Holiday DIY: Snow Globes From Glass Jars

I say it all the time, it's like my personal preface to every post, but I love "inexpensive" and I love "easy". They're my two favorites. And when you put them together, well, that's just an all around win isn't it? My favorite kind of decorations, holiday included, are DIY projects because they are usually both of these things. I also love the unique quality of making something for yourself; you personalize it and make it your own. And alright, alright, I love the bragging power you get out of making something yourself too! Don't act like you're not just a little bit proud when your project turns out awesome too!

I'm sure you've seen these DIY snow globes all over Pinterest. Or on Anthropologie. I've been eyeing them for a couple years and admired them immensely, I just never got around to trying it myself. So boo hoo for not being on point with the innovation skills. But I'm still going to share it anyway because I just love how easy and incredibly cheap they are to make!

I'm a frugal person, you already know this. But why? Honestly, I take a really sick pleasure out of "under spending" on things. Some people like to "out spend" others, I like to under spend. And I'd be lying if I said I was blameless when it comes to rubbing someone's nose in just how cheap I got something either. Hey, we all have our vices. But I'm also frugal out of necessity. And the holidays can get a little hairy in the gift giving department. So these globes are a great, last minute, inexpensive gift you can give to just about anyone. Just how inexpensive depends on what you already have on hand. We literally already had everything so for me, it was $0. But even if you're starting from scratch, everything could easily be found for less than $10.

We (and by we, I mean me) have all kinds of glass jars already saved away. If your a compulsive "Pinner" as I am, you know the golden rule of never throwing anything away because you never know what Pinterest project you might need it for. My husband accidentally threw out a jelly jar and I seriously made him go retrieve it. So I have a garage full of what some people might consider garbage. But for the average Pinterest junkie, you know it's really treasure! So for this project, hack into your Pinterest treasure trove for your jars. You will also need

• various ornaments or wire trees
• glue gun or craft glue
• Styrofoam or other fake "snow"
• ribbon or paint
• scissors

DIY: Cheap and Easy Accent Wall for Under a Dollar

Winter is upon us. Well not per the calendar exactly, but mother nature seems to think it is. November 16 and we're salting the roads already. And cold weather for me = no bueno. I huddle down like a hermit in my house. I'm fully considering acquiring a Snuggie. Don't judge me. But my "fashion" blog ends up really only being a fashion blog for about 8 months of the year. The other 4, I'm wrapped in a blanket.....or soon too be a Snuggie.

So, since I'm like an animal and I pretty much hibernate, I usually start some indoor DIY projects to keep myself busy.

And since this is a relatively new home for us, there are plenty of blank slates waiting to be DIY'd upon. And when I say blank, I mean completely stark, bare, nothingness type blank. There ain't nothin' goin on on these here walls....except for maybe the seam between drywall panels because the previous owner was hasty in his renovations. Hey, what do you expect from a house built in the 1940s?

And while I want a minimal, monochromatic look for this room, this was just a little tooooo minimal. I wanted the walls to stay white; in fact, I purposely painted them white. But it needed something. And just like all other aspects of my life, I always stay true to my frugal nature. So I've created an entire focal wall for....wait for it....88¢! Yep! Less than a dollar! Of course, I can't take full credit for the idea. I originally found it on, you guessed it, Pinterest. The original blog post I found used washi tape but it was black....and so is electrical tape. So in my money saving endeavors, with a dollar and some willpower in my pocket, I headed to the hardware store and thus my accent wall began.

All you need is

• electrical or washi tape
• scissors or a utility knife- I preferred cutting with scissors, my husband preferred the utility knife
• a ruler or a tape measure
• a pencil- with an eraser

The Season Favorite

That'd be the the denim jacket; it's my seasonal favorite. It's just about a neutral as you can get and when you think about classic wardrobe staple, the denim jacket is at the top of the list. 

A Disheartening Truth

I got my hair cut last week and, if you haven't seen it, I debuted it in this exciting post. It was this huge reveal (and surprise) and I've gotten so many compliments on it. Admittedly, short hair suits me much better than the unruly long hair ever did and everyone has agreed and admired my new look. But, eventually the time comes and that "fresh haircut glow" fades. So let's discuss the finer points of that disheartening reality shall we....

Frugal Fall Fashion

Have you all ever known me to spend a lot of money on what I wear? Or anything really? No, you haven't. If my blog had a motto it'd be "If it ain't broke, don't spend it". Ok, maybe I need to work on that motto. But the point is, I've been screaming from the rooftops (or my blog, tomato/tomahto) how I never ever "splurge" on anything because it's excessive, unnecessary and, in my case, simply unobtainable. We're a one income household full of kids. It just ain't happenin'. But what are you paying for really? A label? Yeah, I can do without that. I'm not a materialistic person. I just can't understand spending nearly double on an identical item just because of a brand name. Price is not always equal to quality. I think a lot of women are misguided and think the higher the price tag, the higher the quality. That age old saying "You get what you pay for" is really ingrained in us but it's an antiquated, archaic notion. Trust me on this, I have a lot of experience behind me!

I Finally Did It!

Cut my hair, that is! If you remember this post, which was 6 months ago, you know I've been planning to cut my hair for a very long time. Whether it was my indecision, lack of funds, or a lack of time; for whatever reason, I never got it done.....until now!

Summer Meets Fall

The last couple of weeks I have been majorly harping on transitioning my wardrobe from summer to fall. This seemingly simple task is such a such a complex task for me and successfully achieving it eludes me every year. So after digging down and trying to pinpoint exactly why this is so difficult for me, I figured out the cause; I have no transition pieces! All of my summer clothes scream "summer" and all my winter clothes scream "winter". I don't have any pieces to take me across the seasons. So that has been my goal this year, acquiring pieces that function for more than just one season.

To Flats? Or not to Flats?

That was the million dollar question today. I couldn't decide whether to wear my ankle booties or the flats. Well, you can see which won....

My Baby is a Baby No Longer

So, as foretold, Alex and I did his yearly birthday Q&A this afternoon because my bitty baby is 10 years old today! Asking him these questions, I see how mature he is getting. I knew how big he was getting but he's growing and maturing by the day. (Waaaah! *sniff sniff*) So here is all of his answers. And as I said with Izzy's interview, I soooo recommend doing this with your kids! It's fun, they love doing it and I love looking back and seeing who they were each year.

The Coolest of the Cool

That's what these glasses are. Which, of course, makes me cool by association.