Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Sew Cute: Folder-Over Clutch

Hello Everyone!

It has been a minute since I did a sewing project...3 months to be exact.  I wanted to do much more DIY projects for this blog, so here is my next sewing project for you all.  Today I will walk you through the process of making a fold-over clutch.  I saw this on Pinterest awhile back and thought it looked like an easy enough project for me, AND something I would actually use.

Fold-Over Clutch

What you need:
- Material for clutch (I chose a neutral suede)
- Zipper
- Thread
- Additional fabric or lining to line the inside

Step 1
Determine what size clutch you want and add approximately 0.5" to each side for the seam allowance. I am using a 12" x 20" piece of material which yielded an 11" x 7" clutch when folded.  I used fabric from an old pillow case for my internal fabric liner.
Step 2
Pin one edge of the zipper to the outer postion of your clutch material.  (I wanted the zipper facing on the outside as I like the look, but feel free to hide the zipper away on the inside)
 
Step 2 completed.
Step 3
Now that one side of the zipper is sewn, repeat Step 2 for the other side.
Step 4
Both edges of the zipper should be attached now, so flip the fabric inside out.  Feel free to iron out the fabric and use the iron to make a distinct bottom.  (I neglected this step because I am lazy....)  Pin up both sides of the inside out bag, then sew both edges to the bottom of the fabric.
Step 4 Completed
Step 5
On both sides of the bag at the top by the zipper, make sure to sew completely to the side edge along the zipper.  This will close all openings, so nothing falls out of the clutch when you are using it!
Step 6
Unzip the zipper and flip the bag to its correct position.  Make sure to poke the bottm cornors out all the way.  Voila, you now have a cute new fold over clutch :)
I found this clutch much easier to make then my previous makeup bag tutorial. (Post Here)  I will actually be using this clutch in the future and look forward to making another one of these.  I just ordered some floral fabric from Etsy, so I will post a photo of the finished product on another blog post.  Stay tuned ;)
 
- Courtney
 

Monday, July 28, 2014

Never Let Me Go: Book & Movie Review

Hello Everyone!

I recently just finished the book Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, and I absolutely loved it.  It is a dystopian novel, but it is much different than many of the popular ones circulating these days (i.e. The Hunger Games, Divergent, etc.).  I thought since I enjoyed this book so much, I would review it for you....AND review the movie they made about the book.

Book Review - 8/10
The book is narrated by Kathy H. who goes back and forth between present time and her experiences at Hailsham, The Cottages, and life as a carer.  Hailsham is a boarding school of sorts, where Kathy and her two friends, Ruth and Tommy, live and attend "school".  I say "school", because this is not a typical boarding school, this is a distinguished home for clones to be educated and live while they grow up.  Since WWII, many scientific discoveries were made, so people can now live to over 100 years.....with the help of donations from those like Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy.  Kathy explains to the reader many experiences she and her two friends along with others experienced throughout their lives and seeks to find a purpose in their being.  There are many ups and downs along the way, but I think this book is beautifully written and captivating.  Without spoiling anything for you, I encourage you to check it out for youself.

Movie Review - 7/10
I found that the movie did a very good job of following the book, minus a few key detials....but I understand for a movie's sake that not everything from a book can be included (unless you want to watch a 7 hour movie).  One thing I loved about the movie was the acting, specifically the child actors who portrayed Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy.  They did a fantastic job at their roles and were very believable younger versions of the adult actors.  I did feel some parts of the movie were a bit rushed, but again for the sake of time...you just can't show it all.  Overall, I thought this was a good movie, not something I would ever buy on DVD, but I would watch again.

Have you read Never Let Me Go?  If so, did you enjoy the book?  What were some of your favorite parts?  Did you watch the movie?  How did you think it compared to the book?

- Courtney

Exercise of the Week: Plank Up-Down

Hello Everyone!

As I am finding my rhythm with this blog, I thought it would be neat to start a weekly segment.  I am currently getting back on the fitness wagon and working towards improving my overall health and well-being.  To keep this motivation going, what better than a weekly exercise for all of us to try and potentially add to our fitness routines.  I am aware some or many of the exercise I debut will be things many have heard of or currently do, but why not take it to the next level or simply try something new!  I encourage you all to attempt these exercise at least 3 times a week.  I will always explain modifications, so do not feel discouraged if you cannot do it exactly how it is pictured or explained.  No one is perfect and we are on this journey together!  I chose this exercise to debut my Monday segment because I just introduced it to my friend at the gym last week.  She loved to hate it, but agreed it is a great exercise.  Okay, let's get moving!!!

Plank Up-Down
Target Muscles: Core, Shoulders, Triceps
Starting Position: Pushup position
Make sure body is in a straight line as picture above

**Modified Starting Position: Pushup position with knees on ground**
Perform all of the below arm movements while maintaining the above position for the modified exercise.

Step 1: Lower left arm onto forearm

Step 2: Lower right arm onto forearm
 
Step 3: Bring left arm back up to starting position on palm

Step 4: Bring right arm back up to starting position on palm to complete the exercise
I hope this exercise looks appealing to you all!  As I mentioned above I encourage you to do this at least 3 times this week.  You can either do set/repetition or do it for a specific amount of time (i.e. 30 seconds).

Let me know how it goes :)

- Courtney

Friday, July 25, 2014

Current Summer Loves!

Hello Everyone,

Since we are finally into Summer, I thought I would share some odds and ends I cannot get enough of lately.


Enjoy :)

The Body Shop - Olive Body Butter $20.00
Oh my word, this stuff is amazing. I have never been a huge lotion or body butter person (even though I have the world's driest skin), but this has been a serious game changer. It is insanely hydrating and has a very light, but clean scent.
Diamond Bar Necklace $79.99
I bought this about a month ago, and have worn it just about everyday since. I have been searching for a silver bar necklace, but was pleasantly surprised when I found this 14k white gold one WITH diamonds for only $89.99. Quite a steal in my opinion and definitely a staple this summer. It is currently $10.00 less right now, so if you are interested it is an even better bargain ;)
 
Straw Floppy Hat
This was my savior when I was in Florida. I picked it up at Target prior to deep sea fishing and I may have burnt to a crisp out at sea without it. I am not big into wearing sunglasses, so this has been great to wear by the pool and keeps my face nice and sunburn free!
 
Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Perfume $29.00-$165.00
I have not fallen in love with a fragrance in a really long time, but I had heard some good reviews about this and decided to give it a whirl. It does come with a pretty hefty price tag, so I opted for the 1 ounce bottle to start with ($50.00!). It turned out to be well worth the money, and I plan to repurchase this. I received a ton of compliments while wearing this, so another reason for the repurchase!
Too Faced - Better Than Sex Mascara $23.00
I was in a committed relationship with Clinique High Definition mascara for over 6 years, but then it was discontinued or they just stopped selling it. This was my longest makeup commitment, so I was extremely disappointed at this news.... And pretty angry! (What can I say, I was madly in love). Any-who, I have found a new mascara to fill that void in my heart. As mentioned in the little title, it is the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara! Oh baby, this stuff is great: thick, lengthening, black, and removes easy at the end of the night. This ticks every box for me and I am so happy that this was recommended to me.

What are some of your summer loves and/or essentials?  Let me know in the comments below :)

- Courtney

Painting with Cocktails! Round 2

Hello Everyone!

This past Wednesday night, I participated in another Painting with Cocktails night as the title suggests.  This time we planned in advance, so a bit more people were able to enjoy the festivities with us.  This month's painting was a martini glass, not my favorite ever, but definitely a cool fit for a bar area.  Below are my pictures of a blank canvas to a full blown dirty martini, enjoy :)

The blank canvas...
 
We painted the entire canvas black, then once it was dry began stenciling the martini glass.
 
More stenciling
 
Stenciling done!
Olives somewhat done
The finished product :)

All the ladies and our work!
This was yet another fun ladies night, and I look forward to continuing to attend these types of event.

- Courtney

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Tory Burch for FitBit Flex

Hello Everyone!

I thought when this day finally came I would be jumping up and down with excitement and punching in my credit card numbers to place an order....but I am sad to say I am incredibly disappointed with the Tory Burch for FitBit Flex accessories.  Not only did they take an extra month to release the line, they did not come out with any silver bangles or necklaces.  Many women tend to wear silver jewelry, so I am bothered that Tory left of a huge population with only gold accessories.  Let's say I did like gold, I am still unsure I would purchase as the price tag attached to the different pieces is OUTRAGEOUS!  I have ever so kindly provided you with the offerings below, so you can see the disappointment for yourself.

Metal Hinged Bracelet - $195.00
 
Fret Pendant Necklace - $175.00
Silicone Printed Bracelet - $38.00


Silicone Printed Bracelet - $38.00

What do you all think of the designs?  I must say I do like both the bracelet and necklace, but the price along with it not being silver is a big turn off for me.  Hopefully they will take this into consideration and please the rest of us!  My apologies if you love all of the above, so if you do, you can purchase all 4 options here: Tory Burch for FitBit

- Courtney

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Book Club: Girl Missing

Hello Everyone!

My lady friends and I have finally started a book club!  This has been a long time coming and I am so glad we made it happen.  We have had two meetings thus far: the first to discuss our first book and meeting dates, and the second to go over our first book.  In our first meeting we decided that a monthly Sunday brunch would work best for our schedules and be a nice chance to catch up, too.  We then thought it would be fun to make/buy food mentioned in the book and serve it for our brunch.

The book we decided on is Girl Missing by Tess Gerritsen.
A beautiful young woman’s corpse is found dumped in a garbage-strewn alley. Now laid out in the office of medical examiner Kat Novak is an unidentified body that betrays no secrets—except for a matchbook clutched in one stiff hand, seven numbers scrawled inside. When a second victim is discovered, Kat begins to fear that a serial killer is stalking the streets, using a deadly drug to do his dirty work. The police are skeptical. The mayor won’t listen. One of the town’s most prominent citizens, with a missing daughter of his own, is also Kat’s chief suspect. As the death toll rises, Kat races to expose a deadly predator who is close enough to touch her.

It was a great read and we had a blast answering our questions about it.  My favorite question was deciding what actor/actress would play each character in a movie.  Something about putting an actual face to a character is really satisfying and makes the read all the better (this is my opinion of course, I know tons of people who hate movies about books)

Some of our actor/actress choices were:
Kat: Anna Kendrick, Angie Harmon, Sophia Bush, and a young Julia Roberts (circa Pretty Woman)
Adam: Peter Fancinelli, Jesse Spencer
Maeve: Chloe Grace Moretz
Isabel: Brittany Snow
Sykes: Shemar Moore
Ratchet: Kevin James, Joel Garland (heavy guard on Orange is the New Black)

Fortunately Brittany is behind in the times, so we had a real live book to photograph :)
Also, let's not forget the delicious raspberry jelly donuts..MMMMMM!
 
A little bit of iced coffee, donut, and my questions.

Roast beef sandwich fixins

Bagels....not sure these were in the book, but that's ok!

Who doesn't include Chinese food at their brunch?!

This was such a fun time and I definitely recommend starting a book club with your friends and family!  It is a really affordable way to all do something you love and spend time together.  I would also, strongly recommend Girl Missing, as it was a really great thriller!

Stay tuned for next months book club review!  Our next book is Trust by Pamela Kelly (just in case you might want to read and see our review)

- Courtney