22
Jan, 14

DIY | Faux Pearl Earrings

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Valentine’s Days is almost here and what’s the one accessory that every girl needs in her arsenal for this special day?!  Pearls. Pearls. Pearls!  Pearl earrings to be more precise (…or Faux Pearl Earrings, rather).  I do have beautiful (real) pearl earrings, and I love them so much.  Lately I’ve been really into large and bold earrings.  I couldn’t seem to find a large enough pair of pearl earrings anywhere, so I decided to make my own.  Why not?!  And when I say large, I mean Jane Jetson-style!

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This DIY is suuuupppper easy; here’s what you’ll need:

Fimo Effect in Pearl #80 (it’s white with shimmer)
X-acto knife or any thin knife
E-6000 Glue
Stud/post earrings with backs
Parchment paper (optional)
Baking dish
Oven

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The Deets:

Pre-heat your oven to 230 F/110 C.
Place a small piece of parchment paper onto a baking dish and set aside.
Cut off a strip of the Fimo from the block and cut off two smaller (equal sized) pieces from that.  I cut mine at about 1/2 inch each, but you can cut yours to be smaller or (dare I say…) larger.
Roll each piece in your clean hands until each makes a smooth and wrinkle-free ball.  Note: be sure to wash and dry your hands well.  Then, brush off any and all lint that may be left behind from the towel; the Pearl Fimo will catch and show it!
Bake each piece for 30 minutes then let them cool completely.
Next, apply a small dab of E-6000 glue to each stud and gently press a faux pearl onto each one.  Allow to dry for at least an hour.  I dried mine over night, just to be sure.
Wear and enjoy!

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I just love the way these look and feel.  It’s difficult to show how the Fimo Effect in Pearl shimmers like a pearl, but it’s sooooo pretty!  Also, I love how light-weight they are to wear.  We’re talking feather-light.  Oh, and did I mention that they’re muuuch less expensive than a real pair?!  I’ve been wearing these all week, because I love them so much!

13
Nov, 13

How to Care for Your Purple Hair

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I finally did it!  I finally dyed the lower-half of my hair dark purple, and I love it so much!  The whole process, with a cut and style, took about 3 1/2 hours.  And it was totally worth it!  I’ve had my hair a couple of colors in the past, but never purple until now.  Although lovely in every way, having purple hair (or any bright color) takes a lot of care and it can fade fast.  And even though it’s a permanent dye, it won’t last forever.  Natural dyes tend to adhere better to the hair and last longer, but unnatural dyes like purple, pink, red, blue, green, etc. just don’t.

Other than my new purple hair, I’m thrilled to have Ms. Twinkie Chan as a guest today!  I mean, who knows more about bright and fun hair color than her?!  So, here are a few tips from Twinkie and my stylist/colorist to ensure that your purple/colored hair stays glamorous until your next tone session.

Twinkie Chan Colored Hair

Twinkie says:  When you’re starting to experiment with bright colors in your hair, you’ll probably need to bleach your hair out first, unless your are a blonde. While a lot of my friends DIY their own hair to save on the expense, I would still highly recommend that you go to a professional. I know people who have accidentally burned patches of hair off of their heads, and while hair always grows back, it’s nice to avoid that situation! I have heard of people getting their hair ruined at salons as well, but my colorist is really bleach-conservative, and I have never experienced any breakage.

One thing I remember back when I had some purple in my hair, is that I felt like I also had to change my make-up a little bit to accommodate the bluer tones. So don’t be surprised if you find yourself in Sephora, cruising some pinky blushes and blue-based lippies! It can be a fun excuse to experiment with different make-up. When I went to the mall for some make-up help, I ended up at Stila and bonding with the gal who worked there. Incidentally, we got our hair colored by the same person!

But when I had teal-green streaks, I realized that greenish hair was not for me, and not even makeup could save me! I think it picked up too much on the yellow tones of my skin, and I just felt like an alien. I couldn’t wait to change the teal out! So if you want to experiment with bright hair, just remember, that some bright colors may work for your skin tone and some may not, but don’t get discouraged if you feel like an alien, because there could be another color that’s great for you!

When I first went 100% pink, I really looked like I was wearing a wig, like I didn’t belong to my hair. I now have  a few panels or pieces of black in my pink, and the black really helps add dimension and break up the color a little bit. If you find yourself feeling too odd with your new hair, trying adding some darker pieces back in.

