DIY- Thread Wrapped Bangle Patriotic

The 4th of July is undoubtably one of my favorite holidays...although I lack anything patriotic to wear. Last weekend I spent most of Saturday afternoon looking for some inspiration, but I really didn't seem to find just what I was looking for. As I was purusing the internet, my little Diva Darling was playing in my craft stash...with my bangles and thread....and then it hit me! Why not combine the two of them and see what happens.

The bangle was only .25 from a yard sale, and I purchased the pack of craft thread for about $3 from a craft store. Here is how I created bangle.

 

 Supplies:

Bangle

Craft Thread

Glue or Adhesive

Scissor- not pictured

First, I placed a small amount of glue on the inside to hold the thread and then began wrapping. Once I was finished with a color, I placed another small amount of glue and then trimmed with a pair of scissors.

 Once done with one color just continue on with the next using the same method as above.

This is your final product. Here is the break down of the times I wrapped each color in case you want to replicate this pattern.

Thin White- 10

Wide Red- 20

Wide Blue- 50

Wide White- 20

Thin Red- 10

* The amount of wraps may vary depending on the size of your bangle.*

 I didn't choose a real dark blue so it has almost a nautical feel to it so it can be worn past July 4th.

Leave it to my little Diva Darling to spark a little creativity into me. This is perfect for adding just a touch of patriotism to an outfit without being too themed. Wear it alone or add a few extra bracelets for a little arm party. Let me know if you try this, I would love to see what other kinds of patterns you come up with. Have a great weekend!

♥ Jen

Linking up over at Happy Hour Projects, DIY Showoff, Tatertots and Jello, Honey We're Home, Thrify Decor Chick

Patriotic Inspiration

Full Tilt Studded Star Tank, White Belted Denim Shorts, Nugaard Red Leather Tassel Necklace, Dangle Earring, Red, White and Blue Nail Polish, Calvin Klein Hudson Satchel, Chan Luu Red and Gold Bracelet, Warehouse White Bracelet, Tory Burch Logo Studded Navy Bracelet, Toms Red Calypso Canvas Wedges.  

Fourth of July is only a week away...I can't believe we are already half way through the year. There are so many things that I love about the 4th....the food, weather, and fireworks. Here are a few things that I wouldn't mind wearing to a patriotic barbecue or parade. These images are also my inspiration for this weeks DIY.

♥ Jen

Weekend in Pictures

This weekend I spent most of my time at home doing DIY projects and playing with Diva Darling. Lately, I have been having a creative DIY block and I did a lot of looking for inspirations over the weekend. Hubby bought my this lovely scented Bvlgari in Jasmine Noir. This smells so good without an overpowering floral smell. Here are a few highlights from my weekend.

We took Diva Darling out to lunch on Saturday and this is the book she received with her meal. For a moment I thought the yard sale gods were shining down on me, but we did not go to any yard sales this week....bummer!

I have somewhat of a tassel fetish lately. This one is filled with lavender and it just adds a touch of elegance to our room.

 My summer just wouldn't be complete without a pair of cut off shorts in my wardrobe.

4th of July is coming up so quickly, and after it has passed it seems like summer pretty much disappears. Does it feel that way to anyone else? Here is a quick glimpse of supplies for my patriotic inspired DIY that I will post of Friday.

♥ Jen

DIY- Chevron Spray Painted Vase

I am always on the hunt for objects that can be transformed. A few weeks ago my hubby spotted this clear vase at a local thrift store. I was totally in love with the chevron pattern on it, but no so in love with the clearness. I knew I could make her beautiful. So, a simple and easy solution to update this gem was to spray paint it. This is super easy and took one afternoon to paint and I let it dry overnight to dry.

 This is what it looked like the day we brought it home.

I just love the chevron pattern on this vase.

 The spray paint I used was Valspar White in High Gloss.

 All finished. I think I did about 4 coats of paint.

 The white paint really brought out the chevron pattern.

I just love the finished product...just add a summer bouquet of flowers to the vase and your ready to go! This is probably one of the least expensive and easiest DIY's I have ever done. The vase was only $1 and I already had the spray paint from another project. Let me know what you think?

♥ Jen

Linking up over at Thrifty Decor Chick

Weekend in Pictures

Hopefully everyone had a wonderful Father's Day weekend! We had a great weekend and the weather was absolutely wonderful. While shopping for my husband I stumble upon some great sales at Bath and Body and Victoria's Secret. This is a great time of the year to stock up on some essential items. The rest of the weekend was spent at the flea market and a day of fishing at the lake. We just couldn't have ask for a better family weekend. Here is a collection of a few of my recent favorite finds.

Isn't this glamorous? I found this lovely mid century Queens Lusterware decanter and glass set at a flea market for only $6! I just love the show Mad Men and this reminds me so much of the glasses they feature on that show. They are going to be the perfect addition to my bar cart.

I love designer items and love to find them at a fraction of their original retail price. I found this Adam Lippes top at a local thrift store for only $2! Such a score.

A few weeks ago my husband scored this nautical style Stella & Dot necklace at a yard sale. The price on this little gem was $2. Hubby has such a good eye for items that I may like.

