Inspiration Bracelet

The same day I went to the craft store to buy supplies for my Word of the Year sign, I was interested in buying a jewelry charm that I could wear that would help me remember my word for the year. I hoped I could maybe find a charm that said "fearless" or at the very least I could find a charm that somehow reminded me of being fearless that I could make a bracelet out of. As I hunted I came across these inspiration bracelets that come with charms you can attach to a premade band.

I saw these snap charm bracelets and even though their not what I was looking for or would usually go for, I decided to see if there were in fact three snap charms that represented my goals and my word for the year. I was so happy to find "simplicity", "fearless" and "choose happiness" because if there are three things I am really focused on in my life right now those would be it. If I could somehow add "shine" in there it would be perfect.

I used a 40% off coupon for the band and picked my three snap charms and I had a really cool new inspiration bracelet! I think the entire thing cost about $13. There's no way I could've made a bracelet for that price with a leather band, buckle, three charms, etc. My one wish was that I could've picked up this band in a brown leather instead of black but after doing some checking it didn't seem like a brown band was available. Darn...

A fun new addition to my wardrobe, great inspiration and a fun conversation starter too. I picked this up at Hobby Lobby but I know they have similar versions at other craft stores as well. I think this would make a fantastic birthday or friend gift too. Unbeatable price and something you could really personalize just for them - and who doesn't love getting gift that someone was created especially with them in mind! I only wish I'd seen these before Christmas. I could've made this part of gifts for quite a few people I know. But now I know I have a great gift idea in my pocket for any occasion this year!

Update and Revisit: That Extra Effort To Be Well Put Together

I'm sure some of you have heard and others haven't heard about Dressing Your Truth. I won't go into it much, because I have some mixed emotions about it all, but I will say that a former co-worker introduced me to it and I studied up and found some things that were really helpful and inspiring.

After some debating I figured out that I think I am a Type 1 with a Type 2 secondary. That will only make sense to you if you've studied DYT. Anyway, that has got me thinking about adding a lot more color to my wardrobe which I realized over the past year has become almost completely black or some other dark color with the occasional punches of a pretty scarf, blouse, etc. A wake up call, not just from DYT but what I know about myself already that I need to start dressing more like myself.

So I've been working on adding more color in every way possible and thinking in more colorful terms about my wardrobe and how I express my style. Really good inspiration. If you want to learn more about Dressing Your Truth you can check out their website. There is a link to four short videos you can watch to get a better idea of what type you are and wardrobe inspiration. Also if you do a search on Pinterest for Dressing Your Truth there is a lot of stuff there as well.

So that all reminded me about this post I wrote a few years ago about a good friend I saw who just looked so well put together and professional and comfortable. I started thinking about her secret was and how it made her look so polished.Here's a link to that post and inspiration from my friend. I try to remember this often when I start getting into a fashion slump. Just last night I was looking at some fun new clog sandals for Spring. I really like to wear my pops of color on my feet, so that is one way I can accessorize in a simple way that pops.

Personalized Headphones Cords: My Beads USA

*This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to the five winners listed below. Thank you so much for entering. It's fantastic to see the interest in MyBeads spreading the past couple of weeks. Winners please email me your mailing address to kalanicut at hotmail dot com.

Hope you have a great time personlizing your headphones! If you get a chance we'd love it if you would post a photo of your finished project on the MyBeadsUSA facebook page. It's so cool to see what everyone comes up with.

1) Lori from Parkhurst Party
2) Jennifer from Jen's Grateful Year
3) Jane from The Borrowed Abode
4) Alina Wilson
5) Shannon from I'm No Domestic Goddess
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I am very happy to introduce you to something so fun and cool that I've been excited about the past few months. Meet my personalized headphones using My Beads by My Beads USA. These are beads created to personalize your headphone and charger cords. They have a slit in the side so you can slip them right on your cords.

In full disclosure, I have been working with My Beads USA on marketing. Now let me tell you why My Beads are so cool to me as a user. I've been using them for a few months and they've kinda changed my life...really they have. See #4 and 5!

1) Fun Craft Project: This is a project anyone can do. I just saw a really cool pair of headphones personalized by a four year old this week, so it's fun for all ages. You could decorate them with holiday colors throughout the year.

2) Show Your Personality: With 500 beads in each bag, the color combinations are incredible. See a sample of all the cool cords people have made on Facebook. Randomly places or in an intricate pattern, you can make your own look.

Show them off while sporting your headphones at the gym. Imagine wearing your favorite college or professional team colors at the big game or having your entire sports team sporting their headphones with team pride colors.

3) Protect Your Cord: These beads absorb pressure and keep your cords from getting dirty, pulled excessively and banged up.

4) Easy To Find: Less losing your cord in your bag or around the house. The bright colors make them more noticeable and easier to grab. When you're reaching around in the dark or in the bottom of a bag for the beads they are much easier to recognize than trying to see or feel a little cord.

