I've had this tutorial in the works for about 2 weeks & finally put the finishing touches to it. Seriously, took me long enough. I love long neclaces & just recently I decided I'd better make one! Leather & fringe is so my thing these days.

Without any further ado, here's how you can make a necklace just like mine & Jill's.  

• F R I N G E D • L E A T H E R • N E C K L A C E •

• S U P P L I E S •

• hammer
• scissors
• hole punch
• 30” chain
• 3 rivets
• rivet setter
• 1-2 oz leather/felt
• 4 jump rings
• pliers

Cut out pattern pieces & tape onto leather. Carefully cut each feather from the leather.   While pattern piece is still attached to leather, cut the fringe & punch your holes. Roll the fringe between your fingers to give the fringe more dimension & texture. Attach coordinating rivets by inserting each through the top hole & punching the back flat with your rivet setter & hammer. Open jump rings. Attach jump rings to each feather & close the jump ring. Attach feathers to the fourth jump ring in order largest to smallest. Connect the two ends of the necklace chain on to the fourth jump ring as well. Close & wear!

• O P T I O N A L •

• Hot glue leather pattern pieces to a headband or a hair clip for a rockin’ hair accessory!
• Mix leather feathers with real feathers on your necklace.
• Add a little flair to a leather winter jacket by attaching coordinating fringed feathers to the lapel.
• If you want a shorter necklace, attach a clasp to the end of the chain to attach to the fourth jump ring.

Click the button below to download the printer-friendly version of this tutorial & for the pattern pieces. I'd love to see how you make this tutorial yours! Email me pics or link to your pics in the comments.

This tutorial is free for personal use and should not be distributed/republished without my consent. Altering the file NOT ALLOWED. If you would like to use this tutorial for commercial purposes, please email me. Thanks!  

This weekend was awful & awesome all at the same time. Chris is in Canada hiking the Vancouver Island trail with his family (read: ZERO cell service for a week), the car won't start, it's raining cats & dogs & we ran out of formula on Sunday (the problem with buying bulk - I always think there's one can left). To add to all that stress, I had volunteered to teach a Sunday school lesson to 30 elementary-aged kiddos at church. On Saturday I was planning on taking Penelope & Felix out to the movies for a kid date when the car wouldn't start. It's been a little sluggish lately, but this time the engine wouldn't even turn over. We sat in the car for probably 45 minutes, just praying that it would work & it was some silly thing that was keeping the car from starting. We gave up & went inside. Penelope was so upset that the car was broken. As was I. We ended up eating dinner while watching Pingu on Netflix; not the special night at the movies I had envisioned. When I finally came to terms that I wouldn't be driving anywhere soon, I decided that Felix's car seat needed a little update. Of course, just after I took apart his old car seat cover I realized that he would need to use it to get to church. Crap. I stayed up until about 2am finishing the cover & prepping for church. Exhausting. I'm happy with the cover now - the orange biased tape & the herringbone plaid are much more my style than the previous cover. Why is there such a disconnect between car seat covers & cool designs? Now that the cover is done I really want to replace the webbing with either orange or brown & paint the plastic orange or brown. Do I dare? Probably not. I'll still probably make an attachable fabric blanket cover thingy - you know the ones that attach to the handle. I think a bolder pattern is in order, though. Sunday went really well. We got rides to & from church, the kids were awesome for my lesson, my sister brought me more formula and my brother-in-law helped me with the car. The car still wouldn't start with a jump, so he connected it to a trickle charger & we'll just have to wait & see if that fixes the problem. Crazy thing, we just took it in for the 80,000 mile check up & there was NO mention of any battery/starter problems. Long story longer, I was looking forward to some serious alone time during Chris's vacation. I was thinking that I'd be able to get so much done during nap time & bed time. While that's still a possibility, I've realized that this week will be impossible without the support of friends & family. It's been really hard not being able to talk to Chris, one thing I completely overlooked. Hello, Melissa! Hikes usually mean no cell service. I miss him terribly. I can't help but think of all the wives (or husbands) of those serving in the Military. My hat goes off to you.

