I have about a million pairs of office workplace-appropriate stud earrings from back in the day, but my post-office everyday collection is suffering and I need to fix it up. I like teensy pairs that are flat to my ears, which I can sleep in when I inevitably forget to take them out, and don’t get yanked out when my daughter plays hairdresser nightly. I’ve got my eyes on this little gold skull pair, which reminds me of dia de los muertos sugar skulls with their heart eyes. I want ’em now!
I have a pair of gold Tory Burch gladiator sandals that I’ve absolutely loved to death. They’ve been the perfect summer sandal for me — shiny gold, but a little industrial. A strap around the ankle, but not all the way up the calf. They can be dressed down, but they have a little mirrored heel that allows them to get dressed up as well. But they are beat and it’s time to say goodbye. Naturally I can’t find the perfect pair to replace them, but these are the final contenders. What say you?
It’s that time of year again. When everyone searches for that tiny bit o’ Irish in them for a legitimate excuse to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Well, you’ve come to the right place. You know we need NO such excuse. We’re up to celebrate anything and everything and this year we’ve put together Plaid Chic party ideas that will rival the standard green beer shindig (although we love that, too). It’s gold. It’s plaid (even if it not authentic Irish tartan). It’s St. Patty’s, classy.
1. I’ve been looking for an excuse to make this oversized fringed garland and I think this is just the right occasion. These gold and ivory fringed babies were made following Oh Happy Day’s tutorial.
2. Find your family tartan and tie it on some champagne glasses for this super easy decor that will carry your theme throughout the party.
3. Class up your Irish whisky punch by serving it in a nice decanter, wrapped with tartan ribbon and spelled out in glittery letters. Another great plaid party idea from mint love social club.
4. We’ve made tinseled drink stirrers for a few parties recently and are completely hooked. Not only are they a cinch to make, people turn them into all kinds of party decor and personal accessories, including hair pins and pocket square bling. Pop one of those in a tartan-tied glass of champs and you are done.
5. Gold stamped cocktail napkins have also been making the rounds at several of our recent shindigs, but if you don’t want to fool around making them yourself, gold foil stamped are a great option. Many, including these, are made with an eye for weddings, but you can have them say whatever you wish.
6. These plaid celebration crackers are a little Christmasey, but I think they’d still be super fun to pop for St. Patty’s Day.
7. Loving the plaid fashions of Blair Waldorf and Chuck Bass. If anyone can pull off chic plaid, it’s these two.
8. Faux gold mercury glass votives will warm even the coldest of Irish hearts and would be a great basic party accessory to have.
If you didn’t get your gold fix over the last few weeks with the Olympics, fear not, The Oscars are coming. This star-studded evening is one of my favorite nights of the year. I love seeing the fabulous dresses and jewelry… oh and celebrating the cinematic arts.
Watching the awards with friends is much better than watching it solo, so here are some party ideas for you to host your own golden evening.
Paperless Post Invitation – No need to send out formal invitations for a tv watching event but that doesn’t mean they can’t be classy.
West Elm Table Runner – The combination of black and gold just screams Oscars to me and this table run will be a beautiful base to set food and drinks.
Gold Glitter Garland – Garland is a necessity for almost any event – they instantly make the space more festive.
Glitter Stemless Champagne Flutes – I love these glasses so much but if you don’t want to buy new stemware for the night you could always add some gold to your glasses with washi tape or gold dot stickers.
Popcorn and movies – you can’t get a more classic combination. While the good old-fashioned butter kind is always a crowd pleaser but I highly recommend you give our bourbon caramel popcorn a try. Serve up the popcorn in these cute gold cups.
Think you know how the evening will play out? Print out these fun ballots by Studio DIY so you can your guests can guess the results.
My kids crack me up. Every time Kay Jewelers’ commercial for their Open Heart pendant comes on, my kiddos insist they’re going to get their daddy to get it for me for Valentine’s Day. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a girl who loves jewelry. But I like my Valentine to be slightly more subtle. To that end, I’ve pulled together a roundup of Valentine’s inspired jewelry — all the same sentiment, just slightly less in your face.
1. shoot an arrow through her heart with this sweet bangle from Stella and Dot. It’s super affordable, too.
2. wish for more time together or set the watch to remind you of an important time with this watch works pendant from Anthropologie.
3. she’s as good as gold and now she’ll know it with this Kate Spade watch.
4. my husband and I met in the month of August and this year we’ll celebrate our eighth wedding anniversary. I’d love to think of both with this JCrew numbered gold code ring.
5. plum druzy earrings — I love the rawness and color of these.
My mom loves initial mugs. It has become a tradition that she gets a new one every Christmas. This year, I couldn’t find any that I liked (or that she didn’t already have) but then I found this one from Starbucks. I had my older son write a message on the black band on the bottom and I drew a nice letter “K” for her on the white part. She loved it (I’m sure seeing her grandson’s hand written “I love Grandma” message had a lot to do with it). But, I kept thinking there has to be a cheaper way to do this myself. Turns out there is, and it is apparently very popular (just google “sharpie mug”).
So, out to the dollar store I went to buy some plain white mugs and Amazon delivered me a nice set of oil-based Sharpie markers and clear acrylic spray and I was good to go…
My pen set came with black, white, red, silver and gold. I opted to make my design in gold but all of them (except the white for obvious reasons) should work well.
Next I used some electrical tape to tape off my design. They electrical tape works better than regular tape because it has a bit of stretch to it and that helps keep it level on the curved and slightly tapered shape of the mug.
Now start coloring. The gold Sharpie didn’t cover as evenly as I originally thought it would so I ended up drawing my first lines diagonal, letting that dry and then going over it with horizontal lines (see the picture below). I actually love the effect it created.
Once I finished coloring the top, bottom & handle and let it dry, I removed the electrical tape and was ready to write my message in the remaining white space.
Next step is to bake it at 350 degrees in the oven for 30 minutes to help set the design on the mug. Be careful when removing the mug because it will be hot!
Once the mug cools, take it outside (or somewhere well ventilated) and spray it with the clear acrylic spray. The curing process in the oven should set the sharpie and allow you to wash the mug but this extra step will give the mug a more finished look along with making it even more durable. Let it dry for a few to 24 hours and then wash it well before you use it.
Finally, make some coffee and enjoy!
Happy Black {and gold} Friday! What better way to detox from a day dedicated to eating {and, um… giving thanks} than with some retail therapy. Whether you do your holiday shopping at the store or on the internet, you’ll be seeing black and gold everywhere. I love this trend and here are some of my favorites. Happy shopping!
1. This pillow is from Nate Berkus’ fall collection for Target. Not only do I love the black and gold but I also love the dynamic pattern {not to mention the price}.
2. This mirror from Jonathan Adler is just gorgeous! I need to find a place for it in my house, although it may put me in the Red rather than keep me in the Black.
3. How adorable are these little candle holders from Crate & Barrel? They will be making an appearance at my house this Christmas.
4. I’m always on the hunt for cute Thank You notes. These faux leather and gold foil ones are from Paper Source.
5. Looking to add something sparkly to your LBD for this season of holiday parties? This beautiful necklace from Madewell is a perfect choice.
6. You may be beginning to notice a trend with me – I love everything from Madewell. These black and gold shoes are no exception.
A Feteful Life 