Dec 5, 2013 | DIY
Hello all! I actually had completely different content planned today…and then I glanced at the calendar and realized that because of the day of the week Christmas fell on, I would have to get my holiday parcels out tomorrow if they were ever going to be delivered in time for Dec 25th in Japan. Curse you, late Thanksgiving!!!
So since I spent my whole day running around trying to get all these packages ready to be sent tomorrow, instead today I’m going to share with you some ideas for creative gift wrapping and presentation…after all, if you’ve DIY’d any Holiday Gifts, you want to present them beautifully, no? I’ll be adding to this Pinboard in the next week or two, so follow along to get some ideas and inspiration for creating the perfect wrapping:
DIY Gift Wrapping and Presentation on Pinterest
Also, if you’re looking for ideas to make your holiday a DIY one, from baking to decorating to gifts to unique trees to wreaths to ornaments, please check out my:
Holiday DIY Projects: Christmas/Winter Board
Hope to see you there!
xo
Carly
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Dec 4, 2013 | DIY
The holiday season is upon us! (Was that FAST or what??!) I’ve been trying to stick to a budget this year, and make what I can for those near and dear to me. There’s nothing that’s more personal or heartfelt than something you’ve made yourself, and here are 17 ideas of lovely gifts to make and give to your friends and family:
DIY Dry Baking Mixes are always great, and travel well. There’s so many to pick from, too! Hot cocoa mix, cookie mix, or muffin mix are some great choices. (This is a great roundup of ideas for jarred mixes!)
Last year I made tons of my DIY Holiday Chocolate Bark, and my family begged me for more. (I wouldn’t share the white chocolate macadamia flavor leftovers, though!) Anyone who likes chocolate will love this, plus it packs and keeps really well (good for boxes being sent through the post!)
These DIY Stamped Cookies are also divine. (I’m thinking you might be able to directly color on the stamp with food-grade coloring pens rather than dealing with a stamp pad? Shall have to try.)
Home-made candles are really lovely, and you can mimic that high-end Diptyque look by using pretty jars (and maybe adding printedwater decals or stickers with fantastic images or typography?) Check out this DIY tutorial for candles in tumblers.
For the avid sewist in your life, a DIY Tomato Pincushion is a must. Or you could go old school and sew up a DIY Sewing Needle Book to hold needles.
Decorative objects can be great choice for homeowners and renters alike. Some lovely pieces include: DIY Kelly Wearstler Kaleidoscope Starburst, DIY Dinosaur Planters, DIY Starburst Mirror
DIY Office Supplies are a welcome present to anyone who has an office space, whether at home or at work. Paint rocks with magnetic paint and glue together to make this paperclip holder or make a No-Sew Pencil Roll to help tame clutter.
Body lotion, scrubs, bath bombs, soap: beauty products that can be made at home and shared are a wonderful indulgence for a favorite someone. Love this DIY Coconut Rose Lip Balm! (And yes, this works for guys too; just use more “manly” fragrances and additives into soap bars or DIY Shaving Soap!)
Since it’s the holidays, why not gift some DIY ornaments to a special someone? Some of my favorites include these Colorful Geometric Ornaments, Sprinkles Ornaments, Pinned Sequin Ornaments.
Need more ideas for gifts? Check out my list of 30 Great DIY Hostess Gifts for some more inspiration!
Happy Holidays and Happy DIY’ing!
xo
Carly
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Nov 27, 2013 | Fashion
Two of the largest shopping shopping days are almost upon us and I’d be remiss if I didn’t share some great deals, discounts, and coupon codes for all of you to take advantage of. Here are a few deals & steals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday that have caught my eye (plus some great pieces from my favorite e-tailers!):
Buckle 
From left to right: Big Star Maddie Flare Stretch Jean $152, Gimmicks by BKE Cowl Cropped Sweater $68, BKE Southwestern Print Maxi Skirt $29.95
Get an additional 10% off sale denim and denim crops, and an additional 15% off sale tops, sweaters, outerwear, shoes, belts, watches, backpacks, wallets, and bags
Buy one, get one FREE: Select sale jewelry already marked 1/3 and 1/2 off. The 2nd sale jewelry item of equal or lesser value is free.
Thanksgiving Specials at Buckle
(Until 12/2)
Choies
From left to right: Blue Textured Flare Skirt $42.99, White Shirt in Lotus Print $18.89, Silver Sequin Natural Heeled Court Shoes $35.99
Use coupon code WG5OFF69 for an extra $5 off orders of $69+
Use coupon code WG10OFF109 extra $10 off orders of $109+
Shop Choies
Karmaloop
From left to right: The Sequins Tablet Sleeve in Gold $18, The Quilted Faux Leather Pants $80, The Ice Cream Earrings in Raspberry Sorbet $38
Use code BLKLIGHT for 40% off + **Free Shipping!