I had a little impromptu clothes swap with my friend Sarah. She's an amazing thrifter with very similar taste/style as me so we were both oohing & ahhing over the clothes we were swapping. I wish we were neighbors! Sarah gave me these killer red leather shoes. She also gave me a chambray shirt (now I feel like one of the cool kids), killer silver keds (which is awesome because my gold ones are too small) & a rockin floral tank. I'm going to alter the tank a bit, so I'll show you when it's done. Swapping clothes is the best! P.S. Isn't Sarah the most adorable pregnant lady ever?

Using my color theory skills in the closet today. I didn't go anywhere, so no shoes.

• top: swapped from Sarah
• necklace: handmade by my dad (again)
• scarf: vintage, $3
• jeggings: H&M, $15

TOTAL: $18

Sarah from For The Love came over for a little swap. She got some maternity clothes & I got some killer shoes! me:

• top: DownEast Basics, $10
• necklace: handmade by my dad
• jacket: ModBod, c/o ModBod
• jeans: Ross, $15
• shoes: swapped from Sarah

TOTAL: $25

I've known Shannon since the good 'ole college summer days - barbecues on Wednesdays & pool-time practically every day. It wasn't until about a year or so ago that I found out that she has a photography business. Her work is fantastic: professional & unique. She approached me a while back to help her re-brand. Her previous branding was fine - standard script + standard serif fonts. Basic, but slightly stuffy for her style. She wanted something a little more "her", of course. It was a fun challenge to incorporate her spunk & personality with the classic side of her business. I think the two styles combined rather well & I couldn't be more thrilled about the design. It's simple, but I had a great time making the fun calligraphic elements. with the pattern in the header I was channeling my inner Jessica Hische (she's one my design heroes). If you're in the Temple, Texas area & looking for a great photographer; contact her. You won't regret it. On another design note: I won a little logo contest at Chris's work! With the prize, we can stuff our faces with all the Lion House rolls our hearts desire. YUM!!

I couldn't find a better before photo of this shirt, but I'm sure you get the idea. This shirt was originally a long-sleeved turtle neck I got from DownEast Basics's warehouse store for $3.

• I just chopped off the sleeves
• rolled the sleeves so you don't see the raw edge
• chopped off the turtle neck
• gathered the neckline with a safety pin

It took 5 minutes. I think I'll get a little more use out of this shirt now. Also, Chris will like this shirt better now. He hates turtle neck shirts.

See the whole outfit here

• top: refashioned DownEast basics, $3
• necklace: handmade by my dad
• bracelet: handmade by my dad
• jeans: Forever 21, $15
• shoes: Urban Outfitters, gift from my MIL

TOTAL: $18

Browsing Pinterest, a visual bookmarking site, is Trouble with a capital "T" on an empty stomach. Heck, browsing the whole internet is trouble. I came across this cinnamon roll recipe sometime last week (I forget how) & I've been scheming for the perfect chance to make them. Today was the day. We have no where to go & it's raining (or at least it was).   Penelope was more than excited to see that I was making pancakes – it's a big deal around our house if I make breakfast. Usually our morning fare consists of cold cereal. This recipe was incredibly easy & tasty, but I made a few changes. Instead of using margarine, I used butter. I had butter on hand & it just so happen to make the cinnamon mixture less gooey. Although, if I were to do it again, I'd use a legitimate pastery bag for piping out the cinnamon mixture. The butter solidified & I burst the ziplock I was using & made a tasty mess on the skillet. I've bookmarked a few of my favorite 'to try' recipes onto Pinterest & funny enough, they're all desserts or sweet breakfast foods (thanks to Lyndsey for pointing that out). Maybe I need to get my sweet tooth under control.

Jill came over today. We've been working on some upcoming tutorials. It's SO much fun. As always.