Who doesn't love some Italian leather shoes? These Via Spiga heels are super cute and super comfy. I just love the suede leather and little heart design on the front. I can't wait to pair these with a cute top and jeans and head out for a night on the town with my hubby.

♥ Jen 

DIY- Shrimp Ceviche

I absolutely love shrimp ceviche. The flavors and colors are so refreshing for those hot summer days. All the ingredients for this dish were found at my local Friday farmers market. I've mastered the art of patience for this dish, as you have to let the flavors marinate in the fridge for the ultimate perfection. Make sure to use fresh shrimp instead on frozen as well as fresh vegetables. Follow this recipe and adjust to suit your taste.

Peeled and deveined shrimp.

 Cook and cool in water to stop the cooking process.

 Fresh produce is a must!

 Chop and store ahead of time to add when recipe call for it.

Enjoy with your favorite summertime beverage. This is a family favorite around our home. Let me know if you try this yummy recipe, and let me know what your favorite summertime fare is!

♥ Jen

Summer Style 2012

Turquoise Blue Tank, White Denim Shorts, Tom Ford Raquel Shi Sunnies, Tory Burch Double Wrap Bracelets, Yves Saint Laurent Arty Ring, Brian Atwood "Ariane" Espadrille, Sequin "Montenegro" Metal  & Stone Drop Earring, Essie Coral Peach Daquiri, Laundry by Shell Segal "Rachel" Sun Hat, Tory Burch Dipped Canvas Beach Tote, Philosophy "Kiss of Hope" Lip Treatment, Nars Summer Color Collection Eye Shadow, Clarins Sunscreen for Face.

Memorial Day kicks off the unoffical start to summer around my home. As much as I love winter clothing, I can't wait to bring out my shorts, tanks and summer sandals. Turquoise, coral and yellow all remind me of summer and the ocean. Next month we will be heading to the shore for some R&R and beach time, and these are a few items that I wouldn't mind packing in my summer getaway bag.

♥ Jen

DIY- Lanvin Inspired Long Petal Necklace

 This is the time of year that I love to incorporate florals into my wardrobe. I am also totally in love with peacock blue. Last month while looking for a Lanvin inspired DIY, I spotted this gorgeous long petal necklace on the Bergdorf Goodman website. The perfect combination of floral and peacock blue. So here is an encore Lanvin inspired necklace.

 Inspiration photo via

 Materials need:

Ribbon (1 1/2")

Chain

Eye Pins

Jump Rings

Clasp

Silver Grey Colored Pearls

 Tools:

Lighter

Pliers

Round Nosed Pliers

Side Cutters

Scissors

 Slide an eye pin through pearl and loop. Do this for however many pearls you want to add. A round nosed pliers makes this step much easier.

 This is what you are going for.

 I completed 5 of these for my necklace.

 Using scissors, cut many different petal shapes. It doesn't matter how they look at first...you will be stacking them to create flowers. I was a little scared about how it would turn out, but be creative, that is the point of it being an inspired necklace...it doesn't have to be identical.

 Take a lighter and burn around the edges. The longer you hold the lighter to the ribbon the more indents you can create.

 Stack however many petal you would like and attach to your chain. I used the inspiration photo as my guide. Slide an eye pin through the petals and then attached it to my chain and pearl.

 Continue until you have made all your petal and attached them to the chain and pearls. Add a clasp if you would like.

 Lanvin and my version of the long petal necklace.

Voila! All done! I think this project cost a total of $3 for the ribbon and pearls, and I already had all the other supplies on hand. The inspiration necklace costs $795! So I think that this is a pretty easy and affordable way to add some floral to an outfit, and when it is out of style you can re purpose the materials and make something else glamorous!

♥ Jen

Linking up over at Happy Hour Projects here and DIY Showoff here.

Weekend in Pictures

 What an absolutely gorgeous weekend it was here in the the Northeast. It was jut too beautiful outside to sit indoors this weekend so we headed out for some rest and relaxation at the river. Hubby decided that it was time for Diva Darling to go fishing for the very first time, so we headed down to the river. The water was so calm, and Diva Darling found some new treasures to bring home with her (clam shells).

Of course, before we went to the river we stopped at a few yard sales along the way. I was able to score some vintage treasures for our home. Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.

 These rocks and tree roots just looked so picturesque.

The most gorgeous fishing girl out that day! This is Diva Darling and the only fish we caught that day....this is fishing spot number 2.

 Aren't these stellar? I bought this set of 5 vintage cocktail glasses for only $1! They make a perfect addition to my bar cart.

I have been on the hunt for one of these vintage Polaroids for a few months. I realize you can just buy these on etsy or ebay, but it's the hunting for treasure that I really enjoy. I love to bring home a dusty vintage find and bring it back to life.

I finally found this Sears Special Polaroid Land Camera buried in a box at a church yard sale. I love the rainbow stripe and its cool vintage charm. It's in absolutely perfect condition. This was a total score for for only .25! I am not sure if it works, but I got it as a decorator piece so it really doesn't matter. I thought about purchasing some film and seeing what kind of pictures it would take, but have you seen the price of Polaroid film these days? Yikes....way too expensive!

♥ Jen