Category: Chic Crafty


Have Yourself an Eco-friendly Christmas

December 10th, 2009 — 7:30am
Season's Greenings

Season's Greenings

Now that Turkey day has trotted, let’s talk Christmas. While Thanksgiving is notorious for overcooking, Christmas is the holiday for overspending. On Thanksgiving we waste food. On Christmas we waste, well, EVERYTHING. This year, Chic Readers, let’s each try to find one area where we can cut back and NOT WASTE ANYTHING. I have 3 ways to do this.

Deck the Halls with Renewable Resources

I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas...

  1. Make your own wrapping paper. Get a few brown paper bags, cut open the seams so that you have one big flat piece. Flip to the blank side that has no writing or logos. Cut a kitchen sponge into the shape of a star. Dip in gold/red/green paint. Stamp sponge on paper. Repeat. Allow to dry. Voila! Beautiful and Eco-Friendly wrapping paper.
  2. Decorate your tree using only found objects. Take a walk through the park. Collect sticks, pine cones, dried leaves, and sprigs of berries (preferably non-poisonous if you have kids, pets, or curious significant others). Take your goods home and spray paint a few items gold or red for some color. Use wire ornament hooks to hang your eco-ornaments on your tree.
  3. Buy charity gifts. Visit Charity Choice and choose from over 100 Charities to donate to. Put the donation under your receiver’s name and they will receive monthly updates about the progress of their cause. Make sure to tailor the cause to the gift receiver. For example, Ivan likes cats so I would donate to Alley Cat Allies in his name. Prrrrowww…

Happy Green Holidays Chic Readers!

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Unique New York

December 3rd, 2009 — 5:00pm
Support Local Art!

Support Local Art!

Just kidding…it’s Unique LA, independent design and gift sale. This once a year event takes place THIS WEEKEND downtown at the California Market Center and features adorable creations from local designers. Unique LA is not your local church craft sale. This place is full of one of a kind clothing, jewelry, home decor, accessories, and art at affordable prices that are too good to pass up. I did basically all of my Christmas chopping at this event last year and did not hear a single complaint.

DetroitSprinklesWant another reason to go? Detroit Sprinkles, my most favorite T-shirt company will be in attendance. This alone is reason to check out the sale. Avoid mall crowds and generic gift giving…Come on Chic Readers! Check out Unique LA this weekend and support local designers and artists.

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Chic How-To: Thanksgiving Table Decor

November 24th, 2009 — 3:26pm

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petals from heaven

September 15th, 2009 — 7:00am

Bigger isn’t necessarily better when it comes to aisle style. A giant wedding dress and extra-large bridesmaid hair are so old school. Now, it’s all about the miniatures. Tiny things can make a huge impact especially when you take a little time to add in those extra- special details to that XS piece. So let’s focus on my favorites of the small, pint sized bouquets!

itty bitty blooms

itty bitty blooms

Smaller, more casual bouquets are a new and fresh approach to aisle style. Rather that lugging a huge, gaudy clump of roses, have your florist loosely tie a cluster of fresh greens and blooms together with ribbon, twine, silver chain, get creative! I also love the idea of incorporating tiny charms, crystals, or other momentos into your bouquet.

how charming!

how charming!

Come on ladies! Pinch those pennies and start thinking small. Petite petals are the way to go this wedding season.

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Sign Me Up!

July 21st, 2009 — 6:42am

 

What's Your Sign?

Hello wedding enthusiasts! I know all of you are looking for the newest, most fabulous thing for your wedding and you spend hours scouring the internet in search of said item. Lately I’ve been really into signs… directional signs, signs for food, the bride and grooms names, you name it. We made them here in the office and have about 80 techniques to make them look new, or antiqued, or colorful, whatever fits into our theme.

 

So imagine my surprise when I just found someone on Etsy offering you a custom sign for $85 a pop! What?! This is madness! Even the most un-crafty bride out there could create these things, for a grand total of, say $10. Hit up your local Home Depot, bat your eyes and ask someone to cut your wood for you, then head to a craft store for paint supplies, then, create. Easy peasy, and the imperfection in the piece is usually what makes it look homemade and special so fear not!

Here are a few others we’ve done:

 

wedding21
kristensbirthday__0066

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

202053img_4635

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Bird Brain

June 4th, 2009 — 7:28am

 

Tweet Tweet

Tweet Tweet

I’m not totally sure what this post is about except that I found the following add with this adorable little knit bird creature, and the website for the pattern to make it. And if I had seen this another time, another place, I would have said “yeah, Country Living, who actually makes knit bird creatures?! Who has the time??”

 

Turns out people like my sweet friend Mandy Fowler make knit birdies, she made one for my baby shower last year (see photographic evidence). So I wanted to show you actual proof that those patterns, and crafts, and DIY articles you see in magazines are DOABLE… I mean, not by me, but definitely by more industrious talented friends of mine, and possibly, by you too!

Sweet Birdie

Sweet Birdie

 

 Check out Knit Whits for more fantastic patterns (like the owl that made me screech in delight).

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Crafty Cup Cakes

May 19th, 2009 — 7:28am
When Life Hands You Lemons

When Life Hands You Lemons

 
85 degree night be damned, I turned on the oven!

Last night I decided to make Lemon Cupcakes, and added a little zest (literally) to make them all the more enticing! For those of you who are baking/cooking/home-making challenged, a little jerry-rigged baking is easy and will make you seem like a culinary mastermind!

