me to attach it to an existing old necklace I had on hand that was missing its pendant, and leave it as a simple long draped necklace.  So while this necklace really only took about 4-6 hours to make, it took over 4 weeks for me to finally settle on a design I loved.

For this project you’ll need the following, as well as a steady hand and just a bit of patience.  Stringing seed beads is tedious, yet strangely very therapeutic work.  I string a little at a time, usually in front of the TV at night and stop when my fingers get tired.

  Start by double knotting the filament wire around the jump ring like so{*Please see updated post on how to properly tie off strung seed beads using crimp beads}

And then you just start threading your beads.  There are tools that work like channels that help you string your beads more quickly, but I just do it the old-fashioned way.

A little trick I have is to pour out some beads on a flat surface, and then lightly moisten my finger tip with my tongue so the beads can easily stick to my finger, and then pick them up one by one, maneuvering the filament wire to easily pick up each bead.  Sounds weird and kinda gross, but it’s an effective technique.

Once you complete a row of beads, double knot the end so they don’t slip off, and make another row.

My necklace has 12 rows of seed beads, but you can add as little or as much as you’d like.

Once you’ve completed your rows, a little trick I have is to very carefully burn the edges of the filament wire so the messy little stragglers sort of melt into each other, giving it a cleaner finished look, as well as better securing the ends so they don’t come untied, which has happened to me before.  It’s heartbreaking when a row of beads comes falling to the ground.

Attach the completed rows of beads to another jump ring at the other end, and singe those ends as well.

Line your row of beads up to your chain necklace and figure out where you want to attach the beads.  The chain was already the perfect length, so I went ahead and figured I’d attach the beads 6″ down from the opening on each side.

 Open up your jump rings very carefully and attach to each side of the chain

 Close the jump rings with your pliers

 And you’re done!

I love the way the chain adds a bit of texture and dimension to the beads.  Originally I was going to cut the chain and attach just the upper half of the chain to the beads, but attaching the beads directly on to the chain adds depth and eliminates another step!

A note about the ends.  They don’t look perfect I will admit.  There are tiny bits of the filament wire sticking out, but since it’s clear no one really notices at all.  If you’re really wanting a perfectly finished look, you could add some decorative little covers to each end, and are available at any jewelry supply store.  But really, no one will ever really notice if you don’t.

The total length of the necklace is 32″ and has 12 rows of seed beads that are approximately 20″ each.  The total time it took me to complete the project was roughly 4-5 hours, and the total cost was less than $10.  I used 5 different colors of beads, some of which I already had on hand and some I purchased.  Any beginning crafter could easily complete this DIY in a weekend with just a bit of patience 🙂  Also, a note about the chain.  If you don’t have one already on hand, you can of course buy chain at a craft store, but the least expensive solution is to pick one up at Forever 21 in their $1.50 section.  This is where I got my chain from; it originally had a cute fishie attached, but fell off after a few weeks.  What do you expect for $1.50 I guess?  Anyhow, the chain is still in perfect condition though, so I’m glad I saved it and found a way to repurpose it!

I hope you enjoyed this one, and please let me know if you try it!  To see a couple of recent jewelry DIY’s, you can see my friendship bracelet tutorial here and my threaded rhinestone bangle tutorial here.


LEAVE A COMMENT / 138 COMMENTS

Daily Style – Layered Up

November 14, 2012

SHARE THIS +

Jacket – Nordstrom; Chambray Shirt – J. Crew; Layering shirt & tank – James Perse; Pants – James Perse; Smoking flats – Boden; Scarf – Anthropologie

Tis the season for layering, especially in Southern California.  Cold mornings lead into warm afternoons, and lead back into colder evenings.  This outfit carried me through it all, starting with Sunday morning service, Syd’s baseball game, and then an evening out to dinner and a movie with Art (we saw Skyfall).

So let me say that I know J. Crew is all insanely in love with layers, but in all honesty, I don’t love layers.  If not done correctly, it’s confining, adds weight and overall just not functional as a mom especially, let alone as a girl working in an office trying to sit at a desk to type.  But with this outfit I found a way to layer that is not only comfortable, but functional for a nursing mother.

Here’s what worked about this outfit: I started out with 2 very lightweight undershirts; one long tank and a long sleeve shirt that are both almost tissue weight.  They are both super stretchy so I can easily lift them up for nursing.  I then added the very lightweight chambray shirt that is more fitted in the arms so it doesn’t feel restricting in the arm, and I kept it unbuttoned so I had easy access to nursing Hayden.  The leather jacket is the key layering piece and it has the advantage of being a little roomier in the arm as well, so the 3 layers together work.
The other thing I wanted to talk about in this post is how to get your best style shots in, when you’re a busy lady (and/or mom).  I try to plan ahead, so that means I try to take most of my shots on the weekend when Art is home and there’s plenty of daylight.  Now that it’s Fall, if I wait for him to get home we’d be shooting in the dark, so weekend is best.  I always get dressed up for church, so I know I can get at least one week’s worth of outfit photos in, and if I get dressed Saturday too, well then bonus 2nd day post as well!

