Streamers

2.28.13

So we’ve all been hanging out on Lovely Indeed for a while now, and I’m getting to know you guys. I’m hearing you loud and clear — what you like, what you don’t like, and what you love. And apparently, you party animals love a photobooth backdrop. So my good news for you is that we’re starting a new monthly column here on Lovely Indeed, with a new DIY photobooth backdrop for you to try each month! You all seemed pretty stoked about this one and this one, so here’s hoping you’ll love what I have in store.

First up, a really easy and really cheap backdrop that you can put together with just a blank wall and two ingredients. Gather your materials:

a few colors of crepe paper
masking tape
scissors

Start by deciding the dimensions and height of your backdrop. For our purposes, I’ll be making backdrops that are meant for shots of your guests’ torso and head — not full body. So this backdrop is four feet tall and five feet wide, and starts about 30 inches off the ground.

At the top of your backdrop, stretch a piece of masking tape sticky side out, and tape it to the wall with two smaller pieces. The long piece of tape needs to have the sticky side facing outward so that you can stick the crepe paper to it.

Start attaching pieces of crepe paper, a little over four feet long. Snip the ends so that they’re square and match up the edge with the masking tape. Overlap the pieces slightly. Continue this way until you’ve worked your way across the entire backdrop.

Roll a few pieces of masking tape so that they’re double-stick, and spread them across the top of the backdrop. Cover the top edge with a long piece of crepe paper to mask it and give it a clean finish. Do the same on either end to cover the smaller pieces of masking tape.

At the bottom, stretch a piece of masking tape across all of the crepe paper, sticky side in. The goal is to contain all of the streamers so that they don’t fly out of place during photos.

Mask the bottom with crepe paper using the same method that you did on the top. Snip the uneven edges of crepe paper so that all of the ends are hidden.

There! Now party on, dolls. I think this backdrop took me about 30 minutes to put together (and about 30 seconds to break down), so it’s perfect if you’re in a time crunch for a party. Have fun! xoxo

Spread the Love // My Blog Crush

2.28.13

Do you guys know Amber over at Damask Love? She’s one of my favorite folks online, and she has organized a super cool campaign to spread some love around blogland! It’s called Spread the Love, and she’s partnered up with Clear and Simple Stamps to help people create paper projects inspired by their favorite bloggers! How rad is that? When Amber contacted me about the project, I was beyond happy to participate and create something inspired by one of my faves.

My blog crush is Danni, from Oh, Hello Friend. Danni’s blog has been inspiring me since day one, and she’s a never-ending source of kindness & creativity. The first thing that popped into my mind was how she always makes those awesome books full of notes for people that she loves. I thought that Clear and Simple Stamps would have some perfect materials to make an homage to a book of notes, inspired by Danni!

I wanted to make a little love note to some of my friends from NYC (I’ve been missing them since we moved to Los Angeles), so The States and Airmail stamp sets were perfect. I also used the Alpha Modern set to stamp some words, and cut some hearts to put in one of those perfect little envelopes.

Also, I have to say — I’ve never used Clear and Simple’s products before this, but they totally rocked my world. I used to be a stamp fanatic when I was younger and sort of got out of the habit, but this stuff could seriously get me back into that world. Their products are high quality and really, really fun to use. The Type A in me also loves how organized their packaging is!

Anyway! You should hop over to Damask Love to see the rest of the folks who are participating in Spread the Love! You can also learn how you can jump in and join the project. Big, huge thanks to Amber and Clear and Simple for spreading the love. xoxo

Calling All Designers

2.27.13

Hey! If you have a knack for design and want in on the action, I want you to be part of our Desktop Designers series! If you’re interested in learning more, check out some of our previous designers and shoot me an email at hello{at}lovelyindeed{dot}com. Include “Desktop Designer” in the subject line and a link to your blog or portfolio, and I’ll get right back to ya. It’s been an awesome adventure in collaboration so far, and I want you to get in on the fun! xoxo

Style // Bright, Brighter, Brightest

2.27.13

The other day, it was kind of gloomy in my hood so I decided to show the weather who was boss. I mean, does it really matter if the sun is shining when you’re wearing three different shades of neon?

