Falling For Fall

Brisk wind. Colorful leaves. Boots. Sweaters. Fall has to be my favorite season! That said, this has to be one of my favorite outfits! A knit cardigan, accented tank top, skinny jeans, boots! So many combinations! Oh, and those lovely blue and brown knit boot cuffs? I made them! So can you! Simply K1 P1 ribbing for 1 inch, then stockinette (K1 row, P1 row) 3 inches, then end with K1 P1 ribbing for 1 inch! Use worsted weight yarn and US Size 8 needles.

Happy Fall! XOXO
~ FashionistaGirl

Mismatched Nails

I love doing my nails, but the reality is that beyond simple stripes and dots, I'm hopeless. These mismatched nails, though, are super easy but look complex!

You will need:
- Three colors of nail polish. These look best with black, white, and an accent color. Here I chose blue.
- Striping tape
- Dotting tools or a bobby pin
- A sheet of stickers, I used stars.
- Chunky glitter polish to match the accent color. I liked the use of silver with the blue.

How to:

Thumb:
1. Paint the nail white.
2. Peel off the sticker and set aside. Now cut around the sticker sheet where the sticker was. Peel this off. Now you have a template! When the nail is dry, place the empty sticker template on the nail where you wish the design to be.
3. Paint over the template in your accent color. Wait a couple seconds for the polish to dry a bit, and then peel of the sticker. Voila!

Index:
1. Paint the nail white.
2. Using a dotting tool or bobby pin, dip in a bit of black polish and create a dotty design on the nail.

Middle:
1. Paint the nail in your accent color.
2. When it is dry, place four strips of striping tape across the nail.
3. Paint over in black and then carefully peel off the striping tape.

Ring:
1. Paint the nail in your accent color.
2. Take your glitter polish and paint over the nail.

Pinky:
1. Paint the nail white.
2. Take the black polish and color half the nail black. If you want to get the line very clean, place a piece of striping tape halfway and carefully paint below it.

And there you have it! Each nail has three steps or less!

These would look great with these accent colors as well:
- Coral
- Baby Pink
- Purple
- Light Green
- Teal

Polish it up! XOXO
~ FashionistaGirl

Nail polishes I used:
- Sinful Colors Snow Me White
- Sally Hansen Black Out
- Sinful Colors Midnight Blue
- Claire's Disco Glitter Polish

Wonderful Warm Wristwarmers

Recently I knit these amazing wristwarmers and I couldn't resist sharing how to make them! This is a customizable pattern, so sorry for not having exact measurements! Also, I will be referencing the glove diagram below, just so you can visualize this. It is not my image. Find it here.

You will need:
US 8 knitting needles/ 5mm
1 skein of worsted weight yarn

Instructions:
Cast on 30 stitches.

Knit until you have about 1 inch of knitting. Hold it up to the area right above your thumb. Knit more rows if you feel it is too short. This is areas 7 and 5 together. If it is to your liking, now it is time to make the thumbhole!

The thumbhole takes 3 rows to complete:
1. Knit 6 stitches. Now cast off 6 stitches. Knit to the end of the row.
2. Knit 6 stitches. Cast on 5 stitches. Knit to the end of the row. You now have 29 stitches.
3. Knit the entire row.

After the thumbhole is complete, knit until the piece is as long as you desire. Mine is about 8 inches.

When long enough, cast off. Leave a long tail. Now fold over and sew up using the tail. Flip inside out.

Repeat!

Note: When you are sewing it up, keep in mind the direction you fold it. With the thumbhole in the top left, if you fold it to the right and sew it will be the left wristwarmer. With the thumbhole in the top right, if you fold it to the right and sew it will be the right wristwarmer.

Stay warm! XOXO
~ FashionistaGirl

Nail Art Secret!

So you just painted your nails and now you have to eat or knit or do something! I don't know about you, but I just don't want to wait 45 minutes! The quick fix?

Place your hands in a cold bowl of water for about 1-2 minutes. Then dry carefully and spray them with cooking spray! Wipe off and voila! Dry, shiny, gorgeous nails!

Spread the word! XOXO
~ FashionistaGirl

Garden Veggie "Pizza"

So, it's nearly lunch time and my stomach has become a tornado siren. Watch out! Take cover! Generally now I'd eat, so I thought I might share my lunch with you today! I'm making garden veggie pizzas!

You'll need...
- 2 tortillas, white or wheat
- 2 handfuls of shredded cheese (I'm using Mexican because it melts nicely, any shredded cheese will do!)
- 1 medium tomato, preferably fresh from the garden
- about 1/4 -1/2 cup fresh spinach
- a pinch of oregano (optional)

Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Chop the tomato into medium thick slices. Chop the spinach up as well into small pieces.
3. Sprinkle the cheese onto the tortillas, leaving out a little bit of the cheese. Sprinkle on the oregano now, if using.
4. Bake in the oven for 3 minutes or until the cheese is slightly melting.
5. Sprinkle the spinach on the tortillas along with two or three tomato slices on each. Add on the remaining cheese.
6. Bake for 3 minutes again.
7. Let cool slightly then cut and enjoy!