When washing freshly-dyed hair, you also want to make sure you didn’t just get a fancy manicure, because your hair color will definitely dye your polish a little bit!

If you decide to freshen up your color at home, and you accidentally get dye all over your shower, I have found that some spray bleach really goes a long way. Just spritz some on, open a window, and let it soak in for a while. Don’t freak out, especially if you’re a renter!

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Okay, so here are the basics:

1. Don’t wear light colors like white or pastels, at least in the beginning, because it will rub off!  This is no joke for those of you with long locks.  I tested it on an old white tee the night I got it done, and again after the first wash (four days later); it does rub off.

2. Try sleeping with a black pillowcase or an old towel over your pillow, as well.  Also, be careful when leaning back on your couch, car seats, and especially other peoples furniture!  Eep!  I bet you never thought of this, but be sure that your seat-belt doesn’t rub on your hair, because that will stain, as well!

3. Wash your purple/colored tendrils as little as possible and when you do, wash in cold (burrr) water using a color protecting shampoo and conditioner.  Chose a product with no parabens or sulfates.  Some colorists will also recommend finding vinegar-based shampoos that don’t foam up very much.  You don’t want to strip your color.  Instead, between washes, use dry shampoo to hold off your natural oils.  For me, I can usually get away with wearing my hair down for the first two days, anything beyond that, I put it up in a bun or pony.  Then I wash it every fourth day.

Note: Hot water does fade your color faster, so I like to wash my hair separately in the stainless steel kitchen sink using cold water and the awesome sprayer on our faucet.  I use the sink for two reasons, first, I’m a chicken and don’t want to be standing in a cold shower, ever.  Second, our new shower is white and I don’t want to risk staining it with purple.  I think Ron would kill me!  If you’re brave or crunched for time, you can shower.  Wash your hair in cold water (fast!) and then pin it up.  Now, you can shower your body in cozy warm water!  Be aware that the purple does run off in the shower and sink, so be sure to rise it away as soon as possible.  And like Twinkie mentioned above, bleach spray can go a long way if water alone doesn’t cut it.  Also, black or old towels are are great idea, because it will absorb into the towels.

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Twinkie says:  We pink-haired girls often also boost our color a bit with each hair wash by putting a little hair-dye into our conditioner.

4. Be gentle with heat styling, as well.  The more heat you apply, the more your color will break down and fade.  This is difficult for me because I love to curl, dry and straighten my hair.  I try to heat style only once between washes, unless I’m headed to a Ball or something super fancy!  Ha, if only!  Make sure that you don’t care about your straightener and curling iron getting stained purple (or any color), either, because they will.  You might also notice that your hands will be tinted as well.  The heat pulls the color out as you’re handling your hair.  It usually washed right off.

5. Avoid too many hair products.  If you can, don’t use hair spray, palmades, etc., because it will contribute to the fading.  Plus, it takes a lot more effort to scrub those product out when you do shampoo.

Basically, you want to baby your colored hair if you want it to stay vibrant longer.  In the beginning, it seems like a lot to think about, but it eventually becomes second nature and part of your everyday (or every third or fourth day) routine.  Until the pros master a way to make purples, pinks, reds and blues permanent-permanent, this is what we have to do.  The price of beauty, eh?!  Anyhoo, have fun with it and don’t be afraid to add a little bit of color to your hair.

Hopefully these tips will help you maintain your color longer!  I want to give a big thanks to Twinkie for sharing her tips with us.  She’s a hair-colored icon in my book!  Oh, and did I mention that she’s the absolute sweetest?!  If you haven’t already, be sure to check out her website and say hello!  If you have any hair color tips, tricks and stories, we want to hear them in the comments below!

26
Sep, 12

{diy} a simple touch of lace

Here’s a quick and easy way to cutesie up a simple tank with some soft lace.  All you do is line up the blunt edge of the lace with the collar and use your sewing machine to stitch along the edge.  It’s so easy, I didn’t even pin it before, I just held it together as I went along… seriously! Tips: Stretch lace would make this a bit easier, but if you pull the tank neckline tight (stretch it a bit as you feed it through the sewing machine) as you sew with regular lace, it will give you some slack.

This is perfect for a casual date night and it saves some money! Enjoy!  ♥R

17
Aug, 12

Trendy

Trends.  Trends are all around us and have been since the beginning.  I feel that everyone follows a trend to a point; some just do it more in-depth than others.  Even those who say they don’t follow trends, are in a way following one.  They follow the one that the non-followers follow. Hahaha This is okay!  It’s not a bad thing at all.  We see something we like and we want to be a part of it, right?  I think that’s great.  What makes each of us unique, is how we take that trend that we like, and make it our own unique style by adding or subtracting whatever.  I do believe there are trend-setters and trend-followers, and there are some who are both.  To be a trend-setter, you have to stay ahead of the pack or at least in the front of it.  If you have a unique idea that you’ve never seen before, do it-make it-create it.  Who knows, it just might be the next up and coming trend!  I like trends, they can be fun and I don’t see it as a negative thing when we become a part of one.  It’s fun to look back on photos and laugh at past trends that we’ve taken part in.  It shows who we are and how we grow as unique individuals.  So, if anyone says that you’re just being “trendy,” say thank you and think to yourself, “and so are you!” haha! ♥R

13
Aug, 12

Accessories, Accessories, Accessories

It wasn’t until recently that I started to really want to wear more accessories.  I mean, I’ve always worn earrings, because, as my mom has always told me, “they brighten your face.”  And I agree!  I’ve also always worn my “nice” jewelry that has sentimental value to me.  Like the necklace Ron gave me for Valentine’s one year, or the jewelry my parents gave me for birthdays.  Those are all my favorites and I wear those all of the time, but I’m talking about playful accessories that you buy for yourself just for looks and fun.  I’ve never been into lots of pieces at once, but recently I’ve been having a lot of fun layering necklaces and mixing in funky rings just because I can.  I went through my jewelry boxes and found all sorts of old costume pieces that I forgot I even had!!  Jackpot!  It’s such a great feeling to find an old piece of jewelry from 198? that you used to wear as a kid.  So special.  As a creative, I like to think of myself as a very visual person, so I’m sort of surprised that I didn’t notice (or really care) how a few key accessories could really pull an outfit together.  Accessories help polish a look, and if done right, can take a blah outfit to the next level.  It took me how long to realize this?!  I mean, I’ve seen other people do it and have thought, “that looks nice” but never thought more about it after that.  So, now I’m on the lookout for fun and unique pieces and I can’t wait to see what I find next! What’s your favorite accessory? ♥R

15
Jul, 12

{sunday best} sweet little bows






Dress + sweater by F21 | Faux Bois Glasses by Target

Sundays are simple days around here.  The Mr. and I will usually watch a movie… or two and then take the Heeler pups out to play with their Dogzilla.  Nothing fancy, just floating by and having fun.  The Summer Horseshoe Market was yesterday and it was so nice to see some of you there.  This was our first outdoor market together and it was just wonderful!  I feel like we had a lot of space and we met a lot of really nice people.  It was super hot, but still a great turnout.  I think I’ll be back next year! 

Next on the list is a much-needed vacation and then back to work getting ready for Fall/Holiday markets and shows.  It’s pretty crazy to be thinking of Fall right now, but it’s a must in order to be ready.  How about you, what’s on your agenda these days?

Sheesh, I’ve been so busy these days that I just realized that I need to paint my nails!!  I’m thinking coral with one finger silver and sparkly… what do you think?  I think it’s pretty beachy for a vacation.  Anyhoo, the pups are hungry so I’m off for now, but I’ll see you tomorrow! ♥r

08
Jul, 12

{sunday best} comfy in my roblin tee

This weekend has been a full of movies, shopping and trying out new recipes.  Since we’ve been getting a lot of rain here, we had to keep busy inside, which has turned out to be great!  Later this week I’ll be sharing three yummy recipes with you that I just tried for the first time, but first here is my first {sunday best} post!  I’m excited because this weekly series will allow me to share one of my outfits each Sunday.  This week I got caught in the rain while taking these photos, but that’s what kept it interesting and fun.  I wonder what next week will bring?  I’ll see you tomorrow for the first of the three recipes, and don’t forget that all Roblin Tees have FREE SHIPPING now through July 14th! ♥r






Tee by Chickiedee | skirt by Lux at Urban Outfitters | shoes by Toms | bracelets by Pandora + Denver International Bead Show

16
Apr, 12

{a list of…} pretty patterns


I love patterns of all kinds, these are just a few of my recent favorites.  Bold patterns can be great alone, but I think they are best when paired together.  What are your favorite patterns these days? ♥RobbieLee

