Antique to Chic

First I have to say, I did a good job today following my exercise plan. I have eaten okay, and I woke up this morning to complete my first day of the 30 Day Shred! I am doing so far so good...but then again it is only day 1 haha!

Well tonight I am going to kind of do what I did with the jewelry knob holder and show you a finished product and describe what I did to complete it. About a year ago I found this adorable antique chair at an antique mall by my house. It was nothing much to look at from the beginning, but I have completely transformed it into a chic desk chair that goes great in my room! I so wish I had a before picture for all of ya'll to see the amazing transformation of this chair!

Well here is the finished product...

I just love this chair! It is incredible isn't it? You would have never guessed it was a run down old chair before I transformed it with just some paint and fabric!

Supplies: An antique chair (I got mine for only $15!), sand paper, white spray paint primer, spray paint color of your choice, fabric foam, 1 yard of fabric (your choice), scissors, staple gun with staples, and glue or hammer and nails

Step 1: I completely took the chair apart, well just the place where you sit. I took it out of the main part of the chair. Then take off the fabric and old foam on the circle part of the chair. You should only be left with a circle cardboard material.

Step 2: I sanded down the entire frame of the chair with sand paper. This requires major elbow work!

Step 3: When completely sanded, spray the white primer all over the chair. Once dry spray two coats of spray paint (color of choice)

Step 4: While the paint dries cut out foam to fit the circle seat of the chair. Put it on top of the circle cardboard part of the chair. Drape fabric on top of both foam and cardboard, pull very tight. Secure fabric with staples and staple gun on the bottom part of the circle.

Step 5: When chair is dry, you insert the circle fabric piece back into the frame of the chair. You can put hot glue around the frame of the chair where the circle part goes before you put it back in or hammer the circle part in with a couple of nails once it is in. Your choice!

This should be about it and you should officially have your cute chair to match any room. The antique feel of the chair just gives it the most perfect touch. I swear my blogs will have pictures next time since words can get confusing, but ask me any questions if you get lost. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. I know I did! 

Exercising

Again, this post is a little different from most of mine. Since my schedule has been unusually hectic, I have had 0 time to create anything its been sorta depressing really. As soon as I graduate I will have sooo much time, I will go back to my crafting hobby. Only 23 more days!

So many updates to catch you guys up on! I have officially accepted a job offer this week with ETS Solutions in Kennesaw as a Client Services Manager. It is an IT Firm that I will be doing all sorts of different things for, but mostly I will be maintaining relationships with current clients. It is just a perfect job to manage a good quality of life which is important as a single mom. I already know everyone that works there so its like a little work family. Next week will be my last week at the Aquarium. I am going to miss it, but definitely not the traffic! I am super excited to start working on the 28th for my first full-time career!

I also went to Hobby Lobby on Friday to buy crafts for my grad party which is on May 18th. Here's a picture of everything below! I will finally have stuff to put on here that I will be making once I have time to start on these crafts. The projects will be ranging from a chalk board, a distressed window, a burlap banner, food signs, a burlap wreath, and diploma shaped napkins! It is going to be so much fun, and I will have so much to post about.

Now that most of my updates are out of the way, I want to talk about my main topic...

WEIGHT LOSS

With my crazy, hectic, busy, and exhausting schedule. I have put on so much weight from stress eating to never being able to make it to the gym. It has been so frustrating since I actually love to exercise and stay fit. I have decided since I barely fit in anything anymore and I have vacation in a month and 4 days, something has got to change.

November 2011 135lbs.

Today, April 2014 (Right) 168 lbs.

                     

It is pretty depressing to see the before and after picture. A 33 pound weight gain has been weighing pretty hard on me (pun intended). At least my sister and Leighton look cute in that picture. I have got to do something. I am done with excuses, and I am changing this week. Starting Monday, I am going to wake up at 7 am every morning (but Tuesday I will do it after work) and vow to do the 30 Day Shred by Jullian Micheals. I am also going to watch what I eat along with drinking lots of water, and hopefully I can shrink down a little bit before vacation. Also, once I start my new job which I has a gym in the building I will have time and a place to go workout. So, here is the link to the 30 Day Shred on YouTube: http://youtu.be/1Pc-NizMgg8

You guys need to hold me accountable! I am going to check in next Sunday with the updates! In the meantime, I going to also start back up with my breakfast smoothies. Here is a recipe I want to share, it is called "The High Protein Egg White Smoothie"

Preparation: 5 minutes   

Serves: 1 (16 ounces) 

• 1/3 cup AllWhites® egg whites
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
• 1/2 kiwi peeled, coarsely chopped
• 1 pear (medium sized) peeled, chopped
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 container (6 ounces) nonfat strawberry yogurt

Combine all ingredients in blender. Cover and blend on medium speed until smooth. Serve immediately.

