Business Inspirations!

I thought I would share today a passion of mine.  I feel like I have a knack for sales, promotion, and marketing and I love it.  I see someone with a special talent, like making jewelry, organizing, or doing hair, and I think “if only I have that talent!  I could do so much!”   I was able to pursue this dream last year when I started a makeup business with my cousin.  In the for 6 months we made $17,000 and this year we are already looking at doubling it and it is only March.   The down side (for me anyway) is that I then move to France and can only help out sometimes.  So I thought I would share a little of my business insight with you all!

Here are som general pointers:

Goals:  Set goals.  If you don’t know where you are going, how in the world are you going to get there?  If they are weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly, set them.  Write them down and return to them on a regular basis so you can have an idea how you are doing.



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Business Plan:  Often small businesses forgoe this part, but in truth it is a really excellent thing to have.  In your business plan you address things like the market you will be selling to, what does it look like and who are your competitors.  You will address finances, where they are coming from and how and when you expect a return.  It can be what is called a ‘working business plan’ which is not set in stone, but it helps you prepare by forcing you to do research and it helps you think through what you will face in the future. 



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Marketing:  Without this you’re business will fail.  You could have the best product on the market, but if people don't know about it, you won't sell it!  Think about people like Kim Kardasian who is talented in nothing and yet still uber famous.  Because she markets herself.  She is everywhere.  Some examples on a small business scale: if you own an etsy shop, some obvious ones would be do a giveaway with another blog,or  guest blog post at a few different spots.  You might want to send a product or two to a bigger blogger or someone who knows a ton of people and ask them to wear it and tell people about it. Make sure they believe in the product and are big supporters.  When we started our makeup business (with airbrush tanning) we offered a day of free tans and a discount program after that.  We also hosted a makeup party doing makeovers for free.  We also offered free trials for brides interested in makeup for their wedding day. 

Persistent:  Keep it up!  You might not make a ton of money in your first month, or even year, but if it is something that you are passionate about, you have done your research and you are putting efforts into it, then it will happen.  Just keep swimmin’ Just keep swimm’ (I have seen that movie waaaay too many times!)



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Well, I hope you enjoyed this quite little business tidbit.  If you have any questions or a specific business type you would like some marketing ideas on, please e-mail me or post it in the comments!  I would love to get some ideas flowing! 

Feather Earring Tutorial

Hey everyone! 

I have been seeing a lot of feather earrings or feathers places and I thought 'hey, I want to do that!'  And it turns out, I can do that!  So ran to my local Auchan (like a WalMart but not cheap, nothing here is cheap) and got some supplies I needed.  Okay, so all I bought were the feathers and wire.  I think it would have been pretty to get mulit-colored feathers or something else, but these are what they had and I didn't have the patience to go anywhere else.  So here is what you need:

1. Feathers
2. Earring hooks
3. wire
4. Connecting circles (don't know the real name, sorry!)
5. Optional - I used the pearls from my other broken necklace for a middle. You could probably do without though. 

So I hope that explains it well.  You are basically tying the feathers together and making the hoop for attachment at the same time.  Once that is done, attach everything.  I love this next picture. Pretty self explainitory, right?

Feather + Pearl + hook = Earring!  Voila!

Yes, my eyes are red. No I don't do drugs. I have kids. Boys, at that.

Unfortunately, this is the only pic I have of my wearing them so far.  They are also in my makeup tutorial here.  I thought we I was being funny by trying to make the same face as he was.  {Not successful}

So, what do you think?  Now I have one pair of earrings and three full bags of feathers left.  What to do with the feathers?  Any suggestions?

Beginner Smokey Eye

Makeup Tip Tuesday!  There, I came up with something clever.  Phew, I was stressin' on that one.  Anyway, I thought I would do a tutorial on how to do a day-time smokey eye for beginners.  I know the smokey eye is kinda intimidating to do and to wear, so I thought I would start easy with a simple eye, smokey corners, dark liner, and lots of mascara.  You will be surprised how easy it is!  I plan on doing a smokey nightout eye at some point for you all.  Hope you like it!!

If you have any requests or questions, please let me know!  I would love to try them out for ya.  Also if you have any questions about products or anything, I would love to try to answer.  Thanks for watching!

Projects in Progress~ Linky party #2!

