Friday's Fancies: Go Pats!

I am soo late posting this today, but this week has been INSANE. Anyways, loving the football theme especially since I love my Pats. I never really got the thrill of the sport until I moved to football country and had a multitude of Badger and Pack fans to deal with.

play: {shoes}{bag}{top}{bottom}
day: {top}{bottom}{bag}{shoes}

Go Pats!

Friday's Fancies: Fall Lust!

My life is crazy lately, so my Friday's Fancies is a little bit late!

Sweaters & Vest: J. Crew, Tote: Kate Spade, Flats: Gap, Pumps: Zara

Sweaters, vests, and colder weather... oh my! Love, love, love the fall.

I've been dying for a puffy vest and some smoking flats, so those are on my lists for sure!

Life is so hectic to write up too much, but I wanted to attempt to stay consistent with FF!

Have a great weekend!

Treat to Try: Strawberry-Watermelon Juice

My mom's friend, Elizabeth, made this PHENOMENAL juice a few weeks ago during my last few days at home. It was a hot and sticky day, and Tessa (her daughter) and I were about to head out for dinner, but had a drink first with her momma! (And my creative mentor!)

Fast forward to now, and I had been jammed all day with work and school. When I saw watermelon at the grocery store, I just had to make myself a batch!

You Will Need:

Watermelon

Strawberries

Lime

Play up whichever taste you enjoy the most! I love a lot of tang and a decent amount of sweet, so I blend in some chopped up lime.... and garnish with lime as well. Too much? 

1. Chop up all your delicious fruit and try not to eat too much while you're at it.

2. Throw all of the fruit in the blender, with some lime, and puree until your desired consistency!

3. Enjoy!

inhaled this 60 seconds after snapping this pic!

DIY: Tassel Love (Part II)

Yesterday I professed my newfound love for making tassels. I know, I'm a craft nerd.

So, I made them into a necklace! I did a longer necklace than the example I showed yesterday, and while fabulous and bright orange, they probably needed to be spaced farther apart the next time I try it out, but this was my first dabbling in jewelry!

I used gold rings, hooked onto the top thread of the tassels, and used pliers to attach each tassel separately onto the chain. 

My next project is to place the tassels on the end of a long strand of beads. We'll see how it goes... 

take note.

Don't watch this if you cry easily in public places. Do watch it at some point, because it is beautiful.

The Man in the Red Bandana

DIY: Tassle Love (Part I)

I read this post months ago, and over the summer decided to try it out. However, before I could try out the necklace (which I will post tomorrow, since I did things a little differently), I had to make me some tassels!

I headed to Jo Ann's and more or less went hog wild, coming up with countless combinations of ombre (and metallic as seen above and below..) of tassels. Of course, I had to pare it down, which I did do... to five combos. Casual.

When I got back home, I took the embroidery floss, a piece of cardboard the size of a Post-It note, and some scissors and headed down to the beach to soak up the sun and whip out some tassels. I'm not going to lie, it was a little tricky at first, but quickly became a cathartic process. I know, I'm weird.

Sidebar: Remember when I wanted to make {this}? Well, now I know how to make all of the tassels! I have yet to accomplish punching grommets, and I still need to make a field trip to Mood to pick up some sturdy canvas (there wasn't anything of the sort in Jo Ann's), but that will be Christmas break's project.

Anyhow, here's how you can make your own tassels to do just about anything with! (I already have a mental list of bracelets, earrings, blankets, camera straps, pillows, etc!!)

You Will Need:

1 skein of embroidery floss per tassel
Cardboard cut to the size of a post it
Scissors

{I promise this is easy}

To Do:

1. Cut two pieces of embroidery floss, one about 4-5 inches, and one about 8 inches. Put these aside, you'll need them in a bit.
2. Wrap the rest of the skein around the cardboard until the skein ends.
3. Slowly and carefully wiggle the floss off of the cardboard.
4. Taking the smaller piece of floss, tie a knot around the center of bundle. Snip the loops on both ends.
5. Fold the bundle over and wrap the longer piece of floss around the tassel consistently, then knot it.
6. Trim the tassel and you're done!

