Instant Tea Light Lamp out of a Wine Glass or Mason Jar

Need some nightly ambiance for a party but don't have anything but tea lights? Take a wine glass and a small lamp shade and you have an instant tea light lamp! Also works with a mason jar!

Just get together a wine glass or mason jar, tea light and small shade.

Click on this link to Read More of This Post

Celtic Hair Knot (takes one minute)!

I saw this on Pinterest and decided I'd try it on Molly's hair since it's so long. Here's how it came out in the first try! It was pretty easy. You have to be good at holding multiple strands with your fingers but it was pretty straight forward. If you want to keep it in all day just secure with one or two bobby pins. Get the video tutorial below via Opening Ceremony NY.

Restoring the Old PC (my personal experience)

Yah, this post has nothing to do with sewing, home decor, weddings, photography or anything else you'd put on a mood board. BUT, I think this is something many of you might want to pin for later because at some point in your lives you probably (for one awful reason or another) will have to use the....dunt, dunt, dunnnnn....KID'S COMPUTER. Image via anna_t.

If you at some point in your life need to use the "kids computer" or are too budget constrained to splurge for a nice shiny new computer then you might want to try this little tutorial and see where it takes you. Perhaps you can get a few more months....years?....out of your old one. If you like things like crisp clean fonts, fancy Windows color schemes and multiple background services then this tutorial is NOT for you. But if you just want to surf the internet without aging ten years or open an application without crashing the entire neighborhood then give this a try. I can't guarantee this will help you but it sure helped me. PS this is not for Macs:-( Also, I take NO RESPONSIBILITY for any loss of function of your computer. Do this AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!! I am no computer technician. Just a blogger who tinkers with the computer every now and again.

Firstly, (the backstory behind this post)....It became was rather long so I put it in a separate page. You can read my harrowing experience that lead me to this post here. Or if you just want to get to the good stuff read below:

Click on this link to Read More of This Post

Spring and Summer Masks FREE PRINTABLES

Are you planning a photoshoot? Try printing out these lovely masks via Laura McKellar. Get the full sized printables on her blog. I would print them on photo paper and back them with either cardboard or posterboard for added stiffness. Then add a wide satin ribbon to the sides to tie to head.

.

Kitchen Upgrade: Starting with the Faucet

#DeltaFaucetInspired

My in-laws recently renovated their kitchen. It had been a long time coming and the change was dramatic! There were so many amenities that I loved about their new kitchen that I longed for in mine. One of which was their faucet. You wouldn't think a faucet would make such a big difference in a kitchen but it did. 

I took a long hard look at my kitchen and decided to make a change but instead of renovating the entire shebang (which would have cost a fortune) I decided to change just a few key things to help make my kitchen run smoother. Best of all: my faucet. I have the standard, silver, on/off, side spray faucet set up. Nothing fancy, plain Jane, but got the job done. What I wanted was something that enhanced the kitchen's color scheme and also had all the bells and whistles of the faucet at my in-laws.

I went on Delta's website and used their interactive tool in their Inspired Living tab to find the faucet of my dreams. They have a nifty little 5 question survey to help you choose the faucet that's right for you.

Go through the following questions to choose your best style. 

The questions are kinda fun! Check out that clear teapot! I want one.

Turns out my style is traditional.

Therefore the faucet I choose was the Cassidy in Venetian Bronze shown below. Can't wait to get my new faucet. Its color compliments the cabinets in my kitchen AND it has Touch20® technology. With Touch20® technology simply tap anywhere on the faucet's spout, hub or handle activates the flow of water. An automatic shut off stops the flow after four minutes to prevent waste when water is not needed. Touch2O Technology relies on the science of capacitance to detect human touch.

Delta Touch2O Technology for your kitchen and bathroom is precisely in tune with your every touch. Take the quiz to learn which faucet style best describes you at deltafaucet.com

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Delta via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Delta.

Dealing with Allergy Face

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Zyrtec for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

All throughout my childhood and teen years I'd hear the word "allergies" and think nothing of it. I was just happy to be able to play outside in the spring, pet cats and roll in dust to my heart's content. Then my early 20s came and things changed.

It all started with a visit to my cousin's apartment in NYC when I was 23. It was a small apartment as most NYC apartments are and there were three small kittens running around. I never once had issues with cats but on this particular occasion I began sneezing and my eyes watered the entire time we were in the there. I had serious Allergy Face. It was from then on out that I've had a strong allergy to cats, sometimes seasonal changes and dust. I don't know what changed in my body chemistry or environment but since then I have had to deal with the consequences of having allergies.

