Crafty Little Minx

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Wall paper?

How to make a house a home?

For New Yorkers that can be challenging at times since most people move 3-4 times in a matter of a few years. We hang pictures on the walls, buy new throw pillows to try and liven up the space, but we are always limited to what we can really do. Painting a room is either too big of a pain or is not allowed in our lease. So as a solution to this I decided to go with a more temporary idea that adds a lot of character to a space.

I always wanted to put up wall paper, but it's not possible when you are renting an apartment. So instead, I decided to try wrapping paper! One of my favorite stores in the city, The Paper Source, sells a wide variety of different paper that is truly unique. They also carry a wide variety of stationery, stamps, personalized invitations and other various odds and ends. I have done this idea in two apartments, and I love it. It's quick and easy, and if you get tired of it, you can always change it to something new.

Some helpful tips:

Measure your wall space before you purchase your paper! The last thing you want to do is get half way through your project and realize you don't have enough to finish
Use flat tacks that blend in with the paper. We used about 6-8 on each sheet of paper as to keep it from bubbling up.
Make sure to smooth the paper flat when you put the tacks in. Most older apartment walls are uneven, so they might be off in some places. I suggest using washi tape to border the molding as to hide any unevenness or flaws you may have encountered.
Try not to pick paper with a border. The pattern will not flow as nicely and it will appear choppy.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

A Lotta Love!

For the past 2 years, I have been dying to get my hands on a pair of Hasbeens. Unfortunately, the $200 price tag is a bit out of my price range at the moment. Luckily, I stumbled upon a fabulous website through the lovely ladies at A Beautiful Mess.

Lotta from Stockholm

This UK based company provides adorable clogs and sandals that are affordable in any price range. Lotta from Stockholm sells everything from clogs and bags to jewelry and Pappelina rugs. Personally, my favorite portion of the website is the
Sale in Seconds section. They give us the opportunity to snag a pair of clogs at a reduced price. These are a combination of returned items and clogs with minor cosmetic flaws. They state that "we won't send something out that we don't think people will be happy to wear." I personally find it refreshing to find a company that has such views about their products and truly cares about the customers satisfaction. This might just have to be my next purchase for this fall!

Skunkboy blog

lost in the haze

polkadot pink

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Home away from home

Never in a million years did I ever think I would find myself saying "Gosh! I miss Texas." Yet as the years pass on, I sometimes finding myself doing just that more and more. Growing up in my family, it was a rule that unless you were granted a full ride, you did not go to college in Texas. My Gramme's thing was "you're not coming home every weekend for me to do your laundry! You need to get out and carve a path for yourself." Needless to say none of us went to school in state... well with the exception of a few who attended law school, and my uncle who went to Rice for basketball.

I personally found myself all the way up in Rochester, NY at the Eastman School of Music (where my mother also attended). As a result, we all grew up to be strong and independent people, but are still able to appreciate where we came from.

The perfectly planned-out streets of The Woodlands, Texas seem so peaceful to me now in contrast to the city that never sleeps. Seven years ago, those same streets felt confining and fake, as if I was living on a movie set. Now living in New York City and experiencing the stereotypical "starving artist" lifestyle, I can fully appreciate my childhood on a different level. Being a babysitter in NYC shows me a different side of the city. Everything is twice as hard to do and less accessible when you're dealing with a stroller. I had never heard of a "play date" before moving to the city.

For most people who grew up in middle America, playing in the streets and riding your bike to a friend's house was something your parents didn't think twice about. In metropolitan areas, it's a different story. Granted, there are more things to do and places to explore. Everything ends up having to be planned out so meticulously. I don't know how parents do it sometimes.

Luckily, Brooklyn has a more spread out and peaceful feeling to it. It seems to create balance in my life. Things seem to slow down every time I enter my lovely borough. Not all of the streets are tree-lined like back at home, but on long walks with my boyfriend through Williamsburg and Greenpoint, there are more than a fair share. A feeling of peacefulness sets in as I walk through my imperfect tree-lined street. Who knows - one day I might find my way back to some part of Texas. But for now, I'm perfectly happy with my imperfect New York.

Monday, August 26, 2013

When life gives you lemons...

There's nothin' better than lemonade on a hot summer day. If you're jonesin' for something with a little more kick to it, try this wonderful drink my boyfriend whipped up. It tastes fantastic on ice or blended!

Razzelberry Lemonade:

* 4-5 raspberries

* raspberry lemonade

* 1 1/2 oz. Pinnacle Whipped Vodka

* whipped cream

Monday, November 12, 2012

Put a little pep in your step!

After being gone intermittently for nearly a year while doing shows and touring, I'm finally back home in Brooklyn! With that being said, it's time I breathe some life back into this neglected blog of mine.

Recently, I took a trip to visit my dad in West Virginia. Thanks to my dads fiancé, I found a brand new pair of Dansko sandals at a yard sale for $8! I fell in love with them right away and knew they were going back to Brooklyn! Because I already have a brown pair of Dansko sandals I snagged at a stoop sale last year, I thought I'd change these up a little.

Supplies needed:

1. Lumiere paint: This paint is amazing! It can be used across many media, from leather to wood. Lumiere comes in several different colors ranging from neons to basics to metallics.

2. A small paint brush

Now let your creativity flow! I included two coats on my shoes to make them really pop!

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

studs, wine and lace

Two of my close girlfriends and I decided to get together this past weekend and have a craft night. We had a blast and came up with some really cute pieces!

For my project,I decided to create some lace jean shorts.Just follow these 3 easy steps and you'll be done in no time!

Supplies:

Needle and white thread

pins

scissors

1/2 yard of lace

shorts or pants

1. Measure and cut the lace to the size of the back pockets

2. Pin down the lace to the pockets.

3. Use your needle and thread to sew the lace onto pockets and make sure not to sew through the pockets.

Abbie decided to kick up her kicks a notch and added some studs to them. I have to say I'm quite envious on how they turned out.

Supplies:

1 pair of Converse High Tops

1 packet of large studs from MJ trim

1 butter knife or spoon

* I would suggest using a spoon or a butter knife to press the brads down once you've poked the studs through the fabric. It's pain free and it makes the project go faster.

Krista decided to do a project that I had done a few months ago. As soon as she saw my pair she said 'I want those! We have to make them!'

Supplies:

1 packet of large studs from MJ trim

1 pair of jean shorts

1 knife or spoon

a seam ripper or a pair of small scissors

1. Rip the seam half way down one side of the back pocket of your shorts. Make sure not to cut through the fabric.

2. Line up the studs where the top of the pocket use to be and start applying the studs. Feel free to add as many rows of studs as you would like.

Hope this inspired you have a girls craft night of your own!

xoxo

Crafty Little Minx

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Renegade Craft Fair

RENEGADE CRAFT FAIR

JUNE 23rd + 24th, 2012

When Pat told me he saw some sort of craft fair going on down at the East River Park I almost screamed with excitement!! The Williamsburg Flea Market + Renegade Craft Fair = the perfect storm for crafting ideas. : )

Here's a collection of some other the booths that were Pat and I's favorites: