October 20, 2016

How to make a Silk Tassel Pendant

Over a year ago, I blogged about how to make a tassel necklace. To see the post, click here. A reader recently asked me where she could find the instructions to make the actual silk tassel pendant and I realized that I had neglected to add that post, so sorry! Below are the instructions and step-by-step photos, thanks Raegan for reminding me about this!

| above tassel pendant was made using a machine-made silk tassel, but the instructions are the same |

How to make a Silk Tassel Pendant

Please note: These instructions are for a 3″ long silk tassel, the two beads I added made it 4″ long total.

Supplies:

2 yards of silk thread, I used 0.90 mm thick silk thread for a 3″ long pendant
a piece of cardboard to wrap the (I used a standard size business card)
Bead cap (used to cover the head of the tassel)
G-S Hypo Cement (used to glue the bead cap to the head of the tassel)
5″ long piece of wire with a loop at the end, 22 gauge (similar size gauges will work too as long as it fits through the bead hole)
8 or 10mm Crystal Pave Bead (or whatever you like)
Square Bead (or whatever you like)
Pliers, round-nose preferably (used to make the loop)
jump ring (used to attach the pendant to the necklace)

| cut two pieces of silk thread |

| place one piece of thread horizontally across the top of a business card, then wrap the silk thread around it about 80 times or until desired thickness |

| slide the thread up and tie it tightly in a square knot |

| carefully remove the business card being sure to keep the tassel flat and untangled |

| take the second piece of thread and wrap it around the top of the tassel several times and then knot it – to make the head |

| slide the wire up through the head of the tassel, the loop at the end of the wire will prevent it from coming through the top, especially after you cement the bead cap over the head of the tassel |

| apply the cement to the inside of the bead cap and slide it down over the wire and firmly onto the head of the tassel, allow to dry for 10-15 minutes |

| slide the square bead and then the pave bead onto the wire and using round-nose pliers, form a loop |

| wrap the open end of the wire around the base of the loop a couple of times (this is called wire wrapping) |

Finally, add a jump ring to the loop you made at the top of the tassel and then attach the pendant to the necklace with the jump ring. For a great tutorial on how to make tassels, click here.

October 10, 2016

DIY Pumpkin Flower Vase

I believe that everyone should get flowers on their birthday. In honor of my girlfriend’s October birthday, when pumpkins are so plentiful, I created a DIY Pumpkin Flower Vase and filled it with gorgeous blossoms. This DIY flower project has been on my bucket list for a while, thanks to my friend Alexi for the inspo. This vase was so easy to make and I love how pretty and festive it is this time of year. I want to share the step-by-step photos and instructions if you want to make one for yourself or give to a friend. If you are entertaining this month or hosting Thanksgiving, this DIY Pumpkin Flower Vase would make a stunning center piece!

DIY Pumpkin Flower Vase

Here’s what you’ll need:

One medium size pumpkin
A sharp knife
A plastic container
One block of Oasis Floral Foam (very helpful, but not required)
Two green baby cabbage
An assortment of 3-4 types of flowers, I used roses, carnations and alstroemerias

You’ll see in some of the photos that I purchased white hydrangea. I decided not to use them once I saw the arrangement was coming together so beautifully. For the vase, I chose a white pumpkin that I selected from one of Connecticut’s local farms. Look for a pumpkin that is unblemished or has at least one good side. Pumpkins are grown in the dirt, so don’t discard a pumpkin that looks like it has potential, a quick wash with water may be all it needs. I used a plastic container with water-soaked oasis floral foam and inserted it into the center of the pumpkin to help anchor the flowers and provided the all important supply of fresh water. As you start adding the greens and flowers, measure the height of the flower and cut the stem on a diagonal. This helps the stem glide into the oasis and provides more surface area for the stem to absorb water.

| a key to a great arrangement is having flowers with different textures |

DIY Pumpkin Flower Vase

October 5, 2016

5 Halloween Treats!

| Candy Corn Cake |

I can’t believe that it’s been almost a year since I blogged about Halloween Treats, where has the time gone? Many of you know that my love for Halloween knows no bounds and this year I am working on a brand new roundup of Halloween ideas and inspiration that I can’t wait to share with you! I’m scheduled to be on News 8 CT in a few weeks to show their viewers some of the treats that I have planned and I will keep you posted on when that airs. In the meantime, I wanted to create direct links to each of the Halloween blog posts that I did last year. This is for new CT in Style subscribers and for my existing subscribers in case you missed it last year! I normally don’t repost my blogs, but I was so happy with how these came out.

