DIY Delicate Copper Earrings

There's something to be said about minimal and simplistic jewelry. These dainty earrings can be worn all day everyday, adding polish and elegance to any look. Plus, they are super easy to make!

Materials:

- 2 copper headpins
- a pen
- optional: rubber earring backs

Instructions:

1. Lay one headpin halfway over the pen. Use your fingers to bend the headpin, creating a U-shape.

2. Repeat with the other headpin.

And that's it. Seriously. With two easy steps, you have a pair of delicate, classic earrings!

Enjoy!
Rachelle
@RachelleMLee     @MakeYouLoveLee

DIY Sweater with Knit Straps

Hello Lovelees!

I don't know about you guys, but sweaters are my go-to during the winter. Just slip one on under your jacket and you're ready to brave the cold. I have collected so many over the years, so I thought it would be nice to spruce up a basic sweater that I've had forever. I was inspired when I first saw this blog post by Dentelle + Fleurs, and I knew I could recreate it myself! With ideas from this braided sweater tutorial by Fashionrolla, I got started.
Just a head's up, my directions are quite vague because the design is really up to you! You can keep it simple and just have 1 or 2 straps, or you can go a little cray. Have fun!

Materials:

- sweater
- yarn (I used thicker yarn in a similar color, but you could also try a contrasting color)
- knitting needles
- yarn needle

Instructions:

1. Think of a general idea of where you want the straps to be on your sweater. This will help you figure out the width and length of each strap. I chose to do 6 straps: 2 that were 11" long, 2 that were 16", and another pair that were 23" and went around the sleeves.

2. Start knitting! For all of my straps, I cast on 4 stitches, and then knitted until I reached the desired length.

3. Take the extra skein of yarn left over from casting on and off, and thread through the yarn needle. Then stitch each strap onto the sweater. Knot the ends in the inside of the sweater, and trim the loose threads.

And voila, you've made yourself a new sweater! It's still basic and goes with everything, but there's a little something special now.

Thanks for reading!
Rachelle
@RachelleMLee     @MakeYouLoveLee

DIY Chain Boot Straps

Hello there Lovelees!

We all have those perfect boots - you wear them so much that they start feeling a little boring.Today's DIY is the best way to spruce up a basic pair of black boots. Sure, the chain straps look pretty darn cool, but they're removable too! You don't have to completely sacrifice your favorite boots and they're even more wearable.

I was first inspired to add heavy chain embellishments to my boots when I saw this pair by Givenchy. But this tutorial from A Pair & A Spare showed me that I could make them removable too! Here's my take:

Materials:
- a pair of boots
- curb chain (about 40cm)
- 2 hair elastics...trust me!
- 8 jump rings
- pliers

- optional: embroidery thread

Instructions:

1. Measure then cut the chain so it wraps around the top of the boot. I would suggest for you to remove one or two links so it will be really snug with the elastic.

2. Attach one jump ring to each end of the chain.

3. Open another jump ring and add on to one of the rings from the previous step. Then link on a hair elastic.

4. Link the same elastic to the other end of the chain with two more jump rings.

5.Repeat steps 1-4 for the other boot.

6. I wrapped embroidery thread around the middle of the elastics. This is to prevent the elastics from snagging and pulling the whole strap off.

Now just slip these babies on over the toe of each boot, and your good to go! The heavy curb chain adds just the right touch of edge to your basic boots. Go ahead and try this out, it's just too easy.

Love,
Rachelle
@RachelleMLee     @MakeYouLoveLee

DIY Pyramid Purse

Hey Lovelees!

The idea for this fuzzy pyramid first began when I saw this pyramid bag from Love Aesthetics. I followed her tutorial, but decided to add a zipper to make it a purse/clutch to make this structural and architectural piece more functional. And then I saw shaggy felt from Michaels (meaning: no hemming!) and I got working right away. It's surprisingly easy, so give it a shot!

