Back to the Not-so-basic Basics

Welcome back y'all!

I hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing Labor Day weekend! Life has gotten a little crazy lately with going back to school, work, and pouring time into new sorority sisters, but we haven't given up on blogging! It is quite the task to blog everyday, but we will do our best to keep the trends and crafting coming :) 

In other news, I was so excited to pull my leather leggings back out for fall and I decided to go comfy chic for this rainy day! Add a varsity tee, a floppy hat, and accent with this fall's favorite color (sangria, aubergine, wine, whatever you want to call it). 

My "happy-to-be-blogging-again" happy face!

                  

Leather leggings // Forever21 or HUE

Tee // similar or I love these in any color!

Hat // Old Navy (only $20!!)

Pendant // Stella & Dot (a celebrity favorite that comes in silver, gold & rose gold)

Thanks for reading :)

xoxo, 

Carey 

DIY Pom Pom Hat

This beach trip may not have been one of the beachiest trips thanks to the rain, but sometimes it is nice not to be on a time schedule. The rain held out for a few hours today, which gave me long enough to enjoy my DIY Pom Pom sun hat. I got the idea from the lovely Mimosa Lane Blog and I absolutely love it. Pinterest projects may not always work out, but this one is super easy and definitely worth trying for the last month of summer! 

For this hat I bought about 2 yards of Pom Pom trim (which I found with the decorative trims in the upholstery section) . On Mimosa Lane Blog, she suggests using fabric glue, but I just hot glued the trim around the inside brim of the hat and that has held up very well. The advantage of the hot glue is that it dries a lot faster and I decided to do this the night before the trip! 

Pair it with a kimono and you are super chic. 

Thanks to our fabulous followers for reading! 

Xoxo, 

Carey 

Natural Home Inspiration

Free and DIY are some awesome words (especially on a college girl budget)! 

The antlers are my favorite piece in the whole apartment. Know anyone who hunts? Ask them for spare antlers.. or dish out the money at the local antique store. They are worth it. I am currently taking antler donations to make a chandelier one day, wish me luck! 

Next time you're at the beach, take a walk and pick up small pieces of driftwood. Throw them in a mason jar or a small bowl indoor or outdoor for a nice coastal accent. 

I use this bigger piece of driftwood as a centerpiece in my kitchen. The tea lights add a sweet little something. (This may take a little longer to find than the smaller pieces). A thicker branch from the woods would work nicely as well! 

I found this amazing piece at an antique place for $40. The legs are made out of cut sections of a tree, which also gives it a natural feel. The chalk paint was a super find at Michael's. It was a lot cheaper than I have seen it other places and only took me one tiny jar; however, the color choices are slim. 

Last but not least, try the succulent trend. I have not killed them [all] yet. They are so stinking cute in a painted pot and some aquarium rocks for a pop of color. I got these cuties at Walmart!

happy collecting, 

Carey 

{Beach Essentials}

Happy Sunday! 

There is still plenty of sunshine left this summer, so grab your bikini and sunscreen and go somewhere sunny! I am leaving for the beach next Thursday, and these are a few of the essentials I will be toting with me.

The tops and bottoms for Maaji are all reversible, so you get two bathing suits in one. They are also very fun to mix & match. The swim top is the style "Dark Night Captain" and the swim bottoms are called "Nightly Flight." 

 I got my new Maaji bikini for such a great price. I hardly ever pay full price for things, so when I see a good deal somewhere, I make sure to snatch it right up. Von Maur is currently  having a huge sale on 2014 swim, so you should definitely go check it out! I am so excited to be sporting this fun bikini a week from now on the beach.

The pur-lisse sunscreen I will be using on my face because it doubles as a moisturizer. I received both the moisturizer and the Zoya nail polish in my summer VIP FabFitFun box. The Hang Ten sunscreen is from my July ipsy bag-- I love the fun colored packaging it has.

A summer peach shade for perfectly polished piggies beachside or poolside.

Fruit infused water bottle from my VIP summer 2014 FabFitFun box. Yum! I can't wait to put strawberries, blackberries, lemon, and all the other fruits in my fridge into the infusing part of the bottle.  There is nothing more refreshing than ice cold water while relaxing on the beach. My box also came with a little recipe book for delicious fruit infused water recipes.

Here is everything from my VIP summer 2014 FabFitFun Box. This is my first one, and I am very impressed with the goodies inside! The box was $35 and just one item alone in the box retails for $95. It came with a bunch of fun goodies, which are all available to look at on their website.

Xoxo, Morgan

Bathing Suit Top | Bathing Suit Bottoms | Lilly Pulitzer Tote

FabFitFun Box | ipsy Bag | Zoya Nail Polish | 

Pur-lisse Pur Protect Facial Moisturizer | Hang Ten Classic Sport Sunscreen

{The Bright and the Bold}

I must admit I was a little surprised that Stella and Dot's new fall line came out with these bright and bold colored pieces, but in no way is this me complaining. Sometimes fall can be a little drab with its neutral color scheme, but here are the perfect pieces to keep you cheery. 

Stella & Dot // $89

Pair with:

Pop Geo Chandeliers // 49

Janice Studs // $24

                                                                

Yes you can wear orange, red, pink, AND cheetah print!! 

{Transition this outfit into fall by throwing on a pair of boots and boot socks.}

Arm Party!

Enlighten Bracelet

SHOP FOR A CAUSE: "All net proceeds benefit Every Mother Counts, a non-profit organization dedicated to making pregnancy and childbirth safe for every mother. Every Mother Counts informs, engages, and mobilizes new audiences to take actions and raise funds that support maternal health programs around the world."

{More colorful fall favorites} 

Chelsea Tech Wallet // $69

Fanella // $168 

Becca // $89

xoxo, 

Carey 

DIY Picture Frame Wall

Happy Thursday beautiful friends!

I finally hung the picture frames to make my picture frame wall that I painted about a year ago! It was so easy too and took about 20 minutes to hang everything, so I am not quite sure why I kept putting it off!

I purchased all of the frames and the mirror at Michael's. They're raw wood, which made them cheaper and easier to paint. :)

-The 3 piece hanging frame
-The big chevron frames
-Tiny square frames
-Rectangle 4x6 frames
-The mirror

How to:

For the chevron patter, I made my own stencil by hot gluing equal length pieces of  3 inch wide ribbon. This made sure the pattern would be even and consistent on all of the frames.

I then just painted! I painted the frames all the off-white, cream color first. For the black chevron stripes I did lighter, more whispy brush strokes, not covering the wood completely to give it a more rustic, imperfect look.

I used regular craft paint from Michael's too. My favorite brand is folkart craft paint, because it is the thickest and most opaque. It just has a very nice consistency for painting wood. So in entirety the project cost me about $ to finish. It's such a cute, easy, and inexpensive way to add some life and personality to any wall in your home.

Here is the finished look:

My kitty was so helpful getting pictures together, NOT! She was laying all over them.

 

xoxo Morgan

Goodbye Mini Skirts

and hello Midi skirts!!! I finally challenged myself to try this trend this weekend and I absolutely loved it. For a more elegant style for a Sunday afternoon party, I paired mine with a floral top and wedges. My next trend challenge is to pair my skirt with a crop top for an edgier look.

 

Trendcast: Dark florals for fall! Midi skirts will be great transitional pieces!

Top// Lizard Thicket (ON SALE) 

Skirt// H&M       
                                                                     

  

Blue floral// Necessary Clothing

Jewel pattern// H&M

Rose embossed circle skirt // Forever21

xoxo, 

Carey 

Kate Spade Mrs. Makeup Bag

Happy Saturday!

How great is the view of downtown Atlanta in the background? Since it's wedding season, I figured why not do this post?

It's a simple Kate Spade cosmetic bag to help her feel special on her big day. I know if I was a bride to be I would love to receive this as a gift!

Xoxo Morgan

DIY Gift Bag

Feeling a little crafty and someone's birthday is coming up? This post is for you. I love giving gifts that will actually mean something to someone so adding my own touch to the wrapping is even more special.

ALL YOU NEED//
- washi tape
- a brown paper gift bag (I got this one at Target)
- twine or yarn
- alphabet stickers ($1 section at Target)

p.s. Washi tape is so multi-purpose, adorable, and cheap. I promise you WILL use it again if you don't already have some. Jane.com and groopdealz.com often have super awesome prices on these, but I have also seen it at Walmart, Target, and craft stores (Micheals, Hobby Lobby, etc.).

STEP 1// Cut two pieces of twine about the same length as the front side of your bag.
STEP 2// Cut off strips of washi tape about 4 inches long. Fold each strip of tape around the twine alternating the patterns and colors of pieces. If the message is "happy birthday," you will need 13 strips-  5 on the first piece of twine and 8 on the second piece of twine.
STEP 3// Cut a triangle out of the bottom of the rectangle so that they will look like this:

STEP 4// Place the message on the stickers. 

STEP 5// Poke 2 holes where you would like the top strand to hang. (Remember it doesn't have to be perfect; its the thought that counts.) Push each side of the twine into the holes and tie a knot so they will not come out of the hole. 

STEP 6// Do the same with the bottom strand.

STEP 7// Enjoy the party and eat cake like it's your own birthday.

xoxo,

Carey