Bar Cart Styling

One of my good friends just recently moved into a new place.  One of the things on her list for this new place was to invest in a great new bar area.  As part of her birthday/housewarming gift, I made her this gorgeous bar tray and accompanied it with a martini shaker, some cute new paper straws and her favorite alcohol. 

I was so impressed with the results that I decided to begin my journey on making my own bar cart.  So, the planning has begun!  I have been doing a lot of research on what some of the best items are to include on a bar cart.  You want your items to be practical, yet stylish.

1. This may sound a little crazy, but I honestly have been planning my whole bar cart decor around the idea of using a pink peony as part of the styling.  This one from One Kings Lane is exactly what I have in mind. Remember, you are working with limited space so don't get anything too big.

2. This Target bar cart is exactly what I had in mind: gold, simple, affordable.

3. Every great party has super cute paper straws, so always be prepared with these black and white ones.  They double as a functional and stylish element.

4. Add some cute coasters!  Zazzel has a ton to choose from, and a lot of customizable ones as well.  Everyone will want to set their drinks down on these chic coasters.

5. Adorable glassware is a must!  I love these gold polka dot glasses from Kate Spade.  I have also seen wine or martini glasses done as well.  Either way, some sort of glassware is definitely needed.

6. Every great bar area must also have some cute bottle stoppers.  I love these Kate Spade owl bottle stoppers from FurbishStudio.com.

7. Choose your favorite alcohol!  Make sure you have some champagne in there as well - you must always be well stocked with champagne!

8. You will want a cocktail shaker that suites the style you are going for.  Simple is key.  I love this simple gold one from Umami Mart.

9.  Add some refreshing non-alcoholic drinks to your bar as mixers or for those who prefer a non-alcoholic drink.  Pellegrino and fresh coconut water are great refreshing options.

10.  Find some cute signage.  This will go directly above your bar cart.  While doing my "research" I found all kinds of chic bar signs.  This Etsy option was exactly what I was looking for.

11. To top off your car, add some fashionable napkins.  Zazzel is a great option for these as well.  

Homemade Body Butter

This time of year dry skin is at it's worst!  It seems like no matter how much I moisturize, my skin is always super dry and itchy.  Well, I couple years back I found a solution to these winter dry-skin blues when I came across a recipe for homemade body butter.  I have been using this stuff for about 2 years now and I just made my third batch for myself and friends.

Because I know many of you are experiencing the same issue as me with these bitter cold temperatures, I thought I would post the recipe I have been using.  This body butter comes out so velvety smooth, and because it contains all natural ingredients, it is great for people with sensitive skin.  As another added bonus, it also contains shea butter, which is great for preggo friends because it helps prevent stretch marks.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup shea butter
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup olive or almond oil
2-3 drops of essential oil (optional)

How to make this amazing stuff:
Melt down the shea butter (I used African shea butter which is a little more moisturizing and is more yellow in color) and coconut oil in a double broiler or fondue pot on low heat.  Both melt down pretty quickly, so it shouldn't take too long.  Let cool for about 30 minutes or so and add in your almond or olive oil along with your essential oil (if using).

Let it set in the refrigerator for about 2-2 1/2 hours.  When you poke the mixture, it should be a little soft still, but hardened at the same time.

 Put your mixture in a mixer and whip it using your whisk attachment to give it the nice, whipped texture.  I usually put the finished product into mason jars.

This stuff lasts forever because a little goes a long way.  It does tend to go on oily, but it sets in your skin pretty quickly.  I use mine almost every time I get out of the shower.  It is especially heavenly when your skin is still warm from the shower or bath! 

Top DIY Gifts for Everyone On Your LIst

I love making homemade Christmas gifts.  It makes the gift a little more personal knowing you put time and effort into something that you know they will love and enjoy.  Also, as an added bonus, sometimes you even save some money!  I decided to compile a list of some of my favorite DIY gifts and a link to show you how to make them.  Most of these I have made before and I think they would all make great gifts for someone on your list! 

Your co-workers

 

Cinnamon Pecans - I never want to spend a lot of money on my coworkers, but I do want to give them a little something special. Every year I make a batch of these cinnamon pecans, and they are amazing.  Everyone loves them!  They also make your house smell extra Christmas-y while you are making them! 

Your Dad

 

BBQ Rub - If your Dad is like mine, he is a BBQ master!  He will love this BBQ rub for summer barbeques.  Best part: it lasts forever!

BBQ Sauce -  This tutorial shows you how to make 3 kinds of sauces, make one or all 3!  Accompany them with the BBQ Rub! 
 
