DIY Thursday – Bag Lady

I admit this week’s DIY is not of my own inspiration.  It’s from the Upstyle store on Etsy, as seen on the Martha Stewart show.  If you’ve been following my blog for the past couple years, you know how much I adore Martha’s unique DIYs (like these lovely bauble rings!).  For the gal on a budget (like me, London is calling…) this is the perfect craft project that not only allows you to tap into your creative side, but you can make the perfect bag for any outfit.  And, if you’re feeling particularly crafty, you can make a few for your friends.

Tools and Materials

Decorative fabric for outside of clutch

Fabric for lining

Heavyweight fusible stabilizer

Fusible fleece

Rotary cutter

Grid ruler

Iron

Sewing machine

Coordinating machine-sewing thread

Transparent tape

Bond 527 Multi-Purpose Cement

Metal clutch frame hardware

Clutch How-To

1. Cut 13-by-13 1/2-inch pieces from outer fabric, lining fabric, and heavyweight fusible stabilizer. Cut a 10 1/2-by-13-inch piece of fusible fleece. With an iron, fuse heavyweight stabilizer to wrong side of outer fabric, then fuse fleece to center of stabilized side of fabric.

2. With right sides of outer and lining fabrics together, sew 1/2-inch seams along both longer 13 1/2-inch edges.

3. Turn sewn pieces so right sides are facing out, and press seams flat.

4. Fold in half, matching seams at top, with lining on inside. Sew a 1/4-inch seam on outside raw edges, then trim seam allowances to 1/8 inch and snip in at the corners. Turn again, so outside fabric is on the inside. Sew 1/4-inch seam along edges, creating a finished French seam, then turn right side out.

5. Fold corners down; mark and sew a 2-inch gusset on each. Trim corner to 1/8 inch. Turn again so lining faces out; sew a 1/4-inch seam along gussets to finish seams. Turn right side out one last time.

6. Apply a bead of fabric glue to metal frame. Center over top seam, carefully insert fabric in metal frame, and secure in place with tape. Allow glue to set for several hours.

7. Remove tape, tuck outside corners behind frame, and snap closed.

Complete recipe, including how to make a custom lapel, can be found here.

Feeling lazy?  You can skip a few skips by buying the clutch with fabric of your choice here.

Feeling crafty? See my other DIYs here.

Thank You Uncle Bedlam for this Little Gem.

via The Bedlam of Beefy

Friday Finds {let it snow}

Happy Friday to all, and to all a happy Friday.  Yes, I know that was super cheesy, but I am in a FANTASTIC mood because early tomorrow morning I will be on a flight to LA to spend the weekend with some more-than-amazing & ubertalented friends.

Even though the average temperature for this weekend in LA will be 77 degrees, I still wanted to visually share some of my favorite things about the winter months.

First off, coffee is my favorite thing in the world.  What better way to add a little seasonal spirit to your coffee {or hot chocolate} than by adding a teenie tiny gingerbread house?  I love love love this do-it-yourself from Not Martha.

Next, can someone please have a snowman themed party like this one from Shindig Parties {via Hostess with the Mostess}?

I love lighting candles at anytime of year, but who can resist a candle wearing a sweater?

Via Anthropologie

Of course, I love a good snowball fight. But, who doesn’t?

via

via

I won’t be seeing much snow in LA this weekend, but hopefully there will be a fresh layer of snow in Tahoe for a quick weekend trip when I get back to Northern California next week.  Have a great weekend everyone!

Playing Dress Up {Part 2}

A couple weeks ago, you may have seen my first (and only) experience on the runway.   Well, this past weekend, I got to play dress up again.

I was meeting with one of my clients for our weekly strategy meeting at her boutique in Danville, Ca.  She had just received a shipment of handmade fascinators from designer Tracy Holcomb.  Fascinators, which are tiny, fancy hats, are one of the hottest trends right now in London, and they are slowly making their mark over here in the US.

The owner and her staff were getting ready to take pictures for the their blog when she asked me if I would mind trying some of them on to give the full effect to their readers.  Of course, who would say no to playing dress up in these fun accessories?

Pretty fancy, huh?  I wish I had a party to wear one of these to this season!

