More my style

In my last post, I showed you a DIY statement necklace. Although it was cute with my outfit that day, today's DIY is actually more my style.

I must admit that I paid way too much for the statement necklace I was wearing in last month's Eco Emi video, but I just couldn't resist owning one of the most recognizable J.Crew pieces, the Bubble Necklace (Hayden and the sales woman also talked me into it, without ever mentioning the ridiculous price. Note to self: Don't ever buy anything without asking what it costs first). Besides, the blue baubles really bring out my eyes ;-)

Later, I realized there were a ton of adorable and more affordable versions of the necklace on Etsy, which is something to keep in mind, if I ever want another color. It also made me think about how easy it could be to make my own.
 
In the meantime, I thought I'd make up the price difference by DIYing another popular J.Crew creation, the OGJM Hyacinth Necklace. It originally was listed on the website for $150, but has since sold out. When I first saw it, I thought about how easy it would be to replicate this crafty design, and when I saw a woman wearing it in the audience during last week's presidential debate, I knew I needed to give it a try.
 

Without much planning, I pulled out some old red scrap material I had purchased years ago to make a Red Riding Hood cape for a Theater Costuming class project (there were about 5 or 6 of us in my college course, where we also made all the costumes for the school production of "Oklahoma" that year), as well as a simple chain that may have cost me about $5.
 

I'll apologize in advance for not providing step-by-step instructions, but you'll get the idea. Basically, I cut the material into long strips and tied the ends together to make an even longer strip (you could also cut up an old t-shirt to make this). Then, I finger-crocheted (my grandma taught me how to crochet when I was little, and when I didn't have access to a crochet hook, I'd just used my fingers) the strip into a crescent shape, starting with a row of about 10 links and reducing the number of links as I added about 3 more rows.
 
When I finished the crocheted fabric crescent, I attached the chain necklace by threading it through each of the ends, resulting in a double strand necklace that could easily be removed and used again for another project.

As you can see, I am especially happy with how the necklace turned out in the end. Hope you like it and attempt to make one, too.

On another note, just like how styles change, you may have noticed how my blog has changed over the years, as well. I still enjoy raw vegan foods, but I don't post them quite as often. I'm more inspired to post these DIYs and other aspects of my life, if I'm even in the mood to post at all (if I feel like a post is forced, I'd rather wait until I'm actually excited about what I have to share, which explains why I don't post as often). There is more to me than what I eat. Thank you to everyone who has stuck around all this time. Love you all :-)  

Making a statement ...

... necklace. It's funny how breaking up the title like that seems to grab more attention to a blog post, similar to how a fun statement necklace can add interest to an otherwise simple outfit.

Today has been quite dreary, and my lackluster attire wasn't helping matters. My cream-colored jeans, navy camisole and burgundy open knit sweater needed a pop of something to liven it up (not to mention my mood; I thrive on sunshine).
 
So, I remembered these pretty pink flowers printed on one of the brochures in last month's Eco Emi box. The brochure was made out of shiny card stock that was prefect for another DIY, especially one to help brighten my day.

To start, I cut out the simple pale pink flower outlines and folded the petals to add dimension. At first, I considered attaching them to the sock tops leftover from my last post (I thought the ankle bands I cut off of Hayden's old socks would work as hair ties, which is true), but then I opted to make them the focal point of my outfit instead.

As the eye-catching floral detail on a statement necklace, I thought I should add some variety with another flower found inside the brochure. It looks great as the inside layer to one of the other flowers.

I gave the solid flower the same treatment (cut it out and folded up the petals), and then pulled out some pearly beads from my craft stuff to jazz up the centers. While rummaging through my stash of materials, I searched for more supplies to construct the rest of my floral statement necklace.

I found a an old white beaded necklace (just an inexpensive one I had from that bag of beaded necklaces my mother-in-law gave me a while back), a taupe satin ribbon that was on a gift wrapped from Nordstrom (it's like their standard gift-wrapping ribbon), some jewelry wire and leftover white lace seam binding (Oops! It didn't make it in the supplies picture above, but it's in the next step).

I folded the white beaded necklace in half, tying the lace seam binding to one end. Then, I wove the beaded necklace and binding together, as shown, and tied it off at the other end to secure it.

I slipped the satin ribbon through the loops at each end of the necklace to hook it together and serve as another decorative element.

Here's how it looked at this stage. It could be worn simply like this, but I wanted to embellish it more with those pretty flowers (they are what inspired this DIY in the first place).

I attached the flowers by threading the jewelry wire through them and twisting the wire around the beaded necklace where I wanted them. I made sure to add three pearly beads on the center of the wire to act as the centers of the flowers, too.

I must say that this floral statement necklace really did brighten my day. The sun even came out for a bit, which was nice, as well.

Oh, and the kids were inspired to get creative, too. Hayden somehow came up with the idea to build a bird house. We don't have a bird and her plan was to keep it inside. I think it was just a fun temporary project. Here's what she built with her brother, Jacob. I just had to take a pic of it to share.
 

And for those of you who may be wondering about the Pure Bar wrapper project, it's going to be a while before I make something with them. So far, I only have about 10 wrappers, and the ones I ordered after the Twitter chat are on back order (that's a successful Twitter chat). I guess I'll have to pick up some more at the local grocery store. Unfortunately, they only sell two flavors. That's motivation to take the trek to Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, as if I need an excuse to do that :-)

Shoes from a box

I've made a lot of things from my past Eco Emi boxes (in case you missed them, here are my DIYs from January, February, March, April, May, June, July and August), but this month's project has got to be my favorite. Like last month, I actually used the box itself and was inspired by the box's theme.

The cozy fall vibe gave me the idea to make some fun shoes for Hayden to wear around (make that "in") the house. Here's how I made them:

To start, these are all the materials I had from the box (tissue paper, paper "hay," a silky gold drawstring pouch and the box, of course), plus some cool patterned duck tape Hayden convinced me to buy at the store the other day. I've seen sandals made out of duck tape, so it seemed perfect for this project.

I also used Hayden's favorite shoes as a pattern for the ones I was making for her, hoping the new shoes would turn out slightly bigger, so they'd fit longer (that's exactly what happened; they are a size bigger). I traced them the first time onto one side of the box.

Then, I cut out the tracings of her shoe bottoms and repeated the process on the other side of the box.

I covered the first pair of cardboard shoe bases in Hayden's old socks, so that the inside of the shoe would be soft. I also cut off the cuff to remove the bulk. I think I'll use them as ponytail holders.

I secured the sock to the back of the cardboard shoe base using a piece of duck tape, which also enclosed the hole in the sock.

Moving on to the top of the shoe, I decided to use the fabric from the drawstring pouch, but first, I had to deconstruct it. I highly recommend using a seam ripper for this, although I was too lazy to go get one from my sewing basket.

I cut a strip from each end of the fabric to use as the back of the shoes. I measured it against Hayden's favorite shoes to get an idea of the size I would need.

To prevent fraying, add additional support and give a decorative touch to the lining of the shoes, I applied the zigzagged duck tape to the back of the fabric strips.

Then, I wrapped them around the backs of the sock-covered cardboard shoe bases ...
 

... and attached them to the bottom of the sock-covered shoe bases with more duck tape.

I lined more of the fabric with duck tape ...

... and created the top front of the shoe in the same fashion.

This is what the shoes looked like after completing that step (they remind me a little bit of my TOMS). They look like shoes, but the bottoms need some help.

That's why I had cut out two sets of cardboard bases. I covered the bottoms of the bases in duct tape ...

... and wrapped them around to the other side to create a neat edge.

I hot-glued the decorative bases to the bottoms of the shoes.

Then, inspired by my espadrilles, I braided the paper "hay" and hot glued it around the edge of the shoe bases (it's really difficult to work a glue gun and take a picture of it at the same time).

For that extra special touch, I also hot-glued on bows made from the ribbon drawstrings.

But what about the tissue paper? Well, I made some flowers out of duck tape and tissue paper to use as embellishments for the shoes, like I did with those flip flops a while back. They are removable, which is nice.

Now I know this project is for a child, but you can easily adapt these instructions to make something an adult can wear, too. Of course, you can make the flower embellishments, but you can also make a pair of slippers, although you may need some extra cardboard for the bases Just skip making the back portion of the shoe and only have the fabric upper cover your toes to create slip-ons. Use your foot as a guide to ensure a perfect fit.

Cozying up with another Eco Emi

In my last post, I mentioned getting anxious about receiving this month's Eco Emi. It arrived yesterday, while we were at the county fair, and it was too late in the evening to film it when we got back. It wasn't until a few hours ago that I was finally able to see what was inside (we like to save the surprise for our video).

 
You can see what we received in our video here or check out the summary below:

Silken Earth Powder Blush in Honey Bronze by Audrey Organics: This blush is more like a bronzer with a light sheer shimmer, perfect for my skin tone. The color is just right for early fall, especially for anyone trying to maintain a summer glow.

Assorted Lip Balms by Good Fortune: I never get tired of natural lip balms, especially going into the cooler months. We received the peppermint one. Smells yummy!

Facial Cleansing Towelettes by Burt's Bees: These are so convenient for removing make up at night or freshing up your face after a workout (I've been doing a lot of those lately). I love that they are infused with white tea, cucumber and aloe. So refreshing!

Beauty Rejuvenating Night Creme by Biao Beauty: I haven't tried this brand before, so I'm anxious to test this one out. I always consider a good night cream to be quite luxurious. The L'uvalla cream from my last LovingEco Beauty Bag was amazing. I'm hoping this one is just as good, if not better.

Soft Conditioner & Bubbling Body Wash by SparkleHearts: Hayden has tried another SparkleHeart product in the Conscious Box we purchased a while ago. She was excited to find some more fun, girlie girl products just for her in this box, too.
  

Lavender Sea Laundry Detergent by Safronique: I don't think I've ever been so excited to do some laundry (with the exception of when I received Soap Nuts in a past Eco Emi). This all-natural, eco-friendly laundry detergent smells like fresh lavender and comes in a cute little clear bottle (I want to make something with the bottle when it's empty). I wonder if it will leave my laundry smelling just as nice. I want to wash our pjs in it, so we can relax in this lovely scent.

Organic Milk Chocolate Angell Crisp Bar by Betty Lou's Inc.: Who can resist a yummy chocolate bar? I tend to go for the dairy-free dark chocolate ones, but I know some other family members who's definitely be interested in this.

Original Green Tea Leaf Mints by SEN CHA: I'm actually a big fan of these mints and their cute little tea leaf shape. The old time candy shop down the street sells them, so I usually pick up the dragon fruit flavor (I think I said grapefruit in our video, but I meant dragon fruit; it's just one of those days) when I'm there. They are packed with antioxidants and are sweetened with stevia.

Organic Soy Nut Trail Mix by Crum Creek Mills: I tend to carry trail mix and/or some kind of bar in my purse at all times for an emergency snack (Luckily, I had some almonds in my purse at the fair yesterday, and I also convinced the smoothie lady to sell me a plain banana). Although they rarely contain soy, I'd carry this one, due to the fact that the soy nuts are non-GMO. It also contains raisins, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and chocolate chips, and is vegan. I'll probably bring this to the pumpkin patch (it's Hayden's first preschool field trip).

Skin Detox and Green Tea Blueberry Slim Life Yogi teas: These were a little surprise hidden at the bottom of my box, so I accidentally didn't mention them in our video. I have always enjoyed Yogi Tea. These are certainly welcome in my house. I can't wait to sample the blueberry green tea.

This month's box had a cozy fall theme with brown and burgundy tissue paper, a golden-colored pouch and some paper "hay." Time to figure out what I'll be doing with it to create this month's DIY. Hopefully, I'll be able to post one soon.

*****

Speaking of DIY projects, I might be making something out of Pure Bar wrappers. You see, I participated in a Twitter discussion about gluten-free diets with Fitfluential, Pure Bar and GNC the other night. Robin of Simple. Green. Organic. Happy. tweeted, wondering if the wrappers could be recycled. I suggested turning them into something fashionable, like Terracycle does with various other packaging. Then, all of the competitive and creative juices started flowing, and other bloggers and tweeters began to hop on board (I think someone is going to post about the wrapper challenge and encourage others to make stuff, too). If everyone participates as planned, this should be so much fun :-)

We love art

About a week ago, Hayden and I enjoyed a girls day (we couldn't convince Matthew and Jacob to go with us) at the annual Artsfest at Annmarie Gardens. We had so much fun that we thought we'd take a moment to share some pics with you.

I usually go to Artsfest to check out all the artwork, get inspired and sometimes purchase items from the artists along the wooded trails (I'm a big fan of the jewelry, but there's also drawings, paintings, carvings, sculpture, pottery, etc.). This time, Hayden led the way.

First, she took advantage of the opportunities to create some art of her own. She was so excited to paint a picture to take home with her.

Then, she made a contribution to one of the exhibits there. Kids were able to make colorful leaves and hang them on a decorative tree.

Here's Hayden making her leaf.

We just had to take a picture of her with it by the tree ...

... and one more pic to remember it.

Moving on down the path, Hayden really was drawn to this mermaid carving. She certainly loves mermaids.

Then, while I admired the other works of art, Hayden went on a fairy hunt. Local artists and businesses had made fairy homes, as part of the Fairies in the Garden exhibit, that were hidden along the wooded path. I think Hayden thought some of them were real ... because, of course, the fairies in the garden are real :-)

There was even an artist who sold fairies, although we didn't get one. We considered getting a fairy house making kit at the artLAB, but in the end, opted to gather our own supplies around the house to replicate the project in the future.

Another project in the artLAB that caught my eye was these cute little flower pins made from water bottles. The KidsPost had done a feature on them, as other water bottle flower arrangements can be seen elsewhere at the event (like on the window sill at the top on this post). They are fairly simple to make, so I'm hoping to try it myself, especially since Hayden wouldn't hang out in the artLAB long enough for me to purchase one.

Instead, she was excited to play with the other kids near one of the stages, where my cousin and brother-in-law's band was about to go on. Hayden let me play with her, too, like being a kid again (seriously, my sister and I couldn't get enough of the hula hoops).

Before we left, Hayden posed as the Mona Lisa. Just look at that heart-shaped face. She certainly loves art :-)

Now, I can't wait for my Eco Emi to arrive. I wonder what I'll make as my follow up DIY project this month?