September 2014 archive
DIY Swarovski Crystal Buckles
I’ve been really terrible at updating the blog lately, but that changes right now! I’ve had so much going on lately it’s been hard to pause, but the upside is I have a lot of exciting things to share with you! I had a weekend of back-to-back feisanna, or Irish dance competitions. It was a fun, tiring and rewarding weekend. I’m excited to share my newest creation, which is these bedazzled hardshoe buckles. I’m thrilled I finished the project (a win in itself) and figured out how to jewel Irish dance buckles successfully. I started decorating the buckles for Irish fair in August, but my experiment with using super glue didn’t go well. So in preparation for the weekend I finally succumbed to using the adhesive E6000 for the first time, thanks to my dance classmate who gave me a leftover tube of it.
Here’s what I learned about how to Swarovski (yes I just made that into a verb) your own apparel. I mentioned my first attempt involved superglue. Turns out that’s a huge mistake-cyanoacrylate becomes brittle after time and movement can pop embellishments right off! Lesson learned. Unfortunately the alternative, E6000, is pretty toxic stuff. The Material Safety Data Sheet (MDSM) is available online if you want to know the details, but basically when using it you want to 1) use it as infrequently as you can, 2) wear gloves, 3) be in a well-ventilated area, preferably outside if possible.
I used a toothpick to apply a bit of glue to the location of where I wanted the crystal, then used the same toothpick to pick up the crystal from the back and place it on the buckle. It was tedious, time-consuming and full of fumes, but it was so worth it to have fully blinged buckles. Since buying the buckles, crystals and glue adds up, choosing the DIY route doesn’t really save any money. But it does allow for customizing a look that’s not otherwise available (I used half clear Swarovski stones and half Aurora Borealis). Dance trends and fashions are changing all the time and fully crystalled buckles are more on trend, so I might add more crystals later. But for now, I’m satisfied!
What adhesives have been successful for your DIY projects? I’d love to hear advice from other crafters about tips and tricks for successful embellishing!
Giveaway: Get Swoozie’d Up This Fall
I’ve teamed up with a bunch of lovely bloggers to bring you this great giveaway from Swoozie’s. The company has the cutest selection of gifts including personalized, sorority, children’s, stationery, and designer gifts-something for everyone. Here are a few of my Swoozie’s favorites:
Crane Blue Book of Stationary / State Slate Cheeseboard / Personalized Small Notepad / Kate Spade Agenda / Folded Stripe Notecard
Three winners and will each get to pick one item from Swoozie’s valued up to $50 (Contest ends September 26th).
Readers can also use the code SwooFallFun25 to get 25% off your purchases (no minimum). Expires September 26th.
Good luck!
Traveling the Oregon Coast
When my parents and I go to Oregon to visit my niece, we always try to make it to the coast! Highway 101 runs all the way down the Oregon coastline, and practically anywhere along that route is full of scenic stops.
What I’m wearing in this photo is totally misleading. It gets so cold! When the sun is out and isn’t windy, it’s really nice and you can wear an outfit like this. But when the fog rolls in and the breeze kicks up, you’ll be pulling on every piece of clothing you brought with you (and that is no exaggeration!). It’s a wet, windy cold, so pack your fleece and long pants!
So you may be wondering, why would anyone vacation in this miserable cold? Well, It’s one of the most beautiful places in the world. It has a wild, rugged beauty that can’t be described adequately-you have to see it for yourself.
Get ready for some shopping, or at least window shopping! Little tourist towns along the coast are full of quaint charm, sandy boardwalks and plenty of places to shop. The windy beaches are perfect for flying kites, and you’ll find entire stores dedicated to selling kites in some popular coastal towns. Food is plentiful, and if you’re a chowder fan you won’t go hungry!
If you go, keep a watchful eye for wildlife. I saw my first whales and sea lions at Yaquina Head.
Shop this look: Blouse (similar), Skirt (grab this one on end-of-season super clearance!)
Get Confident & Save the Undies
Okay ladies, today’s post is for you. It’s so important to have confidence in life, especially when you’re a gal on the go. Whether you’re heading to a job interview, a first date, or your first stand-up paddle boarding lesson, confidence is key. That’s why I’m so excited to share with you a product that can enhance confidence when it’s needed most. U by Kotex®‘s 3D Capture the Core pads are inspiring confidence in women everywhere by helping to #savetheundies. 
Guess what? You can try these for free. Seriously, just head over to Kotex to choose which product is right for you and get your free sample in the mail. If you’re anything like me, you’re already running to click on that link at mention of the magic words “free” and “sample.”
Here’s a truth of life: every outfit needs the right pair of undies to go with it, as shown above! And since you want to hold onto those perfectly paired panties and wear them again, you need the right products to use with them to prevent (oh, horror) leaks. You deserve to wear whatever you want without worry, which is where Kotex® 3D Capture the Core comes in.
Another nice thing about U by Kotex® is the packaging. They’re super cute, right? Because really, why should we have to settle for plain white packaging on pads and tampons? These will look cute hiding out in your purse pocket!
Thanks to U by Kotex® Pads for sponsoring this post and offering free samples to my readers!
