Full Blown Pinterest Addiction

Lately I've been obsessed with the website Pinterest. It's amazing! It let's you "pin" pictures (with links) of crafts, recipes, clothes, anything! It's like a virtual inspiration board. I love it! The best part is you can follow other people's boards and see what your friends are pinning. It's a crafting dream. Check out some of my inspiration.

DIY Fever: Part 3

I'm still making things like crazy. I'm not sure what it is about making things with my own two hands, but I love it. Cooking, jewelry, sewing, crafting, painting, anything really. I've also formed a new addiction to pinterest. It's wonderful!

Anyways...here's some more of my creations:

I found a great tutorial a while back on how to make these flowers. 

I'm in love with the way these glitter flats turned out. I used two pairs of flats that I don't wear anymore. The blog We Are Not Martha has a great tutorial for these. They're actually really easy to make. 

 I found a tutorial for this repurposed/knock-off J. Crew sweater on Momma Go Round.

DIY Fever: Part 2

My last post featured my native American inspired jewelry. I also got the J. Crew and Anthro bug when I was making jewelry. I decided to make some pieces in the style.

I also have a coral colored necklace like this. I made the coral one months ago when I saw something similar to it at J. Crew. 

I found a tutorial for this one on Flamingo Toes. 

Flamingo Toes also has a tutorial for this necklace, but I altered mine slightly.

DIY Fever: Part 1

I've had a lot of free time lately. By a lot I mean ENDLESS! For the first seven weeks of the summer, I was a camp counselor at an all girls overnight camp. I left camp three weeks early to prepare for Italy. I'm going to be an exchange student in Florence this semester. I've been spending about half of my time getting documents, travel essentials, and other miscellaneous things in order for Italia. The other half of my time I've been crafting! Well, not your typical crafting, more like diy knock-offs of Anthropologie, J. Crew, Free People...basically all of the stores that I wish I could afford on a regular basis.

When I first got home from camp, I was really inspired by native American art and traditions. Of course I put my own spin on it. Check it out:

 (This necklace hits at about the navel level)

Better Than Crack Brownies

I'm still trying to get rid of marshmallows, so I adapted a recipe from How Sweet It Is.

I used the Hershey's brownie recipe as my base again, but I doubled the recipe this time to fit with the recipe on How Sweet It Is. I also substituted the reese's cups and peanuts for marshmallows and chopped hazelnuts. The end result is delicious, but VERY VERY rich! It might take my family and I awhile to finish these.

Another Awesome Giveawy

Oh the lovely things is hosting another great giveaway! Go check it out!

Also, look out for another brownie recipe! I just tried a new recipe, and I'm waiting to see how it turns out.

Rocky Road Brownies

I have a killer addiction to chocolate, and I LOVE to bake. Brownies are my go to when I get a spur of the moment baking bug. They're so easy to make, and hardly impossible to mess up. Brownies are also pretty versatile. You can throw in basically whatever you have lying around in your kitchen (within reason).

Last night I got the urge to bake after dinner. I had an open bag of marshmallows from another recipe that I needed to use before they got hard. I decided to make rocky road brownies. I adapted the basic brownie recipe from Hersheys.com for my brownie adventure.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• handful of chopped walnuts
• handful of chopped pecans
• handful of chopped Hershey's dark chocolate squares (or semi-sweet morsels)
• about 1/4 cup chocolate syrup
• about 1 1/2 cup marshmallows

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9-inch square baking pan (or a pan of similar size).

Stir together butter, sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. I used my electric mixer for the entire mixing process, but it's not crucial to use an electric mixer. Add eggs. Slowly mix in flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. 

This is where I started adding at will. Please forgive me for the vague measurements. I literally threw in handfuls of nuts and just eyeballed about how much was enough. Again, it's nearly impossible to mess up brownies, so don't fret over the vague measurements. Mix in walnuts, pecans, and chocolate chunks. Drizzle chocolate syrup in and mix. The chocolate syrup makes the brownies fudgier, so use you're own discretion here. I like my brownies really fudgy, but if you want cake like brownies then hold back or exclude it all together. This chocolate syrup trick works with all brownies, even mixes, if you want to make your brownies really gooey. Hot fudge ice cream topping works too.

Spread batter into greased pan, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove brownies from oven, and sprinkle marshmallows on top of partially baked brownies. Warning: the marshmallows make the finished product very  gooey and messy (but also delicious)! Add as many marshmallows as you like. I covered mine because I needed to use up my bag of marshmallows. Return the pan to oven for another 2-3 minutes or until marshmallows are slightly golden. Remove from oven, let cool, and ENJOY!!

I'm talkin' pedicure on our toes, toes...

I was at CVS today to pick up a prescription, so I checked out the beauty section while I waited. I found some nail polish that Ke$ha would be proud of! Obviously, I had to buy it.

I got it in light pink, and it looks awesome!

Milani Jewel FX

We R Who We R

For the past 7 weeks I've been working at an all girls summer camp as a counselor. This is my second summer as a counselor, and I LOVE it! At camp there are a lot of opportunities to dress absolutely crazy. I made it my goal at the beginning of camp to dress like Ke$ha as many times as possible. I'm not actually a die hard Ke$ha fan, but her songs are fun. Dressing like her is even more fun!

Unfortunately, there aren't many opportunities to dress like Ke$ha in regular life. But, every now and then, we all gotta let the inner Ke$ha come out to play. I've been looking for small ways to let the crazy out in my wardrobe.

Top left: Forever 21

Top right: Free People

Bottom left: Top Shop

Bottom right: Free People

Giveaway time!

Oh the lovely things is having another awesome giveaway! Go and check it out!

On a side note, I know I've been MIA for quite a while. I was working at a summer camp for 7 weeks. I'm still unpacking and catching up on some much needed sleep. I'll post more soon. Promise.

Light As A Feather

As I revealed in a previous post, I've been into feather hair extensions recently. I've also been interested in feather themed jewelry lately. It brings out my earthy/hippie side.

Top Left: Arden B.

Top Right: Free People

Bottom Left: Express

Bottom Right: Forever 21

Stacks Stacks Stacks

I love stacks, and I'm always very interested in seeing other people's stacks. My stack is basically a rotation of 5 or 6 of my favorite bracelets. The one bracelet that is always included is my silver spoon bracelet. My grandpa gave it to me a long time ago, and it looks great with almost everything. I generally wear 3 or 4 bracelets at a time. Here's a stack I'd love to own...

Top: Sundance

Middle: Kate Spade

Bottom: Sundance

Someone Got A Little Scissor Happy

When the cut out sleeve trend first hit I wasn't so sure how I felt about it. However, it's definitely been growing on me. I'm always hesitant to purchase anything that's too trendy. I'm a broke college student, and I definitely don't have enough money to change my wardrobe every season. I normally try to make investments on classic pieces, but buying trendy clothes every now and then is a great way to keep things modern.

Left: I am absolutely in love with this top from Forever 21!

Right: This animal print top from Urban Outfitters would be great for a night out.

All Laced Up!

I've always loved lace, but it's one of those materials that can go from classy to tacky very easily. When considering lace for an outfit or a purchase, always be mindful of it's potential tackiness. Generally white or black lace will look classier than hot pink lace. I personally love lace because it makes me feel so feminine! It's really the epitome of girly style.

Left: I'm in love with this dress from Miss Selfridge! It's so fun!

Right: This dress from Lulu's it so classic. Perfect for a wedding!

Left: I think this lace top from Forever 21 would go great with a blazer, jeans, and a colorful ribbon necklace.

Right: This Lulu's top is so fun and flirty for the summer!

Although I don't normally go for jewelry this big, I really love this lace bangle from Anthro.

Oh So Trendy

I've totally been swept up in the one shoulder craze! I love one shoulder dresses and tops. I think this trend is a fun way to update your wardrobe.

Left: Free People

Right: Forever 21

A word of advice: If you've never worn a one shoulder top or dress before coordinating your bra can be tricky (esp. if you're chesty). A bra with convertible straps is your best friend in this situation. Lay out the bra with both straps in the traditional position. Leave the strap that lays under the sleeved side of your top in it's normal position. Unhook the back hook of the other strap and double it up with the first strap. At first, it may seem impossible to fit both hooks in one loop, but trust me it'll work. You'll get A LOT of support this way. I also use a generous supply of clothing tape to make sure my straps don't show.

Summertime!

I love wearing tank tops in the summer. I live in the southeast, and it's so hot and humid down here that sleeves are just not an option! Here are some tank tops that I've got my eye on...

This sweet little tank from Anthropologie is great for a day out shopping or lunch with the girls!

I love this tank from Urban Outfitters for a night out. It's comfortable to dance in, but also edgy for bar hopping.

This top is a great day to night transition piece. I can always count on ModCloth for sweet yet grown up clothes.

So Many Giveaways So Little Time!!

One of the blogs I follow, Oh the lovely things, is having a great giveaway right now! One lucky person will win a $25 gift certificate to Renee Anne's Etsy store.

Also, Let the Tide Pull Your Dreams Ashore (one of my favorite blogs!) is having a Loggerhead Apparel giveaway.

Finally, Nautical by Nature is having a Marley Lilly giveaway.

Go check them out!

New Favorite Colors

Lately I've found myself particularly drawn to anything turquoise or coral. They're so bright and fun! I feel so summery when I wear them. Here are some things in turquoise and coral that have caught my eye...

Love love looove this Calvin Klein Collection dress from the Outnet!

I generally prefer simple jewelry, and this Swarovski bracelet would fit in nicely with my stack.

I think these coral pumps from Lulu's would go great with a simple dress or jeans.

Anthro...need I say more??

Shop Till You Drop!

Lulus.com is one of my favorite sites to shop online. Lulu's has a modern yet feminine style which I love. The prices are also pretty reasonable for the good quality products they sell. I wish Lulu's the stylists could be my personal shoppers!

Happy shopping!

College Prep Giveaway!

Go check out the Tugs giveaway that College Prep is having!

Things I'm Loving!

It's been awhile since I've done a real post, but now that summer has started I have ample free time. Here are some things that I'm loving right now...

Feather hair extensions!

These are the feathers I currently have in my hair. I love them! I just ordered some more, so I can change them whenever I want.

Make your own fabric flowers.

I've been obsessed with making these cute little flowers from Simply Vintagegirl. I've probably made 15 already (they take awhile to make).

Anything nautical!

Seriously, it's a problem.

Harry Potter.

I know I'm a nerd, but I love Harry Potter. I can't wait for The Deathly Hallows Part 2 to come out!

Sperry Giveaway

Let the Tide Pull Your Dreams Ashore is having a Sperry giveaway!

Another Giveaway!!

I should probably just change the name of this blog to Giveaway Tracker or something...

Let the Tide Pull Your Dreams Ashore is having another giveaway! Go check it out!

Another Giveaway!!

I should probably just change the name of this blog to Giveaway Tracker or something...

Let the Tide Pull Your Dreams Ashore is having another giveaway! Go check it out!

College Prep Giveaway!

The College Prepster is having another awesome giveaway! One lucky winner will get a Saltbox NYC carryall! Go check it out!

Dress Giveaway!

Nautical by Nature is having a great giveaway for a Shabby Apple dress. Head over and check it out!

Bag Tag Giveaway

Let the Tide Pull Your Dreams Ashore is having another awesome giveaway! Go check it out!

Smathers & Branson Giveaway!

Check out the Smathers and Branson giveaway at Nautical by Nature!

Marley Lilly Giveaway

Everyone should go over to Let the Tide Pull Your Dreams Ashore and enter the Marley Lilly Giveaway!

College Prep Zoubaby Giveaway!!

Everyone should go over to College Prep and check out the new giveaway!!

College Prep Marley Lilly Giveaway

Everyone should go over to College Prep, and enter the giveaway for a monogrammed tumbler!

These tumblers are awesome! They keep your drink cold, but the cup never sweats. They're great for hot drink too.

Separates Part 2

As a follow-up to my previous post, I'm going to showcase my love for cardigans. Seriously. I have an unhealthy addiction to cardigans. I wear one almost every day. They're a great transition from winter to spring also.

First the basics. A solid cardigan that matches almost everything in your wardrobe and can be dressed up or down is essential. I have a long sleeve grey one and a 3/4 sleeve cream one that have gotten lots of love over the past couple of years. It's also a good idea to really invest in something that's good quality. There's nothing harder than parting with a cherished cardigan, blouse, pair of jeans, or pair of shoes. It's even harder to replace said item. Trust me! I've tried!

Featherweight Cashmere Cardigan from J. Crew

Hearts Desire Cardigan from Anthro

Now for some fun! (Not that all shopping isn't fun...except for pants shopping, it's the devil.) I loooove love love the cardigans at Anthropologie! Really I just love anything they make, but I feel like their cardigans in particular just speak to me. The ones I've shown below are definitely statement pieces. Do not try to down play their patterns or pair them with other loud pieces. You'll just look like an explosion of color and patterns.

Oh Anthro, how I love thee.

Separates for Spring Part 1

Although I have a love for cute little dresses, separates are really where it's at. I love pairing different pieces of my wardrobe to make new looks, especially with statement pieces. Tonight (since I'm an insomniac I might as well blog) I want to highlight some skirts and shorts that I love.

It's getting warmer, and I've made the big step of pulling out my shorts and mini skirts and putting away my sweaters. This is a love/hate time of year for my closet. I love it because it means warm weather and sunny days. I hate it because it's so much harder to put together a "wow" outfit when it's 100 degrees outside, and really I just want to wear the bare minimum. I love layering sweaters, scarves, and coats in the winter. But alas, I'll just have to buy some super cute mini skirts and tanks to please my inner fashion diva.

Let's start with some basic shorts. Printed shorts are starting to grow on me, but so far I haven't been gutsy enough to purchase a pair. I like to stick to simple, understated shorts. J.Crew's 3 inch chinos are amazing! I bought my first pair last summer and practically lived in them. They're comfortable, cute, and great quality. They come in other lengths as well, but I'm entirely too short to pull off longer ones.

Left: J. Crew 3" chino

Right: Everyday Woven Shorts from Forever21

Moving on to skirts, everyone needs a good solid skirt in their closet. I am very picky when it comes to buying a basic skirt (or any basics for that matter). I always looks for something that's above the knee (I'm petite), not too short, and versatile.

Twist Hem Skirt by Lucca Couture from Urban Outfitters

(This color may seem odd for a basic, but you must remember I'm a student at Clemson. We wear A LOT of orange.)

Pleated Tweed Skirt by Adam from the Outnet

Finally, every girl needs a fun and flirty skirt! I am in love with both of these picks! I'm a total sucker for anything with a floral print and even more so for anything chiffon. Printed skirts are definitely a statement piece, so remember to wear a more subtle blouse and/or cardigan.

Tropical Garden Crepe Chiffon Skirt from Forever21

Whitley Skirt Mini Printed by Lilly Pulitzer

My First Real Apartment

Next year I'm moving into my first real apartment. I'm currently living in a tiny on-campus apartment that's managed by my school. I share a tiny bedroom with my roommate ( we'll just call her Philly Phan), which isn't terrible considering we're practically attached at the hip. Except there's a huge lack of privacy. Our other roommate (aka Obi Wan) has a room to herself. This tiny place has been great for the most part, but it's time for the three of us to have a more grown up place.

About a month ago we signed a lease for a great off campus apartment next year. Philly Phan, Obi Wan, and I have been like giddy little school girls planning the decor of our new place. We will actually get our own rooms and private bathrooms! Such a change from dorm life.

I've recently bought a comforter for my new room. It's screams CDK! I'm completely in love with it, and I've been building the rest of my room around it.

Coastline Comforter Set by Harbor House

I love the beach as you can see from the coral design, but I don't want to go over board with a nautical theme. Here's some other things that I've been stalking online for my new home...

I found all of these on Etsy (whoever created that site is my hero). The coat rack comes in a lot of colors, and I love the jar flower vase that it comes with! The birds are actually mirrors which is really fun. I've been eying them for quite awhile on Etsy. I'm toying with putting the frames and maps together. I just can't decide, but I love maps as accents in a home. These vintage ones are just so cute.

I'm so excited to move in next year. I've slept on a twin bed all my life, and I'm ready for a big girl bed in a big girl room!