You'll end up with a few of these:

pink!

jade

blues 

brass-gold

Enjoy!


*Unless otherwise noted, all pictures are property of Splash of Color & if used, please cite!

Fall Fashion Favorites

I love summer. I really, really love summer.

That being said, if I can't be sitting on the beach, and I must move on, then I would prefer if it started to cool down! Sweaters! Vests! Boots! Bring them on!

These are just a few of the items I am craving...

Denim shirts ~ Madewell

Hat ~ J.Crew

Vests ~ J. Crew

Cords ~ Target (can you imagine??)

Loafers ~ GAP (and I want them all. now, please.)

Friday's Fancies: Back to School

I mentioned last week that last Monday was my last first day of school (for the fall, anyways!), so this Friday's Fancies was perfect! I picked something slightly dressier, since this semester I am interning at a museum two mornings a week, so those two days I tend to come to class looking like quite the professional! :)

Here's what I would love to wear!

Top ~ TopShop
Cords~ J. Crew
Leopard Pumps~ J. Crew Collection

I am loving peplum tops. For my height (and lack of waist), they are perfect for defining the figure. I also cannot appropriately express my love for J. Crew corduroys, and this color is phenomenal- I saw them in J. Crew last week and almost died of happiness for fall fashion being upon us. Leopard is pretty much self-explanatory. Everything is better when leopard print! 

last first day!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Happy Menocal

Despite my tendency to lean towards the classic, preppy, and leopard print details in fashion and interior design, my weakness is most definitely the "perfectly imperfect" and funky design aesthetic.

The latest designer to join the "how are you so fabulous slash I want your life" club is the artist Happy Menocal, most recently featured in the September issue of my {online bible}. 

{source}

I would die a thousand deaths for the lobster print on her home page! 

Here are a few other faves!!

{found here}

{visit me here}

You can visit the whole portfolio of work, as well as find information on Custom Heraldry (how fabulous that sounds) and Pet Portraits (Merry Christmas Mom....) {here} at Happy Menocal's site. Enjoy!

OBSESSED: SwellCaroline

Matchbook Magazine readers may recognize SwellCaroline from their ads in the fabulous online mag, but if you are not an obsessive reader who clicks on the links of literally every page of that mag and reads it front to back at least once a week, well, let me introduce ya!

{source}

I'm sorry, their own tagline is, "Addictive Costume Jewelry" .... how can one not be intrigued?

My Pinterest was quite literally invaded by my obsessive pinning of their beautiful baubles and addicting accessories {here}, but below are a few of my faves!

{buy me here!}

{click here to see more options}

{because everyone needs an monogram, find me here}

{i understand i'm a pretty fabulous belt. and i'm right here}

Seriously, these are only a few of the unbelievably affordable and fabulous options at SwellCaroline, so show them some love and check the whole selection {here}

Camera Ready: DIY

A few weeks ago, I decided I wanted to spice up my DSLR and make a camera strap for it. It turned out like this:

Isn’t leopard print always more fun?

Funny enough, as I went to write this post, I received this in my email:

p.s. can we check out the DIY iPhone cover in the corner?!

DIY camera straps seem to be “in” right now!

Here’s how I made the leopard print and pearl strap seen above!

You will need:

1 ¼ yards of cotton webbing

Two swivel latches

Gold & Black craft paint

Embroidery Thread

Beads and Beading thread

2 Small key rings

To Do:

1.     Free-hand paint gold “spots” onto the webbing. Be liberal and relax on the spots. Obvs, it’s animal print so there’s no right or wrong way!

2.     Add smaller black spots on top of and surrounding the gold spots.

3.     After paint has dried, add beads. I randomly added a few here and there to give the camera strap an extra dimension

4.     Loop the swivel latches onto either end, fold over the ends, and stitch with the embroidery floss. Mark an “x” to solidify the closure.

