OOTD: Casual Birthday Dinner

Last night I went to a casual birthday dinner with my family.  I wanted to be comfortable but still feel cute, so I went with a pair of dressy'ish' shorts and a silk top.  I only had a few minutes to run home and change after work, so my hair was just pulled back in a ponytail and my accessories were minimalistic.

Also- please excuse my disaster of a room. By Friday, it always looks like a tornado has come through.

Top: Banana Republic (bought at Gap Clearance store)

Shorts: Forever 21

Shoes: Steve Madden (bought at Dillard's for 65% off)

Watch: Michael Kors Runway (from Macy's)

Arrow Bangle: Forever 21

Catherine

CHIC.CLASSY.CHEAP

DIY Tutorial: Thumbtack Monogrammed Chevron Canvas Art

This turned out to be such a fun project, and it really wasn't difficult (although it may look like it was). I must say, I absolutely LOVE how it turned out.  It is the perfect addition to a very plain room, and the best part is: if you for some reason are not a monogram lover like moi, you can customize it any way you want with the thumbtacks.   I worked on it super slowly, mainly because I have been all over the place these last couple months with graduation, and moving, etc, etc.  Anyway, if I had decided to do it all at once I probably could have gotten it done in a day or two, depending on how long it took the paint to dry.

What you need:
A canvas- This one is from Michael's, I believe it is 16x20 inches
Blue painter's tape
Paint color of your choice (mine is the flamingo pink I used for my monogrammed dish)
A paint brush or sponge (Michael's has them for super cheap)
A washable marker (for sketching the monogram)
A whole lotta thumbtacks! ( I had 300 from the dollar store, but that wasn't enough. Had to get a 2nd box, which was from WalMart and worked the same)

The first step is to tape out your zig zags on your canvas. This can be kind of tedious, especially if you are a perfectionist.  Luckily, I am not. Anyway, you want to start cutting many, many strips that are all around the same length from your painter's tape.  At first, I was trying to be perfect and measuring out all the strips to be exactly the same length.  If you want the same size 'zig zag' every time, this is the way to go.  If you don't really care that it's perfect, you can eyeball the length. You then just start to lay them out in a zig zag fashion, all the while smoothing out any ridges or bubbles in the tape.

If you want perfect lines, use this technique
 of measuring the tape every time

I did about 2 lines of zig zags with this technique when I realized it didn't have to be perfect, especially since the monogram itself was going to be the focal point.  From then on, I began to eyeball the length of the tape and didn't measure between each row of zig zags.  It wasn't perfect, but like I said, it didn't really matter to me.

As you can see, my lines are not all the same.
It's not obvious in the end though.

The bottom and top rows end up being little taped out triangles. You just need two small pieces of overlapping tape to form these triangles as shown in the picture above. As for the edges, I didn't worry about continuing the zig zag line on them, because I had decided to paint them coral from the beginning.  You can definitely continue the line if you want it to be chevron patterned on all edges.

Once it's all taped out, you can paint a coat over the canvas.  Remember when you are taping, what's white will actually be where the color is in the end, so if you want it thin, leave the space between rows thin, and vice versa if you want it thicker. 

Try not to get TOO much paint on the tape,
because it will bleed through in some places

I painted one thick coat at first, and after that dried went back in with a light second coat to get any white-ish spots.  I then let this dry FULLY before I pulled off the tape.

I was pretty satisfied with how it turned out, even when I first pulled off all of the tape.  There were definitely spots that needed touching up, but I just used a small detailing brush and guided it along the edge of any shaky looking lines.  It probably took about 15 minutes to clean up the lines to where I was satisfied with them. 

The next step was tracing out my monogram onto the canvas.  I found the easiest thing to do this with was a Crayola washable marker.  I chose to use pink.  I think you could also use chalk, or anything else that would be easy to wipe off, because trust me- you will make mistakes. I had a wet washcloth handy to wipe away any mistakes until I got it right.  I chose to do my monogram in a script font, which I can personally sketch out in about 2.5 seconds.  But if you are not familiar with how to draw your own- here is a picture of the alphabet in this font so you can figure it out on your own.  Note: My initials are CGB, but you want your last initial to be in the middle, and your first name initial on the left side with your middle name initial on the right.  So my monogram appears like this: cBg (little C, big B, little G). 

