DIY Copper Candleholder

As sad as I am that Summer has ended, Autumn and Winter bring a lot of goodies along with them! Pumpkin spices, snug nights in front of a fire, maybe even a last cheeky BBQ if the weather lets you?
For me; candles are my staple item for the upcoming cold. As soon as Autumn comes around I whip them out of the cupboards ready to display!

With my slight canlde fetish in mind I went browsing the internet for new ideas and found this lovely DIY that I just couldn't help but try!

All you need for this DIY is:
- A thin copper pipe. Bought at any hardware store.
- Tape. I used a pipe bender for the top part.
- Pliers

Use the roll of tape to shape the pipe into a round shape, making it curl upwards with a pipe bender as you go along. When the pipe has the shape you like, file or cut the end of the pipe so that you create a sharp end to stick the candle on. 

It might seem a lot of work bending and shaping the pipe, but I had it done and standing in the house within an hour or so! The hardest thing is to find a neat place to display the candle! :)

Have fun DIY'ing!

Xox Elena

Foodie DIY Delicious Ovenroasted tomatoes

I love cooking with tomatoes, and especially sundried tomatoes! Just talking about my Mum's tomato sauce is making me hungry so let's move on!
Looking at any jar of sundried tomatoes I thought the ingredients couldn't be that many, and I was right! I found this recipe for Ovenroasted tomatoes on this lovely little website and they turned out just as amazing, if not better, than the store bought ones!

Needed:
- Cherrytomatoes. I used approx. 250 grams.
- Olive oil
- Garlic. Crushed or sliced finely
- Two teaspoons of italian herbs. You can use any mix you like really but if you stick to the classic Italian herbs like oregano, basil and thyme you will get a perfect mixture that mixes well with the tomatoes.

Preheat the oven to 100 degrees.
Mix the olive oil, garlic and the herbs in a bowl. Place the halved tomatoes onto a baking tray and pour the oil mixture onto the tomatoes. Mix them about a bit making sure the tomatoes are completely covered in oil. Place the baking tray into the oven making sure the tomatoes are places with the sliced side upwards.

Let the tomatoes bake in the oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. When they are done let them cool down completely before putting them in a clean jar. Top the jar up with a little bit of olive oil and place in the fridge to keep!

It's that simple!These tomatoes are lovely in a salad, on a sarnie, on top of a delicious selfmade pizza or even by themselves with a little mozzarella!

Selfmade pizza w/ ovenroasted tomatoes, mozzarela, ham and rocket. Yum!

Happy baking!

Xox Elena

DIY abstract wall art

I'm always om the hunt for new art for our walls. Be it new DIY ideas or store bought art. The thing with store bought art however is that it can be somewhat on the pricey side :( 

Luckily the big wide web has some beautiful DIY's and ideas to create your very own art. And the beautiful thing is that you have a one-of-a-kind art piece that no one else in the world has!

Here are some beautiful art pieces I found online that you easily re-create on your own with a little time and a little money! Even if, like me, you aren't a painting genius :)

Art found on the Pinterest page of onetenplustwo.com

Art and idea found on mariateorien.blogspot.dk via Pinterest

Art and idea found on likeasaturday.com via Pinterest

Art and idea found on krugthethinker.com via Pinterest

Art and idea found on danielleoakeyinteriors.blogspot.nl via Pinterest

Art and idea found on Flickr via Pinterest

Art and idea found on Pinterest

I absolutely love all of these ideas and I wanted to try them all out! But if I did that we wouldn't have an inch of wall space left in the entire house so we had to go with just the one idea for now..

I really loved the paintings on the first picture and decided to try and create a little something like that. I still had some paint left over from a previous project which was a mustard colour and black, which coincidentally go quite well together! I started with painting the canvasses yellow. Once they were dry I got a big paintbrush and simply made long brushstrokes onto the canvas making sure to make it a bit messy. In the picture below you can see the art I made. It's quite bleak because of the colours but because we have a bright coloured bedroom it evens it all out:)

I deliberately painted and hung the canvas in a way so that the black strokes are going in opposite directions. Just to make it more artsy fartsy ;)
Think I'm going to try and make the ombre painting next! Except in a different colour, pink just won't fly with the boyfriend! 

Cost project: approx. €10,-
* Canvas €4,-
* Paint €4,-
* Paintbrush €2,-

Hope I inspired you to make some beautiful art!