• dress: Forever 21, $15
• sweater: Ann Taylor Loft, gift from mom
• shoes: thrifted, $3
• necklace: handmade, $2

TOTAL: $20

Today I finally took the poor toilet paper lamp to the D.I.. It's been sitting either in our garage or the trunk of our car for over the last month. Last night, Chris told me that, "If you don't take care of that by the time I get back (from his trip), you're going to be in serious trouble." I do as I'm told. Of course, no drop off at D.I. is complete without strolling the ailes afterward. I found quite a few goodies there. Among them was the above mirror. I've been looking for a mirror like this for ages! I was so excited to come across this sweet mirror. I was really hoping to find a full-length mirror similar to this, but this will most certainly do! Especially for $1.50. I'll take it! I've been going back & forth about where to hang this old painting of mine - as it only seems appropriate for Halloween season, but I kinda like it here. In our bedroom. Isn't there some Postal Service song that mentions Skeletons? Have you found any screaming deals lately? You guys shared some great finds! Vicki found a Fuji Instamax for $2. Janet scored a bunch of killer deals (my favorite being the dress at the bottom of the post). Laura found the most adorable yellow quilted floral pillows. Rachel scored a KILLER perforated leather Dooney & Burke purse (probably last week's fave share). Please share in the comments! Links to your own blog posts are great, even encouraged! Just please make sure they're in the spirit of Thrifty & Chic.

• cardigan: Ann Taylor Loft, gift from mom
• top: Ruche, c/o ShopRuche.com (would've been $37)
• belt: thrifted, $1
• leggings: Walmart, $5
• boots: thrifted, $8

TOTAL: $14 (would've been $51)

Here's another refashion I did with the pile of sweaters Dani gave me. I'm digging the triangle fad recently, so I thought I'd incorporate some of the black fish scale fabric from Proud Mary. I really like how that fabric works with the quilt. Now I think if I make a yellow bolster, my bedding will be complete! This project took nothing more than an old sweater, zipper & fabric for the triangles. All of the materials (besides the zipper) were given to me, so this pillow cost practically nothing. I think I need to be on the look out for a bright yellow cable-knit sweater for the bolster. Wouldn't that be fun? One of my new year's resolutions was to make my bed every day. Now that I have a quilt that I'm absolutely in love with, I do make it nearly every day. Do you ever get motivated by new things? Vacuuming new carpet? Cleaning new dishes? I most certainly do. This week I did a guest spot over at Yours, Mine & Ours. The lovely & totally awesome Meredith did a Reworked week where she featured some of her own refashioning tutorials & work from other refashionistas (including me!). I was so honored to be part of that. I shared a refashion I did over a year ago, go check it out here. Another thing. . . I don't write about these types of things often, but I feel very compelled to do so. A reader emailed me that her friend is applying for the Pepsi Refresh Project. You familiar with it? I think it's pretty awesome, & I don't even drink Pepsi. Her goal is to build a teaching space & community workshop devoted to modern craft. SERIOUSLY, you can't read this blog & not be on board. I wish she was my neighbor! WATCH THE VIDEO & VOTE FOR HER HERE. Spread the word. They're so close to getting it!

Rain, Rain, Go away. . .

• top: H&M, $10
• belt: thrifted, $1
• jeggings: H&M, $15
• rain coat: thrifted & refashioned, $4
• boots: Bass Shoes Outlet, gift

TOTAL: $25

• top: hand-me-down from Carrie
• trench: thrifted & refashioned, $4
• jeans: Forever 21, $15
• shoes: thrifted, $4

