Pinteresting: A Wreath For All Seasons, Part the Second

Yesterday, I teased that I had made a wreath with interchangeable decorations, so I could just swap them out every season instead of having to buy/make a new wreath. You know, in case you missed that post. Today, I'm going to tell you how I did it!

Ready?

You sure?

Positive?

Here you go: Pins. Bridal and Lace Pins, to be exact. You can find them in pretty much any fabric/craft store, and they run about three bucks. I like these because they're super tiny, so they're not too obvious. In fact, you can even make them part of the design.

I got the idea from my Aunt Peggy. She makes the most gorgeous Christmas ornaments by pinning jewels onto fabric-covered styrofoam balls. I have one in my dining room that I leave out year-round because it's just too pretty to pack up. (And I realize that makes me sound like a crazy person, but I assure you, the color and pattern actually go with the rest of the decor. Wow...that sounds worse...IT'S NOT TACKY!! How's that?)

Now, I didn't pin jewels, but I did pin on some really pretty (and insanely inexpensive) appliques. You can pin on just about anything you want, so long as you can stick a pin through it. When you're ready to swap out the decorations, simply unpin. Voila! Here's the finished product:

I have a wreath hanger...somewhere. Until I find it, though, I attached it to the door by tying the ribbon around some of the wrought iron on the screen door. If you make a wreath following this tutorial, you will need to wrap the ribbon around the ring itself before tying it. Otherwise, gravity makes the ring fall and rest on the top of the letter, and that just looks silly.

See? I kind of like the look of the wrapping, anyway, as it turns out.

Overall, I'm thrilled with how this turned out. Now, I just need to clean up the rest of the front of my house. It's looking pretty sad by comparison...

Next project: FIREPIT!!!!!!  (Dear Lord, what have I gotten myself into?)

Pinteresting: A Wreath For All Seasons

From Webster's Dictionary--

frus·tra·tion

noun \(ˌ)frəs-ˈtrā-shən\

: a deep chronic sense or state of insecurity and dissatisfaction arising from unresolved problems or unfulfilled needs

Example:

You see that white space? That's styrofoam. You know why it's there? Because, even after buying out that particular style of ribbon at Michael's, there wasn't enough to cover it. The wreath stayed like that for about two weeks, during which time I stalked Michael's like an unstable spurned lover. Finally, Thomas suggested we drive over to the next town and check their store. Luckily, they had the same style, so the wreath is now finished (pics to come). Today, though, I thought I'd walk you through how I put this baby together. I call it, "A Wreath For All Seasons".

See, a few months ago, I went surfing around Pinterest. This generally proves dangerous, because I love the idea of DIY-ing something cool, but tend to pick things that turn out to be a heck of a lot more difficult than I'd imagined. (I'm klutzy...things break...I get hurt...you get the picture. My next project is a fire pit, by the way. God help us all...) Anyhoo, I ran across this:

Pin originally came from here.

I absolutely loved the idea of hanging our initial (which also happens to be an S) from a ribbon, as seen in the middle picture. "I can do that!" I thought. So, off to Michael's I went, armed with a sale paper and a 40% off coupon.

I wanted a year-round wreath, so I decided to go with very simple, basic colors, and no flowers or leaves or anything seasonal. Black and white go with pretty much everything, so I settled on a damask ribbon to cover a styrofoam ring. For the initial, I found a white wooden S, and painted it with some metallic silver spray paint I had lying around the house.

Owl pajama pants. Very glam.

The ribbon's just wrapped tightly around the ring. Easy peasy.

Anytime a roll of ribbon ended, I hot glued the edge down (preferably in the back) and started up a new roll exactly where the last one left off. Seriously, absolutely zero skill was needed for this project. The S is looped through a length of black ribbon with white edging, and the ribbon is hot glued to the back of the S for stability. I did tie the ribbon around the ring before hanging the S, and left plenty of ribbon hanging down so I could use that to attach the wreath to the front door.

The reason it's a "Wreath For All Seasons"? The decorations that I later added to it can be swapped out at will, meaning I can use this for Easter, Fourth of July, Halloween, Christmas--you name it! How'd I do that? Stick around and find out...

Summertime Blues: Sally Hansen Mermaid's Tale

Summertime, Summertime, Sum-Sum-Summertime! It's now (unofficially) officially Summer! Kids are out of school, barbeques are aflame, and ocean-inspired tootsies are proudly on display! I don't know about you, but this time of year, I live in flip-flops. It's just too darn hot for shoes. Heck, today it was really too darn hot for the flippies.

The other day, I ran in Walgreen's for some sunscreen, and ran across this color from the Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Summer Collection. It's called Mermaid's Tale, and is just gorgeous for the season.

Yuck. Foot picture. I am so, so sorry.

I can not apologize enough for the foot photo. I'm in the middle of "Wedding Season", so I'm having to keep the fingernails a little more subdued.

Now, Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure has never been my favorite polish--not by a long shot. The formula is a little streaky, and can require about a gazillion (okay, three or four) coats to reach opacity. This shade is no different, turns out. The base color is a navy blue jelly. It's very sheer, and a little gloopy. The glitter and the overall effect make up for the effort you have to put into this, though. The glitters are a fine bright blue and a chunky, hexagonal teal. Applied, the color truly does have an ocean water/mermaid's fin kind of vibe that I...well, I just really dig. This color is. just. beautiful. The wear time is really good, too. I've had it on for over a week, and haven't seen any sign of chipping. Granted, my toenail polish tends to last longer than my nail polish, but I've been working out in the yard in flip-flops, pouring cement and laying pavers. If it was going to chip, it would have.

Mermaid's Tale retails for about eight bucks, but I got mine on sale at Walgreen's for five.

Final Verdict: 8 out of 10. It takes a little work, but it's worth it.

Hey, Mr. Postman!: Top Five ELF Products Worth the Shipping

You've gotta love E.L.F.

If you're on a budget (and aren't we all?), those little one- and two- and three-dollar price tags can be pretty darn hard to resist. I mean, come on! How am I supposed to say no to a lipgloss that looks just like Stila's Lip Glaze, but only costs a buck? I could get twenty-two of the E.L.F. for the price of a single Stila! Not that I need twenty-two lipglosses, but it's the principle.

Unfortunately, the downside to having ridiculously low prices is that, by comparison, your online shipping rates can look a tad on the high side. I don't know about you, but I have a hard time paying more for shipping than for the item to be shipped. Sure, you could try to find your item locally, since Target and select Walgreen's carry an assortment of E.L.F. products. They just don't have anywhere close to the entire line, meaning that there are times when you can't circumvent the shipping costs. With that, I have compiled a list of the top five ('cause that seemed like a good number) E.L.F. products worth the cost of shipping.

Now, please bear in mind, this is not a list of the five best E.L.F. products. These are items that are A) high-quality, B) classically useful (not just super trendy and fun--these are warhorses), C) either difficult to dupe with a readily available item, or are dupes of much more expensive items. Basically, these are items that, were you to add the almost seven dollar shipping charge to the original amount, you would still come out ahead. Now, on to the list!

5. Studio Lip Exfoliator ($3)
I'm a fan of making my own lip scrubs, but they're not always the most travel-friendly option. This little gem is unique in the fact that the scrub comes in a solid form and is housed in a cute little lipstick tube. You can toss this in your purse or travel bag and not worry about sugary liquid spilling out of a tub and onto your other products. The scrub smells and tastes like yummy maple and brown sugar, and is chock full of skin-loving ingredients like shea butter, vitamin E, and jojoba oil. Even at what amounts to a $10 price point ($3 + $7 shipping), it's a good buy.

4. Studio Lip Lock Pencil ($3)
If  you wear brightly colored lipstick, this is a must-have in your kit. This pencil outlines the outside of your lipline to keep color from feathering or creeping into any fine lines. There are a couple of drugstore varieties of this product, but I have yet to actually see one in a brick-and-mortar store. If you go the Sephora route, a clear lip liner--which is all this is, really--will run anywhere from $14-$20. The E.L.F. version works like a dream and, even with shipping, is still easier on your wallet.

3. Studio Eye Shadow "C" Brush ($3)
This is a very basic eyeshadow brush, but it's one of the best I've ever worked with. I use mostly Real Techniques now, but every now and then I grab this one, and am reminded how awesome it is, and wonder why I don't use it more often (why don't I use it more often?). The brush has a sleek handle design and very densely packed synthetic bristles. It picks up product really well, lays it down really well, and blends really well. Basically, it performs really well (in case you hadn't picked up on that). If you're going to spend ten bucks on an eyeshadow brush, this is the one to buy.

2. Studio HD Blush ($3)
Considered to be a dupe for Make Up For Ever's HD Blush, E.L.F.'s version packs a very pigmented punch. It's creamy, applies smoothly, and wears well. It's a top notch formula, and a steal at a ten-dollar price point.

1. Studio High Definition Powder ($6)
HD powder is a silica-based finishing powder that can be used to set makeup, but is mainly utilized for its airbrushing effect. It leaves skin looking flawless, silky smooth, and camera-ready. There are several on the market (most notably by Make Up For Ever), and tend to carry low-volumes and high-prices. E.L.F.'s version is only six bucks--expensive by E.L.F.'s standards--and you get a figurative ton of product. Yellow and Shimmer versions are also available, but the standout is the original transluscent powder. With shipping, it'll set you back about $13, but you'll still be getting more bang for your buck.

Of course, this is assuming you only need to purchase one item. But I know none of us would ever go makeup crazy on the E.L.F. website...right?...Guys?...Hey! Wait up!! I need some brow gel...and lip gloss...and a blush...and.........

'Ip, 'Ip, "Ooray!: May Ipsy Unboxing

Well, kids, it's that time again...time for the monthly Ipsy unboxing (un-bagging? un-pouching? Bueller?)

For those unfamiliar with Ipsy (formerly MyGlam), is a sample subscription service. For ten bucks a month, you'll receive a little makeup travel bag containing four or five full- or deluxe-sized beauty items, more or less customized to preferences you choose on a profile quiz. This month's bag's theme was "Spring Fling", and came packed in a precious Missoni-esque, teal and orange striped bag. Several item variations were possible, and mine contained:

St. Tropez One Night Only Instant Glow Body Lotion (deluxe-sized)
Yaby Concealer Refill in Buff (full-sized, I believe)
Zoya Nail Polish in Blu (full-sized)
Juice Beauty Reflecting Gloss in Pink (deluxe-sized)
Mirabella Colour Sheer in Pixie (full-sized)

I also received the April makeup bag, as mine wasn't included in last month's shipment due to a problem with quality assurance. I was given a generic floral bag instead. The April bag is super cute (white with pink trim and lining). Neither bag is of the highest quality, but they'll be great for purse travel. Actually, the May bag is most likely going to find a home in my pool bag. It's perfect for holding the hair ties and lip balm that normally end up floating around in the bottom of the gargantuan tote.

I've had a little time (okay, a few hours, most of which were spent asleep) to play with several of the items, and I'm really pleased with them. Let's take a closer look at Ipsy's selections:

Yaby Concealer Refill in Buff: This is actually a brand I've had my eye on for a while. I've been looking at it for my film kit, partly for the fantastic range of shades, and partly for the lower price tag. This concealer has a thick consistency (much like Benefit Boi-ing), and covers well. Luckily, this shade is a perfect match for me, so it's going into my personal Unii palette. I'm going to work with it some more, though, before I make any buying decisions. I also don't see myself giving up my Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser for daily use anytime soon.

Juice Beauty Reflecting Gloss in Pink: This is a lovely, non-sticky, super sheer gloss that doesn't leave a lot of color, but does give you one heck of a shine. They weren't kidding around with "reflecting"! I haven't been able to wear this for an extended period of time, but I had to scrub a little to remove it after trying it on. That's a good sign. The packaging is beautiful, and I absolutely love the orange scent. This is my first experience with Juice Beauty, but I like what I've seen so far.

St. Tropez One Night Only Instant Glow Body Lotion: I wore blue jeans today, so I haven't been able to test this out, yet. It's a rub-on/wash-off tanner that (supposedly) doesn't transfer. I've heard wonderful things about St. Tropez, so I'm anxious to give it a shot.

Zoya Nail Polish in Blu: This is the first blue nail polish I've owned in...gosh...eighteen years. The last time I wore blue nail polish was on my fifteenth birthday. I had a costume party (in June--I'm weird), and wore the cutest little hippie outfit. The bell-bottoms and vest had an American flag motif, so I painted my nails bright blue to match...and immediately looked like a corpse. I made an adorable little dead hippie, and haven't worn blue nail polish since. However, Zoya is one of my favorite brands, and this is a gorgeous Robin's Egg blue cream. I may just have to give blue nail polish a second chance. (Maybe just my toes to start...)

Mirabella Colour Sheer in Pixie: This looks terrifying. My first thought was, "Well...it'll look great for pin-up looks. Maybe I can use it the next time I play Claire?" In actuality, this scary red-orange applies as a sheer wash of glossy coral. It's absolutely gorgeous. Honestly, it reminds me so much of the Flower Beauty lipgloss in Pretty In Petunia, that I may use it as a topper next time I wear this. On its own, this is moisturizing and wears well. Plus, the packaging is just beautiful, and has a nice heft to it.

Left to Right: Yaby Concealer Refill in Buff, Juice Beauty Reflecting Gloss in Pink, Mirabella Colour Sheer in Pixie

For fun, I put together a look this morning using the Yaby Concealer and the Mirabella Colour Sheer. As I said earlier, I expected this lipstick to be crazy bright, so I kept everything else very subdued. Instead, the lip color ended up being very "wearable" (isn't everything "wearable"? It just depends on your comfort level, really), so the entire look is just fresh and natural. It's good lazy day makeup.

Won't bore you with product details. If you want to know what I used, leave a comment and let me know.

That's this month's Ipsy bag. I have no idea what the total value is, but the Zoya retails at $8, and the Mirabella at $22 (yipes!), so I more than got my ten smackeroos' worth. This was a great month, and now I can start the countdown to June's bag! Have a great day!

"Arrest"-ingly Beautiful Polishes (Even If You've Never Actually Seen a Chicken)

A friend of mine on Facebook posted a while back that Arrested Development's return after seven years of cancellation sounded like a joke that would be on Arrested Development. I agree, and am looking forward to lauging along with the Bluth family's absurd sense of humor once more. So, imagine my delight when an Etsy surfin' safari led me to a store selling handmade nail polishes, inspired by the show!

The Lady Varnishes (I love that) store boasts several different collections inspired by movies and television shows. The "Huge Mistake" collection features polishes with names like, "Light Treason" and "Denim Cut-Offs", which are sure to be a hit with any AD fan. My favorite of the group? "Slut Shirt", of course. I'm a sucker for red glitter.

Photo Credit: The Lady Varnishes

Polishes in this collection run $8.50 for .5 oz. They are all hand mixed, and each bottle comes with a charm. Order four polishes at one time, and receive a chain for your charms.

Have a great day, guys, and remember: there's always money in the banana stand.

Just In Time for Mother's Day: Norma Bates Makeup Tutorial



Photo Credit: Fanpop



I admit it, I'm completely addicted to Bates Motel. Dear God, the people in that town are so weird, they probably vacation in Twin Peaks to escape the crazy. Freddy Highmore absolutely breaks my heart week after week (someone just hand him his Emmy and Golden Globe now, okay?), and Vera Farmiga brings such life and humor to an iconic character--that, up until now, has remained (mostly) unseen--that you can't help but be drawn into Norma Bates' special brand of cuckoo. If you haven't seen it, yet, I highly recommend it. It's soapy and silly and melodramatic and nuts and visually striking and frustrating and laugh-out-loud funny and gut-wrenching...and you'll love it.

Now, I look nothing like Vera Farmiga, but I'm in love with how the makeup department has her looking for this role. Norma's makeup style is soft, romantic, and classic. This is great for everyday, and appropriate for any age, so, for kicks, I thought I'd try to recreate it. I think I got pretty darn close, too.



Photo Credit: The Backlot

In the two reference photos, you can see that her eyes are done in soft gray, while her cheeks and lips have just a subtle hint of pink. Overall, the products are matte, though the gray shadow could possibly have a little shimmer to it. It's hard to tell. I like shimmer, so shimmer it is!

I started off with CoverGirl 3-in-1 foundation and a little Maybelline Age Rewind concealer, followed by Rimmel Stay Matte powder. Then I swept W.O.S. from the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette all over the lid, up to the brow bone. After that, I ran Naked 2 from the same palette along the crease. Next, I placed Gunmetal from the Naked palette in the outer corner and lashline, then used a fluffy brush to blend it across the lid and into the crease. Using a flat brush, I lined the lower lashes with Naked from the Naked palette, then ran the UD 24/7 Glide-On pencil in Zero along the top lash line, concentrating it at the roots. I finished off the eyes with Buxom Lash mascara on the top lashes, and on the outer corners of the bottom lashes. The brows are filled in with Naked 2, then set in place with E.L.F. clear mascara.

On the cheeks, I used Dollface (baby pink) from Tarte's Amazonian Clay line. I kept it more as a contour, but will probably go ahead and bring it onto the apples next time. It looks like Norma's is on the apples in some photos, but not in others. Personally, I like it on the apples. The lipstick is NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Stockholm, and looks pretty dead-on. It may or may not be what they use on the show, but, if not, it's a definite dupe for it.


Funny thing about photographs: they don't represent real life. In person, my foundation matches my skin exactly. On camera, my chest and arms look pinker than my face. I swear, I didn't walk around looking like I had Snookie's face on Snow White's body. It's just the camera. Still...yipes!

I kind of love this look. It's great for everyday, but could easily be amped up for after work. I think I might trade the black liner for a deep purple next time, and might line the lower lashes a little more heavily, just to make it a little more "me". What do you guys think?

This Is Not a Post: Letter from the Editor

I'm going to level with you; I have stuff to blog about. I have a few more Color Tattoos and a limited edition Revlon Lip Butter to share with you, and I've been playing around with some skincare stuff. On top of that, I've become completely addicted to Bates Motel, and have a couple of fun posts planned regarding that show. I've also started two fitness programs (yeah, you read that right: two), and I wanted to fill you in on how they work, seeing as swimsuit season is right around the corner. Thing is, I haven't been able to swatch anything, take any pictures, or even do all of the exercises, and I don't want to half-@$$ a post just so there's something on the blog. I too much respect for you (and, quite frankly, myself) to do that. You guys deserve better.

These posts will come, and they will be awesome. I promise that. Right now, though, I have to get over this sinus cold, take the four bags of rock out of my car and spread them around the garden, actually landscape the garden so that it exists, trap the raccoons in my attic and chimney, prepare for a couple of performances, paint the gosh-darn doors on the house, put together a futon, find a place to put the futon, and get the weird smell from the raccoons in the attic and chimney out of my house.

And that's just for starters.

I'll be in and out, but posts are probably going to be a little sporadic for a while. Please stick with me, though, 'cause stuff's going to get interesting.

Love you guys!
Erin