DIY Flower Crown

Ready to rock a flower crown? The perfect Spring accessory is so easy to make and SO fun to wear. It just adds an extra little pep in a girl's step. :) Grab some thin floral wire and wire clippers (bought both of mine at the Dollar Store), pick your flowers, and get to wrapping! You'll have a beautiful flower crown in under 5 minutes for under 5 dollars!

Cut a piece of wire about 1.5 times the circumference of your head (or of how small you want the crown). Don't worry if you run out, it's wire- you can wrap more on! Save time by cutting off lots of flower pieces now. If you want it big and poofy, cut farther from the bud so that it can stick out more. If you want it neat and tight to the circle, cut very small stems, closer to the bud but still with enough (maybe 2") to wrap the wire onto.

You can use any flower, but if you are using thin floral wire, try to stick with lightweight flowers such as baby's breath. Now go rock that flower crown!

 

+ Hold fast to what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. +

DIY Moroccan Backsplash

I am in love with Moroccan tile and I know I'm not alone! Unfortunately, it's some of the most expensive tile out there. So with a small budget and big dreams I came up with this about a year ago and I'm just as in love with it now as I was then. :) It's pretty simple. To make your own DIY Moroccan backsplash you need a stencil, at least 2 Sharpie paint pens (lots of colors available), and maybe some wine to keep you motivated.

First, paint your wall whatever color you want the background to be. Ours is Sherwin Williams White Duck (gloss). The whole kitchen is painted in that color. I used silver Sharpie paint pens and a craft stencil from Cutting Edge Stencils on Etsy.

Then get to tracing and tracing and tracing! It took about 4 hours with a couple breaks just to rest my back and hand. It's kind of awkward getting in there. :) Don't worry about little mistakes, no one will ever notice them.

Corners are the hardest part, but you can do it! When you get to an outlet, remove the cover and trace in as far as possible so that it looks fluid.

The last part is optional but I would highly recommend it. We painted this clear finish over it and it makes cleaning so easy, otherwise you can risk wiping or smearing the marker. In fact I used my Shaklee Basic H organic cleaner to quickly remove some spaghetti sauce off of it before I took the following pictures. haha. Of course the finish also makes it very shiny, which you will see in the next pictures!

Ah I love it so much! We've had so many compliments on it and most don't realize I just drew it on till I tell them. No, it won't look like tile but it still looks very nice. I'd love to see it in a fun color so please let me know if you try it!!! (Sidenotes: Crockpot on the counter brought to my kitchen by hubby's chili. lol And if you like the painting above, keep on the lookout for when I finally get my Etsy shop open- yes, I painted it to blend the colors I wanted in the room.) :) Happy tracing!

 

Charles Towne Landing- Charleston Family Fun

One of our favorite places to explore in Charleston is Charles Towne Landing. As a teenager I volunteered there for many weekends, dressed up in the period clothing and all! Today I prefer to take a nice long walk around and teach our 3yo all about the true origin of bed bugs and where the old Settlers Village used to be. Of course, the 3yo leads the way, always going straight to the boat and then finally back down to the Animal Forest. I just enjoy every moment of beautiful bliss walking under the old oak trees.

There are also great picnic areas in and outside of the park. We grabbed lunch to go from Sesames (ooh yum) and had a nice shaded lunch before exploring.

Oh and all of the oak trees...

This one ^ is pretty cool because it has a stump marker to let you know that it was here at the time the Constitution was signed. Hello living history.

Admission is $10/adult; $6/age 6-15; Free for children 5 and younger. Open 9am-5pm, daily.
OR you can purchase a SC State Parks Passport for $75 for the whole family for the year!

If you are looking for a mommy night out, you should definitely join me for one of the Yoga Under the Oaks nights. One hour of yoga followed by happy hour. Oh yeah! I don't even do yoga, but the idea of just laying under these beauties for an hour of peace sounds pretty awesome to me!

Charleston Fashion Week 2014 + ghd Styler Giveaway!

Whew this last week was awesome! Charleston Fashion Week was as amazing as ever and if you didn't make it down there for a night, you definitely need to put a reminder on your phone for tickets for next year!!! I attended Wednesday (Day 2) and Saturday (finale) nights. I don't want to freeze your computer with a thousand pictures so I've decided to focus on a couple of my favorite designers and the Art Institute of Charleston's show- which was stunning! Of course, I also have some fun pictures because that's what it's all about to me- a fun night out!

