May 15, 2013 | Beauty, DIY
I ran out of my old deodorant awhile ago, and was wondering what to do about it. I had been hearing a lot about “natural” deodorants, and wondered if they worked any better than store-bought. With all-natural ingredients and no aluminum, they are undoubtedly better for you. I found some links to various recipes here, changed some ingredients to create a stick-type product, and decided to try my hand at making my own DIY version. Here’s how:
Recipe: (more…)
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May 14, 2013 | Media
Last week I had the pleasure of attending an event celebrating the release of Studio Choo‘s The Flower Recipe Book
at West Elm in Portland’s Pearl District. 
Leading the event were authors Alethea Harampolis and Jill Rizzo of Studio Choo, a renowned floral design studio in San Francisco. 
They provided tons of tips and tricks for creating beautiful floral arrangements, including creating a bed of greenery at the mouth of the container for the larger flowers to sit on, cutting flowers so their heads would sit right at the container rim, and planning the arrangement around a few key blooms. 
The wealth of greenery and gorgeous blooms available to us was breathtaking: enormous peonies, sweet pea, daisies, liliacs, ranunculus, and tulips dotted the benches at West Elm in a carpet of pinks and reds. 
We all walked away with a beautiful arrangement we made, a West Elm container, a pair of shears, and a signed copy of the Flower Recipe Book from Jill and Alethea. It was a fun night of learning and a great way to DIY a floral centerpiece for my dining room table.
If you’re interested in flower arranging at all and are looking for a lovely book to help guide you (as well as jam-packed full of breathtaking photos, a stunning coffee table book in its own right), The Flower Recipe Book provides over 40 step-by-step “recipes” to create your own perfect arrangement, as well as longevity tips and tricks and a host of unusual and tips and tricks to gorgeous arrangements.
xo
Carly
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May 13, 2013 | Fashion
What could be more iconic and representative of Portland than The Portland Collection, utilizing fabrics from Pendleton’s Northwest Mills? Produced entirely in the United States, the collection has been garnering acclaim since launching in 2011. The independent design team of Nathaniel Crissman, Rachel Turk, and John Blasioli created a Fall 2013 collection utilizing desert tones in solids, plaids, and three jacquards drawn from Pendleton archival blankets.
(more…)
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May 11, 2013 | DIY
Mother’s Day 2013 is almost upon us…how are you doing for finding that perfect thing for that special woman in your life? Flowers, chocolate, a handmade card expressing love, even a thoughtful gesture can go a long way in showing her how much she’s appreciated! If you’re looking for something to give, here at the very, very last minute, are some Mother’s Day Gift ideas to DIY for that lovely lady:
DIY Vintage Photo Throw Pillow with Freezer Paper
Try using a treasured photo of Mom’s, family photos, or a snap of you + Mom together, for an extra-special way to preserve memories.
DIY Paper Gardenia Bouquet
Real flowers wilt and die…a bouquet of these will last forever! Love the Scrabble tiles anchoring the bouquet, adding a personalized touch.
DIY Geometric Paperweights
These are super-chic and can totally be customized for Mom with a coat or two of paint, glitter, or tape.
DIY Geometric Triangle Art
Or how about this pretty piece of Washi Tape Triangle Art for Mom? The end result is amazing and all you need is a little tape.
Pleated Tote Tutorial
This tote could be made in Mom’s favorite fabric (or even in fabric printed with family photos – see #1). Of course there are a ton of DIY Bag and Tote tutorials out there on the internet if you’re looking for a different style…this site offers a great roundup.
DIY Perfume Locket
Making perfume is surprisingly easy…and a solid perfume locket allows the wearer to carry it around all day, refreshing as needed. You can get all your supplies at your local natural foods store, and fill a locket…or a necklace vial…or a ring…or a compact case…the possibilities go on and on!
DIY Chevron Patterned Party Tray
Find a pretty fabric – and glue it to a tray for a whole new look. (You could even decoupage it with Mod Podge instead of using an acrylic sheet to make it permanent!)
(Hint: If you’re looking for a low- or no-cost alternative gift, Moms also really appreciate a meal made for the family by their partner, kids taken care of and put to bed, and a long, uninterrupted bubble bath all their own…without any little floaty toys or random kidparts and splashes in it. Just sayin.’ 😉
Do you have any favorite Mother’s Day projects to share? Add them in the comments section!
Hope you and all the mothers in your life enjoy a wonderful and relaxing Mother’s Day!
xo
Carly
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May 8, 2013 | Fashion
White S-Pro Titanium Necklace
: Phiten. Neon chain-and-coin necklace: MOUSSY (from Japan), similar
here. Faux druzy turquoise ring: Target, similar
here. Neon LS shirt: Forever21, similar
here.
Casio Women’s White Whale Digital Sport Watch
: Baby-G. Photo-print Bodycon Pencil Skirt:
DIY (
tutorial here). Hard-Sided Geometric Case: ASOS (similar
here). Silver strappy sandals: Newport-News (old), similar
here.
The days are heating up here in Portland, and I’m dreaming of a big, scooping heap of Salt & Straw Blue Cheese & Pear ice cream. (more…)
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