Since my in-laws have cats and we spend a lot of time there I have to always either come prepared with a botte of Zyrtec and of course a few portable makeup staples for touch ups if I feel an attack coming on. Right before we are leaving I take one Zyrtec pill and then I'm Allergy Face free. No runny nose to blow, no watery eyes to wipe, no red face to conceal. If we are staying particularly long sometimes I have to take a Zyrtec-D (a Zyrtec with an added decongestant). And if I need a touch up I bring makeup items that are small so I'm not carting around a giant bag full of stuff (ie a small stick concealer, lipstick and crayon liner). What are some of your tips on how to deal with allergies in public?

If you also suffer from Allergy Face know that you're are certainly not alone. Check out Zyrtec on Facebook and connect with others who are suffering from the same dilemma. Get tips on how to deal with this frustrating issue.

Shower Ring Ribbon Flinger

If you're planning a wedding or having a party for kids here's a quick and easy way to get those ribbons flinging using a simple shower curtain or regular curtain ring. Takes less than five minutes to make and if you were making a large quantity you could assemble faster by cutting all your ribbon first.

Step 1: Take two curtain rings. Can also be shower curtain rings.

Step 2: Remove any hardware still attached to the ring.

Click on this link to Read More of This Post

Free Flip Chair Pattern

JoAnn's currently offers this free flip chair pattern on their site! Get it here. Get for a kids room or outdoor seating! I'm not particularly fond of this fabric but if you chose a bold geometric pattern I think it could really pop!

Wedding Worthy Metal Folding Chairs

Ooo, I've seen folding chair makeovers before but this one I really love. Even wedding worthy perhaps? Certainly dinner party worthy. Via My Fabuless Life. Get her tutorial here. Brand new padded folding chairs are actually pretty expensive. But if you found some at thrift stores, yard sale or if you already own several you make these chairs for very little $$$$. Here are some exactly like the original ones in the post for only $10 each selling on Craigslist.

Projector Memory Ring!

Oh, I really love this so I thought I'd share! It's a projector ring. The top just looks like an opal stone when worn but when you shine a candle or LED light through the back it projects the images onto a wall. The owner of this jewelry (Luke Jerram and Shelina Nanji) had it custom made by a local jeweler Tamrakar but I wonder if there's an etsy seller out there who could do this? I would buy one!

DIY Life Sized Pool Noodle Lincoln Logs

Oh my goodness! What CAN'T you do with pool noodles? They're starting to rank up there with pallets;-) Check out this clever little idea! Use pool noodles as life sized lincoln logs. Just cut notches in each end. Cut to various sizes for smaller or larger logs. Here's a written tutorial via the DIYNetwork. Now, I don't know where you'd find brown pool noodles BUT even better, I found this little tutorial via Miss Kopy Kat about covering pool noodles with wood grain contact paper which would look more realistic. I've seen wood grain contact paper for sale at Walmart for pretty cheap (like 18 cents a square foot cheap). You could also try paint but I'm not sure how messy that would be. Photo on the right via flickr user KimKnits.

DIY Moroccan Mason Jar Lanterns

I saw this really easy idea for DIY Moroccan lanterns. I was recently looking for Moroccan lanterns for my Game of Thrones season finale party. But these look so easy! They're basically made from mason jars, gold puff paint and glass tint paint. If you're a crafter you probably already have these thing lying around right now! Via Design Sponge. Get the tutorial here. I think black puffy paint would also look very convincing as wellz This might even be a neat idea for decorating plain old drinking glasses too!

Here are some more from other people who have tried it themselves!

Gleeful Things

etsy seller: LIT Decor (check out the other MANY styles LIT Decor has!) Gorgeous.

Ode to Inspiration made some out of baby jars!

In Betweeners: Short Pants Solution

Love this idea! My girls are always getting too tall for their old pants but they still fit around the waist. I can't let them walk around in pants that are obviously too short. Since my girls are between two and two and a half years apart I can't just put the old pants on the younger child when the other child has grown out of them. I have to put away a years worth of pants in storage until the other one is able to wear them. WHAT A PAIN! 

If I used these cute little cuffs I could just pin it onto the bottom of their pants instead of having to pack up the old stuff. Then when the younger child was tall enough I'd just unpin these and start all over again.You could also do plain cuffs in a plaid or gingham print. That would look pretty slick too! Get the tutorial at Mother Huddle!

