DIY: Super Simple Christmas Wreath

I wouldn't consider myself a crafty person by any means (as with cooking, I don't have a tremendous amount of patience in the department), but Christmas always seems to bring out what little DIY inclinations I have. (And, of course, a trip to good old Michaels helps too -- their aisles are truly the stuff that Pinterest dreams are made of). 

While I love the look of a classic evergreen and holly wreath, I thought I'd opt for something a bit easier...and really, this wreath couldn't be easier to put together! All you need is a basic, barebones wreath frame (like this one from Michaels), a garland of some sort to twine around it, and a handful of bright baubles to tie on with whatever discreet string or ribbon you have on hand. Simple, right?! You can go with multicoloured baubles, or have a theme of one or two colours -- I went with a silver and pink look, with several different types of pink baubles for a bit of contrast/interest. 

(I initially mistyped "Wreath" as "Wrath" in the title of this post... Somehow I don't think a super simple DIY on Christmas Wrath is something you'd be too interested in ;).

DIY: Mermaid Costume

Halloween may be over now, but we just had to share Claudia's fantastic homemade mermaid costume with you! Neither Vicky nor I dressed up this year, but even if we had, I don't think we could have topped Claudia's amazing aquatic get-up.

A good mermaid costume should consist of an abundance of pearls and sequins, and Claudia incorporated these staples of under-the-sea couture into her outfit via a jewel-encrusted top and dazzling blue skirt/tail.

The top started off its life as a basic H&M bra, but was transformed in the space of an hour with glue-gunned-on blue gems (from Fabricland), pearls (from an old necklace), and a shimmery silver ribbon (found lying around the house, most likely from a chocolate box).

Crafting the "tail" (also from Fabricland) was a much less labour-intensive process--Claudia just secured the piece of fabric in place with a few safety pins, keeping the length as it was for that swishy, trailing effect.

Pearl jewellery, metallic sandals, and beachy waves completed the look, for an ensemble that would make Ariel sea-green with envy!

In terms of make-up, Claudia used the following:

-St Tropez Dark Bronzing Mousse 

-Ardell fake lashes

-'Full Moon' by Too Faced and Urban Decay's 'Faint' (from the Naked Basics palette) eyeshadow

-Bourjois' Khol & Contour in 'Bleu Original' for lining under the eyes

-Maybelline Baby Lips in 'Peppermint'

Fergalicious Louboutins

While I am no great fan of Stacy Ferguson, aka Fergie of The Black Eyed Peas, I have to grudgingly admit that she makes a damn comfortable heel. I purchased a pair of Fergalicious brand shoes for $39.99 at Winners the other day, and have been pleasantly surprised at their wearability. Their only fault, however, is that they're slightly bland to look at, and that's where Rosso Solini comes in!

Rosso Solini, a company that specialises in colourful stick-on soles, was started in 2010 by Irish teen Tara Haughton. They are currently only stocked in Ireland, but ship worldwide. We happened to have a pack of the red ones lying around in the house, and I felt that my new heels would be the perfect candidate to test them out. I simply applied a sticker to each sole, trimmed off the excess with a craft knife, et voila! My very own pair of shoes with that covetable flash of red sole! Until such time as I can fork out a cool $695 for the real deal (um, never!) I am pretty content with my Loubou-scams. 

Pink silk blouse - Jacob

Black lace skirt - Jacob

Black heels - Fergalicious, with a little help from Rosso Solini

Silver heart locket - Tales From the Earth (gift from my godmother)

Lipstick - "Love It" by Lancome 

Rosso Solini website: http://www.rossosolinishop.com/