Author Archives: sara

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T-Shirt Restyle

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A friend of mine approached me as asked if I’d be willing to make some old t-shirts she had into pillows. Of course I agreed! When I actually got my hands on them, I realized how hilarious they were.

The shirts were actually from Japan and it was obvious by looking at them that something was off. The text in most cases didn’t make any sense and the format of things was comical. One of them appeared to be a college tee from the state of Florida, however it was spelled Frorida and there was a University of Virginia crest in the center.

Aside from the fact that the seams were all sorts of weird and made it hard to match up a back and front panel evenly, I’d say the project was fairly simple. I actually enjoyed figuring out how to use the detail of each shirt to embellish the pillow. It was fun to cut up the collar, seams, and arms to create the edging. Now I want to go dig through all my t-shirts and figure out which ones could have new lives as pillows.

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Co-OPhx and the Spring Swap

 

I first found out about Co-OPhx and the clothing swap last year. You may remember my post about it here. This organization has made it their mission to build community in Phoenix through fashion, art and events. With a desire to encourage others to embrace sustainable fashion, the clothing swap was born. The clothing swap has grown exponentially over the past couple of seasons involving numerous community partners, local boutiques, and some of the best food vendors all while supporting some amazing charities.  Now I’m so proud to say that I’m partnering with Co-OPhx for the next clothing swap!

The Spring Clothing Swap is happening THIS SUNDAY!

Purchase your tickets for the event at  swapphx.splashthat.com

or

get more information at http://coophx.co/

It’s all going down at the GROWop which by the way is one of my favorite little spots in Phoenix.

 

CO-OPhx isn’t stopping at the swap, there are four style tutorials from local boutique owners. Swappers will learn a little bit of everything from how to tie a bowtie to how to shop vintage. If that wasn’t enough, swappers will also get to test out their craftiness with do-it-yourself upcycling booths and of course vintage shopping at the three host stores.

I’m really excited about this event! I think it’s a fantastic way to meet people and who doesn’t have a few clothing items that they don’t love anymore? It’s such a great experience to give my once loved things a new home as well as put my perspective on some new things I bring home with me. I love how everything has a story.

Here is one of the great items that I’ll be bringing with me to the swap.

It was given to me by a friend who often picks up hauls of vintage. She passed it off to me and I had planned to cut it up and make it into something new as it was too small. I never got to this one and it’s so beautiful that I think someone could really love it as is.

Come out to the swap and be sure and ‘swap stories’ on some of your once loved pieces. You’ll have the chance to share your item’s story while standing in line. How cool to read a story on something you pick up at the swap, even if you don’t get to meet the person. It’s so cool to know you’ve participated in something extremely special. Will you be there? Look for me in a Swap Team shirt and be sure to say hello.

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Typography Tuesday- Be Kind to Yourself

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Typography Tuesday is back and with a bit more bang for your buck. This one hit me hard as I’ve been thinking lately about my ability to be kind to myself. I’ve always thought myself to be a kind person, but for some reason I’ve allowed myself to be the exception to that standard. I would never say out loud to someone else some of the things I think about myself inside my head. Truth be told, I’m a far harsher judge of myself than anyone else. If I had a friend who spoke to me the way I speak to myself sometimes, that friend wouldn’t be a friend for long. My standards for friendship seem to exclude myself and that’s a problem.

My internal criticism has passed the point of constructive and somehow become a destructive force in how I view myself. I’ve always been my toughest critic, but I need to give myself some credit and pat myself on the back sometimes. Today, I’m going to make an effort to be kind to myself.

I deserve my own kindness and admiration.

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House on the Brain

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We’ve officially entered the madness of house hunting. It came on quick. We weren’t planning on beginning until later in the year, but the bug bit us and we’re on board. There are so many things that we’re learning and just as soon as we think we’ve got something figured out, it all changes. It’s a confusing and frustrating process. We’ve surrounded ourselves with some great people who are helping us navigate these waters, but I feel like I’ve lost my mind in a sea of overwhelming details. From finances to down payments, to pre-approvals to finding the home that we love, it’s exhausting; mostly mentally for me. I get really attached to things and planning and when it doesn’t work out, it takes me a little bit to move on and get into a new, positive head space.

I’ve also been pinning like a mad woman! Dreaming up the most beautiful spaces is filling my thoughts on the daily. I can’t help it. There is just something exciting to me about the newness and possibilities that lie within a new home. Most of all, living without restrictions because this home will be ours. I can’t wait to paint a wall. It’s the little things people. Here are some of my most recent dreamy home inspirations.