Xox Elena

#100HappyDays challenge completed!

Hello all! I'm back from a (long) hiatus and although I've not been posting and creating much, I did take on the #100happydays challenge! Yesterday was my 100th day which means I succesfully completed the challenge :)

It wasn't the hardest challenge I've ever set myself but it has been fun! Through the challenge I noticed a few friends getting in on the fun as well so the challenge has been setting foot in Holland more and more.

I keep encouraging my friends and family to participate but the only excuse they always ever give is either they don't have the time (lame!) or they don't see the point (lame!). These are two excuses that in my books just don't go.

Finding happiness in the small things around us is fun and helps remind yourself why life is fun and why you love doing what you do.
Someone said to me that they didn't think it was worth participating because they didn't think they had much to be happy about and didn't think they could find something everyday to post about!
For all the people who think like this, I've compiled a small list of fun things to help make yourself happy and create happy thoughts :)

* Buy yourself some lovely flowers. Who hates flowers? No one, which is my point!
* Start a (new) book. I am an absolute bookworm and there is nothing that can make me happier than a cup of tea and a brand new book!
* Put on your favourite record. Maybe even have a little dance while you're at it? :)
* Go for a walk. You might meet someone you know or even discover a new (happy) spot just around the corner.
* Try out a new recipe. Be it for dinner, a cocktail or a sandwich, I know good food always brings a smile to my face:)
* Clean out your wardrobe. Throw away anything you don't like, doesn't fit or you didn't even knew you owned. Good excuse for a good shopping trip wouldn't you say?!
* Take up a sport or hobby. I started painting again and have kept it up during the challenge. It's my new found passion!
* Make a list of projects you have been avoiding or haven't got time for. Believe me, there is nothing better than crossing off stuff on a list!
* Look through (old) pictures. While cleaning up my computer I came across loads of pictures of my family. There is nothing funnier than seeing a picture of your younger self, gaptoothed and all in an amazing 90's getup. I mean, come on Mum, seriously?!
* Watch your favourite film. Hook does it for me!:)
* Don't plan anything and just chill. Either alone, with friends or with your love. Don't plan anything and see where the evening takes you!

Sometimes I wasn't having the best of days, like lots of people, and these days right there are the best days to challenge yourself to find that happy moment. Be it a beautiful wildflower, a picture of your pet or even a lovely dinner. Anyhting counts and the beauty of the challenge is that there are no wrong answers. Nobody can tell you what can or can't make you happy, that's a personal thing. 

I really hope more and more people keep joining in on the challenge. So if you are already participating and you know people who are not, encourage them!! It will absolutely make a difference in your life and at the end of the day, it's just fun!
Just for laughs I leave you with some absolutely gorgeous pics that I snapped during the challenge!

Because who doesn't love Brownies?!

Me with my beau in Amsterdam!

Because cats are always funny. 

Treated myself to some flowers!:)

If that doesn't make you happy, you have no soul. 

Wish I could play this night on repeat. Over and over and over...

Xox Elena 

DIY Glitter Dish

I haven't been feeling very well this past week so I've been trying to find small projects to do that allow me to sit while making them:)
I don't know about you guys but I however sick I am I get so incredibly bored that I just have to do something and this way I am basically slowing down the healing proces... It's a vicious thing.

For all the glitter addicts I found a wonderful new project. I previously did a similar project except I used lace instead of glitter. This bowl is slightly better and slightly more awesome!

What you need for this diy:
- Glitter
- Mod Podge
- Paintbrush
- Balloon
- Two bowls

Blow up the balloon and place it into one of the bowls to keep it steady. In the other bowl mix a good deal of Mod Podge and the glitter together. You will need quite a big amount of glitter for this diy. My advice is to look around the thrift stores before you hit up the arts and crafts store where you will be paying a good deal more than thrifting it! Once the glue and the glitter are mixed well enough you can start spreading it out evenly onto the balloon. Make sure you think of the size you want the bowl to be so you can distribute the glue nice and evenly.
Get a good thick layer onto the balloon to make sure it is sturdy and so that it won't crumble once you pop the balloon!

Now you simply have to let the Mod Podge dry for as long as it needs. I left mine overnight just to be sure it was completely dry.

Once you find it's dry you can choose to pop the balloon!
And the bowl is finished!

I don't recommend putting anything too heavy in the bowl, depending of course on how thick you made it. It serves as a great eye catcher in a room and it just looks so pretty!;)
Unfortunately my bowl broke due to me dropping it... I am making another one soon because it turned out so well! But for now I have the above picture from this blog which is the same size and colour as mine was:)

Have fun with this diy and have a great weekend!

Xox Elena

DIY Scrabble coasters

You know the feeling that when you really want or need something you can't find it anywhere? And when you give up and stop searching all of a sudden you find what you need? I had that exact problem with my scrabble boardgames.
When I have an idea for a DIY I always ask everyone I know to look out for a product I need. I used to work in a thriftstore so my old colleages are always called in for projects and to be on the lookout! But as always I end up with about 15 Scrabble games that I can't possibly use in one project due to my sweet friends and colleages!;)

So then I had 1000+ Scrabble stones and I had to go on  the hunt for new ideas and DIY's.
Now I Googled this DIY after I had made it  and of course it had already been done. I mean it's not a very hard DIY to come up with but what I mean to say is that I did not make it up completely and can not take credits for this project ;)

What you will need for this DIY:
- Scrabble letters
- Super glue
- Thick paper or cardboard paper (optional)

I am in love with quotes and rhymes and will incorporate these in just about any project. Feel free to make these coasters with or without quotes and rhymes and just throw a bunch of letters together for fun and playful coasters.
You can go quick and simple and glue the letters together for a quick DIY.
I however chose to add cardboard to the coasters by glueing the letters to the cardboard. It makes the coasters slightly more durable. 

I simply played around with the letters until I got the quote that I fancied. Glued them onto the cardboard and let the glue dry. When the glue had completely dried, I trimmed the cardboard off around the edges.

The fun thing about this project is that you can go any way with it. You can add quotes or just any random letter and you can make the coasters as big or as small as you like! It's a project you can create by using the leftovers items and items you have lying around the house! If you want to go for the big bang and Scrabble the house up, make customized placemats for guests;)

Have fun with this DIY and enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Xox Elena

DIY food PB&Honey milkshake!

I love peanutbutter! And that is a HUGE understatement. I will try and incorporate PB in just about anything I can. If you love milkshakes and you love PB, you will just die when tasting this milkshake. Seriously. I. Can't. Even. ;)

Needed to create this glass of PB heaven:
- About 250 grams of vanilla icecream
- 1/2 banana
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- 4 heaped tablespoons of peanutbutter(smooth or chunky)
- About 400 ml. of milk

Add all the ingredients to a blender and mix well until you have a smooth and creamy texture.
Hold the glasses slanted and pour some extra honey into the glass for decoration and some extra sweetness to the drink.
Pour the mixture into the glass and enjoy this indulgent milkshake! You know you want to ;)
Xox Elena

Original post: ABeautifulMess.typepad.com

#100happydays challenge

A little while ago I came across the 100happy days challenge on Abeautifulmess. Seeing as me, and some other people close to me, haven't been feeling themselves lately, I decided that learning to appreciate the day to day things might not be the worst idea in the world! The challenge is actually quite simple; everyday you post a photo (on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc etc) to share with your friends, and the world, of anything that makes you happy. This can be winning the lottery(a girl can dream!), your favourite milkshake, a date with a best friend or just a picture of your cats(expect lots of these from me!). The whole idea to the challenge is to stand still and love the things that make you happy. It is a challenge created for everyone and anyone and it is fun!
I have only just started so can't really talk about all of the positive feelings I have experienced yet but I can tell you that the challenge is something you grow into. I have a busy life and remembering to take a picture and also to appreciate what you are taking a picture of can be a challenge(no pun intended) but you get used to it and it becomes a game! You can read more about the challenge on the official website 100happydays.com. I really hope that I can get more people to participate through the blog because it's just so rewarding! It's actually stated that the people that have completed the challenge feel happier and are in a better mood. You can register on the official website for a bigger platform to your pictures or just use the hashtag to limit the publicity. Want to see what makes me happy? Then add me on instagram (elenajeanblank) as that's where I will be posting my 100happy days pics! And don't forget the hashtag #100happydays when you post a pic!

Have fun with the challenge!!

