Fourth of July Festive Looks

Fourth of July is in a couple days. Here are some stylish Fourth of July outfit ideas to help you celebrate in patriotic style:

Classic Americana Look: Create a red, white and blue ensemble for that timeless patriotic vibe. The patriotic outfit above is from Windsor. 

Chic White Dress: Keep it easy and casual with a white maxi dress. Experiment with different necklines like a halter version or puffed sleeves

Family Barbecue: Opt for a festive graphic tee with jean shorts for an easy, casual look. Try a striped shirt dress in blue and white, paired with blue jeans.

Simple Denim Dress: A denim dress is perfect for a family party or event. 

Bandana or Headband: Tie a red bandana around your neck, head or bag handle for a versatile accessory. This is a great way to easily add some Fourrh of July colors to your outfit. I found a Fourth of July headband recently. It makes any outfit festive even if you are not wearing red, white and blue. 

Espadrilles: Complete your look with comfy and chic espadrilles like these patriotic ones from Utoimkio . Or add your favorite pair of red or blue flip flops. 

Classic Stars and Stripes Nail Art: Create a patriotic nod to the flag with red and blue nail art. Paint horizontal stripes with vibrant red polish on a white base. Add a pop of blue to one nail. This is an easy way to dress up any outfit.

Remember to have fun and celebrate in style! 

What to Wear on a Rainy Day

Rainy day, go away! Try these stylish rainy day outfits. Rainy days can be challenging for choosing an outfit, but they can also be a chance to show off your creativity in the gloomy weather. Here are some tips and ideas on what to wear on rainy days: 

Choose water resistant fabrics and natural fibers.

Get a quality rain coat. Try fabrics like such as cotton or even vegan leather, to avoid getting soaked or feeling uncomfortable. Avoid fabrics that absorb water easily such as silk, linen, or suede

Opt for darker colors or patterns that can hide any water stains or splashes. 

You can also brighten up your look with a pop of color, such as a red raincoat, a yellow umbrella or a deep blue scarf12

Layer your clothing to adapt to the changing temperature and humidity. You can wear a thin hoodie under a maxi dress, a button-down shirt under a sweater, or a blazer over a t-shirt

Bring an umbrella! 

I love bringing an umbrella out when it is raining. It is great to accessorize with clothing accessories that can protect you from the rain. For example, you can wear a waterproof hat, a stylish raincoat, a colorful umbrella or even a pair of sunglasses123 I once found a colorful rainbow umbrella while walking in the rain. 

Add rain boots to protect your feet from the rain. 

Waterproof your rwvorire or of shoes so they are durable in wet weather. You can wear other shoes like sneakers or sandals if the rain is light and the temperature is warm124

Remember, you can always have fun with your fashion choices, no matter the weather. 

Random Wishlist Items

I like to keep word documents of wishlists, products I might buy in the future or just like to think of having. Here are some products on my current wishlist: 

Strapless Pleated Floral Dress

I like cute, colorful dresses for spring like this dress from Forever 21. 

Lush Rub Rub Rub Sea Salt

I've been looking for a good body scrub and I like Lush products so I think I want to try this sometime. 

MAC Jeanius Eye Shadow

I love the cute packaging on this eye shadow that's made to look like denim. I've never really tried MAC eye shadows before. 

What's on your wishlist?

5 Winter Skincare Tips

Does your skin get dry in the winter months? With the cold weather, you may need to switch up your skincare routine. Here are five winter skincare tips to keep your skin hydrated and protected during the colder months:

1. Moisturize Regularly

Cold air and indoor heating can dry out your skin, so it’s crucial to use a rich, hydrating moisturizer. Look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and ceramides to lock in moisture. Apply your moisturizer right after showering when your skin is still damp to seal in hydration.

2. Switch to a Gentler Cleanser

Winter weather can make your skin more sensitive, so it’s a good idea to switch to a cream-based or hydrating cleanser. Avoid products with harsh ingredients like alcohol, which can strip your skin of its natural oils. Opt for a gentle, non-foaming cleanser to maintain your skin’s moisture barrier.

3. Use a Humidifier

Indoor heating can cause the air to dry out, which leads to dehydrated skin. Adding a humidifier to your living space can help keep moisture in the air and prevent your skin from becoming too dry. This is especially helpful while you sleep.

4. Exfoliate Gently

Exfoliating helps remove dead skin cells that can make your skin look dull. However, in winter, it’s important to be gentle. Opt for a mild exfoliator with fine grains or use a chemical exfoliant with AHAs or BHAs to avoid irritation. Exfoliate once a week to keep your skin smooth and fresh.

