Monday, March 18, 2013

A Few of my Favorite Things: Baby shoes

Who doesn't love baby toes?  I mean, seriously, they are like the cutest thing ever!  But sometimes, necessity requires them to be covered up.  So how about some cute shoe inspiration???:)

I love the fabric mix that Megan @ Homemade Ginger used on these adorable shoes.  She used a pattern from Homespun Threads.
 
 Ok, so technically the creator behind Grosgrain Fabulous didn't make the shoes, but she did create the adorable flower clips!
baby shoes tutorial
Jess @ If Only They Would Nap made these little shoesies out of felted wool.  They look so comfy!

Kimono-inspired shoes: so original!  I never would've thought of this combination, Aimee @ Home Spun Threads sure pulled it off nicely!

The Mila shoes.   Oh the ruffles.  And the stripes!  (Is it just me, or does it look like those ruffles were once a button-up dress shirt?) Laura @ The Fleeting Thing has got it right when it comes to baby shoes;)
 Do you follow Shwin&Shwin?  If you don't, this post can wait.  Head over and follow!

Alright, now that you're back from drooling over her creations, check out these adorable shoes!  One of the many things that she can do well is mix patterns.  I love the boldness of the main fabric against the blank slate of denim.

Ashley @ Make It and Love It said it right: these shoes are irresistible.  Orange and blue (one of my favorite color combinations), ruffles, ahhhhhhhhh.
 


Thursday, March 14, 2013

Switch to Bloglovin'

Have you heard the news?  It looks like GFC is ending in July.  I think most people follow this way, so this could be kind of drastic!  But thankfully, we have Bloglovin'.  You can create an account and they will send you an e-mail everyday with the latest posts from the blogs that you follow.  Easy enough right?  And it also looks like they have a way to switch all you GFC blogs over to make this process even easier:)  Also, if you don't already, you can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.  I'd love to follow you back as well!

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Thrift Shopping Tips


Today I broke through a barrier that has lasted long enough: I went shopping at a Goodwill Outlet (I know, I'm one of those weird people that LOVES to see how much stuff I can get for just a few buckaroos;).  Ever since I was young, I have just straight-up avoided Goodwill.  The smells, the feels.....I'm one of those people who washes my hands after touching carts and coins........every time.  But today I made the long-awaited trip to the GW Outlet.  And yes, I mean digging through piles of random clothing for two hours, pulling out some awesome finds along with half of an ancient "Hulk" costume and 21 random socks.  But it was totally worth it.  Wanna see?  Ok, you convinced me;)
[Sorry, just grabbed some Instagram pics for this post]


This pile of lovelies is going to be turned into pacifier clips, a sundress, and whatever else I can come up with!:)  I found all these prints in the form of 3 pillow cases, 1 sheet, 1 shirt, 2 table runners, and 1 random remnant.  There is also a men's t-shirt that I didn't get in this pic.  I'll be using it for baby hats:)

Also found these three lovely sweaters and a pink skirt to welcome spring!!!
 
Although I'm not exactly a seasoned expert at thrift shopping, I thought it might be helpful to share some tips for others who are new too!:)
 
{Some of these are "outlet" specific, but all just general guidelines that are helpful to follow:) }
  1. Bring gloves and hand sanitizer.  If you are going to an outlet, you will definitely want gloves.  Some people use regular thin cold-weather gloves.  I grabbed some latex because we had some on hand.  Also, bring hand sanitizer for afterwards:)
  2. Have some ideas of refashions or projects that you want to make.  If you are a crafter, I'm sure you've seen plenty of clothing refashion ideas out there.  It is nice to just have these stored in the back of your mind to give you ideas as you are digging.  If you need some inspiration, check out my thrifting board on Pinterest.
  3. Notice prints and patterns.  I think every shopper's tendency is to find clothes that are the perfect fit and exactly what you are looking for.  Not so for thrifters.  If you see a shirt that is mens XXXL, but has an awesome pattern, grab it!  Believe me, for $0.25, you can afford the time to find an easy tutorial and turn it into your new favorite staple!  Also, if you are grabbing a big tablecloth so that you can make pacificer clips, a few stains aren't going to hurt anybody.
  4. Dress comfortably.  Don't worry.  This isn't like Target, where you have to dress nicely just to shop;)  Nobody cares what you look like, and you probably won't either.  Just dress comfortably!  A t-shirt and jeans, an old sweatshirt, whatever suits you best.  And most importantly, WEAR GOOD SHOES!!!!  You will be standing for however long you want to be digging, so make sure that pain doesn't keep you from grabbing some more awesome deals!
  5. Notice care instructions.  It is enough of a pain to buy a brand-new shirt that has to be dry-cleaned.  Even worse when you get it second-hand.  If you find a stain, you can't just scrub it clean, or cut up into some project that has been floating in the back of your mind.  Although you will only lose a gumball's worth of money on an article of clothing, it would be sad to think you've got an awesome shirt only to have to send it back out to Goodwill.
I would love to hear your stories of succes and failure while thrift shopping!:)
~Kelsey

