DIY

Aloha from Hawaii.

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Aloha! I will be taking a break from blogging this week as I am visiting Hawaii with my love. In the meantime, I compiled a list of my favorite blogs and daily reads for you guys to check out this week while I am on hiatus.

IMG_3775[taken today at Napili Kai Beach Resort]

I get asked a lot where I gather my inspiration from. Also, how do I manage to post every single day of the week for 3 years [unless I am on vacay]. The answer is simple; I read. A LOT. Here is a sample of the many blogs, websites and YouTube channels I check on a daily basis to get inspired. Let me know if you have any I should add to my list!
Fashion:
Life:
thehyperbalist.com [seriously the FUNNIEST writer everrrr]
Fitness:
Inspiration:
refinery29.com [sign up for the latest fashion and beauty news]
pinterest.com @thebudgetista
twitter.com @thebudgetista
instagram.com @thebudgetista
*I can’t stress enough how much time I spend on Pinterest and Instagram getting inspired. I could waste days upon days.
Best Makeup Tutorials:

Wildfox Sunwear Bel Air Frames in Black.

By in Deals & Steals, DIY No Comments Tags: , , ,

For cute sunglasses made out of plastic I like to stick to cheapos found at Target or Forever21. Even for Wildfox, which is one of my fave brands, I just can’t justify dropping hundreds of dollars on a pair of sunnies that I will probably break while partying. Get the Wildfox look for much less with these $7 steals. And, if you’re feeling really crafty, just paint on ‘WILDFOX’ and ‘BEL AIR’ in yellow to the cheaps and I doubt anyone will know the difference.

Wildfox Sunwear Bel Air Frame in Black - thebudgetista

Wildfox Sunwear Bel Air Frame in Black | $219ASOS AJ Morgan Maddy Sunglasses - thebudgetista

AJ Morgan Maddy Sunglasses | $7

Lauren Conrad’s White Lace Dress is Baaack, for $36.

By in Deals & Steals, DIY, The Hills 1 Comment Tags: , , , ,

I can tell by your Google searches that you are still OBSESSED with Lauren Conrad’s Notte by Marchesa Lace Dress that I wrote about in this post. Well, it’s been two years and ASOS still has your best lace options and the latest version I came across is dead on [minus the long sleeves, but you can get crafty]. Did I mention it is available in every size for only $36? Happy Friday. xx, tb

Lace Dress with Off Shoulder | $36

She Had a Cocktail in Hand & Confetti in Her Hair.

By in DIY, Home & Living No Comments Tags: , ,

For the holiday me and the bf are heading to upstate NY to relax, hang out on lake placid & spend time with friends and family. I am only allowed one carry on so packing is going to be an issue, but I guess there is no need for stylish clothing while hanging out in the woods right? Before I take off I wanted to share the top three things inspiring me right now to leave you with some inspiration over the weekend. Happy 4th & have a great holiday weekend!

{Matchbook Magazine is a monthly e-publication full of stylish inspiration}

{Pinterest is the place to catalog all the things you love}

{I’m bringing fabric covered buttons back in a big DIY way…stay tuned}

{Here’s where I’ll be celebrating the Fourth of July – don’t hate me!}

{images via Pinterest}

DIY FAB Feature: Friendship Bracelets with Rhinestones, a la Honestly…WTF.

By in Deals & Steals, DIY, Jewelry No Comments Tags: , , ,

I remember lazy summer camps days at the YMCA when me and my friends would braid friendship bracelets on clipboards to pass the day. If I recall correctly I think I charged the other kids for my creations so I was a bit of a hustler at the age of 9. Well the friendship bracelet has come back in a big way and are selling for more than they are worth. Luckily, the gals over at Honestly…WTF (how great is that name?) came up with an A-mazing tutorial so that you can make you and your friends the hip-again bracelets on a budget.

DIY Friendship Bracelet Tutorial

{image via Honestly…WTF}

DIY Hair Tutorial Roundup: Beachy Wave Edition a la Lauren Conrad, Michelle Money & Cupcakes and Cashmere.

By in DIY, The Bachelor, The Hills No Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

Did you always wonder how the girls on The Bachelor & The Hills got those natural-looking beachy waves they sported every day? Well don’t hate them just yet because they didn’t wake up looking like that or have hair dressers at their beck and call. Instead, they had their hair dressers teach them how to do it themselves (DIT) and made tutorial videos to pass along their hair knowledge. After watching more hair tutorials than I like to admit, I chose my top 3 to help you achieve the beachy wave look for less.

Achieve the wave with the Hot Tools 1.5 Curling Iron

{Michelle Money Hair Curling Tutorial Video}

{Lauren Conrad The Every Day Wave Tutorial}

{Cupcakes and Cashmere Beachy Waves Tutorial}

The Look for Less: House of Harlow 1960 Triple Tribal Drop Earrings.

By in Deals & Steals, DIY, Jewelry No Comments Tags: , , , ,

It is amazing in Hollywood how you can go from being a heroin-addicted heiress and turn into a bonafide jewelry/clothing designer overnight. Such is the story of Nicole Richie. Now a wife and mother, Richie can add respected designer to her resume with her House of Harlow line. And while her wares are much more affordable than some of the other heiress-turned-designer options, my idea of a deal is in the single digits. Spruce up your ears with some tribal drop earrings for under $9 and save up your money for your own dreams, whatever they may be.

Dream BIG!
xoxo, tb

The Real:

House of Harlow 1960 14kt Yellow-Gold-Plated Tribal Drop Earring -$100

The Steal:


Tribal Triangle Dangle Earrings

Hot Topic – $8.50

{DIY idea: buy a few pairs since they are so cheap and paint them if you aren’t into hot pink}

Freebie Friday: I Love You, Blogs & Coffee Print.

By in Deals & Steals, DIY No Comments Tags: , , ,

While catching up with my OC housewives last night, I got a little carried away in Word and re-created one of my fave prints at home. The original Blogs & Coffee print was created by Made by Girl and you can buy it here. I can’t wait to hang my new art above my desk for inspiration! In the spirit of Friday and budgeting I thought I would offer my version of the print as a free PDF download for those of you who also love blogs & coffee as much as I do.

happy friday! tb

sized: 11 x 17

blogs & coffee print (click to open PDF)

{Buy the original print by MadebyGirl here}

DIY How To:

Open new Word doc

Font: Spell out words in Arial Black (bold)

Background Color: Page Layout Tab > Page Color > choose color

Coffee mug: Insert > Shapes > flowchart Delay & Basic Shapes black arc

{rotate both 90 degrees to form a mug}

Last Step: Insert text over mug shape to spell COFFEE

That’s Why Weekends are Made for Fun.

By in Deals & Steals, DIY No Comments Tags: , , ,

In honor of the weekend I thought I would leave you guys with some DIY fashion inspiration that can be personalized and look luxe for only a few dollars. While reading my new InStyle today I came across Jenni Radosevich’s blog (ispy-diy.com) where she recreates the latest fashion trends as a DIY project. My favorite? Adding an exposed zipper to a dress you already own – all you need to buy is a zipper and some fabric glue. Read all of Jenni’s InStyle DIY projects here.

Get inspired by Jenni this weekend and stalk her blog like I am at: ispy-diy.com!

{image: Instyle.com}