Wear It: Miss Happy Pink

 

Tshirt: Miss Happy Pink; Sweater:  Target; Boots: Rocket Dog, thrifted; Jeans: Jcrew, thrifted; Silver Ring: Old

 

A certain somebody has been battling a certain cold, so when the temps reached a crazy unexpected 70-degrees today, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to dress casual and comfy in my new Miss Happy Pink shirt.  I love all of her screenprints, but I especially love this bicycle built for two.  Doesn’t it just make you want to go somewhere? 

 

~julee~

 

I post my outfits here to show off my thrifty and handmade wears. Plus, I like cute clothes. I link up each week with What I Wore Wednesday at The Pleated Poppy, Whatever Whenever Wednesday, Not Dead Yet Style, Real Girl Style and Casual Friday. If you're dropping in today, please say HI! in the comments – I would love to come check out your blog!

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Eat It: Valentine Sundae

Easy Valentine Sundae Dessert

Use a cookie cutter to cut heart shapes out of tortillas.  Brush the hearts with butter and then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.  Bake at 350-degrees for a few minutes.  Scoop ice cream into an adorable heart-shaped bowl from Target dollar spot, top with cinnamon sugar heart, drizzle with honey and – BAM! – beautiful Valentine sundae.




Or you could omit the ice cream and just eat a dozen or so of  these yummy cinnamon hearts.



Enjoy!

~julee~

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Sponsor D.I.Y. Louisville in February

Have you ever wondered what it’s like sponsoring a blog?  Well, I can’t speak for all blogs, but sponsoring D.I.Y. Louisville is a little like having your own personal cheerleader stalk peruse you and your blog or online shop all month long and share with her readers all of the wonderfully lovely things you’re doing.  Can’t we all use a little more love this month?

Not only will I be sharing your adventures with my Facebook and Twitter followers, but sponsors also get an opportunity to introduce themselves on the D.I.Y. Louisville blog, and the option to join a group giveaway that will be hosted during the month.  Fun times!

Sponsorship opportunities are open to bloggers, crafters, artists, etsy shop owners and small business owners.   See the SPONSOR PAGE for more details and contact Julee at diylouisville @ gmail . com with any questions.

I can’t wait to become your bloggy friend and work with you this  month!

~julee~

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Win It: Kardashian Kollection Giveaway

(See my January Blogger Giveaway HERE.) 

Welcome to the Kardashian Kollection Giveaway! We’ll be giving away a Kardashian Kollection Leopard & Leather Wallet ($35 ARV)!

Look Hollywood-hot with this chic-glam leopard and leather wallet from the Kardashian Kollection at Sears. Wallet measures 8x4 and is one-zippered with six compartments including two credit card flaps.

Giveaway is open to the US only and ends February 1st at 11:59 PM EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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D.I.Y. Kids: Shrinky Dink Necklace

I’m a child of the 80’s, so whenever my daughter wants to pull out the Shrinky Dinks, I probably get a little too excited.  Surely I’m not the only one?

There are so many cute things you can make with Shrinky Dinks, but I pulled out a few supplies I had on hand and we settled on these cute and easy heart and butterfly necklaces.

Paper punches cut right through the Shrinky Dink plastic and give you a perfect shape, which is perfectly awesome.  Color your plastic with colored pencils or sharpies, and then if you want to hang your shapes, cut a hole with a hole punch *before* you put in the oven.  Follow the directions on the package for baking.

Ta-da!  An easy kids DIY craft for a cold weekend afternoon!

Have you ever made Shrinky Dink crafts?  I’ve seen more “grown up” jewelry on Pinterest I’d like to try my hand at making.

Happy DIY’ing!

~julee~

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Win It: Sponsor Giveaway

Who’s feeling lucky?  I hope *YOU* are because my amazing sponsors are giving away this awesome prize pack to one lucky winner!  What can you win?  Take a look:

One month ad space from Lipgloss and Crayons.

February Sponsor Spot on D.I.Y. Louisville plus a Valentine package full of goodies.

A set of handmade heart crayons from Craft E Magee.

Handmade Beaded Chevron Necklace (color is winner’s choice) from Mandy at This Girl’s Life.

Beautiful Kohl’s Twill Wrap (color is winner’s choice) from Kathryn Laine.

Set of three lovely handmade earrings from Evon-Von.

Handmade dragonfly earrings featuring blue and green Swarovski crystals  from Kiki(verde).

