DIY crystal statement necklace

 Arrange jewels. You need 1 big one for center and 5 smaller ones for each side. 

(Alternate way: You can try sewing or glue the beads onto a piece of felt fabric like I did here). 

 I used wires which took quite a bit longer.

Add jump rings to last bead and connect to desired length of chain.

Hey guys, I hope you all are well!

It's been quite a while. Sorry for the quiteness.

Here's a diy I'm excited to share. I will be honest, it was not easy as I anticpated
but I think well worth the time.

I got all these beads from Michaels for under $20.

My inspiration came from Ily Couture's Crystal Botanica. 

So gorgeous but I don't have $150 to drop and why should you if you can do it yourself?!

Hmm I'm quite happy with the results. Can't wait to wear this and incorporate it into the holidays.
What do you think?

Let me know if you plan on making it. ❤❤

bloglovin ❤ instagram

Lately

testing out red lipstick.

 Hello guys! It's been awhile... :)

I've been making the most of my summer with time off from school.

Spending time with family, friends, & 

my baby cousin who's home for the summer from college.

One of my favorite things to do is hitting up new restaurants & dessert shops.

Yes I am a big time foodie though it doesn't show.

Hope you all are well and enjoying summer! ❤❤

bloglovin ❤ instagram

sweetest downfall

Hey guys, it's officially summer!

These photos are from my trip last weekend down in Socal  (i had to crop my legs out cause they are too pale lol). One of my favorite things out there were these purple flower trees.

I would say they are the sweetest downfall. Don't you agree? I mean what breaks down and still look lovely? Not me haha

Stay cool beauties and enjoy your weekend!

bloglovin ❤ instagram

casual chambray

top: american eagle  jeans: h&m  heels: nordstrom rack

I guess it's safe to say this is my everyday go-to style; casual button up, jeans
and pumps(over flats because every inch counts haha).  

Of course when the occassion calls for it, I never hesitate at the chance of getting dressier.
It is so much fun, I've always enjoyed being girlie! How about you?
I remember as a young girl
watching my mom put on makeup and being so fascinated especially when
she would dab a little blush on me! :)

I'm so glad she did that, such a great memory to have for a lifetime.

Have a great week guys! 

bloglovin ❤ instagram

DIY doggie bowtie

Hello guys!

 Today, I have a fun diy to share especially for you pet owners and a 

very special guest appearance by my pomchi, charlie brown.

Step 1: Cut desired rectangular strip from felt

Cut another piece from fabric slightly larger to go over the felt, leaving 1/2 an inch to fold over sides.

Step 2: Fold down ends and glue. Don't worry if it's not perfect, 

it'll look cute and quirky that way. (Wait 5 mins for glue to dry)

 

Step 3: Pinch middle and make an accordian like shape.

Tie a rubberband in middle section of bow.

Step 4: Cut another thin strip of fabric, this will go around the middle. Make sure

to tie it a bit loosely to allow room for his collar to slip through.

Recognize this fabric? :) The hat ribbon yes!

Materials needed:

Felt, fabric, rubber band and fabric glue

And there you have it, no sewing required at all (unless you want to).

Now your pet baby can be as stylish as you!

bloglovin ❤ instagram

pass the mustard

dress: zara statement necklace: f21 pumps: nordstroms

Hey guys, hope you all are well. Quick post of my weekend outfit for a wedding I attended.

I paired this simple mustard sheath with a fun teal statement necklace.

It was a beautiful, but looong (Catholic ceremony) haha :).

Excuse the iphone quality photos.

Have a great week!

 bloglovin ❤ instagram

Keep calm and dance on

Hey guys, hope you had a wonderful Mother's day celebrating or being celebrated.

I have been busy working on my final project for my 3-D design class.

Can't believe the semester is coming to an end, classmates who were once strangers 

are now new friends I enjoy seeing and being inspired by on a weekly basis.

Sometimes I wish I could have the same classmates until graduation
but then I have to remind myself that my elementary days are over.
New semester, new faces and new challenges.
This is life.
Anyway, I hope to have some new diys after finals.

But for now, enjoy this little vine clip I made using my mom's flowers

and learn a thing or two from them. :)

follow me on vine

DIY hat ribbon

Hey guys, hope you had a well rested weekend.

Here's a new diy i've been working on.

With warmer days ahead, this will be a fun and useful addition to your spring and summer look.

Instead of buying a new hat, you can give it a fresh look just by adding a new ribbon.

I used fabric from an old shirt that was a little faded.

