DIY: Glittery Triangle Manicure

 My mother bought me these beautiful silver cap toe pumps in the perfect shade of mint for Christmas.  They were the inspiration for this glittery triangle manicure...

Base color: Sally Hansen Hard as Nails in Mint Sorbet and Art Club Nail Art Lacquer in Silver Glitter

Paint your base coat

Cut painter's tape into small strips and create "X"s on the center of your nail.  This is what's going to form the triangle shape.

Paint the silver glitter into the triangle and let dry.  Gently pull off and...

...Ta Daaa!

DIY: "Nailhead" Studded Bag

I started this DIY not really knowing how it was going to end up. All I knew is that I wanted to update my old bag by using the color of the season, Oxblood. Once I finished painting I knew my work was not done. I thought studs would look great, but was really not in the mood to go through the whole process (as seen here). These brass plated fasteners were the next best thing. Check out the process below:

 {I used acrylic paint and a paintbrush}

{first coat.  I used three.  be sure you allow to dry in between} 

{brass plated fasteners can be found at any office supply store}

 {use pliers to clip off the ends as close to the base as possible}

{use super glue to adhere the "nailhead" to the bag}

 {press down for a few seconds to make sure it sticks}

{end result}

DIY: Floral Crown

I attended a Halloween/birthday party this past weekend.  The finishing touch to my sugar skull costume was my flower crown.  There was no way I was going to spend a crazy amount of money on one so I headed to my local dollar store for all of the components.  I spent a grand total of $6 to create my crown.  I could easily make about two more with the leftovers.  Here is how to make your very own flower crown in just a few simple steps:

You'll need floral wire, faux flowers, hot glue (not pictured- sorry I forgot :), pliers, & floral tape (optional)

With the wire create a circle that fits comfortably around your head (make sure it's easy to put on/take off)

Tuck in the ends of the wire.  If needed use floral tape to cover any sharp edges

Cut your flowers with the pliers and place in desired direction using hot glue to secure. 

Add as many flowers as you would like then let dry.

And there you have it, a pretty crown of flowers!

Check out last year's Halloween DIY here.

DIY: Military Inspired Mani

I'm really fond of the khaki and army green color combo.  This military inspired look is super simple to recreate.  All you need is nude colored polish, a dark green polish, and some gold microbeads. 

 

Process:

1.  Apply 2 coats of nude polish

2.  Apply green polish to tips in a "V" shape

3.  Using an orange stick apply microbead to the base of the "V"

4.  Seal beads with a thick layer of top coat

 

You can check out my microbead mani tutorial here.

 

DIY Halloween

{this is the one!}

So, I officially decided on my Halloween costume.  For some reason I always end up with a Mexican themed getup.  I don't know what it is, but it just happens.  I found a lot of inspiration on Pinterest.  Here are some pretty cool DIY costume ideas.  You can follow me on Pinterest here.

 

DIY: At Home Facial

{Step 1: Remove Makeup}

I have tried various makeup removing wipes, but I always find myself coming back to these Boots #7 wipes I buy at Target. Ponds cold cream does a great job of removing any excess eye makeup.

As much as I'd love to go the spa and get a facial every week, my wallet does not allow for such great luxuries. This is my personalized at home facial routine that I try to commit to at least once a week. The products featured work for me, but you may have to personalize according to your skins needs (dry, acne prone, sensitve, etc). So, go ahead and pamper yourself!

{Step 2: Open pores & Cleanse}

I wet a washcloth with hot water and place it over my face for about a minute. This helps to open up your pores. Next I cleanse with Liquid Neutrogena. I find this works really well and doesn't over dry my skin.

{Step 3: Exfoliate}

You may have seen this gentle exfoliator from Lush in this post. This gives my skin a smooth finish without being too harsh.

{Step 4: Purify}

I just recently purchased this facial mask by Freeman and I love it. It really helps with blackheads and minimizes pores.

{Step 5: Moisturize}

I am a huge fan of coconut oil. Not only does it smell great, but it truly is the perfect natural moisturizer. I use Vaseline to moisturize my lips and under my eyes.

DIY: Clutch Makeover

You may have noticed I have an affinity for making old things new as seen here and here. Again, I found myself contemplating getting rid of an old "jelly" clutch that is about 7 or 8 years old. Instead I got my creative wheels turning and decided to give it a little makeover. For this re-vamp I used:

Martha Stewart Satin finish Craft paint in Wild Salmon

A small roller

Paint tape

pyramid studs

 jewelry pliers

scissors

First I cleaned off the clutch, then painted it. Three coats should be enough. Once completely dry I added the studs. I am contemplating adding more studs, but I am still trying to re-gain feeling on my fingertips ; )

{end result in natural lighting}

DIY: Neon Ombré Blouse

{before}

Those of you that follow me on Instagram may have noticed that I purchased some Tumble Dye earlier this week. Being that neon is one of the hot summer "must haves" and my wardrobe was lacking I decided to do a little DIY. Here's what you'll need:

any blouse or shirt

Tumble Dye in the color of your choice

Some water

Newspaper or an old magazine

An iron or a dryer

 

Place your blouse or shirt on some newspaper or in my case the Oriental Trading catalog. Shake the Tumble Dye really well and spray as desired. Dilute the dye with some water when spraying up to give an ombré effect. Let dry. Once completely dry iron or place in the dryer for 20 minutes to set the color. It's that simple! Outfit post to come next week.

{end result - subtle take on the neon trend}

DIY: Tribal Inspired Sandals

I was on the search for a new pair of flat sandals the other day. All the designs that caught my eye had some kind of decorative embellishment, that quite frankly I could have done myself and pay a fraction of the price. Enter this easy DIY. It is not a quick one, but watching TV shows on my DVR helped the time fly by. Here are the steps...

{materials: an old pair of sandals, embroidery floss, super glue, scissor (not pictured)}

{tie a small knot with the first color of embroidery floss}

{glue the knot to the sandal}

{wind around the sandal - knotting each new color to the next}

{end result}