Xox Elena

Dinosaur Ringholder

When we were little my brother and I had a thing for dinosaurs. I dare say it all started when we discovered Jurassic Park. 10 somewhat years later my brother can still tell you exactly all the, correct, names to go with the dinosaurs. While I do not remember all of the names, I still have a weird fondness for these extinct animals.
That's why I was quite happy to get started on this next simple, but awesome, DIY.
Lately more and more dinosaurs have been making their way into our homes in the delightful forms of amazing plantpots and fun jewelery hangers. Be sure to check out the links, they are nothing short of amazing!

If like me you are currently obsessing over gold, and bronze, you can use these colours. Of course the dino is still utterly amazing without these colours and will look amazing in your house!

Needed:
- Plastic dinosaur (It does need to be one with a long neck to hold the rings)
- Spraypaint

Simply spray the dinosaur the colour you wish and let it dry for the proper amount of time. After it has dried it is ready to display your favourite rings! It's a fun ornament to display in your home and it's also handy for that quick access to the rings you love the most!

Have fun with this DIY!

Xox Elena

Diamond ring DIY

Well hello everyone! Wow I have been away for a while and I apologize. I started a new job which means a new rhythm,at home and at work, to get used to. Unfortunately for me it also meant kind of losing my mojo in the DIY departement. Getting up early meant going to bed early meant not getting to spend as much quality time with my busy boyfriend meant me so not being in the mood to be creative! It's a viscious cycle. Me being tired all the time, and I must admit I get tired quickly, affected me in different ways as not seeing my girlfriends as much as I wanted to. It sounds depressing, and it was!, which all added to minimum inspiration. Now I am quite an addict to Glamour magazine and also a huge fan of Dawn O'Porter. In the January issue of Glamour she talks about times when she gets in the slum and only feels like lying on the settee and not seeing her girlfriends. I could relate so much to that article and it kind of gave me the kick up the hind that I needed! And so I have returned! And with a vengeance I must say for I have the motherload of DIY'S for all of you!

I have been making my own jewelery for years and am always looking for new projects. A while ago I came across this ring-DIY that I gave a go and would love to share with all you lovely people today!:) Needed:
- Adjustable rings (foud in any arts&crafts store)
- Mineral stone(s) - Glue
- Gold spraypaint (optional)
It's an extremely simple DIY which most of you have already figured out how to make just by looking at the photo! The most important thing to do is to make sure the bottom of the stone is flat so it sticks to the ring properly. You can do this by lightly sanding the stone down. I chose to spraypaint the bottom sides of the stones to create the bling effect but just the stone by itself will blow people away! I simply used tape to outline the parts of the stones I wanted to colour and sprayed the stones until I was happy with the overall colour. After letting the stones dry I lightly sanded the bottom, added some glue to the ring and stuck the stone on. It took a good while for the stone to attach itself to the ring so be prepared to sit still for awhile;) Let the rings dry for a good hour before using them to make sure they don't come undone while wearing them.

I absolutely LOVE wearing these rings! They bling up any outfit and are suitable for lunchdates and a night out on the town.
You absolutely have to have a go at these babies! Go bling or go home!

Xox Elena

DIY Globe lamp

I had been looking for a new light for our bedroom for a while now but just couldn't find one that suits both me and my boyfriends wishes:)
Now Pinterest in always the best place for inspiration and that is exactly where I found this lovely DIY. These DIY's have been popping up all over internet recently so I could find enough information about the making of.

What you will need to make one of these gorgeous lamps:
- Globe ( try to get an old globe that isn't made out of plexiglass. The older globes can be screwed loose and the newer ones will have to be sawn which I can tell you is not easy!)
- Saw (If needed)
- Glue
- Pocket knife
- Pendant lamp (you can get these in almost every hardware store, but try asking your Dad first;))

Now with some of the globes you will be able to unscrew the two halves without actually breaking the paper or sawing the globe in half. If like me you chose the wrong globe, then read on:)

I started off disassembling the globe so I ended up with just the globe without the stand. The stand you can discard or keep for another project. Using a pocket knife I cut the paper of the globe right down the middle, taking the paper off so I only had the plastic globe left. Using the saw I cut through the globe. Now this part cost me loads of time as the middle of the globe was lined with plexiglass and was a nightmare to cut through. If you have another quicker way I would love to hear;)
When I had cut through the globe I made sure to sand it down nicely so the edges where completely smooth. Obviously I used the nicest of the two parts:)

Before cutting the globe in half I had to cut the paper off the globe so I had two halves of the world. I chose the best fitting piece and glued it back onto the lamp. After this step the lamp is practically finished:) All you need to do now is assemble the pendant lamp onto the globe and Bob's your Uncle! Finished!

