bronze is the new black

hey everyone!

I hope you all had a lovely holiday and are getting ready for some fun New Year's plans! Today I want to share with you a one-step craft to spice up any frame or decor item in your home. So, I had this cluster of frames from Target and a "G" letter that I haven't hung up in years. They were from my freshman dorm when I thought black/white/pink/green was a really cool color scheme...right. So I found these, along with some old spray paint from the fork hooks that I made! and I thought, what do I have to lose? Here are the frames and G before:

And after!

Yay! Definitely an upgrade if you ask me. The frames almost look antique! They're so cute I almost just want to hang them up on the wall without pictures in them. Hanging a cluster of frames on your wall is almost like custom wall art: you can make it as big or small as you want, with as many colors as you want! And the cost of this project... $0. You can't beat that! I'll post pictures of my bedroom with these fun new pieces once it is all done. Until then, grab some old frames and spray paint and go to town! This is a great way to create cohesive accessories for any room.

all my love,
Greta

a little Lilly inspiration

so, one day while browsing Pinterest, I came across my favorite quote of all time.

I couldn't agree with it more. Life IS a party! I believe being well-dressed everyday is such a wonderful thing. One should always dress as though you are going to a party! Which brings me to another favorite quote...

I could not agree more. These quotes prompted some wonderful wall art for my apartment!

supplies

• square canvas of any size
• off-white acrylic paint
• approximately 5 bright colored acrylic paints
• no. 2 pencil with unused eraser
• letter stickers (I used two packs!)

my apologies for the lack of pictures throughout this process! First, I painted the entire canvas an off-white just to soften the background. Next, I dipped the no. 2 pencil into the different brightly colored paints (I would suggest doing one color at a time on the canvas, for minimal cleaning of the eraser, and so you can carefully place the amount of that color you want). I dipped them into the paint, and before dipping them onto the canvas, I did a "test" dip on some paper towels. Pinterest had a nice photo of how to do this (with ink rather than paint, but it's the same method):

finally, I placed the quote "Life is a party. Dress like it." in gold glitter sticker letters. and then I almost cried because i loved it so much.

howwwww cute! my friend looked at it and said, "I would legit pay like... $30 for that..." i'm in love with it! it also looks kind of Kate Spade-esque with the dots. definitely my new fave wall art. Thank you Lilly Pulitzer for the great quote! I hope you all try this if a wall in your home needs a makeover, and it could make a great gift! 

all my love,
Greta

overdressed. aka the story of my life.

Let me share with you guys a book that changed my life. 

Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion by Elizabeth L. Cline. This book will rope you in at page one! Basically, Cline argues that fast fashion is not only hurting our closet space and style, but also our economy. Did you know that Americans, on average, purchase 65 new pieces of clothing every year?!

I was one of those girls who used to shop at Forever 21 religiously. I would buy at least three new items every time I went there, yet always wonder why I had absolutely nothing to wear. None of my clothes seemed to fit me after one wash, or they would develop holes in them. Well, that's the price I paid for fast fashion.

Recently, I have realized that the pieces that I DID keep coming back to time and time again, were the ones that were investments. Sure, I wouldn't have an entirely new outfit every time I got dressed. But so what! The clothes fit me well, never wore out, and were always in style. I can ALWAYS wear my J.Crew skinny jeans, a J.Crew blazer, my leather boots, and a Nordstrom pea coat. Why? Because these pieces are classic. These brands are classic. The pieces cost way more but I can get so many uses out of them! I used to have piles upon piles of cheaply-made clothing, but now I have decided to donate most of it. I am down to two closets now (one for jeans/coats/pants) and the other for tops. And I am proud of the items that I have now. I know they are made well and I worked hard to buy them. Now, I am buying less and learning to mix the great pieces that I do own!

So, here is an analogy for you. Your relationship with your closet should be no different than a romantic relationship. In your closet, you want investment pieces; these things you can come back to time and time again and feel comfortable and confident in. You want to be PROUD of the brands that you have worked hard to buy. Doesn't everyone want a relationship that they can be proud of? Show it off a little? You don't want cheap, one-night-stand pieces that only leave you with regret. Buy something that you are proud of and can invest in- just like that dream boyfriend you are searching for.

I highly suggest buying this wonderful book, your closet will thank you later! I know mine is :)

all my love,
Greta

watch it

I want to share with everyone my favorite accessory to ANY, and I repeat, ANY outfit. WATCHES!! They can dress up any outfit, whether it be a t-shirt or a dress, and they have a very classy feel to them. I never get sick of wearing or buying watches, because I know that I will wear them nearly every day. (stay tuned for my upcoming post on investment pieces).

here's my little (but growing) collection. watches with rubber bands go great with khaki shorts, jeans, for a more casual look. I also love accessorizing dresses or a pretty blouse with my over-sized gold watch. and as you can tell, I liked the gold one so much, I bought the same one in silver! oops, I just couldn't resist. they are my two favorites.

the gold one is from Charming Charlie; if you are looking for a less-expensive but chic, oversized watch. they have a great selection of watches, and most of the metal ones come in gold, silver, AND rose gold. the aqua-colored one is from Anthropologie, which was on back order for awhile. it was SO worth the wait. the color is GORGEOUS in person, and it's so comfortable and big. I highly recommend it for only $58.

honestly, if I had to choose one piece of clothing or an accessory to wear the rest of my life, it would be a watch. Do they ever go out of style? I'm gonna go with NO. I just love them, they add pizzaz to any outfit. plus I think they make anyone look more professional and polished.

want to see the next one I'm eyeing up? this beautiful Michael Kors tortoise shell one... dyinggggg over it.

it is sooo perfect for fall and winter. no wonder they call it the showstopper. it is beautiful and is definitely my next big purchase. yay for fall fashion!

remember, watches are classic pieces that every man and woman should invest in for their wardrobe. you better go get yours now, time is ticking! :)

all my love,

Greta

'merica.

is your home ready for the 4th of july?!


I realized today that mine absolutely wasn't. and in my continual quest to have decorations for each holiday throughout the year, I decided to have a solo craft day! so, I went to Michael's, got out with only spending $9 (after forgetting the paint that i needed), put on Sara Bareilles Pandora radio, and went to town! I got out all of my navy, red, and white decorations and crafts, and assessed what I could do to Americanize (?) my apartment. I decided on doing two simple crafts: a wooden 4 which I framed, and the simplest heart bunting.

• framed 4

supplies needed: acrylic paint, wooden 4, scrapbook paper, frame, elmer's glue, hot glue gun, paintbrush

paint approximately two coats of acrylic paint to your wooden 4 and let dry. while allowing to dry, measure your scrapbook paper to the size of the cardboard back of the frame. I glued my paper directly to the cardboard with a thin coat of Elmer's glue. I then also removed the glass from the frame so that I could glue the 4 on with hot glue.

I might sandpaper the edges of the 4 for a more antique look, but for now I think it turned out great!

simple, yet effective! (and not tacky)

I think I'll make it a tradition to decorate the fork hook shelf for each holiday, since I don't have an entryway table :)

• holiday heart bunting

supplies needed: three scrapbook papers, heart puncher, elmers, string

for this craft, I just punched out hearts with my cute little heart puncher, from three different scrapbook papers. I then glued them to a little string, and hung them like bunting across a mirror in my living room for some added decor! I absolutely love it.

I also gathered up some of my red, navy, and silver accents that I put away throughout the year.

just a few pieces can transform your home! I hope this inspires you to decorate your space for this fun holiday. there's still time to enjoy what you've done :) I hope you all have a wonderful fourth!

all my love,
Greta

what's old is new again

so recently I've become obsessed with re-purposing old furniture. my dad has a TON of random tables and other pieces laying around, so I decided that I would spruce them up a bit and put them to use! honestly, two of them have become some of my favorite additions to the apartment. let's begin, shall we?