TOTAL: $23

I've had a few people ask me where my photography backdrop is in relation to our house. Well, it's in my little studio room. I got the idea when I realized I had a TON of curtains & curtain rods hanging around from our old place. I thought a great way to clean up the look of my non-maternity maternity shots would be to add a curtain over the closet doors. Then I added another curtain to the floor to cover up the ugly carpet. I've been using this system for a while now, but now I'm wanting an even cleaner look. I totally get washed out in white. PLUS a white backdrop is harder to expose for & get correct white balance for. I'm still a major rookie at the photography thing. In the back of my mind I've been thinking a middle-grey curtain would be so much better to shoot. Yesterday it clicked. I thought I'd go to Home Fabrics, a place that my friend had told me that offers discount home & upholstery fabrics, and see what they had. Despite their lack of grey fabrics (they mostly have tan & burgundy) I was able to find some printed grey cotton for $5 a yard. It was originally $10 a yard. I needed cloth that was 57 inches wide - which just so happen to be the exact width of this fabric! All I had to do was hem the two ends & I was ready to rock & roll. Did you know that if you rip fabric, it'll rip in a straight line, exactly perpendicular to the selvage? That's how I was able to get an even hem on both ends. Making this back drop took about 15 minutes & $22. I slide the fabric to the edge of the curtain rod & use bulldog clips to secure the extra off the ground when not in use. It's a pretty slick system. Much better & cleaner than my last method. Backdrops are so yearbook/1990, but I love that I can focus on taking pictures of me & the kiddies without worrying about the background/ugly carpet/styling. What do you think? So, if you take outfit pictures or kiddie pictures, what kind(s) of backdrops do you use?

It's been raining cats & dogs pretty much on and off for the last week. Mostly on, though. I'm ready for spring to come!! Sheesh. I took this rainy opportunity to tailor a trench coat I bought last year. I had plans to alter it back in April of last year, but then mysteriously lost motivation to work on projects. *ahem* Felix *ahem* I was drawn to the trench for it's soft, spring color; albeit rather 90s. It takes me back to ninth grade. Like most coats at thrift & vintage stores, it was too large. It fit just fine in the shoulders (besides the heinous shoulder pads) but the arms were very baggy, as was everything else. The length creeped me out a little. Like a purple-people eater. While the alterations were pretty straight forward, it took me all day to do them. I had to take out the lining, clean up the edges, take in the sleeves & sides & hem the bottom. Taking in the sides took two House episodes as the seam in the sleeve & the seam in the bodice weren't lined up. The hem took about two House episodes, too. I don't like hemming & the bottom was rounded, which is more time consuming. That's okay though. I'm thrilled with the result. Now I'm headed out to jump in the puddles with Penelope. Have I mentioned I'm going to be speaking at Sewing Summit in October on Refashioning clothing? I'm SO EXCITED to go! If you're into sewing, it's going to be like a giant sewing slumber party here at Salt Lake City's Little America. Fun, hu? Let me know if you're coming! I'm trying to think about what to do for business cards for this conference. I'm desperately needing to update mine.

Everything you see here is thrifted and/or refashioned.

• cardigan: thrifted, $3
• top: thrifted & refashioned, $6
• jeans: Forever 21 & refashioned, $15
• shoes: thrifted, $4

TOTAL: $28

I love jelly shoes. Back in the day when they first came in style I'd wear mine every day (much to my parents' chagrin). My dad hated the fact that I wore them on nature walks. "They're not real shoes," he'd always say. I wore them anyway. I found these plastic vintage babies a couple of weeks ago. I got them for $3, which isn't much of a steal as you can buy brand new ones for about that much anyway. Meh, $3 for a pair of shoes is pretty darn awesome. I do love the sweetheart shape of the peep-toe (not sure that's what you call it, but that's what I'm going to call it). They originally had ankle straps, but the ankle straps were for someone much smaller-boned than me. That's perhaps why there were LOADS of the same type of shoe in a big pile at D.I. They probably couldn't sell them to normal people with normal ankles. Only Barbie-ankled people. No matter. Since they're one solid piece of plastic, I just snipped them off with some sturdy scissors. I plan on using the buckles (if I can get the rivet part off) for a pair of saltwater sandals that I want to make. We'll see if that happens or if the buckles will gather dust for a year before I throw them out. Have you scored any killer deals lately? Please share in the comments! If you have pictures, share those too. I'd love to see!!!

I love this pattern combo. I've worn it so many times (even when I was prego).