Thank you so much everyone for linking or commenting on my last linky party!  We had 8 entries and I hope to see it grow!!  Each Monday I am going to feature a few so we can all check them out, meet other bloggers, and maybe help 'em out!   Those who have been featured, go ahead and grab a "I've been featured" button! over there :)  ---------->

Everyone, I would like you to meet Amy from A Case of the Yellows.  Amy, everyone.  Amy has her very own craft room to create to her heart's content!  *cue jealous sigh*  Amy linked up to get opinions on how to make her space the ultimate creative area.  Check it out:


So what do you think, ladies?  Any suggestions on how Amy can create a cute, inspiring room for her crafts??

Then we have Shannon from Little Cleo at Home.  She made a cute footstool and cannot decide how to finish the bottom edges!!  Any suggestions?


So go check out their projects and if you can offer an opinion, please do!  Share the inspiration!!

If you want to see how I used my 'S' from last week, it was in a little prject featured over at At Home with K.  I also will be posting it here this next week for all who missed it!

So what are you working on this week?  Any projects in progress?  Link up and try to read as many of the others as possible, spread the love!  Here are a few 'ground rules'.


1.)  Make sure you are a follower of Ma Nouvelle Mode.  If you already are, awesome!  If not, make sure you drop me a note so I can say hi!2.)  Link up your blog post, not your blog so we can go directly to the post.3.)  Make sure you check out at least a few other blogs to see if you can offer any suggestions.  The more the merrier!!4.)  Grab my "Projects in Progress!" button and post it on your blog, linky page, or sidebar so other can join along!

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Recipe of the week - Lemon Parmesan Chicken

Happy Sunday, everyone!  I hope you all are having a wonderful relaxing day today.  Guess what??  I was featured over at Babes and Sages!!  I have loved getting to know Sophie and it is really cool, because she is from Germany living in America and I am American living in France!  Anyway, I don't write too much about my life here on my blog, but I shared a bit there, so go check it out!

I have decided that Sundays is going to 'Recipe of the Week' day.  I know it's not that clever and it doesn't rhyme with Sunday or anything, but I actually enjoy cooking every once in a while, but I am not creative enough to share more than one recipe a week.  So I am going to share with you all the best, easiest recipes I have.  Two key word, best and easy.  Gotta love that.  This one is super easy and it's from Martha Stewart, so you know it is gonna be good.  Here is what ya need:

1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
grated zest of lemon, about 1 Tbsp
4 bone in chicken breast halves (about 3 pounds)

I don't measure things exactly in my recipes, and if I don't have it, I sub something for it.  Living in France has helped me be a bit more creative!  This recipe I didn't use flat-leaf parsley, I used homemade wheat bread crumbs, more lemon, and since we don't have breast halves, I used leg and thighs attached, closest thing to it here. 

So super simple:  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Mix parsley, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and zest.  Season the mixture with salt and pepper.  Carefully loosen the skin of the chicken with your fingers and tuck the mixture under the skin.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Place in roasting pan and bake until skin is crispy and the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.  Et voila!!  In the future, I will try to have pictures fo the steps, but this seemed pretty easy.  Here is a pic I took of the final:

I is super yummy and super easy, two of my favorite things!!  If you have any recipes that you would like to be featured, please e-mail me!  I would love learning new recipes and featuring other creative minds!

Don't forget to link up any projects you have tomorrow!!!  I would looooove to see what your working on!  Have a happy Sunday!

Simple Vase tutorial

So you are all probably wondering why I have a picture of maple syrup here.  Well wonder no further!  I don't have a lot of options here in France, trying to save money and all, so you can get pretty creative.  I have to say, this was my mom's idea, she is the brains behind a lot of things I do! :) 

So here in France we don't have regular syrup.  Serious bummer, I know.  Appreciate the little things, Americans!!  We got it good over there!  So this is our little French syrup bottle.  Actual, thick maple syrup.  (If you are wondering, it doesn't taste nearly as good)  We (my mom and I) made it into a vase! Love it!  And check out how easy it was:

 First you make some cuts in it or even maybe tear it a little bit, or rub a bit off.  This makes it look a little more worn, like vintage-y.  Then you take a used teabag (I know, so resourceful!) and wet it enough to get some coloring on the paper.  This will give it an older antique look too.  (FYI - you can use teabags like this on similar projects, try and e-mail me what you come up with!) 

 Et Voila!  Are you laughing at how easy that was???  So now, go do it!  Take something you might have thrown out and turn it into something useful!

With a little Ikea flower in it.  I could also cut the flower shorter and add some more for a little bouquet.  What do ya think?  Do you like it?

Have you turned 'trash' into something?  Let me know, shoot me an e-mail with some pics and I can feature it!

A bientot!

Basketball Themed Birthday Party

Well my baby boy turned 4 on Wednesday (okay, not so baby) and we had a basketball ball themed party.  Each year he is very specific about what kind of party he wants and he decided early, it was basketball.

I had my parents bring a box cake from the states because they are hands down the best.  Obvisouly a basketball cake. Last year he had dinosaurs and I was 8 month prego and too lazy to make the cake.  The year before was this one.  So I was happy it was an easy little basketball cake, although I could have done better.

'ans' in French is years, if you were wondering

Can you tell our cool basketball court table cloth? Love it!

We just took paper from my son's Ikea drawing board and laid it across the table and used different shapes and sizes to create the court.  Another idea if you have room is placemats for each kid.  That way they can color on them and take them home. 

Face painting, thanks to grammy.

 Face painting for the kids



Pin the basket in the hoop game

 Try to get the ball in the hoop

Basketball banner, orange baloons, and a basketball hoop to complete the look.

 Everything was done for super inexpensive.  We also made chocolate 'suckers' for the kids in their gift baskets that I am realizing now I forgot to take pics of.  The cake is easy-peesie.  My mom used to make cakes like that for our birthday's every year and I loved it.  So I want to do it for my kids. 

It was my first time hosting a party in French.  It was interesting, but I think I did okay.  I had a friend who was there who is bilingual, so that was helpful.  Oh and I also found out that parents don't stay for parties, they just drop their kids off.  That one threw my for a loop, but worked out for the best because then I didn't have to try to make small talk in another language!

I don't usually do personal posts, and I don't intend to do more, but I thought I would give a shout out to my 4-year-old boy.  He is such a sweet, tender-hearted little boy. I love you Tae!

Love you dude!

Here are some ideas for activities at a basketball party:

1. Have a hoop in your living room (most people do that, right?) or be near an outside court to shoot and play around
2. Print out a picture of each kid so they can autograph it and take it home with them, supastar!
3. For the end of the party while everyone is winding down, have printed coloring pages of the appropriate theme.
4. Pin the (paper)basket in the hoop (as pictured)
5. Any kind of basketball games, who can dribble the longest, freethrow contest, shooting contest
6. Have 'jerseys' made for the kids as they walk in with a number so each friend is a player. You can even go so far as to put their last name. (by jersey I mean something cheap that goes over their heads)
7. Have a professional player stop by. Oh wait, we have that every day! :) lol, I'm a dork, sorry.

Easy Eye Makeup

Hello and good morning everyone!  The sun is SHINING here in France and I am loving it!  Me and my boys are going to have lunch at the park, get out some energy (for them), and then nap! :)

I have some something awesome to tell you.  Remember Kindra, who I told you about the other day?   She was so kind to feature a project of mine over at her blog, At Home with K!  I hope you all go check it out, I haven't featured the project here, so I know you haven't seen it.  So excited!

Now for what I have for you today.  I did a makeup tutorial!  It is really simple, mom makeup.  Before I started this blog, I didn't do my makeup that often because I didn't think it was worth it.  But then when I started thinking about it, there is no reason I shouldn't try to look pretty just because I am a mom!  So this tutorial is a short, quick, easy little sesh on mom makeup.  I hope you like it!

Let me know what you think.  And if you have any suggestions, I would love to hear about them.  I plan to have more of these, so it would be good to do them on things that you want to know about.  Thanks for watching!

*I was also featured here today and a had an outfit put together for me here. What a great day!*

Etsy Spotlight ~ Babes and Sages

Hello everyone! And good morning! (for me at least)   So if you haven't already added your linky for Projects in Progress, go do it! And if you already have, or don't have anything to post at the moment, check out the others, I would love to see all the creativity out there at work!

Now onto the fun stuff!  I want to introduce my friend Sophie from Babes and Sages.  She is so sweet and it has been a pleasure getting to know her! If you get a chance to check out her blog, you must read her love story, super sweet!  I asked her a few questions and she so kindly obliged.  Check 'em out!

1.) When and why did you start your blog?
I started my blog in February of this year. I have been reading blogs for a couple of years now and gotten so much inspiration from others that I thought I would take it to the next step and start my own blog. I am also currently not working, except for my Etsy store, and blogging gives me something to do and helps me stay focused on certain tasks. I love to connect with my readers and make new internet friends.

2.) Where do you find most of your inspiration?
I find my inspiration all around me. My friends and family are a great source of inspiration as well as nature, colors, good design and of course the WWW ;) 

3.) Any goals for 2011, bloggy or otherwise?
My big goal for 2011 is being a great mommy. The hubby and I are expecting our first child in May and I will be focusing all my attention on parenthood. I would also love to grow my Etsy business and of course my blog. I am really hoping to not have to neglect either one too much once the baby comes. However, the baby will of course be my first priority.

4.) When did you start your Etsy shop and what made you want to?I have been signed up with Etsy for a few years now and wanted to start my own shop pretty much right away. I just finished up my bachelor's degree in Graphic Design last December and school pretty much kept me from being able to devote enough time to an Etsy business. Now that I am out of school I am ready to do whatever it takes to get my little baby off the ground. I absolutely love Etsy and all things handmade, and am a great supporter of women trying to be their own boss. I hope to feature many other Etsians on my blog in the future and offer product reviews and giveaways for their shops. If you are interested, please contact me at babesandsages@gmail.com or through my blog.

5.) What are your favorite items from the shop?
I love everything I have in my shop. I wouldn't sell something that I don't adore myself. I think my Bloom necklaces are a great way to dress up a simple t-shirt and jeans look or a fancy little evening dress. I offer matching hair clips to complete the look. 

6.) What does a typical Sunday afternoon look like to you?
A typical Sunday afternoon to me is one that i get to enjoy with the hubs and our puppies :) We either relax on the couch with a good movie or do things around the house, like home decor or renovation projects. It is great to have a handyman on call at all times ;) We also like to spend Sunday evenings at my in-law's for a home cooked meal and some good conversations.

Thanks so much Sophie!! I can't wait to get my hands on one of your beauties!  And guess what guys.  She is offering all of my lovely readers a discount!!  All you have to do is enter NOUVELLE at the checkout and she is giving you 20% off your purchase!  How stinkin' cool is that?  If you end up purchasing something, I would love to hear about it and maybe send me picture so we can all see!

In other news, it is my baby's 4th birthday today.  4-years-old?!?!  What?  First of all, I am not that old yet. And second, where the heck did the time go?  Yikes!  I have pictures of his 4th birthday party, (my first French b-day party!) I will post later.

Have a good day lovelys!

Beouf Bourguignon Recipe ~ Delicious!

Hey all!  Happy Tuesday! Almost half way through the week!  Which doesn't really matter to me because I am a stay at home mom, but hey, good for you guys!! 

Don't forget to link up any projects you have going on here, I would love to have ya!

Sadly, my family is gone now and we are back to the regular 4 of the Simmons household.  But while they were here I wanted to act like I was all 'Frenchie' like I had dove into the culture and make something typical French.  We were just in the region of France where this comes from, Bourgnone, and I had actually been wanting to make this for a while.  Let me tell you, I am soooo glad I did.  It was yum-mee!  So I thought OF COURSE I must share it with my lovely blogger buddies.  Lucky you guys!  I found a recipe online and adapted it for a mom who doesn't particularly like to spend tons of time in the kitchen but enjoys cooking.  Maybe some of you can relate.  If not, find another recipe and let me know how it turns out.  I'll live through you.  So, without further ado...

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon good olive oil

8 ounces thick bacon, diced 

2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes

Kosher Salt 

Freshly ground black pepper

1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks

2 yellow onions, sliced

2 teaspoons chopped garlic(2 cloves)

1 bottle good dry red wine I used Pinot Noir (and I got it for less than 2 euros! Gotta love the French and their wine!)

1 can (2 cups) beef broth or water. Broth is probably tastier, but I used water, they don't have beef broth here 

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves; 1/2 teaspoon dried (I used another herb, I didn't have either)

1 pound fresh mushrooms stems discarded, caps thickly sliced (optional, although I think it would be wonderful, my husband hates mushrooms. Boo.)

Two options, you can use a dutch oven so you can later transfer it into the oven to finish cooking.  Or, like me, I don't have a dutch oven, so I just kept it over low heat in the pan I started in. 

Cook bacon

After cooked through remove bacon and set aside.  Don't worry, it will return.  For the best results you should towel dry the beef and cook one layer at a time.  But remember, this is Mom Bourguignon.  So I attempted to dry it a bit and then threw it in there.  Yes, in the bacon fat.  Healthy, I know, but hey, the French are skinny!  Do your best to brown it on all side and remove.

Then you can add a little butter or olive oil, depending on how healthy you are feeling, and throw in the carrots and onions.   Season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.  Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the onions are brown.

Add the garlic towards the end and sautee until frangrant, just a minute or two.

Now grab your Pinot Noir.  Take a swig.  Maybe two.  Then, wait for it... pour the entire contents of the bottle into the stew.  You might want to take three swigs.

Add enough beef broth or water to cover the meat, potatoes, tomato paste, and thyme and bring to a boil.  Here is where you can choose.  If you have the dutch oven, you can put it in the oven at 250 degrees for a little over an hour.  If you don't, or are too lazy (or both, like me) then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the beef and veggies are cooked through and tender. 

Et voila!!  And to be truly French, grab yet another bottle of wine, a baguette and sit and enjoy. 

Man it was soooo good.  I hope some of you get a chance to try it, if so let me know how it turned out! 

Bonne journee!

DISCLAIMER: I forgot to take pictures, so I found these from google search. If I have a photo that's yours, let me know, I will be happy to credit it!

Blog crush ~ At home with K

So as I mentioned before, probably more than once, I am totally inspired with all the bloggers out there and their crazy minds for all things creative.  So I thought I would talk about another blog crush I have with a DIY-er for less, At Home with K.  Not only is her blog awesome and a must read, she is super nice!  She is actually featuring a project I did this Thursday, so be sure to check back then!!  I just linked up today for Terrific Under 10 Tuesdays with two projects I have created.  You should check it out too!  She answered some questions for me that I would love to share with you so we can all get to know her a bit more!

 
1) When and why did you start your blog?
I actually started blogging 3 years ago with my old blog. I shared my creative side plus my family life mainly for me to document milestones and for long distance family to read. Never in a million years did I think I would make so many friends through blogging. It has been a huge blessing to me and a wonderful creative outlet for this stay-at-home mom/night nurse. As time went on I decided to keep my family life private and my decorating styles changed. So in July 2010, At Home With K was born. Here I get to share with other bloggers and readers how to decorate/create on a budget. I'm having the best time!

SO cute! You should see the before!

2.) Where do you get a lot of your ideas, and/or what inspires you the most?
I find a lot of my inspiration from other bloggers and design magazines/catalogues. I really try to challenge myself to make something as cheap as I can with thrift/sale items. I'm a mom with a strict budget...and I know I'm not the only one. So I hope I inspire other moms out there as well that it's so easy to decorate on a budget when you think outside the box sometimes. Another person that inspires me is, Nate Berkus. I love that he includes in his designs thrift/trash finds. A guy after my own heart. :)

refurbished, and what a great idea for spring!

3. What are your goals for 2011? Bloggy/home/or otherwise.
My hope for my blog is to grow leaps and bounds this year. I would love someday to be well known enough to have sponsors and be recognized. Nate Berkus, are you reading this?!! LOL My blog is "the little engine that could", but I have faith that I will get there someday.

For my home, I have been on the quest to paint/update room by room. We have lived in our home for over 4 years and it's finally feeling like home with simple changes I have been doing in the last year. Before I was doing too much THINKING than DOING. If you dive right into your projects (no matter how scary they might be) then you get so much more done...instead of worrying what it might look like in the end. I have learned in the past year that it's good to take risks.

And I can't leave out my personal goals...I hope to always strive to be the best mommy there is for my 2 little boys and wife to my wonderful hubby. Sometimes I forget how blessed I am when struggles come my way...so I just need to focus how much God has blessed me with.

Signs made by Kindra

4.) What does a typical Sunday afternoon look like in your house?
Sundays are pretty mellow at my house. In the afternoon, you can find me napping because I work the night shift on the weekends. I know exciting, huh?! If not napping, then I'm playing with my boys or exercising.

Thank you so much Nalalia for featuring me on your blog! I really appreciate it!!

Flowers made by Kindra

I love it! As always, there is some awesome advice and tips in there!  I am also a mom of two boys, how fun!  Kindra is so super sweet and her blog is awesome.  If you haven't already, go check it out! 

By the way, this is not paid or sponsored in any way. I just featured her because she inspires me!

Projects in Progress! Linky party #1

As most of you know, or can see, my blog is relatively new.  I am so glad I started it because I have been blown away with the amount of inspiration out there from so many talented ladies.  As much as I love linky parties and getting to know new bloggers (or new to me) I don't really care for the "I'll follow you if you follow me" type of deal. 

