Vintage Dress Redone

“Finally my fabric hoarding proved to be useful!”

Years ago I fell in love with this dress on Etsy and asked the tailor to save every last bit of fabric that he could. I wore it to my 25th birthday party, which was just as epic as this dress.

"If I were hosting a game show at my house I guess it would’ve been appropriate"

The cut is TERRIBLE right?! But the fabric, the mesh front, and the back out were enough to overlook the 10lbs of tulle in the shoulders alone. I had never seen anything like it.

Anyway, this post isn’t about the dress but it is about this pillow that I am OBSESSED with.

I love that the fabric is not only beautiful but has so many great memories tied to it. I’ve been phasing out a lot of old shit that I still have from college and beyond mainly because my style is different, but I like holding on to just a few things like this.

Home Update | Living Area, Kitchen Island

My oh my how a coat of paint can transform a place, whew! So I’m a little undecided. I knew that for the main color in my living area I wanted a very light close to white color to brighten up the room. The previous color was this flat matte beigey color with a pink hue, sort of like salmon and it needed to be updated desperately. I am still working out what other two colors I am going to use for accents, because this space definitely needs to be broken up a bit with wall color. I’ll work on that later.

Now I feel good enough about it to mount the tv and begin to hang my art up on the walls. I have to admit when I first moved into my condo I was afraid to put anything in the walls. I didn't want to ruin anything. Ha! I’m hella over that now and I’ve been diving in

I will most likely paint the island a different color but for now it is the base color that I used for the rest of the walls. I’ve been stalking lots of cool geometric, black and white designs/shapes online with the intention of either painting the island or one of my bathroom walls with a pattern.

Recently I was put on to washi tape by jewelery designer Rachel Stewart and figured this would be a much better alternative while I work out what I really want to do with all the walls.

I also added bar hooks that I picked up at home depot for about $3 for a pack of two. It’s such a cute little accent and my place it small so it is a great space saving solution for when I have my girls over.

Small space solution: Add bar hooks to your kitchen island.

This whole update was super cheap. I may of may not be using every bit of restraint I have not to washi every damn wall! The best part is that I can change it without too much fuss.

Hooray for my my new island. :)

One Mo’ Gin: DIY D’angelo Inspired Bar Light

Pour yourself a drink and listen to this.

D’angelo’s lyrics always manage to capture small but significant romantic details. THIS is what I love most about his music. I thought a small bar light would be a great detail to make the bar shelf into more of an bar area and tie it into the rest of the decor.

I’ve been researching how to make a bar light to accompany my the shelf. All the tutorials were much too involved. So I came up with a simpler solution, and honestly this meshes much better with the rest of the room.

I was sitting at work when the idea to make this sign hit me. An homage to one of my favorite artists and one of my favorite spirits. One day I may get this made into a real neon light sign, but for now this is giving me everything I need.

What you’ll need

• A picture frame. I used this one 
• Lights. If you do not want the cord to show then get battery operated lights
• Peel away letter decals

I used painters tape to make sure that the letters were aligned. And cut the tail of the “Z” to make the apostrophe.

I used the metal clamps on the back of the frame to secure the lights onto the frame. They can also be glued for a more permanent solutions.

And that’s it!

Things I Love Thursday | 1/29/15

I have a lot to be happy about these days and I come across a lot of cool art/home/style things when I’m trolling the internet for shiny pretty things and I can’t share them all. Things I love Thursday is for me to share what I’m grateful for/happy about and all awesome stuff that inspires me!

I’ve been watching Sherlock a lot recently (the BBC version) and the men usually have the most beautiful decanters in their office or home. I've always been fascinated with decorative containers so this felt like it was right up my alley. I found these amazing decanters on etsy and I-am-obsessed! I need them. All. Plus I feel like they would look brilliant on my bar shelf. Old fashioned anyone? *raised eyebrow*

These three products have literally been saving my skin this winter. My skin is usually very soft and overall healthy but between DC hard water and this disrespectful ass winter wind, I’ve been having a bit more dry skin than I would like. Shea Moisture Coconut Hibiscus Body Scrub, Botanics Face Scrub, and Caudalíe Vinoperfect Enzymatic Peel Mask.

A photo posted by Mariama (@brownbelle) on Jan 11, 2015 at 4:20pm PST

This paleo bread is so yummy. I don’t eat much bread, but I have been eating a slice of this stuff everyday for two weeks and counting. Its super easy to make and easily customizable. I think that I have mastered the recipe so I will be sharing that soon! 

I recently went to the Gordon Parks: Segregation Story exhibit at the High Museum in Atlanta and fell in love with the photography. I knew I wanted to grab a book on my way out and I ended up picking this photo book and I can stop looking at it. There are a lot of books/articles about our story but these images really just speak to me. Link to photo book

I’m dying to change the tile in my bathroom so I’ve been taking note of amazing tile when I’m out. I was getting drinks with friends last Tuesday and this establishment had THE most amazing tile! Black, white and gold…yes please.

If I were a store it would look a lot like this. I need everything from this place. Literally ever-ry-thing. I’m not sure where I would put everything exactly, but I need it. Salt and Sundry

D’angelo. Love. Still. As seen here. I have a few D’angelo inspired DIY projects that I will post soon, I know you’ll love ‘em. Insert wet emoji.

These earrings. http://goo.gl/4N18TN

This bar cart is perfection. http://goo.gl/A4t5hp

What’s making you happy this week?

DIY Gold Fish-scale Wall Art

Now that I’ve got most of my place painted, I’m spending time on the smaller details of the decor. I am obsessed with adding texture to each room in subtle and not so subtle ways.

For my bedroom I choose a jewel tone palette and I want the vibe to be rich and sexy in color, texture and overall vibe. I’ve done this by mixing modern and natural accents and lots of saturated fabrics both solid and patterns.

This scaled piece has been on my list for a while now. I’ve had several ideas on how I want it to look. I considered making it a headboard, doing a trio of square pieces, etc. but when I saw this frame in salvation army I knew that I wanted to use it for this project.

I saw the original project on pinterest, which uses slightly different materials. I used what I had.

I highly recommend buying a circle cutter for this project versus hand cutting the circles. You really want them to be precise and it will go by much faster.

What you’ll need

• A frame or plywood
• Circle cutter 
• Glue gun
• Craft paper
• Poster paper
• Tape
• Spray paint

How it’s done
I bought bunch of poster board from the dollar store and used the circle cutter to make 4” circles. You can make them big or small, I think smaller circles look much better.

Then I covered the frame with craft paper. I may want to use it for something else later.

Draw out or use tape to create straight lines across the frame.

Use a glue gun to place the circles on the frame starting at the bottom.

Once it is covered leave it overnight to dry.

When it’s completely dry flip it over and cut the round edges off.

Glue the edges done.

In a well ventilated area spray paint the frame. Now, you can use any color you want to match your decor.

This is a fairly simple project, cutting the circles was the most time consuming part.

I’m in love with the finish product. It is just perfect for the tone that I’m setting in my bedroom.

Tips

• Use poster paper! If you use a thinner weight then the circles are more likely to crease.
• Make sure you get under the circles you don't want any white parts showing. 
• Ask a friend to help you hang it. My frame is currently a bit crooked, hanging a frame of this size is definitely a two person job!

5 Simple Steps For Hosting Your First Thanksgiving

 (source)

So it’s your first time hosting Thanksgiving at your place. Maybe it’s just friends, your significant other or even your family coming to town, either way, it doesn’t have to be stressful. Check out these five simple steps to killin’ it this turkey day.

1. Plan ahead

Write everything down, I mean everything! Make a detailed list of the ingredients you will need and then do some digging to see what you may already have at home. Don’t forget about cookware, do you have the right pots and pans? What about serving dishes, folks and knives? Also don’t forget about the aftermath, do you have foil and plastic wrap?

2. Don’t try to do everything yourself

Thanksgiving is all about the potluck! Let people know what you are making and ask them to fill in any gaps. What you should do is, make the staples. Shoot for the main meat dish (turkey, lamb, etc.), stuffing, and one or two big sides, think macaroni and cheese or green beans. Along with place settings, cleaning your place and other prep, you’ll have your hands full.


3. Ask an expert

If there was ever a time to go to specialty and artisan shops and get those fancy things you’ve always had your eye on, this is it! You’re having company, treat them to all of your favorite things and really enhance your meal and leave a lasting impression. Get the right cut of meat, better quality cheese and an excellent wine that will enhance a simple dish.


4. Skip dessert

Buy dessert. Baking is a whole other beast to tame. Find a great bakery or a baking inclined guest and have them take the lead on dessert, a pie or two should do the trick.


5. Leftovers

Go the extra mile to impress your guests and buy extra Tupperware for them to take leftovers home. No one wants collard greens juice all over their car seat, so stop by the dollar store and pick up extra Tupperware its cheap, easy and makes you look pretty brilliant.

Happy hosting! 

If you have questions about what you should cook for any occasion let me know! Leave a comment below or shoot me an email.

Brownbelle’s Thanksgiving Menu

• Turkey Roulade
• Cast Iron Cornbread
• Holiday Spiced Sangria 
• Sage Sweet Mashed Potatoes

DIY Wall Art: Gold Foil

I've REALLY been into metallic tones lately. Gold, silver and bronze accents add richness while remaining neutral. My bedroom will have many more gold accents but for starters I've added a pop of gold with this easy gold foil diy.

You will need:

• About a foot long piece of foil. Start bigger you can always rip it to make it smaller.
• Gold spray paint
• Picture frame

 

Take your foot long piece of foil and crumple it to add texture. 

Carefully un-crumple and spray paint gold. Glue it or tape it down to the background that comes with your frame and voila! 

You can make it into a heart, circle or any shape if you want something that looks a bit more intentional. Simply cut the foil before spray painting.

I plan on hanging this on the wall once I have a few more items to put up, of course I will update you all along the way!

Bedroom Decor Inspo | Jewel Tones and Texture

Most of the focus for my home has been on getting my living room/kitchen/dining situated.  It's kind of an odd shape so I struggled with how I want to arrange everything. My bedroom has definitely been neglected in this process, I've been thinking of ways to add more color, texture and dimension to the space. I've been taking my time embracing the space and really choosing pieces that I love. Plus your girl has a mortgage now, so I need to ball on a budget.

Strangely I've been loving the modern minimalist look in my room, a big change from the past. I've always been drawn to color and I am not afraid to use it! This time around I'd like to keep the base palette very neutral with clean whites and creams with rich colorful details. I want it to be sexy, done up but not busy and bright.

I want to create a modern feature wall instead of a headboard. Something bright, jewel toned and very high gloss.

For my bed I really want to focus on texture. I've spent an embarrassing amount of time looking at photos on Pinterest after work last week for some inspiration. I can't wait to dive in, although it sure is hard not to get side tracked by all the beautiful inspiration on Pinterest!

xoxo, Mariama

Infused: Ginger Gin and Rosemary/Berry Vodka

A few months ago gin mules started popping up on bar menus and I couldn't resist. I freaking love all things ginger and the mules inspired me to infuse some delicious gin with ginger. In the second bottle I wanted to try my hand in emulating one of my favorites from Boston. There was an awesome restaurant near my old job called Silvertone. They make this amazing raspberry vodka from scratch. Each time the flavor is different and more delicious than the last.

This vodka will not be as good as Silvertone (ha!), but it will be very very tasty. The best part is that the flavor becomes more intense as the liquor sits with the ingredients. 

It’s super simple to make and would be a great last minute gift for fathers day, if your dad enjoys a mixed drink. You can switch up the flavors to match your taste. 

I had leftover paint sample papers, which turned out to be perfect for bottle labels. 

Enjoy!

Ingredients

Ginger Gin

• Gin
• Zest of two limes
• 1/4 cup sugar or to taste
• About a 3” piece of ginger diced and peeled 

Use as little or as much ginger as you want. Over time the flavor will get more intense, you can always add more. 

Rosemary/Berry Vodka

• Frozen or fresh berries
• 1/4 cup sugar or to taste
• 3 sprigs rosemary

DIY Herringbone Black & White Mirror

The walls in my condo are very bare. I've been taking my time deciding what to put on the walls and admittedly a little scared to drill holes. Welp I'm over it! I am much to lazy to paint right now so I am hoping my craving for color will be satisfied with diy art, photos and prints.

I saw this Threshold Herringbone Mirror on the Target website and fell in love. I already had a mirror and sample paints from Home Depot so I figured I could pull this one off pretty easily.

What you'll need:

Mirror

Two contrasting paint colors

painters tape

paint brush

1. Clean the surfaces to prep for paint.

2. Paint everything white or the lightest color. Let it dry completely.

Tip: I put tape around the mirror, but in hindsight it would've been much easier to just remove the mirror from the frame.

3. Place tape on the parts you want to stay white and paint the rest black.

4. Let dry completely and hang!

Remixing a Kitchen Staple: DIY Paint Dipped Wooden Spoons

Remixing a Kitchen Staple: Wooden Spoons

I am a pop of color super fan. When I saw these on Etsy I knew I had to remix them. I've amassed quite a selection of sample house paints from Home Depot which I used to complete this project.

A few things before you get started: Keep paint away from the parts that will be near your food. You can add a food safe shellac top coat if you want, but I would recommend hand washing and still keeping paint away from the parts food will touch.

Let's get to it.

Things you will need

Spoons of your choice
Paint 
Finishing gloss (optional)
Painters Tape (optional)
Paint Brush 

Tape off where you want the paint to end.

Dip/paint spoons or a little of both. 

Get creative with paint options.

 Dry the the spoons on a baking sheet on top of a small long box.

 

They will take at least a full day to dry, but I would let them sit for a bit longer to make sure that everything is completely dry. I definitely impatiently checked the spoons and had to repaint. 

Tada! 

I'm in love with the finish product, let me know if you try it out.

Gift Ideas 
This would be a great addition to a gift basket. You can customize them for many occasions. 

• Wedding gift: Suit and dress themed spoons.
• House warming: Color scheme or food themed (citrus, veggies, etc.).
• Greek Inspired: Paint them using fraternity or sorority colors.