Favorite Clothing Websites

This post may be dangerous for the ladies, but at least I now have a record of some of my favorite stores - many of which I have ordered from myself (A "*" is next to the ones I have personally ordered from online):

• A is for...Alloy*: http://store.alloy.com/frontpage.do?commTrack=shopChannelNowFromAlloy&incmpid=alloymediaAlloyshopnow
• and A is for...A'GACIA: http://www.agacistore.com/
• and A is for...American Apparel: http://store.americanapparel.net/

• B is for...Body Central*: http://www.bodyc.com/
• and B is for...Bebe: http://www.bebe.com/

• C is for...Charlotte Russe*: http://www.charlotterusse.com/home/index.jsp

• D is for...Delias*: http://store.delias.com/
• and D is for...DH Styles: http://www.dhstyles.com/
• and D is for...DEB: http://www.debshops.com/home/index.jsp
• and D is for...DownEast Basics: http://www.downeastbasics.com/

• E is for...E Dress Me: http://www.edressme.com/

• F is for...Forever 21*: http://www.forever21.com/default.asp
• and F is for...Fashion Bug: http://fashionbug.lanebryant.com/
• and F is for...Frederick's of Hollywood*: http://www.fredericks.com/
• and F is for...Funky Chic: http://www.funkychic.com/

• G is for...Go Jane: http://www.gojane.com/
• and G is for...Gianna's Closet: http://www.giannascloset.com/
• and G is for...Gap*: http://www.gap.com/

• H is for...Heavenly Couture: http://www.getheavenly.com/

• I is for...Ice, as in Pink Ice: http://www.pinkice.com/

• J is for...JCPenney: http://www.jcpenney.com/jcp/default.aspx

• K is for...Kohls*: http://www.kohls.com/

• L is for...Lulu's*: http://www.lulus.com/
• and L is for...Love Culture: http://www.loveculture.com/

• M is for...ModCloth: http://www.modcloth.com/
• and M is for...Milanoo*: http://milanoo.com/

• N is for...Nordstrom: http://shop.nordstrom.com/

• O is for...Old Navy*: http://oldnavy.gap.com/

• P is for...Papaya*: http://www.papayaclothing.com/shop/

• Q is for...Que? is there really a clothing store to fit this list that starts with a Q?

• R is for...Really can't think of anything that starts with an "R" and I'm not putting "Rue 21" on the list because they won't let you make purchases online

• S is for...Styles For Less: http://www.stylesforless.com/

• T is for...Target*: http://www.target.com/
• and T is for...The 15 Dollar Store: http://15dollarstore.com/s/home/7505077406656107

• U is for...Urban Outfitters: http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/index.jsp

• V is for...Victoria's Secret*: http://www.victoriassecret.com/
• and V is for...Venus: http://www.venus.com/

• W is for...Wet Seal*: http://wetseal.com/home.jsp

• X is for...Xpress as in Moda Xpress: http://www.modaxpressonline.com/index.asp

• Y is for...Yes Style: http://www.yesstyle.com/en/home.html

• Z is for...Zumiez: http://www.zumiez.com/

♥ Happy Shopping fellow crafters.  

And as always,  I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well. 

Love, Christin

I Baked It!

Here are some yummy treats I made for the holidays:

♥ Happy Baking fellow crafters.  

And as always,  I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well. 

Love, Christin

I make great Christmas gifts

Austin opening the DOMO chair I made him 

and

a view of the 2 basketball chandeliers I made too:

DOMO-KUN Chair

He once brought home a large stuffed domo that took up over half the couch - needless to say we had to get rid of it, so I made him a more practical chair that he can use for gaming.

Cupcake Love Lunch Sack

Perfect for my future teacher friend, I filled it with cute animal snack and sandwich containers that I got at Dollar Tree in the baby section.

Shoe Platter

With a 3D green shoe with a white lightning bolt, this gift is a twist on the traditional painted plate that you can make at As You Wish

Heart Oven Mitts

With tons of heart accessories for my kitchen mitts, oven mitts were the one thing I could not find.  So my cousin sent me these black oven mitts and cut out silver hearts and I used dry-cleanable fabric glue to attach them.  You could also sew them on with a basic needle and thread.  

 Man Cave Themed Bowls

Pass the chips in these great man-cave themed bowls.  I made a football, basketball, and tools bowl using contact cement to attach the tools (nuts, bolts, screws, drill bits, wrenches, etc.) and sports scrapbooking brads to the bowls.  

 

Basketball Chandeliers

Sometimes you just don't finish every gift in time for Christmas.  Here are two basketball chandeliers that I am still working on that took a few months to create.  Each stick was spray painted either orange or black (many cans required) and the fish beads were attached using quick drying epoxy.

 

♥ Happy Unwrapping fellow crafters.  

And as always,  I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well. 

Love, Christin

THE Ikea Sale

Get Happy fellow crafters!  Hopefully you get some Ikea gift cards for Christmas:

♥ Happy Sale Shopping fellow crafters.  

