Colorful Home Accessories

I'm a little bit afraid of color. I know that seems surprising, considering my blog and crafts are pretty darn colorful, but it's true. My closet is pretty monotone, my artwork is dull, and even when I wanted the bright blue iPod, I went for the gray one. I tend to play it safe when it comes to color, because what if I get tired of the bright one? I always picked the neutral option. The safe one. It's for this exact reason that my house is now gray. My dad jokingly nicknamed my house 50 shades of grey. Everyone warned me, but I didn't listen. "Don't you guys get it? It's neutral! This means I can add in any color I want and switch up the decor, without having to repaint!" Um... no, it means your house is gray, Cathy, and it looks like a black and white movie. 

To remedy the fact that my house is now the first ten minutes of The Wizard of Oz, I've decided to inject color into it any way I can. I suspect this will lead my house to be a mish mosh of color soon, but trial and error is my friend, right? I've rounded up some colorful but whimsical home finds that are sure to brighten up even the most monochromatic home. 

1. Yellow Brick Road Doormat- Let's start with a doormat that will remind us to keep it colorful. This doormat is bright, but subtle. It'll always remind you there's no place like home, to follow your dreams, and that everything you need to succeed can be found within you. Plus I guess it's a reminder to travel more? Haha.

2. Cat Candle- I love cats. I have 3 of them, which I used to think was weird, but now I get why people do it. What's the perfect way to show off your love of cats? How about this candle?! It's pretty darn amazing, but what's even better is what happens when you light it! Click the link to check it out.

3. Vases- this little vase collection would make such a cute table accent. I can see it with some small blooms, making everyday feel like spring. Plus, the mixed pinks and corals make it perfect for both the spring and fall!

4. Pink Vase- this vase is pretty, inexpensive, and a gorgeous color. Imagine it with some yellow flowers in the middle of a gray room?! So fresh and pretty. 

5. Utensils- I have these utensils and they're fabulous! My fiancé actually purchased them for me. We needed new ones and he said "I figured you'd like these". Why yes, yes I do. He's a man of few words, but I'm so lucky to have him. He gets me.

6. Balloon Animal- I guess we've established that I have an obsession with balloon animals, so clearly this is an obvious choice. It's whimsical, colorful, and adds a little party to the everyday. Win-win-win. 

7. Dog Bookends- Don't worry dog lovers- I have something for you too! These bookends will add a little extra color to a bland bookshelf. They'll take something serious like books and make it playful. Fun fact: I used to have 2 imaginary weiner dogs. I named them Princess and Pretzel.

8. Aromatherapy Diffuser- This little guy is perfect for adding a little bit of color to your home, but still keeping it simple. The wood is very neutral, and you can add essential oils to make your room calming! I think I need this in my life.

9. Rainbow Bowls- If you set your table and keep it that way as part of your decor, these would make it so cute and colorful! But if you've got 3 cats that love to lay across the table like mine do, these would look great on a shelf or in a glass cabinet. You can also spread them around the room with some candy inside. Since they're made of bamboo, they'll be less fragile than glass. 

10. Rainbow Jenga- Perfect for cheering up game night, this rainbow Jenga is so colorful, it can practically be decor! Plus, having it on display means you're WAY more likely to play it.

11. Umbrella Hooks- These are super silly, but for some reason I love umbrellas. Something about their shape I guess. Lucky for us, you don't have to worry about these umbrellas flipping upside down in a wind storm and getting yourself soaked. Not sure why opening umbrellas indoors is bad luck, but having them flip and fold outside in a rainstorm is not!

12. Orange Speaker- Both cute and practical, this speaker adds some charm without being too trendy. It reminds me of a tropical island, which is always a plus in my book. Turn it on, play some ocean sounds or tropical music, and drift away.

13. Bread Box- Having a bread box is pretty 1950's, HOWEVER, this one is aqua blue and perfect in every way. And, since bread doesn't really come in nice packaging and it'll stay fresher in the box than the bag, I think this is quite necessary for any kitchen. 

14. Yellow Cake Stand- I loveee cake stands. I have so many, but they're a great way to add a little something special to any room. Place this on your kitchen counter with cookies, on your dresser with some jewelry, or in your bathroom with some pretty soaps for a pop of color while staying classy.

15. Pantone Notebook- I know what you're thinking... a notebook isn't decor. And you're right. But it would look really cute on a coffee table, and if you ever need a reminder to keep it colorful, this notebook should do the trick! Embrace color, unleash your inner kid, and above all, have some fun! Use this notebook to jot down some decor ideas and get your colorful juices flowing.

Ok guys, now I need your help! What's your favorite way to add some color to a boring room?! Let me know in the comments below.

Kate Spade Inspired Balloon Bracelet

Fun fact about me: I have a tendency to start random hobbies. For example: one time, I decided I wanted to learn how to make balloon animals. I bought a beginner's kit that came with balloons, a pump, and a book on how to make animals. I practiced making a dog, along with a few other animals. I sat there for hours trying to perfect them. Was I training to become some sort of clown on the weekends?! Who knows... Anyway, I was never too good at making balloon animals despite my best efforts. After a few days of trying, the novelty wore off and the kit got pushed into a drawer with all my other forgotten hobbies. Balloon animals were apparently something I was meant to admire, but not create. So, when I saw Kate Spade's new Whimsies collection, I was hooked! They're an absolutely perfect way to display your secret love of balloons, unicorns, and dinosaurs. I think my favorites are the ring, brooch, and bangle. If you can afford to purchase something from the new Kate Spade collection, DO. IT. For the rest of us, here is my humble attempt at the phrase "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery".

You will need:

Metallic/Pearl paint
3/4 in Wooden Letters (here)
16 gauge aluminum wire (mine is from Michael's)
Jewelry pliers and tools (here)
E6000 glue (here)
Paintbrushes
Scissors (here)
String or ribbon

1. Paint your letters with the metallic paint. I lined up my colors and found the best pattern before painting. I didn't want too many similar colors next to each other. Be sure to paint the front and all the sides.

2. Cut a piece of wire for the bracelet. There are 2 methods for figuring how long to cut your wire. 
Method 1: Using your string, measure loosely around your wrist, adding a few extra cm's to roll your wire.

Method 2: Grab a bracelet that fits well and measure that against your string for a similar fit.

3. Once you've cut your string, line it up against your wire and cut at the mark using your wire cutters. Make the cut as straight as possible.

4. Using the narrow tip of your rounded pliers, roll over the cut ends of your wire so that you don't have any sharp edges.

5. To create a bracelet shape, use something cylindrical to gently wrap the wire around. I used a party cup, since it's tapered and allows you to adjust the width of your bracelet easily.

6. Once I had a round shape, I made it slightly oval so that it would slip on and off my wrist more easily. My wire was very malleable, so I didn't want it losing its shape too much!

7. Using your E6000, glue the letters onto the bracelet. I started near the center with the letter R, then added the others closely so they would fit together well. (I used a glue gun at first, but all the letters fell off! I don't recommend the glue gun method).

Woop! There it is. Now you have your own KS Whimsies collection lookalike bracelet. This one is definitely more fragile, so wear with care. But, as a plus, you can write whatever you want on the bracelet- your name, an inspiring word, a reminder to party more, etc. My suggestions: CAKE, because yum, LOVE, because the world needs more of it, and GLITTER, because sparkles make everything better!

PS- If you love balloon animals, you gotta check out this post!

These would be so fun to make all your friends to give out as friendship bracelets, or as part of a bachelorette party gift! What are you planning to put on your bracelet? Let me know in the comments!

DIY Mean Girls Conversation Hearts Banner (and how to use Cricut Iron On Vinyl!)

There are some movies that you watch once and enjoy, but never really have the desire to see again. Then, there are those movies that you watch over and over again until you've memorized practically every word. Mean Girls is one of those movies. If you can't recite at least one of those memorable quotes, then you can't sit with us! It's got Lindsay Lohan at the peak of her career, Tina Fey's comedy, Rachel McAdams & Amanda Seyfriend before they were super famous, and Lacey Chabert from everyone's favorite show, Party of Five (people liked that show, right? I never watched it...). Combine that with the awesome 2004 fashion sense, the catchy lines, the harsh reality of frenemies, and the fact that you always wanted to be popular, and you've pretty much got the makings of a FANTASTIC movie. It was basically made by girls, for girls, so there's no way it wouldn't succeed. PS, can we talk about how everyone in Mean Girls wore lip gloss?! I'm not sure about you guys, but I don't wear lip gloss anymore. Is that just a high school thing? Idk...

With Valentine's Day coming up, I wanted to make something fun with some felt hearts I picked up at Target. They look to me like Conversation Hearts candy, which are usually boringly sweet. "U R CUTE"? "CALL ME"? C'mon.... But, what if they were sorta sassy instead? PERFECT OPPORTUNITY for a Mean Girls DIY. Just sayin'.

Go grab some popcorn, your Mean Girls DVD, and your glue gun. This is going to be Grool!

You will need:

Cricut Explore Air Machine (here)
Pastel felt hearts (from Target)
Iron (here)
Red iron-on transfer (here)
Cricut tool kit or Tweezers (here)
Ribbon
Glue gun

I know what you're thinking..."How do I use Cricut iron on vinyl?" I knew you'd ask, so I have just the tutorial for you. How did I know? I have a fifth sense... It's like I have ESPN or something. The iron on vinyl is actually pretty simple to use, as long as you know which way the vinyl goes and how to make sure your letters aren't backwards.

