Mid-Week Sneak Peek: Taking in Jeans & A Great Deal

Hello, friends! Sorry this post is a day later than normal but this week has been ridiculously crazy with classes. No me gusta.

If you haven't seen this week's DIY Tutorial, then GO CHECK IT OUT. Seriously. You're not allowed to keep reading until you do. It's awesome, yo.

See it here.

Back? Good.

In said post, I mentioned that I would explain how to take in the butt of jeans if they don't fit well in the area. Well here I am to show you how!

But first, a quick side note about a superfantasticawesome deal (in my opinion). Warning: I have not been compensated with any money or products for this post.

I found out through some other bloggers about this fantastic opportunity from Julep, a nail polish/beauty product company. 

Guess what? You can get two nail polishes and a foot cream for a penny.

Yup, ya heard me right. A penny! I like deals and I know you do too, so I'm sharing this with you! All you do is go to the website HERE, take the style quiz to find out your personal style, sign up to be a Julep Maven, enter the promo code PENNY, and you will get a box of two nail polishes and a foot cream for a penny. Sweet deal, right? 

Julep Maven is a monthly box subscription, but fear not! You can cancel at any time for any reason (which is comforting if you're afraid of commitment). They have a pretty good FAQ section if you want to look into it more before committing - that's what I did!

It's a great deal for only a penny! And you can cancel right afterwards if you really want to, so what is there to lose? Only a penny! My penny box is on the way and I'm super duper excited for it!

Now on to the mini-tutorial!

My coral skinny jeans weren't exactly "skinny jeans" because they were quite baggy, especially around the butt area. Not cool!

So all you have to do is sew it up a little! Sew along the dotted lines (but around the crotch area, make it more of a curved seam rather than the harsh edges I have shown in the picture below - I have limited editing resources!)

For the most professional look possible, make sure the seams at the crotch are lined up!

And that's it! Enjoy your new, custom-fitted skinny jeans!

Have a great rest of your week, friends.

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Jeans to Coral Skinnies // DIY

Sorry I didn't post a Mid-Week Sneak Peek this past Wednesday, it was the first day of classes and this week has been quite crazy with all the various Welcome Week activities.

Now on to the tutorial for this week!

I've been loving the brightly colored skinny jean trend lately, but as usual, I don't love the price tag. So, I decided to DIY it for a much more affordable price!

They turned out so well! Take a look!

This is what they looked like before, during, and after:

Don't they look great?

Want to know how I did it?

Click "Read More" below to view the instructions!

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Beaded Lace Bracelet // DIY

Yesterday I moved into my new dorm room with some of my best friends. I'm very busy unpacking and quite tired, but I still have this fantastic tutorial lined up for you guys.

Today we're making a beaded lace bracelet! 

I got the inspiration for this from pinterest (big surprise). I got the idea here, but unfortunately  there wasn't a tutorial, so I thought I would try it out and then write one myself!

Thanks to Lauren for modeling the bracelet for me! Did you miss her in my post a couple weeks ago? Catch it here!

Now on to the tutorial!

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Yard Sale Treasures

I have a confession. Okay, less of a confession, more of a statement.

I love going to yard sales. 

The hunt of the sale, the satisfaction of a great deal, I love it all. Plus, who doesn't love 50 cent clothing? C'mon, 50 cents, people!

My mom and I went to a few yard sales this morning (woke up at 6:30 - ouch!) before I head back to college soon.

Wanna know some not-so-secret secret rules for being an awesome yard saler?

Rule #1: If you see something you like, pick it up. You can always put it back down, but you can't take it away from the woman next to you if she picks it up first.

Rule #2: Being early is key. This also happens to be my least favorite rule. I'm not exactly a morning person. The earlier you are, the better the stuff.

Here are some of my favorite treasures from this morning.

This adorable yellow (great condition!) Dooney & Bourke purse. 

Yep, that's right. D&B. And it's real.

The price tag from when the original owners bought it was inside. Retail value? $295.

What did I pay? $15. That's a 95% discount, folks.

Next awesome find? These coach shoes.

I also found these fantastic wingtip oxfords for 2 bucks.

Aren't they cute? LOVE them. I plan on wearing these beauties a lot.

Have a great weekend, friends!

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Meet My August Sponsors!

Today I have some fantastic ladies lined up for you. They are awesome for multiple reasons: First off, they are my August sponsors which makes them super duper awesome to begin with. But secondly, they all have great blogs. I feel so lucky to have been able to work with such top-notch women!

Miss this week's DIY? Check it out here.

Below I introduce you to these eight fabulous women and you get to hear a little from them as well!

I know it's kind of a long post, but trust me. These ladies have some of the best blogs on the block, so you go show them some love! You won't regret it.

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Meet Jess! She's from Swenson Love. Her blog is so pretty (you should go check out the header - love it!!) and I know I can always find inspiration from her pictures.

blog // twitter // pinterest

hi my name is jess! i blog over at {swenson love} the blog that will take you along our everyday happenings on this AMAZING journey through life!  you will find crafts/diy’s, recipes, a boatload of photos, many pretty & inspiring things & a fall fashion series beginning in september!  
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This is Natalia from Uncommonplace. Natalia is super adorable and her blog is just flat out beautiful. The posts are interesting and the design is so great to look at. 

blog // facebook // twitter // shop

Hello everyone! I'm Natalia, the one in the dress. :) I blog over at Uncommonplace and I'm so excited to be featured on Elemental Carbon! I love DIY projects, reading, writing, photography, and pretty much anything else creative! My blog encompasses all of these things and my Etsy shop includes many handmade home and wedding accessories. Hope to see you over at Uncommonplace!
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This is Yesenia from (then there was us). Doesn't she look like quite the stylish mama? She blogs about life, inspiration, and her adorable son. 

blog // facebook // twitter // bloglovin

Hi, I'm Yesenia! My passion is documenting my family's experiences while living in the SF Bay Area. We are first time parents so exploring new and special moments with my two main boys is very important to me. I also love finding creativity and inspiration in everything we do. When I'm not being full-time mom or testing new recipes, I'm scouring the Bay Area for exciting and new adventures. Hop on over, I hope you find something you like.

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This is Britt from Bee Littlequeen - a blog about, well, basically everything! Britt and her blog are both so cute! And not only does she have a great blog, but she is a total sweetheart.  Too bad we don't live closer; she seems like the perfect person to grab a coffee (or hot chocolate!) with and chat for hours on end. P.S. - She is having a fantastic giveaway this week and Elemental Carbon is giving away a pair of earrings!

blog // hellocotton // twitter

Hello there! My name is Brittany and I blog over at bee littlequeen. I am the bee that is always barefoot! I write about my single life happenings which covers family, faith, friends, makeup tutorials, craft projects, and any other silly random thoughts that spring up in my head. I love color, coffee, comedy, clothes and meeting new people, so please stop by and say hello!

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This is Myranda from Pretty Living PDX. She blogs about her lovely family and her journey to weight loss and healthier living, so be sure to stop on by and check it out!

blog // facebook // twitter // pinterest

My names is Myranda and I blog over at Pretty Living PDX. This blog is about my family (1 husband and 3 gorgeous ladies) and our journey to healthier living. I feel honored that people care about what I have to say and I enjoy sharing our lives with you. Join me as I lose weight and gain (more) confidence, and let's be friends ;)

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This is Jennifer from Grits & Moxie. (I did a guest post over there a little while back!) Jennifer is a lovely southern gal who shares a little bit of everything over at her blog. She has some great vintage taste, too.

blog // twitter // facebook

Hi!  I'm Jennifer...a simply complex tattooed lady who's just trying to find her way in the world of books, blogging and a fiscally challenged life in Athens, GA.  Why not follow me as I cook, create, work towards my 100 Before 40, speak my mind, and continue to hope that world keeps revolving and evolving.

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This is Rachel from lala Lists - aren't her red, white, and blue nails adorable?

She has such style! And I love that she makes lists all the time just like I do.

blog // twitter // shop

I am Rachel, 20-something fur-momma to a cat and a bunny living outside of Boston going to school for graphic design. I paint my nails too often, watch too many movies, eat too many cupcakes, and shop too much. I am compulsive list maker who talks too much, and that is how lala Lists was born.

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Next, I am introducing you to Lauren from Click Clack Clunk. I'm not going to lie, I love her blog. She does a bunch of crafty things (just like me!) so I love reading her blog to get awesome ideas. She also has a great little etsy shop so be sure to stop by there as well. And look how cute this notecard is:

blog // facebook // pinterest // shop

Click Clack Clunk is a blog about crafts and DIY, sprinkled with bits of my life. I blog because I find it's a great creative outlet, and I would encourage anyone who is thinking about blogging to just jump in and start. That's what I did, and I have learned so much in the process!
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I told you these women and their blogs were fantastic! If you haven't already, you should definitely go show them some blog love. 