The round up from last year includes Mummy Juice Boxes, S’Mores Witches Hats, Spider Cupcakes, Candy Corn Cake and of course a Suffering Bastard Cocktail. I’ve included the links to each of these posts below, I hope you enjoy!

5 Halloween Treats!

Mummy Juice Boxes

| S’Mores Witches Hats |

Spider Cupcakes

Candy Corn Cake

Suffering Bastard Cocktail

5 Halloween Treats

September 14, 2016

Favorite IKEA Hack

I came across this gorgeous shelving unit while browsing on-line and could not believe that it was an IKEA hack. Style me Pretty gets credit for this great DIY! I’m in love with the gold and faux marble shelves that transformed this simple IKEA bookshelf into a gilded Étagère. The best part, this is easy to do and costs about $120 bucks! Here are the materials, step-by-step instructions, and photos.

Materials:

Shelves (from IKEA $79.99)
Beige marble contact paper (from Amazon – 2 rolls $8.27 per roll)
Natural marble contact paper (from Amazon – 1 roll $8.92)
Gold spray paint (any hardware store – 2 cans)
Scissors
Plastic drop cloth

Instructions:

STEP 1 – Assemble the shelf frame according to the IKEA instructions. Lay outside on a large plastic drop cloth and spray paint gold in three light coats, rotating the unit as needed. Let dry ½ hour.

STEP 2 – While the frame is drying, cover the fiberboard shelves in beige marble contact paper. Begin the contact paper at one end of the shelf and slowly peel away the backing, smoothing out any air bubbles as you go. Use the scissors to snip away extra contact paper at the corners.

STEP 3 – Cover one of the glass shelves in the natural marble contact paper in the same manner.

STEP 4 – Place the shelves in the gold frame and style with your favorite books, glassware, and trinkets!

Favorite IKEA Hack

Photography: Ruth Eileen Photography

July 1, 2016

July 4th Mason Jars

Hi everyone! This project wraps up the week-long series on July 4th ideas and inspo. I’ve included quick links to all the July 4th themed posts below and just scroll down to see the step-by-step instructions for these festive and patriotic July 4th Mason Jars. Have a wonderful weekend! See you back here on Tuesday xo

4th of July Outfit – a lightweight red sweater paired with blue and white seersucker shorts and All-Star Converse sneakers.
Delicious 4th of July Dessert – S’Mores Dip! Warm gooey chocolate and marshmallows with graham cracker dipping sticks!
Individual S’Mores Desserts – your guests will love these mini mason jars filled with S’Mores ingredients.
July 4th Sparklers Station – no July 4th is complete without sparklers, set up a station with all the supplies you need.

July 4th Mason Jars

| patriotic inspired mason jars |

Yahoo! I’ve been waiting to publish this post for months! I came across this idea for Patriotic Mason Jars on Pinterest several months ago and immediately fell in love with it. I knew that as soon as the July 4th holiday came around, this would be the craft project. I wanted to do something fun that my kids could get involved with too. Catherine is only four years old, but she wields a paintbrush like nobody’s business. Together, we sat down at the patio table outside and painted these patriotic mason jars drawing inspiration from the American Flag.

July 4th Mason Jars

For this project, you will need:

3 large mason jars
red, white and blue chalk paint (it adheres really well to glass)
a paint brush and a sponge brush
painter’s tape (if you have a steady hand and can paint straight lines, the tape is optional and you should be a surgeon)
self-adhesive foam stars

Begin by protecting your work area, you can use a newspaper or a paper grocery bag. Paint all the jars white and allow to dry for about 20 minutes. You will be painting one jar with stars and two jars with stripes. You can start with either the stripes or star jar.

| this paint adheres well to glass |

| paint all three jars with white paint |

| one down, two to go |

| my little helper |

For the two striped jars, you can take your chances and paint the red stripe freehand or you can apply painter’s tape if you are obsessed like me. Press firmly on the painter’s tape at the seams to prevent the red paint from seeping through the tape and getting onto the white paint. Allow to dry for about 20 minutes.

| apply painter’s tape to the jars once the paint has completely dried |

| using red paint, paint between the painter’s tape |

Moving on to the star jar, apply the foam stars to the jar in a random pattern. Note: The package of stars that I bought at the craft store had stars in different sizes. I like the idea of different size stars, but it you want to use the same size for the entire jar you probably will not have enough to cover the entire jar. This is easily solved, because once you are done painting with one section of the jar, you can carefully remove the stars and reapply them to another section until the entire jar is covered. Once you have applied the stars, blot on blue paint using a sponge brush.

| these foam stars work perfectly as stencils |

| paint over the foam stars with blue paint |

| you can carefully remove the stars and adhere them to other parts of the jar and continue painting |

| this is what the jar looks like when you remove the foam stars |

I also found it helpful to use a small paintbrush to get in between the “v’s” of the stars. As previously mentioned, once the paint has dried, you can carefully remove the stars and reapply them to another section of the jar and continue painting over the stars with blue paint. When you are finished painting and everything is dry, remove all the stars to reveal the white stars.

| the final product |

If you are having a party, you can use these jars to hold utensils like knives, forks and spoons. Once the sun goes down, remove the utensils and add tea lights – so pretty! This would make a very thoughtful hostess gift, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love a handmade gift that is as practical as it is beautiful.

| add tea lights and convert these mason jars into lanterns |

Happy Birthday America!

June 30, 2016

July 4th Sparklers Station

| Sparklers Station for the July 4th Holiday |

July 4th is simply not complete without sparklers. Are you with me? Even though they only last a short time after you light them, I find them so enchanting. It’s like having a mini firework in your hand! I wanted to set up a “sparklers station” that would hold sparklers, matches and a jar of water to put the used (but still hot) sparklers in. When it came time to assemble the sparkler station, I wanted something really fun and festive that screamed “Happy July 4th!” Then I remembered a metal tray that I bought at a tag sale for a couple of dollars. At the time, I had no idea what I was going to do with it but it came home with me anyway.

Trays are such useful and practical items and they can serve so many different purposes. One of the reasons that I am attracted to them is how organized I feel when I use them. Everything I need goes in one spot, and when I am finished, it all comes back in – in one trip. Easy peasy. And, the romantic in me appreciates how everything that gets put on a tray gets elevated. Getting handed a glass of champagne is just not the same as having one served to you on a tray. Trays are fancy.

July 4th Sparklers Station

I just needed a can of silver paint and metallic star confetti to transform it. Here are the before and after photos. I love how it turned out!

| I sprayed the tray with clear adhesive and randomly scattered the confetti on the bottom of the tray |

| using little dabs of glue, I stuck the confetti to the sides of the tray |

| I spray painted the match boxes too, why not? |

| a mason jar filled with water is a smart way to immediately cool used sparklers and matches |

June 22, 2016

Fabulous Finds

Today, I am going to show you how a can of spray paint can transform two ordinary pieces of furniture into something chic! My idea was to update an entryway by creating a small little vignette with a mirror and table to showcase the blue and white chinoiserie collection I have started. When it came time to determine the color of the furniture, I narrowed it down to pink or orange. Either combination looks amazing together. Ultimately, I went with the orange because I knew it would make the chinoiserie pieces pop.

The Fabulous Finds are on oval mirror and a glass-topped table. The oval mirror use to hang in our powder room. It got replaced with a tall rectangular mirror during the last make-over. Since then, the mirror has been collecting dust in our garage for a couple of years. It’s one of those items that was taking up space, but I didn’t want to part with it because I had a feeling that I would be able to use it again. The little glass-topped table was found at a flea market. I love the bamboo features and I was counting on a fresh coat of paint to help bring it back to life. Below are the before and after photos, I’m thrilled with how bright and cheery it is! I’ve also included my spray painting tips in case you’d like to try this yourself.

| here is the table before is was painted and the mirror in the background with its first coat of paint |

| I started with the table upside down to reserve the finishing coats for the top |

| the table getting its final coat of paint |

| I’m getting great results with RUST-OLEUM, it adheres to just about everything |

Sarah’s spray painting tips:

Buy enough paint to do the job. One can of spray paint will be enough to paint one small piece of furniture. For example, the two items that I spray painted required three cans. Buy more paint than you think you will need as long as the store will take back any unopened cans. It’s totally worth the trip to return the paint than running out of paint in the middle of the job.
Make sure that you are spray painting on a day with no or low humidity. I’ve found that paint never dries to a hard finish (it always feels a bit tacky to the touch) if I have painted on humid days.
READ THE DIRECTIONS AND WARNINGS ON THE SPRAY PAINT FIRST. Ideally, you want to spray paint outdoors which will provide the maximum ventilation. If that’s not possible, find a place, such as a garage and leave the door open. If you feel like the fumes are getting too much, step away for a few minutes and then resume painting. One of the best things about spray paint versus painting with a brush, is that you do not have to worry about leaving brush marks and it is easy to pick up where you left off.
Lay a very large piece of plastic underneath the items that you will be painting making sure that several feet of plastic extends beyond the item you are painting. You’d be surprised (and dismayed) at how far spray paint will travel! It is also a good idea to cover any other objects that are within 8-10 feet of where you will be painting.
Always wear a protective mask to cut down on inhaling the fumes, disposal gloves are helpful to avoid getting paint on your fingers.
Shake the can of spray paint for a full minute to mix the contents, you will hear a metal ball inside the can, the ball is helping to ensure everything gets blended. You will want to start painting as soon as you have finished mixing the paint.
When you are ready to start painting, hold the can about 12 inches away from the item you are painting, and lightly spray with a slow back and forth motion. When the item has been completely covered with a light coat of paint, wait 15-20 minutes and apply a second coat, repeat. Most items will require at least three coats of paint to provide the coverage, protection, color saturation and gloss (if using gloss paint).

Spray painting is easy and fun and as you can see, will elevate any piece of furniture into something you’ll be proud of! Go for it!

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April 13, 2016

Elevated Black Bead Bracelet

Last week, I hosted a cocktail party that included a fun and creative craft where my guests made some cute bead bracelets. It was such a hit that I wanted to share this DIY jewelry project! This Elevated Black Bead Bracelet is just one variation that you can make, there are literally hundreds of beads in different colors, shapes and sizes that would work equally well for this. I’ve made many basic bead bracelets, but for this project I wanted to elevate the style by stacking three bracelets and securing them with a pretty pearl clasp. The clasp is removable, so if you already have bead bracelets at home, consider combining different ones and colors. I want to give a shout out to my friend Kirstin who was sporting a similar bracelet which was my inspiration for this one. Below are the photos and step-by-step instructions.

Supplies:

.8mm Powercord, also know as stretchy bead cord, it is a clear elastic cord that is ideal for making bracelets (you need 8-9″ for each bracelet)
6mm or 8mm beads (you need 20-24 beads for the average 6-7″ wrist) – here is a link to similar beads that I used, they are sold by the strand and one 16″ strand should be just enough to make two bracelets
14mm or 16mm Pearl (a fresh water pearl would be beautiful)
1mm round leather lace (you need 3-4″)
a pair of scissors or small pliers

String 20-24 beads on to the powercord adding more if needed so it fits comfortably around your wrist. Tie the ends of the powercord with a regular square knot, and then make the same knot twice more pulling the ends tightly. You can dab clear nail polish on the knot to help keep it from untying, but I’ve found that if you pull the powercord tightly it holds just fine.

Make three bracelets.

String a large bead onto the round leather cord.

Tie the end with a square knot and pull the pearl down onto the knot to tighten the knot. Cut off the excess leather cord very close to the knot.

Form a loop with the other end of the cord and tie a square knot and then tie another square knot on top.

This is what the clasp will look like, cut off the excess leather cord close to the knot.

Put the clasp around the bracelets and take the loop and put it over the pearl. Imagine the clasp as a pony tail holder!

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March 21, 2016

Gold Speckled Easter Eggs

Hello everyone! Despite the snow here on the East Coast, spring is in the air and I feel so energized about this week’s posts. I’ve loaded up on bright, beautiful content that covers a little bit of everything starting today with DIY Gold Speckled Easter Eggs, a pretty little giveaway (check back tomorrow to enter), a Birchbox Beauty review, a Spring Fling cocktail and we’ll wrap up with my Easter Brunch menu and tablescape. Please hop in and out this week to get some ideas and inspiration! I’m also including a link to theSkimm. It is my new obsession because it gives me all the world news highlights and includes a dash of humor to keep me sane.

This weekend, Catherine and I had a blast decorating Easter Eggs. I remember doing this when I was a child, and I love making these memories with her. I think that we managed to decorate 24 eggs in total and I’m not sure if my lungs could have taken anymore. Does anyone “blow out their eggs?” We poke a hole in each end of an egg and literally blow out the contents so we can save the decorated eggs indefinitely. They are very fragile, however, you can protect the eggs by spraying them with a clear sealer that can be found in most hardware stores.