1. the "everything" table
I call this the everything table because everything just happens to accumulate on it, since I placed it right next to the door as you walk in.


supplies: old table, semi-gloss paint, paintbrush, sandpaper


so, I began with this ratty old table that was just collecting dust. I sanded it, so to take what was left of the gloss varnish off.

yuck, right? next, I simply did three coats of an off-white paint that I had from painting my room years ago. I ended up doing three coats to cover the dark wood finish.

ahhh, good as new! here it is in action...

I think it's cute AND classy, two of my favorite things. and I'm happy that I have someplace to collect all my junk as I walk in the door. oh, and yes, this project was THAT easy. I would recommend doing a clear protectant spray on it after the paint has dried.




2. the antique table


supplies: old table (again), semi-gloss paint, matte paint, valspar "weathered crackle" glaze, clear spray protectant, sand paper, paint brush


for awhile I had been having this issue with what I wanted for a kitchen table. with a limited budget, I wasn't ready to drop $300 on a new ikea kitchen table (although Ikea is my fave). and I just didn't like the cheapy table and chairs sets at Walmart. so, I decided to just re-purpose an old table and splurge on some pretty chairs to compliment it.


this was my shabby-chic inspiration!

here is the table i began with. it leaves MUCH to be desired, I know. (so does my grungy garage as the background here...)

the first step was painting it with a greyish-blue semi-gloss paint

I won't lie, I ALMOST stopped here, just because I love grey so much. after that coat has dried (I did two coats) paint over entire table with the valspar weathered crackle glaze. you have to wait for that to dry for about one hour, and then quickly paint over it with a matte coat of a different paint color.

and almost immediately you start to see the crackle! it's almost like crackle nail polish. after that step has dried, you simply spray it with clear protectant and let dry (at least 24 hours). I was kind of skeptical that it looked TOO shabby-chic, but now I love it and all my guests seem to also :) here it is compared to the paint chip I had picked out...

here it is with my two new chairs!

I'm a huge fan, mainly because I loveeee shabby chic anything. and it's fun to say that I painted it when my guests ask!




3. the fork hooks


supplies: 4 forks, shelf, paint, paintbrush, 4 screws, screwdriver, pliers, metal bender(?), spray paint (optional), clear gloss spray paint

so awhile ago I had spotted the cutest fork hooks on etsy.com, however, they were around $45 and I decided that it would be way more fun & cheaper to make them myself! First, I chose four different forks that I had around the house (our dinner sets are now all missing one fork... oops! sorry dad). I had a friend help me bend the forks into the "rock on," "pinky up," "f you," and "peace" signs, to make them look like hands. My friend also bent the bottoms of each, so to make them into hooks. This part was kind of complicated, but you just need to find yourself a Dad or guy friend with tools who is willing to help ya :)


here's a close up of the forks, pre-spray paint. I liked them without the paint also!

next, I bought a shelf from Pat Catan's for around $7 to mount them on. I had to add a little piece of wood under the shelf part, so that the forks could be screwed in. My dad helped me with that part (group effort, people!) The shelf prior to painting..

& the paint I used, that I already had at my house!

after letting the paint dry on the shelf, I drilled holes into each fork, and screwed them into the shelf (make sure to use screws that aren't too long, so they don't poke through!) the final product?!? pretty much my favorite craft to date...

Overall, the craft couldn't of cost more than $15! and I LOVE them, they're so fun! I honestly could of not painted the shelf or the hooks also, if you're interested in going for a more natural look. all of these crafts were done, for the most part, with items and old paint that I had laying around the house. so go rummaging through some old things and see what you can find! you never know, it might be your new favorite piece. I would like to thank my Dad for helping me with the table and fork hooks! couldn't of done it without ya Diddy.


don't worry everyone, now that it's summer there will be plenty more craft days with my biffs which equals more blog posts! stay tuned :)


all my love,
Greta

hello gorgeous!

today, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite current beauty buys. although I wish I had a new craft every blog post, sometimes I sadly just don't have time to craft! so, instead I will be posting little gems like this :) my current obsessions in the beauty world are:

• Bath & Body Works Pink Chiffon body wash
• Bath & Body Works C.O. Bigelow Vanillamint Mentha lip balm
• Benefit so hooked on Carmella eau de toillette
• Benefit Dr. Feelgood mattifying balm
• Benefit Watt's Up highlighter
• Essie Merino Cool polish
• Paul Mitchell sculpting spray
• Urban Decay Naked Palette

• Bath & Body Works Pink Chiffon body wash
• photo credit & link to purchase

this stuff is what I would imagine heaven to smell like. you could of just sold me on the packaging (the font!?) but the smell is to die for as well. it smells like candy to me, and it's perfect for spring time. it works into a foamy lather in the shower and you feel fresh and clean all day!