 So I was thinking through what kinda linky party I could host and I asked my lovely (but not so creative) husband for his opinion.  He said 'I don't know, like project Monday?'  Not the most mind blowing, but it got me thinking.  And anyone who knows me can attest, it can be a dangerous thing!  I then came up with "Projects in Progress!"   I am hosting a linky party for all bloggers out there.  DIY, fashion, house decor, food, you name it!  Here is how it will work.  Every Monday morning I will post the linky up early.  If you have a project that you are currently working on and would like some feedback, write a post about it and link it up here.  Then after you have linked, check out a few of the others and kindly offer your opinion on maybe how they could complete the project.  Here are some examples: 

How do you think this outfit looks best?  Any opinions?  I put it on the other day, and with the options couldn't decide.  I do know that I think the shoes look awful.  Good thing I had some pics, I thought they looked good before this!

 Or a DIY/crafty project: 

What should I do with this 'S'?  I decopauged it with an old book and can't decide where to go from here. What do ya think?

 Or recipes?   I have chicken, mushrooms, and potatoes.  Suggestions?  (I just made that up, I never have mushrooms)    Or anything else you can think of or would like advice on.  There is so much inspiration out there and so many talented people it might just get you out of a rut, or help you put the finishing touches on a project, or just inspire your own awesome idea! If you are stuck on a project, maybe someone has been stuck before too and has a solution to share.  Let's share the creativity!! Here are some ground rules:1.)  Make sure you are a follower of Ma Nouvelle Mode.  If you already are, awesome!  If not, make sure you drop me a note so I can say hi!2.)  Link up your blog post, not your blog so we can go directly to the post.3.)  Make sure you check out at least a few other blogs to see if you can offer any suggestions.  The more the merrier!!4.)  Grab my "Projects in Progress!" button and post it on your blog, linky page, or sidebar so other can join along! 






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So link up! I can't wait to see all the awesome Projects in Progress out there!

I will leave the linky open throughout the week so we all can add and share.  If you finish a project, get some help or advice you just love, or have some you want to share, E-MAIL ME!  I will feature your project on the next linky party.

Super Simple Flower Headband Tutorial

I have made these flowers a lot.  I love them.  I would love to rock a massive flower on my head, just not sure I can pull it off.  But my super cute niece can!  And I have made quite a few for her little bald head.  (she is 8 months old, bald is still cute).  So I had some at my house and my son had his two little friends over who happen to be girls.  They found mine and loved them.  They actually ended up taking one home with them.  So I thought it would be fun to make a few for them.  Here is how I did it, super easy.

 1.) Buy your flowers are Michael's, JoAnn's whatever store is closest and cheapest. 
2.)  Tear them apart so you get the desired thickness.  You can see the yellow and white lay more flat and the pink is bigger.  (in my opinion, the bigger the better!) 
3.)  For the next step, (sorry for the lacking pic), I used little jewels that have a glue backing that is dry but melts with heat.  But them in place, apply heat, I used the applicator specially for it you can get it at Joanns or Michaels too.  And create the design you would like!

 4.)  Measure a  similar head to what you will be creating.  I measured my son's.  He wasn't happy with that.

 5.) Hot glue gun the ends together.  No sewing here!

6.) Glue the flower to the headband, same location you glued them together.

 Eh viola!  Beautiful flower headband!  See I told you it was easy!!

 I used the left over scraps of lace to make a heaband and wore it here and here.

And here is how you are really supposed to look wearing them ~

photo from facebook, so it's not soo clear.  But beautiful!!

Isn't she beautiful!!  I love it when she wears these!  I can't wait to hold her.  6 more weeks!!

UPDATE:  Here is a picture of the little girl I actually made it for. So cute. How do you say no to this face?

The un-openable door

This door is to my next door neighbor's yard.  I don't know why it is there because you can't open it, but isn't it beautiful?  I have been wanting to take pictures of it for a while, but I couldn't ask my 4 year old to take pics standing in the street all in the name of blogging, now could I?  But I could ask my mom!  And she obliged with her awesome camera.

 Oh and I discovered jeggings!  My mom brought two pair, hers of course, but being the awesome daughter that I am, I wore them.  It is a daughter's duty to glom (take over clothes that aren't yours) her mom's cute clothes.  And I do my duty well.  Verdict?  I like 'em.  They kinda fell down a bit which was a tad annoying, but super cute and you don't feel like you are just wearing spandex.

 The boots might not be the best bet here, but hey, I was going for practicality on this one, which I most usually do.



Today I am going to Lyon.  Then up to a chateau in St Albain.  I am not usually this cool, trust me.  I have visitors so I have to act like I do this stuff all the time.  Super chic french girl.  {NOT}

Bonne Journee!

Makeup Tutorial coming next week, so stay tuned!