DIY Lavender Soap

I must preface this by saying I am fairly new to DIY projects, but it seems the past few Mother's Days I have decided to make gifts for my mom and mother-in-law.  Two years ago, I made them terrariums (HERE), last year I made sugar scrub (HERE) and this year, I decided to make them lavender soap.  It was easier than I expected and I am super excited to get more oils and make other soaps for my friends and family. 

Ingredients:

soap base (glycerin or goat milk)

essential oils

mold for the soaps

dried flowers or herbs of your choice

Directions: cut the soap base into 1/2 inch chunks and melt in pyrex measuring cup in the microwave for 30 seconds (then add 10 seconds until all is melted).  mix in 1 tbsp essential oil for every 1/2 lb of soap base.  let it cool slightly and pour into mold.  add dried herbs and flowers and use a toothpick to move them around. put in the freezer for 10 minutes after letting it set out for 30 minutes. the soap should just pop out and you are ready to gift it!

Homemade Sugar Scrub

Last month, for Mother's Day, I decided to make something to go along with what I bought for my mom and mother-in-law.  I wanted to make something they would use and feel slightly pampered by (it is Mother's Day after all).  I decided to make a sugar scrub in order to remove dead skin cells and refresh their skin and senses (perfect for a summer gift).  The scrub was so easy to make and took less than 5 minutes so it's a perfect DIY if you have little time.

You need:
glass jar with a lid
sugar (I prefer sugar in the raw)
oil (olive, almond, avocado, safflower, grapeseed, coconut)
scented oils or you can actually use lemon zest for lemon, real lavender, sage, ect.
label
twine (optional)

I do not really use a measured out recipe.  You want to make sure the mixture has enough oil so it can be easily stirred and all sugar has been saturated.  Add a few drops of scented oils and feel free to mix scents (I used lemon and sage for one and lemon, sage and a little tea tree oil for the other).

(pardon, the picture quality, my camera battery was dead and I only had my iPhone)

DIY Terrariums

Last night, my friend Chloe came over while our husbands went to get their hair cut, we decided to make terrariums as gifts for mother's day.  Making things is fun anytime, but it is extra fun when you have a friend to sip on champagne and chat with while crafting.  It is incredibly easy but does get messy so make sure you cover your floor for an easy clean up.  All you need is a jar or container, rocks, soil, and your plant (and you can also add extra decor).

Easter Nest

On Wednesday night, my husband went out for a guys night and I decided to have a night in alone with Sebastian (our green cheeked conure).  I cleaned the house, made myself a healthy dinner, and colored Easter eggs while watching We Bought A Zoo.  The movie was sooooo good!!!  It was a combination of family, adventure, animals and love--incredibly heartwarming.  It made me happy to have a lovely night in all while being semi-productive.  As Easter is just 2 days away, here are some happy reminders around our "nest".

Having fresh, colorful flowers in the house

Eating Cadbury Cream Eggs after a long night at work

This little spring themed gift from my mother-in-law

It had been years since I colored eggs. So fun!

Have a Good Friday and a Happy Easter! xx

Valentine's Day Manicure

My sweet friend, Yanessa (click here to see her blog) sent me a stocking stuffer for Christmas with nail polish and a lovely bracelet with my two favorite things...sparkles and the color yellow.  I was able to use all three colors of the Face for J. Crew Stockholm set to create my little Valentine's Day manicure. <3

{Pin}spired

A little holiday pinterest inspiration. Only 11 more days, Cheers!

All images via Pinterest. Click here to view the rest of my holiday board!

Mason Jar Snow Scene {DIY}

I have mentioned before that Anthropologie is one of my favorite stores.  Even if I don't love their clothes in a certain season, I always get inspired by their home section and their decor.  They had a salt shaker snow scene that I had on my Anthropologie Wishlist seen here. After seeing them in the store, I decided to make my own for myself and as gifts for a fraction of the price.

Materials needed:

Mason jar or empty sauce jar

epoxy glue

figurines/Christmas decor

white sparkling sugar 

glitter

Nail polish OPI "Cuckoo for this Color"

Here is one I gifted to my sister in law with an
Anthro g/c on the bottom tied with yarn.
(Again, sorry about the lighting-iPhone)

It was so easy to make and I love the way they looked in person. Try one!

{DIY} Autumn Tree

So I very recently started crafting, like this year during wedding planning recent.  And now that I've had a taste, I need to do more.  I made a fall leaves garland a couple weeks ago which I had seen on Pinterest and decided to make use of the extra felt I had and made a cute Autumn tree scene. It was super easy and fun!
(P.S. Sorry about the lighting, I only have an iPhone for my camera)

Materials: Scissors, felt, thread, needle, tacky glue

Just cut out your shapes and sew pattern on "leaves" part,
then glue on backdrop and let dry. 

Then sew on the tree "stump". Up close view. 

Now part of my little fall display with the
Fall leaves garland draping over .

{DIY} Fall Leaves Garland

I saw a photo of this garland on Pinterest and decided to make my own.  It turned out to be really easy to make (I sewed mine while watching The Wonder Years on Netflix) and SUPER CUTE for fall decor in our home.

Materials: Felt, scissors, yarn and a sewing needle.
Cut out the leaves.

Sew the leaves together.

The end result with my desert boots. It is now hanging in our room.