contributor Archives - Mine for the Making

Fashion Week Beauty Forecast

October 3, 2015 Leave a Comment

Phoenix fashion week is quickly approaching and the preparatory events are in full swing! In case you were unaware (as I was), Toni&Guy is chiefly in charge of the styling of Phoenix Fashion Week’s models and held a press event as a “preview” as to what we should be expecting to see at PFW! I was one of the lucky bloggers to get the inside peek of the Fashion Week Beauty Forecast!

We were treated to complimentary blowouts, facials, manicures, and cookies. Basically the sampler plate for all things fabulous! All of the ladies at Tony&Guy were so super friendly… we had such a great time!

I was privileged to meet Miss Dawn Dettloff who has been styling at Phoenix Fashion Week for years now. She has brilliant backstage stories and gets to be all chummy with the models that are in and out of her chair. How cool is that?!

Besides that, Dawn took my tangled (maybe still wet) mop and made me feel like a Fashion Week model myself. Check out that braid, ladies!

Runway ready? For sure.

We also go to get a peek at and even converse with some of the models who will be strutting their stuff down the runway during Phoenix Fashion Week. Talk about pretty people!

If the models this year look half as lovely as I felt, they’re sure to rock it on the runway!

Do you follow Phoenix Fashion Week?

Victoria {Victori Speech}

Filed Under: Arizona, contributor, fashion Tagged With: Tony&Guy

DIY Party Fringe

September 12, 2015 1 Comment

I have been OBSESSED with fringe lately. . . I just think it looks so fun and festive! I also love that it is easy and inexpensive to make. I typically use tissue paper to make fringe, but I had some left over crepe paper streamers from a previous project, and thought I’d try using it this time. How fun is this DIY Party Fringe?

This is probably one of the easiest party décor DIY projects you can do. . . easy enough you can involve the little people in your life too! This project is also super diverse! You can make numbers, letters, shapes. . . whatever you want to complement your party theme and color.

In this case, I made a number to stand on a welcome table for a two year old birthday party, however, I think it would look adorable on a cake table, food table, hanging on a wall, or even on the front door to welcome guests.

So, let’s get to it. Here’s how to make your own fringe number.

Materials

Cardboard (I used a piece of a diaper box I had on hand)
Crepe Paper Streamers in Various Colors (you could also use tissue paper)
Adhesive
Scissors

*You may also want a x-acto knife to make cutting easier.

Step 1

Draw the shape you would like to create on your cardboard. In this case, I chose to free-hand draw the number two.

Step 2

Cut out your shape. You could certainly use scissors, but since my cardboard was a little thicker, I used a x-acto knife.

Step 3

To help myself create straight lines of fringe, I drew faint lines as markers.

Step 4

Cut strips of streamers to longest length needed to cover your shape.
Fold streamers in half.
Fringe cut the folded streamer.
Open and cut streamer down the center so you have 2 fringed pieces (approx. 3/4 inch wide).

Step5

Using your adhesive, begin layering fringe strips. Be sure to start at the bottom of your shape.

Step 6

After fringing your entire shape, give your shape a trim and cut off any excess streamer hanging over the edges.

And there you have it! A simple craft to jazz up any party!

For more party inspiration and DIY tutorials, check me out over Mindy Alyse Celebrations.

Party On,

Mindy

Filed Under: contributor, crafts, decor, DIY, paper, party, party planning

Travel: Lakeside, Arizona

August 22, 2015 Leave a Comment

Stand up if you think Arizona is ugly.

Now sit back down, son.

Even for those who have something against the desert landscape and find it “barren” or “boring” ( I’ve heard of these people and we will address this issue at a later date), there is some serious variety in this lovely state.

First trip on our agenda, makers? A journey to my best friend, Cece’s hometown; Lakeside, Arizona. Holy gorgeous check it out…

If you’ve never heard of the place (highly likely), it’s a lovely little gem of a town near Showlow. It is jam packed with lakes and mountains and trees and Cece’s big tight-knit family. She was bred and born and raised right in Lakeside, how lucky!

My favorite thing to do while exploring is to sit and to think, just sort of soak it all up. And Lakeside is the ideal place to do so. The fresh mountain air can do wonders for a foggy head, and it is so quiet and secluded. Beautiful places make me feel so close to myself and to God, my best meditations happen in nature. When I came back from thinking, Cece had made me a gorgeous flower crown! Nature crafting is also a great thing to do here in Lakeside, Arizona.