So now that I’m dressed up, and I have a willing photographer and good daylight, I try to find a good setting.  I often take my camera with me at all times on the weekend, wherever we go, so I can get shots of the kids and if the opportunity presents itself, outfit shots.  I keep my eyes peeled when driving around for interesting backdrops.  Because we live in a pretty suburban area, we don’t have a lot of cool architecture or backdrops to use, so I have to often times settle for ivy covered walls or the shopping center, or often my backyard.  But the key is to change it up so there is a variety and it gets you comfortable with standing in different poses, with different light, different people staring at you wondering what you’re doing!  If you’re having to take pictures in your home, try to take them in the best light, and try to clean up the background a bit so readers focus on your outfit and not the pile of laundry in the back.

To get comfortable posing, try having a prop of some sort, or even just your handbag or a scarf to play with.  Something to hold onto because it’s often your hands that end up doing weird things if you’re not feeling comfortable.  Play with your hair or sunglasses and try to loosen up and move a bit in your shots instead of just standing tall and straight.  And lastly, I find a smile goes a long way.  I’ve never understood the style bloggers that don’t smile in their outfit posts.  What’s there to be all pouty about?  You’re wearing a cute outfit and you feel good, so smile!  And those are my tips for taking decent style photos.  Anymore tips to share?  Leave them in the comments please!  I’d love to hear!


LEAVE A COMMENT / 8 COMMENTS

Hayden’s Neon Inspired Nursery

November 13, 2012

SHARE THIS +

We finally finished Hayden’s nursery over the weekend, just shy of him turning 11 weeks old.  It had been complete for the most part, but I was going back and forth about placement of some artwork.  I’m still not sure I love the placement of the pieces above the bed, but for now I can call it done, and can always change it later.  Hayden’s room was our old office, and I’ll share pictures next week of how we transformed the office into his nursery, because it involved about 4 weeks of construction, including tunneling through an existing wall to make a hallway, and closing off one point of entry to make another point of entry.  It was a lot of work for not a lot of sexy; meaning we went through 4 weeks of construction and all we did was change the point of entry of the room, but a change that was much needed and will improve resell value down the road.

Anyhow, Hayden’s room ended up being the largest of the kid’s room, measuring about 8’x11′, and lots of long wall space that I struggled with.  I wanted to keep the walls feeling light and airy, so I was mindful of trying to not hang too much crap on them, something I tend to do.  Some corners feel a little busy, but also busy cheerful.  I love rooms with lots of blank space, that whole minimalist look, but when it comes down to it I guess we’re just not minimalist people.  This is the first room I’ve ever gone with all white walls, and I can finally see the appeal.  The room gets great light, and with the white walls and all white furniture, it is the brightest and airiest room of the house.  We all congregate here and love spending time in here.  And if you recall, I originally wanted it to be all white with pops of neutral beige and neon, but finding all neon was a bit difficult, so when I didn’t find neon pieces I liked, I went with bright colors that read like neon.  Overall, the bright pops of color really are what make the room so cheerful.

It’s definitely become one of the favorite rooms in the house, and we love how light and bright it came out. I’ve never painted a room all white because I was always afraid it would come across as too cold and barren, but now I get why designers go goo-goo ga-ga over all-white rooms. So without further adieu, here you go. Enjoy!  And you can see the source for most of the items at the bottom of the post.

The crib is tucked away in a corner of the room and is adorned with the most colorful felt garland I could find, from The Land Of Nod.  The quilt is probably the thing I love the most though in the whole room.  It was designed by Miranda from One Little Minute and handmade by Katie of Swim Bike Quilt.  It’s a work of art. The crib skirt and sheet are from Land of Nod as well.

In the corner opposite his crib, we have the dresser and changing table combo and the rocker, both from Ikea.  A separate changing table fit into the room, but it felt a bit crowded, and having it on top of the dresser is actually the perfect height for us since we’re tall.  I debated recovering our old glider but the cost to do far exceeded the cost of the Ikea Poang rocker.  It’s not as comfortable as a glider, but at about 1/8 the cost, it suits us just fine.

On the opposite of the room, right when you walk into it, is a twin bed and nightstand, also from Ikea.  Since we had the space, I knew I wanted a twin bed for the middle of the night when he was restless and I didn’t want to run back and forth.  It also comes in handy when my mom spends the night.  We’ve already used it quite a bit, and it’s the perfect spot to swaddle him at night.  The bedding is all from Ikea as well.  The lighting fixture is from Land Of Nod.