Of course you need to find the best place in the house for this lovely lamp, but that won't be much of a problem and you don't need my help for that;)

Have fun with this DIY! It's so fun and simple and it looks super creative!

Xox Elena

DIY Food Coconut Macaroons

Don't you just love it when you have a favourite food, decide to take the plunge and try and create it yourself and then look up the recipe and find it only has a few simple ingredients and could be whipped up in a flash by a goldfish..!!? I love it when that happens, and it so happens that one of my fave foodies is Coconut Macaroons. You can buy them everywhere in Holland, I'm not quite sure about the rest of the world, and if you are not yet acquainted with these lovelies, please follow this recipe and find yourself in Coconut Heaven.

What you need for this recipe:
- Shredded coconut
- Condensed milk

Yes you have read it correctly, you only need two ingredients! I told you it was easy:) And as long as you have the same amount of coconut as milk you are good to go. For this recipe, which makes approx. 15 macaroons, I used 400 grams of coconut and 400 ml of milk. So if you want to make half that, just make it 200 grams of coconut and 200 ml of milk :)
1. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees and place some baking paper on the baking tray.
2. In a bowl, mix the coconut and the condensed milk together.
3 Using a tablespoon as measurement, scoop out the mixture onto the baking tray in little piles and bake them in the oven for about 10 minutes. Keep an eye on the oven as it could take slightly less or more time depending on the type of oven you own.
When the macaroons have a nice golden colour on top and have a slight crunch to them, they are ready to be taken out. Let them cool before eating and keep them in a sealed tin in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Enjoy!:)

Xox Elena

DIY Food Peanut Butter Cups

I've only recently discovered the delicious and wonderful slices of heaven they call 'Reeses Pieces'. I don't know who Reese is, but I love him ;)
As Reese's are imported, and if I'm honest really expensive, I decided to make them myself:) This recipe comes pretty darn close to the real deal and are just as dangerously delish!

What you will need for approx. 15 peanutbutter cups
- 460 gr. milk chocolate
- 115 gr. peanubutter
- 2 tbsp. soft butter
- 50 gr. confectioners sugar sifted

1. To start with place the (paper) cupcake holders in a standard muffin tin.
2. Break half of the chocolate into small pieces into a bowl and melt the chocolate au-bain-marie.
3. Once the chocolate has melted use either a tablespoon or a cookie scooper to scoop the chocolate into the paper tins. Don't make the bottom layer too thick as you are adding another layer of chocolate later on and making the layers too thick will decrease the peanut butter taste. Place the muffin tin into the freezer for about 15 minutes to harden the chocolate.
4. While the chocolate is hardening, mix the peanut butter, softened butter and the confectioners sugar together in a bowl until you have a smooth creamy mixture. You can always add some extra sugar if you want a sweeter taste.
5. Take the cups out of the freezer and scoop a nice layer of the peanut butter mixture onto the chocolate. Divide the mixture evenly and place back into the freezer to harden up the PB.
6. Melt the rest of the chocolate au-bain-marie and scoop a last layer onto the peanut butter.
7. Let the cups harden in the freezer for a few hours or overnight. I find the cups to be at their tastiest when you let them soften up a little outside of the freezer before eating them. Peel the wrapper off and enjoy!

Peanutbutter Cups
Image and original recipe via fifteenspatulas.com

Happy baking!

Xox Elena

DIY Customized Trilby Hat

I love hats in the Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn! Hats all the time!
I couldn't have found this DIY at a better time as I had a lovely black trilby with a beautiful bow on it. Now cats and prized possessions do not go together and so my bow was no more. 

I love this hat but could not wear it half eaten so I went on a quest for a hat fixing DIY:) I found this simple DIY in Viva Magazine and made it slightly different by using a belt instead of rope.