I sketched out the B first since it was the largest and in the very center of the canvas.  I also went ahead and put the thumbtacks in on the B so I knew exactly where I wanted to go with the smaller initials. 

It's very faint, but you can see the sketch of the B if you look closely

The next step is to start pushing the thumbtacks through the canvas.  You can just do this with your thumb, you don't need any type of tool.  It's relatively easy.  I also decided I wanted my thumbtacks to overlap because I liked the way that looked much better.  You can leave space between them if you prefer, and this would also save you a lot of thumbtacks.

Truckin' along on the B

After finishing the B, I went ahead and sketched the 2 letters on the side and begin to pin those as well.  They are supposed to be smaller, and almost fit into the large initials 'wings' or curls that branch out.

If you are not happy with the way a pin is laying, or the way a few pins are laying or curving or anything of that nature, it can be easily fixed.  All you have to do it pull the thumbtack out and re-pierce the canvas where you think it should lay.  I had to do this PLENTY of times throughout the process because I felt that if one was sitting wrong it stood out like a sore thumb. 

Closeup of the finished thumbtack monogram

As you can see, neither the chevron pattern or monogram itself is perfect,  but I think it turned out amazing and looks really good in my now tan room at home.  Plus it's just such an interesting piece, and something a lot of people would never have thought to do with some $1 thumbtacks :)  Here are some finished product photos of it hanging on my wall in my room: 

closeup with flash

From a different angle...

Sorry the colors are so off in some of these, I use my iPhone for pictures because my camera sucks, and it takes better quality pictures, but it's frustrating because I can never seem to get the color right! In real life the color is a really pretty coral, in most of the pictures I know it looks really bright and orangey.

I hope you guys enjoyed this tutorial and found it helpful!  Like I said earlier, you definitely don't have to do a monogram, you could do words, a picture (a fleur de lis would be really cute!), or anything your mind can think of! I would love to see the results if any of you do try this at home, so link it to me in a comment if so!

I plan on getting a new camera pretty soon, so hopefully my pictures will get better in my next couple of posts.  Also, be on the lookout for an update to the very popular cobra stitch bracelet tutorial in the next week or so! 

Don't forget to Share/Pin/Subscribe etc etc etc :)

Catherine

CHIC.CLASSY.CHEAP

DIY Tutorial: Scrapbook Paper & Mod-Podge Wine Bottle Makeovers

This is just going to be a quick tutorial, there aren't many steps to this craft.  It's simple and pretty easy to do, although it can get a little sticky!

What you need:
Old (empty) wine bottles
Scrapbooking paper of your choice
Mod Podge (I use 'lamination glue' from Hobby Lobby, it's only $2 per bottle and it's exactly the same)
Scissors
Fake flower of your choice

First off, you are going to want to clean your  wine bottles, and soak them in water to be able to scratch off any labels that may be attached.  You want to start with a clean, DRY bottle.

You can pick whatever scrapbooking paper you like to do this with, the ones in the picture above were in my kitchen at my apartment.  I just used one type of paper for each of those bottles, and they were both a paisley type of print.  There was one other in my apartment but I couldn't find a picture of it, and it is now packed away in a box since I am now officially moved back in at home :/

Anyway, like I said you can use whatever you want.  For the bottle that I am showing you, I actually used three different prints of paper, vs. the one print I had used on the ones above.  The trick with using multiple prints is making sure you don't overlap one specific print too many times.  You want the prints to be evenly placed on the bottle.

The three prints I chose to overlap

The picture above shows the three pieces of paper I chose to use for this particular bottle.  I went with these colors because this bottle was for my little sister for her birthday and she goes to NKU (black and yellow are the school colors).

The next step is just cutting the paper into about one inch strips, and then from there cutting those strips down into about 1x1 inch squares.  Nothing has to be perfect at all, and you can even tear the paper with your fingers if you want less of an 'edge'.  I just found using scissors was really easy and quicker than tearing.

Roughly 1 inch strips

Squares of all the paper
(ignore the god-awful bleach spot on the carpet, please!)

Next you just want to brush a thin layer of mod-podge on the wine bottle itself so that the paper will stick to it.  I usually do it in about 2 inch sections, and I recommend starting from the top of the bottle because the neck is the hardest part to do.  Once I have multiple pieces secured to the bottle, I then brush a pretty thick layer of mod-podge over the pieces.  It will look really milky at first, but it dries clear and then gives it that finished look.

