DIY (ish) lapel pin display case

I keep one of each pin that I design, and originally I had them all displayed on a cork pin board. That was all well and good when I had about 30 designs but now that I'm nearing 200 I realized I needed a better way to store and/or display my collection. Now that I finished this project I think I'm going to do the same thing for my embarrassingly large collection of Disney pins, too!

I found these jewelry cases on Amazon, but really any case meant for displaying rings or brooches should work fine. The fabric in the case has a cork/cardboard like backing that is perfect for securing my pins in place. I just make sure that I attach them in between the rows, not inside of the groove, or else they won't be secure. Each case holds about 60 1" - 1.25" pins, give or take.



Since the pins attach securely into the case, I can choose to display the case upright on my dresser along with my other brooches and jewelry! Or I can stack them up neatly and put them away for safe keeping. I love that the glass lid keeps them dust-free but also lets me see my whole collection at a glance.

I hope this little DIY tip gives you some ideas for how to store your own lapel pin collections! And if you're like "wow, I love this idea, but I need to build a pin collection first" (wink wink) they're buy-3-get-1-free in my shop right here.

TSA approved - my tips for airplane attire

My GOD this month has been insane! I can't believe I only managed to get in one other post so far. And things are not slowing down anytime soon. On Tuesday I'm off to Hollywood for my second TCM Film Festival! I'm doing a lot of flying this year so I decided to get my ducks in a row right now and come up with a foolproof airline outfit. And then I thought I'd share my tips with you, too!



- Jersey jumpsuits are your friend. There are so many great jumpsuits available right now, it's just a matter of finding one that's flattering and comfy at the same time. Mine is from Modcloth, and it has a tapered leg, fitted waist and wrapped bodice design that gives the appearance of a tailored outfit with the comfort of a freaking ONESIE. 

There are two things that make jumpsuits my #1 choice for flying -- if it's fitted, the chances of getting a pat-down are reduced considerably. Every time I've flown the difference between an unwelcome crotch grab and walking away scot-free rests solely on whether or not I've worn a dress/skirt/long sweater or fitted pants. This might not bother everyone but I have personal space issues and pat-downs are kind of traumatic for me.

Secondly, when you're sitting in one seat for hours upon hours you want to be really comfy. If you want to wear pj's, go for it! More power to you. I'm not a pajamas-in-public person, though, so this is the closest I can get. With a jumpsuit there's no pulling your pants up and pulling your shirt down to reposition. And if you get a jersey one without any unnecessary buttons and zippers, going to the bathroom is easy peasy. (haha, easy pee-sy. I'm so sorry.) Just make sure you take the outfit on a test run before you fly. Be positive that it's super comfy and easily bathroom accessible!

- Slip-on shoes that cover your whole foot. Again, this might just be a *me* thing but I hate the idea of walking barefoot through security. You will have to remove your shoes, so be prepared for that ahead of time. Lace-up shoes are harder to slip on and off quickly. Flats can't really be worn with socks so you'll either be barefoot or stocking-footed (?) I prefer to have socks on, so my favorite shoes for travel are zip-on ankle boots. They cover your whole foot so you can wear socks, they're comfy for walking around the airport, and they still look stylish.

- Bring a giant cozy sweater and wear your coat. Even if I'm not chilly at the airport, when I'm boarding my plane I put on my coat and a big cozy sweater. That way you don't have to take up valuable real estate in your luggage with bulky outerwear. I'm going to sunny CA for this trip so I'll just be bringing a light jean jacket and a sweater for the plane, but when I'm going someplace colder I'll honestly wear my giant winter coat AND a sweater. If I can save space in my luggage I don't care how I look walking down the aisle of the plane ;D

- Bring a giant purse. I normally do carry-on luggage only so I'll usually tuck my normal purse into a giant purse and then fill it up with anything else I'd need at my disposal on the plane -- a travel blanket, my laptop, my kindle, books, chargers, snacks (favorites for travel include fruit leather and salted almonds), dvds, camera, headphones, etc. Most airlines let you have one carry-on piece of luggage and one additional bag, so this way I'm not trying to figure out how to get a laptop bag, camera bag, purse and carry-on onto the plane. I put my camera & laptop in silicon cases inside of my larger purse rather than carrying them in their own separate bags.

- Possibly TMI but I'm going for it. Wear a sleep bra and comfortable panties. I'm serious. Boob shape is not the top priority when you're crammed into a tiny seat for six hours, TRUST ME. This one is my favorite. You get support, but it feels like you're wearing nothing. I'm a 32DDD and I got the size medium & it fits great. And seriously, unless you're planning on joining the mile high club there is no reason not to put on a pair of granny panties for the flight. Nobody can see them (except I guess the TSA agent that's watching the monitor when you go through the full-body scanner. But we don't want to give them a good show anyway, right?) and you can always change as soon as you get to your hotel.



And that's about it! I hope this helps somebody -- I haven't flown *too* much so far, only about sixteen times I think, but it took me all that time to finally figure out what works. SO much trial and error (and pat-downs, ughhhhh)

I'm going to try to blog every night while I'm at the festival next week, and I'm also going to do a decent amount of updates on my no-filter instagram. See you from Hollywood! :)

jumpsuit - modcloth | boots - f21 I think? | bag - f21
jacket - asos | purple rug - amazon

how to pack for a disney trip

I'm leaving for Disney World in exactly 9 days (eek!) and I think I've finally been there enough times to have some handle on what I should pack and what I definitely shouldn't. One of the things I love about Disney trips is that I feel like I can dress even more colorful and whimsical than usual. I know, I know...  I don't exactly wear business suits in my daily life, but most of my Disney ensembles push the boundaries of what I'd normally wear at home.

For clothing, I like to opt for simple sleeveless dresses in really fun, colorful prints or comfortable high-waisted shorts with tights underneath. I go a little polka-dot crazy on Disney vacations (blame Minnie Mouse!) and tend to pair most of my brightly colored pieces with pops of black and white. No matter how something looks, though, the key is always comfort. You don't want to be hiking down shorts, pulling up pants or adjusting your neckline when you should be having fun! I usually plan each day's outfit before I go, take mirror selfies at home, and then reference them when I get dressed in the hotel. It makes getting ready in the morning go super fast!

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9

During my last few trips, I opted to wear a backpack instead of a purse. It usually (depending on the size) can hold way more than a purse -- perfect for packing some backup deodorant (trust me, you want to bring it if you're visiting in the summer), some snacks and a sweater or wrap for chilly indoor attractions or cool Orlando nights. And if you're a pin trader like me, it holds way more pins than a pocketbook does ;)

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6

Shoes! I can't stress this enough -- make your shoe choice based on comfort, not style. Style-wise, polka dotted sneakers wouldn't be my first pick for any outfit, basically ever. But I'd much rather spend my vacation enjoying myself rather than limping along in blister-covered feet. Ouch! Unfortunately, I speak from experience. In 2011 I brought along cute shoes that weren't broken in yet and I ended up buying an emergency pair of crocs so that my feet wouldn't be howling at me for the rest of the trip.

My tried and true favorites are the saddle shoes from Payless (#1 below.) They're SO comfortable, I can't even. Plus they look slightly more stylish than crocs ;) In general though, I think any shoes that you KNOW are comfy will work. I've worn my favorite asos t-strap flats with hardly any arch support and my feet were fine. As long as you know the shoes can withstand tons of walking, they should be okay.

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6

In addition to the basics, there are some must-have accessories that I never leave out of my suitcase. If I'm going to be wearing any dresses or skirts, I always pack shorts to wear underneath. Depending on the dress, I'll wear bike shorts or slip shorts (btw, I wear slip shorts basically all the time, even when I'm not in Disney. They prevent wind-triggered flashing and help make unlined dresses look opaque. They're amazing!) This way you can enjoy all the freedom that comes with wearing pants, but you're wearing a dress. Wonderful!

Obviously you also need sunglasses. Extra points if they're pink and heart-shaped ;) But seriously, only bring ones that actually block out the sun. You want to be able to gaze up at Cinderella's Castle without having to squint.

I also always pack some kind of sweater or sweatshirt, even if I'm visiting in the hottest time of year. Some of the restaurants and rides can be really cold, plus after the sun goes down sometimes it can get pretty chilly.

If you have a cell phone, definitely bring a back-up battery. I take a ton of photos and use the Disney World app (it has maps, updated wait times, menus, etc.) so my battery is usually waning by the end of the day.

Last but certainly not least -- Ears!! Of course, you can buy ears at pretty much every store in Disney World, but if you plan ahead you can get some really cute ones from House of Mouse on etsy. They have themed ones for tons of rides and movies, plus these super pretty daisy ones that I have in my own ear collection. I can't wait to wear them with my pink hair next week :D

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7

I also like to pack a lot of the things I'd normally keep in my purse anyway -- hand sanitizer, lip balm, extra bobby pins, etc. If you're going to be staying in a Disney hotel, try to think of every possible toiletry you might need and bring it. They have some necessities in their gift shops but they can be pretty expensive. No matter how hard I try, I always end up having to buy something on every trip -- a toothbrush, safety pins, nail clippers, etc.

And while the rides and attractions are all incredibly fantastic, I highly recommend packing a book or a sketchpad & pencils. On every trip I try to take a little time to sit down and read or draw, and it's always one of the highlights of my vacation. Last September I sat on a bench in a little secluded area with a perfect view of the castle and read for a couple hours while listening to the enchanting music that Disney pipes through the park. It's a really relaxing, peaceful way to enjoy the magic.

And if you do a horrible job of packing anyway, end up with achy feet, freezing limbs and your sunglasses are doing nothing to shield you from the blinding sun, don't fret, Disney has you covered. Your packing folly comes at a price (and usually a steep-ish one) but the stores are well-stocked with everything you might need if you're in a jam ;)

my top five closet storage solutions

I just realized that I never got around to sharing my closet/dressing room here! I've taken some photos where you can spot some of it in the background, but I never did a full-out tour post like I intended. Anyway, it occurred to me that some of my organization methods might be somewhat useful so I thought I'd share some storage tips first, then do the whole closet tour shebang next week! :)



1. Use household items to organize. You don't need a fancy jewelry box to house your collections -- you can display your accessories using containers you already have laying around the house! I used a plastic french fry basket from the dollar store, a mason jar and an old melamine chips-and-dip tray to house my brooches and bracelets! And to keep my lipsticks organized I used nail polish remover caps and a jar lid (DIY post here!) It's amazing how instantly a run-of-the-mill item can be transformed into a useful storage container with the help of a little spray paint! ;)





2. At-a-glance storage. Whenever possible, try to store things so that you can see everything at a glance. If you stack your sweaters on top of each other, you'll constantly be rifling through your drawer and messing things up whenever you get dressed. Storing my cardigans side-by-side (and in rainbow order!) helps things stay neat and tidy. It's also a huge time saver!

For smaller items like tights, using a drawer organizer really comes in handy. I use a soft organizer from IKEA so that none of my tights will snag, and I roll them up side by side so I can see all of the colors at a glance.



3. Roll up pajamas in a shoe organizer. I have a weakness for flannel pajama sets (especially if they have cute animals on them) but I never really knew where to put them. I like keeping sweaters, jeans and unmentionables in my dressers so that leaves little room for big bulky pj's! I came up with this solution and it works SO well! I roll up the pajama set and stuff it into a shoe organizer slot. This makes it so easy to grab a top+bottom set in a pinch, and it doesn't take up much room!





1. Closet dividers to store belts and sunglasses. Earlier this year I purchased two closet dividers (or doublers) hoping to use them to hang up shirts and skirts, but they just didn't work out for me. Luckily, they were absolutely *perfect* for another purpose! I needed somewhere to store my (embarrassingly large) belt collection, and this totally fit the bill. I hung the divider from the ceiling using cup hooks, and then used S hooks to hang the belts. Since the dividers that I purchased came in three separate pieces (the two sides and the one middle rung) I was able to take the middle rung from the 2nd set and add another row for my sunglasses! (These are the dividers that I purchased)



5. Stagger your shoes. Finally, keeping shoes staggered (one shoe with the front facing forward and one with the heel facing forward) saves a lot of room! It isn't quite as pretty as having them all facing you, but you can fit a lot more shoes in a small space this way! :)

4 ways to use business cards

Business cards are so inexpensive, I'm always trying to think of new ways to use them for my shop! I buy mine from vistaprint, and I always go through ebates first. They usually have some kind of discount (I think I got 25% off and free shipping last time I ordered) plus you get cash back since it's ebates!



1. If you have an art shop, like me, I love the idea of doing a full-bleed art piece on the front of your business card, with your contact information on the back. This way your customer gets an extra piece of artwork with their order! I like to think that this increases my repeat sales a bit. While a regular business card might get tossed in the trash or hidden in a junk drawer, these are more likely to get tacked up on a bulletin board or the fridge!



2. I include a coupon business card in every order, too. I used to print these myself but they always came out a little sloppy since I was printing & cutting them myself on regular card stock from Staples. These are sturdy cards with professional printing and sharp edges. And since I buy them in large quantities, I don't have to worry about running out all the time while I'm in the middle of packing orders (which used to happen constantly when I printed them at home!)

ps. the font I used for "thank you" is hand-drawn & available in my shop here! ;)



3. Did you know that business cards are the perfect size for custom jewelry cards?! I trim about 1/4" off the bottom of mine so they'll fit neatly in these bags. My mom uses business cards as the jewelry cards for her earrings, too!



4. And they're perfect for marketing other products! My custom bridesmaid cards are one of my biggest sellers, but the matching pendants aren't ranked as highly in the etsy/google searches yet, and they tend to go unnoticed. So I include these in my bridesmaid card orders, letting customers know that they have the option of getting matching pendants for their bridesmaids-to-be!

ps. Here's one more fun way to use business cards! :)