5) No More Confusion With Identical Cords: If you have a family or roommates with similar cell phones everyone's cords and chargers look the same unless you personalize them. Now that my cords are pink and yellow I haven't had one problem in months with The Man accidentally taking my headphones! This is big. That has been a long-term problem.

6) Best Of All: No More Tangled Cord! Yes it's true, you will never have to waste your valuable life energy untangling your long headphone cords. Again, life changing.

In my mind these are the ultimate stocking stuff for Christmas 2014. They are also great for gift bags or for kids' friend gifts for the holidays.

MyBeadsUSA also has a great fundraising program is you are associated with a school, church or youth group or sports team that has to do fundraisers. The best part is you can return anything you don't sell for a refund.

My Beads are available at MyBeadsUSA.com. You can also follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

The Bug is working on her black and purple headphones this week. If you decorate your headphones or charger with My Beads we'd love to see your creation. Post photos to Twitter and/or Facebook.

I'm going to wrap up this post with a giveaway. We will give away one pair to five people drawn randomly from the comments below. Leave a comment and tell us what colors you would use to decorate your own personalized headphones or what feature most interests you? Drawing ends midnight (PDT) Wednesday September 17, 2014. Good luck.

Bracelets To Anchor My Soul

I don't know when I first started doing this, probably sometime in my college days, but anyway, at some point I started making little bracelets that I could wear to remind me of important things, to steel my soul, to help me get through challenging days.

Over the years I made them with different kinds of leather and beads to remind me to smile and look for joy, of happy vacations and beautiful summers or to comfort me after a friend passed away, or while The Man was away and in danger. I often wear bracelets The Bug made for me on days where superhero feats of mom or wife are required. Her simple pony bead bands remind me that life's greatest joys are just that, simple, and to not get too caught up in silly grown up things.

For some reason, tying something around my wrist is just the right place to be visible and comforting to me. Sometimes the bracelets are just tied on with a big square knot, or a slide knot or sometimes a nice clasp or toggle. Sometimes I will dismantle old bracelets to use the parts to make something new. I like the flexibility and being able to let go of reminders of the past and to be able to make something new and invigorating. Sometimes the bracelets just totally wear out, other times when I feel like I don't need their comfort anymore they find their way into my bracelet jewelry tray to be worn again in another time or to become part of something new.

I keep a small supply of bracelet making materials in my craft drawers so that any time I am feeling a little weak, I can rummage through my drawers and find something to make a bracelet from for myself that just perfectly catches the spirit of the moment.

Here are a few of the supplies I keep on hand:

• Leather Cord: I keep a supply of cord in a variety of colors. My favorite is chocolate brown because it goes with anything, but I have pink, red and other colors too.

• Alphabet Beads: It's always nice to be able to put together a little code word or initials or a word of peace with a few alphabet beads on hand. I like the round metal beads with raised letter.
• Charms Of All Sorts: I keep shells, buttons, small stones, old charms, vintage trinkets of all kinds and have made jewelry out of many of them.

• Seed and Wood Beads: I have a great variety of these and if I am in the mood for color or touches of nature they are just perfect!

• Jewelry wrapping wire: Great for turning shells, stones and other little items into charms you can string onto a cord.

I was thinking last weekend I needed a new bracelet to remind me of my mantra "Now is MY time" and to remind me to stay in peace even when it seems things are difficult - and even more importantly to NOT look at everything as difficult but rather to expect joy and simplicity from life. It was nice to know I had all the elements on hand to whip up a little something I could hold close to my soul as I journey through this year. 

Do you have little amulets or some kind of talisman that you carry with you to remind you of your inspiration?

A Fav Etsy Shop: Brittany Leigh Handwriting Jewelry

I have been in love with this charming jewelry idea I saw on Pinterest for quite a while. It might be because this handwriting looks incredibly similar to my own grandmother's handwriting...at least as far as I can remember it. It's very likely because this grandma and my grandma both grew up in the same era and were taught the same style of handwriting. Or...it's just an incredibly spooky coincidence...or my grandma had another secret family we don't know about. Ha.

Anyway I love this idea and wanted to share it with you. It the perfect way to carry a little talisman reminder of a loved one who has passed on or some other relationship you want to hold close to you.

You send in a copy of the writing sample and jewelry designer Brittany Isenberg, of Etsy shop Brittany Leigh Jewelry will create your handwriting sample into a piece of wearable art. I love very personal jewelry and this is such a fantastic idea.

Wouldn't this make such a wonderful gift to someone who has lost someone special? What would you have created for your own personalized charm? Who would you want to always hold close to you?

I have a Pinterest board dedicated to meaningful personlized jewelry. You can see it here.

Taking Time To Make Something

Hi friends. I hope you are well. It's toasty here in SoCal these days...again. We're eating popsicles and light meals. I haven't really made a serious dinner this week because we're just too hot. I can't even imagine turning on the oven this week. Last night I made light tacos and a lot of fruit and veggies. Today again I cut up a bunch of veggies and made a quick Greek yogurt dip and warmed up some leftover sandwiches from Sunday night. Later we had quesadillas and salsa.

It seems like this week has been and will be taken up by a lot of appointments and other commitments. We've had a lot going on lately for everyone in the family. It takes a lot of time and energy for everyone to get off to their appointments and for us to schedule everything around those. Whew. It's a challenge to get much else done when you're just scheduling all these things, let alone getting to them.

I have been trying to take a few minutes here and there to do some creative things and take some breaks. In the past few days I've had a nice walk on the beach, done some meditation, taken a nap or two and made time to make a few little things.

Last night after dinner I pulled out the jewelry making supplies and with The Bug spent about an hour experimenting with things. I first made the gold and green bracelet above which I really like. I wanted to make a few smaller beaded bracelets to go with it, but didn't have quite the right thread. So I made the wood and green bead bracelet that I could put with it or with other beaded bracelets I have. It's nice to have a mix. It's already been two years since I did my first posts on stacking bracelets for summer. There is also a follow up post on DIY stacking bracelets and wrap bracelets from last summer. When it's bare arm season I love having a mix of bracelets to throw on as I head out the door.

Yesterday I also made three small red, white and blue garlands with red and white baker's twine. I put them in the mail to friends, from a small group I belong to, after making three handmade cards to go with them. I was experimenting with pink card stock and a gold and silver sharpie and reaching out of my comfort zone on geometric card designs. But it was fun to try something really different that doesn't totally feel like my style.

Sunday I took an hour or so and did some watercolor painting. I'll share those in a follow up post tomorrow. I am learning how to quickly pull out supplies, make something enjoyable and relaxing and then quickly put everything away. Having things well organized and in proper storage containers really helps. I have a jewelry making drawer and everything is right there. It comes out, I make, it goes back in. Same with the watercolor and paper crafting supplies.

It's good to remember that it doesn't take a lot of time to make a little something enjoyable and usable. I have a couple of new bracelets to throw into the summer mix thanks to a little time tonight. I sent out three little treats that I hope will be well received by friends while taking a break from computer work. While I waited for my family to come home on Sunday night I had time to pain.

Sometimes I make things to relax my mind and get away from the busy-ness of life. Sometimes I make gifts. Other times I use it as a way to collect my thoughts and regroup when I feel like I've lost my focus. I like knowing that I have at close hand supplies to make many different things and that it doesn't take a huge time commitment to step away and be a maker of things for a while. It's another part of me that I need to feed and keep alive. My making inspires me and energizes me. Like a nap, snack or walk around the block, a few minutes of making refreshes and rests the body and mind.

What do you like to make when you need to change gears? Are you able to quickly transition into and out of crafting time? I'd love to hear how you make "making" work for you.

A Pin Test #16: Wire Wrapped Necklaces

I know this is another Pin Test, two days in a row, but I promised to share photos this week and had technical difficulties with the photos. So this is for you V.S. and anyone else who saw my FB post last weekend. Saturday night after a long afternoon at the pumpkin patch, The Man and The Bug sat down to watch a movie about dinosaurs. Since I didn't really need to see another movie about dinosaurs, while they watched I sat at a desk nearby and decided to play with some new jewelry supplies I bought last week. This was the beginning of Pin Test #16.

I bought suede and 1mm leather cord and some jewelry wire. I think the grand total investment was about eight dollars. A while back I found the blue square tile on the beach. I thought it would make a nice pendant, it just had a very nice shape and I could see it hanging around my neck. I wasn't sure what I would do with it, but it got my creative juices flowing.

I think the piece of sea glass was sent to my by a blogging friend in Australia who knew I loved sea glass. This is Indian Ocean sea glass. I have Pacific Ocean sea glass and Atlantic Ocean sea glass, but having Indian Ocean sea glass seems like something a little extra special. The shell shard next to it I found in San Diego. I loved the texture and many variations of blues and browns on the surface. Lastly is an orange shell shard I found in San Diego as well. I do love orange, so this very worn down piece with such bright variegated color stood out to me.

I pulled out my jar of special shells I'd saved, thinking each one could be a potentially great piece of jewelry based on coloring, size and shape. Then I went to Pinterest which linked me straight to YouTube for great tutorials about how to make wire wrapped jewelry. This is the pin that got me started sending me to a video posted to YouTube by Gayle Bird. I ended up using some of Gayle's technique but then also watched another video by The Potomac Bead Company on wrapping sea glass. This one gave me another option for wrapping that I liked a little better.

On YouTube I could figure out the basics, wrap wire around the thing but I knew my pieces would look a lot better and I would save myself a lot of frustration if I studied up first. There are a ton of tutorials on YouTube and project ideas on Pinterest. If you're interested I would send you in those directions. There are so many I really don't want to recommend any because you really need to find one that most fits your style and how you learn. Just search for wire wrapped jewelry on either side and you will be bombarded with options.