What you need for this DIY:
- Trilby (Really any hat will do)
- Belt or rope (Two pieces of rope in a different colour looks the best)
- Super glue
- Scissors
If the hat has a (half eaten) bow or ribbon on it like mine did, cut that of first. If you leave this on it can look sloppy poking out from under the belt you are about to put on. Measure out the belt so that it fits snug around the hat and cut it to size. Add some glue to the tips of the belt and place it onto the hat. Hold it in place for a few seconds so it sticks to the hat. Do the same to the other side of the belt and make sure the tips line up nicely so you can't see where the belt was glued to the hat. If you make a mistake and the belt doesn't line up properly you can always choose to glue a pretty ribbon or brooch over it!
Now another way to customize this hat, the way it was done in the original post, is with rope. Get two pieces of rope, the original post had two different colours of rope which worked really well. Line the pieces of rope next to each other and find the middle. At the middle point you made a knot with the two pieces so it looks like one thick piece of rope. Add glue to one side of the knot you made and firmly press it against the hat. Hold it there for a few minutes so it stays put. Take the bottom piece of the rope, add glue to the inside and press it against the hat. Cut the rope at the place where the rope meets so it lines up nicely. Apply the same to the other piece of rop. Make sure to add extra glue to the place where the rope meets so they stick together properly and let everything dry for as long as it needs.

It's a great DIY to add to a hat that needs a make-over. Either because you are fed up with it or... your pet has ruined it! :) Perfect for summer and winter hats! I apologize for the hairs on the hat in the picture! My cat decided to sit on it prior to me taking the picture. I'm still trying to get the hairs off!

Enjoy this DIY!
Xox Elena

DIY Rustic Clipboards

Now most people who know me, know that I love (old) photographs and photography. It makes a house a home. I'm also always looking for new ways to display not only pictures but also artwork and quotes. Basically anything that looks good and inspires me everyday!
Now I found this DIY on ABeautifulMess.typepad.com which is easy to make and looks awesome! You could always cheat and buy the clipboards which are available in quite a few shops but handmade is always better:)

What you will need for this DIY:
- Flat piece of wood
- Electric saw (Electric cuts through wood faster and prevents the wood from chipping or breaking off halfway through sawing)
- Clipboard clips (bought in any hardware store)
- Any picture, artwork or quote you want to display

First of all you need to think about the size you want to make the clipboard and outline this on the wood. Carefully cut the wood and sand the wood afterwards to make sure there are no splinters or hard edges.
Basically the clipboard is completed at this point. All you need to do is get the clip and the item you want to display and clamp it onto the board!

I love the simplicity of the project and how good they look hanging/standing up! I love that when you are fed up of the picture there is no taking the frame of the wall, taking the picture out and the pain of cutting too little or too much off a picture to make it fit into the frame! Simply take the picture out from under the clip and place another one under it! Simple and fun:)

I hope you have fun with this project!

Xox Elena

DIY vintage painted artpiece

Last year me and my Dad found boxes of old photographs that belonged to my Nana. Beautiful photo's going years back of a family I never even met. So beautiful and great to see where I get my Italian looks and traits:)
A while back I finally got around to scanning all the photo's so they could 'never' be lost. There where a few photo's that I had printed and framed because they are so beautiful and I think it's always important to add pictures to the house and surround yourself with family and friends:)

Nearly all the pictures I have of my Nana are in black and white which I find add a certain charm to the picture.
I've been looking for a DIY for a while that I could apply to the pictures, something that could make them jump off the wall and catch the eye immediately.
On one of my favourite sites ABeautifulMess I found just the DIY I was looking for and as it's so easy to recreate I thought I could share it with all you lovely readers!

What you need for this DIY:
- An 'old' photograph
- Paint
- Tiny/thin paintbrush
- Picture frame

The hardest part of this DIY is finding a picture! I seriously took ages picking out a picture I wanted to paint and frame. If the picture you have chosen is not in black and white, like mine, you can simply change it to black and white in Photoshop. Once printed you can paint the defining features using the original picture as reference. I made sure to only paint my Nana and her sister to make them really stand out. When the paint was dry I put it in a beautiful old vintage frame I had.                    
You can apply this to every (colour) picture you have and simply change it to black and white in Photoshop.

I love the way this picture turned out. The contrast between black and white and the colour gives the picture a vintage look and stands out great in our hall.

Have fun with this DIY!

XOX Elena

Fashion DIY Shoe Clips

I'm a sucker for those big vintage earrings. The size that Pat Butcher would wear, the big massive ones! The only reason I buy them is because they look pretty and I can't help not buying pretty things:)
I found this lovely DIY on honestlywtf.com and fell in love with the idea so I decided to give it a go!
If, like me, you have loads of flats and are getting a bit bored with some of them, this is the perfect DIY to fall right back in love with those forgotten shoes!

