DIY Inspiration: Belts galore!

I've been sick for the past few days (always fun) so that gave me some time to browse through the interwebs for some fun inspiration. And what caught my eye was the boom in belts.. belts of all kind; thick, thin, metallic, glittery, etc.
While I was browsing through J.Crew, some belts caught my eye... the glitter belts, of course, but also a cute, tribal inspired thread-wrapped belt. (It's on sale right now!) I feel like it would be a pretty easy DIY, much like the threaded bobby pins I did a while back, just on a larger scale. And of course, glittering a belt would be as simple as mod podge/DIY decoupage and glitter.

I love the animal charms on belts that seem to fade in and out of stores. These charms are usually silver or gold and have some bold enamel coloring.

And I can't forget the RL laser-cut leather belt that tricks the eye into skinny-ing you up... it's to die for. Actually, all of RL's belts this season were on point... I love the luxe embellishments like the gold clasps and the jeweled decor. I couldn't find an image of RL's black laser cut belt anywhere on the internet, but it is featured in the Wall Street Journal's magazine. I found some brighter, more spring/summer lasercut belts over at the GAP.

DIY Inspiration: Tattered Sweaters, Face Masks

I was recently perusing one of my favorite sites, Jak & Jil, when I noticed a pretty interesting trend from Rick Owen's fashion show: tattered sweaters.. for the face! While I definitely don't think I would want to wear anything on my face, I do think this look could be great transitioned to traditional sweaters or even scarves.

 

A Bad Haircut's Best Friend (4 DIY's in one!)

I think it's safe to say everyone has had a bad haircut at least once in their lifetime. You may go to the same person time and time again, but the hair-fates decide to unleash their wrath on you. The last time I got a haircut, this unlucky person was me. My bangs were cut waaaay too short, and I was in despair, until I remembered Pinterest (thank you, Lord!) is chock full of great hair-ideas. In the past few months (yes, months... that's how bad this haircut was) my bangs have been braided, teased, twisted, you name it!

My bangs have become best friends with bobby pins lately, and I thought it'd be a great idea to jazz up some plain black bobby pins. Seriously, it's the simplest D.I.Y's that end up being used the most, and these are SUPER simple. These are just a few ideas I came up with, and I have more to try, but if you guys ever want to jazz up some bobby pins, here are some super easy D.I.Y's to try!

1) Wrap it!

I was inspired by a set of bobby pins at Aerie a while ago; they were wrapped and had a tribal vibe to them. Unfortunately, I didn't feel like spending $7.50 for two bobby pins! So, DIY!

(I couldn't find a picture of them on the internet, sadly. My recreation is pretty true to the original, though!)

Materials:

-Threads of different colours

-Bobby pins

-Clear nail polish

Wrap thread around to desired length, knot.

Seal with clear nail polish to prevent fraying.

Close up of how I tied off the ends...

Done!

The finished project!

 I love how versatile this project is. You can do tons of different designs in different colors, etc. and it looks too pretty!

2) Glitter!

Simply follow the steps I provided in my last post on how to 'glitta-fy' anything. It's that easy (:

3) Nailed it.

Use your nail polish to add some life to bobby pins! Go wild with the way you paint.

Materials:

-Nail polish

-Bobby pins

-Clear polish (sealant)

I adore the colorblock trend, so I translated it over to make a cute hair accessory!

4) Embelishments

If you have any loose buttons, jewels, etc. they'd be perfect accents on bobby pins! I used craft-store pearls and a hot glue gun. Make sure to work pretty quickly and be careful with the hot glue gun!

As you can see, there are a myriad of ways to pretty-up even the simplest hair accessory. Make your bobby pins unique and your own! 

How to Glitta-fy anything!

Hey everyone! If you have a Pinterest, you know glitter is nothing short of practically worshiped there. While I certainly don't worship glitter, I do love it. Whenever I go to the craft store, I have to exercise an extreme amount of self control... this isn't to say I don't have 40+ vials of glitter already, though (; 

Anywhoo, I've seen a lot of methods for decoupaging involving Modge Podge, but that stuff is insanely expensive! So, here's a pretty widely known recipe for your own homemade, super effecive DIY decoupage!

