Just Jute It - DIY Clutch Purse

I was on a mission at Hobby Lobby to grab a flower to use as a hair accessory for the photo shoot I helped style a week-and-a-half ago.  But, if you are a Hobby Lobby lover like me, there is no running in and running out.  There is always something new to discover or stumble upon when you least expect it.

I was reminding myself to remain focused on the goal at hand.  Ha!  Yeah, right.  I totally lost all concentration when I spotted these little beauties...jute clutch purses.  Fashionable purses at Hobby Lobby?  What?  Like Ren McCormick says in Footloose, "Jump back!"

Well, my friends, it's true.  They have an entire section of fun and affordable jute bags, purses and my favorite, the clutch!  So, I whipped out my iPhone and started taking pictures.  I found some fun accent fashion pins and started playing purse dress-up.  Really, Shanna?  Yes, I was that girl that laid the purses on the floor in Hobby Lobby and started creating fun easy, DIY clutches.

This is a NO SEW project...just don't poke yourself when you are pinning to the purse.  If you do like to sew, then your options just quadrupled, because there are so many appliques you can put on these clutches...good luck choosing...I would be wandering Hobby Lobby for days deciding what to buy! 

Now to the best part, besides looking totally fab, they are only...wait for it...you won't believe it...$3.99!!  The drive out price of the large one with the brown button is $5.99 and you don't have to get any additional accessories to put on it.  Remember, Hobby Lobby always has a 40% off coupon on regular priced items.  I use it every time I go, you can just pull it up on your phone and show the cashier.

So, here are some of my jute clutch dress-up creations. 

Bold Black Flower with White Polka Dots

Chic Little Cream Bow with Black Polka Dots

Eclectic Beaded Circle (My Personal Fave!)

Seashell and Beaded Square

The Brand is - Me & My Bag - So fitting, right?

So, there you have it...A quick, easy, affordable and don't forget fashionable DIY clutch all for $10.00 or less!  Let me know if you go out and make one.  I would love to see your design...maybe it will show up on Pinterest!

Cheers...and Happy Clutching!

Shanna Schneider

Have You Joined the Instagram World?

You are probably wondering, what?  I thought this was a fashion and beauty blog.  Why am I reading about an iPhone photo app?  Well, if you haven't joined the Instagram world, you will thank me after you read this.  Even though 15 million people use Instagram, I feel like many of my family and friends aren't using this fun and free iPhone app.  For all you Android users, they are working on an app for your phone as we speak.

Some folks still don't know exactly what Instagram is, so I thought I wold share a little bit about the app.  It is FREE and Apple awarded it as "App of the Year" in December 2011.  Take a picture with your phone, choose a retro-like filter and share it on Facebook or Twitter.  Or you can save it to your iPhone, iPad or iTouch.  You can invite friends to follow you, follow others and browse pictures by searching key hash tag words and phrases.  It is quite addictive and so much fun.  Take a look at some of my personal Instagram pics.

There are some companies that have products dedicated just to Instagram photos. Take a look at some of these unique, one-of-a-kind and affordable ways to turn your photos into a work of art in matter of minutes.

StickyGram -  Take 9 of your favorites Instagram photos and turn them into magnets for $15.00 with free shipping. Check out the ones I made. I actually took a picture of my magnets and shared them on Instagram...I know, silly me! http://stickygram.com/

Casetagram - I can't wait to make one of these.  You take your Instagram photos and make an iPhone case for $35.00.  Take a look at some of these fab ideas.  These would make a great gift! www.casetagram.com/case/index.php

Canvas Pop - Print your Instagram photos onto square canvases starting at $30.00.  So fun and great for any room in your home or office. www.canvaspop.com/print-instagram/

If you are already using Instagram, look me up - Shanna Schneider @becauseshannasaidso.  If you don't have the app yet, I better see you on Instagram soon.  It's another way to stay connected with friends and family.  

So, I guess this post ended up discussing a little shopping, right?  And the sites listed are affordable and fit any budget. 

Do you have a favorite photo app?  If so, I would love to hear about it.

Cheers!

Shanna Schneider

DIY - Shellac Gel Nails - Does It Work?

A good friend of mine showed me a picture on Pinterest demonstrating a DIY version of Shellac nail polish.  I thought, this would be great for my next blog, but does it really work?  So, I decided to give it a whirl.

The first step was finding the 5 Minute Gel Polish by Nutra Nails.  It's a Sally Hansen brand.  I was out looking for a little bottle and couldn't find it anywhere.  Come to find out, the bottle comes in a gel nail kit called Nutra Nails Gel Perfect (see photo).  I found the kit at Ulta and Walgreens.  I will say that this must be a hot commodity because there was only one left at each of the stores I went to.  

Then I bought the Essie 3-Way Glaze at Ulta.  I am pretty positive that you can get this at any retailer that sells Essie.  This one was much easier to find.

Next, I chose a nail polish...I picked one of  my most favorite colors, OPI "You Don't Know Jacques".

Shall we begin?

Here is what you will need: FYI - I forgot to put the OPI Rapid Nail Dry (Step #4) in the photo, sorry!

 

Step #1: Make sure you nails are dry, smoothed and buffed.  Apply a thin coat of the 5 Minute Nutra Nail Gel Polish.  The key is a THIN coat and don't forget to brush around the tips of you nails where polish typically starts chipping first.  Let this dry for a couple of minutes.  They key to this whole nail project is being patient; which is one thing I am typically not!

Step #2: This is very important.  The Pinterest directions say to now apply a coat of the Essie 3 Way Glaze. Don't do it!  This will make your nails way too "goopy" and will give you bumps in your polish.  Go ahead and apply your choice of nail polish after the 5 minute gel nail polish.  The first coat will appear streaky and uneven...don't fret.  You will get better coverage on the second coat. Don't go too thick!!

Here comes the patient part again...let you nail polish dry for a few minutes before moving onto Step #3.

 

Step #3: Apply a coat of the Essie 3 Way Glaze.  IMPORTANT: This stuff is super-duper thick.  You have to be very careful not to put too much onto your nail.  You can almost do an entire hand with one dip into the glaze. 

Step #4: This step was left out of the Pinterest directions, but I highly recommend it.  Spray on OPI Rapid Nail Dry.  There are several nail drying sprays on the market, but this one is by far the best one that I have found.  I talked about this product in a previous post.  It really does help nail polish dry quicker which "lends a hand" (pun intended) to my "no patience" issue.

And we are done...viola!  

*Note #1 - Make sure you have a time to let this nail polish sit.  Even with the OPI Rapid Nail Dry, it takes a good 20 minutes or so to fully dry.

**Note #2 - Even though I used a dark color, OPI You Don't Know Jacques, in the demonstration, I would recommend using a light color, maybe one with a glitter in it. May I suggest Sephora by OPI, "Already Famous"? This will help to hide any imperfections that might come along when trying this for the first time. 

***Note #3 - This polish will come off with regular nail polish remover.  

I will post the results on how long the nail polish lasted before chipping on my Facebook page, so be sure to "Like" it - www.facebook.com/BecauseShannaSaidSo

 

Cheers!

Shanna Schneider