What you need for this DIY:- Pair of flats
- Superglue
- (Vintage) earrings

What you need to do is pick out the perfect earrings first. The earrings can't be too big otherwise they will just get in the way and hurt when you walk and we don't want that! To make sure they don't hurt simply clip the earrings onto the shoe first and walk a few steps before actually glueing them on.

Apply glue to the insides of the clips that touch the shoe and hold them there for a few seconds so the glue attaches itself properly. Do the same to the other shoe and, voila!
It's so easy, it's ridiculous! And also a great way to actually use the beautiful earrings if like me you don't actually wear them:)

I have definitely started wearing these shoes more since I customized them and am super happy with the result!

Hope you have fun with this DIY!

XOX Elena

DIY transfering a photo to wood

One thing I love about houses is when they have lots of pictures hanging up around the house. Family pictures, scene pictures even funny quotes make a room homely and personal.
On one of my favourite blogs Roomed.nl I found this lovely DIY that I thought I would give a try!
This DIY  is a simple way of displaying pictures in your home in a creative way.
One tip I would give you for this DIY is to use a landscape picture or at least a picture that doesn't have too many small details that might not transfer onto the wood completely.

What you need for this DIY:

- Piece of flat wood (you can buy these in any garden centre)
- Mod Podge
- Brush
- Towel
- Printed picture on normal printing paper

The hardest thing about this DIY is finding a picture. Once you have a picture, print it to size making sure it fits onto the entire piece of wood. Remember that the picture will be reversed.  Cut the printed picture to size if needed and cover it with a good layer of Mod Podge. Place the picture onto the wood making sure to press it right down. Use a card (like a bankcard) to smooth the picture out making sure there are no air bubbles underneath, and let it dry for a good few hours or overnight.
When the Mod Podge is completely dry, lay a damp towel over the wood for about 10-15 minutes.

When the picture is damp the paper will be soft. Gently rub your finger over the picture taking off the top layer. Keep rubbing until all of the excess paper had been removed. You will see that the picture has transformed onto the wood.
To make sure the picture stays on nicely, brush another layer of Mod Podge onto the picture.
When this layer has dried the picture is ready to be displayed!

The picture looks so good on the wall and it's so simple anyone can make it!

If you don't have any Mod Podge you can always use wallpaper glue thinned out with water.

Have fun with this DIY!

Xox Elena

DIY Food Gummy bear cookies

I am a sucker for sweets and biscuits. Combine the two and I am in sweet heaven!
Now with Valentines Day coming up I thought it would be a nice idea to share these wonderous pieces of heaven with all of you! They are the perfect treat for everyone with a sweet tooth and are great to make as there are done quickly and you can snack on the gummy bears while baking:) If you love Jammy Dodgers then you will absolutely love these cookies!

What you need for these delicious treats:
- 115 grams of butter
- 100 grams brown sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 125 grams flour
- pinch of salt
- Gummy bears (I used only red since these are for Valentines Day but you can mix it up al you wish!)

First up mix the butter and the brown sugar together. Stir in the egg yolk and the vanilla extract then add the flour and salt and mix well until all the ingredients are combined and the dough is slightly crumbly. Place the dough in the fridge to firm up for about 10-15 minutes,
While the dough is in the fridge, preheat the oven to 175 degrees.

When the dough has been in the fridge long enough, take it out and shape it onto small balls. The dough should make about 20 balls. Place the balls onto a baking tray covered in baking paper. With your thumb press a hole into the dough.
Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes. While they are baking, take the Gummy bears, one per cookie, and cut them in half. Once the cookies have been in the oven for about ten minutes, take them out and press two halves of the gummy bears into the hole created. Pop the cookies back in the oven for another 3-4 minutes or until the gummy bears have melted nicely. As you can see in the picture I left my cookies in for just a tad too long so it's important to watch them while they are baking! The taste is the same but the look of them is not.

The first time I made these I didn't have any eggs. To loosen the mixture up I used a splash of milk which did the trick!

Let the cookies cool down and enjoy! I hope you have as much fun making and eating these cookies as I did!