• top: Shade, $10
• belt: thrifted, $1
• leggings: Target, $3
• shoes: Payless, $25

TOTAL: $39

Silhouette sent me some flocked heat transfer a while back & I've made a couple of fun projects with it. It's great stuff & oh so fun to be able to have texturized iron ons! I made Penelope's dino napkins & birthday shirt using the flocked material. She loves rubbing her hands along the soft dino decal. Just today I finished a project I've been meaning to do for ages. I found this sweet banner via AnnilyGreen & before I even knew that these were being sold (I really hate to be a copy-cat, but let's be honest I totally am) I knew I had to make one for our front door. I thought instead of a wreath, this banner idea would be the perfect way to welcome friends & family to our home. I used teal fabric from Hobby Lobby, a dowel that I had lying around, velvet & satin ribbon I scored on the cheap (less than $1) and flocked heat transfer courtesy of Silhouette. When I sewed the banner together, I stuck a neodymium magnet inside at the bottom so that it would 1) weigh down the banner so it didn't fly off & 2) stick to the metal door, keeping the banner from flying around when it gets windy. It sure has been windy around our house the last few days. I heard there were 60 mph cross winds on the freeway yesterday. NUTS, hu? I digitally calligraphed the phrase & if you'd like to use the artwork, feel free to download it by clicking one of the buttons below. The top button is to download the PDF, the bottom is to download the Silhouette Studio file. I'd love to see what you make out of the download so please send me pics! As Usual, artwork is free for personal use only and should not be distributed or altered without my consent. If you would like to use this for commercial purposes, please email me. Thanks!

Speaking of Illustrator, when I first got the Silhouette I had Illustrator CS3. I've now since upgraded to CS5 & have been designing cutter graphics in CS5 then cutting them in CS3, as the CS3 plugin doesn't work with CS5. It's been really annoying to have to save a file, then open up illustrator again in order to cut the stuff out. I've been fussing around the last few days trying to figure out how to get the plugin to work & frustratingly enough, it stopped working in CS3! Long story longer, I figured out how to get the plug-in installed in CS5!! First you need to uninstall the old driver (if applicable) then install the correct driver: C-Master2forCraftROBO(M)ver180. I didn't have the correct software, so that's why it wasn't working. I somehow had the C-Master2(M)ver180. It's VERY different, because it doesn't include support for the CC3300L models. As soon as I followed the instructions on the correct software, it worked like a charm. You also want to make sure that Illustrator is closed before installing. On another note, it took 3 attempts to get this to look right. The first attempt, I had some crap on my desk & the cutter got bumped & ruined the piece of flocking. Clear off the area around your cutter before cutting! The second attempt was ruined because the iron was too hot & I didn't put down a sheet of cloth covering the wax paper, so it just crumpled up. I ended up having to turn the banner around & use the back side, because that completely ruined the front. All worked out okay though. Despite my swearing. If everything had worked according to plan, this project would've taken less than an hour. If you're interested in buying a Silhouette, use the above code at check out for:

• 1 Silhouette SD
• 1 package white flocked heat transfer material
• 1 package teal smooth heat transfer material
• 1 package dark pink smooth heat transfer

for $219 ($125 savings) Valid May 17th - 25th Or, if you already have a Silhouette (or any other cutting machine for that matter) save 25% using the above code on heat transfer materials.

I'm over at Good Look Cook Book today sharing what you can do with outdated business cards (besides throw them away).

There's a giveaway on the line over there. 3 winners will receive 500 single-sided business cards, courtesy of AllBusinessCards.com.

ADDITIONALLY, if you comment on this post you are entered to win the fancy craft I made from these cards. Any comment will do, but only one per person & on this post, please. Comment before 11:59 MST May 19th. A winner will be chosen on May 20th. International entries welcome!

Just to clarify, comment on this post if you want to win a super-special-crafty-repurposed-business-card-surprise (international entries welcome!). Comment on the Good Look Cook Book post if you want to win free business cards (US & Canada entries only).