I am a firm believer in spontaneous trips, however small or extravagant! This day trip is only a few hours from Phoenix and it may as well have been across the country for how un-Phoenix-y (real word) it was. Though the cacti are pretty, it’s nice to escape the heat and see some trees, mountains, and lakes!

Victoria {Victori Speech}

My name is Tori Strode! I am a student in Mesa. I love photography, sewing, decorating, acting, and visiting new places. I’m the very definition of “Jack of all trades, master of none” but my real skill lies in seeing the potential of things and people and places. I’ve been all over the US and most of Europe and my list is still growing! I grew up in a military family and have had a lot of amazing cultural opportunities and now I am learning (and sharing) how to cope with having a tight budget and still managing to travel and finding amazing places near home. I am so excited to be working with Kara as a contributor for a semester!

Five random and interesting facts about Tori:

1. Unpopular opinion: Yellow has been my favorite color since I was a toddler and I remain ever faithful to it.

2. I have the hiccups. Like perpetually.

3. I can make fart sounds with my hands.

4. All of my prom dresses were Tori Originals.

5. I have always wanted a French Bulldog, and someday I will have one.

Filed Under: contributor, travel

Family Movie Night

July 30, 2015 Leave a Comment

Something you probably already know. . . kids love surprises. . . news flash, right? Well, imagine their surprise when you throw a fun Family Movie Night party for them! Not only will your kids love it, but you’ll love that this whole party is half the cost of going to the movies.

First, let your family know you are planning a fun movie night. If you read Mine for the Making, then you probably already own a cute chalk board. Simply write, “family movie night,” the time and maybe the movie title on it, and set it out in the morning before everyone rushes off to work and school.

The decorations I used were easy. Dollar store streamers in red and gold as a backdrop, and a dollar store back plastic table cloth. To jazz the table up a bit and make it more “old Hollywood-ish” I added some gold sequins I had from an old New Year’s Eve party.

For snacks, I choose something a little different than the traditional popcorn. We love Chex-mix in this house, so I filled little lunch bags with Chex-mix for them to snack on. I found the cool red food storage buckets at the dollar store as well. I love these because they have a handle on them, so if the kids are eating on the sofa they have something to hold onto. I wrapped a few pieces of red licorice in a napkin, and also had individual cups of mixers for their Chex-mix as an extra treat.

Lastly, I used mason jars I had on hand to make rootbeer floats. I displayed them in plastic flower pots I also found at the dollar store. By putting ice in these, the drinks were able to stay cool, and look super cute.

Add a few extra pillow and blankets to your living room, and voila! The perfect family activity for way less than what you would spend going out! For this whole party, including food, I spent a little less than $20.

For more party inspiration, visit me over at Mindy Alyse Celebrations.

Party On!

Mindy

A bit about our Party Expert…

Hi! I’m Mindy, and I love everything party! My family moved to Arizona 5 years ago from California, but I would still consider myself a Northern California girl. I am a type-A personality who loves everything to look pretty, and worships Martha Stewart like a God. Hope I can help inspire you to throw your own pretty party!

5 Fun Facts About Mindy:

– I have been married to my wonderful husband for almost 6 years. We fell in love over blueberry pie.

– I am a proud mama of one little man named Grayson, he’s almost 3!

– I was an elementary school teacher for 8 years before moving to AZ from CA.

– I lived in Hawaii for many years growing up.

– I love to travel. My favorite place I have traveled is Argentina.

Filed Under: contributor, family, kid-friendly, party, party planning, tips Tagged With: family movie night, movie night

Mine for the Making Creative Team Search

June 24, 2015 2 Comments

Hello makers! It’s that time again… I’m looking for awesome creative minds to add to my team of contributors for July-December 2015! If you are interested in applying, please fill out the form below. You do not have to have a blog or be a blogger to apply! If you are not a blogger, I just ask that you have a passion for writing, being creative, and photography and that you are willing to learn new things along the way. I am so excited you guys! The Mine for the Making Creative Team Search is ON!

You may be asking yourself, “Yeah, but what’s in it for me?” If you are apart of the MFTM Creative Team, you get access to a private creative team Facebook group where we encourage, support, and help on another. It’s also a great way to communicate and keep up to date with blog happenings. Your personal blog will be promoted on all MFTM social media channels (FB, IG, G+, Twitter, Pinterest… over 13,000 followers) and your picture and links will be on our Creative Team page. Mine for the Making receives, on average, 17,000 page views a month and has very loyal readers. That means all of those readers will be reading your posts too! If all of this interests you, we would love for you to apply.

The last day I will be accepting applications is July 5th (subject to change). Thanks friends!

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Filed Under: contributor

Window Covering Tips and Tricks

June 11, 2015 2 Comments

I am a little sad to say that today will be my last day contributing for the wonderful Kara here at Mine for the Making. It has been such a fun experience working with Kara and getting to know the other contributors and I hope I can come back in the future! Ok. Enough with the sappy stuff. On to business! Today I am sharing my fave window covering tips and tricks. Consider these tips and tricks before you purchase your window coverings!

1. First things first. Consider what the function is! Do you need it to cover up heat? light? cold? Or is it just for decor?

Once you decide what its function can be, you can decided what length and style you need.

2. Decided on full length, a roman shade, draw back curtains, etc. Consider whether or not your kids will be pulling on them, or whether they are covering a spot that you access often like a sliding door.

3. Once you have picked what style works best in your space, now you can move on to design elements. I have this rule of thumb I like to follow when picking out curtains. Do I already have a main pieces that are the focus of the room? Let’s say you have a bedspread with a large print pattern on it and lots of colors. You might want to consider finding a solid or simple patterned curtain that is a soft version of one of those colors! Notice in the photo below, there a bold pattern on the wall next to the window, so I chose a simple window covering.

Or perhaps your room is a blank slate! When you have a blank slate room I always say to find your window treatment first because paint comes in every color but curtains do not. If this is the case, find a curtain or fabric that you love and base the rest of the room around the pattern, print or colors!

4. And last but certainly not least, hang your curtains as high and as wide as you can! It makes the windows look bigger! (unless your doing a roman shade.)

Thanks again for having me! Come visit me any time at Dream Crafter and be sure to stay posted on whats the down low on the home improvement front!

Ali {Dream Crafter}

Filed Under: contributor, decor, DIY, tips

DIY Sidewalk Chalk Paint

May 26, 2015 Leave a Comment

Hi makers! It is Michelle from Delicate Construction and I am back with another fun kids craft! This is a great activity to have in your back pocket on those long summer days. Most of us have all these things in our cupboard as we speak and this is a fun way to keep the kids busy but still having a blast! Check out this DIY Sidewalk Chalk Paint!

This paint is so simple to put together, all you need is cornstarch, water and food coloring or liquid water color (both work, sometimes at the school we have more color options when using the watercolors, but at home I use the food coloring and it works great!).

I do a one to one ratio so if I throw in a cup of cornstarch, I put about a cup of water. There is really no science to this, you just want it to be kind of a milky liquid. After it was all mixed, I poured it into a variety of bowls. Old plastic ones are best.

Lastly, I added colors to each bowl. One thing I should mention is that while both are non toxic, the food coloring mixtures stained hands much more than the water color mixtures. All of it did com out for Avery in the bath that night but I thought it was worth mentioning.

Then you pass out some brushes, older ones if you have them, and let them go to town!

The kids can of course paint the concrete or driveway, but Avery and her friends also had a blast painting a textured wall nearby as well. I love how bright the colors were and how much fun they all had!

The pictures were great and it was such a fun change up from ordinary paint and brush on paper!

I hope you and your kids have fun with this idea this summer!! What is one of your favorite summer activities to do with the kids?

Michelle {Delicate Construction}

Filed Under: contributor, crafts, DIY, kid-friendly, motherhood, paint, summer, tutorial

Pretty in Pink Fashion for Kids

May 23, 2015 Leave a Comment

Hey Everyone! It’s Siri from Pumpkin Thieves and Buffalo Wings back to share another fun fashion post for your littles! Today’s fashion tips feature Pretty in Pink Fashion for Kids.

When I found out that I was having a girl, I pretty much immediately swore off pink. I wouldn’t be that mother that dressed her little girl in pink every day! In my almost snobbish efforts to stay away from pink, I ended up with almost an entire wardrobe for my baby with no pink in it. Then, slowly, over her first year, I discovered that pink didn’t have to be “stereotypical.” One piece of clothing at a time, I discovered that I was falling in love with pink as an essential part of Svea’s wardrobe.

Pink can be lively,

adorable,

classy,

and tasteful!

Whether you have boys or girls, there are so many ways to style pink in their outfits!

Start with a dress or shirt as the main piece of the outfit.

Then add a bow tie or some tights:

Add a cardigan, some adorable shoes, and/or a belt:

Finish off the look with a handsome pink hat or a sweet headband:

Have fun styling pink into your little’s daily outfits! I hope these tips help you to incorporate pinks into your kids’ outfits!

Svea’s outfit: Dress- Carter’s, Flats- Gap, Hair Bow- Sara Ellie Bows, Tights- Carter’s, Stuffed Pig- Merry Love Joy

Siri {Pumpkin Thieves and Buffalo Wings}

Filed Under: clothing, contributor, fashion, kid-friendly, motherhood

Bloom Print

May 12, 2015 Leave a Comment

Hey guys! I’m Kelsey from Tattered and Inked and I have the pleasure of popping in each month to share a fun & free new printable for all your lovelies!

I seriously can’t believe we are already in the month of May…which means summer is peeking right around the corner!!! That makes this girl incredibly happy! I’m pretty sure the beautiful, sunny weather that has finally pulled through and all the beautiful flowers and sunsets have inspired the print this month. I wanted something fun & colorful and the little saying ‘bloom where you are planted’ just popped into my head when thinking of new designs. Don’t you just love this Bloom Print?

We are trying very hard to teach our kids this very concept…to shine and blossom wherever they are, no matter the circumstances. So it’s a great reminder to have around our house lately!!

It comes in several fun color schemes so hopefully one catches your eye and brings a fun splash of color into your home for this last little bit of spring! Click your favorite below, download it & then print.

Quick tips for printing in case you’re a newbie…

1. Click the download link below for the print you’d like to get. Then follow the prompts to download and save to your computer.

2. Print your printable as you would any regular picture. I like to print them on white cardstock or picture paper- they tend to print better and with more vibrant colors this way.

3. These prints are sized to be printed as large as 8×10 and will look best printed as a 5×7 or 8×10 size.

That’s pretty much all there is to it. So get at it…just click. print. frame!!

Bloom Where You Are Planted- Green

Bloom Where You Are Planted- Mint & Yellow

Bloom Where You Are Planted- Mint & Fuschia

Bloom Where You Are Planted- Grey & Yellow

{Quick Disclaimer}

Printables are intended as gifts for Tattered and Inked/Mine for the Making readers only.

As with all my free printables, these are for personal use ONLY. Please do not claim them as your own or alter them.

I hope you enjoy your ‘Bloom’ prints and have a wonderful month of May!! And stop by Tattered and Inked to see how else I used this print!

Kelsey {Tattered and Inked}

Filed Under: contributor, decor, print, printable

Modern Yarn Tassel Wall Art

May 5, 2015 Leave a Comment

Hi MFTM readers! Its Ali from Dream Crafter and today I am going to share with you this Modern Yarn Tassel Wall Art that I made for just a few dollars for my sons nursery!

Here’s what you’ll need:

giant stick or a dowel (I found this stick while on a walk to the park with my kids.)
1 skein of white yarn
Rit Dye
scissors
a chapter book

Start by taking a piece of yarn (the length of the book) and laying it over the binding of the book. Then take your book and start wrapping your yarn around it with the ends hanging by the pages. Wrap it as many times as you want (the thicker you wrap it the thicker your tassel will be).

Tie a knot with the first piece of yarn to secure all the others in place.

Hang on to the yarn and insert your scissors by the opening (pages) of the book and cut. You should have a ton of strings all the same length (folded in half).

After that, cut a third piece of yarn and wrap it around the head of all the others creating a little bobble. I did this twice so I would have two bobbles at the top but you can do it just once depending on the look you want.

Now make lots of tassels! You can make this really sparse or with lots of tassels! This is how many I made…

Next, mix up some Rit Dye according to the instructions on the package. I did mine in the kitchen sink and then just dipped my tassels in. I used the Kelly Green one and then didn’t leave it in long enough for it to turn really really green. I wanted an aqua, minty look.

Let the tassels dry over night and then hang them from your stick! Tada!

That’s all folks! Come visit me over at Dream Crafter and see what else I am up to! Maybe you’d like to see the DIY bird feeders my boys and I made, or perhaps my new Monogram bathroom hooks!

Stop on by and we’ll have a party!

Ali {Dream Crafter}

Filed Under: contributor, decor, DIY, tutorial, yarn

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