 

Monday, March 11, 2013

A Few of My Favorite Things: Bedroom Inspiration

Ok, so today's round-up isn't directly inspired off of one craft or product, just a general idea: my bedroom.  These are a bunch of projects that I hope to one day have displayed on my walls.  But until then, enjoy them in this post:)





Mediterranean Bedroom
Ok, so I've always wanted a hanging canopy in my room.  Just never happened.  But this idea is brilliant!  Lowe's just used a hanging flower pot for the top!  So simple, I really can't resist doing this:)
 
How about this pinwheel wall?  So cute!  Kelly @ View Along the Way created this as a guest post for the Frugal Girls......how perfect for her little girl's nursery!
DIY wall shelves
As a crafter, I'm always looking for more ways to store.....er I mean display........my projects in a cute way.  These drawer shelves are perfect!
Ok, so this ruffled bean bag isn't exactly a DIY........yet.  Maybe one day I'll figure out how to do this.  Perfect for a little reading in the corner of my room.
 
DIY Heart String Art @Vintage Revivals
Anyone who has talked bedrooms with me knows how I'm loving string art.  Seriously, so many new twists that every wall is begging for this.
 

Book shelves......taken to a newer meaning.  Antique stores are calling my name.
 
If this is not enough inspiration for you, I suggest that you take a look at my "Dream Bedroom" board on Pinterest:)
 
~Kelsey
 

Monday, March 4, 2013

Modern Day Snow White Outfit


What girl doesn't dream of dressing up like a princess and twirling around in a beautiful gown? And what grown-up girl doesn't love watching the Disney princess movies, secretly wishing it was socially acceptable at her age to twirl around again in an outfit pulled out of the dress-up box?

When Kelsey learned that Stephanie was planning a trip to Disneyland, she quickly decided to help outfit her appropriately for the occasion!

This modern-day Snow White outfit brings maturity to meet the day-dreaming little girl in all of us in a way that is fresh and fun! Yellow skinny jeans coupled with a royal blue t-shirt that sports red ruffles on the sleeves. Black TOMS on your feet and a necklace that incorporates apple seeds- a nod to the movie. Complete the outfit with our featured Snow White Headband. Put a tiny crocheted gnome in your pocket and spice things up by grabbing a granny smith apple for photo ops!



 We hope you enjoy this design, and are spurred on to think of ways to incorporate other Disney princesses into modern fashions!


Disneyland... the only place you can take a picture in front of a castle and end up with pink-mustached women behind you!
 
I'm linking up to here:
Go check out their blogs!

Sunday, March 3, 2013

A Few of My Favorite Things: Embroidery

I'm putting up this post a little bit early because we've got a really fun post coming up tomorrow.  I'm super excited for you to see it!  But in the mean time........have any of you done very much embroidery?  I did it when I was younger, but then lost interest.  But I feel it coming back!  I've done a few simple projects, and want to take some of these ones on!  If you haven't embroidered before, I hope this inspires you to start!!!:)

Embroidered Pillow Cover - Home Is Where The Heart Is - Hand-Embroidered Pillows on Linen
Love this embroidered US map.  And a little heart where you live: how cute!!! From Plumed Etsy shop.
I absolutely love this little camper!!!!!  It is SOOOOOOO adorable!  I think this might have to be my next embroidery project:)  You can by the pattern from Joann's online.
Mini Arrow Embroidery Kit - Hot pink
Ok, so maybe this will be my next project.  So cute, and super-dee-duper simple.  The Miniature Rhino has some cute stuff.
Pink Gerger Daisies made this awesome Aztec-inspired embroidery hoop art.  I'd have to agree with her: I love the color combo.
DSC_0010.jpg
This is probably the most awesome project I've ever seen.  What an awesome idea!  I might have to make this for a friend who lives a few states away:)  In Between Laundry gets a double thumbs-up from me:)
Hot air balloons.  So whimsical.  And with these awesome stitches, it's a winning combination.  I hope to one day learn how to embroidery like that:)  Spool and Spoon officially has my admiration:)

Allison at Little Lovelies created this awesome ombre heart cross stitch.  It's amazing how something so ridiculously simple can be so cute!
Embroidered IconsOk, so this idea might officially take the cake on absolute creativity.  Dana first painted the squares (I don't know how) and then embroidered the icons.  And, no, this isn't just an adorable piece of art hanging by her computer.  SHE USED THESE CUTIES ON THE SIDE OF HER BLOG!!!  You seriously need to go check it out.

Allison at Little Lovelies also created this adorable embroidered penant, inspired by the colors of sherbet:)

Well, there is so much more inspiration that I could put up here.  But that might be overwhelming.  I hope you enjoy this little bit!
~Kelsey



Fancy That Notion