I stumbled upon this post by A Shabby Moment In Time showing off how she turned some plain, terra-cotta-coloured pots into some items of absolute beauty.
I often see these simple clay pots in thrift shops for very little money.
Here is what she did with her inexpensive pots. I think they turned out gorgeously.
I LOVE the way these pots were painted in an imperfect, still-see-the-terra-cotta-through-the-white kind of way. And the white chalk paint has such a beautiful matte finish to it.
I also love the addition of burlap, fabric and lace flowers, and black stenciled lettering to further increase that vintage-feel.
She also painted this bucket with chalk paint and added the black stenciled lettering to it.The little cupboard was painted with chalk paint and has a small pole inside where she plans to hand her jewelry.
I also love this little caddy that she painted with white chalk paint as well. It would be so sweet filled with knitting yarn for the knitters, toilet paper rolls or magazines in the bathroom, blankets beside the couch in the living room, or ANY number or purposes.
I would love to see some stenciled lettering (depending on what it was used for) on the side of this caddy, too.
You can check out her site here to see the mirror and chest (with cushion seat) that she repurposed with white chalk paint. They are stunning.
In case you've never used chalk paint, but are curious about it- Here is a great, simple tutorial on how to repurpose a couple of night stands with eco-friendly chalk paint:
Hope you enjoyed this post on repurposing simple clay pots (and more!). Thanks for reading!
And since I'm ALL about adding interest to your hair with little effort- I wanted to share some of my faves from this post.
I also love the added bonus that most of it repurposing your plain, boring, usually-hidden pins into items of beauty.And who doesn't have a tonne of bobby pins around?
Here are my Top 10 ideas:
I just LOVE this idea of gluing alphabet pasta onto bobby pins to spell out any word you desire. Then go over the letters and the pin with some nail polish. Voila! Custom hair pins.
In a similar way, I love these little wooden triangles that are glued to bobby pins as well.
Make your colour pins make a bigger statement by placing them in a chevron pattern. I have also seen 3 pins placed in a triangle pattern, and loved that look as well.
You can add a bit of sparkle to a simple top knot by gluing gemstones to your bobby pins. So easy and cute!
Love these red bobby pins. I EXTRA love that they match her lips. Simply paint your plain bobby pins with nail polish or craft paint (spray or brush on).
Super duper adorable and easy studded bobby pin DIY here.
And you can always use your baby pins in the way that they were for- to be hidden. For this awesome fishtail half updo click here.
Also, there really is no other way than bobby pins to secure your fabulous milkmaid braids.
Love these 'Peppermint Swirl' bobby pins. You caould make them with any colour beads/wire that you'd like! DIY instructions here.
And lastly, sometimes the simplest things are the most beautiful.Try this Fold Over Bang Twist if you have bangs, or not. Click here for the DIY instructions.
Hope these ideas help you add some easy interest to your hair, friends. Long hair or short hair- thin or thick- bobby pins can be used on all types of hair.
I also love the tip of spraying your bobby pins with shot of dry shampoo or hairspray for some added tackiness and hold on the pins.
For all 25 bobby pin transformation ideas go to Aol's post here.
I saw this post on BuzzFeed and immediately had to share some of my favourites from it.
If your children are anything like mine- they are OBSESSED with Lego.
In my home- it's EVERYWHERE. In beds, couches, under-foot...
Here are some great ways to repurpose that Lego in helpful ways around your home.
To hold your phone charger.
How cute is this? You can attach a Lego mini-figure to a desk or counter with some velcro and you'll always have that cord exactly where you'll need it.
Use Lego to build yourself a desk organizer.
This is a great idea. You can keep you pens/ pencils/ scissors organized with some extra Lego pieces that you surely have around.
Use Lego To Make A Key Holder.
I just love this idea. Use a few pieces of Lego, a key ring and a mini-figure and you have a cool-looking place to hang your keys.
As A Cool Necklace Charm.
You can use a small wire loop to hang your child's favourite mini-figure around their neck for safe-keeping AND as an awesome fashion-statement.
Make A Fun Lego Snow Globe.
Create the mini-figure"scene" that you'd like. Use a water-proof glue to stick the Lego to small jar lid. Fill with water and add some glitter. Shake and watch it "snow".
I hope you enjoyed these ideas as much as I did, friends.
It's good to know Lego can be used as more than a toy and as a deterrent for burglers (when sprinkled across the floor). ;)
If you've used Lego in other ways- please share with me! Blessings.
I love it when I see some cute pants (or another item) on a blog or on Pinterest, and I think to myself- "I'd love to find those at a thrift shop"...and then I DO!!!
Best. Feeling. Ever.
That happened recently with these pleather leggings. I believe I saw them on Pinterest, or somewhere, and fell in love. I wanted a pair- but didn't think I would find them in thrift shops yet. I thought maybe next season.
Now, MY pleather pants are only half pleather. The backs are a black fabric. But, I think that is even more fun. And cooler (temperature-wise). If anyone out there has ever worn pleather, you know what I am talking about. It does not breathe. But...it's worth it because it is oh-so-fun.
Here are my super-fun, half-pleather pants:
Trying to show the fabric on the back of the legs.
Is there a rule that you should try to wear red on Valentine's Day?
Hmmmm, maybe...but I'm not one for rules anyhow. ;)
The man and I went out for a delicious dinner sans baby (!!).
Yes, it was an hour to an hour and a half wait when we walked in the door- but that ended up being fine since we scored a seat in the lounge rather quickly.
Since I'm still(!!) not back into my pre-baby clothes, I feel that my wardrobe is somewhat limited these days. Hence the infrequent posts. Sorry about that.
Here is what I decided on for our night on the town (which these days consists of dinners AND appetizers).
I looked at the calendar today, and I couldn't BELIEVE that I have been back from the Dominican for almost a month already?!!
I sat myself right down at the computer and started writing this post. I had a reader ask me shortly after I got back for some tips on what to bring on a sunny vacay, and I promised to get this out before she left in February... Hope I'm not too late!
Every time I go away, I write about the thrifted items that I bring (Cuba, Dominican, and Madrid)...So this trip to the Domican Republic wouldn't be any different. :)
Apart from a sunhat, a few pieces of jewellery, and a couple of pairs of sandals, these are the thrifted items that were in my Domican closet (this year):
A couple of maxi skirts. And a couple of black tanks. This maxi skirt I wore over leggings on the plane and was able to easily take the leggings off when we landed in Punta Cana. The tank I wore under a black sweater and jean jacket, which I wanted to have in case the evenings were cool. I never needed it.
Skirt- Value Village $7.99
A couple of strapless maxi dresses. I love these for throwing on for breakfast or for pulling over a bathing suit. I also love that these can be folded over and worn with a tank if you'd prefer to wear it as a skirt. Extra versatile!
Flowered Maxi- $12.99 Value Village
A couple of comfy, cotton, easily-rolled and fun-to-wear dresses for the evenings.
And, of COURSE, I packed a couple more maxi dresses (my faves) that had straps. I love the comfort, that they can be dressed up or down, and that they can be rolled up to take up very little room in the suitcase.
Top Dress- Value Village 50% off $9.99
Bottom Dress- Value Village $12.99
And here is the Just One bracelets that my sister brought for my birthday gift. Love.
Well, thanks for reading about what I had in my Dominican Closet, friends.
If you are heading somewhere warm soon....don't forget the sunscreen! :)
I believe this a great how-to for all you curl-loving ladies out there!
In case you ever wondered how to get a certain type of curl, here are some tutorials on what tools to use AND how to wrap the hair (which incidentally is JUST as important as the tools you use).
In case you don't go to that post, I shall give you my version here.
This is your basic curl. It is relatively uniform from top to bottom. You start out at the top (roots) and curl the strand by inching your way down the hair shaft with the iron. This is done by a constant pinch and release of the iron all the way down.
This is likely the way that you are trying to curl your hair, and wondering why it never looks quite right. This type of curl seems to make the most sense because you simply clamp your ends and roll up with the iron. The curl that is achieved with this method, however, is a very tight curl at the bottom and no curl at the top. That is because by the time the iron reaches the roots of your hair, the heat will not be able to penetrate through all the layers of hair that are already wound around the iron barrel.
I love to use this curling method on my brides (because it has the chance to cool in the curled state, thus amping up the holding power of the curl), or when I am trying to acheive that "Old Hollywood Glam" type of look. You want to be sure that you curl the entire strand of hair and then clamp it with a clip or bobby pin. When cooled and brushed out, you won't believe the volume achieved!
This is probably my favourite curl and the one that I will do on 99% of my brides and bridal parties. It is more of a 'perfect' curl, which is great for more formal occassions. And when brushed out, you achieve that sought-after S-curl. It is tricky at first to make sure that the hair stays flat against the wand and doesn't twist as you wrap it. I like the idea that the website suggests of practicing with the iron off first.
Twist wrapping around a wand produces a very natural, asymmetrical type of curl. This is a perfect curl to blend in with naturally curly/ wavy hair. Just be sure that you twist loosely in the same direction that your hair curls and do NOT brush it out. Simply pull apart gently with your fingers.
This method of curling produces an uneven, boho-chic type of curl. It is a great curl for girls with really long hair, because you will get the curl all the way to the top of the hair shaft, but the weight of the hair will pull it out a bit, so it will not look so perfect.
Here is a video how-to on the beautiful waves this method can produce:
This is the method that I used exclusively on myself and every client...until I bought my wand. Now I find that some hair curls better with a flat iron (usually fine, uncoloured hair or naturally curly hair- because it is taming frizz and curl from both sides, I believe), and some with a wand. To get this imperfect curl, I'll tell you right now- it will take practice. You need to learn to start at the root and give the iron a quick twist (If you hold it in one spot for too long, you will get a line of demarcation) and pull slowly through the entire shaft.
Here is a great how-to video:
This is a tough curl, in my opinion. If you like the look of this wave, I would recommend using a waving iron, like in the next method. If you are determined to try this curl, however, you basically move the flatiron like an 'S' down the hair shaft. You can check out a tutorial on this method here.
This method is probably the easiest since you ALL owned a crimper at some point, yes?? ;) All you have to do is squeeze the hair between the 3 barrels, release, move down the hair shaft and squeeze again. You repeat down the entire strand.
I recommend using a waver with larger barrels than the one shown here. I've seen good results from the Hot Shot Tools Deep Waver and other Deep Wavers.
Here is a video tutorial for using a Deep Waver:
Well there you are friends, every type of curl out there and the best methods of achieving them.
Please, try them out and let me know your favourites!