Thanks for all of your ideas & your sweet comments!! The winners are:

Jill is my new intern! I am so excited to have her around keep me company & assist with tutorials, content, ads & other misc projects. Today we worked on a really fun tutorial for N.E.E.T. magazine. I'll definitely be sure to share it with you as soon as it's published - it's going to be awesome. Jill is a very talented lady. She's a graphic designer with a special affinity for art, vintage illustrations, beautiful typography & sweet style. She's been a great help with developing tutorials (like the bow bracelet & some others to come!). Does she look familiar? She took my calligraphy class last year at Art Weekend & was a total ace from the get-go. If you're interested in advertising with ISLY, contact Jill at info(at)melissaesplin(dot)com.

I swear about 4 years ago I promised I'd never own a pair of wedge booties. I'm eating those words today as I bought (and fell in love with) some pretty killer shoes. They're comfy & a neutral tone that would go well with blacks or browns!

• top: vintage, $14
• belt: thrifted, $1
• jeggings: H&M (which will be in Utah soon YAY!), $15
• shoes: Ross, $16

TOTAL: $46

I used to wear this outfit (belt especially) practically every day before I got pregnant with Felix. I'm just over the moon that it fits now (albeit a little tight).

• top: thrifted & refashioned, $6
• belt: vintage, $14
• jeans: TJ Maxx, $15
• shoes: some shoe shop in Brazil, $10

TOTAL: $45

In that stash of goodies my friend Dani gave me, was a pretty Ann Taylor sweater. I didn't get any before photos, but it was a basic long sleeve sweater, circa the early 2000s. I cut off the sleeves & sewed all the openings closed. I originally made this pillow for Penelope's bed, but as it turns out, it matches the outer teal border on our new quilt! It'll likely go down to P's room, though. Chris hates extra pillows. I still have the sleeves from the sweater, so I'm thinking I'll use those to make some pretty little leg warmers for the P-nut.

I didn't really wear this today, but I did model it for some photos.

• top: Forever 21, $17
• necklace: vintage oddity, $18
• belt: thrifted, $1
• skirt: handmade, fabric & elastic c/o ruffled fabric
• shoes: thrifted BCBG, $9

TOTAL: $45

I can't get enough of this necklace or this top. Seriously, it's either in the wash or on my body; it gets zero downtime.

• top: Forever 21, $17
• necklace: vintage oddity, $18
• cords: gap, gift
• shoes: thrifted, $3

TOTAL: $38

 

I just got the UO quilt in the mail! Of course I wasted ZERO time unpacking it & making the bed with it. Over the weekend during my trips to Home Depot I picked up a few paint chips in anticipation of receiving the quilt. As of right now it incorporates all of the colors we've got in the bedroom (and our house, really): orange, yellow & black. A while back I was debating on staining my new dresser yellow (to go with everything else), but was afraid it'd be too matchy matchy with my yellow rocking chair. Now that I have the quilt, I think one of these additional colors would be great for the dresser. Which one, though? I'm sort of leaning towards Martha Stewart's Palmetto. Please help me decide & cast your vote in the comments or the poll on the sidebar. Thanks! P.S. I forgot to mention, this color will be semi-transparent, as I will be staining the wood furniture this color.

I spent a good hour or two looking through old baby pictures of Penelope last night & I couldn't help but grin from ear to ear and think about how life-changing & awesome motherhood has been.

Penelope at 2 months

P & I got off to a rough start; I was hormonally imbalanced and I wasn't entirely sure I was fit to be a mom. I went back to work partly full-time and realized that I missed Penelope and I wanted to be her mom. I can't imagine my life without her & I know that she's been a huge motivating factor to make me who I am today. She's a spit-fire who's sweeter than sweet. If Felix is crying, she'll calm him down by singing twinkle, twinkle little star (or the chorus of Franz Ferdinand's, Ulysses - she's such a hipster). I love my sweet P so much.