Ingredients:

-All purpose school glue, like Elmers 

-Water

-Glass Jar (Any old thing will do)

*Now, instead of doing a 1:1 ratio as so many websites suggest, I tend to use a lot more glue than water. Maybe 3/4 cup glue and 1/8 to 1/4 cup water... seriously, I wouldn't go any more than that or your decoupage glue will become way too runny! 

1) Pour your glue in. 
2) Pour water.
3) Shake/mix until the two are a slightly runny consistency.
4) Enjoy!


What's great about decoupage is that it's wonderful for applying glitter to almost anything! Yes, you can do that with regular glue too, but decoupage glue is much easier in my opinion to apply (you can apply it with a paintbrush because it's thinner than glue; no messy hands!). I tried it out on quite a few small things, but I really wanted to do my phone case.
I applied two coats decoupage glue, then shook some glitter on. Excess glitter went onto a piece of paper I had underneath and then right back into the jar! If it's spotty, apply glue to areas with less glitter. Then, shake glitter on again. Wait for a few hours for your project to dry. NOTE: I do not recommend going over the project with the decoupage glue to seal it. I use Krylon's Glitter Blast Clear Sealer (it comes in a spray paint can) because it's specially formulated to deal with glitter. The decoupage glue will most likely dull your sparkles, and who wants that? 

Before

After!

 

My decoupage glue. (:

 Happy crafting!

D.I.Y Avocado Hair Mask and Olympic Talk!

Hey everyone! The summer season of swimming officially ended for me this past week, and I have to say... as much as I love swimming, it does a huge amount of damage to my hair, even if I wear a cap. So, after the end of the season, I always like to indulge in a verrrry intensive hair mask. (I do a weekly hair mask in the shower, but this is verrry different!) I've done mayo masks, olive oil, and coffee masks, and I've been dying to try and avocado mask, so the fact that we had 6(!) avocados just lying around was perfect.

What you'll need:
-One ripe avocado
-1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (this depends on how much/how thick your hair is. The thinner your hair, the less you use. The thicker, the more.)
-1 egg yolk*
-1 tablespoon honey*
-A few drops of lemon juice*

*= optional ingredients. These are really just for a super intensive mask, like I needed. If you don't have the ingredients, that's fine!

Steps:
-Mash or blend together your ingredients together in a bowl until creamy.
-Apply to hair, but try to avoid the scalp. This could make your hair too oily. (NOTE: If you prefer to do this in the shower, I'd suggest just going ahead and shampooing and washing beforehand, and then applying onto your wet hair.)
-Wrap hair in a shower cap or saran wrap.
-Wait 20-30 min.
-Shower, shampoo and condition as usual. After you shampoo, your hair might feel a little gross... mine did, but I promise, after you condition, it'll feel amazing! After the second wash, it'll feel even better!

The essentials!

I thought this would be a fitting post since the Olympics are going on right now, and swimming is always such a big sport to watch during the summer Olympics. (Probably the only time the rest of the world cares about the sport, sadly.) So, in honor of chlorinated and sun-bleached (for the outdoor sports) and any hair that needs some pampering, I thought a hair mask was fitting.

Packing 101: Festival Must-Haves

Oh, I forgot! This is a list of things I think you absolutely must bring to a music festival. I think I'll start doing a 'Packing 101' feature, like for beach stays, city stays, etc. If you have any ideas for more packing 101's, leave it in the comments! (:

-Backpack: This should be a good, high-quality, very durable backpack. It'd be best if it were waterproof, but if you can't get your hands on one of those, any decent-grade backpack will do. Make sure it has pretty well-cushioned shoulder pads, though, or your shoulders will be killing you while you rock out to The Killers! I recommend Herschel co., or honestly, I love Speedo Pro backpacks... they're huge and waterproof, and stand up to pretty much everything. They come in tons of colors too!

-Bug Spray: This is a given... but if you haven't heard of it yet, also try the Bug-Band. It repels bugs for up to 120 hours, and comes in tons of colors, even glow-in-the-dark! They have a pretty strong smell, but it's not unpleasant.