Fabric Scrap City Scape Skirt

What a cute way to use your fabric scraps. Make a city scape skirt! Via Oliver + S.

Cheap Bohemian Summer

I've been really into bohemian style lately more so than mod. I feel like summer just calls for it. But I haven't found many styles in stores. Lately, I've been loving She Inside's summer inventory. Honestly, it's endless and you could LITERALLY spend hours perusing it. But here are a few pieces all under $30 I've fallen for. All prices listed are with the 15% off coupon for new customers and free shipping on all orders.

$26.61

$20.20

$27.83

$28.42

$24.81

Click on this link to Read More of This Post

Easy INSTANT Tee Shirt Dress!!!!

I saw this on Pinterest recently and thought it was too good to be true so I tried it myself on an oversized tee shirt and sure enough it worked! Check it out! Instant dress! This would also make a pretty cool beach cover up. Just tuck the sleeves into the neckline. And since the neckline is meant for a neck it's tight and stays on without slipping down. Yeah, it's short but that really depends on how big of a tee shirt you choose.

Ultimate Beach Packing List Review (The Top 5)

In case you missed it, yesterday I posted about our "glamping" trip to Chincoteague. But I also wanted to talk about how our beach adventures went. I posted last week about the Ultimate Must Have Beach Packing List. Well, I took that seriously and went out and bought several things from the list. I'll tell you what worked and what didn't.

Number 1:

The pop up beach shade tent. We actually went ahead and bought this (the above photo) based on my research for the Beach List post. And I'm so glad to tell you that it was awesome. The beach is REALLY windy but looking at the photo below you'd never know. But the best part was the bulk of the tent set up in about 3 minutes. Check out the video below to see how easy it is. The rest of the time it took to set up the tent dealt with the sand stakes which you wouldn't need to use if you weren't at the beach. And I didn't need auger stakes either. The ones included with the tent worked fine. I also bought 6 yards of terry cloth fabric and hot glued the edges to the floor tarp. If I had more time I would have added buttonholes and buttons so it would have been removable because the sand is so insidious and it would be nice to be able to shake it off and wash it later. In all, we couldn't have stayed so long at the beach without it SO this tent gets a big THUMBS UP in my book.

Number 2:

A kiddie pool used as a footbath. Honestly, I don't think I could live without this but it might not be for everyone. Blowing it up was kinda a pain BUT I later found these pop up kiddie pools that would be PERFECT. But I couldn't find any that sold in the US:-( All the US pop up pools I found were huge. Ideally it should be no bigger than 3' wide because it's going to take a couple trips with the bucket to get enough water in to wash your feet. You don't need to fill it more than a couple inches to get the sand off your feet but as you can see below, Eloise loved to play in it which was great because having her down by the waves stressed me out. Use a lavette bottle to get the sand off your legs and butt. They sell them at pharmacies.

Number 3:

Cooler with handle and wheels. My mother in law bought me this cute little collapsible soft cooler with wheels for my birthday and it worked out perfect for the beach. I didn't see the need to bring the heavy duty plastic one we brought for camping since we only need enough food and drinks for the afternoon. This said it held 45 cans (that's how you know how big it is) and it was more than enough room for our cold stuff even with the extra ice inside.

Number 4:

Honestly, this should be number ONE. The portable potty seat. Eloise must have asked to go about six times at the beach. If I would have had to take her to the public restroom each of those times I think I might have pulled my hair out. This was invaluable. I didn't have enough time to buy the one I listed in my Packing List post but the old one I used from my mother's house worked out fine. It was just a little more bulky. But I think I'm still going to buy this Fisher Price one because I love how compact it is and I love how you can attach a grocery bag.

Number 5:

Beach table and fold out chairs. Brian bought the beach table I listed in my Packing List post and I seriously love it. It was perfect. So compact, stylish, easy to set up and had a sizable area for eating. He bought it off Amazon Prime at a used price so it was only $37 (normally it's $45). I think $45 is a bit much for a portable table but maybe you can find it for a used price on eBay or Amazon as well. And I got the beach chairs at The Christmas Tree Shops for between $5.99-$7.49 a piece. The kiddie ones are great because they're not as bulky as the adult chairs and were cheaper as well;-)

Here were the rest of the things on my list. I'll tell you what I did and didn't bring, what I RECOMMEND, what I didn't necessarily need (EH?) and what I wish I would have tried (SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT).