If you aren't interested in fashion but love your hair, scroll down to enter the giveaway (details below)!!!

First off is Kaitlyn Machos. omgosh her dresses are drop dead gorgeous. Standing ovation, huge applause, winner of Wednesday night's emerging designer competition gorgeous. You have to hear/read her story. Beautiful inspiration and execution. I was not the only one a bit disappointed that she didn't win at the finale. It was kind of shocking since she received the most applause (as far as the people's choice winner goes). Oh well, though. She got her name out and I'm sure more good things will be going her way soon!

The next designer I liked a lot was Cori Spade. This was an interesting one because I love her inspiration, but I wasn't as in love with her designs. Dresses were cute, but the quilting was a little too simple. Cori was inspired by the North Carolina quilting trails she grew up around. I would love to see the same designs dresses/skirts, but with more inspired quilting than just the block quilt. Does that make sense? Either way... she's definitely someone to watch! (Note: I would definitely wear this skirt if given the chance! It really is pretty.)

Forgive me on this next one but I cannot figure out which designer to attribute this dress to! I feel awful about that. I thought it was part of the Art Institute's but now I'm not sure. Anyways... She's a beauty!

And now to the Art Institute of Charleston's show. Wow wow wow! Students used local inspiration (spot the Ravenel boob bridge!) and sweetgrass to make some serious OOH AAHH WOAH moments. In. Love. Soak it in Charleston, soak in the history.

Seriously, all I want for Christmas is sweetgrass tiara. What!? Audrey Hepburn eat your heart out! Dress designer, Model.

My heart beats faster just looking at the pictures. :) Some serious talent in this city! No wonder I love it so much.

When I wasn't picking my jaw up from the floor, I was having fun in the Style lounge and Belk tent! Warning: Please remember- I am NOT a fashion blogger. I'm not fashionable at all. The struggle is real since childhood. But I love to admire fashion and I love to dress for fun- whatever makes me happy! That does not equal stylish. lol Left skirt made by me, right flower crown also made by me. ;) Right necklace is the sand dollar by Lauren Amos Designs and right clutch is Aldo. Bracelets were my grandmas cause that's how I roll.

Mom! (My mom recently became a blogger!

 

 

Love finding new Southern bloggers to follow!
Fashion Bloggers: The Retail Therapist and Northern Lights- Southern Belles

Former Roomy and my finale date: Felicia from Two Hearts West Creations
(Fun Fact: My first date with my husband was actually with me, him, and Felicia!) :)

And I can't do a post without a shout-out to the very talented Daniel D. He was the perfect start to Wednesday night!

Thank you so much to everyone at CHSFW, especially the fabulous Ayoka Lucas who brings this baby to life every year. This is one event that every Charlestonian should experience. Can't wait till next year! (Giveaway below!!!)

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lowcountry Farm Tours

Lowcountry Farm Tours 2014 is just around the corner and I can't wait! If you live in the Charleston area, this is a really special family event that you shouldn't miss. For one day multiple Johns Island and Wadmalaw farms are open to the public for tours and tastings. Yes, many of the farms are open for tours other times but there's something extra fun about being a part of a large group, traveling farm to farm for one day. :)
 

The last time I was able to go was 2012 and we had a pretty tired [read: grumpy] 1.5 year old in tow so we only saw a couple farms. But he did enjoy the food and loved seeing the animals post-naptime. haha. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from Ambrose Farm.

If you have never been to Ambrose Farm, you really have to go! And on your way home, stop by their Stono Market for lunch at the cafe or to pick up some farm fresh eggs, raw milk, produce, pimento cheese (soooo good!), meat, or freezer meals ready to pop in the oven. (Seriously- there freezer meals are amazing!)

Farmer Pete explaining their farming practices.

 

We also picked strawberries, ate yummy tacos, and swung on a tire swing. Plenty of fun for everyone. :) Get your tickets and get out to support your local farmers- I hope to see you there!!!

 

P.S. The little tidbits given by Farmer Pete about surviving in today's farming world were mind blowing. If you've ever binged on Netflix documentaries about the food industry- you don't want to miss what he has to say!