Make Your Own May Day Basket with Recycled Cans

I did get around to making these little May Day Baskets...On Hawaii Time! I figured, First of May, Fifth of May, same difference!

Here are the wildflowers I gathered during my morning walk...

All snipped and arranged in water. (Luckily, I had just made Chili the night before so had lots of cans handy. I used my dremel tool to make the holes for the wire handles- quicker than the hammer & nail idea.)

And added a little love note with some hang tags from my vintage paper stash, all tied on with a bit of string.
It was so fun to see my neighbors' faces when I showed up on their doorsteps with flowers to celebrate Spring! One, who is an avid gardener, told me that the greenery is called "Be Still." It must be an ironic name, because you should see how it sways and dances in the breeze! But the best part? This little Random Act of Kindness didn't cost me a penny. Have you surprised anyone lately?

Clean out Your Closet, Then Shop in it!

It's supremely self indulgent to do a post on cleaning out my closet, but I have some rationalizations handy. It's seasonally pertinent (Haven't you heard of "Spring Cleaning"?) and it relates back to my urge to simplify and appreciate what I've already got.

One has to make space for good things in order to appreciate them. Surrounded by quantity, quality evaporates. Think about museums or fancy boutiques or five star hotels. They aren't crowded or cluttered with objects competing for your attention. They are usually spacious and airy. That is true luxury; the space to appreciate.

Before:

Not bad really. Just in a bit of disarray. (And, oh dear, yes those are undies on the floor. You got me.) But here's what happened. I rearranged the furniture in my office to accommodate a giant map of the world and ended up pulling out a shelving unit. Since my house & furniture are rented, I can't just cart things off to the Goodwill. I thought, "This piece is a lot prettier than the ugly plastic shelving I've got in the closet. And there's a second one hogging a corner of the guest room too!" So I hauled the plastic pieces out and put the bamboo ones in.

After:

My favorite part is having all my shoes on display like little pieces of art. It makes me happy to admire them every day- even those I don't wear much. And I don't want to add anything second rate to the collection. Anything new that comes in has to live up to the other pieces, you know? That's a great feeling.

Eric never really wears his ties, but now I can enjoy his collection anyway. There is something so wonderfully unnecessary about a tie. It's just for show and a splash of color.

Here's what I love. Stepping into my closet now feels like hitting a boutique for a spending spree. Shopping your closet is easier when everything is beautifully displayed. The big secret here was not buying more stuff, just weeding out the unwanted stuff (lots more than I thought!) and rearranging what I had to make my life a little nicer.

Here are my five favorite closet organizing tips:

1) Use only one color hanger. It sounds really anal, but it makes a huge difference visually. Your eye goes straight to the clothes instead of being distracted by a hodgepodge of hangers. One less thing for your brain to process as you choose what to wear. Definitely a good thing.

2) Sort garments by style and color. I have all my dresses in one section, then tops, then skirts and pants. Putting them in color order really makes me feel like I am playing in a giant paint box every morning.I also sort them further by how fancy they are. The things you use every day should be easy to reach, while special occasion things can go in corners.

3) Don't fall for the myth of more storage! Bins and baskets keep things looking tidy, but you will also forget what you have in them and end up buying more of what you already have. Out of sight out of mind goes double for closets. If you can't see it, you probably won't use it. (If you must, use clear containers. In my office, I'm a bin junkie! The shoe box sized bins are great for art supplies.) The real secret to organization is not the Container Store. It's taking a few trash bags to the Goodwill.

4) Go through your closet every six months. At least. Things wear out, or get pilled or just don't feel great any more. Pass them along to someone who can use and enjoy them.

5) Make room for what is really important to you. Edit out the things that make you feel frumpy or plump or dated. It will make room for things that make you feel good. A wardrobe of choices that you look great in will empower you to be your best.

My closet isn't Mariah's or Oprah's, but a girl has to have something to shoot for, after all. Have you done any de-cluttering this spring? What are you favorite de-junking tips?

DIY Wine Bottle Arrangements from your own Backyard

I'm not sure if it's Spring Cleaning, but lately I've just been interested in changing things up around here- to get a little fresh air moving through the house. I've been craving fresh flowers in a bad way- but having trouble plunking down $15 for the humiliated looking roses for sale around here. Then I remembered- I live in a tropical paradise!

I'd been saving some wine bottles for this DIY lamp project and just look at the extraordinary foliage growing right in my own backyard? Bonus- they last an eternity in cut flower years! The result here is very West Elm, no? I could have stopped, but you know Miss B. More is more in my book. I also have a few pyrex science beakers in the shop at the moment, so I thought I'd put 'em to use till someone snaps them up.

I added the turtle watercolor (the only piece of artwork that was originally in this house that I absolutely loved) and a few spun glass candle holders I had in another part of the house. So pleased with my little composition. It's feeling very lush, tropical and clean in here all of the sudden and I didn't spend one single penny. What's better than that?