5.     Attach the small key rings to the ends of the camera, clip on the strap, and start shooting! 

Treat to Try: Personal Pizzas

This is a super-easy mainly summer go-to in my family as well as with our friends, and has been edited continuously depending on the pizza maker. The dough is pre-made, so really, there is no fuss involved!

My mom makes what we refer to as an “Elm City Special” (New Haven, for those who know what that is referencing…), which is a white sauce, sliced tomatoes, and some full and fresh basil leaves. Another favorite is, as my mom calls it, Salad Pizza a la Claflin. Salad Pizza hails from Jordan’s Pizza in our hometown, and consists of doughy bread cooked with tradish red sauce and then covered in a tossed fresh garden salad. It’s amazing. SP a la C is created with red sauce and cheese and then topped with a garden salad. Both SP’s include Italian dressing in the salad!

My personal favorite, and the one shown below, is a simply olive oil and cheese pie topped with arugula that has been tossed with lemon juice. Noms. Instructions below!

tell me your mouth doesn't water looking at this!

You will need:

Pizza Dough (Our local grocer sells frozen handmade personal pies that you defrost and cook (or grill!), but it tastes equally delish using good old supermarket pre-cooked dough. I know because we’ve made that too!

Olive Oil

Rosemary

Garlic

Whatever cheese you like! (I’ve had Fontina, Parm, Mozz, and dollops of  Goat Cheese all on one pie… yummy!)

Pepperoni

Toppings

Salt & Pepper

Arugula

Lemon Juice

To Do:

1.     Heat olive oil with rosemary and garlic to infuse. Brush on generally onto the pizza dough

2.     Laden the dough with whichever cheese you see fit. For this I used a mix of shredded parmesan and mozzarella, along with slices of fresh mozzarella to beef it up

3.     Add additional toppings, in this case: pepperoni

4.     Sprinkle with a little salt and generous pepper (depending on your tastes!)

5.     Cook pies… Mine literally cooked for five minutes at 450 degrees, but follow the dough instructions!

6.     While pie cooks, toss arugula with lemon juice

7.     Top pie with arugula and add extra S+P if deemed fit… I really love pepper

8.     ENJOY!

First Day of School!

Today is the last first day of the school year! And with that, I leave you with some getting-back-in-the-saddle inspiration! 

Sweet Summer Time

Home has been so relaxing that I have forgotten to keep up to date with blogging!

I flew home following the summer end of my internship, and couldn't have been happier to have had this past month at home! There is no place that does summer better than New England! {Sorry!!}

There were many hours spent at the beach at home...

.... with day trips to Watch Hill and the beloved Block Island...

... and lots of reading, yummy food, and fun projects! I have a few recipes and projects to share, but I have to head back to reading for classes and packing for the trip back to Milwaukee. It's been real, East Coast!!

The Art of Packing {or lack thereof...}

In my mind, I believe I am a phenomenal packer. Why? Purely due the fact that I have options, I rarely forget anything, and I'm pretty prepared for any inclement change.

Now, if you were to ask anyone aside from a handful of girlfriends and my sisters, {namely any guy who has ever been so unfortunate to have to lug my suitcases or happen to be with me at the airport} I can guarantee that they would unanimously agree that I am an awful packer.

So, when I saw this on Pinterest, I had to save it for the next time I traveled.

Now, I would only do this if I absolutely couldn't check a bag, because even though I have lost luggage before and that feels literally as though the world is ending, I much prefer traveling light while onboard and checking my bags.

However, flying home was ridiculously expensive, so I had not been expecting to go back to CT this summer.... until the opportunity to just go stand by some time next week presented itself. Yay impromptu trips home! Boo everything must fit in one carry on.

Not knowing how long I'd be home, and not being able to pack light (as well as a jam-packed sched these next few days) I decided to attempt packing today before heading up north for the weekend.