Shop Karmaloop
Lulu’s
From left to right: Dress the Population Lola Iridescent Sequin Dress $199, Pearls Night Out Gold and Pearl Necklace $25, For Love or Lemons Love You Knot Black Velvet Bralette $72
Many items on sale for 90% off
**Free Ground Shipping + major markdowns on sale items Friday 11/29
Shop Lulus.com
Modcloth
From left to right: App Plus Student Backpack $24.99, Party for the Course Dress $49.99, Piece of Mind Earrings $5.99
**FREE International Shipping on all orders of $150
Black Friday – 100’s of items 50% off @ ModCloth
(Until 12/1 at 9pm PST)
Modify Watches
You can customize your watch by choosing the style and color of face, and the color of band. Over 3000 combinations are possible, and affordable: around $40-$60 per watch! (My favorite are the glitter faces and bands;-)
Everything on the website is 30% off AND every 10th order they are giving away for FREE!
Shop Modify Watches
Romwe
From left to right: Gold BellShaped Bag $30.59, Floral Print Slim White Dress $29.69, Contrast Cuffs Simple Design Blue Blazer $30.99
Get 15% off for Black Friday with code BlackFriday15%
(Until 12/5)
YesStyle
From left to right: Alice Go Home Wool Blend Long Coat $150, 77Queen Platform Lace Up Ankle Boots $48, Ringnor Set Skull Accent Buttoned Slit Back Sweater $34.20
Use CYBERMONDAY for 15% off plus **Free Standard shipping on ALL orders with no minimum purchase requirements.
Cyber Monday Week 15% off Coupon
(Until 12/2)
Also, YesStyle will be giving away one iPhone 5C . Simply Likeand Share their Cyber Monday Week contest on Facebook, and you will have a chance to be an iPhone 5C owner!
Emilie M.
Get 40% off site-wide and 60% off clearance items sitewide!
(from 11/29 until 12/5)
The 5-piece “Essentials Box” is FREE with code IWANTITALL on any purchase over $100 (2 days only until 11/28)
Shop Emilie M. Handbags
Happy Shopping!
xo
Carly
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Nov 24, 2013 | Media
I wanted to share that my DIY Gossip Girl-Inspired Mesh Rhinestone Earrings were recently featured in the September 2013 issue of Cosmopolitan India! They ran a feature on DIY Accessories, including projects from me and 4 other amazing DIY bloggers. My “Statement Earrings” led the section – which was such an honor!
Thanks so much to the team at Cosmopolitan India for the feature!
xo
Carly
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Nov 23, 2013 | Fashion
Pictured above: Oversized Round Style #1985 Sunglasses c/o Sunglass Warehouse, random vase, Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in #245 Audacious, Giles & Brother Railroad Spike Cuff in Brass, Heather Hawkins Tiny Gemstone Necklace
At LuckyFABB I ran into a representative from Sunglass Warehouse, who later sent me a lovely pair of Oversized Round Style #1985 sunglasses to review. Since then I have been wearing them nonstop! I noticed that their prices were extremely affordable (under $12 for the above pair!), which made me think that the sunglasses themselves would be pretty cheap-feeling.
When I received them in the box I was a little disappointed to find that there was no case or pouch for them and that they were just wrapped in bubble wrap for shipping. However, when I peeled off the wrap I was pleasantly surprised to feel how thick and sturdy the frames were. I’m pretty used to the sunglasses put out by Forever 21 and their ilk, so the thickness and the quality came as a nice change from the flimsy and cheap sunglasses I’m used to.
I’ve been wearing them constantly for driving and being outside- and one of the nice things about them is that they’re slightly curved so hug my face, and don’t cause any weird reflections on the insides like flat sunglasses do. Plus, after 3 weeks of daily use, they show not ONE scratch despite how much abuse I’ve heaped upon them. (And an extra pouch I had from another pair of sunglasses that broke long ago work for housing these, making up for the lack of a case.) If you’re looking for quality sunglasses, at an affordable price, I’d really recommend Sunglass Warehouse for them (and don’t forget to use their Face Shape Widget to help choose which ones would be perfect for you!)
I’ll be doing a fabulous sunglasses DIY with a pair from Sunglass Warehouse soon, so stay tuned!
xo
Carly
FTC Disclosure: I was sent one pair of sunglasses for review purposes from SunglassWarehouse. The above opinions are my own. I have received no other compensation. For my full Disclosure Policy, click here.
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