Regular vanilla box cake mix, whip it up per the directions and add some lemon zest… you’d be surprised how “from-scratch” it makes them taste! Also, added a little to the top of the lemon icing. You can do the same thing with most fruit… strawberries, coconut, orange zest, get creative… worst case you destroy a $3 cake mix, best case you’re everyones hero during tomorrow’s coffee break in the office kitchen!

PS – For those of you following my diet progress, I just want to point out that I baked but did NOT eat these cupcakes. 

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2 comments » | Chic Crafty, Chic DIY, Chic Eats, Chic Entertaining

Swift Presents: Mad About Plaid

April 24th, 2009 — 8:26am

 

Jump to it

Jump to it

Another cutie-pie from Swift!  This is an A-line shift is made from flocked red fabric from the 60’s, Carrie D added a new cropped sweater w/jems, and topped it all off with a breezy plaid hem and reverse collar neckline.  Though the best part by far: is the cupid’s arrow thru the heart made from a vintage hankie… arrow courtesy of Swift’s trusty sewing machine.  $64.95 at the shop

Little shifts like this can maximize your wardrobe and scoot you thru the year. Layer them or wear them solo, warm it up with boots and leggings or cool it off with sandals and some oversized Jackie O’s.

Shot through the heart

Shot through the heart

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DIY: Artisanal Cheeseboard

April 23rd, 2009 — 6:38am

Chic Readers, we’re event planners here for goodness sakes and even though we love reading about things BESIDES the events we plan, the masses keep asking us… where are the event and wedding planning tips?? And masses, you’re absolutely right, shame on us! So I thought I’d start teaching you something I learned how to do recently… artisanal cheeseboard! 

Say Cheese!

Say Cheese!

Kurtz and I are cheese fanatics, unabashed stalkers of brie, smoked gouda, feta, cheddar… we don’t discriminate, we love them all! So a party built around a central cheese hub is a dream come true… throw in a couple bottles of Pinot Noir and I just died and went to heaven!

At a recent party a beautiful and talented young woman created this spread for us for cocktail hour and I just had to figure out how to do one myself. So I asked… and found out. The key to this one is the feeling of oppulence! Everything is stacked and stuffed so it seems like it’s practically falling off the plates there’s so much of it. Really, it can all be accomplished with a trip to Trader Joe’s and an assortment of baskets and trays. Here are my steps:

1. Choose your table, or surface to set up on. The size of the party/table will determine how much food you’ll need to fill it. The whole idea here is that the table is over-flowing so choose something smaller if you need to. Set it up in a central location where guests can easily get to and from the table without causing traffic jams.

2. Gather your best baskets, trays, buckets, plates, whatever… I think aiming for an Italian, rustic vibe is best but honestly anything can work. The best is just a mix of all sorts of shapes and sizes. This stylist used a giant piece of remnant granite as a platter that I still covet. 

3. Go shopping! Hit Trader Joes or even your local grocery store for items. Honestly, you can’t go wrong here, just buy variety.

* Cheese: brie, gouda, aged cheddar, etc (ask the store clerk if you’re not familiar) * Fresh Veggies: carrots, asparagus, bell pepper, green beans, cucumber, peppers, olives (think veggie platter) *Dips: Hummus, Tabouli, Cucumber, etc *Breads: pita, breadsticks, crustini, crackers of every kind *Meats: Silami, turkey, ham *Chocolates: take a trip to Sees and pick out some delectable favorites *Fruit: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, extra points if they’re covered in chocolate, also grab some whole fruit (watermelon, apples, pineapple for decoration)

4. Start setting your table. Use this picture as a guide…

- The far left corner is our anchor, it’s literally a vase from the kitchen filled with eucalyptus branches from the clients yard

- Grab small boxes, vases, pots or whatever and use them as base to give your platters height… just place them next to your anchor piece and try to build downhill from there. Just make sure your platters are stable. People are going to be grabbing things off of it and we’d hate for it to tip.

- Fill your baskets with clean kitchen towels or tissue paper and then put your bread, or veggies on top. This makes it seem full, just make sure the towel is hidden under the food.

- Fill a ton of smaller containers and bowls with your baby items like olives, peppers, chocolates. These work great to fill the space in between your larger pieces so guests can’t see the pots you’re using as risers.

- You’ll have to mess around with the positioning, don’t get discouraged, just keep trying one platter here and the next one there until you like the look. Try and get them as close together as possible (this helps build the look) and fill the spaces in between with your smaller bowls, stacks of cocktail plates, as well as more greenery, floral, the larger fruit you purchased.

It might seem daunting but since most of this stuff is already pre-sliced when purchased it’s actually relatively easy. I did one myself on Christmas Eve and honestly, our guests LOVED it!

Please give it a shot and let me know how it turns out!

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You are cordially invited…

March 30th, 2009 — 5:26am

Light as a feather...

Light as a feather...

It is said that within three seconds of meeting someone, you are evaluated. First impressions are forever. They cannot be redone, reshot, or removed. Once that mark has been made, it is permanent…so why not make your first impression the best it can be, right?

 

Stiff as a board

Stiff as a board

 

When it comes to parties, invitations are usually the earliest element that guests come in contact with. Invites set the tone for your party, get people fired up, and give a little sneak peak as to what your event has in store. Perk your guests’ interest by doing something a little different that will definitely catch their attention…Send an invitation by Innovation! 

FOUR!!

FOUR!!

The Innovation Companies specializes in custom print that is unique, creative, and uses the most unexpected materials I’ve ever seen. From steel to wood,   plexi-glass to feathers, you can guarantee that their invites will impress. 

Don’t blow that event’s first impression with a lame tent folded card, nail it with something ingenious. Come on, you only get one shot.

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