5. Protect Your Skin from the Cold

When you go outside, don’t forget to protect your skin from harsh winter winds and cold temperatures. Use a nourishing lip balm to prevent chapped lips and wear a scarf or gloves to shield your face and hands from the elements. Always apply sunscreen, even on overcast days, as the sun’s UV rays can still cause damage during the winter.

These tips can help maintain a healthy, glowing complexion throughout the colder months.

Halloween Costume: Paper

This is another tutorial for an inanimate object. Inanimate objects are fun and unique ideas for costumes. This tutorial explains how to be a piece of paper/notebook for Halloween.

Costume:

I was inspired to do this costume from this shirt I found here. You can pair a shirt like this with jeans or leggings. Sneakers would be a good shoe to wear with this look. I've also seen this design in a dress if you can find one.  

Accessories:

Consider carrying a notebook around with you as an accessory. You can also buy a jumbo pencil to carry, such as this this one:



If you don't mind your shirt getting ruined, you can bring around sharpies and ask people to write on you.

Makeup:

For the makeup, you could use a white eye shadow eye look to match the paper. You could also use matching blue and pink eye shadow that matches the lines of notebook paper:



Nails:

This video explains how to do matching notebook nails:

Halloween Costume: Bird

For this costume, I used this tutorial to make a bird costume. You need an old pillowcase and scraps of fabric. I used blue and green fabric from old shirts I had. If you don't want to make a whole costume, you can also use a dress or shirt with feathers.

For accessories, items with feathers on it are good, such as feather earrings. For a bag, carry a straw bag or a bag with wooden handles. For my bag, I used a handmade crocheted purse I had with wooden handles that reminded me of twigs.

For your hair, pull it up in a messy bun. I added a straw like texture to make it look like a nest. Feather or straw accessories are good to use such as headbands and hairties. Your makeup and nails should match your outfit. This will depend on the colors you use and what type of bird you are trying to be. I wanted to be a peacock colored type of a bird so I did green and blue makeup and nails that matched my outfit.

Here are some more bird and peacock inspired items you can use to make a bird costume:

1. Metallic Peacock Embroidered Dress, Kidney Bean, $129
2. Peacock Feather Hairband, Polyver
3. Feather Post Earrings, Alex and Ani, $48
4. Office Souffle Feather Sandal Turquoise, Polyver, $15
5. Recycled Straw Beach Bag, Alibaba

Halloween Costume: Leopard

If you don't have a dress, you can also pair a leopard print top with leopard print leggings or black pants.

Accessories:

You can add leopard print ears and a tail to this costume. You can buy ears and a tail or make them yourself. To make ears, take a headband and cover it in fabric. Use construction paper to make ear shapes. Cover these in fabric and use glue or wire to attach it to the headband.



If you have a leopard print purse or other leopard print items, consider bringing them as part of your costume. Any leopard print items work great as accessories.

Makeup:

Leopard print makeup can be a lot of fun to do. Here's an intense leopard makeup tutorial:



If you don't want to go full out, you can always just do leopard print eyes and draw on a nose and whiskers in black.

Nails:

This tutorial explains how to do leopard print nails:

Animal costumes are a great Halloween costume. This tutorial is for a leopard costume. I think leopard costumes are pretty easy to do because you can find leopard print items everywhere. You can also change this costume to represent another animal, such as a zebra.

Costume:

For the costume, use a leopard print dress you have or find a new one such as this one from Overstock: 

Halloween Costume: Spider-Man

Being a superhero is a fun costume. My favorite superhero is Spider-Man so this tutorial explains how to get a Spider-Man costume. You can customize this costume however you like or get inspired to make your own superhero costume.

Costume

You can find a Spider-Man costume at Halloween Express or other costume stores. This costume is for women:

If you don't want to buy a costume, you can use any red and blue outfit. You can even draw spiderwebs on it in black sharpie marker.

Accessories

If you want the Spider-Man mask that covers your whole head, you can buy one here. You can buy Spider-Man gloves here:

Makeup

There's a good tutorial on how to get Spider-Man makeup here:

Nails

If you're not wearing gloves, paint your nails a fun Spider-Man design:

Interview: Screenpritned Apparel from Megan Lee Designs

Megan Lee Designs specializes in screenprinted apparel, tote bags and greeting cards that have fun and quirky illustrations and graphic prints. All designs are drawn by Megan and are printed by hand.

Why did you choose to sell on Etsy?

I wanted to reach customers without having to create my own website (I began selling on Etsy a LONG time ago) and also still believe that you can reach a much wider and/or different audience through Etsy than you can through your own website. Etsy’s search function has brought me lots of customers who have never heard of my shop before.

