The Domestic Diva » Fashioned!

Back to School DIY Tote, Shirt, & Shoes: Notebook Paper Inspired Fashions

The Domestic Diva — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 14:30:11 +0000

The other day while browsing my favorite site, Pinterest, I came across an inspiring picture of a shirt that looked like Notebook Paper. Since it’s Back to School time for us I thought the project would be perfect to recreate around this time. I grabbed my favorite fabric markers, Stained by Sharpie, and started brainstorming. I wanted a complete Back to School, notebook paper inspired outfit. So I grabbed a plain tote bag from my closet, a pair of canvas shoes, and one of my husband’s old plain white tee’s. Then the fun began….

Inspired by: Maybe Matilda’s painted Notebook paper shirt found on u-createcrafts.com via the Domestic Diva on Pinterest
With just a ruler, Stained by Sharpie markers (the red, blue, & black), scissors, and “canvas” I got to recreating the look. Looking at a regular sheet of notebook paper as my guide, I recreated the look on the shirt, shoes, and bag paying close attention to the details of leaving more space at the top and adding in the circles for the “holes”.

With the shirt, since it was my husband’s, I decided to cut out the collar and shorten the sleeves by cutting them in half, since I’m obsessed with 80’s inspired cut off shirts. I also drew on both sides of the shirt, so it will be one continuous design.

The other day I wore my complete outfit and my oldest son looked at me and said “Mama, you look like a sheet of paper”. I smiled and looked down at him and said “Exactly! Isn’t it fabulous!”. He grinned and said “Yeah, it’s like back to school clothes”. *giggles* He’s so sweet. So since I got the “thumbs up” approval from my little ones I thought I would share with all of you my DIY Back to School outfit.

Disclosure: I am a brand advocate for Sharpie by being a Sharpie Squad 2010 participant. I receive product from Sharpie to use, and in return share my opinions of Sharpie’s new happenings in blog posts like these. All opinions are 100% my own.

First Day of School Outfit Challenge (sponsored)

The Domestic Diva — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 03:38:35 +0000

I was given the challenge by Walmart as one of the Walmart Moms to see if I could find a back to school outfit for under $50. I thought one outfit would be easy so I wanted to see how far I could stretch my dollar so I personally challenged myself to see if I could find 3 “first day of school” outfits for the boys and I. Even though we homeschool, we still like to “dress up” on the first day of school and take pictures as well as when we go out for playdates or field trips throughout the year.

So with my giftcard provided I headed out to my local Walmart to see what I could find. The first thing I noticed is there is a lot of clearance in the apparel department right now, mostly summer items but some things could easily transition into fall. But we will get to that later.

First up, I tried to find two outfits for my little ones so I headed over to the kids department. I found two pair of Faded Glory jeans with stretch elastic waistband for only $8.92. I also found 2 Faded Glory Striped Polos for only $5 each! Two matching outfits for the boys on their first day of school.

Now over to women’s apparel. There I was able to pick up a pair of No Boundaries Skinny Jeans in dark wash for only $9.88. That is a great deal for denim!!! To pair with the Skinny Jeans I wanted a top with some length on it, something that would help transition from summer to fall. I could have easily picked up a plain tee but stumbled upon this Miss Tina Knit Panel Woven Tunic on clearance for only $7.00 (originally priced $15) which looked to be the perfect thing for the “first day of school outfit”. Paired with a $3 (clearance priced) beaded ribbon necklace, this outfit is simple yet stylish perfect for the first day of homeschool, playdate, field trip, or even a night class.

So for around $50 at Walmart I was able to pick up 3 outfits for me and my boys to wear on our first day of school.

What is your favorite place to shop for back to school gear?

Disclosure: I am a Walmart Mom. This post is sponsored by Walmart. I have been compensated for my time and efforts in creating this post as well as given a gift card to cover the cost of the products mentioned in this post. As always my participation is voluntary and opinions are my own.

