DIY Jewelry and Trinket Dishes

I've felt like I've been just too busy to make and create lately.  And that has left me feeling kind of drained and uninspired. So, I decided I needed to take a couple minutes to use my hands and make something. If you are looking for a quick and easy weekend project, this is a good one. Perfect for gifts or just to sit on your bedside table or bathroom counter, they serve as a fun, decorative way to organize and store your valuables. 

I played with all my favorite patterns - grid, triangles and simple brush strokes. But, the possibilities are endless. You can paint any color and any pattern, as simple or as complicated as you want.

 Here's what you'll need:

• Martha Steward Glass Paint (Black Gloss)
• Small paint brushes
• Small ceramic or porcelain appetizer plates 

Play with patterns and shapes to create a design that goes with your decor. I love black and white, but you could use any color combination. Allow the paint to completely dry (follow the instructions on the bottle), but I let these dry for a couple days. 

Have a great weekend and be sure to make a little time to create or make.

DIY Reversible Valentine's Day Clutch

Valentine's Day is just about here. And I have one last DIY for you. Whether you have a date or not, this clutch is going to be perfect for a night out on Valentine's Day. I customized a couple simple clutches (that I found at Forever 21) with #single on one side and #taken on the other. So, even if you don't have a valentine yet, get out their and carry your #single bag with pride. Who knows, maybe some single guy is looking for you. 

I used my Cricut Explore Air™ machine to cut out iron on letters in gold glitter for the denim clutch and white for the linen clutch.  But, you can also buy iron-on letters at the craft store, like these.

And please meet my adorable model and intern, Val. Yay for me!  I have a obviously cute, but also super smart and stylish assistant now. 

Now that you have the bag, let's fill it with some date night essentials:

Vaseline Lip Therapy Tins, for soft kiss-ready lips

sunglass (because I live in sunny California)

hair Clips for any hair disasters

gum or mints for fresh kissable breath

wallet and keys

phone (because we can't live without them)

travel sized perfume

nail file

pen or pencil

mirror

New Vaseline Lip Therapy Tins are a popular U.K. must-have and now they are available stateside in these iconic tins.  These tins contain 100% pure and safe Vaseline Jelly and are clinically proven to help heal dry lips and provide long-lasting moisture. And they are available at Target.

Your guys, I've got these lip tins everywhere - in my car, by my bed, in my purse and at the studio. My lips are happy! No more dry cracked lips for this girl.

This post is sponsored by Vaseline.  All my opinions are my own.  Thanks for supporting the companies that help make this blog possible.

DIY Date Night Dice

Don't just take your sweetheart out for Valentine's Day, but plan a whole year of fun dates.  These DIY Date Night Dice are sure to make some memorable date combinations. We've been making an effort to spend more intentional time together as a couple, but often coming up with a plan is the hardest part. Roll the dice and let lady luck decide for you. One die selects a fun meal destination and the other chooses an activity for the evening.  These dice will be sure to get you out of rut and having some fun date adventures together.  

Here's what you'll need:

2" wooden blocks

sponge brush

Mod Podge (in matte finish)

1 copy of each of the dice printables printed on Zazzle Postcards.

scissors

black craft paint or spray paint

Download the dinner and activity files. Print them on Zazzle Postcards.

Cut apart the sides of the dice.

Paint the wooden blacks black.  Allow them to dry completely.

Paint on a generous amount of Mod Podge to one side of the die. 

Adhere one of the squares to the die. Lay a book or something heavy on top of the block and allow this side of the die to dry for about 5 minutes.  Repeat on all sides of the die. When wooden block is completely dry, paint on one last layer of Mod Podge over all the sides of the dice.  Allow to dry completely.  

This post is sponsored by Zazzle. All my opinions are my own.  Thank you for supporting the companies that help make this blog possible. 

Winter Pomegranate Salad and DIY XO Salad Spoons

February is here, whether we are ready of not. This short month always seems to fly by, but one thing I love to do is plan a Valentine's Dinner for my family. This year I have a light, but really colorful salad on the menu. If you add cheese, fruit and nuts to a salad, it's guaranteed to be a winner.  This Winter Pomegranate Salad is loaded with all the yummy things.  And to give this salad a little extra love, I made some fun DIY XO Salad Spoons to serve it with. Keep reading for the recipe and DIY instructions below. 

Winter Pomegranate Salad

6 - 8 cups spring greens mix or baby spinach

2 oranges

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

1/2 cup cinnamon sugared pecans (see instructions below)

1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles

pomegranate poppy seed dressing (see recipe below)

To candy the pecans, pour 1/4 sugar in a not stick frying pan and sprinkle with 1/4 cinnamon. Put on high heat and heat until the sugar just starts to turn to a liquid.  Add the pecans and toss to coat all of them.  Remove from the heat and pour the pecans onto a piece of parchment paper to cool. Break apart any nuts that are stuck together. 

Pomegranate Poppy Seed Dressing

1/4 cup pomegranate juice

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar

zest of one orange

3 tbsp. honey

salt and pepper

1 tbsp. poppy seeds

1/2 cup olive oil

Mix the first 6 ingredients in a large mason jar or in a bowl with a whisk. Add the olive oil and whisk or shake vigorously. Store in the fridge in an air tight container.  Allow the dressing to come to room temperature before serving, if the olive oil is too cold it will become a solid.  

What's a dinner party without pretty dishes? Just like the adorable coasters I made with Shutterfly, I took some of my favorite Valentine's designs and had them printed on plates. These are going to be fun plates to pull out every Valentine's Day.  

Shutterfly is so much more then just prints and photobooks. You can add your favorite pictures or illustrations to their plates for a one of a kind look. Or maybe you just like these plates I designed, if so, you can download the images HERE and make a set for yourself.  

DIY XO Salad Spoons

Here's what you'll need:

2 wooden spoons with round handles
2 2' wood balls with flat bottoms (found at the craft store)
E6000 Glue
drill and drill bit the size of the spoon handles
white and black craft paint
paint brush

Start with a drill bit the same size as the handle of the wooden spoons. on the flat side of the wooden ball drill in about 1/2" deep.

Using the E6000 glue, attach the spoons to the wooden balls.  Allow to dry for at least 1 hour.

Paint the wooden ball and part way down the handle with the white paint.  You may need to give them 2 coats of paint.  

When they are completely dry, you can paint on the X and the O with a small paint brush and black paint.  I practiced on a piece of paper first to get an idea of the shape and size of the letters I wanted to paint.  And then, just go for it! 

Be sure to check out Shutterfly's Design Studio for inspiration and lots of great DIYs and downloadables. This coffee table and this living wall are pretty cool. 

This post is sponsored by Shutterfly.  Thank you for supporting the companies that help make this blog possible.

Valentine's Day Coasters and Pomegranate Basil Lemonade

Does anyone else love that Valentine's Day gives you an excuse to be extra girly and add tones of pink to everything?  I do! I tend to be pretty neutral in the colors I use in my home and wardrobe, but when Valentine's Day hits, I'm all about the PINK! 

This year, I teamed up with Shutterfly to make some fun custom Valentine's Day decor. These coasters might not get put away after February 14th.  You can add cute pictures of your kids and pets, images from your favorite vacation, or add your own illustrations like I did. I took some of my favorite designs that I've created over the years (like the geometric heart and these simple designs I did last year) along with some new ones and had them put on coasters. Shutterfly is not just pictures and photobooks friends, they've got some really fun home decor pieces. If you like these coasters and would like a set for yourself, you can download the files HERE. 

And what's a coaster without a yummy drink to sit on it. Our lemon tree is loaded right now, so I'm serving refreshing Pomegranate Basil Lemonade this Valentine's Day. 

Pomegranate Basil Lemonade

1 cup pomegranate juice

6 lemons, juiced

1 cup basil simple syrup (see recipe below)

6 cups of water

ice

In a large pitcher, combine the pomegranate juice, lemon juice, basil syrup and water.  Mix well. Serve with lots of ice and garnish with a slice of lemon and sprig of basil.

Basil Simple Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp. fresh basil chopped

Bring water, sugar and basil to a boil.  Boil one minute or until the syrup dissolves.  Strain basil leaves from the syrup.  Allow the syrup to cool completely, store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Be sure to check out Shutterfly's Design Studio for inspiration and lots of great DIYs and downloadables. This coffee table and this living wall are pretty cool. 

This post is sponsored by Shutterfly.  Thank you for supporting the companies that help make this blog possible.

DIY Triangle Tree

You know I'm a fan of a good triangle and this might be a pattern you've seen here before (remember this felt tree hanging and these watercolors.)

Well, I've made another version, this time on wood.  It might be my most favorite one of all. Be sure to check out the full how-to over on Curbly today.