Once I got the hang of how to start, keep the wires tight, securely wrap and best of all how to make the "bail" (top loops -- learned a new word!) it was easy to make these four necklaces in about thirty minutes. One of the necklaces I finished and then I broke one of the wires when I was trying to tighten them up on the backside. I had to cut all the wire off and start all over again. That was a little frustrating but what is a creative project without at least one mini-disaster?

I definitely learned some things and will do some things differently next time. I think my favorite is the sea glass piece. I like the "less is more" aspect with the wire and I think that was the last piece I made so I had a better idea what I was doing. I'm out of wire now, I only bought a small amount, but I'm looking forward to buying more and doing more play with wire wrapped jewelry. Once I started looking at all the tutorials I got inspired about all the amazing bracelets, earrings and pendants you can make.

You do need proper jewelry pliers and I used a round pencil as well to wrap the loops for my wider bails. I have different pliers: one pair that cut wire, one pair that are smooth cones to curve wire and another that look like basic home improvement pliers (but much smaller) to hold onto wire and gently pull it when needed.

This is a super easy project and a great way to take a small treasure and make it into wearable art. These would also make a great gift for friends and family for the holidays. The cost is very small and it would be easy to make quite a few of these at one sitting. Much easier than say piecing together a quilt or knitting an afghan, haha.

Christmas In July

Over the years I have always tried to start thinking about Christmas crafts and gift-giving in July. It's a lovely change of thought from hot summer days, Popsicles and sandals. I've written about getting an early head start on the holidays a few times. Inspiration for Christmas cards in September, making decorations in August, I also learned that for some reason thrift stores often start putting out their holiday merchandise in July. Sometimes it's just pure escapism to think about gorgeous, charming Christmas decorations. Then there was the year I rebelled.

July has been a blur, like it so often is, a rush to milk every second of goodness out of summer before it fades away. For some reason our summers the past three years have been very busy and included a lot of travel and upheaval. This summer has been no different with reintegration, recuperation, and many other things going on.

Dealing with anything as far out as Christmas sounds a little bit far-fetched right now. But I do know that a good creative project does wonders for my soul, so I've been thinking about what will be really important for us for this holiday season. We really don't have much need of anything. I think Legos are in order for the little one. I think beyond that, simple, loving tokens are in order this year. Here are a few projects I've been thinking about.

image via wanelo

Knit Infinity Scarves: a link to lots of patterns here. These would be fun and pretty easy to make. You can see lots of beautiful examples on Pinterest.

image via A Beautiful Mess

I remember doing wax resistant projects when I was a kid, but my eyes were opened wide to the fun you can have as an adult with crayons and dye by this project from A Beautiful Mess. I don't think it's just because I love orange and blue together that I fell in love with these two scarves. These would be great for friends who live in warmer climates.

image by joyzz

This is another fun and simple project by Joyzz. You just need quality blue cotton napkins, bleach and a few artistic tools to play with like pencil erasers and butter knives. These would be great for Independence Day celebrations wouldn't they. But you could definitely do themes for Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day, etc.

image via Martha Stewart

I've collected a lot of pretty shells and sea glass through the years. I'm not sure if I'd have pieces to match up earrings but I have some big pieces that would make pretty necklaces. This "Drill Through Sea Glass" tutorial from the good people at Martha Stewart would definitely get me started.

So those are a few fun ideas to kick off Christmas in July and a headstart on holiday gift-giving. Hope this finds you well and happy. I think of you readers daily and send you my very best wishes. Thank you for visiting and for your support!

Military (Navy) Inspired Wrap Bracelet DIY

The weather is getting warmer and I'm not wearing long sleeves and layers as much anymore. It's got me thinking about layered bracelets and wrap bracelets for summer 2013. I'm wondering if stacked will be in again this year. I have a feeling it will with a few updates.

As part of my 30-day Reorganization Project I'm cleaning up my jewelry drawers and realized I have a few favorite pieces that have been needing repair for a while now. I needed some jewelry glue to seal up a few jump rings, so I headed to our neighborhood bead store.

I couldn't help looking around a bit and was wanting to make a little something and was wanting a little treasure to remind me of The Man. So I decided to do a little military inspired wrap bracelet. I liked the idea of an anchor and a heart. I toyed with doing a third charm but didn't find anything that seemed to flow with these two pieces: the right size, coloration, style, dimensions. Plus I thought these two charms said it all. I debated about the leather color. I loved the look of red, thought about pink and then settled on camo green because it was a nice, fairly neutral color and really nothing says military like camo green. The leather strand and two charms cost less than six dollars and I had the clasp and jump rings already in my supplies.

I knotted the leather multiple times in square knots around the jump rings to connect it all together and other than measuring carefully and making sure the jump rings were tightly closed this was a super simple project. I measured the length to wrap around my wrist three times.

You can see some of my other DIY bracelets and some of my stacking ideas here:

Cool Bracelet Stacks

Etsy Bracelets For Stacking

DIY Woven Bracelets

Are you up for another summer of stacking bracelets? I clearly am. Creative juices are flowing. The same night I whipped up this bracelet I also cranked out three very simple art projects that I totally love. I'll show you those next week. Be well friends. So happy you came by!

Updating The Jewelry Collection

images via Banana Republic

Hello lovely people. Hope you are well. The days seems to be going by enjoyably and quickly this week. I have run into a growing dilemma as I have been outfitting myself each morning lately. I have had an amazing earring collection for the past eight or nine years. I had so many pretty pairs that I quit buying earrings because I couldn't wear them all enough. Well the tide has turned and suddenly all those pretty earrings seem to be falling apart at the same time. Jewels have fallen out, earring backs have been bent around so many times they've lost their shape or are totally bendy now.

So I decided it was time to refresh my jewelry wardrobe, particularly my earrings. Buying jewelry is fun. You never have to try it on or ask for a bigger size. You can find hundreds of options just by visiting a few department stores. One of my favorite places to buy jewelry is Macys. As it turns out, Macy's is having a big jewelry sale right now and the discounts look pretty substantial. There is always a massive selection, something on sale and you can often find great deals there.

Another favorite jewelry stop is Banana Republic. Their well-edited collections have something for everyone and every occasion. Here are four pairs from Banana Republic that I thought would be great additions to my jewelry wardrobe:

Bamboo Hoops -- classics that would go with just about anything

Green Chandeliers -- a cheery pop of spring. I just imagine for some reason that these would look crazy good on a girl with blue or green eyes. But they would look fantastic on a brown-eyed brunette too.

Orange Hoops -- they're orange for starters, so they're a hit right off the bat. Great classics that would go so well with every neutral.

Holiday Lights Chandeliers -- these caught my eye at Christmas and I almost bought them. They're still on my mind and we know what that means. So beautiful. I love the mix of crazy sparkle with a dash of brooding dark gray to them.

When it comes to earrings I can be a little picky. I'm big on fish hook backs, hate studs and need a little dangle in my earrings. And I always have to have a bag of plastic earring backs in my drawer and they go on every pair that needs them, every day. Do you have a favorite pair of earrings right now? Do you only wear certain styles? I'd love to hear what's going on with you and earrings right now.

Gorgeous Rosella Resin Jewelry

images via Rosella Resin

Oh, hello! I thought I would do a few gift idea posts this holiday season but I didn't expect to find such gorgeous subjects for my first post. When I saw this bracelet with the parrot feather inside I was stopped in my tracks. This gorgeous jewelry collection by Rosella Resin on Etsy is a fresh, fun look that got me excited about accessorizing again. Each piece is so absolutely stunning. Wow.

Rosella is a shop owned by Jessica and Gwynne Burgess from Ontario, Canada. I love the story of how these two sisters began their business. I also really like their conscientious business practices and their focus on nature. You can learn all about them here. You can see more of each piece of jewelry at the links below. What a great gift for a girl who likes to stand out in the crowd.

1. Parrot Feather Bangle
2. Lilac Ring
3. Bangles with Gold Flakes
4. Bright Pink Faceted Ring
5. Copper Flakes Ring
6. Sky Blue and Gold Ring
7. Grapefruit Ring
8. Teal and Gold Multifaceted Ring

12 Tips To Increase Interest In Your Pinterest Boards

Putting my marketing career cap on here to share 12 ways you can pump up the interest and influence of your Pinterest boards. These are all fun and easy things I've considered as I work on making my boards pretty - lessons I've learned in the trenches. Each one will help make your Pinterest site more eye-catching to visitors. All right, let's jump in.

1) Use a nice avatar photo. This is often the first thing people will see when they visit. Use a lovely professional photo of yourself or something to do with your business. First impressions are important. Not everyone loves a photo of your scruffy but lovable pet or something else not clearly connected to what you're doing on your boards.

2) Take the time to write a nice introduction to who you are, what you do and what to expect from your Pinterest boards. Again this is a first impression thing. Take the opportunity to draw in visitors with words as engaging as your pins. Don't leave this space empty or fill it up with meaningless junk. Say something welcoming and pleasant.

3) Think about your brand. Regardless of whether you are running a small business, a blog or are just pinning for fun, you are building a brand whenever you post anything online. What kind of brand are you creating? Is it consistent with who you are, who you want to be and where you want to go with your blog, business or online presence? Keep your online personality consistent and likable if you want to build a following and create opportunities for yourself.

4) Keep your board names short and simple. Give pins clear descriptions. There has been a real trend to use catchy names for boards that do not clearly identify what they are. For instance you might use "Ring-a-ding-a-ding" for a wedding board. If you want people to find your beautiful board on weddings, put wedding in the title. People are more interested in your content that how cutely you can name things. Give your pins clear descriptions so they are easy to find in a search. If you are hard to find they won't find you or your pretty pins.

5) Add your own content. Don't just pin other people's pins. Go to some of your favorite sites and pin your favorite products, fashions and designs - things that inspire you. There's always a genuine need and room for more beautiful pins on Pinterest.

6) Smartly organize the layout of your boards. There are different ways to do this.

