DIY: Painted Antlers

 

E here, today I'm going to show you how to create your very own fabulous DIY wall mounted antlers. Colorful, painted antlers are trending right now but they cost a pretty penny! I first spotted them on Pinterest as I was browsing the DIY section. However, I was unable to find any online cheaper than $80.00-$100.00. The overall total cost of this rainy day project was just under $50! Follow my simple, budget friendly steps below to create your own.

 

Supplies needed:

1 set of Antlers [$32.00]
1 wooden oval plaque [$6.99]
1 can of spray paint [$4.29]

1 bottle of white matte Acrylic paint [$1.49]

1 bottle of metallic/bright color Acrylic paint [$2.49]

*Screwdriver or power drill optional

I found the antlers at an antique store for a great price. If you are unable to find antlers locally, try looking on an online wholesaler. As for the rest of the supplies, I bought most of them at Joann's or at the paint section at the local grocery store. Most of the craft supplies cost under $5.00.

 

 

Step one: Spray paint the antlers with the color of your choice. I got the Krylon brand spray paint  from the paint section of my local grocery store, but you can also find spray paint at craft stores like Joann's, Michael's, and Hobby Lobby, or a hardware store like Home Depot. While the spray paint is drying, (I let it dry outside for about an hour and a half,) you can paint the wooden plaque the color of your choice. I chose white because I wanted the bright turquoise color to pop. However, you could also paint designs/stripes if you wanted to make more of a statement. I painted the outside of the oval with a metallic silver to add more dimension and extra sparkle.

 

Step two: Attach the antlers to the wooden plaque base. The antlers already had a small hole drilled in the top, so I put the screw through that area. Fortunately my husband is very handy with this sort of thing so he did it for me. However, if you purchase antlers that don't already have a hole drilled in it, simply take a power drill to make the hole.

 

 

Step three: Finishing touches. I had some leather cord laying around which I used to hang the antlers on the wall. You can use a regular wall mounting, but I thought that the leather gave it that extra rustic charm.

 

The finished product!

 

 

The antlers looked fabulous on the gallery wall above my vanity. I'm using mine to hang jewelry, but it also makes a great statement pieces on its own. Thanks for stopping by! Stay tuned for more fun DIY projects.

-E

 

 

 

Sporty Girl Swag

 

[Me posing with the Lombardi trophy which the Seahawks won last year in Super Bowl 48]

E here, I don't know about you, but I'm a major sports fan! Now that football season is over I thought that I would share some of my favorite looks. When it comes to styling a sporty outfit many women struggle with what to wear. When I support my favorite teams I like to go all out and wear a jersey, colorful accessories, paint my nails, and do fun make up. I think that it's really fun to dress up and show off your team pride.
 

 

I don't often wear fake lashes except for special occasions like Halloween, but I thought that it would be fun to wear them with colorful eye shadow to make my eyes pop. I took a chunky eyeliner pencil and drew a 12 on my face for extra measure.

If going all out isn't your thing you can still show your team spirit in other ways. Try picking a scarf, hat or other accessories that are team colors to compliment your outfit. If you want to take it up a notch, eyeliner, eye shadow, and temporary tattoos are also a fun way to dress up an outfit. Here, I wore a chunky navy statement necklace to add some extra glitz and femininity.

 

 

 

 

I'm not a big hat person but I really liked this one, plus it kept my head warm in the cold. There are lots of different ways to show your team spirit so just remember to have fun with it. Until next time!

-E

 

New Year, New Me

E here, I've been on hiatus for quite some time now. But its a new year, and a new me. This blog is all about reinvention so I will be doing a little bit of everything from now on. I have some DIY tutorials coming up that I'm really excited about so please stay tuned! Cheers! :-)

Modern Day Retro Flair

E here, I don't know about you, but I've been spending a lot of time outside lately. The weather has been so beautiful that I decided to throw on a floppy hat and a darling sundress that I picked up at Goodwill recently. I wanted to wear something fun and flirty now that dress season is finally here.

What drew me to the dress was the retro charm. Its such a fun, lively print with its bold colors and retro inspired print.

 I feel as though I'm channeling Lana del Ray! 

Lana del Ray is one of my celebrity style icons. I love how she invokes retro glamour, but is still very cutting edge. Like Lana, I have an appreciation for vintage inspired glamour, red lipstick, and floppy hats!

Thrifted items; dress: Webster Miami for Target $7.99 (Goodwill,) cardigan: Ann Taylor Loft $7.99 (Goodwill,) purse: Etienne Aigner $6.99 (Goodwill,) flats: Sam Edelman $3.99 (Value Village.) Non-thrifted items; gold bracelet: Zara $16, sunglasses: Sperry Top Sider $30 (Nordstrom Rack,) hat: $9.99 (Fred Meyer,) necklace: Curfew: 5.99 (Fred Meyer.)

I absolutely love these Sam Edelman flats. I picked them up for the unbelievable low price of just $3.99 at Value Village! Talk about chic for cheap! They look good with just about everything from jeans to a dress like this. Style tip: pointy flats look good with everything, and instantly add a touch of chic to any ensemble. 

Nothing like a good book to read on a sunny day! If you like fashion and have an appreciation for people's eclectic collections and flea market treasures, then this is the book for you. Todd Selby is an amazing photographer and blogger who takes you inside the home of some of the world's most interesting people.

Gasworks Park is easily one of my favorite parks in the whole city because of the 360 degree panoramic views. No matter where you are in the park you will get a great view, and there is undoubtedly always something to see.

Gasworks is a beautiful place to view the Seattle skyline.

It's also a fun place to watch boats on Lake Union. In fact, every Tuesday there is a weekly regatta (boat race) which is quite the sight if you've never seen one before. 

If you like kite flying, then check out kite hill where you'll get a great view of the whole park and one of the best 360 degree views of the city. Well, adieu for now my friends, but please stop by again soon. I hope that you too find your own ray of sunshine when thrift shopping. Remember, you don't have to spend a lot of money to look like a million bucks. Happy Thursday! 

-E

Thrift Finds: Retro Charm

E here, I picked up this adorable little number for just $7.99 at Goodwill the other day. Funny story; my husband came in and asked "where did that come from?" I replied that "I just bought it at Goodwill today. Isn't it darling?" Of course my husband, (being the man that he is,) remarked that it looks like something that you would see someone in Florida wearing." I didn't know if I should take this as a compliment, or as a playful jab. That's the thing though, fashion is a means of personal expression and others might not always get it. After all, you know how guys are! Mine isn't exactly the most stylish. [Sorry honey but it's true!]

What I love about this dress is the retro charm. There's something about the whimsical tropical print that just caught my eye. It immediately stood out to me on the rack. For me, thrifting is like treasure hunting. I look for things that are unique, and that stand out. 

Take this dress for example, I absolutely love the detailed print. Its fun yet flirty, making it the perfect summer dress. That's the beauty of thrifting, you never know what great pieces you might stumble upon. 

Doesn't the purse go with the dress just perfectly? That was my first thought as soon as I saw it. In true blogger form, I was already planning outfits in my head!

I normally don't go for small bags, but its always good to have a purse in every shape and size for any occasion. This one will be perfect for travel and those days when I just don't feel like lugging a big, heavy bag around.  [I feel like this is a problem that all stylish females struggle with! style versus practicality.....size versus versatility, etc.]

That's the beauty of thrift shopping, you can walk away with several purses (designer even) for relatively cheap. I've built up quite a collection of wallets, clutches, and purses over the years from great brands such as Coach, Betsey Johnson, Dooney and Bourke, Kate Spade, just to name a few. Well that's all the time we have for today. Happy thrifting!

-E

Going Green!

E here, today's outfit was inspired by the bold, lively colors of spring. I love walking out of the house and seeing all of the lush greens, reds, yellows, oranges, pinks, etc. as plants and flowers start coming alive. Like mother nature, my wardrobe is gradually lightening up and beginning to bloom. After all, what better way to dive into spring then with a bold pop of color?



. You might recognize the top that I'm wearing from my latest thrift haul. It was brand new when I bought it. As I mentioned in the thrift haul, you can find a lot brand new items that are donated by stores like Target and Old Navy. This particular piece was part of an exclusive collection that Philip Lim did with Target.



I love this top because it looks very sophisticated. The detailed beading on the collar gives the top a little extra sparkle, and ultimately makes it look more expensive than it actually is. After all, who doesn't love a little extra sparkle? Plus, the great thing about black is that it goes with everything. Black is flattering on virtually every body type. In addition to having a LBD (little black dress,) it doesn't hurt to also have a LBT (little black top) in your closet!



Thrifted items; black peplum top: Philip Lim for Target $4.99 (Goodwill,) green trench coat: Calvin Klein $29.99 (Goodwill,) jeans: Else $9.99 (Goodwill,) flats: Tahari $9.99 (Goodwill.) Non-thrifted items; Ella James $7.99 (Fred Meyer.)

As I've stated in the past, you can find gems like these adorable flats at the thrift store.They were practically brand new when I bought them. You just have to keep an eye out constantly, and you too will find some great pieces.Well that's all for today. Happy thrifting!See you next time!

-E

Two Nautical's Don't Make A Right

E here, if you haven't already guessed by the title of this post, this is a nautical themed outfit. [I'm obsessed with everything nautical.] However as the title suggests, two nautical's don't make a right. As much as I love the nautical look, I tried not to overdo it too much. Since the tank is a solid nautical print, I didn't want to add too many nautical themed accessories. Instead, I opted for simple accessories; gold anchor studs, a beaded rope necklace, and my favorite sunnies. I mean Sperry Top Sider is about as nautical and preppy as you can get!

Whenever you're putting together a themed ensemble you want to try and create a focal point that ties the whole look together. Here the nautical print served as the base for the outfit, so I just added accessories that that would compliment the overall look. 

I picked up these cute anchor earrings at Forever 21 for just $3.50! The best part about it was that they were part of three pack of nautical themed earrings so I really got my value for my money.



The final touch for this look was the rope sandals. Don't they just scream nautical?!


Thrifted items; nautical tank: H.I.P. $7.99 (Crossroads Trading Co,) navy sweater: JCrew $9.99 (Goodwill.) Non-thrifted items; jeans: JCPenny's $25, sandals: Curfew $9.99 (Fred Meyer,) beaded necklace: GNW $5.99 (Fred Meyer,) aviators: Sperry Top Sider $30 (Nordstrom Rack.) 

The great thing about Seattle is that there are so many different marinas and beaches to choose from.

  This particular spot is one of my favorite places to hang out in the summer because of the great view of downtown, Puget Sound, and Mt. Rainier.

On a bright and sunny day like this you can see Mt. Rainier in the distance.

The perfect end to this lovely spring day was the sunset. Talk about picturesque! Until next time. Happy Sunday! 

-E