I Can’t Stop Cutting (Obsessed with 80’s Style Tshirts)

The Domestic Diva — Sun, 08 May 2011 02:34:47 +0000

I’m a child of the 80’s, it runs through my blood. I’m a fan of 80’s music and most of all a fan of the 80’s style. Neon colors, leggings, flats, chucks, and even a scrunchy or two. I love it all!

In honor of the 80’s fashion, I’ve taken the scissors to some of my old t-shirts. Do you remember the style of the off the shoulder look? It’s really easy to create. All one has to do is cut the natural neckline of the t-shirt off, pull (the cut neck of the shirt) in either direction to create “the curl”, and there ya go, a quick and easy way to add a new look to an old tee.

I love doing this to old tshirts that I’ve had for years but the 80’s fun doesn’t stop there. T-shirts that my husband has ruined for whatever reason have been reclaimed (and not thrown in the trash) making a great addition to my closet.

What do you think of the 80’s?

Budget Friendly Valentines Day Inspired Outfit from Walmart (Video)

The Domestic Diva — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 21:14:17 +0000

I mentioned the other day about how instead of going out for Valentine’s Day this year we are opting to stay in with our Dinner and a movie theme. But this doesn’t mean that I can’t dress up, right?

With the help of Walmart I went in-store to see what great budget friendly fashions I could find to put together a Valentine’s Day look for less.

My local Walmart is having a great clearance sale right now and just about every item I chose for my Valentine’s look was on clearance!!! The entire outfit including shoes and accessoires is averaged to be on around $30-$35.

Do you have your outfit picked out for Valentine’s Day?

Are you wearing anything special?

Let us know your Valentine’s Day plans in the comment section below.

Disclosure: I am a Walmart Mom. I have been provided with compensated for my time and efforts in creating this video and blog post. I was provided a giftcard for the purchases of the items seen in this video. My participation in this group is voluntary and as always opinions are my own. I have not been paid or told what to say.
That is all.

DIY: How to make Feather Earrings

The Domestic Diva — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 05:11:08 +0000

I’ve been having so much fun learning how to create my own jewelry. A couple of weekends ago I tackled learning how to make my own feather earrings. Not only are these adorable and so easy to make (in my opinion) but they are very customizable. They are also frugal to make as gifts (we’re thinking Christmas gifts next year).

It is probably best to watch the how-to video above on how to make the earrings. I’m a visual person and always enjoy watching someone do it than read instructions on the process. But if you can’t watch the video right now, I’ve written out the instructions below the best that I could. Hope it is easy to follow along.

Things you’ll need to make feather earrings:

craft/plastic feathers (I found a bag of feathers in the kids craft section at a local craft store, they have a variety of different colors even peacock feathers as well)
some earring loops (when you buy these at the craft store they usually come with a bunch so you can make a bunch of different earrings-money saver)
bendable jewelry wire (also something that comes in many different colors, I used what I had on hand which was just a muted silver color)
needle nose pliers (again, something I already had on hand)
additional embellishments if you want like charms, chains, etc.

How-to Instructions:

First pick out your feather. Whatever type or length of feather you want to use is up to you. Most craft feathers have long stems on them so you will need to cut down the plastic part till there is just a small bit showing.
Next cut your flexible jewelry wire. It needs to be fairly long as you will be wrapping this around the top of the feather. You can always cut off any excess after you are finished assembling the earring.
Take your jewelry wire and make a loop on one end of it. Pair it next to the top of the feather. Pinch the jewelry wire with the loop hanging above the feather together and then begin to wrap the wire around the top of the feather covering all of the plastic stem part.
Once all of the plastic is covered you can secure the end of the wire by pinching it to the top of the feather or you can cut it off.
Next take one of your earring loops and with your pliers open up the ring end.
Slip your finished feather onto the earring loop and then close the loop with the pliers
And there you have it a finished feather earring. You can proceed to make the other earring or just make the one.

