absurdly peculiar

Lenka - All My Bells Are Ringing Hope everyone had a good Turkey weekend! I am just way too excited for December... I already have a Christmas present wrapped and ready to go! I bought this wrapping paper last year from IKEA and I love the pattern on it! I used gold jewelry wire and wrapped it up with a Christmas color-themed bow... I really like how the gold looks against the wrapping paper. The card was made out of an index card. All of these items were just laying around my apartment... I wonder what I shall find to decorate my next Christmas present. While I come up with more projects and wait for materials to be shipped to me. I came up with a list of some great holiday themed DIY projects that I found.

Kina Grannis - In Your Arms I was strolling around a craft store and noticed they sold pieces of 8.5"x11" leather for decent prices. I've been wanting to make a clutch for a while and I felt like this was the perfect material to work with. So I bought brown and black leather pieces as well as some leather cement glue. I also drew a sketch of what I kind of wanted it to look like... but in reality, it was just an excuse to use watercolor pencils. Things you'll need: -2 pieces of leather (size depends on how big or small you want to make it) -leather cement glue -scissors -binder clips -ruler -pencil/marker -scotch tape -paintbrush -something heavy, like a textbook or two

I have a couple DIY projects than I have been planning to do lately. For one project, I have all the materials but I have been super busy lately and haven't gotten around to completing it. My goal is to start working on it sometime this week (cross fingers)! The other projects still requires me to order some materials since my local crafting places doesn't have any. Below are the things that have inspired me for the DIY projects that I have planned: 1. Emerald Green     2. Sequins and Sparkles     3. Leather    4. Studs

So my friend is planning to move into her very own home next weekend and she was asking me to send her some on ideas on how to decorate her place. Of course, I got too carried away. I started emailing her too many links and I decided I needed to stop. Instead, I decided to collage my ideas (I know, I like making too many collages). So here are my favorites: 1. Apartment Therapy  - I so enjoy the color gray and I like how they used pillows to bring a touch of color to the room. Great idea for someone who isn't fond of a lot of color! 2. Covet du Jour  - Love the colors and how major pieces (i.e. couch, walls, floor) are pretty much neutral  while the pieces that give this room pizazz are its accessories (i.e. pillows, vase with flowers, lamp, and curtains). 3. Cupcakes and Cashmere  - Such a great idea for a side table. Not something I would necessarily have in my bedroom because I like to have sliding drawers.. but great for a living room, hallway, or guest room! 4. Unknown Sour

I was on GiltGroupe a couple days ago and was surprised... wrap bracelets by Chan Luu were selling for over $100 and were originally priced at over $200. Now I am not condoning people who choose to spend that much money on a wrap bracelet...seriously, if you have the money why not..but it's just that I don't happen to have that kind of cash to be spending $200 on one wrap bracelet! I was even more shocked at the pricing because a couple weeks ago, my friend sent me a DIY for wrap bracelets from HonestlyWTF . She actually made one recently for around $8. I know, Chan Luu probably used real gold and silver trinkets or what nots... but why pay $200 when you can get the same look for less? 

YES! I finally was able to accomplish one of my projects on my To-Do List. I decided to take a break from job apps and stop by the craft store yesterday.  I picked up some pieces of felt, which were on sale for 5 for $1! And I decided I would work on my DIY collar. This is what the finished product looks like and the many ways I decided to style my outfits with my new accessory: ( Note: You might think... really? You made a collage of yourself? I swear I am not vain and I really do not like taking this many pictures of myself but I thought it was a good way to show the versatility of the detachable collar!) For this project you will need the following: -A piece of felt -Fabric Glue -Some sort of embelishment (beads, sequins, buttons) -Scissors -Tape measurer -A wide paint brush -A needle and thread

I came across these Nektar de Stagni necklaces and thought I would put it on my DIY inspiration list. The price tag for each necklace is quite expensive, so if I can find an affordable way to get something similar...why not?! Can't wait to start working on some of things on my DIY list. Although, I still have 5 job applications to complete. Hopefully, I can get it done by tomorrow so I can work on some of my projects!