We had SO much fun shooting this promo video for our shop! We love seeing our clothes in action and know that sometimes we have things on our “to do” list that we want to be wearing something comfortable in. Why not still get to be stylish at the same time?!
Also we hope everyone remembers, especially this holiday season to take some time to put down that list and just enjoy some time doing things that make us happy!
When the holidays roll around it usually involves parties, food and entertainment. All of that can get a little overwhelming and pricey when you are the one hosting and start feeling like it has to look like it came out of magazine. What we are coming to find out is that you can still get a great look that will impress all your guests from just shopping your house, incorporating a little DIY and shopping dollar stores or discounted items. Also fancy, plastic dinnerware makes clean up a dream!
Here are the details on our Christmas dinner party and some tips that can help you!
– Since there was going a lot of people coming for dinner, to keep the cost low we decided to go with a rustic theme to incorporate elements that we could get right outside our door. We gathered pine cones to use in our centerpieces and branches from trees to make twig start place holders. I kept mine to use on my Christmas tree this year or you could let your guests take them as a little party favor to hang on their trees.
-For all the center pieces we shopped our houses for vases, candles and candlestick holders. Basically grab anything that could look good on the table and help add some fun interest and fill the space! The greenery and cranberries we used in the vases we got on sale at a number of craft stores but you could easily gather those things from outside as well the day of the party.
– If you want to know a secret for an easy and SUPER cheap charger 12×12 craft paper is the answer! We got 6 sheets of this metallic bronze paper for $1! To add a little color to our table and break up the layering of the plates we added some burlap ribbon with fringe ends.
-For dinner we decided to do buffet style so we created a quick menu in Word and got it printed out for $5. A chalkboard and some chalk would also word perfect for this! The sign we hung above the food table we created with a font we liked and cut it out using a Silhouette machine and then strung the words up with some twine.
Now lets move to the best part..the food! We’re really excited to introduce you to Megan and Nathan from the blog “Half Cup of Snark“. Hop on over to their blog to see what was on the menu for our holiday party, to enjoy some witty, food talk and get some A-MA-ZING recipes to wow your guest’s taste buds this Christmas!
Lastly, we all know that the decorations and food for a party are just part of planning but looming in the back of our minds is always, “What am I going to wear??” Well we have you covered for that as well. See how our plaid peplum top and window pane swing dress are perfect for any party, including all the ones for this holiday season! We’ll just call this the post that just keeps giving. 😉
Now with all your bases covered for hosting a bomb holiday party we wish you luck on all your family and friend gatherings!
We’d love to hear some tips and tricks you have tried for saving money hosting a holiday party while still wowing your guest!!
Being bold takes on different meanings depending on each person. For me, I’ve always been the kind of person where being bold meant trying something that for an average person would be quite normal. I get stuck in my comfort zone and quite frankly, would be perfectly content staying there except for some minor changes here and there. Plus it doesn’t help that I over think EVERYTHING, am a tad self-concision and at times I’m a little to comfortable being in the background. Since joining in on this venture with Sara 2 years ago on our blog and now shop, I’ve found myself slowly coming out of my shell a little at a time making bolder choices. This outfit is a perfect case-in-point, aside from modeling in front of the camera.
As you know we’ve been working on quite a few new pieces to add in the shop just in time for fall! One of the pieces is our new relaxed tee with leather sleeves! Did we mention they are going to be available in a pink and gold leather sleeves?! To give a little preview of our new shirts for the shop we wanted to put together an outfit that is a little different than our usual. I’m sure to most it seems like nothing too out of the ordinary with all of the cute, patterned track pants that are all the craze right now and while I am ecstatic about how the shirts turned out, for me this was a step out the box. Thinking about it, it’s kind of funny that I felt this way because I love patterns, colors and interesting pieces but never seems to be brave enough to wear them myself.
If I’m being completely honest I’m still warming up to the idea of wearing patterned track pants in public and feeling confident enough in them to think I have pulled off wearing them. However, these pants were a good start and it definitely is a bonus that they are extremely comfortable!
*Note: These pants are from the newly opened MASI Shop. Not only do they offer a good product but they are donating $2 of every purchase to Artists for Orphans, a local Vietnamese charity helping provide services and facilities for children born with defects as a result of Agent Orange.
