Cupcakes and Mason Jars.

So as we were preparing for our fourth of July get together, I got a bit crafty. It's just in my blood, I can't help it! As Madalyn watched cartoons, Derek made sandwiches and homemade iced tea, I made the cupcakes and mason jars. The cupcakes were (of course) Red, White and Blue. Making multicolored cupcakes are really easy and simple to do. All you have to do is mix the batter as stated on the box, then separate it into separate bowls, add food coloring and then mix the colors when you put it in the cupcake tin. Granite it's extra work, but it makes for extra cute cupcakes!!

As those were baking, I started making a Mason Jar for all of my friends that were coming with us. It was Derek's idea to put their xbox gamer tag on their mason jars, and they loved it, haha. Here's all you have to do to make custom Mason Jars for any occasion. 

1. Get Mason Jars. I got mine from Michaels and Walmart. If you're buying a lot, I suggest going to Walmart. I got 12 jars for 8 bucks. At Michaels it's a dollar and some change for one, so you'll be saving money.

2. Buy Glass Paint. I got Martha Stewart paints. These were three dollars for one, so it was a bit pricey. But I wanted to make sure that they were washable and weren't going to peal off.

3. Start decorating! Derek wrote some of the names (except for mine…cause I'm greedy) and I decorated them. I like to do something different for each person, and be a bit creative. Luckily they loved them!

4. Bake them! If you don't want to bake them, it takes 21 days for them to air dry completely. So I suggest popping them in a completely cool oven, and then letting bake for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Pull them out and let them cool before touching-- glass is hot my friends.

After they're baked and cool, you can dish wash them and everything! Happy crafting! 

Easy 4th of July Craft!

The Fourth of July is tomorrow!! (insert dancing here).

I'm so excited to celebrate our independence of this country. Even if it doesn't feel like it now a days. Sometimes a little "School spirit" will go along way with me. Time to dress up in the Red, White and Blue and have a good time. If you have a little one and want to do a little bit of crafting tonight or tomorrow, here is one easy one to do!

I simply put Madalyn's hand print in blue on the left hand side. You can add cute little white stars on the inside if you'd like. I didn't have white paint though. And then take your fingers and make the stripes of the flag! She loved getting her hands in the paint, and it's a cute gift to give or even hang on the fridge! I hope you guys have a great 4th tomorrow!! 

DIY Off The Shoulder Shirt.

Hey Lovelies! 

Do you have any older shirts or t-shirts that you really don't wear too often? Why not turn them into a fashion statement or even an easy beach coverup top! You can easily turn a boring shirt into something better for this summer. Let me show you one way: Off The Shoulder

1. Get the supplies:

- Tee shirt 

- scissors

- marker 

2. Start on the right side of the collar and draw a dotted line along it. As you reach the right hand side, slightly move it to the left of the collar. (This makes the left side fall off your left shoulder) See picture above. 

3. Start cutting alone the dotted line you just made. 

4. Keep cutting!! 

5. Remove the collar you just cut off. 

And there you have it!! A quick fix for any old tee shirt. Perfect for a summer day out or something quick to just throw over  your bathing suit! You could even tie it up at the bottom and make it cute with a pair of cut off denim shorts! The possibilities are endless really. Happy cutting!!

DIY Tanner & Exfoliation

HELLO DOLLS~

It's that time of the year again, S P R I N G !! And when the warm weather hits us, we all want to naturally have a healthy glow and look great in all of those pastel colors, don't we!?

So let's start this glorious season with a diy self tanner! Self tanners can get pretty expensive. Last season I purchased the VS Self Tanner spray and lotion which equalled over $50. And I was about to pick up a self tanner at Sephora the other day, but for $35 it just didn't seem worth it. With Pinterest being amazing as it is, I was able to find a few home remedies, give them a try over the week, and report back to you which ones (I believe) work better.

** BEFORE APPLYING ANY OF THIS TO YOUR SKIN, MAKE SURE YOU EXFOLIATE. 

Exfoliation: removal of the oldest dead skin cells on the skin's outermost surface.

Exfoliating allows the tint from any of the remedies to set deeper into your skin, and last longer!! Without doing this, the color might not set at all, and it's easy! Take your loofa or an exfoliating brush and scrub the dead skin cells off your body. You could enhance this by also using an exfoliating body scrub. 

First off, the cocoa powder in lotion, I didn't even try. You're suppose to mix a bit of the cocoa powder in the lotion and rub it all over your body. But every single person who tried it reported that it was sticky, and didn't go on evenly. And who likes a streaky tan? No one. I don't recommend it.

The second thing was the Tea Tan. This one was an alright solution. If you're really pasty and would only like a little tan, or already tan and just want an extra boost, I suggest this remedy for you.

Take 1 cup of boiling hot water, and let 6 Black Tea bags (I used lemon infused so I didn't smell like tea) sit in the water for about 10-15 minutes. Take the bags out and let the water cool. After it's cool, pour it into a spray bottle or take a sponge and apply it all over your body. Rub it in and let it sit until it's dry. I recommend doing this in the bath tub so you don't get tea everywhere. 

**The result is not a deep super noticeable tan, but it does give you a healthy glowing color. This color lasts for 4-5 days, depending on how well and how many times you've applied it. You can do more than once a day since it is a gradual change in color. 

The method I recommend is the Coffee Scrub Tan. 

Take 2-3 table spoons of Coffee and mix it with 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil until it looks like a scrub. DEFINITELY stand in the shower when applying this one, it gets pretty messy. Take a handful of the coffee scrub and apply it all over your body. Don't put too much in one area because it will just be a clumpy mess. Rub the color in deeply and let it dry. Then gently wash it off. 

**After I did this, I still looked a little lighter than I wanted. There was a little bit of Coffee Scrub left in the bowl so I mixed it with a bit of water and applied it on my body and just pat it dry with a towel, instead of washing it completely off. This left a golden hue on my skin. Perfection! 

What's better than getting a tan without paying for one?! NOTHING. Especially when the spring/summer season is coming towards us. Have you tried any of these out? Let me know how they worked for you, or you had another secret to share. ;)