Materials:

- felt
- zipper
- chain (I used an old necklace)
- hole punch
- large jump ring
- scissors
- needle and thread / sewing machine

- optional: eyelet setter

Instructions:

1. Cut out a rectangle from the felt, about 42 cm x 20 cm.

2. Sew the 2 shorter ends together, with the right sides facing each other. This will create a tube.

3. Turn the tube right sides out. Pin the zipper on of the open sides of the tube. The end of the zipper should be at the seam you just made in the previous step.

4. Sew the zipper to the felt. I would suggest hand stitching to avoid having to awkwardly position it with a machine.

5. Turn the bag inside out again. Sew the other end of the tube closed, but make sure to put the seam from Step 2 in the center. This will create the 3D pyramid.

6. Punch a hole at the end of the zipper. You can add an eyelet at this point if you want! Either way, thread an open jump ring through the hole, attach the two ends of the chain, and then close the ring.

And there ya go! A cool, architectural clutch that no one else at the party will have!

 

Thanks for reading!!

Rachelle

@RachelleMLee 
@MakeYouLoveLee

DIY Double-Sided Earrings

Hi Lovelees!

My heart literally stopped when I saw these Dior double pearl earrings. And when one of my favorite DIY blogs, A Pair & A Spare, posted a tutorial to make them, I dropped everything and started right away. Unfortunately, I didn't have the perfect size of pearl beads, and I was too impatient to wait to go to Michaels the next day. So I improvised! And sometimes, improv turns out even better...

Materials:

- 1 pair of pearl earrings
- 2 rubber earring backs
- 2 wooden cube beads
- a CD

- e6000 glue
- sharp scissors
- marker

- optional: white acrylic paint and a thin paintbrush

Instructions:

1. Using a toothpick, put a small dot of glue into the hole of the bead.

2. Press the earring back into the hole. Repeat with the other bead. Let dry for 20-30 minutes.

3. You could be done right here, with a pair of pearl and wood double-sided earrings! But I went a step further by using a CD to make them iridescent/holographic. Cut the CD in half. Be careful!

4. At the cut edge, gently separate the CD into two. One side should be just clear plastic, and the other side will have the shiny stuff. Discard the clear plastic.

5. Trace the sides of the bead onto the non-shiny part of the CD with a marker. Cut the squares out. Remember, you don't need to cover the side with the earring back!

6. Glue the small CD squares onto the bead. Repeat with the other cube.

7. Let dry for at least 1 hour.

8. I painted the edges and the tops of the beads with white paint to polish it up, but that's up to you!

 

 

And now you have pearl and iridescent double-sided earrings! I love how they look perfect from every angle. I legit wear them everyday; they're casual, elegant and edgy all at the same time. Give them a try and let me know how it goes! Thanks for visiting!

Love,
Rachelle
@RachelleMLee     @MakeYouLoveLee

DIY Statement Beanie

Hey Lovelees!

So the weather here in Edmonton has taken a turn, which means it's time to bust out the beanies! Ah, something fashionable and cool. Statement beanies have been popping up everywhere, but I thought I would give it my own spin by adding some tasteful bling. Try this easy fix to spice up a plain, kinda boring, black beanie.

Materials:
- beanie
- necklace (I used this one, and similar here)
- needle and thread (try using embroidery thread if you can, it makes things quicker and easier)
- optional: pliers

Instructions:
1. Slide the letter beads off of the chain. Depending on the necklace you choose, you may need to remove the clasp in order to take the beads off. The pliers should do the trick.

2. Lay your beanie flat and position the letters.

3. Once you're happy with the look, it's time to sew them on. I used about 2-3 stitches per letter with the embroidery thread. If you're using regular sewing thread, the more the merrier!

And that's it! I gotta say, I'm quite impressed with myself. So easy but it still looks so cool and chic.There are tons of other inexpensive pendants and charms out, so go crazy people (what do you think of using this?). Give it a shot and please let me know how it goes!