Still milky looking after a layer
of mod-podge is put on top

Like I said, if you are just using one print, then you don't have to worry about your placing of the pieces.  However, if you are using multiple prints you want to make sure not to have too many of the same beside each other...just pay attention to your placement and it's really not hard. You continue this process all the way down the bottle until it is fully covered with paper and a thick coat of mod-podge.  Then you let dry.

You can stop at this step and it looks perfectly fine.  However, I like to overlap things on top of this layer.  For instance, if the print is paisley, I like to cut out a few full paisley shapes and overlap them (shown in the first picture).  I also did that with a floral print that I used on another.  For this one however, I wanted to stick with the NKU theme, so I printed off an NKU logo online and colored it in to make it stand out.  I then waited for the bottle to be completely dry and overlapped it on top.  

After adding the NKU logo

The last step is just to let that baby dry and pick out a fake flower of your choice to add to it (if you want of course)!  I picked up little flowers at hobby lobby in different colors, I think they were like $1 apiece- super inexpensive. These are super fun little personalized additions to any room, like a kitchen, bathroom or even bedroom.  And the best part is, you can personalize them any way you want.  You could do any sports teams, any colors or prints, any overlaps (initials would be adorable!) that your heart desires.

Emily's turned out super cute and exactly how I had wanted it to, and I can now post this blog because I gave her her birthday present early :)

The finished product!

I hope you all give this a try at home and personalize it in different ways! I would love to see the finished product if any of you all do give it a try.  Just an additional note: don't get it wet.  The mod-podge is water soluble, so it gets milky again if it's wet and then the paper could get soggy, which is just a no-no.  You could also seal this with an acrylic spray paint if you'd like.  I haven't done that to any of mine just because I didn't think it was necessary. 

Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Stay tuned, my next tutorial is turning out to be soo so cute!

Catherine

CHIC.CLASSY.CHEAP

Shopping Post: How to Shop at Forever 21

Ok- so looking at this title, you might be like what the heck? I walk in the store, look around and check out, duh. That's how you 'shop' in a store.  But the whole reason I am writing this is to give people clues on how to be successful when shopping at Forever 21.  People ask me all the freaking time where I get my outfits, accessories, clutches, and sometimes even shoes- and about 85% of the time my answer is Forever 21, which people then respond to with 'Really? I can never find anything in that store!' The thing is, walking into a Forever store is sometimes pretty overwhelming (especially the new store here in Louisville, KY).  There are clothes literally everywhere, nothing seems to be in a logical order, and it's usually cluttered, crowded and playing obnoxiously loud music.  Once you get over all of that though, it becomes sort of like an adventure to find the hidden treasure, in let's face it, a lot of junk.

Here's the secret to most of my success in shopping at this store: take FULL advantage of their website! I know some people are intimidated of shopping online, but seriously it is sooo much easier than shopping in the store.  It's organized really well, and the best part is, they update it almost every day with new items.  Sadly, I look at it enough that I even know the basic schedule of when they start to put up new items for the day.  Around 4 pm (EST) they will have at least a few new items up for that day, and usually by around 8:30 that night they will have everything uploaded in the New Arrivals section.  They have New Arrivals almost every day, sometimes Saturdays and Sundays you get nothin' but Mon-Fri there are always multiple items added.

Another reason a lot of people don't like to shop online is the annoyance of paying for shipping.  If a website doesn't offer some type of 'free shipping' offer, you can bet I am steering clear of it! The awesome thing about Forever21.com is they always offer free shipping when you spend $50 or more.  For most people, that is really not too hard to do.  Here's my personal technique for shopping online: throughout the week, I will check the New Arrivals, and if there is something that catches my eye, I will go ahead and add it to 'my bag'.  I have an account on the website already (duh) so it automatically saves the items in my bag (until they are out of stock) for the next time I sign in.  I continuously check the website when I have a few minutes, and then when it gets to Saturday I can usually make a decision to order what's left in my bag for the week or not, because I know there aren't going to be any more new arrivals until Monday night. I obviously do not order a shipment every week, that would be more than a little ridiculous.  Helpful hint: if you LOVE one thing in your bag, I guarantee there are thousand of other girls that will love it too.  If something is super popular, it will sell out FAST.  So my tip to you is if you love it, order it that day.  Otherwise it may be gone by the next time you check your bag.

"My Bag" in the upper right hand corner of the website

But, if you are the type (which many people are) to be afraid that something is not going to fit or look right if you order it online, don't worry- you can still get some helpful tips from this blog.  Even if you don't plan on ordering it, you can still build your 'bag' and  use the website almost as a tool to know exactly what you are looking for when you walk into the crazy, cluttered, overwhelming store itself.  A lot of times I will pull up my account on my phone, and go to my shopping bag to remember what I'm looking for specifically.  Then I at least know what colors, types of fabrics, prints, and clothing types I should be keeping my eyes open for.  Since most of the Forever stores are separated into sections like Basics, Heritage 1981, Accessories, Style Deals, Love 21, and even types of clothes like lace, neon, clubbing etc it's easy to narrow down where your item may be.  If you have been in your town's Forever 21 a few times you can easily get a feel for where these sections are and figuring out where what you're looking for becomes a tad bit easier.

If you are still lost at this point, you can even ask a store employee if they have seen the item you are looking for, and if you have it pulled up on your phone- you could even give them the item description number and they may be able to look it up for you on their own computers.

A few quick tips if you do in fact decide to brave the scary idea of ordering a shipment online:

• If you're questioning what size to order, look at how the item fits the model.  I know I am bigger than any model they photograph, so if it fits her correctly and it says below the picture 'model is wearing size small' I know I probably need a medium.
• Be careful when ordering jewelry online- pay attention to the measurements because a few times I have ordered earrings that I thought would be small and dainty, and they arrive and they're an inch and a half in diameter.  Accessories are final sale, so make sure you love it before you buy it!
• Know that you can return anything (other than sale items and accessories) to a brick and mortar store.  You don't have to go through the annoying process of mailing anything back.  You can just return it to the closest Forever 21 within 21 days with your receipt and you are able to get store credit.  I have never personally had to send anything back, I always just take it to my nearest store.
• Try on things at Forever stores to get a feel for how their sizes work.  I know generally their skirts run small, so I usually have to go up a size in those.  I also know that I like my shirts baggy so if it looks like it may be tight, I may order up in that as well.  I also know what size I usually wear in their pants- they run in sizes like 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, etc.  Try a couple pairs on in a store before ordering online so you have a general idea of where you're at especially if you've only ever bought jeans in size 2, 4, 6, or 8.
• For the plus size girls out there: They offer Forever 21 + in some stores, but they don't have it available in all of them yet (hopefully they will soon!).  Luckily, they do have a section online just for you.  My sister has found a lot of skirts and accessories and even a couple dresses through Forever 21 + and I am pretty sure she said they also run a little bit small, so if you're thinking you're a 2x, it might make more sense to try a 3x.
• Lastly, the "Style Deals"are always hot items, and they go SO FAST in stores.  I would always advise to order these online.  They're usually really inexpensive basics that you can build your wardrobe around- and they almost always end in .50 instead of .80.  Some great examples are jeans for $10.50, colored jeans for $15.50, denim shorts for $12.50, and bathing suits for as low as $4.50 per separate! 

Style Deal section of the website

Anyway, I know this is long but I hope it is helpful to some of you all out there that may struggle with finding things that you like in the kind of overwhelming environment that this store can sometimes bring with it.  I love to shop online, but there still is a part of me that loves to walk around in a store and physically try things on, so I kind of combine using both strategies.  I do always have an idea of what's in my bag online when I am shopping in the store, but sometimes I get lucky and find something that I wasn't looking for that I love!

Shopping is not supposed to be stressful, it's actually supposed to be the opposite.  So I hope you put some of these tips to good use and enjoy yourself when you're getting good deals and great clothes! :)

Catherine

CHIC.CLASSY.CHEAP

 

DIY Tutorial: Cobra Stitch Lanyard Bracelet with Chain

Read on to find out how to make these beauties :)

Hello everybody, this is a really fun tutorial that I haven't found yet on the internet, so I hope I am the first and I hope this is helpful! If you are on Pinterest, Etsy, YouTube, etc...then you have probably seen these bracelets.  Most of the time they are made with a chunky gold chain, which is what I wanted to do as well- but I didn't have much luck finding gold chain at any craft stores, so I am still on the hunt! (Gives me an excuse to make more of them anyway :)) Anyway- if you want to buy them you can find them on Etsy, helloberry is a popular seller of them, but there are multiple sellers.  BUT- if you want to make it yourself (which is way cooler anyway) stay tuned to get some helpful hints of how to finish the ends, and put it together, etc.

As for the actual stitch itself, it's called the King Cobra Stitch, which is actually just two Cobra stitches on top of one another.  Instead of trying to take pictures of the stitch itself, I thought it would just be easier to post the links to the youtube videos that I used:  Cobra Stitch and King/Super Cobra Stitch.  These videos are very helpful and I started my bracelets exactly how the instructor did in the videos.  However, I finished mine very differently, because I wanted loops on both ends to connect the chain to.  Figuring out how to do this was a bit tricky...

What you need:
Plastic Lacing/ Lanyard/ Gimp (I got 4 different colored spools of 10 yards each at Michaels for $.99 apiece)
Chain (I found mine at Michael's a few months ago, didn't have luck finding it again :/ try Ebay!)
Needle Nose Pliers
Lighter or a Hot Glue Gun (for finishing)

Determining how much lanyard you need is all personal preference.  I wanted my lanyard part of my bracelets to be more than half of the bracelet, so I would measure that much and pretty much triple it (there is a reason for this) for the first string.  I'd say it was about a foot long.  Then you need about 6.5 to 7 times the length of the first string for the longer string, and you DO need this much. I tried to skimp one time and it didn't work out so well-  I had to do the whole thing over.

As the video demonstrates- you then fold both pieces in half and get started on the Cobra stitch.  This is actually relatively easy, and you get the hang of it really quickly.

Getting started with the basic
Cobra Stitch

When you get relatively close to where you want the length of the lanyard to be- I'd say about half an inch from it, is when you have to start thinking about how to get the other side to have a loop to hold the chain.  I found a solution to this.  Basically, what you have to do is take the shorter pieces of lanyard and fold them upwards to where there are two loops at the bottom, and continue stitching over the pieces that hang out.  It sounds complicated but it's really not bad.  Hopefully the picture will do a better job of illustrating what you have to do. The ponytail holder helps keep the extra lanyard out of the way while I am finishing up the first layer of stitches.

I took the pieces from the inside and folded
them upwards to create two loops, then
continued the cobra stitch on top of that.

You continue to stitch until there is just enough room in the loops for your chain to fit through.  Then, you turn the whole lanyard upside down to begin the King Cobra stitching.  The King Cobra stitch is just continuing the Cobra stitch on top of what you have already done, to create a thicker look.  The video posted earlier is very helpful in figuring this out as well.

Starting of the King Cobra stitch

In the picture above you can see that the extra lanyard strings from where you folded over are still hanging out, but this is completely ok.  You are just going to continue stitching right over these strings, and they will eventually be completely covered up.  Plus, it helps with the thickness as well!

Those strings are about 2 stitches away
from being completely covered!

From here you just continue to stitch until you get back to the other looped end.  Then you have to figure out a way to finish it as 'prettily' as possible.  What I did for the first 2 was tie a couple knots in the lanyard, then lightly move a lighter over the knot to try and get it to melt together.  This was tricky because it would easily burn and sometimes the knot would even break apart.  Still, it worked on the first two pretty well.

You can see where the lighter touched the
lanyard at the top near the loop. It helped
secure the ends in place.

On the last bracelet I made, I ended up trying a different approach.  Instead of burning the ends, I just used a hot glue gun to secure the ends on the inside of the bracelet.  I would probably recommend this technique over the flame technique because the hot glue dries clear (vs. the charred look that can happen with the flame), and I think it will hold up pretty well.  The only tip with this is that you want the ends to be a little longer to glue them down, so maybe about a half an inch or a little bit less (about the width of the bracelet itself).

The last step is just adding the chain.  These bracelets are supposed to be big enough that you can slip them over your wrist without a clasp or closure, remember that when you're measuring for length.  I used about 9 links of my chain for my green and pink bracelets.  For the turquoise (which was my first one) I had to use a few more links, because I mis-judged the length of the lanyard part.  Installing the chain is super simple, just slip it through the loops and use your pliers to close the link of the chain.

Slide it through, then clamp it closed.
Repeat with the other side to connect the bracelet.

The finished product is really pretty fabulous.  It's very similar to the bracelets that helloberry sells for $25 apiece, and these probably cost about $.75 to $1.00 apiece.  I absolutely love the way they stack together, and plan on making a more neutral set (black, white, tan, etc.) when I am able to find a gold chain that I like. If you know of any places with a great selection of gold chain, please leave me a comment below and let me know!  I really hope this tutorial was helpful, and honestly they really are a lot of fun to make.  Brings me back to my elementary school days, making boxed lanyard keychains for all my friends.  Please comment/share/pin/subscribe! I really do appreciate it!

Stay tuned for more tutorials, and maybe even a fashion type post in the next couple of weeks! Here are a few more pictures of the finished products...

The backside of the bracelets

Still using my monogrammed dish :)

Stacked with other accessories

The neon is perfect for spring/summer!

Catherine

CHIC.CLASSY.CHEAP

DIY tutorial: A quick pillow re-do

I know making a pillow is so, so, so basic, but I thought there might still be people out there that could use some help with it! So, here ya go... this summer when I was planning my purple living room, I got some plain black pillows for super cheap at IKEA.  I decided to make them more fun and built felt flowers on them, and they were really cute at first and served their purpose, but the felt eventually shed all over the black and it was hard to get off, and they got really dirty but I couldn't wash them since they were just glued together.

Felt flowers on black IKEA pillows

Anyway, recently I have been wanting new pillows and have been thinking about ideas for my next place...and I know I want to incorporate gray and white and maybe coral, so I am going to slowly change everything over (or get rid of things) to get stuff in that color scheme.  I found a great gray and white fabric on sale for $2.50 a yard at JoAnn's and got a yard of it, not knowing exactly what I was going to do with it.

As you all know, decorative pillows can be super expensive for some reason.  So, I wanted to reuse what I already had.  I originally was going to just make covers for the black pillows and rip the flowers off, but the pillows were a little bit bigger than I preferred, so I decided to start fresh and just use the stuffing from the old ones.

First, you just need to cut 4 even squares of fabric.  I didn't measure or anything because I couldn't find a tape measure, so mine are by no means perfect...

sloppily cut squares :)

Next, you're going to sew two pieces together with the right sides facing in. That is how the fabric is laying in the picture above.  You want to sew the pieces together fully on three sides, and then a little on each side of the last edge, leaving a gap in the middle (big enough to fit your hand in for stuffing!)

the gap I left in the middle of the last side,
make sure you backstitch so the seams don't come
undone when stuffing!

At this point, you just want to quickly clip the corners (like I mentioned in my last tutorial) so they will come to a good point when you turn it right-side out.  Then, turn it out and begin stuffing.  You can obviously buy stuffing from any fabric store if you don't have old pillows you want to reuse.  I just ripped the black ones open and took the stuffing out in chunks until I was satisfied with the fullness of the new pillow!

Quick tip: stuff the corners first! It makes
things much easier in the long run

When you're finished stuffing, your hole should look
something like this.

All that's left to do now is pin that hole shut, and top stitch over it with your machine (can be hand sewn as well, the machine is just quicker).  This part can be a little tricky because the pillow doesn't fit easily under the machine, but it just takes a little patience, and a little shifting of the stuffing to get it situated.  You can barely tell that it is sewn differently from the rest of the pillow because it's such a small section of only one side.

They're not perfect but if you use a ruler and make sure the edges are perfect they will be.  The finished product should look like any decorative pillow you would find at Target, HomeGoods, etc etc! I think these turned out so cute, and they were so inexpensive to do. Less than $3 for this makeover :)

Not my couch...but you get the picture!

I hope these instructions were easy for you to follow.  I know making a pillow is so basic, but this was just something that I thought I could show you in case someone didn't know how.  And also to remind you all that you can definitely reuse things! It's so easy to throw something out, it takes creativity to re-invent something :)

Hopefully I'll post again soon.  I am wanting to do a makeover on my coffee table in the next week or so when I get some time!  

Catherine

CHIC.CLASSY.CHEAP