My little guy is growing despite his best efforts to refuse all solid foods lately. He’s now comfortably fitting into 12 month clothes and has quickly outgrown the arrow onesie I made for him just 2 months ago. So it was time to stencil up some new pieces for him to wear, and this time I had some help from the Handmade Charlotte stencils from Plaid. I have was the Family Message Center set which contains 87 stencils to create calenders, to-do lists, chore lists, etc. I however, saw some of the smaller scale patterns and designs and figured they’d be perfect for some more bold, graphic onesies.
As fun as it is to make your own stencils, I have to say it’s twice as fun to create these onesies when you have half the work. To make them all you need are your set of stencils, some sponge brushes and acrylic paint or fabric paint, whichever you prefer. You’ll also want to make sure you place a rag or piece of thick cardboard between the 2 layers of fabric so the paint doesn’t bleed through.
Start by taping the stencil in place, and then with a gentle pouncing motion, apply the paint in up/down strokes.
You don’t want to attempt to brush it on side to side because it will pull at and stretch out the knit too much. Up and down, applying a generous amount of paint is the way to go.
To get the gradated colors of the raindrop I just mixed some of the aqua paint with white and didn’t worry about being too precise with color match, so that it kind of came out in a swirly blend of light and dark shades of aqua.
To get the graphic Morse code looking pattern, I cut out a grouping of 3 shapes and then just applied the paint and alternated the stencil right side up and upside down.
Allow the paint to dry for at least 2 hours and then remove your rag or card stock. You can prewash it but not necessary. These hold up in the wash fine for me and we end up getting lots of use out of them. They never come out perfect, but that’s part of the charm I suppose.
Let me know if you have any questions, and if you have a set of the Handmade Charlotte stencils, I’d love to know which one you have and how you like it, so I can get another set. The catalog of stencil sets can be viewed here, and I’d love to get the patterns or party set.
DIY Watercolor Easter Eggs
Watercolor Easter eggs are a novel way to update traditional dyed eggs. Using liquid watercolors and spray bottles, you can easily create lovely speckled and marbled effects.
Dying Easter eggs has been an annual tradition for as long as I can remember. We’ve carried the tradition on with our kids, and every year we try our best to always try a new technique.
[feast_advanced_jump_to]Why you’ll love this craft
This unique Easter egg painting idea is a great activity for kids and adults alike. It only requires a couple of craft supplies that are available at any local art supply store, and the results are spectacular. You’ll want to make watercolor Easter eggs all year round, they’re so stunning and fun to make.
Creating special works of art with this activity is also so easy and simple. From start to finish, create dozens of eggs for your holiday celebration in under an hour. But it’s so fun, you’ll be in no great hurry to speed through this craft.
Supplies
- Hardboiled eggs – definitely use white eggs. Paint won’t stick to plastic eggs, so they have to be good old fashioned eggs.
- Liquid watercolors – instead of coming in palette form, liquid watercolors come in concentrated bottles that you mix with water. While you can add the watercolors to a bowl and paint from there, I added them to spray bottles to create the cool speckled effect. Liquid watercolors can be found at any craft supply store.
- Paint brushes and spray bottles for applying your watercolors. I picked up my spray bottles at the Dollar Store and they work perfectly!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 – Prepare your liquid watercolors by following package directions and mixing them with water. Add to bowls for painting directly on, or spray bottles to apply with the splatter effect.
Step 2 – Start painting and spraying! To create a marbled effect, first apply metallic watercolor paint, allow to dry, then generously apply your chosen colors with a brush. Allow them to blend and bleed together.
Step 3 – To create the speckled spray effect, begin by spraying a watercolor about 3-4 inches away from the egg. This will create little droplets that don’t completely cover the egg, but give just a minimal sprayed effect. Standing too close when spraying will create much larger droplets that completely cover the egg.
Then add a second or third color to create a rainbow of droplet shades.
Step 4 – Allow the eggs to completely dry for about 30 minutes before handling. Then enjoy!
Use these for Easter egg hunts, or gift them in little cotton muslin bags for a pretty and unique Easter gift. They also look lovely displayed on a platter or in a bowl on your holiday table, next to a DIY Orchid Centerpiece or Floral Arrangement.
FAQ’s
Can I use traditional brick watercolors?
Unfortunately, no, you cannot use the standard brick type watercolors. They need to be liquid to apply in such a unique pattern. The liquid watercolors are also much more concentrated, so they create more dramatic effects.
Where can I find liquid watercolors?
Most craft and art supply stores including Michael’s, Joann’s, and of course Amazon.
How long do these last?
Just like any hardboiled egg, make sure to keep refrigerated and they will last for a week. Peel and enjoy!
Are these watercolor Easter eggs edible?
Yes! The watercolors do not leak through the shell, and the egg will remain completely edible.
Expert Tips
Use bright and vibrant colors for the best contrast and pop.
Experiment with the water to watercolor concentrate ratios that the directions recommend. I have noticed some brands call for a higher water ratio than necessary, which lessens the vibrancy.
While liquid watercolors are much more concentrated than traditional brick paints, you want to keep that vibrancy by not diluting them too much.
While these watercolors wash out of most fabrics, it’s still a good idea to cover up your work surface with some sort of scrap paper or an old cloth. If really young kids are doing the painting, make sure they wear a smock or old clothes you don’t mind getting a bit messy.
Related Easter Posts
Watercolor Easter Eggs
Watercolor Easter Eggs
Watercolor Easter eggs are a novel way to update traditional dyed eggs. Using liquid watercolors and spray bottles, you can easily create lovely speckled and marbled effects.
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Servings: 1 dozen
Ingredients
- 1 dozen white hardboiled eggs
- 4 bottles liquid watercolors use any number of colors you'd like, 4 is a good start
- 4 spray bottles
- 2 bottles metallic watercolors
- 2 paint brushes
- water to dilute the watercolors
Instructions
- Hard boil 1 dozen eggs and let cool
- Mix water and liquid watercolors according to package directions and place desired colors in spray bottles
- Do the same with the metallic watercolors, and place in small dishes
- Paint on metallic colors first if you'd like a shimmery effect
- To create a marbled egg, liberally paint on 2-3 colors separately, allowing the colors to blend together. Allow to dry for 30 minutes before handling.
- For the speckled effect, hold bottles back about 3-4 inches and lightly spray desired colors on each egg, creating a light stream of color. Allow to dry for 30 minutes before handling.
Notes
Experiment with the water to watercolor ratios that the package directions recommend. You want bright and vibrant colors, and if you water them down too much, they won’t really stand out. Start by adding a little bit of water, and then add more if necessary.
The best place to get liquid watercolors is at any local craft store. You can get spray bottles at the Dollor Store.
Tried this Recipe? Connect with me and let me know by commenting below!
Motherhood Redefined – 6 Months PPD Free
Tomorrow, Hayden will turn 6 months old, and I will have made it through the first 6 months of his life, free of PPD. The weeks after he was born, when I felt happy and at peace, there was always a thought in the back of my mind that I couldn’t count myself home free until he turned 6 months old. Living without PPD for 6 months would truly be a victory. There’s even a still teeny tiny part of me that thinks talking about it out loud will jinx it, and that tomorrow on his 6 month birthday I will wake up feeling sad and blue. But deep down I know that’s just me being silly.
For years after having Taylor and Syd, my experience with postpartum depression defined me as a mother, and my experience with having babies. Ask any of my friends and they’ll tell you, I was openly vocal about my distaste for those first weeks of living with a newborn. The crying, the constant nursing, the sleep deprivation, the swaying and rocking and patting and shhshhing. It was clear that I was not a fan. Sure, once I climbed out of the hole that is postpartum depression, I could see how much I loved my kids and each developing stage they experienced. But newborn and young infant stuff? I would joyfully skip over that part if I could, in large part because of the sadness and fear that was intesified by the PPD. 
For weeks before Hayden was born I struck with bouts of fear and anxiety. Small, fleeting bouts, but fear nonetheless. Just days before I delivered, I remember thinking how terrified I was to give birth to another baby that I loved and treasured with all my being, but that I also did not like. I know that sounds so horrible to say, but with my past experience of dealing with my newborns, I remember vividly laying in bed wide awake at night thinking of all the scenarios of when and how I would protect them against the evils and hurts of the world, but I also remember the feeling of having to shed their weight with a quick thrust of their body as soon as Art walked in the door from work. It was a very visceral and surreal tug/pull feeling; one moment I would be hovering, and the next I would be saying through clenched teeth “get this baby off of me.” These experiences were my own and I realize not symptomatic of every single case of PPD.
After Hayden was born, there was only one moment of sheer and utter panic the first night we got home from the hospital. I was walking down the hall trying to manage bed time with the older kids while Art was holding Hayden, and I just thought to myself, “how am I going to do this?” I later cried, telling Art the PPD was already starting in. He held me and calmed me down and told me I was probably just tired. It turns out that I probably was just tired.
Because in these past 6 months I have been the happiest I can ever remember being. I have bonded with Hayden in such an intense way that it hurts at times. I yearn to hold him, I stare at him when he’s sleeping, I don’t mind (as much) when he wakes in the middle of the night for a feeding, I waste hours of my days just kissing his thighs and cheeks and head. I feel all those things and in all the ways I had always heard women talk. I am the woman that is sad each day as he gets older because he’s less and less a baby. My own baby has given me baby fever at times for God’s sake. These feelings are new and wonderful and a big like “whoa!” this is crazy. Crazy awesome.
For so long I felt guilt about my first few months of time with Taylor and Syd. Did I love them enough, hold them enough, smile at them enough? Or did those feelings of PPD creep into our every day too much, and I held out on them? For years now I’ve carried that guilt around because I didn’t remember as many times feeling happy in those first few months as I remember feeling sad and scared. But these past 6 months of being with Hayden and having this new experience has altered my memories in a way. I now know that I did love them enough and gave them all they need, even if at the time I wasn’t sure or didn’t know. 
This new experience with Hayden has helped redefine so much of how I look at myself as a mother. It’s helped me see myself through a new lens. A lens not clouded by the sadness of PPD, not defined by PPD. In fact in many ways it’s been a new chapter of motherhood for me, one with a lot more patience and hopefulness and positivity. Of course we have our days, it’s not perfect, but it’s filled with a lot more joy. Motherhood no longer defined by a short experience with PPD. Motherhood redefined indeed. 
If you have struggled with PPD in the past, or are struggling now, I pray that you seek help in any way you need to. For me I took what some considered a drastic step and encapsulated my placenta, which you can read about here. You can also read my drug free birth story, a first for me, here. If you have any questions about my experience with PPD and placenta encapsulation, you can ask me here in the comments or email me at [email protected].
DIY Painted Arrow Onesie
If you follow me on Instagram you know that I made this little onesie for Hayden’s first Valentine’s Day. I think most baby holiday stuff slapped with a “first” label on it is a bit much, so I opted for something modern and updated, that he could continue to wear after V Day. The how-to is quite easy and follows the same technique as the heart jeans from yesterday! A bit of advice though, black fabric paint and white cotton knit are frienemies, so be very careful as you can’t wash off the black paint, as you can with the white paint on denim. There will most likely be some smudges, but that’s okay. It still looks really cute overall and everyone will be focusing on the cute baby anyhow, not a smudged arrow! Add hearts in place of the aqua arrows, or switch up the colors. The possibilities are endless! And a few have emailed and asked how this wore over time and with multiple washings, and it did great! Lasted him almost a year in fact! Enjoy and I’ll see you back tomorrow with a new style post!
DIY Seed Bead Necklace
This DIY project went through a few transformations before I finally settled on this particular design, and I have to say I love the way it came out. My original intent was for it to just be a plain clustered necklace that was much shorter in length, lying closer to my collarbone. But the more I worked with it, the more it just felt a little too mature. I tried braiding it, and while it looked cool, it also looked too young, almost bordering on tweenish. Finally this morning, it came to me to attach it to an existing old necklace I had on hand that was missing its pendant, and leave it as a simple long draped necklace. So while this necklace really only took about 4-6 hours to make, it took over 4 weeks for me to finally settle on a design I loved.
