Tag: DIY

BUDGET/SPENDING

My day as a speaker for ALL YOU Magazine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, about a year and a half ago I found out about a wonderful magazine, called ALL YOU that is right up my alley — it’s all about savings, and how to live and look fabulous on a dime.  At the time, I wasn’t able to find it on the newsstands here in NYC, so I sent my poor dad on a wild goose chase to find me a copy so I could check it out.  Once in hand, I immediately fell in love with it and hurried to get my own monthly subscription…and have been happy with it ever since.  Well, needless to say, my relationship with the magazine deepened yesterday (well, I was also recently a finalist in their Super Saver Contest) when they invited me to be a guest speaker on a panel yesterday with 4 other lovely women. Here’s a look at our day.

 

 

 

They served us up a REALLY tasty lunch, including; mini burgers (my favorite was this California one with the avocado), grilled shrimp skewers with pineapple, a greek salad, a refreshing summer salad, fruit, cookies, and mini tarts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with four other wonderfully talented “savers,” including (from left to right): Harley Abrevaya of Indigo Fetes, Amee Cantagallo of MadameDeals.com, Tracy White of American Express Publishing, and a lovely woman named Robin de Masi, who is a mom of two who is presently getting her Masters in Education.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before the panel discussion we were given the fun task of judging the summer beach finds of some of the ALL YOU employees.  They went out for a couple hours yesterday morning with $50 in hand to see who could come up with the best deal.  From sandwiches and beach chairs to swimsuits and snacks….it was some stiff competition, but we did our best to pick a winner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had such a great time sharing my savings advice and talking about my experience with the magazine and all it’s new developments — it was truly an honor to be a part of it all. Be sure to get your copy of ALL YOU.

 

 

DIY

DIY: Tassel Earrings

I’m just loving fringe and tassels lately — they are everywhere this season.  Most recently I added them to this Camo and Leather Clutch I created.  So, I thought….why not kick it up a notch and add a punch of color — and my fun red tassel earrings were born. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUPPLIES: colorful basic tassel, e6000 glue, decorative end caps, straight pin, earring hooks, and scissors.

How-To:
1. Remove two strings that are holding tassel together.
2. Line up individual strings over your finger — I used 60 per earring.
3. Take another string and wrap it around your group of 60 strings.
4. Double knot this string tight.
5. Take your decorative end cap and slip onto the string you just double knotted.
6. Add a small amount of glue to the very opening of your end cap.  (Note: You just want enough glue to hold them in there, but you’ll want to be careful, because you don’t want excess glue seeping out on your exposed strings).
7. Gently slide the end cap down about a 1/4 inch onto the strings, just until they neatly gather together. Let this dry about an hour.
8. Slide earring hook onto one of the strings hanging out of the end cap.
9. Double knot the two strings to secure the earring hook.
10. Add a dab of glue to the knot you just created, for added stability.
11. Once this glue has dried, snip the excess string above your knot.
12. Trim the bottom of your earring to make it all neat and even.  Ta-da!

DIY

DIY: Gold Ring Necklace

We saw hints of the gold hardware during the Spring Fashion Week, and it really packed a punch during the Fall Shows….so of course I had to grab some chain from Mood Fabrics and make a little something of my own. Whether you use remnants from an old tshirt or synthetic leather cord like I did here….this necklace may be easy to construct, but speaks volumes in the bling department!



SUPPLIES: gold ring chain from Mood, and synthetic leather cord.

HOW-TO:
1. With the two layers, maneuver chain around to decide how you want your necklace to drape.
2. Pry open the ring.
3. Remove excess rings, and reattach it to the main part of your necklace (so, now you have a complete circle).
4. Take your first piece of cord and fold it in half.  Place the loop that is now formed at the bottom, through your gold ring that is your anchor point.
5. Slip loose ends of cord through the loop and pull tight. Repeat of opposite side.