Ikea Clay Pot Re-Do

I went on a plant kick for about a week and got a ton of different plants and pots and put them all over the house.. And one that I'm especially in love with is THIS from Ikea . I felt like it needed a little extra touch so I went for some white spray paint that I had planned to use for something else but never did. I believe it was about $7 for the spray paint.. Matte white finish , primer included .

So step one : I taped it off..

Step two : Sprayed a couple coats.. Let dry for about an hour .

Step Three : Peel the tape and add a plant.

A DIY Chalkboard.

Kids love chalk, so what better way of letting them use the chalk but to build a outdoor chalkboard.
Keeps the inside clean , and the outside fun.
This was an overnight project , but very simple.
All products purchased at Lowes.
Total cost : Under $25.

Lowes has sheets of birch for about $13 for a 2ft by 4ft piece .
They also have chalkboard spray paint that made the project easy as can be, each can was $6.95.

First step: Tape off edges if you'd like a border (optional).

 Step Two : Now time to paint..

 I did three coats, just to be safe..

Step Three : Peel the tape off and you've got your border..

I left it sit overnight to dry completely . I hung it on our fence.

Enjoy !

Simple Stripes

My husband calls this outfit my "uniform", which just goes to show how obsessed with it I am.
I almost always gravitate toward stripes. They do go with just about everything.
They're a very versatile pattern, they can be dressed up or dressed down.
In this case I think I'm going for middle class.
This is one of my go-to outfits lately, I'll wear it with birks, or clarks desert boots, or these oxfords.
As well as a pair of my favorite sunglasses and a long flowy cardigan from Cotton On.

 The perfect length.

Zara Denim
Zara Top
Cotton On Open Cardi
Oversized Roundies
Oxfords - from a boutique in Madrid, Spain (i'm SO fancy)

XO
Alysia

Top Shop Denim.

Excited and scared that Top Shop just opened at Fashion Valley.
I'm very in love with this place.
They've got a lot of great pieces.. only problem is , everything is $800.
Went last night to the grand opening.
Purchased a pair of fabulous high waited denim.
I love the ankle grazers, as they call them, perfect with a pair of desert boots.

Really love this denim.

They will definitely be a staple in my wardrobe this fall.

Just the right amount of high waist. 

And I can't tell you enough how I adore STRETCH denim.

Sincerely , A Mother Of Two.

Outfit Details :

Top Shop Denim

Clarks Desert Boot - Beeswax

Madewell Glider Bangle

Foreign Exchange Blouse (Not the same but similar)

Cement Succulent Pot

Let me just start by saying, I don't know if this is what this piece was meant for but it definitely was easy for me to picture this as my dining table center piece !
Sadly my favorite succulent pot centerpiece was destroyed, so I've been looking for a replacement. And of course, I find one at Target... on clearance .

I have always loved Chartreuse , it's look great on everything .
Personally , cement has been a love of mine as well.. so naturally I'd collide the two .

This project came to a total of : $12.38
Cement pot : Retail price $20 - Sale Price $10
Accyrlic Paint : $1.38
Paint sponge : $1

No steps needed, it's pretty self explanatory !

Have fun !

Simple Floral Dress Tutorial .

This tutorial requires just a basic knowledge of a sewing machine.
Very simple.. One kind of stitch and you're done !

I had ordered this fabric off Fabric.com . It is 100% Polyester.. I loved the floral pattern and my original purpose was to make a kimono out of it . But when I received it I didn't feel like it was the right material so since I have an event coming up this weekend I figured why not make a dress !

Step One: Grab a dress you'd like it to look similar too.. Lay it out over your material , leave some room and cut around in the shape of the dress .

Step Two: When you are cutting the neckline you want to make sure you're cutting the front lower that the back (Unless you want a scoop back) , I have made this mistake so many times. So measure it to the same neckline but make sure that you aren't just cutting a big half circle .

Step Three: Straight stitch up the sides leaving you room for your sleeves and finish off the bottom and neckline by folding your material an inch and sewing it to have a finished look .

And of course if you have extra material and a baby daughter you make a mini version ! Same rules.. just smaller :)

Clearance Buy/Refashion.

Target clearance is probably the best thing when it comes to baby clothes , especially because these kids grow so fast . So this is what I picked up at Target the other day .

 I will be honest it's not the most hideous thing I've ever seen but it just wasn't my little girls style.. But the price was right, it came with adorable bloomers with some ruffles on it and here's how to make it cute .

Step One: cut to desired length .

Step Two (optional): I didn't like too much flare so I used a straight stitch up each side in a straight line to reduce the flare.. then I cut off the excess material.. 

Step Three: Finish bottom edge with a straight stitch all the way around .

Step Four: Insert adorable baby :)