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You can find the rest of my home inspirations on my Pinterest board here. 

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Senior Photos- Adam

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The past month has flown by and left me with little to show you here. Today was the first day I even looked at my editorial calendar in three weeks. A combination of a week at work that stole every ounce of energy I had coupled with the roller coaster of house hunting has pushed my blog to the very back of my priority list. It’s a shame as I had all these great ideas set and scheduled. No worries though, I’ll just push them back and assign them a new day to share. Hopefully Spring is treating you all well and leaving you inspired. Now that I’ve caught my breath, I’m back and ready to take up shop again. Are you still with me?

Back in January…

I took my little brother’s senior pictures while I visited him in Oklahoma. It was a surprise for his 18th birthday. He was in fact surprised and my trip was a success. I’m happy I got the chance to take these. First of all, no one else should have the honor besides me and it was such a pleasure spending the time with him and being able to capture the many faces of Adam. I also was set on designing his announcements.

 

It was actually challenging finding something that accurately suited his personality while still being the perfect balance of simple and not boring.

 I couldn’t help but capture some of the silly moments too. This kid was cracking me up.

I’m pretty proud. Not just of my work, it’s adequate, but I’m proud the of the man he has become and all the amazing things I know he’ll do. He’s off to Harding in the Fall and he is going to kill it!

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Spread the Love/ My Blog Crush

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Amber over at Damask Love is working with Clear and Simple Stamps to encourage bloggers to spread the love. Inspired by a ‘blog crush’ idea, she’s asking us all to give some kudos to a blog we love and admire by creating something spectacular.

The idea is to use one of their color schemes as inspiration for your project and then reveal your ‘blog crush.’

I’ve decided to go with the ‘Lovely and Refreshing’ color scheme.

Drumroll please….

My ultimate ‘blog crush’ right now is Bri of Design Love Fest! 

I can’t get enough of Bri. Her style posts knock my socks off and inspire me to think beyond the typical. Her advice posts are helpful, like actually well thought out and helpful. She started Blogshop, a workshop for bloggers to seriously improve their Photoshop skills. I’m patiently waiting for the Phoenix one, although we’re not even on the calendar. A girl can hope, okay. I look forward to seeing what she is up to and I’m never disappointed. In fact I visit her pages over and over again, just to obsess and dream.

Now that I’ve made myself sound like a creep, on to my project.

While I would have loved to use some of the stellar products from Clear & Simple, I got on the bandwagon far too late. So, I searched my personal stash and pulled some papers that were inspiring to me, honored my chosen color scheme, and still in someway captured the spirit of Bri. I’m pretty proud of what I came up with.

I don’t really know if anyone else uses the word ‘rad’ anymore, but I’d like to think I’m not the only one.

 

 

 

 

 

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Make It- Birthday in a Box

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A very special friend of mine had a birthday recently and unfortunately I couldn’t be there to celebrate it with her. As much as I wish I could hop on a plane and spend every birthday with everyone I love, that’s just outside my reality. I was thinking that if we were in the same town, I’d throw her a party. Who doesn’t love a birthday party? Since I couldn’t really do that I thought it would be great to send her one. A Birthday in a Box, if you will.

I put together a few things and packed them up. Here’s what I put in my box:

  • Cake mix in a mason jar with baking directions
  • Cupcake liners
  • Candles
  • Icing
  • Sprinkles
  • Balloons
  • A handmade paper crown

I think it was a successful idea and it was well received. I think I’d like to expand on this idea a bit more. This is something you may just see in the shop in the future.

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Make It- Weekly Menu Board

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I have been meal planning for quite a while. It helps me make it out of the grocery store with everything I need to make a different dinner every night along with planned lunches, breakfast options and even snacks. I have found that meal planning really helps me keep an organized week and I never have to wonder what’s for dinner. In getting to know myself better, I know that I’m far less overwhelmed by a busy work week when the grocery shopping is done, the meal prep is complete, and the laundry is done (But that’s an entirely different post.)

I usually just have a mountain of lists, but I decided it would be nice to have something a bit nicer in terms of displaying meal options. We picked up a few cabinet doors for another project a while back at our local Restore. It’s kind of like the home depot of thrift stores. You should see if there is one in your area, you won’t be sorry. Anyways, I thought this long one would make a great chalkboard perfect for our weekly menu.

I gave the inside section a few coats of chalkboard paint, sharpened the chalk, wrote out the weekly menu in my best attempt at hand-drawn typography, and even sewed up a little chalk holster to hang off the handle.

I’m pretty happy with it. Do you meal plan?