Have you tried making your own jewelry? What is your most favorite piece you’ve ever made?

This post has been linked in several link-up parties around the web. You can check out more craft projects on these sites as well:

Kuzaks Closet | I Heart Naptime | Heather Now | The DIY Showoff | Keeping it Simple | Sew Can Do | Skip to My Lou | It’s So Very Cheri | Sumo Sweet Stuff | Mad in Crafts

I’m Topsy Turvy | Craft Edition | Today’s Creative Blog | My Delicious Ambiguity | Hope Studios

Someday Crafts | Blue Cricket Design | Sew Much Ado | The Trendy Treehouse

Last Minute Gift Idea: Heely’s HX2 for Adults and Kids

The Domestic Diva — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 12:42:38 +0000

Since it’s crunch time and down to the wire, here is our last gift idea. I mentioned in a previous post that I had the opportunity to try out a pair of Classic Heely’s. It was a bit of challenge learning how to “skate” with them but once I found my balance it ended up being rather fun. Well Heely’s also provided me and my son a sample of their newest line of Heely’s called the HX2. What is a HX2? It’s like Classic Heely’s but only better. Each shoe instead of having one wheel in the heel now has two wheels for better control and in my opinion easier rolling.

After learning to skate with the Classic Heely’s I wanted to see what the difference would be to skate with 2 wheels. Immediately I could see a difference in the Classic Heely’s and the HX2. I can’t really say which one I like better because they both have their own perks. The HX2 version was a bit harder to go from walking to skating than the Classic Heely’s were. Maybe it was because I had been practicing with the Classic Heely’s for so long and just got used to lifting my “guide foot” in such a way so that I would stay on the heel. Because the HX2 has two wheels there isn’t much of a need to bring the guide foot up as far as one would with the Classic style on. If you watch the two videos I made of me using Heely’s you will see what I’m talking about just watch the angle of my front foot in both videos.

Along with the pair of HX2’s that Heely’s sent me they also sent a pair for my oldest son to try out. He just turned 6 and has never had the opportunity to skate before. Just like how I started out, we’ve been doing a lot of practice. I think it is easier for him to learn with the 2 wheels versus a pair that would have 1 wheel in them. He hasn’t gotten past the hold onto Mommy/wall stage but we are getting there. If the weather would play nice (it’s either been too cold or raining) we would be able to get out there more. I know this is just a little bump in the road though and pretty soon he’ll be skating all over the place. Oh and btw, he totally thinks its the coolest thing for both him and I to have the same kind of shoes :)

The HX2’s feel a bit more like a skate to me than the Classic Heely’s did probably due to the fact that there is more “wheel coverage” on the bottom of the foot. You also have to be conscience of how you walk making sure you stay on the ball of your foot. For times when you don’t want to skate there is an option to remove the wheels and cover up the holes with a stopper. This is very nice and convenient.

Overall trying out Heely’s for the first time was a very fun experience to have. My son won’t stop raving about his “cool shoes” and I’m happy to have found something that my son and I can learn to do together.

Learn more about Heely’s

Find them on Facebook
Follow on Twitter
Watch videos on YouTube
Visit their official site at Heelys.com

Disclosure: Heely’s provided me and my son with a pair of Heely’s HX2 to help facilitate my review of the shoes. All opinions of the shoes are my own. I have not been told what to say or write. I was not paid for my review. My experience may vary from others. I am not a professional nor an expert in anyway. At the advice of Heely’s, always use protective gear while wearing/using Heely’s.

Transition to Winter with Old Navys Cozy Style

The Domestic Diva — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 04:46:12 +0000

Brrr, it’s getting cold out there. With Thanksgiving just a week away, winter is going to be in full swing before we know it. Last month I shared with you my Old Navy picks for transitioning into Fall. This month I want to share items that will help you transition into winter. When I think of winter the number one thing I think of is a warm winter coat.

