Girl, where have I been?

Two words for you: BEACH SPRAY

Also known as: "shake that sassy hair like a goddess" spray

Cause, wow, this spray makes you feel like one!

I tried a couple of hair recipes today: one for a detangler (http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Spray-Detangler) and one for a beach spray.  The detangler looked awesome!  But when I made it, it ended up so thick that I couldn't get it out of the spray bottle!

But, wow, did the beach spray do wonders!  And, best of all, it's just a concoction of products that already work on my hair!  I used my favorite products to mix it up in a little spray bottle.  Check it out!

Here are the products that I used!  

My favorite wax, hair spray, oil, and leave-in conditioner.

Want to make your own?  Follow these proportions using your favorite hair products!

Sparkly quotes for women

I wanted to share with y'all a few quotes specifically for women - and specifically for days when chocolate seems to be the answer to an unknown question.

All from Pinterest!

Stay beautiful!

Flowers + Buns = How did it become so chic?

Now I love flowers and I love all sorts of hairstyles, but traditionally, buns are associated with older ladies and granny chic flowers are, as well.  But combining them, we get a boho, festival-style, summer bun wrap.  How crazy is that?!  It looks so fresh and young!

I've seen these around - but ya know, my first thought when I'm looking at accessories is, how do I make that?  (If you're in the store and you see a woman looking at the stitching on an accessory or the way wire jewelry is put together, come say hello!  That is likely me!)

So, here's my take on the classy and snazzy bun wrap:  Some fold over elastic and some flowers!  It looks cute with a tuck (the first photo) or with a traditional bun (the second photo).

Are you ready for summer?

A project long in the making and a few spur of the moment projects

Howdy!

Is it obscenely hot outside where you are?  A heat "wave" seems absurdly appropriate - it seems like it washed over us Southerners in a blast of a night.  We fell asleep in fleece and woke up to a burning sun.

I've been thinking of one project for months now - not that it was particularly complicated; I just did not ever feel like working on it.  And today, I was excited to get it done!  Here's the story: three years ago, we bought two office chairs (we thought they were the same!).  One of them still looks like it is new while the other (more comfy) chair appears to have started molting.   Yes, molting.  The chair flakes off pieces of the black covering anytime someone sits in it.  The result?  We are all walking around like spotted cheetahs with these little specks attached to our legs!  But the thing is, this chair is so much more comfortable than the other one... despite the fact that they looked alike.  So, I have made a cute little cover for it!  You know, since we can't give it lotion for its rough skin.... we can at least dress it up some so it doesn't feel bad.

It's a super simple quilt-like pattern on one side, and a soft fleece on the other.  I made straps that attach two per parallel side - you just tie them on the diagonal under the chair!  (erm - you'll can probably tell, but I'm a math person) :)  Math lovers unite!

So, then, I thought: ooh, I have a sewing machine and some pretty fabric, so I'll whip up some headbands and an infinity scarf!

I have to tell you the secret to all of these infinity scarves!  I have a lot of old skirts that are in gorgeous patterns but don't fit anymore.  Do you?  Cut out the waist of those bad boys and turns the rest into an infinity scarf!  Perfect for spring!  I think I may have more scarves than anything else at this point, but they really are like lip glosses.... you can never have too many!  I love making them and I am thrilled to wear them!

Happy Friday, everyone!

I'll leave you with a quote:

"The only disability in life is a bad attitude"

-Scott Hamilton

Crafts that made me giggle

Hello, my friends!

Today I want to share with you a couple of crafts I've been working on throughout the week!  I refashioned jeans - a project that took me several days, and I made a bag - a project that took less than two hours.

First up, a pair of boring old bell bottoms with gigantic back pockets that act as magnifiers!

1. Turn them into skinny jeans - a great tutorial here! http://itsgreattobehome.net/2012/01/31/how-to-turn-your-jeans-into-skinny-jeans-works-for-maternity-jeans-too/

2. Take off the back pockets

3. Use a bleach pen to add polka dots all over!  Am I seeing spots yet?

4. Wash the bleach out and rock your new jeans!*

*As you rock your new jeans, try to remember that you are not the first to come up with the red stripes and blue stars combo!  Costume contest, anyone?

The other project I worked on still make me giggle nearly uncontrollably as I think about it!  It all started when my friend and I (we met in 7th grade, y'all!) were talking and somehow Harry Potter and book releases came up!  Ah, those were the days!  So I was reminiscing and thought, I wonder if I can make a cute (ahem: read: not TOO dorky) craft to do with HP.  And so I looked on Pinterest for ways to make Hermione's expandable bag.  Did y'all know the drawstring bag is actually a jewelry pouch?!  As in: it's a real life pattern that people have been using for years?!?  Ok, I suppose it isn't entirely unfathomable that the world does not revolve around Harry Potter, but still... I was a little bit blown away by the existence of this pattern.  I added some handles (cute bangle bracelets, actually), and a gigantic silk flower I had made earlier.  Voila!  The granny Hermione bag!

Great tutorial here: http://www.thimble.ca/?p=1435

Even as I'm writing this now, it's cracking me up!  It's just too cute in a ridiculous way!  :)  Sometimes (ie. ALWAYS) you need those things that make you happy for no reason :)  Like hot chocolate, and sunny days, and a pretty lipgloss, and a great puzzle, and a long dinner with good friends, and a funny little Hermione bag...

Hope your weekend is off to a marvelous start!  Make it mahvelous, dahling, just mahvelous!

What do you mean chocolate isn't an appropriate breakfast?

i.e. Crafty day and chocolate eating day! :) Do y'all like how Crafty Tuesday turned into Crafty Wednesday and then into Crafty Day?  Hey, girls, sometimes you just gotta go with the way creativity strikes (ahem - when, rather) and what your week happens to entail.

So, yesterday I was making hair clips and today I had so much fun sewing!

Let me show you my little craft haul!

So the first project I just have to share is this adorable mason jar!  Can't say who it's for, but it is filled with goodies.  Have you guys seen this idea?  You fill a mason jar with themed gifts, like a gift basket.  And then you decorate it so it is too stinking cute to look at!  It's like a gift basket but in miniature, so it works well for yummy treats, spa items, or tools, etc.  Not so well if you are looking to put together a movie basket, though!  ;)  It'd be a tough call to fit a DVD in one of those things, but then again, they've put model ships in teeny tiny bottles, so nothing is lost ;)

Fabric and glue - who would have thought? 

 I kind of love that they turned out a little crazy...(the hair clips, not the photos!)

A tote bag I made! Ah, the pattern!  I can't even stand how cute it is!

The front has a polka dotted slanted pocket in the front -

I used a thin, dark blue fold over elastic to edge the top of the pocket.

I got the idea from this guy: http://handmademommy.blogspot.com/2012/04/busy-bag-tutorial.html

And the pattern from here: http://www.diaryofaquilter.com/2012/07/easy-fat-quarter-bag-tutorial.html

I'm always wearing headbands to work out, but I have a hard time finding ones that absorb, look cute, and stay put!  I have totally seen thick ones made of sports fabric at the store, but... 8 dollars is just too much to pay for one headband!  So here is what I came up with!  The dark blue is super absorbent sports fabric, the turquoise is pretty thick fold over elastic (that stuff is amazing!).  And when I finished it up and it filled all its practical purposes, it just really needed a flower.  :)  You know how it is.

Hope you are having a good rest of Thursday - it is so nearly Friday!!!

As we used to say, TGIF!