restyled picnic basket

The other night I was laying in bed reading Gentri Lee's blog post about going on a picnic in her family and for some reason my brain suddenly clicked (perhaps it was the adorable picnic basket and her pink headband-we can't be sure). I ran into the other room and grabbed my old crummy picnic basket (seen here) and immediately got to work. At that moment I didn't seem to mind that it was already 30 minutes past my bedtime and I had to teach children in the morning-this was important. I grabbed my paints and some paint brushes and got to work. I did about two coats of pink around the outside in order to cover up the dark green. I then took an old sharpie and drew the shape I wanted on the lid of my basket and filled it in with white paint. I have been loving black and white geometric prints for some time so I decided to do some triangles on the top. I love the way it turned out.  The nice thing about this basket is that I found it at a thrift store for only 50 cents. It is nice to not have to worry too much about screwing something up because it didn't cost very much initially. You can take some pretty crummy thrift finds and turn them into gold, in my opinion. Yes, this basket may still have a few dings and bumps, but hey, it adds a little character right? Generally picnics may be thought of as more of a spring activity but the weather has been so beautiful lately and perfect for picnics! Just make sure to grab a blanket if you are going to be out past dark perhaps for some star gazing? what thrifted gems have you fixed up lately? -a clover & a bee (You could ask me how I managed to get the cutest, most photogenic dog in the world and I would have to reply I don't know, I guess I just got lucky!)

The other night I was laying in bed reading Gentri Lee's blog post about going on a picnic in her family and for some reason my brain suddenly clicked (perhaps it was the adorable picnic basket and her pink headband-we can't be sure). I ran into the other room and grabbed my old crummy picnic basket (seen here) and immediately got to work. At that moment I didn't seem to mind that it was already 30 minutes past my bedtime and I had to teach children in the morning-this was important. I grabbed my paints and some paint brushes and got to work. I did about two coats of pink around the outside in order to cover up the dark green. I then took an old sharpie and drew the shape I wanted on the lid of my basket and filled it in with white paint. I have been loving black and white geometric prints for some time so I decided to do some triangles on the top. I love the way it turned out.  The nice thing about this basket is that I found it at a thrift store for only 50 cents. It is nice to not have to worry too much about screwing something up because it didn't cost very much initially. You can take some pretty crummy thrift finds and turn them into gold, in my opinion. Yes, this basket may still have a few dings and bumps, but hey, it adds a little character right? Generally picnics may be thought of as more of a spring activity but the weather has been so beautiful lately and perfect for picnics! Just make sure to grab a blanket if you are going to be out past dark perhaps for some star gazing? what thrifted gems have you fixed up lately? -a clover & a bee (You could ask me how I managed to get the cutest, most photogenic dog in the world and I would have to reply I don't know, I guess I just got lucky!)

Our favorite crafts recap

In an attempt to inspire our creative sides and to celebrate our blog's six month birthday (it was on July 1... oops), we have decided to review some of our favorite crafts we have done so far on a clover & a bee!  Bleach Dipped Plaid Button Up- we got really excited about bleach for awhile there...My dorm smelled constantly of bleach. This bleach dipped plaid shirt turned out really well and we got a good laugh because people thought that I was pregnant due to some odd camera angles...

Glitter Dipped Mason Jars- we love all things shiny and involving mason jars (usually) so making a glitter dipped mason jar seemed inevitable. We loved the ways it turned out-Our toothbrushes look so fancy in it! Bleach Dipped Levi Shorts-Its true, we pretty much live in our Levi shorts. Thus the need to own several pairs that look slightly different so we experimented with bleach and added a few studs. Cute right? Cat Print Dress-We don't own a cat and may be slightly allergic, but cats are just to cute to leave out of the crafting fun. we used an apple to print little cat heads all over one of our dresses and love the way it turned out. Heart Print Table Cloth- During our Valentines themed week we made our own heart print table cloth using, you guessed it, an apple! This process of printing is our new favorite. Embroidered Cocktail Napkins- Wiping your face is so much more fun when wiping it with cute fabric with adorable phrases hand stitched into them. Its true, this is a real testimony. This was such a simple DIY for making your table just a little cuter. Crochet Skirt- In the winter we lived in these crochet skirts! They are adorable paired with a big chunky sweater and some tights. Turns out they are also pretty simple to make (that is if you have atleast some sewing experience!) Here is to another six months (and then some) of crafting! Hope you guys are having fun with us! - Leah and Erin

In an attempt to inspire our creative sides and to celebrate our blog's six month birthday (it was on July 1... oops), we have decided to review some of our favorite crafts we have done so far on a clover & a bee!  Bleach Dipped Plaid Button Up- we got really excited about bleach for awhile there...My dorm smelled constantly of bleach. This bleach dipped plaid shirt turned out really well and we got a good laugh because people thought that I was pregnant due to some odd camera angles...

Glitter Dipped Mason Jars- we love all things shiny and involving mason jars (usually) so making a glitter dipped mason jar seemed inevitable. We loved the ways it turned out-Our toothbrushes look so fancy in it! Bleach Dipped Levi Shorts-Its true, we pretty much live in our Levi shorts. Thus the need to own several pairs that look slightly different so we experimented with bleach and added a few studs. Cute right? Cat Print Dress-We don't own a cat and may be slightly allergic, but cats are just to cute to leave out of the crafting fun. we used an apple to print little cat heads all over one of our dresses and love the way it turned out. Heart Print Table Cloth- During our Valentines themed week we made our own heart print table cloth using, you guessed it, an apple! This process of printing is our new favorite. Embroidered Cocktail Napkins- Wiping your face is so much more fun when wiping it with cute fabric with adorable phrases hand stitched into them. Its true, this is a real testimony. This was such a simple DIY for making your table just a little cuter. Crochet Skirt- In the winter we lived in these crochet skirts! They are adorable paired with a big chunky sweater and some tights. Turns out they are also pretty simple to make (that is if you have atleast some sewing experience!) Here is to another six months (and then some) of crafting! Hope you guys are having fun with us! - Leah and Erin

DIY bleached & studded jean shorts

Finally some almost spring weather! To celebrate, we made these adorable bleach dipped & studded jean shorts. First of all, you cannot go wrong with a pair of cut off levi's and adding bleach and studs to them? Mmm... perfect.

You'll need: A pair of shorts (we suggest levi's), bleach, a bucket or bowl, and studs.



I rigged up a pretty nifty little contraption with my bucket and a hanger that ended up working really well. I hung my shorts from the hanger and filled up the bucket with bleach water so that it hit the shorts about half way up. I then let them sit for several hours, until they were as light as I wanted them to be. (May we suggest using the rest of your bleach water to clean your bathroom? Leah did this, and was able to clean up her dorm showers after they were caked with mud from mudslam).

Once your shorts are done give them a good wash in the ole' washing machine and dry them. You can then add your studs in any design you like! I did a line across each back pocket and a couple in the front.




We seriously love how they turned out! Since we share clothes, we can't wait to wear them all of the time this summer. We will of course have to take turns, so hopefully it won't lead to any arguments:). Sharing clothes is awesome! Erin and I are so excited to move into our apartment (NEXT WEEK!) and have each other and each other's closets so close!

What are you excited to wear now that the weather is nice?

-e plus l

Finally some almost spring weather! To celebrate, we made these adorable bleach dipped & studded jean shorts. First of all, you cannot go wrong with a pair of cut off levi's and adding bleach and studs to them? Mmm... perfect.

You'll need: A pair of shorts (we suggest levi's), bleach, a bucket or bowl, and studs.



I rigged up a pretty nifty little contraption with my bucket and a hanger that ended up working really well. I hung my shorts from the hanger and filled up the bucket with bleach water so that it hit the shorts about half way up. I then let them sit for several hours, until they were as light as I wanted them to be. (May we suggest using the rest of your bleach water to clean your bathroom? Leah did this, and was able to clean up her dorm showers after they were caked with mud from mudslam).

Once your shorts are done give them a good wash in the ole' washing machine and dry them. You can then add your studs in any design you like! I did a line across each back pocket and a couple in the front.




We seriously love how they turned out! Since we share clothes, we can't wait to wear them all of the time this summer. We will of course have to take turns, so hopefully it won't lead to any arguments:). Sharing clothes is awesome! Erin and I are so excited to move into our apartment (NEXT WEEK!) and have each other and each other's closets so close!

What are you excited to wear now that the weather is nice?

-e plus l

DIY recycled sweater pillow

Not going to lie, we were going to share some pretty awesome shorts that we made today, but for some reason it just felt wrong to share something so springy and fun on such a cold and miserable day. I swear, Kansas likes to fool us all. Plus the shorts are still wet from the wash last night and it would have been pretty uncomfortable to model them to take cute pictures. So instead we bring you the recycled sweater pillow.

This craft is great for when spring finally hits (or hit at one point and turned back into winter) and you are able to go through your winter sweaters and decide to get rid of some.

You'll need: An old sweater, scissors, a sewing machine, and stuffing.




You'll first need to take your sweater and lay it out flat on the ground (or if you live in a real home with a work table, lay it flat there) and cut across the front of the sweater right under the sleeves.

I then sewed along the opening with the buttons to ensure that no stuffing would come sneaking out of in between them once it was finished.

Then turn your sweater inside out and sew along the top and the bottom. Make sure to leave a hole on one corner for a place to add the stuffing. Next turn it inside out, stuff it, and sew up your hole!



^^don't fret! Your favorite old sweater will be just as snuggly once in pillow form!^^



This is the first of many pillows we are making for our new apartment. We can't wait to start moving in in 13 days!

For the rest of your sweater, Elsie and Emma over at A Beautiful Mess have some great DIY's for old sweaters, such as this one and this one.

-e plus l 

Not going to lie, we were going to share some pretty awesome shorts that we made today, but for some reason it just felt wrong to share something so springy and fun on such a cold and miserable day. I swear, Kansas likes to fool us all. Plus the shorts are still wet from the wash last night and it would have been pretty uncomfortable to model them to take cute pictures. So instead we bring you the recycled sweater pillow.

This craft is great for when spring finally hits (or hit at one point and turned back into winter) and you are able to go through your winter sweaters and decide to get rid of some.

You'll need: An old sweater, scissors, a sewing machine, and stuffing.




You'll first need to take your sweater and lay it out flat on the ground (or if you live in a real home with a work table, lay it flat there) and cut across the front of the sweater right under the sleeves.

I then sewed along the opening with the buttons to ensure that no stuffing would come sneaking out of in between them once it was finished.

Then turn your sweater inside out and sew along the top and the bottom. Make sure to leave a hole on one corner for a place to add the stuffing. Next turn it inside out, stuff it, and sew up your hole!



^^don't fret! Your favorite old sweater will be just as snuggly once in pillow form!^^



This is the first of many pillows we are making for our new apartment. We can't wait to start moving in in 13 days!

For the rest of your sweater, Elsie and Emma over at A Beautiful Mess have some great DIY's for old sweaters, such as this one and this one.

-e plus l 

DIY polka dot jean shorts

We have been absolutely loving the new printed denim trend circling around Pinterest these days. The other day Leah actually snagged her first pair of floral pants and had been loving them ever since (Leah's boyfriend David isn't as big of a fan...she could tell by how big his eyes got when she walked in his house..haha).

Polka dots is one of our favorites of these prints. We love polka dots no matter where they are, so we decided to test out our polka dotting skills again and make ourselves some adorable jean shorts. Here is how we did it:

You'll need: fabric (or acrylic) paint, an old pair of jean shorts, and a sponge (or other round object) we found ours at Walmart, though you could also use the apple technique.



All you need to do is take your sponge, lather it up with paint, and begin polka-dotting! We recommend testing your skills on some scratch paper before starting on your actual shorts. Before starting you will also need to decide how big you want your polka dots, how close or far apart you want them to be, and if you want them to be in a regular or sporadic pattern. Once you have finished the front side and let it dry before flipping it over and starting the other side.

Once your shorts are completely dry you can wear them and enjoy! We absolutely have loved sporting these around. They make for the perfect spring outfit.

-e plus l

We have been absolutely loving the new printed denim trend circling around Pinterest these days. The other day Leah actually snagged her first pair of floral pants and had been loving them ever since (Leah's boyfriend David isn't as big of a fan...she could tell by how big his eyes got when she walked in his house..haha).

Polka dots is one of our favorites of these prints. We love polka dots no matter where they are, so we decided to test out our polka dotting skills again and make ourselves some adorable jean shorts. Here is how we did it:

You'll need: fabric (or acrylic) paint, an old pair of jean shorts, and a sponge (or other round object) we found ours at Walmart, though you could also use the apple technique.



All you need to do is take your sponge, lather it up with paint, and begin polka-dotting! We recommend testing your skills on some scratch paper before starting on your actual shorts. Before starting you will also need to decide how big you want your polka dots, how close or far apart you want them to be, and if you want them to be in a regular or sporadic pattern. Once you have finished the front side and let it dry before flipping it over and starting the other side.

Once your shorts are completely dry you can wear them and enjoy! We absolutely have loved sporting these around. They make for the perfect spring outfit.

-e plus l

Glitter Peter Pan Collar DIY

We have already posted a Peter Pan Collar DIY with doilies but when we saw this DIY for Glitter Peter Pan Collars, well, we just had to do it. We were so inspired it literally jumped to the front of our to do list as well as to the top of our list of scheduled posts.




And here is the finished product- along with some outfit pictures from today. Erin is also wearing the crochet skirt we made a couple weeks ago.








We absolutely love how it turned out! Thanks for the inspiration Armommy! (Armommy is a blog that Leah has been following for awhile. They post really cute DIY's as well as other things. If you haven't heard of them before you should probably check them out) You can get the full DIY with instructions and pictures on their blog.

Don't forget to enter our giveaway!

 -e+l.

We have already posted a Peter Pan Collar DIY with doilies but when we saw this DIY for Glitter Peter Pan Collars, well, we just had to do it. We were so inspired it literally jumped to the front of our to do list as well as to the top of our list of scheduled posts.




And here is the finished product- along with some outfit pictures from today. Erin is also wearing the crochet skirt we made a couple weeks ago.








We absolutely love how it turned out! Thanks for the inspiration Armommy! (Armommy is a blog that Leah has been following for awhile. They post really cute DIY's as well as other things. If you haven't heard of them before you should probably check them out) You can get the full DIY with instructions and pictures on their blog.

Don't forget to enter our giveaway!

 -e+l.