Isn’t that necklace rad? Sweet Ashley over at Sugar and Cloth made it with her own two hands and was kind enough to give it to me. It was just the pop of color that the striped shirt needed.

You might remember that bag, too! It’s made an appearance before. And the skirt was a J.Crew clearance find, but I think you can still get it in red. Oh! And do you guys know Call It Spring? It’s one of my new favorite places for great shoes that won’t bust your budget. Definitely check it out.

So when was the last time you rocked a little neon? Take that, cloudy sky. xoxo

DIY Suede and Gold Leaf Polka Dot Mousepad

2.26.13

I know what you’re thinking. And no, I’m never going to stop with the gold leaf DIYs. It’s the best thing in the world, so just get on board you guys. Okay, glad we had that talk.

Now! I found myself recently bemoaning the fact that my mousepad was old and icky and had seen waaaay better days. It still functioned, but man did it look gross. So it was retouch time. If you’ve got an old mousepad that needs a little zhush (how do you spell that?) or a mousepad that just ain’t cute, this is the DIY for you. Gather your materials:

old mousepad
enough suede (or leather, or faux leather — you get the idea) to cover the mousepad
scissors
pen
freezer paper
hole punch
iron
ModPodge
gold leaf
two craft paintbrushes
spray adhesive

Start by tracing your mousepad onto the backside of your suede, and cutting it out. Set that aside. Punch holes in your freezer paper and cut a small square around each hole. Place them strategically on the front side of your suede, and iron them shiny side down so that they stick.

Next, use a paintbrush to paint ModPodge inside of each hole. While it’s wet, apply a small patch of gold leaf. Pat the gold leaf down with a dry paintbrush.

Let the ModPodge dry for about 30 minutes and carefully remove the freezer paper, being careful to keep the edges of the polka dot intact. Let the glue dry overnight before you use the mousepad, and be sure to dust off all remnants of the gold leaf, to keep your mouse safe.

Finally, cover the back of the suede with spray adhesive and affix it to your old mousepad. Be sure that you match the edges well before you press firmly.

Woah! So much better. And now it’s like a little polka dot party every time I use my computer. Have fun! xoxo

Birthday Giveaway // InstaThis

2.25.13

Update: We have a winner! Congrats to Rachel W.! We’ll be in touch to let you know how to claim your prize. Thanks to all for entering!

Do you guys know about InstaThis? It’s a pretty sweet new company out of Chicago that will print your Instagram photos on wood or acrylic so you can hang them like art! You guys know I’m bonkers for Instagram (follow my feed here), so when InstaThis offered to send me a print of my choice and also give one away to you guys, I was pumped! I decided it would be perfect to celebrate my b-day by giving a print away to one of you lucky ducks.

For my print, I decided on a photo of a table for two that I took on a recent trip to the Farmer’s Market. I love how it turned out! The printing looks so cool on wood — the grain texture kind of shows through and it looks perfect with the vibe of the photo. And it’s fun to see an Instagram photo in such a large size, on something tangible.

So what would you print? One of you dolls will win a wood print in the size of your choosing, with any one of your Instagram photos! To enter, just visit InstaThis and then leave a comment back here with an idea of what you’d print. So easy! A few rules: this giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Entries will remain open until Sunday, March 3 at 6 p.m. PST, and the winner will be announced on Monday the 4th.

Many thanks to InstaThis for spreading the love! xoxo

happy day

2.25.13

It’s my birthday, guys! Mr. Lovely and I are home visiting the family, which is the only place in the world I want to be today. It’s been a long and tiring rehearsal schedule for the show we’re doing, and since we opened last weekend we finally have some time off to spend with the fam. So tonight we’ll all be having dinner and sharing my aunt’s world-famous spice cake — my uncle and I share the same birthday, so it’s a double celebration! And as my birthday gift to you, here’s an embarrassing photo of the baby version of me. Also, we’ll be back later today with a special birthday giveaway, just for you lovelies. Have a great week! xoxo