flower crown...

how cute are flower crowns right now?!

i have been looking for the perfect occasion to wear one and with valentine's day coming up this week, i figured now is the perfect time!

these crowns are so simple to make and cheap also.

so embrace your inner girliness this valentine's and make one! :) 

here is what you will need:

1. silk flowers - i got mine at joanns but if you have a hobby lobby nearby, they have a much larger selection. and of course you can also use fresh flowers! 

2. florist wire - you can get this at wal mart or any craft store

3. florist tape - ok, so in the picture is the wrong type of tape. i didn't realize it was the wrong stuff until i started using it! you want to get the tape that is self-sealing, not waterproof! i have the right stuff pictured below. it is just so much easier to use.

4. wire cutters

5. scissors

(the best thing about making mistakes and having to go back to the store is being able to stop by dutch bros. duh! have you ever tried an orange infused green tea?? soooo good!) 

step one

wrap the wire around your head to make the crown form.

it is best to leave the overlap fairly long so that you can twist the ends around to make your crown secure.

step two

cut the flowers with your wire cutters.

i left about an inch to two inches of stem so that there would be enough to wrap around the crown form.

i also organized my flowers by color and cluster so that i could evenly place them around the crown.

step three

place the flowers around the crown in the pattern that you want before you start taping.

if you're using big flowers, it's smart to tape those on first thing and then start building around them.

look in the mirror first and make sure that it doesn't look like you have teddy bear ears- i made that mistake! 

just keep a mirror handy :)

step four

start taping the stems around the crown

 step five

wear your crown and look pretty!! 

hand applique elbow patches...

i love valentine's day! 

hearts, flowers, glitter, pink, lips... what girl wouldn't love this holiday?!

so i wanted to put together some diy projects just for valentine's day.

one trend that i have been seeing all over pinterest is the diy elbow patch.

and in honor of this special holiday, i thought that it would be perfect to make some heart patches.

i didn't have to spend a dime on this project because i already had all of the supplies.

but if you don't have a shirt that you want to alter with patches- just stop by a thrift store and i'm sure that you can find plenty that will work.

i also luckily had some gold sparkly fabric on hand for my patches.

but if you don't have any fabric either, you can look at a thrift store for any clothing items made out of cute glittery fabric or any other type that you may want to cut up and use... {or just hit up your nearest fabric store!}

 ok, so here we go...

what you will need:

1.shirt

2. fabric for patches

3. iron and ironing board

4. paper

5. straight pins

6. needle

7. thread

8. freezer paper

9. scissors

10. pen

first, you are going to take the freezer paper {and i will explain why this is used later}, and make your heart template.

pin your template onto the fabric and cut around it. 

the fabric that i used unravels easily so i left about a half inch of extra fabric around the heart.

freezer paper will lightly stick to the fabric, making it much easier to iron the edges down.

if you are using a fabric that will unravel, it is important to iron the edges to prevent unraveling.

mark your shirt where your elbow patch should go.

slip your paper into the sleeve so that you can pin and stitch without catching the bottom fabric.

pin all around the heart.

start stitching!

if you aren't sure how to hand stitch- there are lots of tutorials on youtube.

i used a very small stitch to prevent unraveling.

but feel free to use a larger stitch if you are using more heavy duty fabric.

{this took me a while but i just turned on gossip girl and it was actually really relaxing.}

and you're done! 

magnetic alphabet letters...

two months since i last blogged!

life has been so crazy.

i cannot believe that it is already october....

this time last year i was preparing to move to southern california.

now i'm back home in idaho- to stay this time! 

i have always had this urge to leave home and experience new places, but i always come right back.

i love my home. 

i love idaho.

and i am so thankful for all of the opportunities that i have had to travel and live in other states.

i absolutely recommend to anyone to travel while they are young and still can.

it is the greatest thing.

but ok, on to my diy!

i found this idea here.

inspired by charm did a beautiful and in-depth tutorial on this little project.

i just decided to do a slightly cheaper and quicker version since i'm on a budget and a time crunch!

i actually made these magnetic letters for my boyfriend's new apartment.

he lives right in the heart of downtown boise in a charming sixth floor apartment.

and of course he is all-boy and turned down just about every cute idea that i came up with for decorating! 

but luckily i was able to get him on board with these magnetic letters.

his kitchen is actually really small and a little drab so i thought it needed some character. 

so i got the magnets for like $1 at target.

but make sure that you get more than one pack because i only got one and discovered when i got home that there is only one of each vowel. 

and that makes it nearly impossible to spell anything.

the spray paint i got at wal mart. 

i had never used metallic spray paint before and it was actually so much fun.

