Let Them Eat Cake

My boyfriend's birthday is in September, but we always celebrate in late August before we go off to school. This year I kept it simple with a small 8 inch cake. I made a vanilla cake with a chocolate middle, and butter icing. It was just he right amount of sweetness for a summer night!

What really made the cake was this cake topper I made. All I did was cut triangles from scrapbook paper, write "HAPPY", and tape it to string. I also then taped it onto dowels. Using glue might have looked better, but I couldn't find my glue gun (naturally). Either way, it's a reusable cake topper for any occasion!

How do you celebrate birthdays?

Cheers,

Liv

Refashion: baggy t-shirts

Ever see a t-shirt you can't resist? I found this shirt at a square dance for $3 a year ago, and I couldn't resist. The style, however, was a little grandma-ish. I vowed to do something with it and I finally got around to it.

 It was so simple and I wear this shirt all the time now. I made it off the shoulder for the summer. I didn't end up fixing the sleeves with sewing. Instead, I rolled them.

The original shirt: a little too boxy!

A close up of the fabric. I just love the little vines and leaf detail!

Step 1: to make your shirt off the shoulder, try it on and decide how low you want. I made mine pretty much completely off the shoulder, but a smaller hole would stay up more. 

Step 2: Altering the size. To make your shirt smaller, try it on and pinch the sides close to your body. I took mine in about an inch. Turn the shirt inside out and pinch it in again and pin the sides.

Step 3: Sew up the sides, and try it on to see if the shirt fits. It's very to adjust it it-unravel the stitches and try again for a better fit.

As you can see, mine is very off the shoulder. To make it less open, simply cut closer to the original neckline. Another option is to use an elastic so it would stay up better! I like mine because it was a simple, 30-min project, but had so many possibilities!

Cheers,

Liv

Busy!

Goodness Summer has absolutely flown by! I'll be heading up to school soon. I meant to post a lot more, but time ran away from me. However, I have a bunch of new crafts that I will post tomorrow!

cheers,

Liv

Packing

Don't you just love vacations? Near, far, long, short; they are just lovely. This year my family is exploring the Adirondacks and Ottawa, Canada. I'm so excited to explore more of the areas close to home. I've always loved the idea of travelling to places vastly different than my home, but I have come to realize the charm that more familiar places have. I also love Canada and have never been to Ottawa! Any suggestions?

I started packing so I can revise/repack/revise/add/revise/take out until the last five minutes before we go, as usual. Here's a few pointers to make your packing go easier!

1. Neutrals. Packing pieces that go with everything make for an easy trip. It definitely saves space, and you won't spend a lot of time picking an outfit.
2. Pack for comfort. The beauty of vacations is that they can be incredibly spontaneous. Instead of trying to pack for every occasion, pack outfits you'll feel most comfortable in. I personally love wearing dresses, and feel best in them. What's your go-to piece?
3. Accessories. Be wary of bringing too much. They can take up space! Stick to the classics. For me this means pearls (knock-offs; I'd be too nervous to bring the real thing!) and my watch. 

 Dress: Urban Outfitters // Sunglasses: The Daytrip Society

 Dress: Brandy Melville // Denim: Gap // Necklace: Forever 21

Tank: Thrifted // Top: Gap // Shorts: Thrifted (topshop)

Happy Travels,

Liv

Wednesday Words...Songs!

Happy Wednesday!

For the words today I thought I would post some songs that I have been listening to nonstop this summer. They are perfect to relax and craft to.

1. General Specific by Band of Horses
2. Anything on Foster the People's new album...but in particular: Best Friend
3. Hold Me by Tom Odell 
4. Peach by The Front Bottoms
5. Rivers and Roads by The Head and the Heart

Have a good one!

Liv

Petals in Icing

Every year for my birthday, my father makes each of us kids a personalized cake. When I started playing violin, I had a violin cake. When I got my ears pierced, my dad actually made a cake shaped like an ear with a giant sprinkle-decorated earring. More recently I've had a world cake, a beehive, Italy shaped cake, iPod, and a ski! My brothers have also had some lovely cakes. Well, just one brother. One of my brothers doesn't even like cake (goodness)! Anyway, my younger brother just got his braces off, so my dad made a giant smile!

My mother also works at a bakery, and while she doesn't make cakes, everything else she makes is heavenly. Apple hand pies, tarts, whoopie pies, mm!

You could say baking is in my blood. I've always liked to bake, and had a lot of sweet successes! As I've gotten older, I've wanted to learn how to cake decorate so I can make amazing cakes for my kids someday too. While neither of my parents have had any official baking training, I knew I needed to read up before I started decorating with icing. My mom did once teach herself how to do cake decorating, so I was lucky to have a Wilton's Cake Decorating book already (which can be purchased at Michael's Craft Stores).

Here's my first attempt at decorating! I had a lot of fun, not to mention I was pleased with my start! I can't wait to learn more. And they were pretty yummy :)

Forgive the picture quality. I was in our kitchen at night, so the light was pretty harsh!

 I really loved doing vines! I think they would be lovely as a cake border

This one reminded me of a hydrangea! 

Hope you all enjoyed a sweet today!

Liv

Display

I love necklaces, and I have collected many over the years. I am always intrigued by necklaces with interesting charms. I have a bee necklaces, a fish necklace, a peacock, rock, elephant, and canoe! It always adds a little bit of interest. Yet, I always struggle with ways to display them though, and more often than not they end up in a tangled mess! I found this old rake at the farm and removed the actual rake part. Being the pack rat I am, I thought, "I have to keep this! I might want to use it...someday!" Luckily I thought of an idea early on. Jewelry display!

This was so easy I don't even know if it counts as a DIY! But everything is so organized now. Not to mention it's very farm-chic, if I do say so myself.

I even added a few of my go-to bracelets on there. 

I hung it on a nail that was pre-existing in my room. It's next to my mirror and above my vanity which keeps all of that fun kind of thing together. 

Thanks for reading :)
Liv