ten best Beach essentials

Ready, set, sunscreen!  Sand and sea are just the start of a fun family vacation with these top essentials. My family always looks forward to a summer retreat to surf and sand.  A lazy morning sipping coffee on the beach, reading, swimming, and walking as far as we can looking for seashells.  My boys compete to dig the biggest hole ever, stopping only to eat and to catch a few waves to cool down.  Are you planning to visit the shore, and spend your day catching the rays with friends and family?  You'll need a towel , blanket, cooler, and straw hat.  If you are missing anything , you are in luck as we have rounded up a few of our favorite must haves for the shore. Stake in the Sand Beach Cup Holder - $10.95 Just perfect. Made of sturdy, weather resistant plastic. Holds most … [Read more...]

14 DIY Heart Crafts That Say Love

January is nearly over. Can you believe that? If you haven't already, it's time to decorate the house for LOVE! Valentine's Day is just a few short weeks away. I've gathered fourteen heart crafts that will get you started, for sure! /1/ Heart String Art - Make a heart OR your initial! /2/ Crochet Heart Pillow - Do you crochet? Here's a simple tutorial on how to make a pillow. /3/ Heart Mobile  - This mobile will be fun in any color scheme you choose. Hang it in the kitchen or in the baby's room. It's perfect for year 'round. [sc:adsense ] /4/ Paper Heart Garland - This is a great craft to get the kids involved in. I mean, it involves glue sticks. They'll LOVE it! /5/ "That's Amore" Heart Napkins - Send the kids to a babysitter and have a romantic dinner for two with your … [Read more...]

3 Upcycle Sewing Projects That Are Great For Beginners

When I got started sewing in my teens, my grandma encouraged me to work with old t-shirts and pillowcases. Let me tell you – I thought she was being silly, but it was so smart! I made a mess of so many projects back then and I’m very happy that I wasn’t using my babysitting money to buy fabric! For those of you who aren’t familiar with upcycling, it’s simply the process of reusing old things to make better new things. Upcycling is great, especially if you’re new to sewing. You’ll be able to make neat, useful things while spending little or no money on materials. The other great thing is that if you make mistakes, it’s no big deal since you didn’t have to invest in the materials.  Today, we’ve collected a few simple upcycle sewing ideas to get you started. You'll need a few old … [Read more...]

It’s a Stella & Dot Fashion Jewelry Trunk Show

Stella & Dot Spring: We're super excited to announce an online Trunk Show for trendy, affordable jewelry from Stella & Dot . The new arrivals are out  for their Spring  line and you can shop from home. Look at these beauties. Whether you're looking for one of the latest trends, or a noteworthy style you can wear this season and next, this collection of fashion jewelry has it all. You will find stylish necklaces, earrings, bracelets, cuffs, bangles, and accessories to keep you in the latest styles for events, work and every day, attire.   Every season brings excitement with the new product announcements from Stella and Dot. An invitation to a Stella & Dot trunk show is always on my radar. A night of fun, friends and shopping for jewelry and accessories is a great … [Read more...]

10 Chic Braided Hairstyles

With the heat of summer quickly approaching, many women opt for an easy up-do or ponytail. This season, braids are all the rage. You can see them popping up on the runway, magazine covers and the school pick up line. Looking for easy and gorgeous braids you can sport this summer? Here are 10 chic braids that will get heads turning! 1. Braids for Accents Not overly confident in your braiding skills? They start out small, with a few accents here and there or added to a sexy up-do for a little extra pizzazz! (Photo Credit: Julia & Company) 2. Twisted Braids A little more skilled in your braiding skills? Try adding this fishtail braid to a low sloppy bun for an instant pop of flair. (Photo Credit: Getty Images) 3. Elegant Braids for an Updo Add this small and tight french braid to … [Read more...]

2015 Color of the Year – Marsala

Each year several color companies announce what they call the "color of the year".  It's an on-trend color that you'll expect to see in clothing, makeup, home and fashion accessories in the coming year.  The color that will define the year (I suppose we could take a look back and see at the end if the year how much we "felt" that color but that's another post). Because the Pantone company does so much color work for designers, they've become the official color pickers.  Pantone has selected a "Color of the Year" since 2000. For 2015, the Color of the Year is Marsala.  I know, the first thing that comes to your mind is chicken isn't it? Chicken Marsala gets its name from Marsala wine. The wine itself is a rich, earthy red. So stop thinking about chicken. Marsala is described a … [Read more...]