DIY Friday: Non-Slip Shoe Pads with Traction Tape

All right ladies, I know we’ve all been there. There’s a pair of shoes that are just gorgeous. The only problem is once you try to walk in them, your feet will go flying and you’ll look like Bambi learning to walk.

You can buy non-slip pads, but those can go anywhere from $4 to $8 a pop, which adds up pretty quick if you’re like me and have more shoes than, well, I’m not going to say than what because you might be horrified.

So make your own! I bought a roll of traction tape, and I’ve been cutting off strips to stick onto the bottom of my shoes. They work great–actually, even better than the non-slip pads that I was scammed into buying way back before I knew traction tape existed. And seven and a half feet of this stuff will last me, um, hopefully until next year, haha.

You can get traction tape on Amazon or any hardware store. This is the one I got, because it’s clear, but color doesn’t matter since it will go on the bottom of the shoe. As long as it’s sticky and wide enough to cover your shoe.

First measure how much you’ll need, and then cut out a piece of traction tape that will cover the bottom of your shoe.

Then snip off any extras if your shoe has a unique shape, like these pointy toed pumps.

Peel and apply to the bottom of the shoe.

Press and rub to activate the adhesive, or just walk around in them for a little bit.

Voila! Easy enough, right? 🙂

(Yes, sorry for the gross cuticles. Swimming and sewing and crocheting and never having lotion will do that to ya.)

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Missing Pieces

I’m so into this cutout trend right now, and I love everything about these shoes. The Oxford, the lace, the detail, the blush color. Again like my cutout boots, I have no idea what to do about the sock issue… I just sucked it up and wore the ones you wear with flats, so sorry for the faux pas yet again.

I have this nerd-fetish for libraries. I love them all. The smell and feel and quiet and solitude of them. The way that everyone leaves you alone the moment you step inside. (Well, except for this one traumatic incident in my childhood, but I won’t get into that right now.) I especially love the Huntington Beach and Newport Beach library, which are both just gorgeous places.

When I worked at this one fabric store, I used to come to this library during my lunch. It’s a gorgeous, small place in Signal Hill, so of course I went there over the weekend to check out some books.

I love pairing navy blue with yellow, especially mustard. Actually I just love the color mustard in general. I thought the blush-colored oxford flats would go well as a neutral balance to the rest of the outfit.

:: Outfit Details ::

White Polka Dot on Navy Blue Dress (~$15 at Ross)
Mustard Yellow Cardigan (~15 from Papaya)
Blush-Colored Lace-up Cutout Oxford Shoes ($10 from here)
Handmade Crossover Body Clutch(~$20 from Etsy, but I can’t remember which store 😦 )

10 Dresses Week 4! Lace Sleeveless Gathered Dress

Yay, it’s already week 4! Only 6 more dresses to go, and I can’t wait to get the rest out to you guys. This week we’re making this sleeveless lace, fit-and-flare, gathered dress. It’s very simple, with an elastic waist and a comfortable flowy skirt, which makes it super comfortable. I made the skirt to my knee, something I don’t normally do, but it’s perfect for church. I also wore this dress to see the Dalai Lama a few weeks ago! 

The lace fabric is something I’ve had for years. I bought a five-yard bolt from Wal-Mart for $5, and I haven’t been able to use up all of it. You’d be surprised how much you can actually make with five yards. Anyway, I finally decided to whip up this dress, and used jet set knit for the lining. You’ll need about one and a half yards depending on your size and height.

Hope you guys like it! Let me know what you think. 🙂

Next week, we’ll be making the striped (also)-sleeveless dress. It’s so casual and comfy, I almost want to call it a t-dress, except it doesn’t have any sleeves. I wore it walking around the harbor with Husband on a super hot day, and it was perfect for the scorching weather. I love how I wore it here with my jeans jacket. I finally got an excuse to wear the denim yo!

Say hello to Reggie again!

So for next week’s fabric, go grab some stretchy knit fabric. It can be striped or any print that you like. You’ll need about a yard to a yard and a half, so get ready!

Pinkalicious Lips

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick Love That Pink

I think Revlon is my favorite drugstore brand for lip products. Seriously. (NYX is a second favorite, although that butter lip gloss has totally leaked all over my makeup bag, making it a non-win this week. Great product, just terrible packaging.)

Every lipstick or gloss by Revlon that I’ve bought has turned out great, has amazing strong pigment and long-lasting bragging rights. They also leave my lips soft and moisturized, even their lipsticks and some stains (although, let’s be honest, all lip stains are a little harsh and drying on your pucker).

After hearing so many good things about the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick line, I went to Target and hunted some down. It was a tough decision between some colors, most notably the Wink for Pink, Fuschia Shock, or Love That Pink (can you tell I like pink?).

Revlon Super Lustrous Lispticks

I decided that the Wink for Pink might be too nude on me, which tends to make me look washed out or just simply doesn’t go well with my skin tone. I already have way too many fuchsia everything (and I also got a lipgloss in that color, which I will review next Monday. Hey! Treat yo’self, amiright?), so I ended up getting Love That Pink.

The pigment is amazing, even on my annoyingly naturally dark lips (I can never wear certain colors I love). It lasts so long, that I even saw a hint of it after lunch when I usually would have eaten it off (or left it behind on my coffee mug lol). My favorite part is that it’s completely scent-less. I don’t mind certain perfumes or flavors on listicks, but for the most part they give me headaches.

The only shocker is that it is more on the red side than I had thought. Though, to be fair, it does look very close to what’s on the sticker.

I just have to keep hunting for more pinkalicious goodness. 🙂

DIY Friday: Bumbling Pig Plushie

Last week in my Bandit the Bumbling Panda video, I gave you all a sneak peak of Bandit’s friend. So here she is! And I still have no idea what to call her. 🙂

But at least I know how to make her, and now so will you, with this tutorial.

I’m not sure what happened but the last video clip was suddenly not there. The only step missing was to flip her right side out through the opening at the bottom, stuff her with polyester stuffing, and sew her up by hand. Hopefully that isn’t too confusing, but you can always watch the panda video which uses a similar step to finish up the plushie.I gave her dreamy anime eyes. 🙂 I would call her Sakura but that seems too cliched and overdone. Any suggestions on her name, anyone?

By the way, she’s currently available on-order on my Etsy shop as well.

** Today’s post is inspired by and dedicated to my friend Beverly, for her love of pigs! Congratulations on your recent engagement, yo! May your marriage be as full of stuffing life and dazzle-eyed with dreams as this pink-alicious, adorable, nameless pig. **

The Girl in the Purple Scarf

I’m channeling Becky Bloomwood a.k.a. Shopaholic today–figuratively of course (actually, literally as well, but don’t tell Husband, shh). Except my scarf isn’t from D&G, it’s from Express. Also, I don’t have a British accent, just a boring American one, and I wish my life was half as dramatic as hers, although not really because I’m really happy with the way it is so far. 🙂

Also the dress is made by me, and I doubt Becky Bloomwood would ever make anything that she can just buy.

Click to learn how to make this dress!

It was cold today! Which explains the scarf. Fine, by California standards it was cold. In the morning. And then it warmed up by lunch time. So I felt like a weirdo in this scarf and cardigan standing amidst a bright sunlit park. Still, it’s lovely and I feel lovely in it, so I’m not taking it off. (Well, maybe when it gets hot, though.)

I love reading outside, and settling down in the sun is while the weather is just right is the perfect way to spend my lunch.

This post deviates from my usual budget for Outfits-on-a-Budget, BUT I’ve worn this scarf so many times that I no longer feel bad about it. It was $40 from Express, and I bought it back in the days when I thought it was okay to pop 40 bucks on one piece of fabric. But they say you should divide the dollar amount by how many times you’ll wear it, and then decide if the purchase was worth it. Well I’ve worn this about a thousand times, which means it would cost me 4 cents every time I wear it. So by that logic, I totally deserve more of these scarves.

Or maybe I’ll just make some. 🙂

:: Outfit Details ::

Elastic-Waist Curved Hem Print Dress (made by yours truly, tutorial here!)
White Hollister Knit Cardigan (Christmas gift from my sister-in-law)
Leggings (~$6 from Ross)
Cross-Over-Body Bag (~$30 from H&M)
Brown Flats ($13 from Ross)
Purple Scarf (~$40 from Express)

10 Dresses Week Three! Elastic Waistband Curved Hem Dress

Welcome back to week three! Remember to send me pictures of your dresses so I can re-post and give you props, yo! Because you deserve it.

Say hello to our guest star, Reggie. He’s a 3-pound, pure-white Maltese I’ve been watching, and he’s the perfect little co-host. Look how terrified he looks in this photo, though. I swear we were actually having a blast, he probably was just startled by the camera clicks.

Week three’s challenge is very similar to my leopard print, elastic-waistband dress that I made way back way when. But I love it a lot more because I finished the neckline, sleeves, and hem differently. I love that the hem is curved and so different from the straight lines I usually do. It gives it a nice flirty look.

Here’s the tutorial:

For this project, I used a very thin, flowy woven cotton. It’s almost silky, but was a charm to work with. The print is bright but (for once) not floral, which is a nice change from the other dresses in this series. I’ve had the fabric for years but never knew what to do with it. When I started this 10 Dresses in 10 Weeks project, I dug around in my stash and remembered how gorgeous this was.

Here I paired it with my favorite leggings and lace booties stilettos. I consider my usual style sweet and girly, but I love how this looks with my long-forgotten moto jacket. I haven’t worn this thing in so long but now I don’t know why because I love it! Once winter comes around, you’ll be seeing repeats of this more times than you can count. 🙂

You can also forget the leggings and jacket during hotter summer days, and wear it with some gladiator sandals. Top if off with a light denim jacket and you’re good to go. This dress is so comfy and flowy, it would also make the perfect swimsuit cover-up. Pair it with some sandals, and maybe throw on a light cardigan when it gets too breezy. Hmm, cardigans. I love cardigans. I need bright colorful ones to jazz up some dull dresses I have. Maybe that’s an idea for my next challenge. 🙂

Stop by on Thursday for my Outfit on a Budget post and I’ll show you how I styled this in the office.

I’m trying to look serious for once.

Anyway, have you made any dresses lately? Link me to anything you want to show off. 🙂

Next week we’re doing the fully-lined, lace, fit-and-flare, gathered waistline dress. Wow, what a description, huh? I used about one and a half yards of stretchy lace fabric, and another one and a half yard of jet set knit for the lining.

However, it is a bit longer than what I usually do for dresses, but I had planned to wear that to see the Dalai Lama and as my go-to for church. So if you don’t want to make it as long as the one I showed (a little bit past knee-length), then you might only want to get one yard. It all depends on you.

See you soon for next Tuesday’s tutorial! But don’t forget to stop by on Thursday for the next Outfit on a Budget, and how I styled this dress.

Lips as Red as Oranges

So this is what I really do during my lunch when I should be eating. Buying lipstick and then wearing it and taking pictures in my car while listening to K-ROQ and hoping a Vampire Weekend song will play before I have to go back to the office where I will immediately eat off said lipstick as a result of drinking too much tea in an attempt to not freeze to death.

Maybelline Color Sensational Royal Rush 735

I LOOOOOVE this Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Royal Rush (735). I’m not too big a fan of red lipstick, but when I saw this color, I knew I had to have it. It’s bright and–while you can’t really see it in the picture–has a bit of an orange tint. I really love how it brightens up my face in a subtle but also major way, if that makes sense. 🙂

Maybelline Color Sensational 735 Rose Rush

The lipstick has a subtle perfume to it but it’s not overpowering like some other lipsticks I’ve worn. It’s actually quite pleasant in a surprising way. Like you’ll catch it when you smile or turn and a breeze picks up on it.

To be honest, most lipsticks and glosses don’t last long for me in general because I’m always snacking or sipping tea and coffee. But I wore this out on an impromptu walk with Husband, and more than an hour later it was still fresh and bright like I had just put it on. I have never been able to really test how long a lip product lasts on me, though, but I was happy when I got home and saw that this lipstick had stayed put.

Totally plan to wear this during an upcoming weekend to San Diego for Husband’s birthday. I can’t wait! Now…what to wear, what to wear…

DIY Friday: How to Make a Bumbling Panda!

Meet Bandit, everyone! He’s been with me through thick and thin over the past few years since I’ve started my YouTube channel, stopped, and then re-started. I make so many things, including plushies and pillows and all sorts of snugglies and cuddlies. Then it hit me the other day that, of all the things I’ve made, my cute little panda has never been one of them. So I decided to get cracking down on it. And while I was at it, I also made a tutorial:

So in the video I mentioned that everyone keeps asking me why he’s so sad. Guys, he’s a BUMBLING panda. Has anyone ever looked happy while they’re bumbling?

Haha, joking aside though, I kind of love how “meh” and dejected he always seems. Like no matter how hard you try he’s never going to cheer up. Some people might say this says a lot about me, but I don’t know any of those people, so…meh. Besides. Pain builds character. So his painful smile gives him a lot of character, in my opinion. Right?

Right now, he’s available on-order at my Etsy Store. So if you’d like a Bandit for yourself but don’t feel like making one, feel free to message me on how you want him customized. I can make changes to his size, facial features, etc. (Like, maybe, if you don’t like him looking as sad and tortured as I do, I can give him a smile. If I must. *Sigh* Haha.) But if you want to order Bandit just the way he is, then feel free and I’ll make him as he’s shown here.

I know this doesn’t come close to the real thing, but I do feel like a mommy in these photos. Like, look at me embarrassing the stuffing out of my baby. I can pretty much hear him going, “Mommy. Staaaaahp.”

Oh and here’s a sneak peak at an upcoming DIY Friday. I thought Bandit seemed lonely, so I made him a little friend. Actually, she’s not quite so little since her head is way bigger than mine (and my swim cap size tells me I have a pretty large head–literally, not figuratively. Although I might also have a figuratively large head as well haha). I don’t know what her name is yet, so if you want to help me name her, leave a comment below!

And who knows, this might be part of a new series of Bumbling Plushies I’m doing. 😉

One last thing, if you know me at all then you know how obsessed I am with pandas. So in honor of Bandit’s debut into the world Internet, here are some past panda arts and crafts I’ve done.

Have a great weekend everyone. Don’t forget to check back on Monday for my next makeup and beauty review, and on Tuesday for the next dress in the 10 Dresses in 10 Weeks Summer Sewing Series!