Friday Favorites

Here we are! Another Friday... and of an extra long holiday weekend at that! To be fair, I'm not entirely sure if I get Monday off, but I'm taking it. Haha. Let's jump into this weeks favorites!

This Luggage

I bought some cute luggage years ago before the 360 degree swivel was popular and every time I see someone with them, I bubble over with envy. Not only dose this luggage have the coveted spnning wheels, do you see those colors?! Mint and pink!? GIMME!

These Cactus Ornaments 

I know we are a ways out from Christmas still (although I saw them stocking Christmas stuff at Hobby Lobby the other day) but I came across these adorable cacti ornaments and I'm pretty sure I need them. 

This DIY Round Beach Towel

I've been eyeballing these round beach towels for months and trying to decide which one to buy... then I found this DIY and love it. You can create it with any towels you like! 

This Floral Ukulele DIY

So... a couple of weeks ago I bought myself a ukulele on a whim and I have been LOVING it. It's fairly easy to pick up so lately I've been obsessing over all things uke related. I may have to attempt this on mine. 

These Frozen Mimosa Popsicles

Mimosa popsicles... need I say more?

And that rounds out this weeks favorites! 

Hope everyone had a fun and safe 4th of July weekend!

Meet the Maker: Erica from The Sticker Party Shop

Happy Monday! I'm back with another installment of my "Meet the Maker" series. Today I'm introducing you to  Erica of The Sticker Party Shop!

I first came across Erica when I stumbled upon her Etsy listing for Bachelor in Paradise planner stickers. They got me laughing and so I started looking through some of her other listings. With planner stickers for other shows like The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Orange is the New Black and Grey's Anatomy, she's got something for everyone! Not to mention, stickers for every holiday, season and everything in between (even your Amazon prime orders!) I knew I HAD to ask her to be one of my makers and lucky for me, she agreed! 

Tell me a little bit about yourself. 

Hi! My name is Erica, I'm 24 years old, and I'm from Montreal, Canada. I finished up my bachelor's degree in Communications a couple years ago & now I focus on running my Etsy shop, The Sticker Party, full-time. I'm a self-taught graphic designer--I've been fiddling with Photoshop ever since I was 11 years old, so to be able to design stuff I love and sell it online is super gratifying!

What is it that you make and how did you get started?

I design hand drawn planner stickers; everything from appointment reminders, to fun decorative stickers, to checklists, to TV show trackers. I came across a YouTube video in 2015 where someone was showing off her planner full of colorful stickers, and it looked so beautiful! I always enjoyed doodling in my school agendas growing up so I was immediately drawn to the idea of decorative planning. I did a quick search on Etsy and noticed that people were selling planner stickers on there, but I thought to myself, "I can design my own!" The next day I bought a Silhouette Portrait machine and started making my own stickers. A few designs later I figured I may as well boot up an Etsy shop of my own - and here we are :) I just surpassed 7000 sales!

Loves: I'm a reality TV show connoisseur. I love all kinds of reality TV competitions and my faves are Big Brother, Survivor, and The Bachelor. I actually design stickers that help track evictions, eliminations and rose ceremonies - they're a big hit! I'm also big on leisure time: face masks, bubble baths, manipedis, and Netflix all day everyday, please.

Hates: I try my best not to be a hater so I'll keep my list short & sweet: bigots, taxes, and doing dishes.

Any Guilty Pleasures:I genuinely can't think of any!  

Cocktail of choice: I'm not that fussy about cocktails, to be honest. I love a cold beer on a hot day. Oh and champagne. I guess I'm partial to fizzy drinks! 

What advice to you have for fellow makers? Keep to your self-imposed deadlines as best as you can. Take breaks: close the office door at the end of the day, turn off social media notifications, and check your messages in the morning or on Monday. Also, keep producing. It can be hard when you're juggling filling orders and trying to make new products (trust me, there isn't enough time in the day), but new products will keep the ball rolling. Finally, take care of your customers! Show them you're listening to their suggestions and that you're grateful for their business. They are, after all, the ones enabling your creative enterprise.

Thank you Erica for being a part of this Meet the Maker series! 

Be sure to check her out on Instagram // Etsy

Friday Favorites

Another long and stressful week is coming to a close and you know what that means... a fresh batch of favorites!

This DIY Mid Century Side Table

Iiiiii meeeeean... do you not LOVE it?! That color! Those legs! And would you believe that the base is made out of a cake pan?? I'm definitely making one. 

This Summer Wine Tasting Party

I'll use any excuse to throw a party, a summer wine tasting is definitely going on my to-do list this summer!

This DIY Tropical Garland

Who knew just a little paper could make you feel like you're on vacation?!

These DIY Cactus Oven Mits

I'm a sucker for all things cactus. These oven mitts are the perfect mix of form and function!

This Camera Strap

Yes... it's more cactus. Are you surprised?

And that rounds out this weeks favorites! Have you found anything around the web worth sharing? I'd love to see it!

Friday Favorites

Hi friends! It's Friday once again! And that means it's time for me to share with you some of the gems I have found around the web this week! 

This DIY Letterboard Birthday Card

If you haven't jumped on the letterboard train, I suggest you do. (It's a train that even Joanna Gaines is on after all.) This fun DIY creates custom cards that look like little mini letterboards, too cute!

This Paint Color

I mean... first of all, the name... I love it. If you couldn't tell from my wedding or my craft room inspiration, I'm a sucker for a peachy/blush hue. I'm not sure what I'm going to paint with this color... but it's going to be something. 

These DIY Hot Glue Magnet Gems

SO cute, right? I actually already have everything I need to make these magnets, so it might be happening this weekend. 

This Guest Room Mini Bar

I LOVE the idea of making your guests feel like they are on vacation when they visit you. We don't have a TON of house guests, but I may have to do this for our guest room. 

This Cactus Party

SO cute! Did you even know Oriental Trading had this much adorable stuff??

And that rounds out this weeks favorites. Have you spotted anything from around the web you'd like to share? I'd love to see it! 

Have a great weekend and a wonderful Father's Day!

Meet the Maker: Jen Causey

It's Monday and you know what that means... time to meet another maker! Today I am featuring Jen of Something Turquoise.

I first found Jen when planning my wedding. She has a DIY bridal blog so if you are planning or have planned a wedding, you have definitely seen her work all over Pinterest! I used her Instagram save the date idea for my own save the dates and starting following her blog from there. I eventually learned she's from the same city as me and one day, I went out on a limb and I sent her an e-mail asking if she was looking for an assistant and what do you know, she was! I currently run the Something Turquoise Pinterest account and help Jen whenever she needs a second set of hands. It has been such a fun opportunity to be around another creative (and one who makes a living at it, how cool is that?). 

What is it that you make and how did you get started?

I’m the founder and maker behind the creative wedding blog Something Turquoise. I started it 6 years ago and 2.5 years ago I was able to make it my full time job. I’ve been crafting ever since I can remember, my parents always encouraged me to make things and I was always labeled as “crafty” growing up. I desperately wanted to “make crafts” for a living but I didn’t know how I was going to make that happen, especially pre-internet. So I became a wedding hair dresser and kept crafting. While looking for wedding hair inspiration and helping my friends plan their weddings, I found wedding blogs and I pretty much never stopped looking at them. Through lots of trial and error in other crafting businesses and a 13 year career as a wedding hair dresser, I decided to start my own wedding blog and it's truly the best thing I have ever created!

Loves: 

Crafting, Sharks, Red Wine, Black Coffee, My Cat Bunny, Mermaids, Anything Turquoise, Long Beach, Cauliflower Covered In Buffalo Wing Sauce, Massages, Vintage Beach Paintings, Jeeps.

Hates: 

Salmon, Running, Copycats, The Desert, Cheaters, The Color Brown, Dairy, Pollution, Doing Dishes, Chipped Nail Polish. 

Any Guilty Pleasures? 

The TV show Finding Bigfoot. Getting lost on the Instagram Explore page. Reading way too much BuzzFeed… and Legos.

Cocktail of choice:

Red Wine or Champagne is my typical drink of choice but if you’re asking about what hard alcohol I like it’s tequila all the way. Shots, in margaritas, or in Bloody Maria’s.

What advice do you have for fellow makers?

Always follow your heart. If you don’t want to make that thing anymore, don’t make it. If you want to try something new, try it. When you turn a passion or hobby into your full time job, it’s easy to get stale because that “thing” is no longer your hobby. Mix it up. Take a class. Try something new…. but always let your heart lead the way. When art originates from your heart, it’s always perfect.

Thank you Jen for being a part of this Meet the Maker series! 
She is the absolutely epitome of a "Girl Boss" and such an incredible inspiration and mentor. I've learned so much from her and am so thankful for the opportunity she's given me to work alongside her.

Be sure to check her out on her Blog // Instagram // Facebook // Pinterest.

Friday Favorites

Something about the week after a short week that makes it feel like an eternity. I was ready for this week to be over by Tuesday. I guess working non stop and filling my little bits of free time to the brim is starting to take it's toll. Luckily, a lot of the "work" I'm doing, I enjoy so I can't complain too much. Anyways, that being said, it is officially Friday! Let's dive into this weeks favorites!

Craff House

So, I recently heard about Craff House from one of my favorite blogs, A Kailo Chic Life. Craff House is a new subscription crafting box that has really elevated the game. They start by partnering with unique artists, from there they have each artist create a professionally produced video tutorial for their project. Then they send you all the materials and supplies needed plus exclusive, behind-the-scenes tips and extras! The are currently running a kickstarter that I definitely recommend you check out!

These Chairs

I have had the same Ikea dining room chairs since I lived with Danica, back in 2009. I was finally ready for an upgrade and have been really into the mid-century look lately. As I was perusing the  World Market website, I saw they were having a HUGE furniture blowout and these chairs were on sale for $111.95 for a pair! How could I NOT buy them?

This Salad Costume

No I don't have any kids, and no, it's nowhere NEAR Halloween but I saw this costume and had to share!

This Bar Stool DIY

I have some simple barstools in our kitchen at home and have been wanting to change them out for something fun. This DIY gave me just the motivation I needed!

These Cake Toppers

Blue // Pink 

I'm going to do a little shameless self promotion here. I created a couple new cake toppers the other night and I love them so much I had to share. Ever since probably around my birthday I've been really into hexagons (as you've probably noticed). So I had the idea for some hexagon first birthday cake toppers. BUT that's not all... I thought, why not incorporate some foil! And voila! These little babies were born. They look so much better in person, the foil is to die for!

And that rounds out this weeks favorites! Hope you all have a great weekend!

Travel Toiletries with Cricut!

I'm so excited about today's post!

It's no surprise that I LOVE my Cricut. I originally bought it when I was in the midst of the frenzy that is wedding planning. I had been considering buying a cutting machine for years but couldn't justify it (because they are a bit pricey). I studied the brands, read every blog I could to make sure I got the best machine and eventually I pulled the trigger. I can say, without question, that it is, HANDS DOWN the BEST crafting investment I have ever made. It is so versatile and can do so much! AND they have a GOLD machine!

I have been traveling a bit more recently and in doing so I've come to the realization that there is just no cute travel toiletries. I looked high and low and, nothing. Eventually I found some pink ones that were oooookay, but needed a little something extra, here is where my handy dandy Cricut gets involved. I decided to use the Print then Cut feature of my Cricut to create some custom toiletry labels.

I created them on a fun palm leave pattern in a hexagon shape (because I've been kind of obsessing over hexagons lately, remember my birthday?).

Aren't they adorable??
And the best part, the printable vinyl is totally water resistant! I originally planned on using sticker paper for this project, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that sticker paper may not be the best option, especially since most of these items would likely be getting wet. So, I ran myself a little experiment. I printed a sample label out of Cricut Printable Vinyl. Once it was done printing, I took it over to the sink and ran it directly under the faucet. Not gunna lie, I didn't have high expectations for this. But, to my surprise, the water did NOTHING to the vinyl! The printed image didn't bleed or even smudge... AT ALL! I was so excited that I called my husband into my craft room to show him!

If you want to create some of these labels for yourself, here are the files:
Shampoo // Conditioner // Face Wash // After Sun Spray // Blank
Simply upload them into Design Space, be sure to choose "complex image" when uploading and save it as a print then cut image.

The labels automatically upload at 2.66 inches wide. I went in and changed them all to 2 inches for this project. 

And that's it! Your printer and your Cricut Explore do all of the work for you! When I first bought my machine, they hadn't announced the Print then Cut feature yet. It has quickly become my favorite feature! Especially using the cool mediums like printable vinyl, sticker paper and even tattoo paper! The possibilities really are endless. 

AND how cute would your new travel toiletries be on your next beach vacay in this simple make it now tote bag project? 

*Because I'm sure I'll get questions... I got the adorable Palm leaf pattern here and the font is Bromello*

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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.

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