And so, I started off with this:

8 pairs of shorts

16 shirts

6 dresses

5 skirts

5 pants

5 pairs of shoes

2 sweaters

3 bathing suits

{and all that underwear/socks/etc jazz}

... and I ended up with this:

... A carry-on-sized rolling suitcase that closes without extending it OR sitting on it, both of which are routine when I pack. 

In the words of my favorite SNL Weekend Update: SERIOUSLY?! SERIOUSLY?!

Friday's Fancies: Eurotrip

I'm back!

Getting my act together for Friday's Fancies has been a difficult one, but I finally got back on track!

Obviously, it's sooo difficult to get me to imagine what in the world I would wear on a trip to Europe. I only wish I could be back there right now!

skirt/shirt/watch/sandals
scarf/satchel/fedora sold out! 

Fedora: I'm a huge fan of hats! I bought a very similar one a few years back at American Eagle before going on Spring Break and it is still one of my favorite hats to wear! It covers up a bad hair day, keeps you cool, and is just very cute!

Shirt: Okay, I absolutely am obsessed with this T and want it in every single color. Including leopard print, which lucky me, is an option on Alloy's website. I die.

Skirt: Major fan of the hi-lo trend! In case you're new, last summer I studied abroad in Spain, and prior to studying I spent a week traveling with my {boyfriend at the time} through Rome and Barcelona. It was so bloody hot that most of the time was spent wearing sundresses and/or shorts, however, when visiting the Vatican you are required to have shoulders ands knees covered {despite the fact that you would be surprised to see how many people get away with not following that rule...}. Anyhow, we both wore pants which was completely necessary but utterly uncomfortable, especially considering the heat and all of the insane walking we did! This skirt gives a little relief from the heat... and oxygen! {BONUS: it comes in a pale blue as well. I want both!}

Scarf: I wrote something similar a few Friday's Fancies' back, so I know this isn't super original to this blog, but it's a tip and trick I use over and over again. {In, fact, I'll be employing it on Wednesday when I go visit family!} Years back, one of the many magazines I indulge in monthly/weekly/etc did their "final look" on travel tips. One such tip was to include a pashmina or scarf that was big enough to double as a blanket on a plane, since they become freezing! Obvs, when prancing around Europe in the summer, you don't need one that big or thick, but it's great for traveling, and frequently temps are much cooler in the morning and at night, so if you're doing quite a lot of traveling, having something light that can be rolled up and fit in your bag {if it gets too hot} or worn ever-so-chicly as part of your outfit doesn't hurt! Not to mention, I'm fairly positive that Europeans are immune to heat and they wear harem  pants and scarves like it's their job. So, if you're looking to look less "OH HEY OVER HERE I'M AMERICAN",  scarves are your friends!

Satchel: Let's be honest, it's just pretty! I would probably bring something bigger in reality that could hold my DSLR.

Watch: Again, so pretty. It's on my wish list for sure. I have a slightly less fab version that I wear all the time to keep me punctual!

Sandals: The slight wedge is cute enough without being painful or in danger of causing broken ankles (did that. not fun!)

What would you bring??

For the sake of nostalgia, this was where I was this time last year!

Granada, Spain

Ciudad de Futbol, Madrid, Spain

¡Feliz fin de la semana!

Crafty Coffee Mugs

I'm sure my mother will be delighted to know that the Corelle mugs she bought for my apartment are no longer the boring plain old white. Nevertheless, I had seen many a picture online of quoted coffee mugs  that had been a DIY and decided to try it out for myself!

I scoured my Pinterest boards for quotes that would be apt for mugs, grabbed whatever Sharpies in our apartment still had decent ink in them (and some tape and scissors should I try to create some patterns) and got to work! 

Trying to come up with which quotes was tricky, since I had so many! Ultimately, I decided on the four above.

And, finally....

What quotes would you want see on your coffee mugs?