(for a better quality paint job, inspired by charm also used a primer.)

i spray painted my letters outside on an old shopping bag- which i would not recommend because it was not big enough...

take the time to find something bigger to spray paint on, sometimes haste only makes waste! 

i did just a few coats.

inspired by charm also turned the magnetic letters upside down (magnet facing up) and spray painted them.

i didn't have time to do them upside down so i just decided to embrace the bits of color left in the corners that my spray paint couldn't reach. 

i felt like it added a bit of a vintage touch; as well as the paint scratches and chips that come along with handling the magnets. 

and here they are- completed! 

i love them, i think that they are adorable.

such a fun touch to any kitchen!

have a good week everyone!

p.s- i have a friend that just started her blog.

she is absolutely gorgeous and i'm telling you that she is going to make it big in this blogging community, so check her out! 

www.dreamingleggyblonde.blogspot.com

my birthday week...

when you hear people talk about how their family is the "best", do you secretly think in your head that they're crazy? 

i hope so.

i hope for everyone that they are fortunate enough to believe that they belong to a family that is unlike any other. 

i'm one of the lucky ones. 

i have the BEST family.

i'm gonna let you in on a family tradition of mine that makes my heart swell.

it's a tradition that started only a few years ago.

(which is proof that it is never too late to start new traditions!)

my mom started giving my brother and i a week of presents leading up to our birthday.

these presents are small of course, leading up to the main gift.

and i love that because sometimes the smallest gifts are the most meaningful.

and it also helps to make our birthday week special, giving us something to look forward to every morning. 

so if you are looking for new traditions to start with your loved ones- i'm telling you, this one is pretty amazing! 

i actually wasn't expecting a week of presents this year since my mom and i live so far apart.

but like i said, my family is the best, and they found a way to get me those seven presents.

so i just wanted to share with you the goodies that i got, in hopes that you will want to start this same tradition! 

1.

 this car charm was special because of the words "be happy".

my mom thought i needed that reminder every time that i get into my car because some days are rough being out here all alone.

2.

i love getting jewelry! 

this bracelet is perfect for me because it fits my tiny wrist.

i have the hardest time finding bracelets that aren't huge on me.

you can change out the center of this bracelet as well with different magnetic pieces- so awesome! 

3.

i did pink ombre nails for valentines day this year and had complained to my mom that i didn't have white polish.

of course, she remembered and got me some!  

4.

i'm a sucker for quotes.

i need them.

i've spent hours and hours out of my life finding quotes that inspire and speak to me.

now i have a quote to read every day for a full year :)

5.

 i absolutely adore this pink felted bag.

i'm one of those that saves every meaningful receipt, movie stub, even clothing tags.

i'm always looking for cute storage.

this is perfect.

and it has a heart on it.

did i say it's perfect?  

6.

these are lavender sachets.

my mom bought them for me because she thought they were cute.

however, they have way more meaning to me than that. 

when i was growing up, my grandparents lived on a farm.

every weekend they would sell produce at the farmer's market.

 my grandma would sell lavender sachets and bouquets made from lavender grown in their gardens. 

sometimes i would help her prepare the lavender to sell. 

when i got these sachets for my birthday, i put them inside my pillow so that i could fall asleep to a special memory from my childhood.

7.

my main present.

okay there's a story behind this.

when i lived at home, i had hopes of starting a shop on etsy.

my mom and i would scour thrift stores for things i could fix up and sell.

we came across an old glasses case.

i got the idea that i could cover glasses cases with cute fabrics and ribbons.

well, i never got around to it.

but my mom took the case that i had bought and covered it with magazine pages and ribbon.

and is it not the cutest thing ever?! 

she is so talented.

inside was some money.

my dad gave me strict instructions that the money was only for shopping, not bills. 

i have a pretty sweet dad.

so for all of you crafty girls- remember this when you see an old glasses case at the thrift store! 

it was a great birthday week.

xoxo

dear fall, i will miss you.

 in less than two weeks, i will be living in southern california.

although i am so excited to live just a few miles from the beach where it is sunny and warm year-round, i will miss the changes that come with each season.

especially fall.

in fact, i just found out that i will be spending thanksgiving this year with my california relatives at the beach.

thanksgiving at the beach...?

as wonderful as it sounds, it just doesn't seem right.

and oh man, what am i going to do when christmas time comes around and i can't wake up each morning hoping the streets are covered in snow??

well...

i guess i'll just have to go to the beach and get over it!  

i think i will survive :)

here's to fall...

 top: h.i.p. via t.j. maxx

leggings: mossimo via target

boots: wild diva via amazon

scarf: maurices

clutch: diy (see here)

necklace: forever21

watch: michael kors via dillards