• Bath & Body Works C.O. Bigelow Vanillamint Mentha lip balm
• photo credit & link to purchase

THIS. is my favorite lip balm of all time. it smells amazing, makes your lips super soft for a long long time, and is also edible! the mint freshens your breath and the vanilla makes it taste a little sweet.

• Benefit so hooked on Carmella eau de toillette
• photo credit & link to purchase

oh, just my new favorite fragrance of all time. this perfume is sensual and a little different. it smells kind of like caramel and vanilla, but with a twist. and again, the packaging is adorable. the bottle looks like a little martini shaker! all of the crescent row fragrances come in those cute boxes too, which are even more adorable inside, they each match the scent "personality" i guess you could say!

• Benefit Dr. Feelgood mattifying balm
• photo credit & link to purchase

okay, I know it sounds weird. a balm for my face? I thought I would break out for sure, but this product had such good reviews I just had to try it. now, I call it my Dr. Miracle worker! seriously. I have oily skin around my t-zone, and I've never had any luck with makeup that promises a matte complexion all day. but this one does the trick! I put it on underneath my foundation, and I swear my skin stays shine-free for the rest of the day. the smell is slightly minty, but I enjoy it!

• Benefit Watt's Up highlighter
• photo credit & link to purchase

so by now you can probably tell I'm a sucker for Benefit cosmetics. this is my favorite highlighter! I put it on my cheekbones and browbones, and it gives a nice light shimmer, and even a little sun kissed-ness (?). not too sparkly (like some highlighters) and a cream to powder finish makes this product a keeper. it doesn't hurt that the packaging is adorable, again, and it even looks kind of like a light bulb! (as shown in the first picture, far right). the bottom part is a small sponge for blending, so you don't need to use your finger. bravo, Benefit!

• Essie Merino Cool polish
• photo credit & link to purchase

I've always been a huge fan of Essie's nail polish colors. they're so different and the cute little bottle seems to be just the right amount. this color caught my eye because it has a kind-of grey kind-of purple feel to it, and seeing as those are my two favorite colors I had to try it out! it mostly looks grey on my nails, but there's a slight purple tint. personally, I love it! it looks great on toes if you're afraid of a dark color on your fingers. two coats and a clear coat and you're good to go!

• Paul Mitchell Sculpting spray
• photo credit & link to purchase

I honestly want to eat this every time I use it. It smells like a watermelon candy! I know that sounds weird for your hair, but trust me... you'll love. it holds my paper-thin hair in place when I curl or straighten it, and its more flexible than your typical hair spray. it doesn't hurt that the scent doubles as a sort of perfume for your hair... :)

• Urban Decay Naked Palette
• photo credit & link to purchase

this is my go-to palette for any eyeshadow need. it is all neutral colors (the blue in the picture actually looks black/grey on), and it's perfect because you can mix different shadows, according to what color you want. they all work well together so it makes it easy to do highlights and contours (you can tell i'm no beauty expert, haha). you can go from a casual look to a dark, night-time look so easily. the case it comes in is very slim and portable also, not to mention pretty! this product has 5 star reviews on sephora.com.. I think that speaks for itself! the primer (little purple tube on the left) works wonders too! it keeps shadows in place all day.

there is also a Naked 2 palette out, which looks just as good! it seems a little steep at $50, but actually each shadow in the palette has just as much product as ONE urban decay shadow, and the individuals are $17 a piece!

well, I hope you all enjoyed my current beauty faves. What are some of your favorite beauty products right now? I'd love to hear!

all my love,

Greta