For this project you’ll need the following, as well as a steady hand and just a bit of patience. Stringing seed beads is tedious, yet strangely very therapeutic work. I string a little at a time, usually in front of the TV at night and stop when my fingers get tired.
Start by double knotting the filament wire around the jump ring like so{*Please see updated post on how to properly tie off strung seed beads using crimp beads}
And then you just start threading your beads. There are tools that work like channels that help you string your beads more quickly, but I just do it the old-fashioned way.
A little trick I have is to pour out some beads on a flat surface, and then lightly moisten my finger tip with my tongue so the beads can easily stick to my finger, and then pick them up one by one, maneuvering the filament wire to easily pick up each bead. Sounds weird and kinda gross, but it’s an effective technique.
Once you complete a row of beads, double knot the end so they don’t slip off, and make another row.
My necklace has 12 rows of seed beads, but you can add as little or as much as you’d like.
Once you’ve completed your rows, a little trick I have is to very carefully burn the edges of the filament wire so the messy little stragglers sort of melt into each other, giving it a cleaner finished look, as well as better securing the ends so they don’t come untied, which has happened to me before. It’s heartbreaking when a row of beads comes falling to the ground.
Attach the completed rows of beads to another jump ring at the other end, and singe those ends as well.
Line your row of beads up to your chain necklace and figure out where you want to attach the beads. The chain was already the perfect length, so I went ahead and figured I’d attach the beads 6″ down from the opening on each side.
Open up your jump rings very carefully and attach to each side of the chain
Close the jump rings with your pliers
And you’re done!
I love the way the chain adds a bit of texture and dimension to the beads. Originally I was going to cut the chain and attach just the upper half of the chain to the beads, but attaching the beads directly on to the chain adds depth and eliminates another step!
A note about the ends. They don’t look perfect I will admit. There are tiny bits of the filament wire sticking out, but since it’s clear no one really notices at all. If you’re really wanting a perfectly finished look, you could add some decorative little covers to each end, and are available at any jewelry supply store. But really, no one will ever really notice if you don’t.
The total length of the necklace is 32″ and has 12 rows of seed beads that are approximately 20″ each. The total time it took me to complete the project was roughly 4-5 hours, and the total cost was less than $10. I used 5 different colors of beads, some of which I already had on hand and some I purchased. Any beginning crafter could easily complete this DIY in a weekend with just a bit of patience 🙂 Also, a note about the chain. If you don’t have one already on hand, you can of course buy chain at a craft store, but the least expensive solution is to pick one up at Forever 21 in their $1.50 section. This is where I got my chain from; it originally had a cute fishie attached, but fell off after a few weeks. What do you expect for $1.50 I guess? Anyhow, the chain is still in perfect condition though, so I’m glad I saved it and found a way to repurpose it!
I hope you enjoyed this one, and please let me know if you try it! To see a couple of recent jewelry DIY’s, you can see my friendship bracelet tutorial here and my threaded rhinestone bangle tutorial here.
Hayden’s Neon Inspired Nursery
We finally finished Hayden’s nursery over the weekend, just shy of him turning 11 weeks old. It had been complete for the most part, but I was going back and forth about placement of some artwork. I’m still not sure I love the placement of the pieces above the bed, but for now I can call it done, and can always change it later. Hayden’s room was our old office, and I’ll share pictures next week of how we transformed the office into his nursery, because it involved about 4 weeks of construction, including tunneling through an existing wall to make a hallway, and closing off one point of entry to make another point of entry. It was a lot of work for not a lot of sexy; meaning we went through 4 weeks of construction and all we did was change the point of entry of the room, but a change that was much needed and will improve resell value down the road.
Anyhow, Hayden’s room ended up being the largest of the kid’s room, measuring about 8’x11′, and lots of long wall space that I struggled with. I wanted to keep the walls feeling light and airy, so I was mindful of trying to not hang too much crap on them, something I tend to do. Some corners feel a little busy, but also busy cheerful. I love rooms with lots of blank space, that whole minimalist look, but when it comes down to it I guess we’re just not minimalist people. This is the first room I’ve ever gone with all white walls, and I can finally see the appeal. The room gets great light, and with the white walls and all white furniture, it is the brightest and airiest room of the house. We all congregate here and love spending time in here. And if you recall, I originally wanted it to be all white with pops of neutral beige and neon, but finding all neon was a bit difficult, so when I didn’t find neon pieces I liked, I went with bright colors that read like neon. Overall, the bright pops of color really are what make the room so cheerful.
It’s definitely become one of the favorite rooms in the house, and we love how light and bright it came out. I’ve never painted a room all white because I was always afraid it would come across as too cold and barren, but now I get why designers go goo-goo ga-ga over all-white rooms. So without further adieu, here you go. Enjoy! And you can see the source for most of the items at the bottom of the post.
The crib is tucked away in a corner of the room and is adorned with the most colorful felt garland I could find, from The Land Of Nod. The quilt is probably the thing I love the most though in the whole room. It was designed by Miranda from One Little Minute and handmade by Katie of Swim Bike Quilt. It’s a work of art. The crib skirt and sheet are from Land of Nod as well.
In the corner opposite his crib, we have the dresser and changing table combo and the rocker, both from Ikea. A separate changing table fit into the room, but it felt a bit crowded, and having it on top of the dresser is actually the perfect height for us since we’re tall. I debated recovering our old glider but the cost to do far exceeded the cost of the Ikea Poang rocker. It’s not as comfortable as a glider, but at about ⅛ the cost, it suits us just fine.
On the opposite of the room, right when you walk into it, is a twin bed and nightstand, also from Ikea. Since we had the space, I knew I wanted a twin bed for the middle of the night when he was restless and I didn’t want to run back and forth. It also comes in handy when my mom spends the night. We’ve already used it quite a bit, and it’s the perfect spot to swaddle him at night. The bedding is all from Ikea as well. The lighting fixture is from Land Of Nod.
I wanted a wooden mobile that didn’t light up or have music, more of a decorative piece than one that gives a light show. I found this one on Amazon.
The garland is from Land of Nod and comes in a few other colors, as well as in triangles, which hang above his changing table. Someone with a lot of patience could probably DIY this, but at $8 a strand, it’s a great affordable decorative element and is really well made.
The Between a Rock lamp from Land of Nod is the cutest piece in the room. I love the shape and the sleek shade. Colorful books from Penguin, a cute bunny bank and some DIY artwork sit atop the Ikea nightstand.
My sister found this girl on Etsy that makes these amazing linen pillows and had to have a few for his room. I love the graphics and bright colors. The little owl is Jellyfish and was a gift from my friend Rachel.
My favorite pillow in the room, from the Etsy shop Paleolochic. Linen front with neon graphic and cotton backing.
The poof is probably the funnest and most versatile piece in the nursery, and is from Joss & Main. I use it as a foot rest when I’m nursing, and the kids use it as a place to sit, or as a toy to roll around the house and roll around on.
I needed a spot to place a glass of water, a bottle, some books, etc, but I wanted a different element other than white, so I found this tree stump from West Elm and patiently waited till it went on sale. The dot pillow covers are from Ikea.
I’m still not 100% sure I love the placement of the artwork, but for now it’s good enough. I am really bad at artwork placement actually, so if any friends out there have some suggestions for a different arrangement, I’m all ears! The piece above the bed is from Petit Collage and was a gift from my friend Jules. My sister gave us the Hayden print, and the hedgehog is from Lisa Congdon.
You all remember the DIY project I posted a while back right? If you need a refresher visit here
Eventually I’d like to find a spot to fit a bookcase into the room, but for now we hung a couple of shelves from Ikea to hold books and fun tchotchkes. The bull book ends are from Target and the neon polka dot pot is a DIY I posted here
A gift from my friend Anne, this is definitely Art’s favorite piece in the room. Via Etsy.
Source List:
Hemnes Bed, Dresser & Nighstand from Ikea
Alina Bed Spread from Ikea
Ekby Wall Shelves from Ikea
Poang Rocking Chair from Ikea
Between a Rock Geometric Lamp c/o Land Of Nod
Hanging Around Lamp from Land Of Nod (both lamp shades in Khaki)
Garland in Circles and Triangles from Land Of Nod
Crib Bedding c/o Land Of Nod
Neon bed & crib pillows from Paleolochic on Etsy
Natural Stump Side Table from West Elm
Handmade Custom Quilt by Katie of Swim Bike Quilt
Mobile by Sevi
May The Force Be With You & Hayden’s birth stats prints were gifts from Etsy and I have asked my friend and sister for the source so I can credit here.
Hayden’s Birth Story
Hayden turned 6 weeks old yesterday, and the memories of his birth are still very fresh in my mind and my heart, but certain details seem to be fading just a bit. I never thought I’d share a birth story of one of my kids, and I’ll be quite honest, I’m not sure how many of you will even be interested in reading this, but since a few of readers and friends had asked about my drug free birth, I thought I’d just put it out there. Move along if you have no interest in hearing about this, but would of course love for you to stick around. [Read more…]
DIY Dip Dye Chairs
I’ve been working on completing Hayden’s nursery, and one thing every little kid’s room needs is a little chair. I actually quite adore little chairs and we have about 8 of them in different shapes and sizes all about the house. I was going to buy him a new one, but instead decided to give one we already had new life with a dip dyed leg treatment. My inspiration below. 
Because Hayden’s room is primarily white with some bright pops of color, and some even brighter neon pops here and there, I decided to refurbish a simple pastel yellow chair we had that previously sat in Taylor’s room, and give it just a hint of an orange neon leg. For this project, you’ll need paint or spray paint in which ever colors you like, as well as some primer; here I used white and neon orange. You’ll also need some painter’s tape, a ruler and some painter’s paper.
This is the chair before I added a coat of primer and white spray paint. It was cute in the yellow, but didn’t quite work in his room.
Once the white coat of paint had dried completely, I taped off each leg (I went 6 inches up), making sure to add plenty of paper to block off the spray from the paint can. When you’re taped off, simple spray your legs and let dry completely. Remove your paint and paper and there you have it, a simple dip dyed chair leg that adds an updated twist to any room.
Eventually the chair will be used for Hayden to sit and read a book or two, but for now, it’s getting a lot of use in the room by the big kids. They are using it to read to Hayden, and even more so as a step stool to help me change diapers (bonus!).
I love how this little chair came out and love how easy it was to complete. It was the perfect DIY project to jump back into after having Hayden, and helped to get my creative juices flowing. I’d love to try it in the pastel and natural wood tone options too, for another room in the house. So do you guys have any DIY projects in the works this weekend?
How To Shop Forever 21…As a Grown Woman
I’m not a devout Forever 21 shopper, and really only venture into our behemoth of a store every couple of months, if for anything to check out the trends, as interpreted for 21 year olds. Inevitably though, I always find a thing or two I want to take home with me, and I’m able to overall make it as short and painless of a process as it can be. The music is played much too loud to keep me wandering the store for an hour. Here’s a few tips I can share with you about how I navigate my way through the jungle that is Forever 21, quickly, and without regrets or buyer’s remorse. And excuse the iPhone pics. As you can imagine I was trying to be incognito while taking pics. 
Tip #1 – By far the most valuable bit of advice I can offer you all is, skip the entire entry-way of the store. Just walk right through it and move on because chances are, you will never find a thing you would want, or feel comfortable wearing in there. The most on-trend, flashiest pieces are always displayed front and center to attract the attention of the teens and twenty year olds passing by, and leer them in. As grown women, we want to be on-trend, but we want to find a more subtle, sophisticated way to do that. So move on.
Tip #2 – Discover Love 21. Not all stores are large enough to have an entire section devoted to Love 21, but there is an entire shop on their website where you can browse and check out what this division has to offer. Love 21 is a contemporary line still focused on trends, but with more attention to detail, trims, fabrics and overall a more sophisticated feel. What do I mean? Well color blocking will be less severe, pops of neon go back to neutrals as opposed to being mixed in loud, wild prints. The fabrics are a little less cheap looking. The majority of what I buy at Forever 21 comes from this section. The fit is also a bit more generous and true to women’s sizing as opposed to the typical junior sizing found in the rest of the store. If you only have 15 minutes to spare, this is where you should devote your time.
Now that we’ve covered where to avoid, and where to focus, let’s talk a bit about overall items to look out for, both to avoid and embrace.
Tip #3 – Don’t be afraid to play with color, and in fact Forever 21 is perfect for experimenting with the new color of the season that you’re just not sure about. You love mint or coral on other women, but not sure how it’s going to look on you? This is where you can feel a little less guilty about trying something new. If you discover you hate the color on you after wearing it, you’re not going to feel doubly guilty that you just dropped $80 on a top you’ll never wear again.
Tip #4 – Fabrication is key! Clothes at Forever 21 are cheap, so it should go without saying that you’re going to get what you pay for and you can’t expect to walk in and find the highest quality fabrics and the best construction. Knowing this, there are a few fabrications I tend to shy away from at all costs because they wind up looking especially cheap after 1 wash. Cotton knits and brushed cottons, like the top pictured above, will fade and wrinkle almost immediately, and wrinkle so badly you’ll never be able to iron them out. Cotton tops like the one above are especially lifeless and have no substance to stand up on their own, so they end up just sort of swathed over your body instead of being structured and fitted to you. Knits, whether it be in a lycra knit top or a knitted sweater will pill ridiculously fast and hold no shape after one wear. You want to get a bargain, but you don’t want to look like you’re wearing a bargain.
Fabrics that I have decent luck with are a lot of the synthetics; rayons, poly chiffon blends, especially in cute printed skirts, poly silk blends, and just about anything along those lines
Tip #4 – Be careful buying into the prints. Oh does Forever 21 love to go crazy with the prints. Aztec, tribal, floral, polka dots, you name it, Forever 21 does it, and does it bold. Honestly I much prefer an on-trend print from someplace like Target or Old Navy because they do prints in a more approachable, and even more sophisticated way (my tribal shorts from Target are much more subtle than the crap you’ll find at F21). So be wary and just play it safe. Prints are so much a matter of personal preference I don’t know how to navigate you through finding the prints that are right for you, but the main thing I can say is stray away from the pact. Find the unique, one of a kind print in the store and go for that. The tie dye dress below was in the coolest silhouette, exactly what I’ve been looking for, and the print reminds me of something Calypso would do. The cute animal tops didn’t fit, but are a fun way to incorporate a novelty print into your wardrobe without feeling like you’re trying too hard, and totally mom appropriate. 
Tip #5 – My final tip for you all is that if Forever 21’s interpretation of a trend is exactly as you remember it the first time around, then move on! You’re older and wiser and know that you’re supposed to learn from your mistakes, not repeat them (my friend Jules said this in response to the recent huge bow-in-hair trend that’s resurfacing). Let the dumb young girls walk around with the neon shredded cropped tee and saran-wrap tight skirt. You know that this time around, neon can be more sophisticated, and actually look quite pretty. And remember that with band tees, theoretically you sport the band that isn’t really from your era. If you look like you did in fact listen to Kid N Play on your cassette tape in 8th grade, then that isn’t the band tee for you. Perhaps get it for your 7 year old to reminisce about the good ol’ days. 
Shopping at Forever 21 can be a fun and for the most part, guilt free, way to achieve some retail therapy. But often times it can be overwhelming and you walk away with stuff that falls apart or you feel silly wearing. Hopefully these tips will help you better navigate your way through the shopping experience (both in-store and online), and leave you with some fun, on-trend items you feel completely appropriate and good about wearing. Let me know if you have any other tips or questions! Thanks as always for reading and listening to me babble on about clothes!
DIY Floral Arrangements
So fresh floral arrangements may not be a necessity at a 7 year olds birthday party, but since I was heading down to LA to visit Moskatel’s and Michael Levine, I figured why not make a pit stop at the LA Flower Mart too. After all, shouldn’t having a few fresh flower arrangements around the house after the party be my reward for all my hard work? I am no expert at floral arrangements and like with most things, I try to keep it as simple as possible, so I thought I’d share with you how to make a simple fresh floral arrangement for your next event.
Over the years I have collected several round and square clear glass vases. I use these because of the clean and simple lines and the fact that they go with any color or party scheme. You can add ribbon, as I did for her party, to go with the decor, as opposed to trying to match the flowers, and then use fresh white flowers for your arrangement.
Measure out your ribbon, add some double stick tape (or a touch of hot glue) and then apply the ribbon. Add layers of ribbon or keep it simple with just one patterned strip of ribbon.
*Tip: Add strips of double stick tape in a quadrant to help the flower stems stay in place. 
Now you’re ready to begin arranging your flowers.
Begin by trimming your stems to desired length and snipping off leaves towards bottom of the stem so the arrangement looks clean in the base of the vase. 
I like to begin by adding my thicker, fuller flowers, and then add bits of stock and filler at the end where needed.
With shorter arrangements you may not need to add the tape, it just depends on the type of flowers you’re working with.
Your end result is an array of beautiful, fresh flower arrangements that cost a fraction of what you’d pay at the florist. If you’d like to see the details of the types of flowers I used in these arrangements, and which vendors I purchased from at the LA Flower District, please visit this post. 
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DIY Ombre Seed Bead Necklace
Design Mom asked me to create a spring version of a classic DIY of mine, the seed bead necklace. I ended up creating this pretty coral and gold version for her site, but I also created a fun ombre layered necklace for me and I wanted to share it with you all! I’ve said before and I’ll say it again, working with seed beads is simple, but tedious. Expect this project to take you about 3 hours, but the level of ease is quite high. A novice should be able to recreate this beautiful interpretation of a fun trend out there.
Your Supplies: Various colors of seed beads in light to dark shades, stringing wire (looks just like fishing wire), crimp beads, 4 jump rings in varying sizes (2 larger for your ends, one tiny one to attach your chain to and 1 medium size ring to leave on the end of your chain to lengthen – Michaels has a pack of various sized jump rings that contain all the sizes you need), 1 lobster claw closure, a small bit of chain, and scissors, wire cutters and needle nosed pliers.
Begin by cutting a length of line about 20 inches long.
Next, add one crimp bead, then a jump ring
Then loop your string over the jump ring and through the crimp bead and pinch shut with your needle nosed pliers. This will keep the beads in place when you start stringing.
Then begin stringing. You can start with your lighter shade of bead like I did or reverse it and go from dark to light. A trick for quicker stringing is to lighten dampen your finger tip with a wet sponge/cloth and then dip your finger into your bowl of beads to grab a few at a time. This limits how many times you have to dip into get beads a bit.
As you complete each string, make sure to repeat the crimp bead process as above so that you add a jump ring and crimp bead to one end. This secures your other end and leaves you a jump ring on both ends to add your strings to. Here are some in progress shots. To create the layered ombre effect it is important that as you add your strings of beads, you also add a bit of length to each line. I added about 1 inch to each line so that at the end, my necklace varied from 20 inches to about 25 inches long when hung on my neck.
Once your stringing is complete, you’ll want to add your chain. I added a 3 inch piece of chain to the end of my necklace to make it a bit adjustable.
With your needle nosed pliers and the smallest jump ring, attach your chain to one end of your necklace.
Trim your chain with your wire cutters
Add the medium sized jump ring to the end of the piece of chain, and then using your needle nosed pliers attach the lobster claw to the other end.
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And you’re complete!
A pretty spring necklace reflecting ombre, one of the biggest ongoing trends. The color options are endless and you because the necklace is adjustable, you can wear it short or long depending on the look you’re pairing it with. I hope you enjoyed this DIY and let me know if you have any questions!
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