How To: Up-cycle Shoes, Part 2

Pin It

So once upon a summer in 2011, I wrote this post about up-cycling heels.  TODAY, I found all these awesome photos of when I made another pair, to show you a step by step tutorial.  Who cares that I also took them once upon a summer in 2011.  I'm showing you them today, dammit.  :)

Side note, I was so in love this with paisley print fabric that I not only up-cycled the shoes in them, but also made a pair of earrings, too.  I'm trying to keep it alive forever.  Or until the mod podge gives out....

Ingredient list
Shoes you're sick of (backless heels are WAY EASIER than pumps....)
Fabric--around a fat quarter worth (busy patterns are best!)
Pod Podge
Foam Paint Brush
Scissors
Exacto Knife
Ribbon--optional

1.  You'll need about double the size of fabric for each shoe.
2.  Start painting with your mod podge, girl!
3.  Place fabric over the shoe and smooth out.  There's no wrong way to do this--you know I don't believe in that!  The easiest way is to place the "point" of your fabric just in front of the point of your shoe.  Press and smooth out, then cut away excess fabric.  Add another layer of mod podge.
4.  Cover shoe completely and allow to dry until hard.  I waited overnight.  Probably because I was tired, NOT because I'm patient.  Clearly.
5.  That would be the hardened shoe.
6.  Using scissors, cut into the fabric and fold into the shoe.  Mod Podge the fabric down.  Only the top of your foot will see this, so it's ok if it's messy.  Unless, of course, you're totally trying to impress your foot....
7.  Using your exact knife, cut away any extra fabric on the shoe.
8.  This step is optional....I used a slip on heel--mule?--for this up-cycle.  Why?  Cause I'm a little lazy and botched up the back of shoes before.  This type of shoe was WAY easier.  BUT, I hate the way they flip flop when I walk, so I added the ribbon to the bottom to make a ribbon-tie ankle.

Finished, girl!

Rockin it!

Annnnnd, that's it!  This is a cheap and relatively easy project that makes a HUGE impact, cause girl, NOBODY has shoes like this!  Now go rock it, girl!

Big (Paisley Print) Smile,

Admire? Acquire!: Retro Shades Lapel!

Pin It

ok, so it's not a blatant knockoff.  No bigs!

Hey Gals!

I'm back for another Admire?Acquire! sesh!  This time taking on an increasing trend--the shades.  Or sunglasses.  Or eyeglass.  Or those cool things that go on your face--whatever you wanna call it!

Here's a look at what's doin around the inet:

Gotsa give credit where credit is due

So, seeing this fab trend, I made a take on this retro cutie a couple weeks a go and wanted to show you how to make your own, too!

Ingredient List:
Eyeglass necklace charm--Hobbit Lobbit, $4
Upcycled necklace chain
Safety Pin
Jump hooks
Pliers

Well, it's super easy to make a lapel pin.  I mean really, all you have to do is add a pin to really anything.  To make this guy a little more interesting, I incorporated another big trend:  FRINGE.  It's back, baby!  

Step One:  Take your necklace chain and detach to even pieces of chain for your fringe.  Then, using your pliers and jump hooks, attach your fringe to the sides of your eyeglasses--because this was a necklace charm, the holes were already there.

Step Two:  It doesn't get any easier than this, sports 
fans.....Hot glue your safety pin to your eyeglasses.

Step Three:  Do I even have to say it?  Okay, I will:  ROCK IT GIRL!  Yep, cause that's what time it is!  

Are these creations getting too easy?  You just let me know....until then, continue to rock it in 3 steps or less :)

You see?  Rockin it.

See you soon!

Big (I heart black turtlenecks) Smile,

Oh, hi. I'm alive.

Oh hey girls!!!

Blaise and I last year at Karaoke.

I'm visiting my girl Blaise for the weekend in lovely Ferndale, MI.  Jealy! So, we're sitting here talking, I say Chenyways and that B calls me out for not posting lately.  I figured it'd been like a week....and then I realized, it's been over 2. Cue the "dude, I suck" music. I didn't realize!

I guess I can probably blame it on a recent explosion of etsy sales--listen, people are all over my Muggle Born onesie!   So I've been super busy making and sending out orders. And then there was some sickness, including J Chen getting the flu over Valentine's Day. It was cool, you know, hanging out in bed drinking wine from a coffee cup while he was passed out. Ah, romance.

Then there were the Grammy's. And 400 Facebook fans. And searching for a buffet--sideboard, whatev!--for the dining room (getting it tomorrow!). Um, and working my "real" job. And smiling, and talking loudly, laughing even louder, and being awesome. Girl, I've been busy!  ;)

The worst part? I totally missed my very own Blog-aversary on the 12th! WTF. I blame Whitney.  And Cheesecake--it was her 4th birthday. And J Chen--he made me go out to dinner....  Chenyways, hi! I'm back!  And better than ever in year 2. So, thank you ALL for caring enough to read all these crazy ramblings, and for everyone who left a nice comment--I freaking adore you!  :)

So, I just wanted to let you know that I'm still alive, and that I'm looking forward to a night of karaoke tonight!  Did I ever tell you I'm a karaoke whore? Cause I am.  Maybe we'll have a video to post tomorrow--ya neva know.


Big (Sing it, Bitch!) Smile,

Also, Blaise's creepy cat keeps staring at me. Ugh.

Admire? Acquire!: Spinning Yarn Nests Necklace

Pin It

Hey Pretty Gals!

Well I'm back with another "Admire? Acquire!" post, and I'm super excited about it, dammit.

I LOVE jewelry.  Always have.  Especially the of-the-moment kind, which is why I would never pay over $20 for it.  My go-to sites for on-trend jewelry are usually pretty cheap conservatively priced, and conjure up a ton of inspiration if not a full shopping cart.  I found my latest A?/A! over at Mod Cloth for around $28. Sorry friend, over the limit.  But for about $3, I made it myself.

I jazzed mine up a little bit more--I used more of a ghetto gold color (SATC, anyone?) wire and added the PMS Color of 2012--TANGERINE, GIRL--by way of glass beads, to the center of the nest.

Ingredient List:
16 Gauge Wire
Upcycled necklace chain
Glass Beads--optional
Pliers

Step One:

Wrap your wire around the bead--this gives you something to center around as you wrap and wrap and wrap.

Step Two:

So wrap your wire around the bead until you reach the size you're looking for.  This necklace uses 3 nests of assorted sizes.  Once you're satisfied with the size, use the cutter portion of your pliers--or wire cutters, duh to ME!--to snip off the wire.  Leave yourself enough room to curl the end into a loop for your necklace.

Step Three:

Finish up your nests and then simply string them on to your necklace chain.  

Step Four:

You know what time it is!  Time to ROCK IT GIRL!  

That's the end!  Thanks for hangin girl. :)

Big (Ghetto Gold) Smile,