I wanted a wooden mobile that didn’t light up or have music, more of a decorative piece than one that gives a light show.  I found this one on Amazon.

The garland is from Land of Nod and comes in a few other colors, as well as in triangles, which hang above his changing table.  Someone with a lot of patience could probably DIY this, but at $8 a strand, it’s a great affordable decorative element and is really well made.

The Between a Rock lamp from Land of Nod is the cutest piece in the room.  I love the shape and the sleek shade.  Colorful books from Penguin, a cute bunny bank and some DIY artwork sit atop the Ikea nightstand.

My sister found this girl on Etsy that makes these amazing linen pillows and had to have a few for his room.  I love the graphics and bright colors.  The little owl is Jellyfish and was a gift from my friend Rachel.

My favorite pillow in the room, from the Etsy shop Paleolochic.  Linen front with neon graphic and cotton backing.

The poof is probably the funnest and most versatile piece in the nursery, and is from Joss & Main.  I use it as a foot rest when I’m nursing, and the kids use it as a place to sit, or as a toy to roll around the house and roll around on.

I needed a spot to place a glass of water, a bottle, some books, etc, but I wanted a different element other than white, so I found this tree stump from West Elm and patiently waited till it went on sale.  The dot pillow covers are from Ikea.

I’m still not 100% sure I love the placement of the artwork, but for now it’s good enough.  I am really bad at artwork placement actually, so if any friends out there have some suggestions for a different arrangement, I’m all ears!  The piece above the bed is from Petit Collage and was a gift from my friend Jules.  My sister gave us the Hayden print, and the hedgehog is from Lisa Congdon.

You all remember the DIY project I posted a while back right? If you need a refresher visit here

Eventually I’d like to find a spot to fit a bookcase into the room, but for now we hung a couple of shelves from Ikea to hold books and fun tchotchkes. The bull book ends are from Target and the neon polka dot pot is a DIY I posted here

A gift from my friend Anne, this is definitely Art’s favorite piece in the room.  Via Etsy.

 Source List:
Hemnes Bed, Dresser & Nighstand from Ikea
Alina Bed Spread from Ikea
Ekby Wall Shelves from Ikea
Poang Rocking Chair from Ikea
Between a Rock Geometric Lamp c/o Land Of Nod
Hanging Around Lamp from Land Of Nod (both lamp shades in Khaki)
Garland in Circles and Triangles from Land Of Nod
Crib Bedding c/o Land Of Nod
Neon bed & crib pillows from Paleolochic on Etsy
Natural Stump Side Table from West Elm
Handmade Custom Quilt by Katie of Swim Bike Quilt
Mobile by Sevi
May The Force Be With You & Hayden’s birth stats prints were gifts from Etsy and I have asked my friend and sister for the source so I can credit here.


LEAVE A COMMENT / 21 COMMENTS

Daily Style Week 11 – The Best Pants Dressed Up

November 12, 2012

SHARE THIS +

Pants – Club Monaco (last seen here); Lace Top – Forever 21; Blazer – Zara (last seen here); Booties – Stuart Weitzman; Clutch – American Apparel; Heart Pin – Ban.Do; Watch – Michael Kors; Bangles – Kate Spade

As I continue in this postpartum stage with my new post baby figure, these pants have been a dream to wear.  The elastic waistband is so comfortable, the lightweight silk is super soft, and the silhouette is so versatile, working with both flats and booties like you see here.  They are easy to dress up or dress down.

Mandy and I attended a Madewell shopping event last week and so I wanted to be comfortable but also a bit more dressed up for an evening out with girl friends.  Adding a blazer with my easy lace top was the perfect solution.  I felt dressed up but not over done.

If you want to give a pair of these silky printed pants a try this Fall, see this post for a few tips on how to pull these off without looking like you’re wearing pajamas. 


LEAVE A COMMENT / 2 COMMENTS

DIY Studded Blazer

November 8, 2012

SHARE THIS +

My hands are itching to make some jewelry, or sew something. Gosh I’d love to bust out my sewing machine soon. But the truth is I barely have any time to complete a project, and since my dining room table is my craft room, the thought of starting something and leaving it there to linger until I can finish it sounds horrible, I’m sticking to under an hour projects. Those are super easy DIY projects that are quick to finish, and also require very few tools, so less mess. A perfect example is this embellished studded blazer.
Studs continue as a huge trend for Fall 2012 and are embellishing everything from shoes to jeans to blazers.  I’ve had this blazer for over 2 years now, and the 3/4 ruched sleeves make it a little less classic and a little more trendy, so I figured it was the perfect piece to add the stud embellishment to.  Had it been a really nice, classic blazer that I would plan on wearing for years to come, I probably would not have added this treatment, but since it wasn’t, I figured why not?  All you’ll need are some pronged studs that can be found at most craft or jewelry supply stores, a pair of pliers or some other tool to help you push the prongs closed, and a blazer!  Follow the steps below and in less than an hour you’ll have yourself a studded lapel blazer! A few tips that you may find helpful…Use a blazer that is some sort of knit, as opposed to a heavy twill or wool.  This will allow you to easily push the prongs through the fabric.  This particular blazer is made of a ponte knit and was the perfect weight to easily apply the prongs.  Also, lay out your studs on your jacket first, before applying, to see what type of pattern you want.  Lastly, go for a simple, easy to replicate pattern.  I initially tried to apply them in a random fashion for a cool all-over look, but it ended up looking sloppy and it would have taken forever to finish.  Save your fingers and just apply a few.  I firmly believe less is more when it comes to studs anyhow!   Have fun and happy crafting!


