black friday is dangerous.

I went Black Friday shopping last night at Wal-Mart and it was horrifying.

Anyway, I am having a Black Friday sale spanning over the weekend!

chain necklace project.

I recently watched this DIY video:

So I wanted to make one myself. I didn't have nearly as much of the chain that she had to use, so I just used what I had. I didn't really realize how much it would take to make this as dramatic and awesome as her necklace. Though, I am happy with the way mine turned out. It's not perfect, it's still edgy enough to be fun, and it's a good length to wear with several different looks. It took almost no time to make.

I love creating!

name necklaces.

I just wanted to share some of the necklaces that I've made recently.  These are probably my favorite pieces to make. I've always had a hard time finding any kind of pre-made personalized anything because of my name: Shanda. As if it's not a common name. I mean, it's not totally common, but I know three other women in my town alone named Shanda. So, I don't get it. The first name necklaces I ever created were for myself. I enjoy making them so much because they're personal, specifically made for whomever's name they happen to made of. I've been using colored wire and chains. But sometime in the near future I'll be making them in sterling silver.

Making jewelry has got to be one of my favorite hobbies. It's one of those things that just came naturally to me, like drawing and painting. I've been doing it, and wanting to do it, for as long as I can remember. Anyway, I have a ton of new ideas and I can't wait to share them all with everyone. 

If you'd like to place an order with me for your own name necklace, contact me via Facebook.

piper bee.

This a photo I recently took of my fantastic little baby, Piper. This is probably the absolute best one from this particular batch. When I take pictures of her, I sometimes feel like she is really modeling for me. She's just so easy! This shoot was a lot harder to get good shots from because it was dark, and I was trying to use a lamp for lighting, so almost every shot was blurry. Or she was moving her hands or just doing something crazy. She is the silliest and funniest baby I have ever met. 

jewelry tree photos.

 So, this is the finished jewelry tree with all my favorite jewelry on it. I almost thought it was going to break immediately, but surprisingly not. I just love it! It's so handy. What I dislike about it, though, is that to get most of my rings off of it, I'll have to go through about five other rings first. Ha. Good job! I almost feel like I got too jewelry-hanging happy. I hope it doesn't collapse or something.

I tried to use ever part of the jewelry tree, as well as the vase itself. My brother bought me this necklace for my birthday this year. He got it at one of the antique stores downtown, and I just love it! I wore it the other day for the first time since I got it. Got so many compliments on it! He did a great job for a boy. Very thoughtful.

day one of bag change.

Chenson Collection; Salvation Army: $1.99

Okay so, I changed bags last night. It only took until this morning for me to change my mind. I got this bag at Salvation Army, and I don't even know why I like it so much. I think I just love the colors and the print. But, it's much to small. I mean, all the most important things I carry constantly fit into it, but the long shoulder strap left much to be desired for balance. It just leaned over to one side because of the placement of the strap.

So, I've switched to another bag from Salvation Army. Let's see how long I can deal with this one.

diy jewelry tree.

There are a ton of different videos for these, but this is the one I'm working on.

EDIT: Not great photos, but. I love it. It's a little tall.

More photos tomorrow!

Pieces after painting the sticks.

Assembled!

What I used:

cheap white spray paint, Wal-Mart: $0.97

Krylon gold spray paint, Wal-Mart: $3.44ish

black pebbles, Wal-Mart: $3.00

clear glass vase, Salvation Army: $1.00

too many bags?

No Brand Label; Bealle's Outlet: $19.99.

I would assume that most ladies have a few too many purses. I do know some girls that use every bag they own, but I am not one of those lucky few. I have an entire Rubbermaid tub full of purses in every shape and size, from an assortment of clutches to handbags to cross-body bags to hobos to backpacks.

SO. What I've decided to do is: use every single bag I own by changing them out once a week. And updating all of you!

Starting now! I've been using this bag for almost two weeks. It doesn't appear to have a brand. I found it at Bealle's for a little more expensive than I would normally pay for any bag unless I really like it, and I just fell in love with it. I love the shape, and the fact that it has a flat bottom. What I like most about this bag is that I can fit everything I need on a daily basis in it, including a rather large planner that I can't live without. It does get a little heavy (which can drag down my weak forearm), but it also has a detachable shoulder strap. It makes carrying the load a lot easier.

I haven't decided if I'm going to switch out for this week or not, but. We'll see.

pinterest is so pinteresting.

I joined Pinterest a few months ago, and at first, I didn't really get it. But now, I'm terribly addicted. I could just repin and create pins and pin and pin all day. It's one of my favorite things to do during my down time at work.

Pinterest is full of tons of beautiful photos, artwork, fabulous clothes, great jewelry... but probably my favorite things to find Pinterest are DIY projects. I'm so ready to start some of the projects I've found so far.

Check out my DIY pinboard. And join Pinterest! Happy pinning!

scene girl hair.

Just wanted to post this picture of a girl's hair I had a ton of fun doing last week!

I always enjoy doing something a little different than the norm of "just a trim" or "just a few highlights" or "nothing too wild". She brought in a picture of your traditional "scene girl" and I was just too excited to do it! Haha.

I just need more daring people to get their hair done. But those are few and far between around here. I would just like to be as creative as possible in the career that I've chosen for myself.

being a thick girl.

It's so hard to find really pretty and fashionable clothes when you're a bigger girl, and especially when you live in a smaller city like I do. I generally have to shop in stores that carry plus size "club" clothes. Occasionally, I can find a cool pair of jeans, but I usually have to alter them myself to give me a better fit on my legs.

I just ran across ASOS the other day. ASOS carries a ton of awesome clothes. They have a "Curve" section where the voluptuous girl can find great-fitting and beautiful clothes. They carry unique pieces from size 16 to size 22. They also carry a great selection of accessories and shoes!

These are a few of my favorites from the site: