Nautical Love

I absolutely love nautical themed items. From housewares, to clothing to accessories, nothing says summer like Nautical. It makes me feel calm and collected, like I'm at the beach. I've collected some beautiful nautical inspired things off of etsy, so if you like what you see, click on the links below and support handmade artisans!

One - A perfect necklace for summertime

Two - Such a great mix of vintage and pin up, with a sailor twist

Three - A perfect gift, it's a wine bag!

Four - I love the colors in this bracelet.. it's so soothing

Five - For the extra spicy pirate! Perfect for this summers blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean 

Six - What a great tote! Perfect for the beach or shopping

Seven - I love Infinity scarfs, and the red stripes are stylish all year long

Eight - I thought these were so whimsical! Beautiful starfish to add to your hair. Makes you look like a mermaid!

Double Treasury/ Meow Tuesday

I was out of town this weekend for a wedding, so I wasn't able to post a meow monday! But it's a good thing I waited because I got the funniest picture this morning! I went to the bathroom, and my cat Emma was sitting in the shower! She loves, loves showers. It's kind of strange really. Any time she hears the shower, she runs to the bathroom and will try to get in. Let me tell you, it's awkward taking a shower with a cat. She gets wet, and doesn't even care. However, my other cat Phoebe, hates water. Get a tiny bit of water on her and she freaks out.

I'm also happy to announce I was featured in a few treasuries this weekend!

Here is a link to my blue shoes listed!

Here is a link to my yellow shoe clips!

Do any of you have cats that like water? Isn't it the strangest thing?!

Pink Sperrys UPDATE

UPDATE!
They came in the mail today.. and they fit :):):) A tiny bit snug, but i'm going to wear them everyday until they fit perfect!


So I was going to buy a pair of pink Sperrys like these...

and had them in my shopping bag at zappos.com since everywhere else they were sold out in my size, 6.5 (I'm normally a 7 but they said to order a half size smaller) but right as I clicked order, they were sold out! I even called zappos and they couldn't help me :/ so I had to order a size 6. I hope they fit! I checked everywhere, from amazon to ebay to Sperry's website. So i'm stuck with a size 6. 

 Has anyone had this problem, where right as they were ordering an item, and they sold out? Or, does anyone have Sperry's? Do they stretch out well?

Bouquet Love

One of my favorite parts of a wedding is the bridal bouquet. It's something that seems to tie the whole wedding together. It is beautiful, feminine, and when done correctly, a show stopper!

Top Row

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DIY Glitter Cupcake Stand

Here is a fabulous DIY Cupcake Stand! I got if off of the website thesweetestoccasion.com (One of my favorite websites!) and couldn't resist sharing it with you! Here is a Link to the original post. 

Supplies -Round small wooden box
Wood candle stick
Fine glitter
Wood glue (like Gorilla Glue)
Craft glue

Separate the wood box pieces. We will just be using the lid. The wood candlestick I found had a metal insert for the candle. I couldn’t get mine out so I pushed it in with a screwdriver (you won’t see it later, anyways.) I also sanded the top of the candlestick flat. Test this by setting the box lid on top to see if it sits straight.

Run a bead of  wood glue around the top of the candlestick and place upside down, centered, on the underside of the lid. Let dry completely according to glue’s directions.

Now comes the messy part. Get a large baking sheet or dish and set the cakestand inside.

Using a brush, cover a small portion of the candlestick with glue and sprinkle with glitter.

Repeat until the whole stand is covered. Let dry and repeat on any thinner coverage areas until you are sufficiently sparkly.

This would be gorgeous if you did the glitter in an ombre. For ombre, after a full coat of glitter, recover the bottom with a second color, blending as you go up. This baby is perfect for desserts in wrappers, as it is not food safe – but it sure is cute!

{Photos by Hank + Hunt.}

Meow Monday/Floral Halo Tutorial

Hey all! Thanks for the amazing feedback! I was out of town all weekend for a wedding, and it was nice to come home and see all the love.

This Meow Monday has my cat Phoebe sitting..well.. awkwardly. I'm not quite sure how this is comfy, but she must have liked it!

Here is an awesome tutorial I found on honestlywtf.com. The link to this article is Here!

It is super easy to make, and headbands and halo's are definitely in right now! Enjoy!

You’ll need:

- a large silk flower

- floral tape

- 2 pieces of 16 or 18 gauge floral cloth wire

- a piece of 4 x 4″ green felt

- a glue gun

- a pair of wire cutters

- a pair of scissors

You’ll start by cutting 2 circles from the piece of felt at approximately 2″ in diameter. Form the wires of your halo by molding and bending each piece into a half circle. Lay the two half circles opposite of each other to create a single circle, laying it over the top of your head to check the fit. Wrap floral tape over 2 sections of overlapping wire at 11 o’clock and 3 o’clock. Trim any overlapping pieces with the wire cutters. (Click images to enlarge)

Using the wire cutters, cut the stem off the flower making sure the back is flat. Glue one of the felt circles to the back of the flower. Lay the 3 o’clock section of the halo on the backside of the flower. Sandwich the halo between the flower and the second felt circle with plenty of glue. As your pressing the two felt circles together, pull the halo up on its side, making it stand perpendicular to the back of the flower. Insert glue into any openings, making sure the two felt circles are sealed together.