DIY {Pretty Little Rings}

This week’s DIY is super easy to make, but it does involve a quick trip to Michael’s (or your local craft store).  I am absolutely in love with these make-it-yourself sequin bauble rings from Martha Stewart:

What you’ll need:

Wooden beads or foam balls, Strung sequins, Tacky white glue, and craft jewelry rings (or a plain band, if you have one).

3 easy steps:

1. Pull 1 or 2 sequins off the thread to create a lead end. Starting at the top of bead (or foam ball), secure lead end with a dab of glue.

2. Apply glue one section at a time, and adhere sequin strand, spiraling it tightly and applying pressure as you work. Cover the entire ball with sequins.

3. Apply glue to ring, secure sequin bauble, and let sit until completely dry.

photo credit

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Friday Find {Beauty in Everything}

Today is not a writing day.  I feel today is more of a feeling, loving, cherishing day.  A day to embrace the people and life that surround us.   For my blog, this means beautiful pictures to bring a little sunlight to your day.  For myself, it means spending the day with my family, away from the computer and e-mail, and remembering that our time together is precious and a blessing.  Today, tell those whom you love how much they mean to you, because as most of us have experienced, they can be taken from us all too quickly and unexpectedly.  Today, find beauty in everything.

Images via: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

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DIY {Lost Glove}

With winter quickly approaching, most of us are taking stock of our supplies.  I’m guessing you may have a lonely glove or two lying around.  If you do, I have the cutest little do-it-yourself for you!  This easy DIY is from Esty’s “How-to” section and it shows us how to easily make a cute softie out of a single glove.  Happy crafting!

For the instructions in more detail, visited the original post here.

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Friday Find {the world according to san francisco}

For all your San Franciscans (literally or just at heart), you are going to love this.  I saw this on my friend Ashely’s blog.  It is hilarious, so I just had to share it with you!  Happy Friday everyone, have a fantastic weekend!

Click here to see the full-size version of the image.

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DIY: Flower Hair Comb

Having worked in the wedding industry for the past 6 years, I’m always finding myself looking for inspiration in the most beautiful of blogs, those by wedding vendors, especially those featured by Wedding Chicks.  One of my favorite wedding photographers is Hilton Pittman Photography, not only because of their breathless images, but also their unique Do It Yourself tutorials!  Last week, they showed how to make a Fleurette Hair Topper.

Of course, when I tried to do it myself, it did not come out nearly as cute as theirs did, but hey, at least I tried.  Here’s how to make one yourself (maybe you’re better at amateur sewing than me):

You'll need: Fabric scraps, double-sided ribbon, a hair comb, a needle, thread, & scissors

Cut 5 strips of fabric (1″ wide, graduating lengths); Thread needle & tie a double knot in loose end of thread; Hand-stitch fabric strip lengthwise (at 1/2 inch intervals)

Hold fabric at one end and cinch, turning it into a circle; Stitch opposite ends together & tie a double knot to keep circle in tact; Repeat these steps with 3 more strips of fabric; Stack the 4 fabric circles (biggest circle on bottom to smallest circle on top).

51 Take the last remaining strip & tie it into a knot; Feed knot into fabric circles, so only the top of the knot shows when looking at the fleurette; Stitch (or hot glue) fleurette onto double sided ribbon; Attach double sided ribbon onto the comb (stitch or hot glue)

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The Great Apartment {Style} Hunt: Part 3

As you may have read in Part 1 and Part 2 of my style hunt, I am on the prowl for a new apartment in the greatest city in the world: San Francisco.  I recently took a job at a marketing firm in the San Francisco Bay Area- as director of social media marketing and public relations – 2 hours from my home in Sacramento, and therefore venturing into this new zip code, young and social (what better way is there to be?). While in limbo and living with my attorney cousin, I am putting together my dream-team of designs and inspiration for my new digs.

For my third choice in city apartment decor was inspired by another one of my favorite cities on the other side of the pond: Paris.

Romantic, colorful, and feminine, a Paris-inspired design fully embraces the lifestyle that is somewhere within every twenty-something girl.  Soft pastels and vintage accessories truly create an escape – a haven – for the young, single girl living on her own in the city.  Not to mention, a Paris theme would compliment my true loves: photography, travel, and writing.  Here are the pieces that have inspired this design:

1 & 2.

3 & 4

5, 6, 7, 8

9 & 10

11 & 12

13.

What is your dream home style?

To see the decor of my current apartment go here.

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