inspired / gold leaf oyster shells

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I have to admit I'm much better at pinning DIY projects than actually doing them. That said, I've been smitten with the idea of serving salt and pepper in oyster shells (bonus points if they're painted in a pretty metallic shade). So I recently swiped a few empty shells after drinks and oysters with a friend and have big plans for them. 

Anyone other easy DIY projects I should attempt? I think I'll do my first batch in copper (my favorite) or silver (to match my mercury glass vases). 

weekend

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Last weekend I made this recipe to freeze. I wanted to take advantage of the tomatoes at their best!

I love a good statement necklace, but this post makes me way to try statement earrings! I admit I'm a baby about heavy things on my ears, so we'll see how that idea goes...

I have been searching high and low for the perfect fisherman's sweater for years and A finally found me one...in the men's department! I should have known. 

Pottery Barn's post on the art of the shelfie. 

I have only a vague idea of our wedding venue, but I am really enjoying earmarking things for a registry. Right now my eyes are on this, this, and this. 

24 American behaviors considered rude in other countries. 

This nail polish may be the only color I ever need. It's the only color I will take off only to put on a fresh coat of the same thing. 

I love the pretty lacquer boxes from places like West Elm, but can't justify the cost. I am eager to try this DIY! I admit the idea of removing the hardware seems like too much work, so I would try this box without the clasp in the front. 

wed / watercolor invitations

Scrolling through my recent pins, I noticed a pattern of watercolor stationery and invitations. I love that it can be casual and beach-y, formal with calligraphy, or a mix of the two. From festive to elegant, there are so many pretty inspiration photos out there. And there are tons of great DIY tutorials out there too! 

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weekend

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So much warmth and texture going on in this bathroom. After having to take a cold shower yesterday morning (who knew my whole building takes a shower at 8:30 am?), this would be lovely!

My plaid scarf arrived and I already love it! (I chose Option 3.)

I'm going to Thanksgiving dinner at a friend of a friend's and plan to bring some green beans and maybe these hot cocoa cookies.

Pretty DIY fall/winter twig votives.

14 ways to update your home.

I recently added two of these H+M candlesticks to my bookshelves (1/2 off sale!). Speaking of bookshelves, did you catch my book wishlist?

For anyone cooking Thanksgiving, here's a handy Thanksgiving Calculator.

Ivanka Trump has a new #WomenWhoWork campaign. I'll be making a video this weekend!

75 Iconic Photos so far this Century.

weekend

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Martha's kitchen organizing tips. Genius!

Wedding DIYs.

Forty portraits in forty years.

Tips for a productive to do list. I really learned a lot from this one!

How to order wine in a restaurant.

I made this chicken recipe again last weekend. Deeelish! 

I'm taking A away for a post-birthday getaway this weekend and can't wait to reveal next week! I will surely be bringing this cozy blanket along. 

What are you up to this weekend?

wed / ribbon placecard

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Years before Pinterest, I organized my internet bookmarks by category (flowers, wedding cakes, dresses, etc). This image from Martha Stewart Weddings will always stick with me as one of my oldest favorites. Not only is the kelly green my favorite color, but the clean, fresh look is perfect for a spring or summer wedding. 

From what I can tell, this could be a DIY with an X-acto knife in just a few hours. Try grosgrain ribbon for spring/summer weddings and satin or velvet for elegant or fall/winter affairs!

wed / diy embossed napkins

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I pinned this DIY image a long long time ago and unfortunately the link doesn't work anymore. That said, this wedding project looks beyond simple. Buy basic cocktail napkins in your colors, order an embosser, (open some wine and put on a fun movie), and stamp away!

One tip from my wedding experience: make more napkins than you think you need and keep a stash for yourself! Guests usually go through more napkins than you expect and it's better to have too many than too few. 

I'd love to see the results if anyone tries this!

diy / affordable art

I've blogged in the past about my gallery wall and wanted to share the latest addition. As much as I would love to go out and spend thousands of dollars on prints and original art, it's not always in the cards so I've DIYed a few of the frames. (If anyone is interested in more detail, I wrote a bit about it here.)

I am very excited about the most recent addition (on the far left). I was a Brownie Girl Scout for a year (Troop 007!) but my badges never were ironed onto my vest. I cut a piece of brown kraft paper, stuck some sticky mounting squares, and stuck those merit badges in the frame. 