One of our main goals with keeping up on the blog is for our friends and followers to get to know us better and get a glimpse into the everyday life besides just our latest products, which we actually have some more coming to the shop soon! Stay tuned!
But today I want to switch gears from fashion and sewing and talk a little bit about another personal project of mine I have going on; more on the interior design side. When my husband and I bought our house I was really excited to have a place that was actually mine that I could do whatever I wanted with. Our first “big” project was giving our guest bathroom a makeover. After that project and settling into our house more, it hit me that I don’t even really know what I want in my house and realized that interior design was a LOT harder then I thought it was going to be. Maybe it’s because I’m such a perfectionist and I like to get things perfect the first time. Whatever the reason, I was not enjoying myself and was constantly second guessing my choices. The problem was not having things I liked. I’ve seen so many spaces on pinterest, the HGTV channel and in friends homes that I saw and LOVED. In fact I appreciate so many different things and styles that I guess the real problem I was having was narrowing it down to what style I saw for not only myself in but my family living in.
For example, we all know that white anything; furniture, kitchens, walls etc, is all the craze right now and I’m right on board with that craze when I see a beautiful, bright room with white couches or cabinets. However, at the same time something made me feel uneasy about it. If it was just me I could totally see myself in a little “all white” cottage, snuggling up on my white couch with a good book but having kids and a husband who love all things outdoors I could see myself going crazy trying to get them to keep all that stuff clean. Let’s be honest, I can barely keep up with all the house cleaning as it is and having white things that just accentuate the dirtiness even more. Not to mention, I have the worst track record of getting stains out of things, needless to say, I would be a stressed out mess.
I think I’ve finally come to terms with not needing to join the latest fad to have a bright and welcoming home to live in, especially, not when I know I would always be stressing out about keeping it all clean and looking good. (FYI I’m a stresser. I stress about lots of things and mostly little, insignificant things so I don’t need one more thing to make me more so!) I also realized that I don’t need my house to look super styled up and look straight out of a magazine for it to make me happy living in it.
So now that that’s out of the way…We’re starting our first, big project that involves an actual contractor! Another thing which I’ve come to terms with is that I don’t need to feel like I need to do everything myself just because I admire people that can. I’m learning that on certain things I don’t mind calling in an expert and letting them do what they do best or just buying something instead of taking that amount of time to do it myself. Boy have I learned quite a lot in the first year of home ownership! I still won’t say I 100% know what I want and what style I am looking for but I am starting to feel a little more comfortable about the choices I make and what is going to work best for my whole family while still loving it!
Let’s finally get to the project…our family room.
Besides some basic room updates like carpet and baseboard we’re mostly focusing on one wall of the family room that has the fireplaces. This wall with the fireplace is really the best wall for a TV but with the mantel there and all the stone we haven’t been able to do that. We figured why not make it more functional for us and in a way that suites us too. So of course the first, necessary step for those needing a nudge in coming up with ideas was jumping on Pinterest to look for some inspiration. I came across this photo that fit almost perfectly with what seemed like a right fit for us.
So far it’s a really slow process. After weeks of trying, we finally got our contractor to come over and talk details with us. We’re slowly getting the ball rolling and I’m hoping by the end of spring we get this finished and under budget…talking like a true novice at home projects haha! I will keep you posted on the updates!
What style or feel have you chosen for your home? Did you struggle with coming up with it? Any advice?
XOXO,
Hanna
In case you missed it, the other day I posted about a DIY graphic tee I did in lou of Valentines day which I paired with our Color Block Party skirt. Today I’m sharing a second graphic tee that that I did, but this time I tried to do something a little different. Instead of just painting words onto a shirt I decided to start with a sweater and use a single-crocheted, chain of yarn and sewed that to the shirt in the form of a word. I made this sweater for my daughter but I think it would be equally cute in adult form.
So for another quick “how-to” here are the thing you’ll need for this simple project.
Supplies
– sweater/sweatshirt
-Yarn
– Crochet hook
– Pins
– Needle and thread
– Beads (optional)
I wanted to give the shirt a little more interest so I decided to start by stringing some beads onto my yarn before I turned it into a chain. This is all up to what you want to do, but I’ll still let you know exactly what I did. I single-crocheted 8 times and then did a bead and just repeated until I had a chain long enough to form the word I wanted. Once I had my chain finished and after working in the ends I formed the word I wanted with it on my shirt. When I had it the way I wanted it I pinned it to the shirt and then sewed it on with my needle and thread. See…easy peasy!
The next step was obviously to pair it with her Color Block Party skirt. I’ll dress Mia in pants and by the end of the day she is either in this skirt or her tutu. Needless to say, she LOVES this skirt, so you all know what she will be wearing this Valentines Day.
There you have it, my 2 diy graphic tops perfect for Valentines and all the days after. I think after doing these shirts I’m definitely hooked on graphic tees and now want a tone. Anyone have a fav they would like to point me in the direction of getting?
XOXO,
Hanna
For of us “crafters” we all seek for a space to to call our own to store all our supplies, be inspired and do projects. With each of us that space can vary. For me it started out as a small, portable sewing cabinet, then moved to my daughter’s closet, then graduated to a spare room I shared with my husband’s office until we had another baby and finally to my latest craft area in our basement. Each space had pros and cons, but it is what it is and most importantly it is MY space to do what I love!
No matter the space I designate to store my supplies and do projects I’ve come to find my “must haves” for the space.
1. Good lighting. If I had it my way my craft space would include large windows letting in lots of beautiful, natural light. Why don’t we add in an ocean view when we’re at it?! However, this is rarely the case for most people, including me. My craft space is located in our basement and even though these pictures don’t reflect it the lighting is terrible and dark! Right now I have a small lamp to light up my work space but I plan on adding some lighting underneath the top shelves to brighten things up and help me see what I’m actually trying to do.
2. Organization. Let’s face it, no one wants to do a project when you have to go digging for every supply you need and a in ton of different areas around the house. I’ve been there before and it takes me twice as long to complete a project which sometimes I then shy away from doing them all together. My favorite craft space organizers are pegboards, they are fabulous! Storage boxes are another must have and we all know that Ikea is your one stop shop for organization, especially when it comes to storage boxes.
3. Inspiration. When I’m in my element doing projects I like to be surrounded by things that inspire me. This is where my hanging clipboards come into place. Whenever I see something that inspires me in a magazine or there is a quote I like I clip it to my clipboards.
4. Colorful and fun accents. No matter where my craft area is, it can always be brighten up with fun colors and accents. One way I like to add color is through the things I organize with. I painted my pegboard, added some patterned paper to some of my storage boxes and spray painted the lids to my mason jars. Another great way I add color is through some fun decorative art. I scored mine from the Esty shop Poppy Mae. Her “Hello Lovely” and “Love” prints I have displayed in my craft space are just two of the dozens of cute and colorful print she has. Here’s another one of my favorites that is motivational. I recommend checking them out!
So now my craft space is organized, beautified and ready to go for all my projects!
Where is your craft space located and what are your “must haves” for it?
We’re one month into our new school routine, the leaves are changing, my apple harvest scent is plugged in and I spent the day putting up my fall/Halloween decorations; life is very good! Mia has been loving school and her dance class. She is quite our little social bug. On the other hand Livy and I are loving the time we get to spend in the morning just the two of us and I have been having a blast planning with Sara the future shop additions and changes! Boy, are there changes coming!
The latest shop addition is this adorable Halloween print. We wanted to create something that was family friendly. With toddlers of our own who have already started the endless talk of what to be for Halloween this seemed to be the perfect fit.
To add this 8×10 print to your Halloween decor just go to our shop and since it’s our first print and officially Halloween season you can get this print for just $3 for the next week!
Now, for those of you who like to see things in an actual setting, take a look at what a great addition it made to my entryway table in my front room! Along with the Halloween print I decided to get a little crafty and do my own spider web canvas art and fabric garland. I am now officially ready to enjoy October!
Is anyone else on the ball and already have their Halloween decoration up?
Once again, thank you all for your support, comments, following and purchases! Sara and I are having so much fun with the new addition of custom illustrations to our shop and now for originally illustrated prints. We have so many ideas for future prints as well. We’d also love any ideas or requests for different kinds of prints from our lovely followers!
Linked to: http://www.thepinjunkie.com/2014/10/pin-junkie-pin-party-87.html, http://www.delineateyourdwelling.com/2014/10/link-it-or-lump-it-party-59.html