Penelope at 3 years

Felix is a rad baby, too. It hasn't taken us nearly as long to bond. Perhaps it's because I know now that I want to be a mom or because I have my hormones under control. He's an easy baby & lights up when I tease him. He's also a pro cuddler, too. LOVE. I'm excited to see him grow & get to know his personality better.

Felix at 2 months

I hear so many moms (and dads) talk about how they could never imagine loving another child like they love their first; when the second comes the love multiplies to make room for the new one. It's true. I was so worried I'd play favorites once Felix arrives & turns out I have. They're both my favorites (cheesy, but true). I can't imagine my life without these little babies & I'm so grateful that they've come into this world safe & happy.

Felix at 2 1/2 months

I hope you had a wonderful Mother's day! At church we talked about how Mother's Day is really a celebration of the nurturing nature of womanhood. I love that. There are so many women (not just my own mother & mother-in-law) that have been a positive, nurturing influence in my life. I'm sure you know women like that. Let's raise a glass to them, too.

• top: thrifted & refashioned, $3
• belt: thrifted, $1
• necklace: Vintage Oddity, c/o Vintage Oddity
• trouser jeans: Anthropologie, gift
• shoes: thrifted Sandak, $3

TOTAL: $7 Penelope sure loves the DownEast catalog! She's been "reading" it all afternoon. I've been getting huge smiles from Felix all day. Except for when I put him in front of the camera. WAAA!

When I go to thrift stores I never have time to try things on unless I'm sans kids. I found this top while frantically surfing through the women's section on my way to the kid's section. You can't really tell by the photo, but it's somewhere around an XXL. I was swimming in it. It's a great, simple handmade top with a sweet pattern. It's a simple pattern, so I thought it'd be pretty fun & easy to refashion. I was right! It took me a few weeks to get around to it, though. Here's what I changed:

• The back of the top had a keyhole opening, I lowered that & made it the front.
• I took in about 8 inches off each side
• I ruched the sleeves at both the outer & inner seams
• I added vintage lace to the neckline & sleeves

Overall, pretty simple fixes. I love this top; it's the perfect colorway to go with black or brown. To see the whole outfit, check out the fashion section by clicking here.

No make-up today. Also, very little internet today. I went to my cousin's wedding luncheon today, hence the skirt.

• top: thrifted, $3
• skirt: Tulle, $20 (annual black friday sale, WOOT!)
• earrings: thrifted, $.50
• shoes: Forever 21, $10

TOTAL: $33.50

I went to Ruby Snap (a local cookie parlor) for a tasting party last Thursday & I've not been able to stop thinking about the Billie Ann cookie since. You can't even tell what the cookie is from the picture, but it's the most delicious cookie made with curry, coconut & carrots. It's a very unlikely combination, but absolutely divine. The cookie was topped with a coconut whipped cream frosting that's incredible. I'm sounding like a fanatic; maybe it's my recent low-carb menu talking, but this cookie truly is fantastic. We had a cookie making contest & I won!! I won a gift card for a dozen cookies. I don't want to eat the cookies all by myself, so who wants to come over to my house for a little cookie tasting party Saturday afternoon, May 21st? R.S.V.P. by commenting on this post by Friday & I'll pick six of you at random. I think it'd be so fun to get to know you & munch on delicious cookies! Attending the tasting party was a much-needed break. It was refreshing to hang out with fellow blog ladies, listen to a truly inspiring story about how Tami got started & how she's overcome several bumps in the road with grace & success. I left feeling that much more excited to start pursuing my goals and hopefully I'll maintain the energy to make those goals real. I love that she names her cookies & that Penelope is the name for her peanut butter cookie!! I took the chocolate-dipped cookie home to Penelope & she loved it. So did Chris! It's rare that I ever remember to take my camera to events like these, so I'm just so excited to share this with you. Read more about the event here.