Beach Cover Ups: Brought RECOMMEND. I bought these super cute cover ups for the kids at The Christmas Tree Shops for only $5 a piece. And one for me for only $8. They're nice for when you're walking back to the car and sitting a wet butt and back on a car seat.

Beach cart: Brought RECOMMEND

Giant Duffle for stuff: Brought RECOMMEND

Boogie Boards: Brought EH? I don't know if I recommend taking these if you live on the upper East coast. The water is almost never that warm. My kids are really too small to go out that far and I'm not about to take a dive in 65 degree water. Brrrr!

Beach Toys: Didn't bring SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT. The bucket would have been useful to fill the baby pool and I think the kids would have used the shovel and pail at times.

Beach Towels: Brought RECOMMEND Duh!

Pillows: Brought EH? I brought them but no one used them. But I HAVE used them in past years so it's kind of a toss up.

Battery Operated Air Pump: Brought EH? Mine sucked. Maybe my batteries were too low? I don't know but I ended up just blowing up the pool with my mouth. I recommend getting a pop up pool instead.

Baby Powder: Brought EH? With the baby pool it was never necessary and we never even used it. But if you don't have a baby pool it could be useful.

Empty Wipe Bottle for Hiding Stuff: Didn't bring. SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT. No, we didn't have anything get stolen but we could have. It's always nice to have.

Ziplock Baggies: Brought RECOMMEND. They were great for the wet sea shells.

Sunglasses for Everyone: Brought EH? I brought them but the kids didn't wear them. I did however. So I would recommend them for the adults.

Baby's Blanket: Didn't Bring. EH? The kids never fell asleep so I'm glad I didn't bring it but if you have a toddler that likes to fall asleep under the tent shade it can be nice for them to cuddle up with.

Trash Bags: Brought RECOMMEND. This is so necessary. Really, just one big one will do.

Waterproof Case for iPhone: Brought RECOMMEND. I love mine and used it on the beach.

iPhone Speakers: Brought EH? I guess it depends on what kind of person you are. I liked the speakers but no one else seemed to care. Here's a little tip, you can get a louder sound from your phone by putting it in a cup with the speakers aimed at the bottom. NO LIE, it really works!

Mini Grill and Lighter: Didn't Bring. SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT. At the end of the day I was wishing we had something more substantial to eat than chips, soda, pretzels and crackers. I was craving some real food. So either bring a grill and make some hot dogs or pack some sandwiches.

Food, Drinks, Ice: Brought RECOMMEND. But again, if you're going to stay through lunch, pack something more substantial than snacks.

Arm Floatees: Brought EH? The arm floatees I bought were dumb. They said 2-12 and were so big on Eloise that they fell off. How ineffective is that?! I only had her wear them because I was afraid of her getting sucked out by the waves so if you do bring them, make sure they are the right size and that they stay on without being in the water.

Waterproof SPF spray: Brought RECOMMEND Duh!

Books, Magazines: Brought EH? I brought my new David Sedaris book but going to the beach with small kids makes it impossible to look down for more than a couple seconds. So unless you're comfortable having your kids out of your sight, skip the reading material.

Conditioner for Hair: Brought EH? If the water would have been warm enough to swim in then this would have been great. But I ended up not using it.

Goggles: Didn't Bring. EH? Since the water was so cold there was never a time when they needed them.

Wipes, Paper Towels: Brought RECOMMEND Definitely recommend.

First Aid Kit: Didn't Bring. RECOMMEND. If I would have needed a band aid or medicine I would have wished I had it. What I would recommend is to keep this in the car and if you end up needing it you can walk back and get it instead of adding it to the pile of items to drag to the beach.

Change of Clothes: Didn't Bring. RECOMMEND. I also recommend bringing these but keeping them in the car. We decided to go out to eat after the beach and ended up having to go back to the campsite to get a change of clothes which wouldn't have been necessary if we had them in the car.

Binoculars: Didn't Bring. EH? We were never far away from the kids.

Cash: Brought RECOMMEND. The seashore we went to had a fee to get in. Most places either have a fee for entrance or a fee for parking. Chincoteague National Park allowed you to use your debit card but many places still don't.

Hand Sanitizer: Didn't Bring. EH? I'm not a clean freak but if you are this might be something for you.

Hope that helps! Have fun on YOUR next beach adventure this summer!