And as always,  I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well. 

Love, Christin

For the Love of Shiny Things

Shiny-ness isn't just for jewelry anymore. This seasons fashion DO is to add some bling and banish the bland. Rhinestones are popping up everywhere from jeans like the Grace in LA line to cardigans and tanks at H+M. 

This trend isn't just for clothes either. Also look for great accessories like belts, scarves, hats, and head bands to add some sparkle to an outfit. I waited in line on Black Friday to get sparkly silver pumps!  They look great with a pair of jeans and they add that extra umph to my night wear. I loved them so much I also ordered them online in black. 

This trend surpasses fashion and shows up in Home Furnishing as well. From picture frames to ottomans and vases, many accessories now have added bling. My whole office set -stapler, tape dispenser, computer mouse, and calculator- is adorned with rhinestones. 

I also got a fabulous duvet cover with rhinestones on it from Z Gallerie. I love it - despite the fact that it definitely isn't the most practical thing I own - considering many of the rhinestones fall off if my cat hasn't ripped them off herself before that.  

This is my 15 year old cat Tigerlilly modeling the duvet cover for all you bloggers

And just a friendly tip: remember when creating an outfit with lots of bling to refrain from overdoing it; you don't want to blind people as you walk by.

♥ Happy Shining fellow crafters.  

And as always,  I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well. 

Love, Christin

Untraditional Gift Wrap

I went to the mall the other day and there were two things I noticed:

1. There are way too many people wearing skinny jeans
2. People are carrying around an awful lot of bags

These bags got me thinking, what if there was a better method of wrapping to help the environment than gift wrap or a plastic gift bag? 

This year, when you are wrapping your holiday gifts, consider using some of these eco-friendly options and giving them a wrap that can be used again instead of being thrown straight into the trash:

1. Basket
2. Decorative bucket - try the dollar spot at Target
3. Flower pot - you can even paint it and decorate it yourself
4. A tumbler (stuffed with candy and/or a gift card) - They even sell tumblers at the dollar store that are customizable so you can print out your favorite picture and stick it in the mug for a custom-look
   
5. A lunchbox or custom lunch bag - you can get plain black or white lunch bags at Hobby Lobby and pick out your favorite patches, attach them using fabric glue, and make something like the "Cupcake Love" lunch bag I made for my teacher friend this year for Christmas:
    
6. Something you painted at a pottery painting store: 
   
7. Re-usable fabric/plastic tote bags - stuffed with tissue paper this bags are given a whole new life
8. Wooden box you can decorate with paint, stickers, glitter, fabric, pictures (make a collage), rhinestones, etc.

There are plenty of ideas you can come up with to make the perfect untraditional gift wrap for the one you love.  
♥ Happy Wrapping fellow crafters.  

And as always,  I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well. 

Love, Christin

Not Your Average Pet Furniture

Who says your pet furniture has to look like pet furniture?  

"PRETTY KITTY POTTIES"

Ditch the old litter box cover and stick that littler box pan in on of these "Pretty Kitty Potties".  No one will be able to know where the litter box is if you use the right scented air freshener right where these furniture pieces are.  

Design 1: Ikea Hacker Project 1

 http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2010/09/another-pretty-kitty-potty.html

Design 2: Ikea Hacker Project 2

This is actually made from 2 LACK tables that retail for under $20.

http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2010/05/pretty-kitty-potty.html

Design 3: Posh Washroom Pet Litter Hider

Seen at Home Goods for $69.99 and Amazon for $87.95

http://www.amazon.com/Washroom-Pet-House-in-Walnut/dp/B0038LWIY4

You've seen people hack Ikea furniture into their own unique creations.  Why not make your own version that suits your personal style.  Consider adding paw prints or another unique accent - even a custom door knob can make all the difference.

CAT CLIMBERS

Cat's love to climb so why not redefine pet stairs and turn a bookcase or a shelf into a means of your cat getting to her perching spot.  Both of these designs were seen on IKEA hacker and would make a great addition to a pet-friendly home.  

♥ Happy Pet Presents fellow crafters.  

And as always,  I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well. 

Love, Christin

Ikea Hacker: Projects We Love (December)

Cupcake Hanging Lantern Lights

http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2009/09/have-cupcake-and-eat-it-well-light-it.html

Twig Light

 http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2010/11/how-to-make-mod-chandelier-for-under.html

♥ Happy Hacking fellow crafters.  

And as always,  I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well. 

Love, Christin

My Chandelier Hack

Check out the awesome chandelier I made:

The materials included: The IKEA TIDIG light, various rings such as keychain and binder rings, crystal heart Christmas ornaments, gemstones, and the crystal hangings off of a candle holder at Hobby Lobby: 

        

The Candle Holder - $23.99 at Hobby Lobby (original price)

 

Crystal Hangings and Heart Ornament with Keychain Rings

Hope you like it!

♥ Happy Hacking fellow crafters.  

And as always,  I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well. 

Love, Christin