Who’s ready to win?  Use the Rafflecopter below to enter.  You can choose one or all of the options for gaining an entry into the random drawing.  Plus, you can tweet the giveaway once a day for more daily entries.  Holla!

Contest closes on 1/30, and one lucky winner will be chosen at random.  Open to US residents only.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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January Sponsor Spotlight

I have had a wonderful month sharing my bloggy space with these wonderful ladies.  I asked each of them to share their New Year’s resolutions with you so you can get to know them better, too.  Here is what they told me:

 

Evon Von  ~ Facebook ~ Twitter 

Hi, I’m Evon-Von!  For me, I decided not to make any  resolutions this year. Every year I start off with a bang but as time goes by, the drive fades away. So I decided instead I will just keep doing what I've been doing all of 2012. I am in the process of overhauling my YouTube channel which will be incorporated with my blog later this year. I am also working on opening an online boutique! I make accessories such as earrings, pendants, and even scarves and I will be selling my own handmade accessories soon! You can read my 'New Year Broken Promises' post HERE.

 

This Girl’s Life ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

Hi, I’m Mandy from This Girl’s Life!  For the past few years, I've chosen "one little word" to guide me through the year. For 2013, I've chosen "grow", which relates to how I would like to grow creatively, both through my blog and in my professional and personal life.  You can read more about my “one little word” on my blog HERE.

 

The Hanger ~ Facebook 

Hi, I’m Amanda from The Hanger.  My goals for the New Year are to work on my self esteem by beginning a work out regimen. I plan to get myself into shape for a wedding dress because I recently got engaged! An important goal for the year is to not be a stressed out bride. I am making the majority of my decorations and cannot wait to share them with my crafty friends! HERE is the paper flower tutorial I am going to use as wedding décor.

 

  

Mia Bella ~ Facebook

Hi, I’m Jilli from Mia Bella Photography.  When I think back on this first year of business for Mia Bella Photography, these words come to my mind... Unbelievable. Humbled. Encouraged. Thankful. And when I look forward to what this next year has in store I have feelings of hope, excitement and inspiration. But nothing rings more clear than the simple fact that this is a dream come true. To think that in September of 2011, when an oncoming life change was inevitable as this stay-at-home Mom's only little miracle was spreading her wings and soaring off to kindergarten, we sat down and discussed this next chapter of my life. Would I go back into the corporate advertising world? Or would it be possible to turn something that I have loved for my entire life into a business of my own. For years I watched my mother and her camera, her inspiration to see the world differently, to be given the gift of being able to SEE the moment and the knowledge of how to capture it, it is a part of me. So to see that in this past year, the feelings of "I won't be able to do this!" to the encouragement of "yes you can!", with the help and support of so many of you, especially my incredibly smart and determined husband, Mia Bella Photography went from a dream to a COMPANY. I am truly blessed.

 

Craft E Magee ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

Hi, I’m Craft E Magee!  I usually do not make New Year's resolutions, however, I love the idea of setting and accomplishing goals that help you live life to the fullest. I am going to try to focus on a few things in 2013, like reading more books, crafting and creating more, and choosing to eat nutritious foods, because I know they will make me a happier, healthier person.  You can read my post on New Years Resolutions HERE.  

 

Kathryn Laine ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest

Hi, I’m Kathryn!  My resolution is more of a life change/words to live by... I'm going to stop putting off til tomorrow what I can do today.  You can read more on my blog post HERE.

 

Kiki(verde) ~ Facebook ~ Etsy

Hi, I’m Kristen from Kiki(verde).  One of my 2013 goals is to be a better steward of my time, which means not wasting it standing at the fridge at 5:00 wondering what in the world I'm going to make for dinner. (And the subsequent rush to the store, or worse, calling it quits and ordering in!) There are lots of printable meal planners online, but none of them were exactly what I wanted...so I designed one! Lucky you, I'm sharing the free printable over at my blog so you can be more intentional about your family's meals too!

 

A GREAT BIG thanks to each of these wonderful ladies for supporting D.I.Y. Louisville in various ways.  I am honored to have worked with them this month! 

(For information on how you can support D.I.Y. Louisville look HERE.)

~julee~  

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Make and Wear: Je t’aime

The temps right now are somewhere between 20-degrees and freezing-to-death, so this blurry indoor shot of my shirt will have to suffice for the moment. 

After making a simple freezer paper stencil heart shirt for my daughter this week, I thought I needed a more grown up version to wear myself.  I have been loving all of the large heart shirts that seem to be in fashion right now, but thought a smaller heart with a nod to my upcoming spring trip to Paris would be a better fit for me.

I made the design in Word and used freezer paper to make the stencil, but I cheated and ran this image through my Silhouette cutter instead of cutting by hand.  Dear Silhouette, Je t’aime.

Have you ever made freezer paper stencils?  You can watch my video demonstrating the method on WDRB in the Morning HERE.  Such a fun project!

~julee~

 

I post my outfits here to show off my thrifty and handmade wears. Plus, I like cute clothes. I link up each week with What I Wore Wednesday at The Pleated Poppy, Whatever Whenever Wednesday, Not Dead Yet Style, Real Girl Style and Casual Friday. If you're dropping in today, please say HI! in the comments – I would love to come check out your blog!

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Make It: Stenciled Heart Shirt Tutorial

I used freezer paper to turn one of my daughter’s heart drawings into wearable art.  I’m a sucker for a child’s imperfections when it comes to arts and crafts.  You can easily turn any drawing or image into a stencil with freezer paper.  Here are the steps:



1) Gather your supplies.  You’ll need:  Freezer Paper, exacto knife, paint, sponge brush, image you want to cut, and iron (not shown).  2) Place the freezer paper on top of your image shiny side down.  You may need to secure the edges with tape.  Using your exacto knife, carefully cut out the image.  Now you have a stencil of your image.   3)  Iron the freezer paper/stencil on your fabric shiny side down.  This adheres the stencil to your fabric.  Make sure you get a nice seal along all of the edges.  4)  Sponge on your paint.  5)  Allow to dry for 20-30 minutes and remove the freezer paper stencil.  The freezer paper pulls away from the image easiest if the paint is still slightly damp.  However, some paint coverage calls for two coats in which case you’ll want to pull the paper off very carefully.



Ta-da!  You now have a 100% personalized heart shirt for Valentine’s day!

Happy Valentine crafting, DIY’ers!

~julee~

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Make It: Avocado Quesadilla

This is my grown-up version of the cheese quesadilla.  Doesn’t avocado just make everything better?  Simple to make and perfect for a quick lunch. 

Avocado Quesadilla
Ingredients: 
Tortillas (white, corn, whole wheat, low carb – pick your favorite kind)
Avocado (peeled and diced into cubes)
Asiago Cheese (shredded)
Jalapenos (I’m a wimp, so I purchase the no-heat jarred variety)



I’m sure you don’t need too much instruction on how to make these, but take one tortilla and sprinkle cheese on 1/2, top with a few cubes of avocado and a few jalapenos, then fold the other end over.  Heat in a pan on medium heat for a minute until cheese starts to melt then flip over and squash down with a spatula for another minute or two until everything is nice and hot throughout.  I like my avocado really smashed, but that’s just me.

*Tip:  Asiago is a strong cheese, so it really only takes a little to get a good flavor.



Enjoy!

~julee~

 

Sharing with YOLO Mondays on Lipgloss & Crayons and Townsend House.

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Sponsor Spotlight: Lipgloss and Crayons

I am so excited to introduce Carly from Lipgloss and Crayons with you today!  Carly is one of my most favorite bloggers – I love popping over to see what great outfits she’s wearing each week, and she posts some pretty  irresistible recipes.  Plus, she had an amazingly beautiful wedding full of personal DIY touches.  Carly is truly my kind of gal.

I asked Carly for a little introduction and to share her 2013 resolutions with my readers and here is what she had to say: 

Hello, I'm Carly and I blog over at Lipgloss & Crayons. I teach elementary school, and am constantly inspired by the way my students play. On my blog I play with fashion, recipes, and beauty trends! I also share a little bit about my life here in Los Angles. My husband is a professional musician, so I'm a teacher by day and a "band-aid" by night.

I made a number of resolutions this year, the most important being the mile challenge. My challenge to move (at least a mile), everyday! I'm going to take a work out class, go running or walk at least a mile everyday. Walking a mile takes less than 20 minutes, and so far I've done SOMETHING each day.

Learn more about Carly on Lipgloss and Crayons blog, Facebook, or Twitter.  I know she would love for you to stop by and say Hi.

Good luck Carly with your mile challenge this year and thanks for being an awesome sponsor this month!

~julee~

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January Umba Box

January’s Umba Box might be my favorite  so far.  I wish I could adequately explain to you how much I love this crazy-darling Letterpress Coaster Calendar from Sugarcube Press.  A whole year of adorable images on coasters, plus monthly calendars on the back (or is it vice versa?).  Also comes with a sweet desk stand.  Whoa.  And the package this month included a delicious warm pear cobbler all natural lip balm from Live Beautifully.   I’m a self-proclaimed lip balm junkie, so this month’s box was just a whole lotta’ love.

You can see my past Umba Box’s here and here. 

Do you Umba Box?

~julee~

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Wear It: Hand-Knit Cowl

This is not so much an outfit post as it is a Hey!  Look at the new hand-knit cowl I got for Christmas! post.  Purchased by my friend Kim at a local art & craft show, but there was no tag or card so I can’t give credit to the artist.  Sad.  It adds the perfect amount of warmth without too much bulk which is really nice.  Sometimes you just don’t want that suffocated feeling, you know?  I’m always jealous of those that can knit or crochet.  I’d love to have one of these bad boys in about 20 different colors.

My coat is old from Target and my earrings were also handmade, by Kiki(verde).  Love.

I hope you guys are keeping warm this week.  It’s currently spitting sleet and snow outside and my daughter is doing the Snow Day Dance as I type this.  Perhaps I should join her; I wouldn’t mind a snow day myself.

~julee~

 

I post my outfits here to show off my thrifty and handmade wears. Plus, I like cute clothes. I link up each week with What I Wore Wednesday at The Pleated Poppy, Whatever Whenever Wednesday, Not Dead Yet Style, Real Girl Style and Casual Friday. If you're dropping in today, please say HI! in the comments – I would love to come check out your blog!

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Make It: Vegetarian Taco Bites

I confess, I have fallen in love with all things that can be made in a wonton cup.  These vegetarian taco bites are made similarly to the vegetarian lasagna cups, but you know, with taco-y ingredients.  These taste just like a little burrito, but for some reason are so much more fun to eat.
 


Vegetarian Taco Cups

You’ll need:
Wonton wrappers
1 can vegetarian refried beans (the overzealous among us can make their own)
Shredded cheese (mine is an asiago and cotija blend)
1 packet taco seasoning (I make my own)
Optional toppings:  Black olives, salsa, tomatoes, guacamole, avocado, sour cream
Mini Muffin Pan
Non-stick cooking spray

Spray your mini muffin pan with non-stick spray and place one wonton wrapper in each muffin space.  Mix the taco seasonings in with the beans, and fill each wonton with one spoonful.  Add cheese.  Add black olives.  Cook at 350-degrees for 10-15 minutes until wontons are crispy and beans are heated thoroughly.  Top with toppings of your choice and devour.



Enjoy!

~julee~

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Hello, Friday

  

Hello, Friday.  Hello another fun day of crafting on WDRB in the Morning with Craft E Magee.  Hello breaking out into a chorus of Oh My Darling every single time I eat a sweet clementine.  Hello waking up to a little doggie that likes to sleep on my face.  Hello much needed coffee night with Louisville artist Miss Happy Pink.

Hello weekend.  I’m ready, are you?

~julee~

 

Linking up these simple moments with Life Rearranged, Hello Hue, High Five for Friday.

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Make It: Magnetic Chalkboard Organizer

Every January, my goal is always to try and get more organized.  I have every good intention, but inevitably those intentions go right out the window as soon as things start to get busy.  Not this year.  This year I’m sticking to it.  And this cute little magnetic and chalkboard organizer is going to sit right by my computer to help me. 

It only takes a few supplies to make this cute organizational board.  I had most things on hand (you probably do too), and I only had to buy the cookie sheet and hooks for $1 each at the dollar store.  Want to make one too?



1) Gather all of your supplies.  You’ll need:  Metal cookie sheet, scrapbook paper, black poster board (this is your chalkboard), Mod Podge, paint brush or sponge, round corner punch (optional).

2) Measure how big you want your chalkboard (black poster board) and add one inch (your scrapbook paper will overlap this once it’s adhered in place).  Measure and cut your scrapbook paper and black poster board to fit snug in the cookie sheet.  Since the corners of my cookie sheet were round, I used a rounded corner punch on the top corners of the scrap paper and the bottom corners of the black poster board.

3)  Evenly apply your Mod Podge on the entire cookie sheet.  Do not leave big glops, as this may warp your paper.

4)  Adhere your black poster board first and firmly smooth out any wrinkles or air pockets.  Apply a very thin layer of Mod Podge on the extra inch at the top of the black poster board, then place your scrap paper on top.  Smooth out any wrinkles or air pockets.  Try not to push any Mod Podge out onto your chalkboard, because chalk won’t write over it.  Immediately blot away any excess if it seeps through.

5) Get out your chalk, stick on your magnets, and get organized!





See more details about the calendar I made to perfectly fit this small space HERE and go  HERE to print it for free.  I wanted hangers for various things, and I found these adhesive backed ones at the dollar store.  I cut magnets to fit and they work great.



I used an easel to sit my organizer on my desk, but you can also hang it by drilling holes for a ribbon or adhering wire to the back.

Check out another great New Years resolution craft over at Craft E Magee: Make your own yoga mat strap.

Think of me as unexpected turbulence magnet from HERE.

Happy organizing, DIY’ers!

~julee~

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Wear It: Slouchy Shirt

Anyone else hear What A Feeling playing in the background? 

This was my first day of my last semester of school outfit.  Man, does it feel good to say that.  I know I keep bringing it up, but you guys, it’s a light at the end of a loooong tunnel that I sometimes seriously wondered if I’d ever see.  Going back to school as an adult is just so different. 

There was no internet my first go at college (I’m ancient, don’t mention it), but there is practically nothing that can’t be accomplished online today, including renting textbooks at Campus Book Rentals.  Renting textbooks typically saves even more money than buying used, because you send them back at the end of the semester when you no longer need them.  Campus Book Rentals can save you 40-90% off bookstore prices, has free shipping both ways, and donates to Operation Smile with each textbook rented.  Awesome, right?  One of my books this semester was over $100 at the bookstore, and Campus Books Rentals has it available to rent for less than $25.  I’m talking serious cash savings.   One of my biggest hesitations for renting textbooks was that I wouldn’t be able to highlight in them for studying, but at Campus Book Rentals highlighting is allowed.  Bonus points!  I’d recommend checking out their prices before you overspend at your campus bookstore.

I’m wearing a couple of my favorite handmade items today:  Necklace made by Mandy of  Love Squirrels; Wooden Ring made by Uncommon Handmade.  Love these little pops of color!

Top: Forever 21; Tank:  Target; Jeans:  J Crew, thrifted; Boots:  Polo, thrifted;   Boot Socks:  Target

Have a great week!

~julee~

 

I post my outfits here to show off my thrifty and handmade wears. Plus, I like cute clothes. I link up each week with What I Wore Wednesday at The Pleated Poppy, Whatever Whenever Wednesday, Not Dead Yet Style, Real Girl Style and Casual Friday. If you're dropping in today, please say HI! in the comments – I would love to come check out your blog!

This post contains content sponsored by Campus Book Rentals, all opinions 100% mine.

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Print It: Desktop Calendar

I share a lot of things on my Facebook page that I don’t always share on the blog, which is why you should hop on over there and hit the LIKE button so you won’t miss any of the fun.  Today, for example, you may have missed the announcement that I will be joining with Craft E Magee this Wednesday January 9th for another appearance on WDRB in the Morning.  If you’re local, you can watch live at 7:45 and 8:15 or set your DVR.  If you’re not local, you can catch all of our segments on my YouTube channel.  Also, I’ll keep the sidebar updated with our next appearance date and times, so you’ll never have to miss.

Sneak peek alert! I created a small desktop calendar that can be printed to go along with my project this week.  If you want to get a head start on this project, you can go HERE to print this free 2013 calendar.  It’s the perfect size if you have a small desk space.  I’ve backed mine with pretty scrapbook paper, and clipped them together with a small binder clip so they can hang on a hook.  The subsequent months are hanging on the backside and is easy to switch when the new month starts.

Don’t forget to watch on Wednesday, or check my Facebook  page for the video clip after the show.

~julee~

Sharing with YOLO Monday on Lipgloss & Crayons.

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Hello, Friday

  

Hello, Friday.  Your presence today means it’s back to reality on Monday.  Wha-wha.  Back to school (my final semester, woot), back to early mornings, and a new internship this semester.  But this week has been a great one, so before I get too depressed for Monday to roll around, let me say hip-hip-hooray to: A fantastic New Years Eve with best friends;  A real actual date night with hubby in which he talked me out of The Hobbit and into This Is 40 and I’m super glad he did because you can’t wrong with laughing your arse off, Paul Rudd and a gajillion f*bombs on a date;  D. I.Y. Louisville meet-up with my favorite crafty gals;  And the biggest bowl of vegetarian Pho I ever did see at Heart and Soy.

I don’t want to jinx it, but I’m pretty sure ‘13 is gonna be my lucky number.

Here’s to a great year!

~julee~

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