The possibilities are endless with this as you can wrap flowers around half or the entire perimeter of the halo, reinforcing with glue. Or if wearing a halo just isn’t your thing, make a hair pin or brooch by gluing a large bobby pin or a pin back to the back of the first felt cutout.

Your flower halo is ready to wear!

(images by Honestly...wtf)

CLVLND

I live in Ohio, and I love anything Cleveland! And since our fabulous Indians Baseball have been doing amazing (one of the best records in the MLB!) I decided to make a post dedicated to everything cleveland! Hope you see you guys at the game tonight :) GO TRIBE!

Click on each link to see each item for purchase!

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Lets Go Windians!

Treasury!

Happy Friday! My Shoes were listed in a beautiful treasury on Etsy!

Heres the link to these custom shoes.

What I made Wednesday!

I had a busy day crafting today! I had a lot of inspiration from a recent shopping trip to this vintage craft store. I got a great selection of flowers and buttons straight from the 50's!

Here are a few things I made, that I will be posting on my Etsy soon!

Here are some shoe clips I made! They are super easy to make at home! You make fabric yo-yo's like I talked about here! Once you have your yo-yo made, you sew it to a show clip and voila! Instant shoe accessory that everyone will admire!

These are some earrings I made from vintage buttons and handmade flowers. The white roses are handmade by me, and I will be putting them up for sale tonight!

These are two hair clips I made from fabric flowers and fabric yo-yo's. (Yo-yo's are so versatile!) These would look lovely either worn one at a time, or wearing both! I can see these on the side of a messy bun, to add some extra glamour to a simple up do! Hair clips are always my go to on a lazy day when I don't want to do my hair. They can turn a messy bun into something summery and elegant!

Enjoy :)

Cat Softies Project

I came across this cute DIY cat toy, so I had to post it! Simply sew, trim and fill!

This would be a great gift for a cat lover, or even fill with cat nip for your own special kitty! I know my cats would love this with catnip, and it would look cute lying around the house. You could even enlarge the pattern and make a large pillow. They comes in a variety of colors, from pink to orange, and you can even get them in dog shapes!

You can buy this pattern here!

How-To: Chalkboard Cake Toy

Here is a fun, and interesting, chalkboard cake toy from Craftzine.com. You can find the tutorial here!

This would be awesome in a kitchen, and is perfect for kids to decorate, or yourself. Wouldn't this look awesome in a bakery, with the specials written on it?

It's super easy to make, and uses hat boxes, chalkboard paint, chalk, and glue!

Directions

Prepare the work area with a drop sheet or newspapers. If you are taking the speedy route (as I have taken) and are opting to use spray paint, ensure all surroundings are covered and protected from spray. Please remember to ventilate all rooms, if spray painting indoors, and do not expose children to fumes.

Step 1: Place your large hat box on your work surface, bottom facing up. Apply glue to rim of medium hat box and place, centered, on top of large hat box, bottom facing up, pressing firmly. Remove any excess glue with paper towel.

Step 2: Repeat stacking by applying glue to rim of small hat box and placing, centered, on top of medium hat box, bottom facing up, pressing firmly. Remove any excess glue with paper towel.

Step 3: Place a heavy book or weight on top of the stack. Let glue dry and set for at least half an hour.

Step 4: Prop the boxes on a piece of cardboard on cans, or similar. This will act as a rotating stand while you paint. Apply primer. Let dry as per label instructions.

Step 5: Paint the boxes with chalkboard paint. Rotate the cardboard to easily paint all around boxes. Apply two coats of chalkboard paint. Let dry as per label instructions.

Step 6: Break in the chalkboard finish by applying chalk all over the surface and erasing it.

Step 7: If you are using brand new chalk, prevent any scratches on the surface of your chalkboard by rubbing the ends of the chalk on paper first. This will blunt the edges of the chalk and help to preserve the finish of your new toy. Your cake chalkboard is ready to be decorated!

Here is another link to this design, with a full list of materials! 

Treasury!

I forgot to mention I was featured in a beautiful treasury on Etsy!

Here is the treasury!

Here are my shoes!

And here is the lovely lady who added me to the treasury!

Meow Monday & Yo-yo!

Happy Monday :) Hope you all had a fabulous weekend! Today's meow monday features my beautiful kitty, Peaches. Isn't her coloring amazing? She alway knows how to pose for the camera!

Today I wanted to share something that I love to make, yo-yo's! They were originally used for quilting, but I use them in everyday things, like headbands and crafts. They are perfect for any occasion, and can be used with any fabric! They are super easy to use, and only require basic sewing skills, scissors, a yo-yo maker, and fabric.

I use the Clover yo-yo maker which you can buy at Jo-Anns for about $8.00

Following the instructions on the label, you can easily make them! All you do is put fabric inbetween the two pieces, cut around so you leave about 1/4" of fabric, and sew in and out using the guidelines. 

Stitch from the disk side, through the folded seam allowance, finding the opening of the crescent on the tray and pull needle/thread through. Once sewn all the way around, gently pull the thread, gathering the circle into the yo-yo shape. Add a few stitches to secure once you like the way it looks.

Some finished yo-yo's!