This could work just as well with anything that's blooming in your neck of the woods- ferns, blooming branches, anything goes! Just make sure to very the height of the stems, the sizes of the containers and stick to odd numbers for maximum visual interest.

Have you made something new with something you had already? I'd love to hear all about it.

Make Your Own Floral Lei!

We had our first house guests recently, and I decided to try my hand at lei making.

I gathered the gorgeous pink and white plumeria from our backyard and strung them on some sturdy thread with an embroidery needle. You could use any hearty flower with a solid center. Some leis are made entirely from petals, but I imagine they take hours to create. It took far more blossoms then I supposed, but the fragrance and color were wonderful, and it was a fun way to welcome them to the Big Island!

Here's a bit of lei etiquette you may not know. When you are finished with a lei, you should never throw it in the garbage, as that represents tossing away the love of the giver. Instead, put your lei in a place where it can return to the earth. I like to hang mine on trees in the garden.

What about you? Have you learned something new recently?

Reinventing Shoes with Costume Jewelery

Have you ever used shoe clips? I remember seeing them a lot as a kid- they usually involved grosgrain ribbon and big pearls edged in gold rope. Suffice it to say, they were not elegant. But, pick the right pair and inject a little whimsy into your wardrobe and freshen up a boring pair of shoes.

Forgive these "stupid pictures of feet". It's darn hard to take a photo of shoes you are wearing! These are vintage earrings that I didn't wear much, so I simply hot glued them to a pair of shoe clips and...

I think it makes these retro inspired heels (snagged on clearance at Target this summer for $6.95!) just right for spring. Here's to re-invention! Have you found new uses for old things lately?

What's in My Makeup Bag

Does In Style magazine still have the "What's In your Makeup Bag?" feature? My make-up bag isn't stuffed with expensive brands, nor does it benefit from a product stylist making it glossy worthy. However, there is a place for everything and every single item shown here (including all the lovely gift with purchases Momma D sends along! Merci!) gets regular use.

-Bronzer -far too dark for my face, I mix a few drops in my body lotion after a shower to even out the color on my legs. They are always inexplicably pasty, despite the increase in beach time since the move to HI.

-Foundation, cosmetic sponges, shadow brushes, brow brush

-Tweezerman- truly the best most precise grip ever, well worth the extra money.

-Eyelash curler-I once read that if you have no time for any other make-up, curling eyelashes and adding mascara has the most impact, and I'm a firm believer. Your eyes look so much bigger with a nice fan of lashes.

-Eyeshadow-I love purples and golds with my green eyes.

-Highlighting powder (cool way to eliminate dark spots or shadows, learned during that What Not to Wear binge I'd rather not recall in too much detail.)

-Instant up-do hair pins worn after our wedding ceremony for reception and now used to keep hair off neck in humid Hawaiian weather.

-Four lipsticks: nude, red, raspberry and pink- I'd love to add one of those very vivid peachy colors for spring- does anyone have a favorite to suggest?

-File, cuticle stick, nail scissors

-Peach Fuzz Trimmer(a brilliant invention for those witch whiskers that really do seem to grow in overnight from nowhere) and brow attachments

mascara, mineral blush and bronzer brush

Whew! I'm proud to say that even with all these goodies in my bag of tricks, it takes me less than five minutes to do my makeup each day. Do you have any favorites in your make up bag? What is your best make-up tip?

Reinventing Jewelery

I've been doing re-configuring some of the pieces in my jewelery collection, and have been quite pleased with the results.

I bought these two charm bracelets in Shenzhen, but both were starting to look a bit shabby, so I thought I'd combine the two.

I combined the charms onto the silver link bracelet, added a few rhinestone encrusted beads from the odds and ends I had on hand. I think the result is much more polished and wearable.

Ditto with these lovelies- fine, but perhaps a bit tarnished and dull looking.

Now reinvented into a cheerfully jingling charm bracelet...

and a keychain worthy of Helen of Troy. Have you re-invented anything lately?

Make Your Own Frilly Valentines

I wanted to do some cool Valentines this year using things I already had on hand. These babies were the frilly results! It was really a simple project- just a bit of glue. P.S) Have you seen the love notes Julia & Paul Child used to send out in lieu of Christmas cards? Valentines Day was their thing!

Here is a little photo tutorial. So simple, I don't think I'll bother to include written instructions. Here's what I used:

Petal Envelopes

Scalloped Circle Card

Heart Shaped Paper Doilies (the ultimate Valentine Cliche, try the supermarket!)

Dye cut flowers (I bought mine on clearance at Vile Michaels but you could cut your own or use a punch.)

Silver Skeleton Leaves (Merci Sarah!)

Flat Backed Rhinestones

Glue Stick

Elmer's Glue

I only glued the center so the lace would rise off the card stock to create a layered effect.

Mine are available at The Fab Miss B if you don't want to make your own! Are you planning any surprises for your Valentine?