LEAVE A COMMENT / 4 COMMENTS

She Went Red

November 8, 2012

SHARE THIS +

I think it’s pretty safe to say that for many woman, our hair defines us in a way.  Not in a devastating, life altering way, but in the way that it defines our “look”.  When we describe each other, or ourselves, one of the first characteristics we choose to use is the color of our hair.  Or the length, length is super important to some of us.

I still remember the first time I asked for a short hair cut.  I was in 4th grade and I asked for a severe straight angled bob, like the girl I saw in the magazine with the stick straight blonde hair.  My hair ended up looking nothing like the picture because my hair is brown, and thick and prone to waves instead of stick straight.  Now I love my hair and I appreciate it, but back then, when all I wanted to do was look like the cute blonde in the magazine, I didn’t.  I showed up at school the next day and David Good (who consequently still lives with his parents down the street from my parents ha!), called me Butch, and teased me for the rest of the year.

It bothered me for the day, but something didn’t budge within me, and instead of crying and vowing to grow my hair back out, I kept it short for years.  I was the girl with the short brown hair.  The longest I ever let my hair grow was to my shoulders.  I loved it and thought short hair was best for my face.  I experimented with highlights and different shades of chocolate brown tint, but for the most part my color has stayed pretty consistently dark brown, and short.  After Syd was born over 5 years ago, and falling in love with Courtney Cox’s long hair in that short lived show Dirt, I vowed to grow out my hair.  For once in my adult life I wanted long hair.  I wanted to feel sexy, and short hair had stopped feeling sexy to me.  From a just below my ear bob, to the length it is now, is how long it’s grown in the past 5 years.  Waiting can be a bitch I tell ya.

A few months ago I came discovered Taylor Tomasi Hill, the gorgeous and chic Vogue editor, and I developed a girl crush.  I showed her picture to my stylist and he said no way.  But I persisted and told him over and over that I wanted a change.  I wanted long hair, AND I wanted to be a red head!  As many of you I know can relate, after Hayden was born, the itch for change didn’t subside but only intensified.  When I went in a few weeks back for a cut and color, and he told he wasn’t going to have time to make me a red head in my 2 hour slot, I almost cried.  Sounds so silly, but you know when you’re filled with hormones and you have your heart set on something, derailments can leave you feeling more than slightly disappointed.  So before I left I booked an appointment to come back so he could turn me into a red head.

Five hours later, yes, five hours(!), yesterday I became a red head.  It’s not as bright as I had wanted, definitely not Taylor Tomasi Hill red, and it’s still reading auburn to me, but he promises it will lighten up, especially since about half of my hair was bleached out first, so those parts will especially brighten up after washing.  If it’s still not bright enough in a couple of weeks, I can go back for a lift.  This morning Art took a few pictures of me and seeing my face in my new head of hair is a bit startling.  It is not an exaggeration that it has completely changed the look of my skin color, and it’s tone.  I am going to need to reevaluate my makeup choices I think.  And I can tell I don’t yet feel quite comfortable in my new head just by the way I’m smiling.  A bit awkward still.  For the most part I love it and am happy for the change, but like with any big physical changes, it’s going to take some getting used to.  I’m not going to ask you all what you think because I’m not ready for the answers ha!  But I think I’ll end up really enjoying it for a bit.  I definitely plan to go back to my brunette hair eventually, probably come Spring, but for now it’s fun to have a change.  I think I’ll really like it up in a bun and pulled back into a braid.  So does your hair “define” you?  And do you change the color and style of it often, or do you stick with what works for you?  Oh, and I’d love any recommendations for a good shampoo to help keep the red.  I’ve heard from everyone that red is the fastest to fade and hardest to take care of.  Any tips would be appreciated!  And one last thing (sorry!), anyone have a good flesh tone or natural color lipstick that they recommend?  I bought MAC’s Ruby Woo last night (as pictured) and I love it, but can’t really be sporting the bright red matte lips for Kindergarten pick up.  I’d like something a bit more natural and good for everyday wear for red hair.  Thanks in advance!


LEAVE A COMMENT / 14 COMMENTS