Tip: This recipe can easily be doubled. 

For the recipes and more go to this link:http://www.allwhiteseggwhites.com/recipes/strawberry-kiwi-pear-protein-smoothie-recipe/0074e

Hopefully I can inspire someone else on this journey with me! I will check in with you guys next week. Meanwhile, I will have another post tomorrow about a past craft I made! 

Also, HAPPY EASTER:)

Hair!

I have been extremely busy beyond belief, so my creativity has been lacking, along with any time I have to go to the thrift store. It is the end of classes so work is piling up: I have like 3 big papers, a project, and my finals coming up! Then I have had like 20 job interviews while working 30+ hours a week which is like 40 hours including traffic so bear with me!

So...just a heads up, this post is going to be all about me bragging and showing off my hair work. Turn away now if you do not want to see some adorable cute hairstyles! I just really want to display my work with Dolled Up and show off my hair styling skills!

Enjoy!


The Signature Waterfall braid:

Half-Up Half-Down Rose:

Love doing loose Up-dos:

Inside-Out Pony Tail Twists:

Half-Up Half-Down loose Twists:

High loose Up-do:

Dutch French Braid into a Braided Bun:

Low Up-do with a Braid:

My personal favorite hairstyle to do (and the easiest) The Upside down French Braid Bow:

These are just a few of my hair styles that I have done on my sister (in the blue) and my best friend (in the white). I just love doing hair and trying tutorials on them. I know how to do so much more: any braid, look, or style you'd want. I have my first bridal party I am doing next weekend for my start-up business Dolled Up. Let me know if you like something and I can do a hair tutorial for you guys!

I am doing a Hobby Lobby run on Friday when I finally get a day off. I will let you know of my next craft then! Have a wonderful week:)

How-to: Rustic Knob Jewelry Holder

So this is a how-to, but after unfortunate events of Leighton tripping in the parking lot, while I was car shopping, and scraping up her leg-we did not get to go to Hobby Lobby which was my next stop on my errands list when I started this blog Sunday. Therefore, I am going to show you a how-to of the finished product that I was going to make that I had already made (tongue twister.) It is a...rustic knob jewelry holder.

I loveee my original one that I made. I will hang it up in my house whenever I move out. It does not fit my current decor of purple Paris (the theme of my current bedroom that I decorated when I was 14). I am long over-due for a remodel hah. I am 23 now. Okay enough rambling. Here is how to make the most beautiful rustic shabby chic almost country themed knob jewelry holder...

Gather supplies:
-One slab of 2x4 wood, it can be old, new, blue, white, or whatever you want that wood to look like. It can be 4 feet long or a foot long. The wood characteristic is up to you. You can distress it with a sander, beat it up a little bit, paint it (don't forget a primer) a certain color, or stain it.
-A drill
-A table saw or picture frame hook and screws:I'll explain later-Hook from hobby lobby
-However many door knobs you need-If you can find them at the thrift store than go there although they go fast and are very hard to find, if this is the case Hobby Lobby or World Market has them all in all shapes and sizes ranging in price around $3
-With every door knob you will need a nut-Home Depot or they might come with the knob

Step 1: After you have made your slab of wood to your liking and choosing, you are going to need to get out your drill. An extra supply could be a ruler. Along a vertical line on the wood, make as many holes with the drill as you have knobs. (I unfortunately do not have this step in a picture)

Step 2: Now you need to make a place to be able to hang your piece at the end. You can use a saw to create the indention in the wood below...

Or, you can get a picture frame hook and drill it into the wood with your fitting nails and your drill.

Step 3: Now you are going to insert your knobs through the hole you made for them. Here are a couple of pictures of the knobs I have chosen!

 Step 4: Now you are going to screw the nut onto the back of the knob and twist until the knob is secure.

Step 5: If needed, saw off the end of knob if it goes past the wood to where you cannot hang it up on the wall it is too long. (Only do this step if you have this problem)

Step 6: Hang it up and apply necklaces, like this door knob hanger!

(I do not own the rights to this picture)

And you are done; you officially have a door knob hanger like mine. You might have to brave some tools, but other than that this project is super easy! Hope you enjoyed!

There will be a new fabulous project next week, and I ordered a bunch of stuff of Esty for my grad party that I cannot wait to show you guys when it comes in.

Also, my graduation announcements came in the mail today!! I got to get the suckers done and sent out! I also had my boss give me free tickets to take Leighton to see The Lion King at the Fox Theater in Atlanta this weekend. These tickets are not too shabby either. I have to say I am one lucky girl.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!!! 