Remember what I said about throwing out old shirts that you

can potentially reuse. Yes it's a form of hoarding but i like to see it as recycling. ;)

Supplies needed:

fabric in your choice of design/color

Velcro with sticky backs

felt 

If you happen to have fabric ribbons laying around in the same width, 

I would recommend using that instead.

If not, this is a good chance to use any old shirts lying around.

The material i used was jersey cotton, a little hard to work with so i added felt

to make it thicker. 

Measure the length and width of the ribbon from your hat and go from there.

I'm pretty sure you can use fabric glue, but

I sewed it together to save time.

Once you have your ribbon ready add velcro stickies to both ends. (Hand stitch for extra security).

And there you have it, a new hat! sort of!

Imagine the possibilities, you can switch up the ribbons to match your outfits.

Try using floral, lace, or pastel colors.

 Hope you enjoyed this tutorial and let me know what you think!

the process

photo source: Verily

Billy Graham such a wise man. Love him. 

I love being on mountain tops and hate being in the valleys.

But I know it's such a crucial place I need stay in and something I am learning to embrace.

Hard? Hek yes but good. Uncomfortable? Hek yes but still for my own good.

A few months ago, God was speaking to me about the 

importance of staying in the process and not rushing through it.

I was at work going through files and glanced down and bam!

These words pop right out at me:

"Do not alter it or create your own version."

You bet I did a double take!

When I first saw these words, I was in shock mode but once it sunk in, I felt so much peace, followed by a renewed hope that what I was going through truly has a purpose & 

it is not in vain or annoying (bratty voice).

In my waiting (vague i know), I'm tempted to make my own plans

 (like I usually do) but 

I know it's so important to stay in this season so that I can truly grow and be more 

equipped to take on challenges for the next season and more importantly,

I believe that when the time comes

 I will truly enjoy it with a grateful heart. 

So if you are in a waiting season like me, know that you are not alone and that

God has a plan and purpose for everything.

decade old

shirt: f21 pants: 579 shoes: naturalizer

 

 Hey guys, you are probably wondering what 

the title means.

It's referring to this lace peplum top I got

from forever21 10 years ago!

Does this qualify as vintaged? :)

It had a bow sash across the front before.

I carefully removed it and voila!

A new shirt! 

Thank you Lord.

I'm so glad I didn't donate it or cut it up haha.

I always knew it had potential.

Have you ever brought an old item back to life?

Also got these mint pants from a close out sale 

for $7 bucks!

Anyway, I hope you all had a great

Administrative professional's day

if you are an assistant.

And if not, you showed your 

your assistant some love.

I received a giant bouquet and

it sure did brighten my week.

Sometimes the mundane gets so tiring,

little acts of appreciation really helps.

Have a great week!

DIY flower pens

Brighten up your office space in minutes with this simple diy.

I borrowed this idea from offices I've worked in the past, 

though most of them used flowers I never really cared for.

They are usually in flower pots, which is also really cute!

I thought it was still a great idea nonetheless.

 So here's my chic spin on it.

I used freebie pens I've accumulated from church, conferences, hotels.

Materials:

vase 

($1.54 Joann Fabrics)

spray paint

pens
floral tape

artificial flowers

Maybe you already have a vase in the color you like.

I saw a vase in this same exact color (my fav) close to $15. 

I decided to make my own since I already had 

 the spray paint in this color.

Measure how far you want your flowers to stand out from the vase.

Cut the stems for just the top

half of the pen. 

(It's more comfortable to grip the pens if you don't have it

 extended all the way to the bottom)

Wrap two layers of floral tape around the pen and stem.

Continue steps for all the pens.

And there you have it, simple office chic!

I love the contrasting colors here.

I'm excited to bring these to work.

Have you seen something similar to this before?

stripes and friends

Wore this casual outfit to one of my friend's birthday lunch today. 

It seems my eyes are closed in all of them because of food coma haha. 

I have 2 groups of close friends. 

One I've known for half of my life that I am so thankful for.

We don't hangout as often as we once did (due to life) but we still make

it a priority to celebrate eachother's birthdays.

The other group, I've met in the last 4 years that I see more often

and relate to in my current life stage which I am also so thankful for.

One of them actually helped me take these photos.

He happens to be a photographer and if you live in the area and 

need a photographer check him out. Here's the link.

I am really blessed to have these friends.

While I'm at it, I'm also really excited to have met

such lovely people in this blogging community.

I look forward to learning from you and about you, 

having fun being a girl with you

(i.e. sharing craft projects, outfits, make-up tips) 

and sharing with you.

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend!

weekly recap

 I visited the most beautiful garden over the weekend with our women's group.

I thought it was so romantic and lovely.

I especially loved the teal vintage door and 

how the blossoms hung gracefully in front of it.

 (it was actually the door to men's bathroom haha).

 Something about the beauty of nature and the way it makes you feel.

Ohh I am sprung!

What are some of your favorite flowers?

Mine are peonies, hydrangeas and tulips. 

I also visited the Bay Lights again, but with my family this time.

We took a family trip to the city for my mom's birthday.

My sister snapped me while I was instagramming haha.

Have a great week!

DIY Lace headband

Turn leftover fabric into a fashionable head piece. 

You can use any type of fabric design, (polka dots, floral) 

I used leftover lace from an old shirt.

Next time you decide to throw out a shirt, ask yourself this,

"Can I use this for a crafting project?"

Yes I am encouraging fabric hoarding haha!

Materials needed:

fabric 

(recommended, 2 inches in width) 

hair tie

Measure the length of fabric around your head with the hair tie expanded. 

Guess-timate about how tight or loose you want it.

Fold over ends to hair tie and sew or hand stich.

Finally, add some decorative sequins or leave as is.

And that's it! 

Hope you enjoyed this fun and easy tutorial.

Black and White

Okay I am finally taking the "what I wore" plunge because I really do enjoy expressing myself through fashion. Plus, I was really inspired by all of the lovely bloggers I follow.
And to start off...  I found this light cotton peplum for $12 at F21. Hopefully I can get some wear for a few months until I find a better quality, but for now I'm quite happy with it.  So I woke up with a pounding headache the day I took these photos. I called in sick, rested, caught up on some reading, and by 5pm decided I should take outfit photos haha. Who does that?
Anyway, who else is loving the peplum trend?
Have a great Easter!

Weekly recap

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I decided to get a little more personal here so I will be posting weekly photos of my life in square images. :) 

I went to "The Still Believe Tour" this week at the Warfield in Sf. I love Jesus Culture, I remember when their conferences were still small and held inside Bethel church. 

Now they are packing out venues and touring the world! 

See the bridge there, that's the bay bridge in Sf! No, I don't live in sf, but I'm there quite often and I live in the bay area so it's a quick trip. I certainly appreciate it more than ever, like most most things that come with age (sign of getting old!).  If you haven't heard of the Bay Lights, I definitely recommend you check it out. The Bay Lights is a monumental light structure designed by world-renowed artist Leo Villareal. I know this only because we watched the live streaming debut in my art class haha. Anyway here is the link, it's an amazing piece of art and project. If you're in town, you definitely should swing by especially since it will only be up for 2 years. 

I found these crazy comfy coral wedges at Nordstrom's rack and wore it with fushia lips to a birthday party over the weekend. 

Till next time. :)

DIY vintage frame earring holder

 

 I was checking out frames for my wall gallery and came across this pretty frame.

And then I thought it would be perfect for an earring holder,

 thanks to seeing the many versions on Pinterest. 

No doubt, it will be a nice addition to my wall gallery.

This is a 5x7 frame from Ikea and it's made of plastic instead of wood.  

It was under $3 or $4 bucks, so no complaints here.

Supplies:

Frame

Pearl strands

Paint & stencil (optional)

Measure 1 or 2 strands to fit the width of your frame (whatever you prefer).

Paint polka-dots, hearts, whatever you like or just leave as is. I think either way, is cute.

 If you do decide to paint it, nail polish would work great because it dries a lot faster.

Leave about an inch of string on the ends of the pearls.

After removing the backing, tie a knot (see step 5) around what looks to me like plastic hinges.

 (Step 6) Repeat steps for buttom row.

If it were wood, you could staple it but maybe glue would work also.

And there you have it. 

A cute way to display your favorite earrings with a vintage flair.

Hope you enjoyed and feel free to share!

Strawberry madeline parfait

Whip up this quick and easy parfait in minutes using madelines.

Ingredients:

Fresh strawberries

Madelines

Whipped cream 

Steps:

Mash madelines into bite size pieces. Whip up a fresh cup of whipped cream.

Dice strawberries.  

Start with a layer of madeline, add a layer of whipped cream, 

next the strawberries, add another layer of whipped cream 

and finally, 

top off by sprinkling the bits of leftover madelines.

If you love madelines like me, you will not be disappointed.

One night while having some crazy cravings, this came to mind. 

This is now my go-to no-fail sweet fix!

Let me know what you think. 

Diy rose bud studs

I got these lovely studs from ebay & thought it would be great gift ideas.

So some pretty ears will be receiving these soon. 

You can find the stud post at your local craft store. 

Just glue with crazy glue & that's it!