About CCL

Chic Creative Life is an inspirational destination to craft a beautiful, unique life. A mixture of styling how-to’s and ideas, fashionable inspiration, affordable shopping picks, and DIY tutorials, the site is for those who want to put their personal stamp on everything.

Founded in January 2008 originally as Chic Steals, the site has grown exponentially over the years and been featured in numerous publications, both online and off. Rebranding and relaunching in 2017 Chic Creative Life has a subscriber base of over 10,000+ readers, and welcomes 1500+ viewers daily. The site is home to over 250 original DIY and craft tutorials and ideas for how to life one’s best life..creatively, chic-ly, and most authentically yours.

ABOUT ME: CARLY J. CAIS

I am a self-taught DIY maven, and I’ve making my own clothing, jewelry, accessories, crafts, home decor, stuffed animals, soap, candles, body products…you name it…since I was 6. It’s a hobby with a life of its own – stemming from necessity due a lack of money when I was a child…to just wanting to be frugal and creative as an adult. I find such happiness and pleasure in making things.

Though I always loved the fashion and jewelry industry and wanted to become a designer, it was never more than a hobby for many years. I became a stay-at-home mom in 2005, and two years later I founded my own line of misses’ clothing and accessories called RIVETED.

After two seasons due to economic, financial, and personal issues, I had to close down the line. However I still wanted to stay connected to the world of fashion and trends, and so offered to write for FashionTribes.com. I began this blog merely to house my weekly budget-shopping articles I had contributed to both them and other websites.

I also kept making clothing, jewelry, and accessories for myself: DIY’ing things I saw in magazines and stores that I couldn’t afford. I loved to upcycle and re-use what I already had on hand. I began writing and sharing tutorials on this site for fashionable items others could make at home, using fairly simple tools and materials. It was right around then that the economy had crashed and there was a surge of interest in DIY’ing and making things oneself, frugality, and being resourceful, and so my blog took off. Over the years my DIY’s and tutorials have been featured in numerous places on the web and in print, and thanks to my blog I’ve had so many great opportunities: travel, hosting events, teaching, and partnering with many brands. The internet has allowed me to reach such a wide audience and share what I’m passionate about – something I could never have anticipated when I began!

Chic Steals has grown immeasurably since I began it, and it’s all because of you. Thank you for being loyal readers!!

xo
Carly

 

Dying to know more about me? Check out my FAQ here, with answers to questions about my blog hosting, camera and lenses, personal stuff, and more!

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