How to make Gold Speckled Easter Eggs

What you’ll need:

White eggs
Paas Color Cup,
Water
White vinegar
Gold paint
Paint brush
Plastic gloves

Before you begin, put on a pair of plastic gloves. The dye will stain your fingertips and you will need to pull back the bristles of a brush that is loaded with gold paint to flick the paint onto the eggs. For the Gold Speckled Easter Eggs, we dyed the eggs light blue. I’ve already mentally committed to a blue, green and white Easter Brunch tablescape and these eggs will be part of the design. We used a Paas Color Cup Easter Egg Kit that are available at most supermarkets and followed the directions. For the gold flecks, I used a small jar of gold paint and a short bristled paint brush. Once the eggs were dyed and dried, I dipped the brush into the gold paint and pulled back the bristles to let the paint fly! I held the brush about 4-6 inches away from the eggs to achieve a speckled look. Tip: speckle the eggs in a protected area, the paint can fly quite far. I’m so thrilled with how these eggs came out! So pretty and as easy as can be.

A vibrant photo album from my friend Jennie to capture the memories, thanks JJ!

The longer you let the egg stay in the dye, the darker it will become. Be sure to rotate the egg every couple of minutes so you don’t end up with an egg that is darker on one side.

Dip the paintbrush in gold paint and pull the bristles back to let the paint fly!

Once you are satisfied with one side, let the gold paint dry and turn the eggs over. Repeat on other side.

Tip: don’t use too much gold paint, you want just enough to achieve the effect. We’re not going for Jackson Pollock.

Gold Speckled Easter Eggs

P.S. The 24 egg whites and yolks have been saved and will be used for omelets, scrambled eggs, french toast, Mexican Frittata… hello Omega 3! I needed some ideas for what to do with the eggs, here is a link to Huffington Post’s The Only 40 Egg Recipes You’ll Ever Need – there are some really delicious looking ones!

March 17, 2016

Gallery Wall Tips

Not sure how to get started with hanging your favorite paintings, pictures, and wall décor? All you need to do is become fearless with push pins. Here’s why: There was a time when I would ask my husband to hold a picture against a wall so I could see if I liked it in a particular spot. But I can’t make a decision in 30 seconds and that’s about how long it takes for him to raise his eyebrows with the silent question “Is it going here or what?” Push pins don’t get exasperated. I’ve started using them like nobody’s business because I have found that they are an essential tool to help me design a gallery wall. If you are interested in installing a gallery wall, but are not sure how to get started, here are some quick tips and links to other posts for inspiration. Click here on The Secrets to Creating a Gallery Wall and then click on 5 Tips for Gorgeous Gallery Walls to see gallery walls that other people have created. Simply beautiful!

Gallery Wall Tips

Let go of your fear. One of the main reasons that I was reluctant to hang pictures was due to the nail-in-the-wall commitment. It felt so permanent because of the hassle involved in filling the hole and touching up paint if you changed your mind. Push pins leave a tiny hole in the wall that’s barely noticeable and can be filled with light weight DAP that doesn’t need to be painted. You are probably thinking that a push pin can’t hold the same weight as a nail. You would be shocked at how much a push pin can hold. See the faux deer head in the photo above? It is hanging on one push pin. I know, right?
Do your research. If you have a Pinterest account, search “gallery wall” and thousands of photos will pop up (you can Google as well). Find a design that you like and figure out what it is about the image that you are drawn to. Once you start saving a bunch of images, it should be obvious that they all have something in common and a theme will emerge. It could be a color, a layout, a style of art, all black and white photos, etc.
Once you have decided on your theme, start collecting pieces of artwork. Hopefully, you already have a few of the pieces in your home that can be used to build upon. Shop online and on foot for other pieces to round out the gallery wall. One of the best places for inexpensive artwork, are consignment stores, thrift shops, flea markets. Some of my favorite pieces have been found this way.
Once you have assembled enough pieces to layout your gallery wall, gather a handful of push pins and start hanging the artwork. I’ve found it very helpful to use a layout as a guide for where to position pieces. As important, is balancing color (if your theme has lots of different colors). Don’t be afraid to move pieces around until you have found a layout that you like.
Consider incorporating 3D objects, such as this adorable faux deer head (found at home goods stores and online). You can also use pretty plates!

I adore the deer head, but he didn’t always look like that…