Blame spring fever – suddenly pastels seem relevant. Not that you’ll see me wearing pastel jeans or anything…but something about this spring Louis Vuitton purse was just too sunny to pass up.
I would consider a pale yellow purse to be a “trendy item,” not a classic colour I would invest money on. DIY time!!
Tools Needed
a leather purse / Downloadable LV logo / yellow paint / crazy glue / a piece of craft foam (I buy small sheets from the dollar store – 20 for $2) / scissors & a pen
1 / Paint your purse with as many coats as it takes for opaque coverage. It took 2 coats for mine plus small touch ups. I also painted the straps that came with the bag.
2 / Using your FREE downloadable logo, trace it onto the foam and cut out your logo. Paint front side of the logo until opaque.
3 / Dab crazy glue onto the back of the foam logo and secure it in place.
Done!
What do you guys think? If you aren’t into the pastel/spring vibe this purse would look great in pretty much any colour.
Leave me a comment and let me know if you’ll be trying this, or come hangout with me on Instagram!
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Sunshine does something to me. I’ve turned into one of those hopeless romantics that writes sonnets about the sunshine and flowers and jumps awake to see the sunrise.
Super annoying. My poor husband.
Spring is like a happy pill, some sort of drug right to my veins that turns me into an intolerable Disney character. But if spring makes me blissfully happy I’m not going to fight it, I’d rather kick up my heels and enjoy the non-rain.
Love my heels? Make your OWN and join me!
xo Alana
]]>I’m awkward, painfully awkward sometimes. When I have my earbuds in and people try to talk to me… triple the awkward. I knew I should probably buy myself some headphones to limit such encounters and to wear during travel, but the only cool ones I could find by FRENDS cost $260-ish and I have a ton of more important things to spend $230 on.
DIY time!
Tools Needed
headphones – found mine at Future shop for $25
krazy glue / rose gold or copper spray paint / scissors
clear vinyl – I went to my local industrial plastics store and they cut me a few feet for about $5. I chose this material because it’s durable and water resistant. If you can’t find any I recommend any sturdy plastic-like material.
1 / Cut a circular piece of vinyl (mine was 2 inches in diameter and fit perfectly). Make a single cut from the outside to the centre and overlap the edges until you get a very shallow cone shape. Krazy glue your cone in place. Try your cones on your headphones, trim any excess vinyl until the cones fit perfectly.
2 / Apply thin layers of rose gold paint to the cones until completely opaque. I did 4 thin coats of paint. Let the paint dry for a few hours.
3 / Apply a generous ring of Krazy glue around the edge of your headphones and place your cone on-top. The glue will dry in about 10 seconds, so make any adjustments quickly.
And we’re done!
This took me a few hours including paint drying time, but only about 10 minutes of actual work. It cost me about $35 to make, although I keep most of these supplies on hand so I only had to purchase the headphones.
These awesome headphones went with my on vacation and totally survived rough baggage handling and sharing limited space with everything else I own. I also took my last DIY, the Chanel Espadrilles with me and they were another hit, keeping me comfy through airport travel.
So, I’d love to know what you guys think of this DIY?
Leave me a comment, or say hi on instagram!
Cheers!
Alana
I usually love taking photos on vacation, especially in a land with flowers and sunshine in Feb. Our trip last week to SoCal was the first time I’ve gone away with only my iPhone, and while I probably missed a million great photos it made me enjoy my time so much more. Sometimes it’s nice to just be in a moment, rather than documenting it.
We hiked the Hollywood hills, biked along the beach for hours, rented dune-buggies in the desert, and haunted our favourite restaurants.
It was beautiful. And here are the only 10/11 photos we took
Cheers,
Alana
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It might not be clear from all the luxury products I DIY here, but I truly believe in investing in a few high quality pieces to keep and cherish forever.
I was seriously considering buying a pair of genuine Chanel Espadrilles, convinced that I would wear them everyday and it would be well worth the $800-$1,200 to investment in something beautiful.
Then I realized I hate flats and have never actually worn an espadrille in my life.
Potentially awful decision alert.
When I saw the perfect base shoe at Target, I thought I might as well make a DIY and test run espadrilles to see if I actually need them!
This no-sew DIY took me 5 minutes to make, super quick and super easy!
Tools Needed
suede espadrilles here or here / a small section of suede fabric / iron on adhesive / scissors, iron & ironing board
1. Cut out the provided double C template and trace two copies onto the smooth, paper side of the iron on adhesive.
2. Iron the back face of your suede fabric to the textured face of your iron on adhesive. Trim into logo shapes.
3. Peel off the paper from the adhesive, place the logo adhesive side down onto your shoe and iron carefully from the middle outwards.
And You’re done!
I can’t wait to take these babies out for a spin and see if I fall in love with espadrilles. Plus I love sharing quick and easy DIY’s with all you lovely people, so everyone wins. And maybe… just maybe… I’ll invest in a Chanel pair some day
Are you guys excited to head to Target and make your own?
Leave me a comment and let me know!
xo Alana
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Confession time – I’m totally one of those girls who says they hate Valentines Day, but would secretly be bummed if my partner didn’t do something nice for me. Amiright ladies? I don’t love the sugar rush, red rose aspect of V-day, but I do love any day where you honour your relationship or someone you have a crazy crush on. Relationships are important, and awesome when you nurture them. So I’m officially saying… rock on Valentines day! Ladies this is the perfect time to splurge on something pretty. It’s a gift for both you and your partner that doesn’t involve roses or chocolate, but a gift that your partner will actually appreciate!
So, how do you guys feel about V-day? Love it, hate it, secretly love it like me? xoAlana
image shot for The Bay Centre, ma-luxe, and La Senza
]]>I used to love candy hearts, but you know….sugar is apparently the devil. I used a cookie cutter on fresh fruit and made healthy icing sugar which – spoiler alert – is totally amazing and I ended up eating by the spoonful! It’s raw, natural and husband approved!
I made these for my Valentine, and he happily ate them in about 2 seconds, then moved onto the left over icing. And that’s why I love him!
XO Alana
]]>Unlike almost every girl I know, I’m terribly picky about shoes and I think I own under 10 pairs of shoes in total. But hey…I know what I like!
And I love these boots. Ideal heel thickness for everyday wear / matte leather (I hate shiny patent leather) / and the most perfect undone slouchy side buckles.
They’re not trendy, not too shiny, and look lived-in while still looking new and fresh. Bravo Aldo!
– Aldo Izabel boot –
Illustration by me… just something I’m playing with for the last few days!
xo Alana
]]>A necklace from an awesome shoot with Covet + Keep / My DIY Perfume vase / A few shots of me, captured by the amazing Carly Flint / and my Darth Vader pineapple snack, because I’m a total nerd!
Cheers, Alana
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Are we all soooo glad it’s friday?
Today’s DIY project came about because I really just missed having flowers on my desk. I love the idea of repurposing old perfume bottles and putting a few small flowers in them, but I really wanted a ton of flowers, so I thought of this!
It takes only 5 minutes, all you need is a square or rectangle vase, a printer, scissors and tape, and some flowers.
Using – THIS FREE PRINTABLE – simply cut around the edges, apply a thin strip of tape around the edge and stick it to your vase. Add flowers and there you go!
The template I’ve provided will print out approx 4″ x 4″ labels, so if your vase is smaller just be sure to shrink the printing size to what you need. WIll you guys be making your own perfume vases this weekend? Let me know!
-Alana
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