-Sunscreen: This is also a given! I'd recommend SPF 50 or greater. Make sure it's something easy to apply and re-apply, like a sport spray. I'd definitely recommend a spray.

-Hat: Like I said in my previous post, though... a smaller hat is better than a large hat. Also, make sure this is pretty cheap. You don't want to spend lots of money on something you're probably going to lose.

-Extra pair of comfy shoes: Your feet will be killing you if you wear heels... pack an extra pair of shoes just in case! Make sure they're pretty compact, like flip flops, so you can just throw them in your bag.

-Cash: It's just a lot easier to bring cash, most festivals don't support credit cards.

 -IF any of the bands are doing meet & greets: something to get signed! You don't want to have to pay for a shirt for them to sign if you already have their album or something like that, do you?

-Walkie-Talkie: Since your cell coverage is probably going to be spotty at best, it'd be wise to bring  a walkie-talkie so you can communicate with your friends.

-Waterproof blanket/ poncho: If you don't plan on getting right up in the mosh pit and just want to sit and relax to music, make sure to bring a waterproof mat/ blanket. A big rain poncho will also do just fine to work double duty.

-Toilet paper or babywipes: I don't even need to explain how dirty and gross port-o-johns can get, do I?

Of course, this list doesn't cover those who camp at their festivals. I didn't get the opportunity to camp out at Firefly, but if there's anything you feel I forgot, don't hesitate to add anything in the comments! Thanks!

Could-Have Been Festival Fashion

Hey guys... so, summer is a big time for music festivals like Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Coachella, etc. Well, here in my state, they actually set up a HUGE music festival for the first time ever, Firefly. It's a 3 day event, and I got a 3-day pass. I planned on doing a great festival-fashion piece, but sadly, familial conflicts got in the way and I only got to attend the first day. However, that doesn't mean I didn't keep an eye out for some very, uh, interesting trends. (Keep in mind, half this post was written with sarcasm. It's my second language...)

-Hunter brand galoshes: For some reason, EVERYONE was wearing rainboots. It wasn't even raining at all, it was actually kind of hot. But, nevertheless, these boots would be a cute and practical solution if you live in a very rainy area. These boots are usually $100+, but if you have a Nordies in your area, their Anniversary sale has them listed around $99.

-Bustier tops: This is an obvious one... although, considering it gets quite cold here at night, probably not the best idea for a chilly night. Tie-backs were very popular. Pair it with a bikini top and you've got a very skimpy, but very summery outfit.

-High-waisted jean shorts: As the essential closet staple in any hipster wardrobe, I saw tons of variations... studded, laced, Americana, prints, different washes, etc. Most girls chose to go the 'almost a jean bikini' look and hoisted their pants up to 'here'... and some guys, too!

-Bandanas: Almost everyone had the same type of bandana, just in a different color. This type is the one you can easily get at a craft store like Michael's for a dollar. Tie it around your wrist, leg, or head and bam; instant music festival fashion.

 -Hats: Hats of all sizes, it seemed like the bigger, the better. However, it's my personal opinion that if you're going to wear a hat to a music festival, keep it small, especially if you're on the taller side. You don't want to block people behind you (which did happen to me... thanks, sombrero guy!). If you are going to wear an oversized hat like aforementioned sombrero man, please make sure the people around you can see. Hats are practical for blocking sun and keeping your face in the shade, but make sure you're not keeping other people's faces in the shade too... they might not enjoy it when you're blocking their view of Damian Kalush of OK Go.

-Honestly, just boots: Even though it was hot, like I said, boots were huge. I went the practical way and wore some simple t-strap sandals, but boots (and boot tan-lines) were very big at Firefly. High boots, booties, mid-calves... I even saw some very creative boots made of glow-sticks at night. Make sure you apply sunscreen, in order to stave off the aforementioned boot tans.

I'm sure if I had been able to go to the other days I would've picked up on more, but sadly, things happen sometimes. (At least I got to see OK GO...) Anyways, I think the most important thing to do at a music festival is to enjoy the music... dress practically yet fashionably, and you're sure to have a great time.