DIY: birdcage headpiece with peacock feathers

 In preparation for a Mad Hatter birthday party (Happy Birthday, Rex - of REXINEFFEX), I was scouring the pages of eBay trying to find a hat. Instead of shelling out big bucks for an out-of-this-world fascinator or Kentucky Derby hat I decided to stroll over to Britex in San Francisco and get a little crafty. I opted for something simple, but with a pop of color. Here's what I ended up with.

Materials:

• french netting
• peacock feathers
• hot glue gun w/ glue sticks
• felt
• hair pins or an alligator clip

DIY: Repainting an old used filing cabinet

Being the uber organized neat freak that I am, it was even a surprise to me that I still didn't own a filing cabinet. All my documents are either stored on a shelf at home or in one of my filing cabinets at work (probably not the best place for confidential information). So, in an attempt to better organize my life, I finally embarked on a hunt for something standard-sized, inexpensive and with a pop of color. Turns out, they're all drab and overpriced at about $75.

So, I took it into my own hands and found a used one on Craigslist for $10 and turned it out. Instead of paying $75 for a brand new one, I spent a total of $20 (total includes price of cabinet + supplies).

Supplies:
-1 can of primer
-1 can of spray pain
-Sandpaper
-1 paint marker pen
-drop cloth

1.) Sand it. This is optional. By sanding it down, the paint sticks better. You can also sand down any uneven areas or sand off paint if it has any already on it from a previous DIY project.
2.) Clean it. Remove any dust and residue. Wipe down and let dry.
3.) Prime it. Use a primer that works on metal like Rustoleum. Dry.
4.) Spray on paint.

*Tip: Spray one side at a time and make sure the side you're painting is rightside up/ laying flat. I made the rookie mistake of spraying the sides and had paint drip marks. I ended up having to sand these down and repainting. Avoid this time-consuming mistake!

Halloween Costume Prep

Halloween is right around the corner and I've been scrambling around for costume ideas over the last few weeks. This so-called holiday is one of my faves because I love the idea of getting creative and putting a costume together. It's the funnest part. I almost always opt for DIY costumes vs buying one at a Halloween store. This way, you won't end up with the same exact costume as everyone else at a party. The second funnest part is actually getting into character the day of. Here are a few of my most recent costumes. All put together with old clothes, thrift store finds, a trip to the craft store and a little imagination.

As for this year's costume, you'll just have to come back and see! I'll give you a hint, I'm sticking with my music artist theme... I'll take any guesses...

 AMY WINEHOUSE

 LADY GAGA

GOGO YUBARI of KILL BILL

 80's PROM QUEENS

HARLEM GLOBETROTTER

DIY: Decorative Pillows

We recently bought a new couch and to add a few splashes of color, I thought it'd be great to have a few decorative pillows. I also love the added comfort of some extra cushions. After spending hours in countless home furnishing stores & websites I realized that these pillows are not cheap. They average at about $30-40 a pillow and I couldn't exactly find a print/ color I loved. Looking at these, I thought how hard could it be to make one - they're just square pieces of fabric. The next day during lunch I walk into Britex, an amazing 4-story fabric store in SF, and I find fabric I like for about $20. A few days later, I head over to my sisters house and she teaches me the basics of how to use her sewing machine and bada boom I have 2 pillow cases. I head over to Ikea, pick up 2 $7 square pillows and there I have it 2 decor pillows for under $30. They're not perfect (my sister laughed at my slightly crooked seams, but they work for me and are great for my first sewing project. Can't wait to make a few more for this couch and the other one in our den.

DIY: Turn Crates into a Shelf

I have a hard time passing by consignment and thrift stores without going in. I always feel like there are hidden treasures just waiting to be found & modified. When I walk down the aisles, the countless possible makeover projects run through my mind and I get really excited. So, I admit, I have a little Martha Stewart blood in me. Well, I've been needing a shelf, so when I stumbled upon these 3 crates priced at about $6 each I knew exactly what to do with them - a little cosmetic surgery.

After a few hours of white paint, applique removal, & moving/ stacking, check out my finished product:

BEFORE

AFTER

The shelf doesn't have much in/ on it yet, but it looks pretty good don't you think? I love it even more because I paid less than $25 for it (I already had the white paint :)).

A Hand-made Wedding

It's been several weeks since Angelique & Ricardo's wedding and I still can't stop sharing the details of their lovely day. Angelique is one of the most creative people I know. You can definitely see her creativity shine from all of the handmade details - which (for the most part) came from recycled materials which she then donated after the wedding. It amazed me to see a bride execute all of these DIY projects in addition to planning the actual wedding (did I mention she was extremely relaxed the day of and set up the decor at the ranch the night before). Inspiring!

I can go on and on about this couple, their special day, the fine details, and more - but you can just see for yourself.


The StyleMePretty blog also featured their big day, so you can check that out here: www.stylemepretty.com

DIY: Accessory Holder

After several attempts at trying to find the perfect accessory holder, I decided to try and make my own. I needed something that took up very little space, can hold a few of my non-expensive earrings & necklaces that I wear more frequently than others and that somewhat matched the decor of my new room (grey walls w/ a blue undertone, white furniture & small splashes of color here and there - still a work in progress).

So, here are the phases of my project - will likely add one more thing: a little color/border: