WIWW: Basics

I love this basic, casual outfit. 


jeans & white shirt: Kohl's
black tank:  Styles For Less
sandals: Shoe Discount Factory

-marie

Linked to: Rae Gun Ramblings, The Pleated Poppy, Two Thirty-Five Designs, Rolled Up Pretty & Transatlantic Blonde

DIY Avengers Shirt

My daughter is obsessed with the Avengers!  She loves to watch all the superhero movies and even opted for an Avengers lunch tote and folder for school this year.  We've been looking for an Avengers shirt for a long time now, but they just don't seem to make them for girls.  And she's so petite that the boys ones are too big and boxy on her.  So we decided to make our own.  :)





I got the idea from I Am Momma - Hear Me Roar.  She made a super cute Avengers Tee for her son and made a fabulous video tutorial on how to stencil with freezer paper. She has a printable for the icons she used, but Cailyn wanted ALL the Avengers (at least the ones in the movie) and so we scoured the web and found some she liked.  You can download the images HERE if you want to print and cut with an exact knife or HERE to cut them on the cricut.














I didn't have any fabric paint, but I did have lots of craft paint.  So I bought some fabric paint medium and mixed it according to the directions.  (We've washed the shirt several times and it still looks perfect!)

Then I just followed the video tutorial to make the icons on the front and back of a basic gray tee we bought from Walmart.  Cailyn is so happy with her shirt!  I was surprised by how easy this project was.  I've never worked with freezer paper before but I'm already excited for what I else I can make with it! :)

-marie

Product Review- NECTRESSE Natural No Calorie Sweetener

I use no calorie sweeteners on a daily basis and was excited to give this one a try. I have to say that I LOVED it! First of all it is the only 100% natural sweetener made from real fruit- monk fruit extract. The sweeteners I have used are powdery and leave an after taste that I cant stand. Nectresse actually tastes just like sugar and its texture is the same as sugar, so I really enjoyed that. I couldn't tell that I was not eating sugar!

I like to use Nectresse in my protein shakes in the morning after my workouts or if I dont have a shake that morning I sprinkle it on a cup of fruit. It tastes great! 

You can also use Nectresse in your cooking or baking recipes for a healthier alternative to sugar without sacrificing any flavor!

Check out what Lisa Ling had to say about Nectressse:

Check out www.NECTRESSE.com to get recipes and a FREE SAMPLE!

-chelz

*This was a sponsored and paid post. The views are ALL mine.

Things We Love Thursdays: Downton Abbey

I know, I know.  I'm a little late jumping on the Downton Abbey bandwagon.  But better late than never, right?!  We got Netflix a couple months ago so I was able to watch the first season and Amazon Prime just recently added the second season so I was finally able to get caught up.  I absolutely adore this show.  If you haven't watched, you MUST!  Here are my top 5 reasons to watch:

1. The Characters.  There are so many great characters on this show from the Crawley family to the enormous staff -- ones you'll fall in love with and ones you'll just love to hate!

 

2. The Romance.  There are so many great love stories at work here, both in the privileged and the staff.  You can't help but root for these couples but, of course, things are never easy for them.

3. The Accents.  Hello, does anyone ever tire of British accents?  I love listening to them and find myself speaking with an accent after I've watched too much. :P

4. The Fashion.  Oh how I LOVE to see what they are wearing! It's such an elegant time period and I love seeing the styles and wishing I could just snag some of their beautiful dresses and jewelry for myself.

5. Maggie Smith.  Um, can I just say I love her?! She is such a hoot on this show and has the best one liners!

So, have you jumped on the Downton bandwagon yet?  Do you have a favorite character?  Are you DYING until the next season comes out like I am?!?!

-marie

WIWW: My Sister's Sweater

So the other day I was at my mom's house and one of the twins had an accident.  I didn't have any spare clothes with me (shame on me!) so we looked for a shirt that would work in the dresser of my little sister who was away at college.  My mom found this cute cardigan sitting in there that she bought for my sister but apparently wasn't cute enough to take with her to college.  So my mom decided that I should have it.  And I totally agreed.  :)

cardigan: F21

tank: Styles For Less

skirt: H&M

shoes: thrifted

 -marie

  

Linked to: Rae Gun Ramblings, The Pleated Poppy, Two Thirty-Five Designs, Rolled Up Pretty PS Bananas & Transatlantic Blonde

JUNIEblake Giveaway Winners

Thanks to everyone who participated in our first ever giveaway!  We will have to host another one some time soon.  ;)

Our winners were:

Hilary

I liked, commented, and shared Junieblake's facebook page!

&

latanya

gfc follower

CONGRATS!!!  

You will receive an email from us with the details.

Frugal Friday: Vanilla Lime Sugar Scrub

I think the only thing I hate about Summer is shaving my legs.  I have coarse, dark hair that grows really fast so I have to shave just about daily.  I also get really bad razor burn AND ingrown hairs, so yeah, I pretty much hate shaving.

I came across this pin on Pinterest for a sugar scrub and decided to give it a try.  I am pleased to report that it worked great!  It really did leave my legs feeling soft & silky and I didn't end up with razor burn.  The scrub also helped loosen up any ingrown hairs, too.  (Now if only I could find a frugal product for making my hair grow slower!)

DIY Sugar Scrub
adapted from Gluten Free Navy Wife

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• juice of a lime (or lemon or orange)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients together until well combined.

To use, draw a warm bath and soak for 5 minutes.  Shave legs using your preferred method. Then use a palm full of the sugar scrub to scrub your legs; rinse.   Now shave your legs again using the residue from the scrub.  You'll need to rinse the razor often!  Use the scrub a second time and rinse. Pat your legs dry with a towel and use your favorite lotion.

I also use this in the shower and when I'm in a hurry I skip the first shaving and just shave once with the scrub.  Still works great!

-marie