Have a fantastic week, friends!

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Hair Combs // DIY

This week has been pretty laid-back. I've mostly been spending a lot of time with my family while I can, which has been great. It's also the reason why my recent DIY posts have been pretty simple projects.

But that's a good thing sometimes!

Not crafty at all? Hate artsy things? Not much time on your hands? This project is for you.

It takes literally minutes.

However, for those of you that are more artistically inclined, I do have some upcoming projects that I will be posting during the school year that you are not going to want to miss! They'll knock your socks off. I'm so excited about them. So much so that I'm blabbing about them instead of getting to the tutorial. 

Okay, here we go!

This is such an easy project with great results! They would be a lovely little gift for any occasion or no occasion at all!

I also made one with Ohio State colors. 

Want to see it?

Want to learn how I made these?

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Mid-Week Sneak Peek: Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

Hello! I hope you all have been having a great week - I know I have. It's time for the Mid-Week Sneak Peek!

This week's sneak peek isn't really a sneak peek (kinda defeats the purpose, eh?) but you're still going to love it.

I have a fantastic (and easy!) recipe for you all. 

Warning: If you are trying to watch your waistline, don't scroll down and look at the pictures. Your scale will thank me later. These are so delicious and so addicting. I had a really difficult time not picking up another after another after another.

Like the Christmas theme? It's all I had on hand!

I can't take the credit for this awesome recipe, though. I got the recipe here but I adjusted the chocolate topping a bit in my instructions below because in my opinion, the milk and chocolate didn't have the best proportions.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter

3/4 cup peanut butter

3/4 cup-1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate and it was awesome).

1/4 cup milk

Yield: 2 1/2 dozen mini cups

Instructions:

Line a muffin tin with papers - I used a mini muffin tin and mini papers. 

Melt the butter and peanut butter together for 45 seconds in the microwave. Stir. Crumble graham crackers in a ziploc (if you crush them with the back of a spoon, it makes really nice small crumbs) and add them to the peanut butter mixture. Add sugar and stir. Fill the cups with the peanut butter mixture and allow to cool in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Combine the chocolate chips and milk and heat in 10-15 second intervals in the microwave until the chocolate is just melted - be careful! Burnt chocolate is awful. Add a layer of the chocolate mixture on top of the peanut butter layer in the cups. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! Try working on your willpower. Once you have one, it's difficult not to want another.

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Magnetic Pin Dish // DIY

Today's tutorial is pretty short since I've been busy spending some quality time with my family. I don't get to see them very much during the school year and I just got back home from my summer job, so I'm taking advantage of every minute I have with them.

This is one of the simplest projects ever! But it has fantastic results and it is so so useful.

With some of the upcoming tutorials I have in store for you all, you are going to need this.

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Mid-Week Sneak Peek: Meet My Friends

It's time for the Mid-Week Sneak Peek again!

If you missed Sunday's post, Blue Flower Earrings & Rings DIY, be sure to check it out here!

Holy bejeebers I have a lot of stuff to unpack from my summer down in Columbus. Not really looking forward to that...so I'll write a blog post! Ah, procrastination. What a beautiful thing.

Exciting news! I just opened my Etsy Shop! I would love it if you went on over to check it out.

This past weekend I was in Cincinnati with my family and some family friends. We went to a Cincinnati Reds game (really nice stadium!), toured University of Cincinnati for the high schoolers in our group, played lots of games together (see picture below), and laughed a lot. It was a great weekend!

Our weekend in pictures:

I did Taylor's hair - a French fishtail braid. Fishtail braid, but keep adding pieces like you would a french braid.

Freaky parking

Michelle

Cincinnati Reds game

Taylor

The boys - my brother on the left, Jarod on the right.

All five of us "kids"

My little (but big) brother

Scorecard for Pictionary Man

Not to brag or anything, but I'm really good at this game. There was a section of the Ohio State application that said, "name one thing you are really good at - academic or otherwise." I came pretty close to saying Pictionary Man, but I decided not to risk being funny since it was my top choice!

Ready for this week's sneak peek??

What is it/what is it going to be? What am I holding in my hand? You'll have to wait and see! But I will say that from everything I've made in my entire life this project is by far my favorite (which is saying a lot!) so be sure to keep checking back. I could post it this week, I could post it in a few weeks! You'll just have to wait and see! :)

Hopefully I'm not being too cruel...

P.S. - I am wearing shorts underneath that jacket, you just can't really see them

Have a great week!

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