Necklace and Braclet Jewelry Organizer Board

After we were first married I bought a really nice jewelry box like my mom had. Growing up I loved her jewelry box and I was excited to have my own. It is a beautiful box, but it just hasn't worked organized my necklaces well. I never can seem to find the one I am looking for and they often get tangled and I have a hard time shutting the doors because the box is overflowing. It basically was a big mess. I have really been into organizing since moving into our new place, so one of my projects this past week was to find a new jewelry solution. I purchased a $6 cork board at Wal-Mart and hung it on my closet wall and put push pins on the board and put my necklaces and bracelets on them. Done. Nothing fancy, but it works great. I can see all of my necklaces easily and they don't get tangled. They are hanging in my closet right by my clothing so I can put on my jewelry immediately after getting dressed. I love it. If you wanted to dress it up a bit you could cover the cork board with some cute fabric, using the method I used for my flannel board here.

How to make a no-sew tutu

Every little girl needs a tutu, right? I've seen so many adorable pictures of baby girls in tutus that I just had to make one so I could snap my own photos of my little one. She has big blue eyes, so I decided to go with a periwinkle tulle. This was super easy and inexpensive to make. These would be great baby shower or birthday gifts, too.

Here's what you'll need to make your own tutu.

-Tulle (I ordered mine here at fabric.com), amount will vary depending on how the size of your child. I ordered two spools (6"x25 yard spool) and I used one and a half spools for my baby.


-1/2" elastic band (I bought a package a Wal-Mart)
-Staple or safety pin
-Scissors

Instructions:
-Measure your child's waist and then deduct about and inch and this will be how big you want the waist
-Staple or safety pin the elastic ends together. I left a little extra elastic overlap so my daughter can continue to grow with this tutu.
-Decided how long you want the tutu and then cut your tulle to twice desired length (since you will be folding in half and tying to the elastic). My tulle on the spool already came with a 6" width but if you don't buy yours by the spool cut into 6" strips first.
-Double knot you tulle pieces to the elastic. This is the most time consuming part. It takes about an hour, but isn't hard. It is a great activity to do while watching tv.


That's it. Once your tutu is as fluffy as you'd like, put it on your little one and snap some pictures!

Hair bow and hair clips organizer frame

Since having a baby girl I have found I keep finding new bows and ribbons to put in her hair and I have been in need of a place to put them and keep them organized. I decided to make an organizer for her bows, clips, and headbands (I will be doing a headband organizer post soon) and one for a friend. This is a simple, inexpensive, and decorative way to organize your hair clips and bow.

Supplies Needed:
Frame
Fabric or scrapbook paper
Ribbons
Spray Paint (if you are painting over old frame)
Spray Adhesive
Hot glue

I used fabric I had left from the rag quilt. The colors will go with her room when she gets one someday. That way I can hang it in her room, but you could also pick something to go with your bathroom decor if that is where you will be hanging the frame.

Instructions:
Follow the pictures below. They should be pretty self-explanatory.


It took about six coats to get these the desired color. It took about three hours for them to be ready to handle.

The finished results...

Fads of our childhood

I came across this article today and it was fun reminiscing about the strange fads of our childhood. Below are some of my favorites from the article (and I had one of everyone of these things).

Remember mood rings?

What could be more stylish than stick on earrings?

Maybe Banana Clips

Or Scrunchies

Oh, it has to be the charm necklaces. I had one with a baby bottle on it.

And what was more comfortable than hard, sweaty jelly shoes?

No outfit was complete without a small backpack.

Decorate Your Flip Flops

I have seen people who have decorated their flips flops with flowers, ribbon, and fabric so I suggested the idea to the youth I work with and they loved the idea. Here is what you need to decorate your own pair.

Supplies:

• Pair of plain colored flip flops (mine were $2.50 at Wal-Mart)
• Ribbon
• Flowers
• Pieces of fabric cut in 1" x 6" strips (or longer or shorter depending on your preference)

If tying pieces of fabric you just simply need to tie the strip in a know on the flip flop. It is as easy as that!

The fake flowers need to removed from the stem and hot glued. You can even glue the leaves on if you want. I think it looks nice to first wrap ribbon around the straps and then glue the flower on.

Have fun spicing up your flip flops!

Bargain Jewelry Shopping

I love looking for fashion jewelry in the clearance section of department stores. They have killer deals there and I can usually find cute pieces. Check out the pieces above I found at Kohl's for 70-90% off. I spent $14 dollars and saved $70 off retail price on these five pieces of jewelry. These make great gifts for friends, too, so buy one for you and a friend next time you find a great deal!

What Not to Wear Tips

One of my television shows is What Not to Wear. I always tell my husband to nominate me for the show. I do okay dressing, but there are definitely days Stacy and Clinton would shudder at what I am wearing. These are some of the tips for women I have picked up from watching the show (not that I always follow them). You can also go to their website to get tips for your particular body type.

• Don’t shop in the juniors department if you are not a teenager
• Don’t wear clothing with horizontal lines – it makes you appear larger than you are
• Skirts/dresses that come right to the knee are most flattering
• Don’t wear clothing with elastic or drawstring waistbands (hard one for me - I have a floral skirt w/elastic waistband that I love)
• Pick a shirt with some kind of embellishment that makes it look special
• Your accessories don’t have to match the colors of your clothing they just have to “go”
• Don’t buy cheap clothing, buy fewer pieces of quality clothing
• Don’t wear athletic shoes and clothing unless you are going to the gym
  
• No flip flops unless you are at the beach (another hard one for me)
• Tailor your clothing to fit you if you can’t find clothing that fits off the rack
• Pointed toe shoes and heels make your legs look longer
• Anything goes with a neutral (black, brown, navy, white, gray)
• Buy natural clothing fibers (cotton, wool, cashmere) - they breath better
• Buy a good bra
• Buy clothing that flatters your best features (if you are bottom heavy, wear a pattern that draws your attention up top)
• Create a waist (and curves) by choosing clothing that will do this (structured jacket, dress with band at the waist, etc.)
• Buy clothing for what size you are now (not what you hope to be)
• Save wearing your t-shirts for the gym, cleaning, and working in the yard

Infant & Toddler Ties at The Children's Place

For those of you who are interested in purchasing little ties for your infant or toddler, hurry to The Children's Place or go online to purchase one. I went today and got the one pictured above--it was the last one of this pattern. They are almost sold-out. They only sell them at Christmas and Easter, so if you want one I would order right away.