How do you come up with design ideas for your shirts? What is your creative process like?

It’s a lot of sketching/doodling and just thinking about things I like. It’s honestly super simple and I often go back to my first sketch when I try and re-draw things a number of times.

What is your best selling product in your shop?

I think its still my “Midwest is Best” heart design, which doesn’t surprise me because the Midwest is amazing and it also covers a LOT of ground. I never really even realized how many states consider themselves Midwest.

Do you ever have creative blocks?

I definitely do, and thankfully I don’t have to create and come up with designs daily because I have so much business-y stuff to take care of. I find that my creativity sometimes comes in waves, and I honestly have no idea what it corresponds with, but its like every few weeks I’ll just get a burst of lots of good ideas.

Do you use social media?

I do, and need to use it more and more effectively. I am getting a little better at posting daily on Instagram, and I do enjoy it. It is just that there is always so much to do, especially now with having two very small children.

Do you have a blog?

No, and sometimes I wish I did, but I feel like its something I just wouldn’t update often enough!

Do you sell at craft shows?

Yes, definitely! Not quite as much as I used to, but we do probably from 10-25 shows/year. Our next big show is the Spring One of a Kind Show in Chicago. Can’t wait!

Do you sell wholesale or consignment?

At this point almost all wholesale, but I definitely started selling on consignment and we still have a few good consignment accounts from a long time ago. They can both be good options depending on a number of factors, but at this point we are only adding wholesale.

Do you ever have problems with customers? 

Honestly nothing too major, but just things like items being delayed in the mail, maybe a hole in a shirt, things that are usually easily fixed.

What do you hope for in the future for your shop?

Just to keep expanding my designs and possibly trying some new products based on my customers requests.

Ways to Organize Memorabilia

We all have memorabilia of some sort; These are collections or objects that remind us of important people or events in our lives.

Does This Item Spark Joy? 

1. Lay all your items or like you did with other collections.
2. Look at each item and ask if it sparks joy or makes you happy. Does it remind you of a certain event or person? Does it give you happy memories?
3. If there are items you no longer want, see if you can hand these down to someone else. If it is from a collection, put them on eBay or trade them so you get a return on their worth.
4. Keep track of items you have if you want to stay on top of your collection. I like using a spreadsheet to write all items in a collecting. Using a tool like Airtable is a good idea. For photos, keep backups of old photos by scanning them digitally.
5. Display your items. Memorabilia can be great to display. Photos can be put in scrapbooks. Collections can be displayed creatively.

What Collections Do You Keep? 

One collection that is important to me is a glass frog collection from my grandmother. I like to display it on a shelf, but I could find a better way to display it. The glass frogs were originally in a glass case which is a nice way to keep them protected. Right now, the glass frogs sit on a glass lily pad. I am not sure if the glass lily pad was my grandmother’s, but it works perfectly for the glass frogs and helps give the collection a story.

Some other things I collect include autographed items and ticket stubs. I will do a longer blog post with my collections.

How do you store your memorabilia? 

Ways to Organize Clothing

What are some ways to organize clothing? It is essential to keep your clothing organized. Just by cleaning out your closet, you can help figure out your personal style and what you love.

Get rid of the unnessecary.

Outdated clothes? Clothes that have holes? Jeans that don’t fit? Toss them out! I recommend emptying your closet and making piles of clothes you no longer want, clothes you want to keep and clothes you aren’t sure of.

Use the handy infographic above I found on Pinterest to decide what to keep and what to toss.

Take care of what you love.

The capsule wardrobe theory recommends keeping 37 items you love. This doesn’t always mean keeping expensive items, but you should choose clothes that are high quality and you wear every day.

Take care of clothing you have so it lasts longer. I like this laundry chart above. Make sure to read instructions for washing clothes so they don’t wear out quickly. If you have items that have imperfections or missing pieces, fix them.

Give the items you keep a home.

Now, it is time to put all your clothing back. It can be a lot of fun to arrange your closet and clothing. Try color coordinating hangers by assigning different types of clothing a different color or arranging by season. I like to arrange my clothes by color in my closet or arrange items from light to dark.

In the Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, the author recommends folding clothes and storing them vertically. You don’t have to do this, but I find some items benefit from folding while others work on a hanger. I keep clothes I wear for working out or sleeping in folded in a drawer while clothes I wear go in my closet on a hanger.

Accessories can be arranged using creative methods. Shoes can be arranged in shoe boxes with a photo of the shoe on the outside. Boots can be kept in shape by putting rolled up magazines inside them when not in use. If you have multiple scarves, hang them on a hanger.

In the next entry, I will talk about how I am personally trying to organize my clothing.

What are your tips for organizing clothes? Let me know in the comments or even use hashtag #mythreadofthought with photos.

Halloween Costume: Black Cat

For an outfit, use any black clothes you have. A black dress works. You can also use black pants or a black shirt with a black top. Use any black accessories you have such as earrings or bracelets. You can buy a tail and cat ears to complete the accessories.

For your nails, use black nail polish to look like claws. For eye makeup, you can use black eyeliner or face paint to fill in your nose black. You can add a bit of white eye shadow to the tip of your nose to add dimension. Add whiskers with black eyeliner or face paint. A dark color lipstick works well for the lips. For eye shadow, do a smokey eye look with gray and black eye shadow. Winged eyeliner also works well.

This look also works well for other cat or animal costumes. For example, if you want to be a leopard, you can switch the black dress for a leopard print dress and add leopard ears and a tail.

1. Asymmetric Chiffon Spliced Black Dress, MayKool, $39.99
2.Black Cat Dress Up Set, Claire's, $9.50
3. Colorful Eyeshadow in Black Lace, Sephora, $12
4. OPI Nail Lacquer in Black Onyx, Macy's, $9.50

Glitter Sandals Tutorials

I transformed some black strappy sandals I had in to gold glitter sandals. I saw some people do this online and I thought I'd try it out because it looked pretty simple to do. Here's how you do it.

Supplies:

• Old Shoes: Take some old shoes you want to add glitter to. I never wore these black strappy sandals and they were kind of plain so I thought I'd try it out with them.
• Glitter: Use your favorite color. I used gold for these shoes.
• Mod Podge: Use mod podge or another adhesive.
• Paintbrush: Use a paintbrush for painting on the glue.
• Wax Paper or Newspaper: This is for covering your area.

Instructions:

1. Start by laying your shoes on newspaper or wax paper. If your shoes have straps like mine, unbuckle them first. You might want to lay some wax paper on the sole of the shoe (cut to fit the shape) so glue or glitter doesn't stick to the bottom.
   
   
   
2. Use the paint brush to paint a layer of mod podge on the outside of the shoe. I'd recommend working in small sections. Sprinkle glitter over the mod podge and then shake the excess glitter off on to the wax paper or in to a container. Repeat this step with the other shoe (you can use the excess glitter). You can also separately mix the mod podge with glitter before painting the layer on if you'd rather do it that way.
   
   
3. I missed a few spots the first around so I repeated this step so glitter was on all parts of the shoes I wanted it to be on. Add a final layer of mod podge to seal in the glitter.
   
   
4. Wipe off any glitter or glue that got on the bottom or soles of the shoe. Let dry overnight.

You can use this method for any type of shoes. I like how my sandals came out. It was a little harder to do the sandals since they have lots of straps and details, but I think they're more unique and fun now and having the glitter makes me excited to wear them. Let me know if you try out this tutorial!

Slice the Pie Fashion Review Tips

Want to get paid to review fashion and music? Slice the Pie is the largest paid review site on the interview. Your opinions will help brands make decisions. I did a review of Slice the Pie in a previous entry when they just did music reviews.

Now, they have new sections where you can earn money writing fashion and mobile accessories reviews in addition to reviewing music. You write a short paragraph or so about what you think of the product and if it would do well on the market. Here are some of some my tips for reviewing the new fashion and mobile items:

• Describe your overall first impression. Do you like the piece of clothing or product? Do you generally feel positive or negative about it?
• Describe the style and what you think of it. Is it unique? What do you think of the color? Is it trendy? Is it too out there or over the top? 
• What do you think of the fit? Is it too tight or loose? Do you like how it looks on the model?
• Do you think it would sell well? Would you buy the product yourself? Could you see other people buying it or talking about it?
• Make sure your review is over 100 words and try to vary the reviews between each other so your account doesn't get locked. Be honest in your reviews and try to write what you really feel about each item.
  
  
  

Next, you give the item a rating of 1 out of 10. 1 is the worst and 10 is the best. The final step is to estimate the price of the item. You give each piece of clothing a minimum and maximum cost.

I make about $0.10 per fashion review. It won't make you rich overnight, but it is a good way to earn extra money online. You can get withdraw money in to your PayPal account when you reach $10. .

If you refer friends the Slice the Pie, you can receive 20% of all their review earnings for 60 days and 10% after that. If you want to join Slice the Pie, you can use my referral link by clicking here or click the bottom below to join:

http://slicethepie.com/join/U696EA40

Floral Prints in Fashion

Spring is the perfect time to wear floral prints in fashion. Here is some floral inspiration I love.