For the original post check out ABeautifulMess and be inspired by their other projects!
Xox Elena

DIY incense stick holder

I'm not a huge fan of incense sticks as they can be very pungent, but sometimes you just need them! After a garlic dinner for example it can be nice to cleanse the room slightly:) Now my mum simply perches the sticks on the side of the sink in the kitchen or bathroom so the ashes fall into the sink. But I found this simple and creative DIY to make an incense holder that looks lovely in any room and doesn't a create mess! All you need for this DIY is: - A piece of wood (I bought this piece in the garden centre but you can always go foraging in the woods to see what you can find!) -Hammer -Nail -Incense sticks

Take the nail and hammer and gently hammer the nail into the wood to create a hole for the stick. Make sure to bang the nail in gently and slightly slanted so the ashes will fall onto the wood. Take the nail out of the wood and place the incense into the hole you have made. And there you have it! Your DIY incense stick holder!

I made one for my mum as they are so easy to make and it is a gift that is handy and doesn't take up hardly any room.

It's such a simple way of adding nature and a rustic feel into your home and it's also very useful!

Have fun with this DIY!

Xox Elena

DIY Dipped and drippy plantpots

Now I don't know about all you, but a splash of colour always does a lot of good in my books! One thing I always have in our house are plants. Keeping plants in a house with cats is quite a challenge but it's not one I'm backing down from! Now back to the colour. Adding colour adds a warm feel to your house and also a suprise around every corner. Now everyone that knows me knows that I love dipdye and everywhere I can apply it to, I will! Thus came the idea to dipdye these plantpots. They are a real eyecatcher as I used orange paint left over from a previous project. I never throw paint away as I never know what I can use it for next:) What I did to create the effect seen on the picture is pour the paint into a dish making sure you have a nice layer. Then you simply dip the pots in and swivel them around until you have a nice pattern forming on the bottom of the plantpots.

When you have finished dipping get an old spoon (or any other flat instrument) and scrape the excess paint off the pot.

As you can see in the picture below I left quite a lot of paint on and the pot has loads of stripes. If you don't want as many stripes them make sure you properly take of all the paint before you let it dry.

Place the pots in a well ventilated room and let them dry completely.

Plant your plants into the pots and they are ready to display!

It's so easy to add playfull colour around the house and it really brightens up a room! Hope you all enjoy this DIY as much as I do!

Xox Elena

DIY Song Lyric Canvas Art

Another day another DIY! This time I have a fun DIY that I found on ABeautifulMess. I love adding our favourite songlyrics to our space with a retro twist to them like my Scrabble songlyric art that I made a while back. I love using painting canvas because it is so easy to work with and a canvas can also easily be replaced when you need a change around the house.

What you will need for this DIY
-Canvas
- Permanent marker
- Your favourite songlyrics

Make sure you have the lyrics on hand. I printed mine out which I found easier than looking them up on the computer everytime. I made a few mistakes that way the first time around so printing them out made it easier for me but you don't have to do it:)
With the permanent marker you simply write the lyrics onto the canvas making sure they are joined. For all the people like me who write in blockletters half the time this can be quite challenging! You will have to dig deep back to your primary school days to get the joined writing effect you want for this DIY!
If you don't want the letters joined up that is completely up to you:)
Now this is a simple DIY and everyone can make it. But there are a few things that made me mess up the first time around so these tips might help you along:

- Test the marker on the back of the canvas. Some markers are too thick or leave blotchy lines when you are writing. Test the markers beforehand to make sure the lines are not too thick.
- Print your lyrics out. It's easier to glance at a piece of paper than having to scroll down a webpage constantly.
- Write slowly and make sure you have all the words and sentences right. This isn't a project you want to finish in a few minutes. Taking your time with this saves you from having to look at silly mistakes on your wall or even worse having to re-do the whole project!
- Make sure you are sitting higher than the canvas if you are sitting at  table. This gives you more oversight and makes sure that the writing is straight instead of slanted.

Permanent markers dry almost immediately so when you scribbled down the last sentence the canvas is ready to be displayed on your wall!

As you can maybe see I used the lyrics to one of my favourite songs 'Sea of tears' by Eilen Jewell. If you don't know her, get onto the internet and check her out! She is amazing!

This DIY even makes for a good present for a friend or family member if home made art this their thing:)

Hope you enjoy this DIY as much as I do!

Xox Elena