Sep 19, 2013 | DIY
It’s that time of year again: September is upon us, there’s a slight chill in the air, and the kids area heading back to school with brand-new notebooks, pencils, and Justin Bieber folders. Okay, maybe scratch that Justin Bieber part – but September always feels like a time of renewal, reinvention, and a brand-new routine. One always needs a ton of pouches and satchels and bags to navigate the beginning of the year – so why not DIY something totally trendy and useful at the same time?
Wander & Hunt is a new DIY supply shop, featuring on-trend DIY kits to create awesome projects for a fraction of the cost. (You may have noticed they feature kits designed by Geneva from the popular DIY blog A Pair & Spare – which is doubly fantastic! If anyone has their finger on the pulse of DIY trends, that would be Geneva. 🙂 I was sent the DIY Transparent Satchel Project Kit to play with – and had a blast making my own!
I’ve tried to create a clear pouch made from vinyl acetate AKA PVC before – and found that it’s actually a lot harder than it looks. With every cut of your scissors, you leave an obvious ragged edge. Punching holes puckers the surface, and you need to have a fairly thick sheet of PVC to hold up to being made into a usable bag.
I was happily surprised when I opened the Wander & Hunt kit and found that the edges of the acetate were pristine (laser-cut would be my guess) so instead of a raggedy-looking homemade craft, you can make a very polished off-the-rack imposter. Plus, since the holes are pre-punched (and a bonus screwdriver is included in the kit – yay!), attaching the studs to form the shape of the bag is a breeze.
In all, it took me 11 minutes to actually make the bag from start to finish – which is record time for a project that looks so complicated yet yields such a satisfying result!
The satchel can actually fit a couple notebooks, a phone, a pencil case, and some makeup – a great size for toting everywhere!
The DIY Transparent Satchel Kit is available from Wander & Hunt for $69 – and all orders over $100 from Wander & Hunt ship FREE worldwide. You can customize your bag with either gold or silver hardware…or pick up some extra supplies (like some glue-on gemstones in settings!) to customize the front flap further. It’s a great project for a fashion-forward handbag perfect for school, work, or play…and no complicated measuring, cutting, or punching necessary.
Happy DIY’ing – and Happy Back-to-School!
xo
Carly
FTC Disclosure: I was sent a DIY Transparent Satchel Project Kit from Wander & Hunt for review purposes, as well as some other DIY supplies for future projects. I was not compensated in any other way for this post, and the above opinions are my own. My full Disclosure Policy is here.
Leave Comment
Sep 7, 2013 | DIY
Laurence King Publishing (the same publishers of the incredibly useful DIY Couture by Rose Martin) recently were gracious enough to send me a copy of their newest sewing book, Sweet Dress Book: 23 Dresses of Pattern Arrangement
by Yoshiko Tsukiori. 
Translated from the Japanese, this pattern book features 23 tutorials for making a variety of blouses, tops, dresses, cardigans, and even shorts – all engineered from a basic 6 patterns with different darts, flounces, and lengths to switch up the silhouettes. (more…)
Leave Comment
Aug 23, 2013 | Beauty
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more conscious of not only what I put in my body (favoring organic, responsibly-produced, ethically-farmed, and natural products whenever possible)…but also what I put on my body. The skin being the largest organ means that what it absorbs truly makes a difference in not only how you feel, but also the toxic load placed on your entire system. (more…)
Leave Comment
Jan 14, 2013 | Beauty, Score!
I recently received a sample Caress® Passionate Spell® Fine Fragrance Elixir Body Wash, and it’s become my newest bath-time indulgence.
I’ve had really dry, itchy legs for the first time ever this Winter (maybe I’m allergic to my socks?? I’ve been wondering), and nothing has given me any relief. By night-time in the bath I am scrabbling away at my ankles, trying to calm the itchiness, slathering on lotion and moisturizers to no avail once I’m out. I’ve been using regular Dove bar soap in the bath, and haven’t had much of a problem with it…until now.
So I was really surprised that within a couple days of switching over to Caress Body Wash instead of soap, the itchiness had gone down tremendously. The wash is silky smooth and super-moisturizing, and even Lil Tot likes the fragrance of it.
It has a complex scent, of spicy orange rose and passionfruit: fruity, flowery, and Wintery all in one. I’ve never smelled anything like it before – and it makes my whole bathroom smell like a warm Winter punch (with orange slices floating in it), and lush gardenias and rose blossoms. Plus the scent lingers long after my bath, and I smell delicious for hours afterwards!
Courtesy of Caress® Passionate Spell®, they are giving away a $25 gift card to one lucky reader! With it you can purchase Caress® Passionate Spell® Fine Fragrance Elixir Body Wash to try out yourself, and snag yourself a pretty accessory to go with your gleaming, scented skin. Or use it wherever – on whatever – you want! Here are the details:
GIVEAWAY: ONE $25 Gift Card
How to Enter
REQUIRED:
1. Leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite scent is (for body wash, perfume, in general, whatever!!)
And that’s it!
Total entries allowed: 1 entry per person.
Giveaway open to U.S.-based readers ONLY.
Giveaway period is open from now until Monday, January 21, 11:59 PM PST.
Winner chosen by Random.org and notified by email.
Good luck!
Edited to add: Giveaway period is now over, winner has been notified and sent their gift card. Thanks for entering!
And check out Caress on Facebook and on Twitter, with the hashtag #Caress, for more discounts, coupons, giveaways, and all the latest news on the brand!
xoxox
Carly
FTC Disclosure: I was provided with Caress® product, a $25 gift card and information about the product by Caress®. All opinions are 100% my own. Read more about my Disclosure Policy here.
Post images from here, here, and here; opening photo collage by me.
Leave Comment
Dec 4, 2012 | Fashion
A warm coat is a
must in the Northern climate I live in (Portland, OR), and it’s tough to find a good coat that goes with a number of different outfits (and that isn’t a huge amount of money). Of course, something that one wears daily from September-June of the year
should be an investment piece, but
that doesn’t mean it has to be a significant chunk of change. If you can time the purchase of such a piece to a seasonal sale, or buy from a retailer that offers great brands at affordable prices, then half the work is already done for you.
I love checking out the
coat selection at Macy’s because as a national retailer they carry select brands such as Steve Madden and Nine West, that are both trend-driven but easy on the wallet. Plus, they offer sales all the time! (And they’re offering one
right now, in fact!!)
Many of their brands (including designers such as Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Vince Camuto, and DKNY) also offer styles that are exclusive to Macy’s – meaning you won’t be wearing the same topper as 3 other random people at the holiday party.
I fell in love with this two-toned Nine West coat, that I’ve been wearing nonstop since it arrived. The shape is beautiful and the colorblocking instantly dresses up even the most beat-up pair of jeans beneath. It’s very high-quality for the price, and the stiff outer wool is withstanding the abuse I throw at it without losing its shape or collapsing. It’s now my go-to work cover-up, that can go from the studio to a client meeting seamlessly.
For an edgier feel (or dressed-down casual wear), a puffer vest is a great piece. This Style&Co vest is supremely affordable at just under $41, featuring a removable hood and great hardware details. It’s perfect as a layer for when it’s not too chilly out, and thrown over or under another coat it’s amazingly toasty.
Ordering from Macy’s online is super-simple (orders over $99 ship free!), and my package even came with a slip to rate their packing job (!). Macys.com even has this cool feature where you can create a poll of items you like, and share it on Facebook with your friends to get their input. Social sharing at its most fun!
Now that my personal coat shopping for this season is complete…I can now focus on the next hurdle: Christmas gifts!! Eeek!
Stay chic~
Carly
FTC Disclosure: I received 2 coats from GigaSavvy, for review purposes. I have not been compensated in any other way for my review. The opinions above are 100% my own. If you’d like to know more, please check out my Disclosure Policy.
Leave Comment