Floral print dresses, like this green and white floral dress, are great for spring. 

These four looks are perfect for spring. The second look is from Delightfully Tacky. 

Try adding a a fun floral skirt to your outfit.

Here are some more spring floral dresses.

How do you like to wear floral print? 

Autism Awareness: Fashion and Beauty

This entry is part of Autism Awareness Month. Autism is a developmental disorder that impairs the ability to communicate and interact with other people. Autism Awareness Month is a nationwide effort that helps promote autism awareness.

Did you know you can do different beauty and fashion looks to promote autism awareness? Try some of the clever ideas below that incorporate the official autism awareness puzzle shapes and colors in to fashionable looks.

These looks are creative and fun. The eye makeup on the left uses gel eye liner and bright colored eye shadows to make the official autism awareness puzzle pieces. The puzzle lips on the right use bright colors to form a bold puzzle look.

The nail art on the left uses a dot effect with the official autism awareness colors. The nail art on the top right uses blue color on all the nails and the official autism puzzle on the ring finger. On the  bottom right, the nails are all blue with one puzzle piece in white on the ring finger. This is a simple way to add autism awareness to your nails.

How about wearing some clothes that help promote autism awareness? The Women’s Puzzle Piece Hip Wrap T-Shirt ($17) uses a bright blue color and has a v-neck style. This Different Not Less Crew Shirt ($24) on the right is great for men and has a saying that helps promote awareness of autism.

How about adding a nice scarf to your outfit with the autism puzzle symbol? The Autism Awareness Scarf ($12) on the left uses the official autism fabric. It is an easy way to add awareness to any outfit. The Autism Awareness Infinity Scarf ($20) uses text that says “imagine” and different colored puzzle pieces.

How would you promote autism awareness?

Pantone Color of the Year: Rose Quartz and Serenity

Every year, Pantone chooses a color of the year. I like that they chose a pastel combination this year and had two colors instead of one. The lighter tones are different from the darker red marsala color from last year. Try using makeup in Pantone’s pastel colors. Use Rock the Boat and Pink About It by Essie on your nails. You can paint half your nails pink and the other blue or using the opposite color on your ring finger. Eyeshadow by MAC in colors Yogurt and Moon Reflection has similar colors to Pantone’s choices. The Nude Pink Blush by Bobbi Brown  is one of the lightest shades and will give you a natural rose quartz glow.

The pretty pink dress on the left was worn by Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. The blue dress was worn in the Leanne Marshall fashion show.

What do you think of Pantone’s choice this year?

Easter Fashion

Easter is a great time to get dressed up. These are some of my favorite Easter fashion looks.

How about adding Easter eggs or flowers to your hair?

If you love nail art, try one of these looks for Easter. The look on the left from Jin Soon Choi uses pastel blue and pink colors that also fit with Pantone’s Color of the Year. The creative nail art look on the right uses speckled nail polish from ModelsOwn and is inspired by ornate bird egg shells.

Bunny ears are a fun accessory to add to your outfit.

How do you like to dress up for Easter?

Valentine's Day: Fashion and Beauty

Ready to get dressed up for Valentine's Day? Try one of the looks below.

Pops of red or pink are perfect for Valentine's Day. Try adding a bright red skirt to your outfit paired with a lacey pink top. For something that will keep you warmer, layer a red coat over your outfit.

UHearts are a classic way to dress up for Valentine's Day. Look for items with printed hearts. The photo on the left is from Wendy's Lookbook. The outfit on the right, from Little Blonde Book, pairs a heart print sweater with red boots.

These items contain lip prints instead of heart prints. I love the bold pink lip prints on the left. The outfi ton the right pairs a matching red skirt with a lip print sweater.

For makeup, try a classic red lip with winged eye liner.

What are your favorite looks for Valentine's Day?

Christmas Beauty

Get ready for a holiday party or event with these makeup, hairstyle and nail art ideas.

Bold red lips are a classic holiday look. Try pairing with silver eye shadow. (upper left) White eye shadow in the inner corners gives you a winter glow. (upper right) Create an icy cool look with blue eyeshadow (bottom left). Use gold and green to make a smokey eye festive (bottom right). See more makeup ideas on Stylecaster.

Try one of these holiday hairstyles from Daily Makeover. Why not try a fishtail braid in a makeshift bun? (upper left) Pin up curls to create this beautiful up do (upper right). Create elegant waves using a curling iron (bottom left). Add ribbon to a side French braid for a unique look (bottom right).

These nail art ideas are perfect to add a little holiday fun.

What makeup or hairstyles do you wear during the holiday season?