DIY // Wink Banner

 Recently Chris gave me a designated area to blog in...somewhat of a semi office :) I was so excited because it's just what I needed to get back to regular posting here. I've always done projects in any little space I could find so I was super happy to get my own corner to stay focused in. I really wanted to put something "fun" and I've been loving the winking eye trend lately. This project was really fast, easy, and inexpensive and really added that extra something I was looking for!

 Supplies: 2 full pieces of felt, (For the left eye) : 1 white oval piece of felt, 1 small blue circle piece of felt, 1 small black circle piece of felt, 1 black rainbow piece of felt, (Right eye) 1 black slanted piece of felt, (Eyelashes) 12 small rectangle pieces, craft stick, string, and glue gun

 1. Glue all of your left eye pieces together and then glue left eye and right eye to felt.

Add 6 eyelashes for each eye.

 2. Glue the craft stick to the first piece of felt and roll under. Add the 2nd full sheet of felt slightly under that.

 3. Cut the ends of each piece of felt at an angle.

 4. Add the string to the craft stick by knotting at each end. I also add a dab of hot glue on the knot to keep in place.

Ready to hang!!!! Hope you enjoy your new fun and quirky banner!!!

xoxo erica

DIY // Mean Girls Valentines

 I always like to hand out valentines and candy to the girls I work with. This year we've been doing movie nights with each other and Mean Girls was a movie I think we all knew line for line. Seriously, it's still one of my favorites! I thought some of the quotes from the movie would be cool valentines. I just handed them out this morning and they were a hit...so much fun. Definitely give these a try if you have some cool girls to hang out with tomorrow. 

1. Trace a heart onto watercolor paper.

2. Cut out and paint.

3. Once dry, add your favorite quotes.

Here is what I wrote on the back of these:

GROOL- Hey Valentine, you're pretty grool!

Whatever, I'm getting cheese fries- Hey Valentine, hope your day is full of all the good stuff!

You're like really pretty - Happy heart day!

So Fetch - Hope you have a fetch day Valentine!

I'm not a regular mom, I'm a cool mom - Hey Valentine, you're the coolest!

On Valentine's Day we wear pink! - Happy Valentine's Day!

xoxo erica

DIY // Rainbow Cake

 This is really quite simple to do...just start with a nicely frosted cake and place the candy buttons across the cake from pink to blue...something fast and easy that turns out looking amazing. Oh and if you want to be extra cute about it, try using the candy buttons to write out a fun word. Love and XOXO are my picks for the upcoming holidays.

xoxo erica

DIY // Mini Journal

 With the new year finally here, I decided that what I needed was a small journal to carry around in my purse for when blog ideas come to mind. I like the idea of being able to physically write something down rather than just keeping it stored away on my phone. Plus it's a lot cuter than a boring notepad app.

1. Gather an assortment of scrapbook pages. I decided to cut 8.5x11 sheets in half to make a mini journal.

2. Arrange your sheets in the order you want for your journal and make a crease down the middle.

3. Hole punch your sheets at the top, middle, and bottom. You may have to do a few sheets at a time.

4. Place all your pages back together and tie with pieces of twine.

5. Decorate the cover, I used a simple pattern drawn with a black sharpie and some washi tape.

So cute and all done! 

xoxo erica

DIY // Bobby Pin Mini Crown

 For the last few years, I've been making my own new year's eve party hat. I've done a tinsel halo  and a colorful pipe cleaner and pom pom crown recently. Over the weekend I made a mini crown to wear while ringing in the new year and thought it turned out really so I just had to share with you all. I'm actually pretty glad that I at least have this done because I have no idea what I'm wearing for New Year's Eve...something sparkly for sure.

 Supplies: Glitter Scrapbook Paper (mine is about 7 inches long), Gold Foil Tissue (2 strips), Glue Gun, Scissors, Foam Board, Bobby Pin

 1. Cut fringe into the foil tissue paper.

2. Hot glue both strips to the bottom of the glitter scrapbook paper.

3. Form the scrapbook paper into a circle and glue the ends together.

4. Cut triangles into the top of the paper to create the crown.

5. Take a bobby pin and place it between a piece of foam board. Make sure that the foam board is long enough to go from side to side of the crown.

