Thrifty or cheap? Either Way I think it's genius!

I've had this Swiffer wetjet for a while and the batteries ran out and so did the expensive replacement floor cleaner. I love using this thing, but I hate spending so much money on all the replacement parts; ie the pads and cleaner. So I thought what if I just used regular floor cleaner and put it in a bottle and sprayed the floor while I mopped? Genuis! 

So I got some floor cleaner, Fabuloso, which cost around $3 for 56oz and some generic floor cleaning pads, 12 for around $4.  So a total of around $7. 

The Swiffer replacements run in at around $7 for the cleaning pads and $5 for 42oz. (For a total of $12) Now the floor cleaner I got is concentrate and must be mixed with water. So you get more bang for your buck. But you could also use lemon scented ammonia, which is even cheaper. 

Now here is my little wetjet with an old bottle filled with my mixed floor cleaner. And look how snuggly the bottle fits in where the replacement cleaner should go! Heehee!  So if any of you have an old swiffer wetjet sitting around collecting dust, you should give this a try!

Pinklace Designs | Fashion Redesign

A friend of mine was cleaning out her closet and came across this cute little leopard jacket her husband had given her as a gift a while ago. She told me she loved it but hated the puffy sleeves, so she never wore it.

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED! 

Here is a picture of the jacket with the weird puffy sleeves. Not only were they weird, but they were at such an odd length. Not quite 3/4 and not quite full. It was the "jacket-you-grew-out-of-but-still-wear" length.

I took the jacket home, unstitched the sleeves and took them completely off. I played around with them, drew a few sketches, pinned different variations and then finally found something I liked!

And TaDa!! Here is what I came up with! 

I was so happy to rescue and refashion this jacket for my friend. The length of the sleeve fits her perfectly and now she can wear it all the time....just as she intended to! :)

Big Things Coming Your Way | Celebration Giveaway (CLOSED)

This week is an exciting week for me. ONE: It's my birthday on Friday and TWO: I've recently teamed up with one of my all-time favorite artist/illustrator, to do some collaborative artwork!! When the opportunity arose, I jumped at the chance to work with Valerie Doty aka The Tiny Hobo, to do some multi-medium artwork! 

I am just tickled about this and I want to celebrate with you all. How, you ask? Well by doing a giveaway, duh!!

I will be hosting a giveaway on my facebook and instagram for a handmade gift by me! In return, your gift to me is to get over 100 likes on my facebook page.

Here's how it works:

Facebook:

1. Become a fan of my facebook page

2. Like and share my Giveaway post/Facebook page

Instagram

1. Like my instagram post

2. Repost with #pinklacedesignsgiveaway and tag me @pinklacedesigns

3. Follow me on instagram (pinklacedesigns)

That's it, super easy! If you do both Facebook and Instagram, it will count for two entries!

**Bonus**
The more times you share/repost, the more chances you get to win!!

The giveaway will end on my birthday, Friday Jan 31st, at midnight and I will announce the lucky winner on Sunday!

Good Luck!! 

DIY Friday: Upcycle Valentine's Day Art

I was breaking down our recycling the other day and remembered this pin I came across that was a heart made out of an egg carton. I thought it was really cool, but there wasn't a tutorial for it. So I decided to make one up with my own little twist.

Materials: 

• craft paint ( any color will work, you don't have to make it Valentines-y)
• paint brushes
• a cereal box
• an egg carton
• scissors
• glue or hot glue
• Scrap fabric
• an exacto knife
• Ribbon 
• A piece of foam core

First break apart the egg carton, being careful not to rip it up too much.

Then trim down the edges. I used the little bump as a guide and cut right above it.

Now it's time to paint! I chose to go with pink, but you could use any color you want or even multiple colors! ( Notice I am using a plastic fruit cup to hold my paint, thanks to an awesome tip from my fellow blogger and crafter Mom Upcycles.)

Once the pieces are dry, glue them all together, joining 3 squares of 4, then make a heart shape. I put the hot glue along the bottom edge and joined them that way.

Next, cut down one side of the cereal box. I didn't want my heart to look itty bitty, so I cut my cardboard to 7.5in x 9in

Then lay it down on a scrap piece of fabric, unprinted side facing down. And glue all the edges of the fabric down, pulling tight so it's nice and flat on the front.

(*side note: don't use a sheer fabric like I did, this part was such a pain because the fabric kept shifting.)

Would you look at all that shifyness going on in the last picture? :^6

Then glue the heart to the center of the front.

Now this part is optional:

I cut a piece of foam core, the same size as my cereal box to add some thickness and weight to my artwork.

Then I glued my ribbon to the foam core and then glued the fabric covered cardboard on top of that, sandwiching the ribbon. 

If you don't have foam core, you could use another piece of the cereal box to add some thickness or just leave it and glue the ribbon to the back of the main piece. 

And you're done! This project cost me nothing, since I had everything on hand.

You could embellish your artwork by adding buttons or pieces of felt, painting words or whatever! Endless options!! I decided to just leave mine plain :) 

Inspiration Field Trip: Stitch Lab

Stitch Lab is this awesome little retro house in downtown Austin that sells unique fabrics, sewing notions, patterns and they also offer tons of classes for all kinds of crafts. I follow one of the instructors on instagram and she is always posting awesome pictures of the shop and crafts that are done in the classes. I decided it was time to take a look-see of my own!

Upon arrival, I was greeted by this awesome tote by the front door!! I don't mind if I do! Unfortunately, I didn't find anything that I would have used. :(

So many pretty patterns and colors! I was like a kid in a candy shop, but better...I was in crafters heaven!! 

There were all kinds of little cute projects everywhere, like the heart and arrow vinyl bag and the amigurumi gnomes in the pictures above. 

The fabrics are kind of pricey, but I didn't want to leave empty handed. So I headed over to the remnants and quarters area and picked up a few things. I can't wait to show you what I have in mind for these!

Nursery Progress pt. 1

Well today I spent all day sanding and priming the crib for the nursery. I'm super excited to be making everything more custom, but man it's a lot of work! That's what I get for wanting things that are different.

For a DIYer that has no patience, this project is very challenging for me. I scored this crib off of craigslist for $60. I liked the "bones", but not the color. I want it more of a cream color. (See my inspiration board in my previous post.)

We started sanding it on Saturday and quickly realized the varnish on it is a pain in the butt to sand off. We spent all afternoon sanding. I got one of the sides and hubby started on the "headboard" part. 

Today I finished the other two sides and started to prime them. (Yea I didn't want to tackle that headboard, I wanted to start painting!!) 

We still have a ways to go on this project, but slowly it will get done! I'm excited to share with you how I'm putting together the nursery and all the projects I will be tackling. Stay tuned for more nursery progress! 

Quick and Easy Recipe : Orange Chicken Salad With Sweet Lime Dressing

As someone who is constantly juggling multiple projects and trying to manage my time, I find myself always looking for something I can eat that is quick, easy and healthy. This salad is from a recipe my mom used to make when I was younger. Rather than a meal, she would make it as a side salad (sans chicken) to complement a salty meal, like Swedish Meatballs or steak. 

This salad is a hit with my husband who refers to it as the "dessert salad", for it's clean, tart and sweet flavors. I often like to make this salad for a lunch, especially when we have had chicken the night before so I can use leftovers. 

Orange Chicken Salad With Sweet Lime Dressing

Prep your salad

Ingredients: 

1.) green leafy lettuce, spinach, kale, or spring salad mix 

really you can use just about anything to make the base of your salad

2.) 1 small navel orange 

nevermind that my orange looks like a grapefruit, I accidentally grabbed a pink navel orange. I had never heard of this! haha!

3.) grilled chicken breast 

I used left over chicken from the night before, which makes it quick and easy

4.) 1/4c toasted almond slivers

put your almonds in a pan on med-high heat, shake your pan to keep them moving and you will start to smell the yummy toastedness of the almonds. They are ready when they turn brown, but be careful not to burn them.

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.

The dressing: 

1) 1/4 c of lime juice or the juice from 2 limes

2.) 2 tablespoons of brown sugar or to taste

3.) 1/4 tsp of ground cumin and 1/4 tsp of ground thyme

Combine all the ingredients together and whisk briskly, then pour over salad, toss and enjoy!