Love!
Rachelle
@RachelleMLee @MakeYouLoveLee

Dark circle fix - a review of Priori Coffeeberry Eye Radiance serum

Hello Lovelees,

Today I would like to rave about my new eye serum. - Priori Coffeeberry Eye Radiance serum 15mL.

If I had to pick something that I believe is my biggest flaw if I go out with a "naked" face, it would be my dark circles and bags around my eyes.

I may not be the cutest giant panda around but I'd make that red panda a good run for its money.

Find a red panda photo here: http://www.123rf.com/photo_8651222_close-up-of-young-red-panda-or-shining-cat-ailurus-fulgens-7-months-old-in-front-of-white-background.html

I choose to compare myself with an animal instead of showing a picture because I don't know if my portrait will show it enough...It has like a purplish/grey undertone to it. Not very flattering. My mum has on one occasion said it was my makeup (presumably smokey eye look) gone wrong when I fought back defiantly with the line "You're WRONG cos I didn't wear any makeup today and cos all the other days I DID and it was so good you couldn't tell!"

The rest of the occasions she believes I didn't take off my makeup properly. Also wrong.

If you would like to see how I cover my flaws please check this post on concealers (tips and tricks here  ) and here (massive review here).

Cut to the chase :I LOVE Priori Coffeeberry Radiance Eye Serum !!  I found it off watching youtube of Avaliu (an HK singstar and beauty guru).  She speaks mainly in Cantonese and she has an online beauty store that sells the brand Priori so she was recommending and promoting the stuff. There may be vested interest but you have to give it to her when she talks she sounds extremely knowledgeable and convincing and believes in the products she stocks.  I bought my serum from amazon though haha.

Basically from what she said (in rough translation) was that coffeeberry stimulates the circulation of the fine capillaries around your eyes to reduce the puff and darkness.  Why stimulating circulation is important is because the darkness is basically from the bloodcells gathering in the capillaries and breaking down under your eyes and lingering there producing dullness.  When you apply the serum it produces this kind of heat around your eyes that also helps circulation.  The worser your circulation, the warmer it is so after prolonged use this heat should be less because your eye circulation should be better.

There are other gurus that talk about what causes the dark circles and the most often causes pointed out are:

• allergies (rubbing eyes)
• poor diet
• lack of sleep
• genetics 
• UV 

For me I'm going to say ALLERGIES are my main enemies.  My right eye circles or worse than left, because I rub my eyes more on the right. Bad Connie.

I have no "before and after " pic sorry that will do enough justice as the difference is subtle at this stage and it's only been a month.  This stuff is not cheap but anecdotally I have already bought a second bottle because I think it has made a marked difference in the one month I've been using it!

I love the super light silky texture - it absorbs quickly, easy to spread.  Another plus about this serum is that it is so light in texture and absorbs so well I could be blending my eye makeup over it and it does not "roll up" like other eye creams and gels might.

The colour is not the most flattering as it comes out brownish (does not stain skin from what I can tell personally), and the smell is unusual as it is not the usual light fragrance we encounter in skincare products, but strongly smells of the coffee/coffeeberry extract.  Takes some getting used to overcoming these prejudices but it is not major!  They say it is fragrance and colorant free (I assume that meant no SYNTHETIC fragrance/colours).

I don't have many fine lines YET for it to be my chief complaint to monitor it's other capabilities...but it hasn't gotten any worse that i've noticed in that time?

From the Priori website and official stockists it says it is 99.2% natural and fortified with 0.5% coffeeberry extract providing one of nature's most potent antioxidant protection.  This fights free radicals which cause skin ageing.  They say it suits all skin types.

That last claim I might debate about suiting all skin types, it can suit - but I think if you need more moisture and have mature skin you might need to have something else to supplement it to be BETTER.

In conclusion - it is an unusual product in that it also "warms" up your eyes, not necessarily cheap but I have bought a second bottle already because I think it is effective in reducing dark circles!

What's your favourite eye serum /cream and why?

Till next time!
;)Connie
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