inVESTment

Eureka!

It's coming back in style.. 

My 4th grade self rejoices!

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 Have you guys noticed the denim vest trend? Or is it even a trend, yet?

I spotted a few out and about the other day, but did I want to pay full price for one?
Actually pay for an Old Navy or Gap or J. Crew vest?

Nah.

Instead, lightbulb going off,  I marched myself to my local Goodwill, finding this beauty..

Plain, ordinary jean jacket, right?

After a thorough, double-hot water wash and dry, I was ready for surgery.

Snip, snip went the sleeves..

..and PRESTO- instant vest.

Way cuter than a full jean jacket on these hot days! And at 2.99, not a bad investment. Pun intended.

DIY Anthropologie Tribal Necklace

Hey friends.

I have a fun little summer project for us all.

I don't know about you, but I love a big statement necklace. They're a fun way to jazz up an outfit. Lately, I've been inspired by large, over-the-top, funky, tribal necklaces. Ones that are bright and colorful that I can just throw on, and go. Check out the necklaces of the men and women of the Massai tribes.

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See what I mean? Simply beautiful.

So imagine my delight when I found the Navala Necklace the other night at Anthropologie.

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Studying the necklace really got my gears turning. I rushed home and whipped up my own, using a lot of the things I had at home. For $15. Booyah.

 The goods:

*Friendship bracelet string (floss, I think its called?).

* Cording or rope of some kind. I used cording from Jo-Ann's. Mine is about around the same thickness of my pinkie. For three necklaces I got a little over 2 yards.

* Small amount of chain

*Lobster clasps

*Jump rings (they're a plain, metal ring in the jewelry section at the crafts store)

* Nuts and washers the same thickness as my cording. You will need 1 washer and one nut for EACH end of each necklace. 2 ends x 3 necklaces: 6 washers and 6 nuts. Grab a few extras if you want some extra embellishments.

Optional: beads or any extra bling.

Step 1:

Loop the cording around your neck at your desired length and cut. My strips are 22, 24, and 29 inches. Take an awkward picture if you need to get the position right.

Step 2:

Lay your strips out and tightly tape your ends, ensuring they won't unravel.

Step 3:

 Leaving an inch or two out, start wrapping your cording with your first floss color. You want to wrap evenly, but not too tightly. Every few inches scrunch down the wrappings- you don't want any gaps!

Want to change colors?

  Cut your first color and tie the end to your next color, hiding the tail as you wrap.

Step 4: Optional

I added a few extra bells and whistles to mine, but you don't have to. As you wrap, thread a bead, extra nut, or washer and continue to wrap.

Step 5:

Keep wrapping and changing colors, until you reach the end. Have fun with it! Remember to leave a few inches at the end.  Repeat for the other two pieces of cording.

Step 6:

Grab a nut and a washer, and carefully thread them on the ends of your necklaces.

Step 7:

Lay your chain out and decide how long you want it to be. You will be attaching some chain to each end. I cut my chain at 2 inches long. Repeat for all.

Step 8:

With the end pieces of floss, carefully tie it to one end of the chain. Also, trim down the leftover end of the cording,  Repeat for all.

Step 9:

(sorry no pic)

Here you have two options. You can either:

- make 3 separate necklaces

OR

- have 3 necklaces, strung together as one BIG necklace.

I chose the 2nd option, but both are easy. Grab and open 1 jump ring and one of the lobster clasps. The jump ring links the clasp and the chains of the actual necklace. Carefully open the jump ring and thread the ends of the chains. Now add in the little hoop of the clasp, and close the jump ring. Repeat on the other side. If you wanted to make separate necklaces, you will need a jump ring and 2 lobster clasps.

Step 10: Optional

I added a bit of super glue to each of the end nuts/washers and to the string on the chain. You know, just for durability. Let everything dry and trim up any loose ends.

Ta-da!

 You're done!

I'm Shutter-ing: Part Deux

A few weeks ago, I attempted to share  a shutter project. A pal of mine was looking for a certain  je ne sais quoi over her....ahem.... toilet. With a good slap of gray paint, we knocked them out in no time. Now, TA-DA!  They are hanging up, making her loo ever so lovely!

Chevy

Is it just me, or is there an INSANE amount of chevron popping up in stores and in home projects?? Maybe I'm just dreaming it, but I see it everywhere. Beautiful, crisp, clean, classic stripes.

For your viewing pleasure, take a look at some of my recent faves:

Fully jumping aboard this chevron train, I've recently started a "chevy" project of my own.

(chugga- chugga- choo-chooo)

 A HUGE project.

Something that seems WAAAAAAY beyond my skill level.

It might take a few weeks. 

Or even months, depending on how much reality TV I watch patience I have.

Needing a smidge-of-a hint?

Well, ok.

Just a quick looksie.

Have you guessed it?

That's all you get, friends!

Hairy Chair-y

Recently, a girlfriend of mine asked me to help her "re-do"  a chair she nabbed from her parents house. She, being more contemporary, wanted a completely different change from the 1981 look that the chair featured.

Loving a new project, I happily obliged.

Whoa, is all I gotta say.

She brought over a cute, squat, cane-back club chair. It still had good bones, but a butt-ugly seat.

She told me she was going to "shock me" , but she was looking for a "new, neutral finish, with a hairy seat". Had I seen that before, she asked?

Hmmm.

After much ham-hawing, yes, yes I think I had.

I pulled up The Nester page and showed said friend about a fur covered chair, recently completed. 

Was that the look she was going for?

YES!!, was her exuberant cry!

We went to work. We drove all over Memphis looking for the right kind of faux fur fabric. Something with a thick nap to it. We tried craft stores, fabric stores, and drapery shops.

Teensy side note and reader review: Do NOT go into Calico Corners of Memphis looking less than put together. I am not sure if it was my bare summer legs or day old pedicure that offended them. They gave us the snub. I wanted to come to the store later in the day, Julia Roberts style (in Pretty Woman), with bags in tow and shout "Big Mistake".

Anyhoo.

We FINALLY found the fabric of choice at the second Hobby Lobby. We officially dubbed the pitiful, on-sale, bathroom rug  "Project Seat Cover".

Now at home, how on earth were we to attach the darn thing?

Enter: my black belt in Hot Gluing.

So, yeah, we just hot glued it to the seat. She didn't want it finished on the underside, so that was fine with me.

Very fuzzy, but you get the idea.

After we "covered" it,  we plopped it back in the chair and admired our work.

Umm.

Well, she LOVES it, to the say the least. To me, it looks like a hairy chair. But I am glad if that is what she was going for.

 We're going to go back and paint it another day. She is thinking distressed white, or gray, perhaps? Still deciding..

Here's to hoping it all comes together.

Linking up @ Six Sisters

Old Piece, New Face..

Guess who needed a face lift?

My dearest buffet.

I loved the rich, drama of the satin black paint.

Lovely, cozy drama.

But..

I've been wistfully pining away for some lighter colors.

I debated. I toiled. Sweated it out.

(translate: it was really a snap decision)

 I held up millions upon millions of swatches.

(translate: only like...2)

I thought long and hard about it.

And got to work.

mmm- who doesn't just love a good, 'ole unflattering photo?

Green Thumb..

 I shared with you that we've been digging, dumping, and landscaping lately, right?

Brenon was the initiator of our "re-vamping" of the flower beds, but I wanted my own green project. Just a little sum-thin, sum-thin, by the back door.

See, I have had my eye on these bad boys for awhile:

 These stacked, clay pots are just fab. I've seen them pop up in a few magazines, lately. All different shapes and sizes. I love how relaxed the look is.  So with inspiration pictures in hand, I got to work.

I attempted to type out a how-to, but it got a little wordy. So how 'bout a visual?

Amateur Picasso, no?

You're going to need 3 variegated pots and 2 pots you don't see. Stack everything up like the visual, and plant away!

<----I chose Hellebores (sometimes called Lenten Roses) for the top and bottom pots..





...and Corra Bells for the middle pot---->

We'll see how long I can keep up my green thumb..

New Wreaf--Updated

Remember this post? I've been on the hunt for a new front door wreath for awhile, but I finally just broken down and made one, until I find what I am looking for.

I saw a couple of variations in magazines and online, but wanted something a little plainer. This is a versatile project on the cheap. Use any kinda fabric you might have. I had some leftover burlap so I went to work.

Gather up your supplies- you'll need 1-1 1/2 of fabric, and a wire coat hanger. Maybe extra fabric for a bow??

 Go ahead and un-twist your coat hanger and bend into a circle like shape.

Next, lay your fabric out flat and cut long strips. Your strips should be 3-4in wide. Don't worry about measuring- just eyeball it.

Take a strip and thread on your coat hanger. Twist and turn it, creating those big loops. Keep on threading until you run out- and then just repeat with another strip.

When you are finished, kinda wrap the ends of the coat hanger to form a loop.

Ta-Da!

I have found you might want to add a little hot glue to stabilize your fabric in between your loops as they have a tendency to slide down.

I was going to put a bow- but I like the simplicity and texture of the burlap.

A Boquet for You....

  A few weeks ago, on a Nashville trip, some friends and I popped into the Fossil store. After perusing around a bit, I stumbled across these "oh-so-cute"  flower pins.

So cute, right?? They were about 5" in diameter, and sold for $15. I was tempted to snag one, until my cheap gears started turning. "How easy would it be to make this?"  I knew I had some left-over felt at home, soooooo, this is what I came up with:

First, I cut out a couple of circles, in graduated sizes.

Next, grab some scissors and fray the edges with little snips. My snips are about 1/2 in long. It's fine if your snips are not even.

      Next, thread yo' self a needle and grab the two smallest circles. Stack them, with the smallest on top. Now, kinda  fold/scrunch/bunch them up. Sew a couple of stitches towards the bottom- you are trying to make those little snips stand up.

  Ok, now stack your just- sewed circles on top of your other snipped circles (Make sure they are all in order). Stitch a few loops to hold it all together. Last step-  hot glue/ super glue a pin on the back. Make sure you glue the pin close to the top, or it might hang or flop forward.

                                  
 Where to find these pins?? Try a crafts store (Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Joann's) or maybe even good ole' Wal-mart.

   Ta- da!! Piece of cake! Just the right "foof" to jazz up your coat, or a plain cardigan! And how stinking cute would it be on a kiddo?? Love it!

   Yeah, I know, I got a bit carried away. I was supposed to be watching the football game with Brenon. How did I do the other, smaller flowers? I found them on another cute blog, awhile back. Find her----->HERE