                                          

How-to: Diaper Cake

So, I ditched the idea of my last project. It was a spray painted vase decorated with dimes and nickles for a bling touch. I never have cash, therefore, I never have change. I just gave up haha. Instead, I am going to show you how to do my other side hobby, Diaper Cakes. I love me some diaper cakes for baby showers. I have made a ton in the past! I made one last weekend for one of my friends baby showers and thought, hmm I should incorporate this into my blog.

I am pretty sure I taught myself how to do these on my own, but I will not make you do that. I like to spread my advice and wisdom around! So enjoy, how-to make a diaper cake....

The supplies: There are so many different items you can use to make a diaper cake. You don't even need diapers if you want to use baby towels/wash cloths or onesies instead. This project is all about imagination. There are no guidelines in what you can use! One layer of my cake is even made out of bottles and baby hygiene products. For this diaper cake I used: diapers (newborn Luvs), fake sunflowers, yellow ribbon (I have four spools pictured, I probably only used about 2), a hot glue gun, cake platter, shiskabob sticks, A LOT of rubber bands, and baby items/decor: I used baby shower decorations E.g. clothes pins and baby blocks, you'll see these up close later on), little baby socks, bottles, hygiene products, etc. anything you want to use, use!

Secret: the Dollar Store is AMAZING for this kind of stuff. The Dollar Store, I swear is my lifesaver. I am not afraid to shop there for almost everything that I can. Now that you got the stuff, let's make a diaper cake!

Step 1: Put everything aside for now and get out the diapers. Roll up the diaper and secure with a rubber band, just like what you see below.

Step 2: Roll up up 9 more other diapers repeating step 1. Then make a 4-3-2-1 triangle with the diapers (like a pizza or pie slice) and secure with a large rubber band. Place diaper slice (this made me LOL and I don't know why? hah) on the cake platter.

Step 3: Continue to do step 2, 3 more times. Put each slice together until you make a full pie (circle) with the diapers.

Step 4: It's looking rough I know, but don't you worry. It will come together! This step, you are going to secure your whole pie with a strand of ribbon (not the rubber bands). Wrap the ribbon around the cake according to size. Hot glue the ends. Pin the ribbon into the diapers with metal pins to get the ribbon to stay up around the diaper cake. 

Step 5: For this step, you are going to roll up a couple more diapers. Secure them with rubber bands, and place diapers into the gaps in the cake layer. I needed only four to fill in the gaps. Now you are done with your first layer! Good job!

                                               

Step 6: This is a silly yet effective part, it secures the next layer to the bottom of the cake. Stick around 5 shiskabob skewers into the first cake layer.



Step 7: You are going to repeat steps 1-5 for the second layer. This time the triangle slice needs to be a 3-2-1 format, like what you see below. When you complete the slice, build the second layer around the shiskabob sticks. Then secure, like in step 4, the second layer with ribbon by using a hot glue gun and pins. Fill in the gaps accordingly, like in step 5.



Step 8: Now if you want to do another layer of diapers, repeat the step above. Since I don't know have another layer of diapers, I am going to cut down the shiskabob skewers with scissors.

Step 9: The next step is to make a head piece, third layer, or whatever you chose to do. I hot glued the hygiene products in the middle of the 3rd layer to the diapers. Then I put bottles and rolled up socks around the hygiene products. I secured everything with another roll of ribbon. Do not use pins this time, they wont go through the bottles (that's just common sense!)



Step 10: Now's the extremely fun part, as if you were not having enough fun already! It is decoration time! I just hot glued flowers, baby decorations, and a curly ribbon all over the cake. The blue items were the baby shower decorations I was talking about earlier.

Now presenting....

My diaper cake!!! Super adorable, super easy, and it was the hit of the baby shower! It is seriously just the best way to give diapers, instead of presenting them in the box. I mean, who wants to do that? Not me! Another thing, DO NOT EAT! Haha but you already know that, just got to be careful!

Well I hope you enjoyed this how-to. I have another one coming Sunday! I am super excited for it! So, stay tuned!

Updates: Job hunting is going extremely well. I have 4-5 companies after me right now. I am in the interview process for all of them. I'll let you know which one I pick!

Graduation party planning is in full-effect. I am planning the cutest party. Of course, I will post all the details on here as I get further along! It is going to be black, gold, and white (my school colors) chevron with a hint of rustic themes. Ahh! I am too excited.

Lastly, my side business Dolled Up is taking off by storm. We do the cutest make-up and hair for events. You got to check it out. Go here to like my page. You will not be sorry!

Dolled Up

Well enough about me, have a wonderful weekend!