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Sunday, December 23, 2012

{Glitter Garland}

Do It Yourself...

Glitter Garland

I'm inspired by many DIY projects and like to add my own personal touches to make a craft more "me" and cater to my tastes. However, though I found many adorable phrases and ideas for a homemade garland, this one by Lauren Conrad really struck my fancy. So much so that I had to recreate it! This year has been so wonderful and there is so much to be thankful for...that no matter how many other wordy decor ideas I could think of, "be merry" fully captures how I feel right now. And the glitter was just the icing on the cake! For this project, you will need:

· Cardboard or poster board

· Scissors

· X-ACTO knife

· Spray paint (optional)

· Spray adhesive

· Glitter

· Tape

· Twine or string

Trying to freehand letters on your own can be quite tricky, so in an effort to save time and keep your letters as even in size as possible, use a ruler to divide a piece of cardboard into seven evenly-spaced boxes. Then cut out your letters using scissors. Note: an X-ACTO knife really comes in handy for tough spots!

I went ahead and spray painted my letters a metallic gold to make them as shiny and bold as possible. Once they were completely dry, I applied a layer of spray adhesive and coated each letter with gold glitter.

Once all the letters were dry and any excess glitter had been shaken off, I laid them out according to how I wanted the garland to look. Once I felt it was perfect, I taped string to the back of each letter and voila!

My garland on two different mantels :)

Merry Christmas!

(from my sister, Desiree, and I)

Thursday, December 6, 2012

{Holiday Office Decor}

Accentuate your space with...

A Cubicle Makeover: Home for the Holidays

My office space is slowly transforming...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Over the weekend, I had a lovely time celebrating my 25th birthday. Between family, friends & coworkers...I couldn't have asked for a more special day. It was full of surprises and was a strong reminder that God has truly blessed me. Now I am ready to indulge in everything Christmas-related! I have been holding on to my Christmas cards since my trip to Canada, so I can't wait to fill them out and send them on their way! Then it's time to scope out a couple of holiday party dresses, turn some cookie recipes into reality and start wrapping gifts. But not before adding some holiday cheer to the office as well! Check out these fun, office-friendly ideas:

Decorate a few pine cones with glitter, grab some extra ornaments & put them all into an old vase! Add a cute ribbon or bow for extra flair.

Spruce up an old picture frame or make one out of candy canes!

Wrap empty boxes and stack them on your desk! I also love the decorated letters to spell out a festive word or phrase.

Since real (and fake) trees are often frowned upon in the office, get creative and make your own! Opt for smaller wrapped boxes for a minimal yet colorful display.

Isn't this a cute idea for a coworker or Secret Santa gift?

Despite the government's endless rules as to what you can and cannot do in the office (seriously, what isn't flammable?), I like to decorate for the holidays. So far, I've added tinsel and snowflakes around my desk, along with an adorable little snowman that makes everything smell like cinnamon. A few coworkers already refer to my office space as my "home" and sometimes come visit my "room", so it's only appropriate that it looks festive! Since most of us spend more time at our desk than anywhere else, my philosophy has always been to make it as comfortable and tasteful as possible. Happy decorating!

Images via Pinterest

Thursday, November 15, 2012

{Finding Your Inner Handygal}

Do It Yourself...

Jewelry Projects

No matter how busy life gets, I always like to have a few DIY projects handy. Over the past few months, I've indulged in a few experiments and have a couple of pictures to prove it! Today, I'd like to share some of my jewelry creations from this summer. The picture above showcases a few washer bracelets that I made; these are simple yet great because they easily dress up your wrist (the more arm candy, the better) and are great conversation starters (are those washers on your wrist?). For this project, you will need:

· Ribbon or tulle

· Washers

· Scissors

At first the threading was a tad tricky, but once you thread a few washers you are good to go! I think these will make an excellent project over the holidays with some of my favorite ladies (think silver and gold, paired with champagne and a Christmas movie by the fire...you get the idea). Though slightly different in design, this tutorial is one of the best I've read yet!

After mentioning here about how I wanted to re-organize my jewelry, I made a trip to a nearby historic town and picked up several items to house my treasures. Since many of the vintage items I found were similar in theme and style (nature and pastels), I purchased an adorable earring stand that was designed to look like branches with leaves and little birds, a ceramic birds nest for my watches, a brightly colored flower-shaped bowl for my rings and a laddered bracelet stand that accented the rest of the collection. After all was said and done, I still couldn't find the right piece for my necklaces. So to Home Depot I went in search of a particular kind of wood (notice the leaf pattern) in order to make my own...

I've always loved the variety of knobs I find in vintage stores, so I decided to incorporate them into the re-design of my jewelry collection. For this project, you will need:

· Knobs

· Piece of wood

· Spray paint

· Measuring tape

· Power drill

· Bolt cutter (if your knobs vary in length)

· Screwdriver

· Patience

After purchasing the knobs I liked most, I made sure to measure the space on my wall where I wanted to hang my necklaces before picking up a piece of wood. I had them cut it in the store to save me some extra work, and then I spray painted the wood a soft creme color. When it was completely dry, I measured out where I wanted the knobs to be placed and then carefully drilled the holes.

Note: some knobs vary in size and length, which can make it harder not only when it comes to the size of the holes to drill (which could effect the layout) but also if you have to cut them down so that they are all the same size.

Since my knobs varied in length, my grandfather helped me cut a few of the screws so that they would line up properly in the back of the wood. Then I screwed the knobs on, brushed off any excess shavings and hung it my wall!

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

{Rich Neeley Designs}

Accentuate your space with...

Rich Neeley Designs

As much as I am a lover of books (I spent a wonderful amount of time on the beach this past weekend getting wrapped up in a fictional world), I am also a lover of my iPhone. It is my right-hand man. I check my email, keep tabs on my social networks, pay my bills, keep track of upcoming events, watch the weather forecast, read the paper, listen to music, shop, chat with friends, order Chipotle (obviously), watch TV and so much more. Simply put, it never leaves my side...which is why I'm diggin' the creativity behind these Rich Neeley book chargers:

An Etsy shop that turns books into an iPhone/iPad docking station?! This is definitely going on my wish list. The question is, which one to get when there are so many awesome options? Whether at home or in the office, this is a fun (yet discreet) way to charge your phone...not to mention a great gift idea...

"Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way."

-Edward de Bono

Images via Rich Neeley Designs

Thursday, July 5, 2012

{Juniper Books Custom Collections}

Accentuate your space with...

Juniper Books

Any other bookworms out there? I have thoroughly enjoyed all of my recent reads and have started giving in to buying books versus renting them from the library. That said, my collection is definitely growing. So when I ran across Juniper Books Custom Collections I got pretty excited. They create and customize book covers to fit your taste! Paperback, leather, vellum...you name it, they can do it...and considering I've been on a "how I want to furnish my future home" kick recently, I'm really stoked about the idea of incorporating some of these ideas into my future office/library...

I absolutely love these pink Jane Austen book jackets! Very feminine and fun. I like the idea of picking a certain color or theme for a series of books by the same author. Keeps things organized in a unique fashion.

While certain book covers are more elaborate and can cost a pretty penny, I'm already starting to think about how I can turn this into a DIY project. This set of book jackets could probably be easily re-created using special paper and stamps, among other things...

I adore these covers! Funky and diverse, I like the way this collection of books has an underlying theme but also plays with different patterns and textures...

You can bet that I'm going to have fun with this project once I get around to doing it! Reading is one of my favorite hobbies. I'm glad to have recently spent some quality time with a good book on the beach in North Carolina and I'll enjoy doing so again this weekend at the Eastern Shore. Time to read...what a beautiful thing!

“It is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it.”

-Oscar Wilde

Images via Juniper Books

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

{Jazz Up Your Jewelry}

Accentuate your space with...

Jewelry Organization

I love accessorizing, especially with jewelry. I have a pretty small space to work with when it comes to organization...and yet so much to work with! My room isn't big and most people would be quite impressed with how little my closet is and yet how much I can fit into it! Sometimes, you just have to be creative. And the more jewelry I collect, the more I let my mind wonder to when I will finally put my pieces on these kind of displays:

I'm sold on the 3-tier holder, and I like having smaller dishes to put rings in as well. Not sure about the necklace board for me personally, but it looks pretty here.

Just to reinforce the idea of putting your rings in classic dishes :)

Now this makes a little more sense, but would probably be a DIY project. I like the idea of having a custom-made jewelry holder, and this would be the perfect way to keep a lot of pieces on display. I don't know about you, but I go through my jewelry once a year to giveaway all of the the pieces I no longer wear in an effort to put to good use that which I still like!

Another DIY project. I am in love with unique knobs from stores like Anthropologie, so this is a great way you can use them for things other than doors and dressers ;)

Another example of a great way to use knobs! I think we all know where I'm going with this idea...especially considering I like using dishes as well!

A great idea for housing both jewelry and smaller items in a drawer. If this was the doing of a tall, dark & handsome straight male...I might literally die and go to heaven.

"In both business and personal life, I've always found that travel inspires me more than anything else I do. Evidence of the languages, cultures, scenery, food, and design sensibilities that I discover all over the world can be found in every piece of my jewelry." -Ivanka Trump

(I couldn't have said it better myself :)

Images via Pinterest

Monday, June 27, 2011

{Dreamy Dressing Rooms}

When I think of having my own place, I often imagine what "my space" will look like. My current room isn't big, but everything is well organized & colorful...and I enjoy spending time in it. From reading a book to painting my nails to catching up on my latest reality TV obsession, I like the environment I have created for myself. It is also my dressing room, and therefore it is the most fun space I have! I don't think I will need a very big area to call my own (unless I live in loft, then I'll take it all!) but these pictures include different elements I would love to incorporate into a fabulous space for myself, along with basic & affordable inspirations from IKEA...

The mirrors make this room look huge!

I love the idea of having wall length mirrors and a colorful throw rug.

Songe Mirror

Stockholm Figur Rug

Fab doors...

Birkeland Wardrobe

DIY? Obvi.

A chandelier adds a pop of elegance!

I also like the variety of drawers, hanging space & shelving units.

Kristaller Chandelier

Antonius Storage System

It's nice how casually the desk fits into this room...