• top: Ann Taylor Loft, gift
• cardigan: Ann Taylor Loft, gift
• belt: hand-me-down from Grandma
• bracelet: handmade (tutorial!) <$1
• skinnies: Forever 21, $15
• shoes: H&M, $10

TOTAL: $16 I just realized that my mom takes me shopping to ATL a lot! Thanks, mom!

More leather crafts! I truly can't get enough of this patent leather that I found at Tandy a month or so ago. The grey is just so pretty. I've made a couple of bracelets with it & I'm so excited to share the how-to with you! With this method you can make three different styles of the same thing & it's pretty darn interesting how different each one looks. Also, it's amazing how little leather/vinyl/felt this requires. Perfect for those semi-long scraps of material you have lying around the house.  

• D O U B L E D - U P - B O W - B R A C E L E T •

• S U P P L I E S •

• hammer
• scissors
• leather whole punch
• 1-3 oz. leather*
• snaps
• snap setter
• measuring tape
• pen or marker

*A note on the leather, I buy mine at Tandy. Of course I bought a whole hide (which you don't need for this project), but Tandy has scrap bins where you can easily find cool colored scraps big enough for this project. The scraps cost next to nothing to buy. You can buy leather at any craft store, too. Additionally, this craft would work tremendously with vegan materials such as vinyl or felt, although I'd suggest using a really thick felt if you're going to go that direction.

• D I R E C T I O N S •

Wrap the measuring tape around your wrist twice & mark measurement. Cut out your leather strip to be:

½ inch x (wrist measurement + 7 ½ inches)

One size fits most measurements: ½ x 20½ inches.

After you've cut your strip, mark discreet dotS 1 inch & 3 ½ inches from each end of the strip. Punch holes with your hole punch. Variation 1: cross over strip so right sides are facing up (see above picture) line up the holes & set the snaps. Variation 2: fold the strip so the right sides are facing each other. line up the holes & set snaps. Variation 3: ignore the 1 inch hole & set snaps in the 3½ inch holes. Set snaps. Be sure to line up your snaps before setting them as to not set your snaps in backwards. Once you've set your snaps, trim the ends with a little 45º angle notches. Voila! Sport them on your wrist with pride! I think I'm most partial to variations 2 & 3. what about you? Click the download button below for the printable tutorial.

Here's how I wore it.

This tutorial is free for personal use and should not be distributed/republished without my consent. Altering the file NOT ALLOWED. If you would like to use this tutorial for commercial purposes, please email me. Thanks!  

. . . sometimes, at least.

• top: thrifted, $3
• belt: handmade, free
• skinnies: TJ Maxx, $15
• socks: BYU Bookstore, $1
• shoes: thrifted Nine West, $5

TOTAL: $24  

I was sad to see our old headboard go, but it just didn't fit our new place. I knew it'd be nearly impossible to find another headboard similar & for $8 (I know, it was a major steal), but I kept my eyes peeled anyway. I didn't end up with an upholstered headboard, but I am happy with what I did find. We also replaced our bedding. I love the rusty orange color of this quilt, but truly Chris & I can't stand it. It's scratchy & catches on even the softest of skin. I can't rub my hands along the quilt without cringing. It's like nails on a chalkboard. So now I'm patiently awaiting the arrival of this beauty (discovered via AnnilyGreen). Apparently the couple I bought this headboard from had just refinished it, but then updated their home & bought new furniture to match. It's a gorgeous hard wood headboard in perfect condition. I got it for $40! I'm extremely happy with it. The projector part of me wants to get some leather & make an upholstered insert. I don't imagine it would be too difficult to attach something like that, but I probably won't get around to doing that project for some time. As it is, I have yet to stain our new dresser, stain our new music stool or add the finishing touches to our handmade table. One project at a time, Melissa. ONE project at a time. On another note, Penelope thinks she's invisible with her blanket over her head. Right after I bought this headboard (a few weeks ago) she was supposed to be napping in her room, but instead wandered the house with the blanket atop her head. She was supposed to get a time out for wandering out of her room during nap-time/quiet-time, but I was a softie. I thought she was being too cute for a time out.