I had all the materials and BOOM! All it cost me was a frame. 

DIY anything fun for the apartment lately?

wed / diy chair decor

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Looking for an easy DIY to dress up the bride and groom chairs or maybe the back row of the ceremony? Try dip dyeing some plain white cotton or muslin, draping over the chairs, and tying with ribbon!

wed / candle escort cards

It’s no secret that I LOVE candles for weddings and these calligraphy escort candles are beautiful. I can just imagine guests carrying lit candles to their tables and then having a flickering display of candlelight on each dinner table. 

For a full tutorial visit Oh Happy Day!

Another note: I doubt my ability to write that beautifully on the curved glass of the candles. You could even print the names on vellum paper (my font of choice would be Some Weatz) and wrap them around each candle.

wed / fringe

One trend that’s been gaining momentum in the party and wedding decor world is paper tassels and fringe. There are zillions of cute ideas out there and I wanted to share a few of my favorites.

A chuppah:

A backdrop:

A cake topper:

On balloons:

You can buy all over Etsy, but here are DIY instructions. 

wed / bread envelope menus

I love this menu bread envelope! Visit Martha Stewart for the template and how to.

diy / beauty

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This time of year my skin tends to freak out from the cold outside and dry heat inside. I could definitely use a little TLC and these affordable DIY treatments sound like just the ticket! Any other easy beauty and spa DIYs?

PS-I also love to take used coffee grounds into the shower to use as a body scrub. Sounds weird, but it works!

weekend

How BEAUTIFUL are these copper painted oyster shells!?! I think a friend of a friend is behind these pretties, as I discovered them on Facebook. Find them on Etsy here.

Any fun weekend plans? Last minute shopping? Cozying by the fire? Baking your butt off? I’ll be relaxing and celebrating the big 2-5 tomorrow (including crossing #43 off of my 101 in 1001 list). TGIF!!

celebrate / diy advent calendar

I personally don’t celebrate Christmas, but there are certainly aspects of the holiday, and of the season, that I get very excited about (I’m looking at you, Fresh Balsam candle and of course all the sweets!). I really like the idea of advent calendars, especially when they’re full of family and friend bonding activities! I just had to share this tiny DIY advent calendar from Country Living. 

Do you have an advent calendar?

celebrate / halloween

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Happy Halloween!

I’m working both jobs today, but had a great time last Saturday at a couple parties and am looking forward to another Saturday night!

diy / sewing class boston

I posted what feels like forever ago about the hand blocked fabric I ordered from Etsy to make Euro shams with. I started out by following a Pinterest tutorial and it was all wrong. (Note to self: don’t follow just any tutorial on Pinterest.) 

I did some Googling and found Grey’s Fabric and Notions in the South End. I signed up for a 1 hour private lesson and liked that if I needed more time I could rent the sewing machine time as I needed. Ashley was really awesome and I loved that she showed me each step and checked on me (or I could call her over when I un-threaded the machine for the 10th time), but I had the chance to work a bit on my own.

The shams aren’t perfect (since the fabric is handmade, it’s a little tougher to cut in super straight lines…plus I’m pretty new at this), but after several months, I finally finished them and feel like my bedroom looks so much more complete!

Now I just have to decide which way to make my bed!

diy / wall art

I am still on the hunt for pretty (and affordable) things to fill my walls. Irecently shared my living room gallery wall. And now I’ve turned my attention to two key blank areas: the opposite living room wall which currently has a large South Carolina flag on it and the space above the dining table. 

This awesome DIY popped up on Pinterest and I’m in love! While it’s probably more suited to a smaller area (maybe my bathroom?), I love how easy it is.

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Hint: You can likely find coasters like these at Home Goods/TJ Maxx/Marshall’s, Anthropologie, and Furbish Studio.

diy / euro sham fabric

I just ordered three yards of this beautiful fabric to make some Euro shams for my bed…

{from Etsy}

…and I can’t WAIT for it to come in the mail!

Don’t you just love waiting for packages?

Happy Monday! 

diy / fringed birthday numbers

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How fun are these fringed numbers? This tutorial is for a birthday party, but it would be so cute to do a wedding date for the reception! It’s always great when you can customize the colors and size too.