My dear friend Lex Casciato, AKA Little Warrior, is an amazing musician and up-and-coming tour de force in the world of music. She is a regular contributor to Chic Steals, curating monthly original playlists for your to stream on Spotify, add some background music to your space, mellow out to, listen to while working on your latest DIY project, and add a little music into your life.
Here’s what she says about this month’s playlist:
This month, I am inspired by the beautiful sound waves of piano and orchestral music. Since I was young, I have always found instrumental music to be incredibly inspiring. Without words, no one can fill in the music for me and tell me how to feel. Instead, the instrumentation, melodies and rhythm cascade together to tell a story. From there, I can interpret the music however I choose.The winter is one of my favorite times of the year to be productive. I love to watch informative documentaries, cult classic films, and find inspiration for new art projects. The film composition that accompanies such films excites my composer soul and motivates me to expand my work into more complex realms. It is my hope with this month’s playlist that you find inspiration in the quiet, wordless moments, and you get ideas to explore your wildest dreams!
Described as Portishead and Oh Land meet David Bowie and the Chemical Brothers around a campfire with a drum machine, Little Warrior‘s music advocates peaceful revolution and equality for all. Active on social media, she posts inspirational quotes and upbeat ideas, spreading positivity through images and music.Find her on: Bandcamp / CD Baby / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Tumblr
So finally I’ve finished a DIY video for my latest creation: a Pretty Pearl Beaded Ring. It’s taken a super-long time from the planning to the execution to the editing, and I definitely couldn’t have done it without the help of my co-creator, Emily Dokken. (She’s just awesome – she has a discerning eye for framing artistry and a wonderful energy. Check out one of her other videos: Burning the Behemoth on Vimeo…it’s a fascinating story of an artist’s journey to burn his wooden mammoth creation in Washington.)
I had waited to release this video until after I had re-branded with my new logo and everything…plus finding the music took searching through 600+ tracks on the FreeMusicArchive.
Thank you so much, Emily, for your amazing collaboration!
DIY Pretty Pearl Ring
Camera/Storyboards/First Edit: Emily Dokken
Concept/Tutorial/Second Edit: Carly J. Cais
Music: The Easton Ellises ~Dance It Dance All Motel Costes Mix
http://theeastonellises.com/ under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0
from FreeMusicArchive.org
Hope you guys enjoy! Leave us your feedback below 🙂
My good friend Lex Casciato, AKA Little Warrior, is an amazing musician and up-and-coming tour de force in the world of music. She is a regular contributor to Chic Steals, curating monthly original playlists for your to stream on Spotify, add some background music to your space, mellow out to, listen to while working on your latest DIY project, and add a little music into your life.
Here’s what she says about this month’s playlist:
This month, I was inspired by my youthful interpretation of October: starry nights and crisp air. Anytime I notice myself getting too stressed or moving to quickly through life, I find solace in the sky. Immediately I am brought into the present moment. It amazes me how simply looking up at the vast expanse above the clouds and in the stars can make one feel so grounded. While it seems we could feel so small looking at the glitter of stars in the night sky, I feel strangely connected and protected. With all of this in mind, I compiled this playlist for you to find solace in the present moment. What do you want to accomplish this month and what has been keeping you from that? Take a moment to gaze as the stars at night and wish upon those shooting stars. You never know what magic could happen this month, so why not dream big?
Described as Portishead and Oh Land meet David Bowie and the Chemical Brothers around a campfire with a drum machine, Little Warrior‘s music advocates peaceful revolution and equality for all. Active on social media, she posts inspirational quotes and upbeat ideas, spreading positivity through images and music.
My good friend Lex Casciato, AKA Little Warrior, is an amazing musician and up-and-coming tour de force in the world of music. She is a regular contributor to Chic Steals, curating monthly original playlists for your to stream on Spotify, add some background music to your space, mellow out to, listen to while working on your latest DIY project, and add a little music into your life.
Here’s what she says about this month’s playlist:
This month we hold onto the last days of summer, so what better to celebrate the remaining days of sunlight than by staying up late and dancing the night away? No pressure to leave the house for the club… just put on this mix and dance around your humble abode and celebrate your life. Hold on to this energy as we transition into fall so that you might remember that while the sun may go down sooner, you can find life in music and in your art. I put a dancey mix of my newest tracks on this playlist, because it’s out of my normal genre. I hope this can help motivate others to move out of their own comfort zones. May summer leave you with a sense of joy, love, and passion for life. Never forget your spark and though it’s cliche… dance like no one is watching.
Described as Portishead and Oh Land meet David Bowie and the Chemical Brothers around a campfire with a drum machine, Little Warrior‘s music advocates peaceful revolution and equality for all. Active on social media, she posts inspirational quotes and upbeat ideas, spreading positivity through images and music.
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.
Seunghee Suh did a feature on DIY blogs, including my own, for a story for the Columbia News Service. I was really flattered to be included (and quoted so extensively!) alongside such amazing DIYers like Grace of Stripes & Sequins, and Rosie Martin, from DIY Couture! Check it out below…
In other news, my in-laws have been visiting this past week and I’m still in the process of catching up now that they’ve gone. I’ll be sharing the tutorial for the DIY Awning Wrap Skirt I featured last week on my blog super-soon, promise!
Carly J. Cais I am a DIY’er, designer, sewist, maker, and marketer. Chic Creative Life is where I share what I do, and help others bring their unique style into their own lives.
My dear friend Lex Casciato, AKA Little Warrior, is an amazing musician and up-and-coming tour de force in the world of music. She is a regular contributor to Chic Steals, curating monthly original playlists for your to stream on Spotify, add some background music to your space, mellow out to, listen to while working on your latest DIY project, and add a little music into your life.
Described as Portishead and Oh Land meet David Bowie and the Chemical Brothers around a campfire with a drum machine, Little Warrior‘s music advocates peaceful revolution and equality for all. Active on social media, she posts inspirational quotes and upbeat ideas, spreading positivity through images and music.Find her on: Bandcamp / CD Baby / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Tumblr
My good friend Lex Casciato, AKA 
Described as Portishead and Oh Land meet David Bowie and the Chemical Brothers around a campfire with a drum machine, Little Warrior‘s music advocates peaceful revolution and equality for all. Active on social media, she posts inspirational quotes and upbeat ideas, spreading positivity through images and music.
My good friend Lex Casciato, AKA 
Described as Portishead and Oh Land meet David Bowie and the Chemical Brothers around a campfire with a drum machine, Little Warrior‘s music advocates peaceful revolution and equality for all. Active on social media, she posts inspirational quotes and upbeat ideas, spreading positivity through images and music.
Last week I had the pleasure of attending an event celebrating the release of Studio Choo‘s 
at 
Leading the event were authors Alethea Harampolis and Jill Rizzo of 
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), 
Seunghee Suh did a feature on DIY blogs, including my own, for a story for the Columbia News Service. I was really flattered to be included (and quoted so extensively!) alongside such amazing DIYers like Grace of 