1. Chevron is very popular these days and for good reason, too.  It’s bold and can be worn in many colors to offer that “look at me” affect.  {image via pacific atlantic}
2. Floral prints are oh-so-girly and perfect for Spring!  I love big and bold floral prints best these days. {image via tumbler}
3. Stripes are so super sweet, because they can also be worn in any color, thickness and angle (yes, even horizontally) {image via the pretty haze}
4. Gingham is very prim and proper and perfect for a wedding, baby shower or brunch with the girls.  It’s so classic. {image via pacific atlantic}
5. Spots!  Big or small, this pattern can be worn anytime, anywhere, because they’re so fun! {image via pinterest …original source not known}

11
Apr, 12

Style Crush | Lana Del Rey

Okay, so I’ve been a dedicated American Idol fan since the beginning… and yes, I vote every week.  This season Lana Del Rey was a guest performer and before then, I had never heard of her.  How could this be?!  Not only does she have amazing style, but the girl can sing!  She is so unique and talented, I can’t believe I hadn’t heard of her earlier.  Her voice is soft and bold all at the same time and I love how her sound is so innocent, with a twist.  She’s beautiful with a hint of a darker side that peeks out just enough to keep you interested.  If you haven’t heard her sing, Google or Pandora her.  I promise you wont regret it.  I personally love “Video Games,” as that was the first song I heard her sing on American Idol.  I’m glad that I found her and I think you will enjoy her style as well. ♥RobbieLee

Images via last.fm

07
Apr, 12

{studio sunday} with christine at flapper girl

Happy Easter to all who celebrate!  Today I’m so thrilled to have Christine at Flapper Girl share her adorable studio space!!!  I’m sure you have seen her around, as she is quite the talented lady.  She does graphic design and makes these lovely Lady Ties!  Be sure to stop by her shop and sites to learn more about her and what she does.  All right, are you ready to peek into her studio?!  I thought so!

1. Who are you and what do you do?

Hello. My name is Christine, and I spend most of my time either combing through vintage treasures at antique malls, estate sales and thrift stores, or expressing my creativity though sewing and graphic design. I bring these passions together with Flapper Girl, my line of cute, retro, and well-crafted designs that are inspired by fabulous second-hand treasures and life in lovely Portland, Oregon. 

Most of what I make these days for Flapper Girl is retro neckwear for women I lovingly refer to as Lady Ties, but I’m a vintage ephemera addict as well, and make paper garlands with vintage flair. 

2. Where is your studio located?

I carved out a tiny space in my apartment for my studio. 

3. How long have you had your current studio space?

I’ve had my current studio space since I first started Flapper Girl, but it’s gone through so many changes! It looks nothing like it did when I first created it. 

4. What is your favorite part of your studio?

My favorite things about my studio are: 

• My vintage pink Morse sewing machine. It is so cute and is such a workhorse! I sew everything on it.

• My small cabinet of vintage ephemera. I get so much inspiration from old things!

• The totally creepy, awesome, and badass framed art print above my sewing table. It’s called “Still life with skull” and is a reprint from an old daguerrotype from 1850. I am so goth at heart, so I really love this print. It was a birthday present from my husband a few years ago.

• My vintage chipmunk lamp which is stationed at my sewing table.

5. Approximately how many hours per day do you spend in your studio?

It depends on the day and what’s going on. I’m also a graphic designer, and I’m finishing up college, so some days I don’t step into it at all, but other days when I have time to create or I am filling orders, I can be in there all day. I’m looking forward to graduating this summer, so I can have more time to spend creating. 

6. Do you have any future plans for your studio space? 

I dream of having a studio space outside of my home some day. I really like the idea of getting a large space and sharing it with my husband or some of my creative friends.

7. Is there anything else that you’d like to share?

I hope you’ll come visit me over on my blog or on Pinterest

Thank you so much for having me on Studio Sunday RobbieLee 🙂 

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Oh, you are so welcome and thank you for sharing your lovely work space.  I really enjoyed having you and you were a true pleasure to work with!  Here are some other places on the web where you can visit and learn more about Christine and her creative talents, be sure to check them out:

Flapper Girl Website: http://flappergirl.org/

My Graphic Design Website: http://christineblystone.com/

Etsy Store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/flappergirl

Blog: http://flappergirlcreations.wordpress.com/

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/theeflappergirl/