Serves 1-2 people

 



Note:
You can use other vegetables too! Spinach and mushroom, tomato and basil, green pepper, onions, or whatever you have on hand!

This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled and is perfect for a lunch with friends because it's so quick, easy, and delicious!

Please be careful when using the oven!

Stay healthy! XOXO
~ FashionistaGirl

Bohemian Bold

The first day of school is coming up quick! With summer coming to an end, school is about to start! Personally I love the first days back at school. Reconnecting with friends, seeing how everybody changed, new teachers, and the easiness of not too much schoolwork yet. You have to remember, though, that everyone else is doing this too! Create an awesome impression with the easy breeziness of a maxi skirt. It says boho prep with a lightness that will surely draw attention. It's a bold way to say, "Hey, I'm back!".

I chose this bright blue maxi from Aeropostale! It's
carefree and flutters out behind you in the
prettiest way. On top, I chose this yellow striped
shirt for contrast! The outcome, easy breezy boho.

I always accessorize! The key is to add pieces that complement
each other. Play with textures. For example, I paired a plain
chunky jersey bracelet with a beaded bracelet and a thin colorful
knotted bracelet! You could also do this with necklaces and
play with metals, thicknesses, ribbon, and stone!

Now you have the outfit, what about the rest?

 For hair, go with an updo. Wearing your hair down distracts from the outfit. Brush it up and away into a high bun or a slick ponytail. Colorful hair ties and barrettes are key to make a simple hairstyle look complex!

As for makeup, natural is best! Show off your summer tan with a peachy blush! As for the eyes, line your waterline with white eyeliner and highlight your inner corners and brow bone with a light champagne color to open up your eyes! Fresh lips is key, so swipe on a berry shade!

Shoes are important for completing the look, so throw on some strappy sandals or flats with a jewel or floral accent!

Dress to impress! XOXO
~ FashionistaGirl

DIY: Craft Stick Bracelets



 So I was on Pinterest... and I saw these really cute bracelets made out of popsicle sticks. I decided that I wanted to make them, but with a twist. This is a great DIY and I wanted to share it with you! I was thinking about doing more tutorials, what do you think?

What You'll Need:
- Scrapbook paper
- Large craft sticks
- An assortment of drinking glasses
- A pot of boiling water
- Mod Podge
- Foam brushes
- Craft chain or cord
- Hot glue
- Scissors

Instructions:

1: Pick out your scrapbook paper. I'd recommend a mixture of
patterns and plain colors that fit with your wardrobe.

 

2: Cut strips of scrapbook paper out. Mine were about 2-3" by 6".
3. Place the craft stick on the paper and draw around it, mimicking
the shape. It needs to be bigger than the stick itself, about 1/4 to
a 1/2 inch bigger. They don't have to be exact. When finished,
cut them out and put aside.

 

4. Boil a pot of water. Once boiling, place in craft sticks
and "cook" for 15 minutes. When done, take off the heat
and drain the sticks. Keep some of the water in a small bowl.
5. Once the sticks are cool enough to handle, curve them into
a circle shape and fit them into the cups. While you are doing this, keep the
remaining sticks in the remaining boiled water to keep them flexible.
Leave about an inch of space between the two ends. Let dry overnight.
 

6. In the morning, check to see if they are dry. If not, keep them
in the cups until they are. Otherwise they will lose their shape.
I got impatient and finished them by heating them with a blow
dryer on the warm temperature at the low setting for a couple
seconds.

 

7. Dip the foam brush into the Mod Podge and
lightly brush it onto the the stick in a thin coat.
Place on the paper from earlier, making sure that
the edges are hanging off.

8. Using the scissors, cut out small triangles like
in the picture. This is so that when you fold in the
edges, you don't get creases.

9. Starting with the ends, fold in the tabs you
just created. Brush on some Mod Podge before
you fold them down and afterwards to seal them
in. Do this with every single one. When all the tabs
are in, brush the Mod Podge onto the outside, brushing
in horizontal motions. Use very thin coats. If it looks
like a white mess, brush some of it off, but keep in
mind it will dry clear.

 

10. Once it dries, trim your chain or cord to fit the
space between the sides. Hot glue it in place.

Now you are done! Voila!

Other things you may want to know....
1. I used Matte Mod Podge, but you can use the glossy kind if you prefer it to look shinier.
2. When using the boiling water and hot glue, please be careful!
3. To get Mod Podge off your fingers, place hands in warm, soapy water and scrub.
4. Boil more sticks than you need. I can guarantee that at least one or two will refuse to curl or just break.
5. Remember these are made of paper, so keep them out of the way of water! You could use fabric too.

Well, there you have it! Now you can flaunt that DIY style! When people ask you where you got them, you can just say with a smile, "I made these." How cool is that? Plus they make awesome gifts and craft fair items.

Follow me on Pinterest!(Linked at top) XOXO
~FashionistaGirl