6. Hot glue the foam board with the bobby pin to the inside of the crown.

All done! Isn't everything more cute in mini form? Let me know if you try this out #sobdlife

xoxo erica

DIY // Christmas Bow Pom Pom Garland

Have you already started decorating for Christmas? I won't lie, I kinda started before Thanksgiving!! Don't judge me! Any how, I wanted to share a quick and super easy holiday garland for you to spruce up your space with. What's not to love about shiny and festive bows strung up around your place? 

Supplies: Christmas bows ( I used mini's but large ones would be fine), Scotch Tape, String, Scissors

1. Snip off pieces of the bow backing so it doesn't hang over the actual bow.

2. Tape the bow to the string.

3. Take another bow of the same color and peel off the paper so the back is sticky.

4. Attach the bow to the bow taped to the string.

Keep repeating for all of your bows!

Hope this makes your space a little more merry!
let me know if you try this...tag your pic #sobdlife

On another note...does anyone do project life? I've been wanting to get into but was never sure if I could keep up with it. I saw a pin board title the other day called December Daily and I'm not sure if it's a "thing" but I figured I would give photographing daily and scrapbooking it this month. I'll be tagging my pics with #sobddecemberdaily if you want to do it along with me :)

xoxo erica

A Month of Gifting // 3 Easy DIY Wrapping Paper Ideas

One of my favorite things about buying gifts is knowing that I'm going to be wrapping them. I'm one of those that really cares about the packaging just as much as the gift itself. I've already hunted down some super cute and pretty wrapping papers over the weekend...one has cats! I know, I know but I can't help myself. I have a huge family and I alway like to mix up store bought and home made wrapping. I think there's something nice about adding personal touches...even if they are going to be ripped to shreds lol. I decided to share 3 easy diy wrapping paper patterns with you that anybody can do...you don't need any serious skills for these so go and give it a try.

 I've only seen snow twice in my life.. And to be honest it was maybe like 1/2 an inch at that...I couldn't even make a snow angel :( but I did have a snowball fight with Chris and his brother and make a tiny snowman. A white Christmas has always sounded like a dream so that was my inspiration for this paper. To get a dreamy snowing wrapping paper, simply did a brush into white paint and flick the bristles with your finger.

 For a fun and quirky print draw some swirly frills with a black sharpie. Don't worry about being precise with it. I think the imperfection is what makes it cute.

I wanted to make a wrapping paper that had more a Christmas theme and settled on a forest of Christmas trees! All you have to do is make a set of small triangles going down at angle and a set of large triangles going down at angle. Repeat the pattern and once the paint is dry (I used watercolors and they dried really really fast), trace around with a black sharpie and add a line for a trunk. Too cute, right?

Embellish with cute bows and jingle bells! Let me know if you try these ideas out by tagging your photos #sobdlife

xoxo erica

DIY // Garland Wrapped Invites

Invites: Tiny Prints

This year I decided to host my own halloween get together and went with a night of cake and crafting...the good stuff. Whenever I do invites, I always like to add that something extra special. Our wedding invites had an envelope full of heart confetti, last year's birthday invites came with glittered horn blowers, and for this party I went with a message garland. I think it's always fun to get the people you're inviting into a festive mood. With a message garland, I think the possibilities are endless. I used "boo", "witchy woman", and "cat lady" for the Halloween theme but "thankful" would work for a Friendsgiving dinner, "fa la la la" for a Christmas celebration, or "you're cute" for Galentines Day...you get it...just have fun with it.

1. Cut out flags and small squares for banner from scrapbook paper in contrasting colors.

2. I used a white paint pen for the lettering but I think a black sharpie would look just as great.

3. Use double stick tape to adhere letters to flags.

4. Hot glue flags to string and wrap around invites.

xoxo erica

DIY // Gold Confetti Pumpkin

 Sometime after Easter passed, I came across the prettiest eggs on Pinterest. They were dipped in gold confetti! Yeah, after glitter, confetti is pretty much my next favorite thing. I don't know how I missed it, but I did :( Thankfully I didn't have to wait around a whole year to dip anything in gold shiny confetti and made it work with this cute pumpkin I picked up last week. This is a really simple diy but it has the most gorgeous effect...loving it.

 Supplies: Pumpkin, glue, brush, and gold confetti (I made mine by cutting gold foil paper)

 1. Apply glue to pumpkin.

2. Using a brush, spread the glue to thin it out...this will help everything dry faster.

3. Sprinkle confetti. If there are any extra gaps, just use your hands to place confetti to fill it in.

4. Continue this all the way around the pumpkin and let dry.

xoxo erica