• Focus on holidays. Now is a great time to move your Christmas decor and DIY boards to the top of your Pinterest page. After the holidays drop your holiday boards to the bottom and move anything to do with Valentine's Day, Spring, Easter, etc. up at the top of your page.
• Consider the season of the year. During the winter drop the summer oriented boards to the bottom and vice versa. 
• Put business first. If your board is business or blog oriented try to keep the boards most strongly associated with your brand at the top. If you sell pretty things on Etsy that you want to display but also have a board associated with your love of ugly dogs maybe put the dogs at the bottom.
•  Make sure the boards at the top of your page are pretty and robust. If you have some boards that would be good at the top of your page but don't have a lot of pins, take a few minutes to beef them up before you put them center stage.

7) Select gorgeous cover shots. Pick your prettiest, most eye-catching pins for the cover shot on each board. Make sure the photo fits in the space available and is clear, then center is so it looks pleasing to the eye. Next consider how each looks along side the boards surrounding it. Don't pick cover shots that don't look good next to each other. Try to find harmonious color combinations with all your cover shots so that your main Pinterest page feels cohesive and inviting.

8) Switch things up often. Move your more generic boards around and change up your cover shots regularly. This will help repeat visitors see that you are constantly improving and adding new things to your page. This is something I learned when I used to do craft fairs. Moving things around in the booth during the day would cause something to suddenly jump out and catch the eye of people who may have already visited several times before.

9) Clean up your boards once in a while. To keep your boards manageable and pretty, go through and delete those pins that you look back at and can't believe you pinned or that aren't meaningful to you anymore. Look for ways that tighten up your themes and organization. I recently went through my Wedding board that had gotten too big and unwieldy and broke it up into several smaller, more tightly themed boards. I also divided out my Kitchen board to be two more cohesive smaller boards.

10) Think about the mood you are setting. My best example here is all the really snarky, sarcastic cartoons on Pinterest. There are also a lot of bitter and depressive saying on Pinterest. Yes they are funny, but most are also pretty rude or just plain depressing. Some people won't care about this a bit, or will gladly stand by their love of snarkiness. But if you're trying to attract people to you for business, networking, friendship or even dating relationships it's something to consider. What are your boards telling your audience?

11) Leave nice comments. Snarky put downs are bad for brand. But leaving plenty of nice comments is great for your business, brand and online persona. See #10. You can create or destroy relationships in the comment section. You don't have to say everything that goes through your head.

12) Promote yourself and others graciously. Everyone wants followers on their social networking sites don't they? At the same time, no one likes pushy, heavy handed "invitations" to follow someone. But  you can easily offer a gentle invitation to check out your latest updates, tied into some event going on. You can send a tweet like this "Spent the evening doing holiday crafts. See my inspirations on my Pinterest board here (include link)..." It doesn't have to come across as a used car salesman pitch nor does it have to feel like it to you. When you add in a few tweets, Facebook or blog mentions about some other people's boards that you love it helps show that you are spreading the love and not purely self-promoting.

There we go. Let me know which of these tips are most helpful to you. If you have any questions leave a comment below and I'll reply. Which ones have you already tried? Which ones do you want to try soon? If you aren't on Pinterest yet it' easy to join. You can sign up right here. If you are one of the many people who joined Pinterest, maybe months ago, and haven't yet created a board or pinned anything, I say try it out. It's great fun!

You can see my Pinterest boards here and of course you are welcome to follow. Share your Pinterest link in the comment section below so we can all visit you too. Thanks for coming by. Have a fantastic day. And Happy Pinning. See you there!

image by kalanicut

Lovely Wedding Earrings From BHLDN

images via BHLDN

Over the months now that we have been engaged, I've been keeping my eyes peeled for great wedding jewelry. I have always envisioned that I will wear gorgeous earrings and a sparkly bracelet. Earlier this week I came across these sandals on Pinterest which inspired me to think about shoe embellishments again. I'm thinking grosgrain bow, a pretty flower or broach for the sandals. So I took a few minutes to wander the web.

Instead of finding shoe jewelry, I got totally distracted by the gorgeous earrings I found at BHLDN - Anthropologie's sister wedding site. So unique and pretty. You can find all the details on these beauties here.

I think my very favorites are the center square and bottom right corner. But they are all so gorgeous I can see weddings styles built around each one of them. There is definitely a sparkle for every personality in the lovely collection at the BHLDN site.

So which are your favorites?

Etsy Cool Wrap Bracelets For Summer

image via Etsy Shop Panda Passion

With over 63,000 wrap bracelets found on Etsy this week it was truly impossible for me to get through all of them. So I randomly jumped through a variety of pages and liked very much what I found. Since I am thinking and loving so much about wrapped and stacked bracelets this summer I thought I would share a few goodies with you.

At these links you can find two other posts about stacked bracelets I posted last month - first some of my favorite photos and DIY tutorials  and second, a mixing and matching tutorial. Now here is some gorgeous new eye candy and inspiration to wrap your wrists in this summer.

1) Anchor Wrap Bracelet - The anchor symbol holds a very special place in my heart right now. I like the simplicity of this pretty waxed cotton wrap.

image via Pinterest

2) Silver & Bead Leather Wrap - I am cuckoo crazy for this bracelet. Unfortunately it's not available anymore, so I couldn't find any info about it on Etsy. But when I found it on Pinterest it stopped me in my tracks. But I had to share it because it is so lovely.

image via Etsy Shop Foundling

3) Leather Happy Wrap Bracelet - How can you not love a bracelet that reminds you to be happy in such a pretty way every time you look down. These beautiful bracelets are made by Betsy and Stephen Carr in Asheville, North Carolina.

Image via Etsy Shop KesT Designs

4) Whale Tail Bracelet - Love the combinations fo materials and colors on this beauty. I'm always a sucker for a nice big charm on a wrapped bracelet and even better if it's a nautical theme. This is made by KesT Designs in Israel.

Image via Etsy Shop Marina's Soul

5) Hammered Infinity Bracelet - Perhaps it's because it's the week of Midsummer my very favorite holiday in Scandinavia, but I'm realizing that many of these bracelets have a definitely Scandinavian feel to them, this one most of all. I love the combination of strength and simplicity this wrap exudes. Made by Marina's Soul, Austin, TX.

Have you made or purchased any favorite wrap bracelets this summer. Post a link to a photo below. I would love to see what your wrists are sporting this summer! Hope you have a fantastic weekend!

Making Jewelry and Clothing From Old Tee Shirts

image via Ohzie on Etsy

I always feel bad when I have clothing that has truly worn out and is not even thrift store donation worthy. Sometimes I hang onto them if I like the fabric, thinking I'll come up with a way to use the fabric for something else.

Recently I've had some tee shirts and yoga pants that have given up the ghost and are not repairable. But a good portion of the fabric is still good. So I decided to look for projects I could make using knit fabrics.

• I love this collection of tutorials using the humble tee shirt by Epherielle Designs. You'll find tee shirt scarves and necklaces in many different colors and styles.

• You can make your own yarn out of an old tee shirt. Here's a tutorial from Craft Passion.

• Indestructible.com had tutorials for a recycled bracelet.

• This post from Hide Your Arms has a large collection of old tee shirt projects too.

• Wisebread.com also has a great gathering of 15 Ideas for old tee shirts.

• For even more ideas, check this link from Google Images.

• If you don't have time or energy to make something you can also find lots of great tee shirt creations for purchase on Etsy. Like this beautiful necklace made by Ohzie seen above.

There are tons more sites that have ideas for old tee shirts. Check Pinterest for more ideas. Now there's no reason for me to have worn out knits folded in my closet anymore. Next week I'll have to look at my stack of old knits and see what I can source and create.

Maybe something here will inspire you to make some fun things with your old tees and workout gear. If you make something I'd love to see it! Do you have a favorite old tee shirt DIY? 

Cool DIY Stacking Bracelets

Good Monday morning to ya! Hope you had a great weekend. I'm getting back in the groove after a very last minute few days away. I'll share more about that later this week. For the past couple of weeks I've been a bit obsessed with stacking bracelets. I blogged about it last week with links to some of my favorite looks and great DIYs here. At the same time I pulled out my jewelry making supplies and started fiddling around a bit and made a few new bracelets for myself.

Here are a few that I've made over the past few months. I'm especially enjoying making wrap bracelets that are almost the size of a necklace and wrap around the wrist at least three times. I'm definitely set to make more of those. I like to keep those quite simple, made of leather cord with a charm on it or seed beads with a few color variations.

Next I pulled out all the bracelets I had and started playing with combinations of different colors, textures and materials. I created a stack with leather and silver as the base, pairing up silver bracelets from Mexico with wood and ceramic beads, leather and a charm.

I played around with wood beads and baubles for an even more natural, but beachy, tropical look for more playful days.

Then I added more, silver and bright pony beads. It's fun to see what you can put together from very low end, inexpensive pony beads to very high end pieces you see stacked together in magazines. But it doesn't have to be expensive to get the stacked look to feel stylish and on trend.

For a more grown up, classic look I paired a turquoise three-wrap bracelet with several bright silver bracelets. Perfect for a night out after a day at the beach. This would look stunning against a good tan, right? (Not that any of us like a tan, because, that's bad for us, we know. haa-haa.) This stack would pair beautifully with a simple black dress or bright white summer linens.

How about you? Are you stacking? Making your own? Share a link to a photo of your stacks. Tell us what you think about the stacking trend in the comments below. I'd love to hear how other people are living this fun, summer trend.

P.S. You can check out my jewelry board on Pinterest here. It is full of some amazing stacked bracelet pins.

all images by kalanicut

Stacking Bracelets For Summer

photo by kalanicut, catalog by Anthropologie

The cover of the May 2012 Anthropologie catalog I got in the mail last week inspired that I must do a post on all the beautiful bracelet stacking that is everywhere this spring. I always think of the very stylish Courtney Novogratz, who first caught my eye with her stacked friendship bracelets a couple of years ago on 9 by Design on HGTV. It's a colorful look that speaks happy, fun and easy-going to me. Those are three emotions that I always want to cultivate more of in my life.

Right now I'm rockin' the leather bracelet I made several months ago, with a simple, quarter-inch wide silver cuff I got in Mexico years ago and an ocean inspired, blue and green wood bead bracelet I made last week during a jewelry making session with The Bug. The wood bracelet turned out so nice that I'm thinking of whipping up a few more.

Here are other favorite images from the blogosphere that totally make my heart sing with joy for stacked bracelets.

Embellished Friendship Bracelets via Honestly WTF

Confetti Wrapped Bracelets from Obaz.com

And since these are so fun to make and there are so many great tutorials out there, I'll conclude this post with a bunch of links so you can get inspired by all the creativity out there and make some of your own. If you make some, I'd LOVE to see them. I'm definitely going to make more and I will post them for you to see soon.

DIY Wrap Bracelets & Embellished Friendship Bracelets from HonestlyWTF
Bracelets on Pinterest
Friendship Bracelets by Kara of Talkin' Chow Playin' House
Word Bracelets by Happy Hour Projects

Have a great day. Thanks for coming by.  XOXO.

P.S. Here's a follow up post I did mixing and matching bracelets for a variety of stacked looks. Lots of photos.

Anthropologie May 2012 Catalog Loveliness

I love getting the Antropologie catalogs in the mail. They are so inspiring to me as someone who loves fashion, home decor, jewelry, photography and nature.  This jewelry paired with the gorgeous green dress is amazing. And the styling with the wallpaper and the lighting is gorgeous. Those Anthro people just continue to maintain the most fantastically inspiring levels of creativity, year after year.

Doesn't this image just make you want to run out and buy more hats. It reminds me to appreciate the hats I have and to take more risks with my headwear. It's funny I never liked myself in hats until The Man said he liked me in hats. Then I looked at myself in a new way and I've enjoyed hats and wearing them with more confidence ever since. Funny how we can build up a dumb, self-critical wall that someone can so easily remove with one or two compliments.

If this doesn't inspire you to see the world and get your feet in an ocean STAT, I don't know what will. A nap, oh a nap in this spot. There couldn't be anything more lovely. Anthropologie definitely inspires us to see the world and make the most of enjoying it.

Anthropologie always inspires me to bring more color into my life and use simple and colorful things to brighten up my home. Gorgeous collection of plates.

This image inspires me to take a few minutes before I walk out the door and accessorize. It's amazing how just a couple of minutes taken to add a little jewelry can take something beautiful and make it stunning, memorable and totally unique. I love it when I take that time and it always pays off in how I feel about myself, how I move in the world and how the world sees me.

If you're not getting the Anthropologie catalog in the mail, I encourage you to sign up. You can order a catalog right here. If you are a vision board keeper like me, this will pay off immediately and inspire you to no end.

Have a great day! Sending you the very best wishes.

photos of catalog by kalanicut, amazing catalog of course by Anthropologie 

The Museums at Colonial Williamsburg

While visiting Colonial Williamsburg, I could not pass up the opportunity to visit another folk art museum. The DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum are situated at the southwest end of the village. Admission is included in the ticket to Williamsburg. On the weekends the museums are open til 7 p.m. so it's a great activity to do at the end of the day as we did.

Both museums are technically in the same space, so you can wander between the two a bit or connect directly from one to the other. The museums included grand collections of kitchenware, furniture, weaponry, clothing, signage, ship ornamentation, quilts and pottery.

There was also a very interesting gallery on museum conservation and all the work required to protect works of written word, paintings, fabrics, woods and other items often seen in museums. It's easy to forget all the work that goes into restoring and maintaining pieces in museum-ready condition. There was also a great display detailing the refurbishing of one of the Williamsburg buildings and all that was uncovered as they took the building apart and rebuilt it according to original construction techniques.

You never quite know what you'll find in a Folk Art museum. The animals on this carousel looked as if they might come to life and begin to create mischief in the museum. It was a little spooky yet fascinating.

The museums also have a very lovely gift shop filled with unique jewelry, housewares, folk art, glassware and books. We spent quite a while there pouring through the shelves of interesting merchandise.

I also must mention that Colonial Williamsburg has some great programs for homeschoolers. On the official website there is also a section filled with educational activities for kids and a special section for parents and teachers. That would be a great way to get kids excited about visiting and knowledgeable about Williamsburg before a visit.

I have found when traveling with family that the more invested each person becomes learning in advance about the destination the more enjoyable and rich the experience becomes for all. Everyone ends up contributing what they learned and everyone benefits from each person's enthusiasm and interests.

In every state in the country and any country in the world there are great historical sites worth a visit. Next time you are looking for something to do, consider paying a visit to a local historical site.

all images by kalanicut