Your BFF

Infinity Blanket Scarf - Everyone loves a good blanked scarf.  Your BFF is sure to love your homemade version.  This one looks so easy to make and I definitely plan on making several for my friends and maybe even one for myself!

Statement Necklace - Your BFF will love this necklace.  What I love most about this project is you can change up the beads and colors to match her style! 

Your Mom
  

Patterned coasters - I made these for my mom a couple of years ago and they were so cheap and so easy to make.  All you need are basic square tiles, fun scrapbook paper, modge podge and some felt!

Sugar Scrub - One of my own DIY projects!  I made a bunch of these for Christmas gifts a couple years back and again: super cheap and easy!  Moms love this stuff!
  
The Newleyweds

Mr. & Mrs. mugs -  These are perfect for the newlyweds in your life.  Something small to say you still appreciate them

Your prego friends

Body Butter - With shea butter as the main ingredient in this moisturizing body butter, you can help your pregnant friends prevent stretch marks!
 
Your Boyfriend

Beer basket - Almost all men love beer.  He will love you for putting all his favorite beers in one spot. 

Pumpkin Body Scrub

One of my complaints about the dropping temperature is that it makes my skin very dry.  It seems like no matter how much I try to moisturize, my skin is always rough and tight.  One of the things I use to remedy my dry skin is a body scrub.  It not only hydrates your skin, but also exfoliates.  I love going to mom and pop shops to get my body scrub, but a couple years back, I learned how easy it was to make my own at home.  I was amazed at how well it works and how long it lasts. 

Since it is fall and all, I thought I would share a recipe for pumpkin body scrub.  The ingerdients you will need are:

1 cup sugar in the raw
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp of vanilla extract
About 5-8 dashes of pumpkin pie spice
3-4 dashes of cinnamon
3/4 cup melted coconut oil or almond oil

All you need to do is mix the ingredients together in a small bowl and store in an air-tight container.  Mason jars are perfect!  This recipe made about 13 oz and I put in a 16 oz jar.  I have kept some in a mason jar for about 2 years now, and it is still holding up.

I like to use mine in the shower.  Just rub onto your skin and rinse off.  Your skin will feel heavenly... I promise! The fall scent is pretty awesome too ;-) 

Oh and how can I forget... Happy Halloween!!

Last Minute Halloween Costume Ideas

If you are like me, you are constantly waiting until the last minute for Halloween.  I never know what I want to be.  I hate buying a costume because I refuse to be a "sexy cop" or "hot wonder woman".  I love putting together something creative and different, but I never know what that is!  So this weekend I was running around, as usual, to put together a costume.  I had three ideas in mind, which I thought I would share below.  I chose one of these options - stay tuned to find out which one!  I will post a picture of my outfit next week (assuming all goes well).

Sandra Dee from Grease

Top - Charlotte Russe // Pants - H&M // Moto Jacket - H&M // Belt - H&M // Shoes - Forever21

Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City

Top - H&M // Tulle Tutu - Chicwish // Bow Belt (make your own!) // Shoes - 6PM.com

Daisy from The Great Gatsby

Dress - ASOS  // Headwrap - Forever 21 // Shoes - Forever 21 // Necklace - Forever 21 // Clutch - Akira

Weekend Project: Sequin Pocket Tee

If anyone knows me well, they know that I have been obsessed with v-necks for years.  They are so easy and simple to dress up with layering and accessories that it makes it almost impossible not to love them.  Just throw on a statement necklace and well-fitted blazer and you have an outfit ready for the office.  Switch it up with some boyfriend jeans and layering necklaces and you have the perfect outfit for a more casual look.

Lately I have been seeing a lot of v-necks gone-glam with sequence, studs and graphic prints.  Since I have so many, I decided to spice up one of my v-necks by adding in a cute little sequin pocket using old fabric.

The first thing I needed to do was decide how large I wanted my pocket.  Standing at only 5' tall, I am a pretty tiny person, so I opted for a smaller pocket.  I wanted the finished product to be about 3" by 3".  I cut out a square a little larger so I could could fold up the edges for a clean cut.

I then pinned the edges up 1/4 of an inch on each side and 1/2 inch on the bottom (the piece of fabric I used already had a top edge sewn in).  

I used a sewing machine to sew the sides of the fabric up to make a nice neat square.  Surprisingly, the sequin material was not as hard to work with as I thought!  The next step was to decide where I wanted my pocket to go.  * Helpful tip- try the shirt on first so you can visually see where you want the pocket to go.  I then pinned the square onto the shirt.  

Lastly, I hand-sewed the pocket onto the shirt.  I did this because if I were to mess up, the hand stitch is a little easier to take out, but you can totally sew on with a sewing machine.

Here is the finished product!  It turned out great and was super easy, so I think I am going to glam-up a few more of my old tees!

Coconut Hair Mask Treatment

 

I have always been envious of one of my best friend's hair.  She could always grow it so long and it looked gorgeous, thick, and healthy.  I always tried to imitate her long-locked look, but my hair just never looked as good.   Every time I tried to grow it out, it just looks unhealthy and straggly.  So one day I finally asked her how she grew her hair so long and it still looked healthy.  Her response: Coconut oil.  Ahh, now this makes sense.  No one could really have that beautiful of hair without a secret weapon, right?  So it got me thinking, maybe I should try using coconut oil in my hair.  I have used it before to make body butter and sugar scrub, and I have always been amazed at how this simple household ingredient can work such moisturizing wonders. 

After scouring through many blogs and tutorials on hair care treatment, here is a recipe I concocted based off of the needs I was looking for. It's so simple and easy, I have no idea why I haven't tried it before.

     1/2 cup of coconut oil     
                1/3 cup of honey                   

 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar 

 I used coconut oil as my main ingredient to moisturize and strengthen my hair.  Honey, helps to condition and will also lighten your hair over time.  Lastly, I used a small amount of apple cider vinegar which helps remove product build up and increases shine.

Mix the ingredients together and melt in the microwave for about 45 seconds.  If the coconut oil is not fully melted, that is okay, just keep stirring and it will eventually melt.  If you let the mixture sit for a little bit, it will separate, which is fine, just stir again.  

I applied to my damp, brushed hair using a wide paddle paint bush concentrating on the ends.  I then pulled my hair up into a bun and let sit for about an hour.  Then just wash it out as normal!  I actually had to wash my hair out twice.  I have pretty fine hair, so the coconut oil did not fully wash out after the first wash.  Just make sure you thoroughly wash your hair after the application.  If you have really course hair, you may want to apply this mask every few days or once a week.  For fine hair, every month or so should help to moisturize and strengthen your hair.  The recipe above should last you a few applications.  Feel free to double or triple to make it last longer.  The coconut oil may begin to harder over time, so just pop in the microwave to remelt.

DIY Lace Trim Shorts

I am so thrilled that summer is finally approaching.  I cannot wait to clear my closet of too-tight jeans and make way for shorts and maxi skirts.  Although I am sad that layering season is out, I am beyond excited for summer clothing.  Flirty dresses and cut-off shorts are way more comfy than skinny jeans and itchy sweaters.  Not to mention, the fun, flirty color combos you can get away with throughout the summer are way more exhilarating and refreshing than the neutral pallet trends of winter.

My biggest summer go-to for the past three or four summers have been denim cut-off shorts.  They are simple, stylish, and match with almost anything and everything.  I decided I have far too many plain pairs than one girl needs in a life time, so I decided to "vamp" a pair up a bit.  I am loving the lace trend right now, so I wanted to make a quick and easy DIY lace-trim shorts tutorial.  I have seen several versions of this on Pinterest, and I thought I would give it a try for myself.

You know those perfect cut-offs you bought in high school that are too short to wear now, but you just can't seem to get rid of?  Yeah, those will be perfect.  I loved my shorts back then and wore them almost every day.  They are way to short for me to get away with now (and probably where back then as well), so adding the lace to the bottom helps add a little extra length.

I have recently been doing simple sewing projects, so this was the perfect excuse to whip out my sewing machine.  You can also use fabric glue if you don't know how to sew.  Other materials you will need:

Fabric Scissors
Lace Trim
A Pair of shorts
Pins
Sewing measuring tape

Here is the "before" picture of my shorts:

First, measure out the length of the pant-leg of your shorts (mine was 24 inches each side).

Then, measure out your lace trim to the same length and cut at that length.

Turn your shorts inside out and pin the lace trim around the edge of your short's pant leg.  You want to position the lace exactly where you will want the lace trim to lay.

Sew the lace trim to your shorts using either a needle and thread or a sewing machine.  Or, if you chose to glue your trim on with fabric glue, you do not need to pin and you can go right to gluing the trim on.

Next I cutoff the excess trim and put my shorts right-side in.  Below you can see what I mean by "excess trim".  The right side still has the extra trim on while the left has been cut off.

You can see that the stitching appears towards the edge of the shorts (if you used fabric glue, you  won't have this issue).

In order to hide the stitching, I cuffed the shorts at the bottom and ironed over them to make the cuff stay.  You can add a little stitching on the side to help the cuff stay in place when you wash the shorts.  Or, you can use fabric glue to keep the shorts cuffed.

Here are a few pictures of the finished product: