Category: DIY

A DIY Treat for Valentine’s Day

I was in the grocery store this weekend and saw a ton of chocolate covered strawberries on sale for Valentine’s Day. When I got home, I’d realized I had all the ingredients to make them myself for a whole lot less than the prices the stores were selling them for-a pack of 3 was $4. I had bought a frozen bag of strawberries from Trader Joes a few weeks back for under $2 and a chocolate bar for .99 cents. On Sunday I thawed the strawberries from the freezer (I had less than half a bag left), Monday melted the chocolate bar in the microwave for 1.5 minutes and then dipped the strawberries in the chocolate, put them in a plastic container (the chocolate dried quickly) and left in the fridge overnight. This process took less than ten minutes. To serve I took a nice wine glass, filled with Greek yogurt and topped with chocolate strawberries and added some white, pink and red sprinkles for fun.


I know that this isn’t a ground breaking discovery of making chocolate covered strawberries, but I do feel that society as a whole feels like they have to spend a ton of money on chocolate, dinner, flowers, etc. when it comes to Valentine’s Day. This simple way of spending only a few dollars, making the dessert yourself is so much more fun and enjoyable than just spending money. Plus, if I’d had the entire bag of frozen strawberries I could have made them all into chocolate covered strawberries for less than what the retail stores charge.

Tip: If you happen to have a fondue set, this would be another fun way to make chocolate covered strawberries.

Do you make anything yourself for V-day? Let me know in the comments!

Learning How to go to Events Alone & Painting Tips

Last week, I went to a painting class alone. While I had never attended a class alone, I knew this was a painting I really wanted to have in my home, and if I had waited until someone wanted to go with me, I’m not sure when I’d actually get to paint it. At the end of the class, the teacher said, “Good for you for going to a class by yourself!” Going to an event like this helps you become more independent and put yourself out there. What helped me get over the fear of going alone was knowing that this was something I really wanted to do and that I’d have fun doing it. You get to meet all kinds of people who have the same interests as you and who are willing to learn, so don’t be afraid to talk with people. I’ve found that by commenting on something you like about someone else’s painting and engaging in class are great ways to get a conversation started.

I’ve attended five painting classes over the past two years and I love them! It has inspired me want to paint in my own home on my free time. Below are some painting tips:

You can be a beginner! You don’t have to have to have any painting experience to go to a painting class. The more of them you go to, the more experience you’ll gain.

Pick an easy painting-The easiest one’s I’ve found have a colorful background and a large object with few details. While I was nervous to paint the tree, I knew I could cover up any mistakes by making the tree bigger and adding more branches or leaves. Also, when booking the painting pick one that will coordinator well with your home’s interior colors.

Ask the teacher questions-If you’re unsure how to paint a certain object ask because they can explain or show you how to paint it. During the class I took when painting the tree, my teacher explained painting it by thinking of making the letter Y, which you can see at the top of my tree. Also, be sure to ask for more paint and paper towels when needed.

Remember this is your painting so color it how you like-If you don’t like a certain color on the painting then don’t use it. For instance, throughout the tree was supposed to be red but I tried it at the bottom of the painting and didn’t care for it, so instead I blended the red with brown and black to make it disappear. My most favorite part of painting is coloring the background which sets the mood for the whole piece. I enjoy making my backgrounds light-most have a white base then two colors added, so I really try to blend the white in with the base colors as much as possible to make a pastel color.

In the end everyone’s painting will look completely different and it’s fun to see just how different they all look. You should feel proud of your accomplishment for going to an event alone and know, that doing things for yourself will make you happiest.

Have you taken a painting class? If so, did you enjoy it? Would you or have you gone alone? Let me know in the comments!

How To Style Your Dresser Like a Jewelry Boutique

I recently decided to style my entire dresser with jewelry. I wanted to display the jewels I wear most often and keep the rest tucked away in storage containers. The best part about displaying jewelry where I can see it is that it makes getting ready in the morning a breeze, especially if I’m in a time crunch.

Follow my tips for turning your dresser into a jewelry “boutique” feel:

The first thing you’ll want to do is start with a clean and empty dresser. Next, find unique pieces around your home to display as storage for the jewelry. I used a cake stand (the stand is separated into 3 pieces, so I used two together and one by itself), 3 painted wine glasses (a friend painted them and donated them to me), a wine glass (designed with a marker during a girl’s night) and a bowl (given by a friend who bought the piece in China).  The most important thing to remember when picking display pieces is to make sure they are around the same height for balance. Since three of the wine glasses are the same height, I chose to use a two tiered cake stand and display the third small tier near the short wine glass. When displaying each piece, use all space available but don’t overcrowd. You’ll want to pick pieces you can get the most use out of and are within the same color scheme to work well with the colors of your jewelry.

Tip: Be mindful of paint colors on the walls, make sure they go with the colors of the display items/jewelry.

 

There a number of ways to display jewelry:

Mix the colors of jewelry throughout the entire dresser.

Keep all like colors together. All gold, silver and colored.

Create a fun “moment” in the middle of the dresser with either one color scheme or a rainbow. You do a rainbow color scheme starting from the left side of the dresser to the right.

To get the most use out of the display items, I displayed earrings on the outside of the wine glasses and a bracelet around the base of the cake stand.

 

Tip: If you have more jewelry that can’t fit on the dresser, change your jewelry out monthly or seasonally. You’ll need to re-coordinate the colors.

 

To get a jewelry “boutique” feel, set up the dresser as if you were going shopping each day. Display your favorite pieces where they’re noticeable-in the center of the dresser. Merchandise items that will work well together for any outfit-this way it’s a no brainer on what pieces to wear together, this is especially helpful if you’re rushed for time. If you have any interesting pieces of jewelry you’ll want to display them towards the center of the dresser or on an elevation- -Tiara (at center), gold square and silver tassel necklaces are on wine glasses. Any fine jewelry could be displayed in a jewelry box or create its own “moment” on the dresser.

Some cool items to display on your dresser are:

Christmas lights, a fabric runner with an interesting pattern or solid color, lace overlay (white or colored), fake flowers, holiday décor, books, pictures or garland to weave through display pieces and jewelry. Also, leave room on your dresser for practical items such as a coaster, lamp, tissue box, etc.

If you run out of room on your dresser try displaying items like this:

Use command hooks on the walls to display long necklaces. Put shelves on the walls and pick more unique display pieces that complement the pieces on the dresser within the same color scheme and height.

Please let me know in the comments what you think! Would you style your dresser this way?

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