How to Use Cricut Iron-On Vinyl

1. Open the Mean Girls Conversation Hearts Candy document in Cricut Design Space. 

2. Take your red iron-on vinyl and place it on your cutting sheet, liner side down. You'll be cutting the vinyl (matte side), so that means the shiny side goes down.

3. Set up the file to cut on your Cricut machine by following the steps below. 

a. Set your Cricut machine mode to vinyl +

b. Press Go

c. Set to mirror image! This is very important, since your text needs to be backwards so that it'll be the right way when you finish.

c. Load your Cricut cutting mat and start cutting.

d. Wait for the Cricut machine to cut your file. Mine wouldn't cut the full document in one shot (annoying!) so after it stopped each time, I would remove the ones it cut from the document/cutting mat, reload the mat, and start cutting again.

Look at all those fabulous quotes just waiting to get out there into the world!

4. Once your document has finished cutting on the Cricut machine, carefully cut around each quote. It's best to cut as close as you can to the letters, and try to make the border around each side even. This will make it easier to center them on the conversation hearts.

5. Peel off the remaining vinyl, aka the extra red background. You'll be left with the clear liner and your letters. To do this, I take my Cricut hook tool and scrape a corner to make a hole.

Then, I carefully and slowly peel away the liner to reveal the letters beneath. I found that peeling the vinyl from left to right was easier, since most of the letters face that way. Otherwise, you're going against the grain. So, aka... not the way I'm doing it in the photos.

See how the E and the D in "Wednesday" are connected? That's because I'm peeling it the "wrong" way and it ripped the vinyl. It's not a big deal at all, because that's a scrap section anyway, but it makes it easier to peel if you go with the grain.

6. Once you've pulled away the excess Cricut vinyl, go back and remove the excess vinyl in the letter holes, or any that was left over. Flip it over and double check that everything is where it should be.

7. Center your quote on your conversation heart and press it down. To make sure it's evenly centered, I would look at a few things, like which word is in the center of the heart, how much distance is on either side, and how far it is from the top. If you're still not sure, take a quick picture with your phone to see if it's off center or crooked.

8. Use your iron to carefully iron your quote onto the heart. Use the wool/low setting and place a cloth over it so you don't scorch the felt. Then, flip your heart over and iron the underside. If you have a small craft iron, you may be able to do it without a cloth like I did.

9. Let it cool, then peel the liner off from the corner. Do this carefully to make sure all the letters fully adhered. If not, go back over it again, let it cool, and continue peeling.

Once all your quotes are ironed on, you can begin arranging your banner! See how I did that below.

Making your banner

1. Arrange your hearts in the order you'd like to see them, or by color.

2. Cut a small piece of ribbon. This will act as a "tape" to hold the hearts together.

3. Glue the ribbon onto the hearts at the widest part. Be sure to hold them as close together as you can to prevent a gap from forming between the hearts. I used pink ribbon, but a white one will probably camouflage the best. You can't really see it when you flip the banner over, so technically it doesn't matter.

I also recommend adding some extra ribbon or twine at the ends to hang it. I originally didn't want to do that, but taping felt on a wall is basically impossible.

Woohoo! Now, hang up your banner and revel in the joy of a Mean Girls Valentine's Day. You can also paste up some hearts as a party backdrop! This is my best Mean Girls face. Slightly friendly, slightly fierce, 100% Fetch. 

P.S. "And none for Gretchen Weiners. Bye!" is basically my favorite Mean Girls quote, and I use it in everyday life. It has so many practical uses.

So you agree? You think you're really pretty?

I really need to start wearing pink on Wednesdays. I mean, that's just like, the rules of feminism

So what's your favorite Mean Girls quote? Is it one I missed? Let me know in the comments below!

DIY Cotton Candy Garland

Ok guys, I have a confession to make. I'm a cotton candy addict. I loooove cotton candy. I know I shouldn't love it quite so much- it's pure sugar, and I'm a 27 year old woman. But something about that magical and fluffy cloud of candy tastes so good. Yes, I actually still eat it. Most people just admire it or decorate things with it, but I eat it. The only negative thing about cotton candy (besides the inevitable cavities) is the fact that the colored ones turn your mouth all kinds of colors. Then I get to walk around all day after a sporting event with blue lips, while people stare and my fiancé laughs at me. Oh well, c'est la vie. Luckily for you guys, this cotton candy won't turn your mouth any kinds of colors! Well, unless you try to eat it... I can't speak to that. With only a few steps, this garland is the cutest and easiest way to display your love for cotton candy. 

You will need:

Cotton Candy Picks (from Oriental Trading)
Ribbon (Mine was from Michael's on clearance)
Glue gun
Scissors (here)
 

1. Peel the sticks off the cotton candy picks. I recommend starting at the bottom tip of the cone, since it's the most delicate part. 

2. Cut off the tabs on the fluffy part of the cotton candy that keep it open. They're the teardrop shaped parts in the photo above.

3. Glue the honeycomb top open. Hold in place for a few seconds until the glue dries.

4. Once you've glued all your honeycombs open, grab your ribbon. Leave a few inches on the end so that you can hang it up. Then, glue the cotton candy evenly spaced out.

5. Hang it up and enjoy!

And there you have it! A quick and simple banner DIY that'll sweeten up any party. It would also make a really sweet addition to a little girl's room, your desk at work, basically anywhere you'd want to declare your love for cotton candy.

Do you still eat cotton candy, or do you have a different guilty snack you love? Let me know in the comments below!

DIY 90's Pun Valentines

Remember when you were younger and you'd be watching TGIF while flipping through a magazine to find your favorite celebrities? Then, once you were done reading, you'd cut them out of the magazine and stick them onto everything and anything you owned? Well, this year we are making Valentines that your 13-year old self would approve of. Plus, since the pictures are being printed (instead of cut out of a magazine) you can make as many as you need. These Valentines are so fun to make because pretty much everything is computer-based these days, and these are so hands-on. You can't center the text or copy and paste. Each letter has to be placed on individually. It's equal parts horrifying and enjoyable. In the end, you've got a one-of-a-kind Valentine for all your BFF's.

You will need:

Sticker letters (I got mine from Michael's, similar here)
Blank cards (from the Dollar Tree for only $1, or similar here)
Photo glue stick (this one is my fave!)
Scissors (here)
Rhinestones (here)
print outs of your fave celebs
an awesome 90's playlist

How to:

1. Find your favorite pics of 90's celebs, and put them in a word doc to make them an appropriate size. Print.

2. Cut out the images around the celebs' heads, cutting off the backdrops. If you're anything like me, you're a seasoned pro at this, and it'll be a piece of cake. If not, don't worry, the memories will all come flooding back to you ;)

3. Arrange the cutouts and letters onto your card and adhere. HINT: Make sure you are sticking things on the right way otherwise your card will be upside down. 

4. As a bonus, add some awesome yet cheesy stickers onto the card or the front of the envelopes. I got my heart shaped rhinestone stickers from the Dollar Tree (similar here).

Related: TGIF 90's Themed Slumber Party

Although they take a little time, these cards are super cheap to make. Plus, it's so different than everything we are used to. Once you stick the letters down, they're pretty much stuck there. It won't be perfect, and that's what makes them great. If you want to add some super fun straws, try these!

Fact: I had this Mandy Moore song stuck in my head for a solid 2 weeks while I was creating and posting these Valentines. I still have it stuck in my head, and I listen to it at least twice a day now. There's some debate as to whether Mandy Moore was as successful as some of the other pop stars of the 90's. Ummm... she became a Disney Princess in my favorite movie, so that makes her most successful in my book!

I'm not sure if No Doubt did a Valentine's Day shoot, but this photo is quite perfect for Valentines. Plus... I still want pink hair someday!

There are tons of pictures of NSYNC out there, but I think using ones with heartthrobs holding puppies is so classically 90's.

This is a perfect Valetine to give your crush, because I think all the guys had a crush on Britney at some point in the 90's.

Aww, Zack and Kelly. Even though they may not have remained together, we were always rooting for them as a couple.

The best part of this card is that the video for All the Small Things is basically mocking all the 90's boy bands we loved in the best way possible. PS- Travis will forever be my crush.

In the classic *NSYNC vs BSB fight, I always picked *NSYNC. It was the first CD I ever bought, I had the biggest crush on Justin Timberlake, and I thought their songs were better. But, I always thought AJ was kinda cute. I think I had a thing for bad boys as a pre-teen.

Aww. Christina Aguilera before she got Dirrty. She used to have such a boho vibe. But I guess everyone did in the late '90's.

Did anyone else watch the Clueless tv show? I think I saw it before I saw the movie, so I was pretty confused as to why the Horowitzes seemed to shape shift. Interestingly enough, pretty much everyone else stayed the same.

And, of course, my personal FAVORITE, The Spice Girls. Any other Spice Girls super fans out there?! I had so many dolls, stickers, and magazines about the Spice Girls. My dad just kinda brought home the cassette tape one day because he saw that it was popular and wow... my sister and I were hooked! My favorite was Ginger Spice ;)

So what were your favorite things about the 90's? I'd also add in TGIF, platform shoes (which I wasn't allowed to wear), roll on glitter, and butterfly clips.

Are you planning to make some 90's pun Valentines for your BFF? What would they say? Let me know in the comments below!