Lipstick organizer DIY

A lot of my DIY projects seem to be born out of necessity. I love how lipstick tubes look standing up (as opposed to tossed in a bucket or something) but if you keep them on top of your dresser, like I do, that poses a problem every time you close a drawer and they all tumble over. So I came up with this little lipstick organizer, and it works like a charm! :D



Materials you'll need: Empty nail polish remover bottles* (you only need the caps), spray paint, the lid from a jar (I used a plastic jar from the craft store), hot glue gun, embellishments (optional)

1. Clean the bottle caps and jar lid, and let them dry. 2. Spray paint all of the caps and lid, and let them dry. 3. Arrange the caps in the lid the way you want them to look, and then glue them down one at a time. 4. (Optional) Add embellishments like ric rac or floral cabochons! :)



*If you don't have already-empty bottles, make sure to dispose of the nail polish remover in a safe, environmentally-friendly way! You can find a local recycling center here.

Giveaway: Custom mermaid necklace! [closed]

I Love Crafty is offering one lucky girl a personalized seashell mermaid necklace! You get to choose the color (pink or gold) the words, and the chain color (gold, blue or pink!)

What you'll win: One personalized necklace!

How to enter: Follow I Love Crafty on facebook.* And leave some way for me to contact you if you win (email, twitter, blog, whatever floats your boat!) Also, you must be a follower of this blog to enter! This is mandatory, too! (And, please, none of this follow-and-leave as soon as the giveaway is over jazz.. that's super rude!)

For additional entries: (leave a separate comment for each entry)
1. Tweet this "I just entered to win a custom mermaid seashell necklace on @kategabrielle's blog http://www.scathingly-brilliant.blogspot.com" (Only counts if you use that exact tweet.)
2. Visit I Love Crafty's etsy shop and let me know what your favorite item is!

This giveaway ends on August 6th at 12:01AM EST. Giveaway is over.

Winner: Comment #10


*If you don't have facebook, you can still enter by doing one of the additional entries instead :)

who's laughing meow

Well, my macbook came in the mail yesterday and right now I am using it to type this blog post! yay!! I've decided on Margo for the name after all, and thanks to some super helpful comments on my last post, I'm going to get this pink speck case for her :) Thanks!! :D

This shirt says "Who's laughing meow?" on it (I LOVE a good pun. Extra points if it's a cat pun.) although you can't really see the words since I have it tucked in. I was aiming to do some close up shots but by the time my camera's self-timer had started ticking, I was already entranced by two little fluffballs on my bed. I'm not easily distracted by shiny objects, but put something with fur and whiskers nearby and you'll lose my attention completely.

Shirt - c/o modcloth | Skirt - h&m | Shoes - modcloth

today is a most exciting day...

...for today, my new laptop arrives in the mail! hooray! I've been sans-laptop for almost a month and I just can't wait to have one again. I want to name it but I'm not sure what yet. I'm leaning towards Margo (after the character from The Good Neighbors) but we'll see. Also I really want a hard case for it/her... does anyone have any recommendations? I'm getting an 11" macbook air. Ideally I'd like a pink case (surprise!) but most of the ones I'm looking at on amazon don't have reviews, so I'm wary.

In other news, how amazing are these leggings?! I'm not usually a huge fan of footless tights/leggings so I tried concealing the fact that they don't have feet by wearing black socks underneath lol. I think it actually worked rather well, though. The key was using really thin socks so it looked sort of seamless. Black tights would probably have worked too!

Dress - vintage | Cardigan - f21 | Leggings - c/o romwe | Shoes - urbanog

wishlist wednesday

Actually, it's just one of many best-wishlist-wednesday-finds-ever, all from an etsy shop called The Science Boutique. My favorite is the Tesla Brooch, but my mind can't even comprehend the amount of awesomeness going on in this store. A close runner-up in the favorites category would be this charm bracelet depicting the evolution illustrations from Carl Sagan's Cosmos. Speaking of my hero, they also have two Carl Sagan brooches and a necklace! Best etsy shop ever? I vote "yes!!!!"

un deux trois

remixed item: urban outfitters dress from trade with Amber
outfit 1: cardigan - forever 21 | belt - old navy | shoes - blowfish
outfit 2: cardigan - forever 21 | shoes - modcloth | tights - target
outfit 3: cardigan - c/o modcloth | shoes - urbanog

This is one of my favorite dresses... partially because it's so pretty and fits like a glove but mainly because me and Amber got to be friends during this trade *aww* :) But seriously, I wear it quite a bit. It's one of my go-to dresses when I don't feel like spending a lot of time putting an outfit together, because it's so easy to style and always makes me feel put together.

It's funny, I always go back and read the old posts when I do these remixes and in the first one I wrote about having a rough time with my move to Canada (which eventually fell through.) I'm actually going through a bit of a rough patch right now, and reading that post reminded me that no matter what disappointments I'm facing, or how much something may be weighing on my mind day and night, I eventually move on and forget. Not moving to Canada seems like a distant memory now and I don't feel even remotely emotional about it anymore. Eventually the things that seem like colossal failures to me right now will fade, and I'm really glad I was reminded of that today.

a happy hypatia post

Hypatia doesn't really stand still very often for photos, so I was pretty thrilled to get this one last night. It's like she was posing for me, standing in front of my curtains looking all 70's big-eyed-cat cute and everything. And I thought it would be the perfect picture to use for a little Hypatia update in case anyone is interested in how she's doing!

She had another episode of feline herpes about 1 month ago and I was doing a decent amount of worrying (and an un-decent amount of sleeping) but she's doing really well now! *knock on wood!* I keep track of her weight, and I am SO over-the-moon happy to say that right now she's the heaviest she's been all year! I'm seriously giddy about it. And it's been over a month since her last vet visit-- she is usually in there at least every 2-3 weeks! I know it's not a guarantee that she'll remain healthy but at this moment I'm just so happy! She's acting like her usual playful, sweet self and I couldn't ask for anything more!

I know I definitely walk a fine line between cat lady and crazy cat lady (people who know me would probably say I crossed that line a long time ago) when I do posts like this, but I really wanted to share the good news, especially since I know that Hypatia has a lot of people rooting for her :) Every single time someone online asks me how she's doing, my heart feels so full. xo!

doublemint

Actually, more like quadruplemint lol! I love mint green so much (can you tell?) but I don't think I ever do head-to-toe, it's usually a touch of mint here.. a touch of mint there. I loved this though, especially with my freshly-dyed pink tips. I'm a sucker for mint and pink.

Dress - h&m | Shoes - c/o BAIT footwear | Tie - flapper girl (custom 26" length)
Cardigan - old navy | Belt - asos

it's still me

Last week as part of my grandmom's birthday celebrations we went to Grounds for Sculpture. It's a natural park/sculpture garden, and it's absolutely beautiful! The last time we were there I was about 10 years old and admission was still free (the fact that they charge now is probably why we haven't been back in so long lol) The highlights for me were the gorgeous gardens (some of them felt positively Alice-in-Wonderland-esque!) and the life-size sculptures of impressionist paintings by J. Seward Johnson (who also founded the park). It was like stepping into a Renoir!

It was sweltering hot, so I had my bangs pinned back and took this rare opportunity to wear shorts (although I still wore tights, but they had a really loose weave so it made me feel more covered-up without being overheated.) I didn't feel like me, I'm so used to wearing dresses lol! But it was a nice change for a day ;)






Me and my grandmom pretending to have a dinner party... it's actually a sculpture! Even the tablecloth is made of bronze (something I forgot momentarily and banged my knee! oops)

Shirt - f21 | Shorts - emerging thoughts | Shoes - Dorothy Perkins
Bag - modcloth | headband and belt - f21 | tights - target | sunglasses - asos

Scalloped edge purse DIY

I saw this scalloped lace trim at the craft store a while back, and although I was positive I wanted to use it for *something* I had no idea what exactly. Then while sorting through some of my old bags, I stumbled upon this tan one from H&M last year and thought it would make for a fun DIY project! It's so nice to revamp an old item that you completely forgot about! :)



1. Gather your materials. You'll need: A bag, embroidery floss, a needle and scalloped (or something equally pretty) trim. 2. Beginning at the corner of the bag, start to attach the trim. I tried lining up my stitches with the existing stitching on the bag, and I matched the embroidery floss to the color of the thread. 3. If you're using lace, it's easy to just thread the floss through the holes in the trim, for consistent stitches. 4. When you get to a corner, gather the trim a bit as you go along. I didn't do this on my first try and had to take out all of my stitches because when I closed the bag, the lace was way too tight on the corners! I think the gathering makes it look even prettier, too :) When you get to the end, just knot your thread and voila! A brand new bag!

3 minute maiden twists

I was getting ready to do my hair one day last week and thought I'd record a video just for the heck of it. I've been wearing my hair like this almost daily for months because it's just SO easy. It's almost as quick as putting your hair in a ponytail but it looks like it took much longer!

It usually doesn't take me anymore than 3 minutes to do this (in this video, it's about 2.5 minutes.) You just part your hair, twist one half and pin it to your head. Then twist the other half, tuck the loose bit of hair from the other side underneath, and pin again. Pin down all the flyaways (I have a TON on my right side for some reason!) and that's it! I also like to pin the back too, and I find that tilting my head back helps make it tighter :)

in bloom

Today I'm treating my mom and grandmom to a girls' day in NYC for their birthdays! My grandmom turned 75 on Monday, and tomorrow is my mom's birthday! (age withheld upon request lol) My grandmom has Celiac and hasn't been able to really indulge at restaurants since she was diagnosed in the early 90's, but I found a deli in the city (Bloom's) that has a gluten free menu... I'm SO excited to take her there! They actually serve things on gluten free rolls & bread -- she is going to flip! I hope so badly it's as good as I'm anticipating :)

Then we're doing a behind the scenes tour at Radio City Music Hall, and going to Ripley's museum. Oh, and the M&M store for my mom, who is the world's foremost chocoholic. Oh, and don't tell my mom, but when she gets home my real present will be waiting for her in the kitchen... I got her a stove! :D Our old one has been broken for years (we actually have to light the burners manually with matches and the oven door doesn't close) so my dad is staying home from work to be there for the delivery while I'm out with my mom. I am so excited I actually have butterflies in my stomach waiting for her to see it!! I think I have more fun planning birthdays and presents than I have on my own birthday lol ;D

Dress - vintage c/o JoJo's | Belt - forever 21 | Shoes - dorothy perkins | Headband - h&m

wishlist wednesday

Finally, a galaxy print dress that I like love. I've mentioned before that they always seem to be made in really unflattering shapes or fabrics, but this is not only fit-and-flare (my favorite) but the fabric is velvet. Can you say awesome x100?!

It's a wee bit pricey though, and actually I just purchased galaxy fabric to make my own dress! I'm using this fabric (it came in the mail last week and it looks seriously amazing in person) and I'm leaning towards New Look pattern #6020... I just wish I could find one I like where the bodice was all one piece though, so it wouldn't break up the design (the bodice on 6020 is assembled from three separate pieces.)

Even if my homemade dress turns out fantastic, I'll probably end up buying this one when it (hopefully) eventually goes on sale. 9 times out of 10 it seems like if I just wait long enough, my favorite asos things end up reduced by 50% or more! *fingers crossed*

un deux trois

remixed item: lace dress from h&m
outfit 1: belt - vintage | shoes - modcloth | hairbow - hive & honey
outfit 2: cardigan & tights - h&m | shoes - from my grandmom | belt - f21
outfit 3: lace cardigan - f21 | tights - h&m | shoes - urbanog

I DIY-ed this dress in April, and thought it would make for a fun remix post! I have quite a few lace dresses, so sacrificing one to the altar of Do It Yourself wasn't too hard, and I love how it came out. I took fake flowers from the craft store and attached them to the bodice with beads and embroidery thread. You can see the instructions and close-ups here! :)

it's paper, dear

Last month I purchased a one month subscription to It's Paper, Dear -- a new subscription box service for stationery nerds like me! My July box arrived in the mail this week and it's so incredibly precious, I had to share! When I first folded back the edges of the pastel pink tissue paper I saw bits of pretty papers, envelopes and die cuts peeking through. There are sweet little cards, buttons, ribbon, tape and the prettiest color pen I ever did see. Adorable bookplates, recipe cards and even a cute little strawberry-adorned coupon holder!

Basically, pretty + cute overload! My eyes were so happy! :) I can't wait to assemble the supplies into (very overdue.. whoops) letters and packages for my pen pals!

faded pastel memories

Me and my brother went to Point Pleasant beach in NJ last week... neither of us have been there since we were kids and we have really fond memories, so we thought it would be a fun trip down memory lane. Unfortunately it just wasn't as awesome as we remembered it to be*. I hate it when that happens. Compared to our current favorite beach (Ocean Grove) it seemed kind of untidy and sooo incredibly crowded. And for some reason I had visions in my head of a pastel paradise, but in reality I was the most pastel thing at the beach that day.

We walked the boardwalk for a little while, got some cotton candy (can you believe there isn't a single place there that makes it from scratch? It's all prepackaged in plastic bags. ergh!) and went to the arcade. That was actually really fun, but in the end we decided to high-tail it for Ocean Grove for dinner ;)



*ps. please don't hate me if this is your favorite beach.. it just wasn't my own cup of tea, and it didn't live up to the super expectations I created in my head when I was little :)

Dress - c/o Modcloth | shoes - asos | Mint petticoat - vintage (JessJamesJake)