I took advantage of a recent Facebook coupon Old Navy had last month and got 50% off an outwear piece of my choice. There were many cute styles to choose from. It really was a hard decision to make. I think I deliberated all day before I finally decided on just one. What did I choose? Where I live we rarely see snow, so I didn’t need a very heavy, weather resistant coat. But rather just something to pull on as I head out the door. My main concern was trying to find something that would go with the majority of my wardrobe. I choose the White Moleskin Double-Breasted Jacket. I love it! Not too heavy and not too light. Just what I needed.

After finding the perfect jacket it was onto finding some more cozy sweaters. Winter and a good sweater to me go hand in hand. I love the combination of wearing a long sweater with leggings or skinny jeans and a great pair of boots.

So my Old Navy Picks for transitioning into winter are:
1. A Great Coat
2. Cozy Sweaters
3. Rockin’ Boots

To help give you a more of a visual, I put together a couple polyvore collages of some of my favorite Old Navy picks.

Picking up the Kids in Comfortable Style





Casual Playdate by thedomesticdiva featuring a top zip shoulder bag


Old Navy Womens V-Neck Logo Tees, $10
Old Navy Womens Jersey Lounge Hoodies, $20
Old Navy Womens Lightweight Jersey Lounge Pants, $13
Old Navy Womens Running Tanks, $17
Old Navy Womens Mesh Suede-Trim Sneakers, $20
Old Navy Womens Workout Duffle Bags, $13

Casual Earthtones in Plum are Super Cozy





Earthtone Day Look by thedomesticdiva featuring cargo pants


Old Navy Womens Gradient-Stripe Jersey Tees, $15
Old Navy Womens Shawl-Collar Cocoon Cardigans, $20
Old Navy Womens Ankle-Zip Skinny Cargos, $35
Old Navy Womens Sweater Boots, $35
Old Navy Womens Dangle Earrings, $7.50
Old Navy Womens Peacock Feather Necklaces, $8.50

Picks for a Rockin’ Night out on the Town





Rockin Night Out by thedomesticdiva featuring black jewelry


Old Navy Womens Swing Coat Sweaters, $40
Old Navy Womens Roll-Up Camp Shirts, $25
Old Navy Womens Double-Breasted Moleskin Jackets, $50
Old Navy Womens Ruched Leggings, $10
Old Navy Womens Ballet Flats, $20
Old Navy Womens Multi-Tiered Fashion Necklaces, $17
Old Navy Womens Fabric-Accent Necklaces, $15
Old Navy Womens Black Feather Earrings, $7.50
Old Navy Womens Lightweight Ruffle Scarves, $13
Old Navy Womens Sequins Cable-Knit Slouchy Beanies, $13

What are some of your Old Navy picks for the month?

What kind of jacket have you been eyeballing this season?

Disclosure: I am participating in the Old Navy Blogger Subscription Program. I was given a giftcard to use towards my purchases. Participation in the program is voluntary and as always opinions are my own.
Collages were created using Polyvore.com.

Fabulous, Budget Friendly Finds at Old Navy

The Domestic Diva — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 13:52:31 +0000

I was recently asked to participate in Old Navy’s Blogger Subscription Program and share my finds with you guys. Instead of shopping online, with the giftcard I was sent I decided to head in-store to see what deals I could find (plus, let’s face it, I wanted to get some “hands on” experience). My first trip was just to see what all was in stock, what kind of sales they were having, etc. I’m the kind of shopper that has to “think about it” for a while before I make a purchase. So sure enough the next day there were a few items that I just couldn’t get out of my mind. I began picturing outfits in my mind and knew I wanted to take another trip soon. Before I went though, I checked out Old Navy’s facebook page not only to find out what was the item of the week but also to take advantage of their coupons.

Fall has officially begun but that doesn’t mean that the weather has necessarily gotten the memo. I know where I live it is still a bit hot during the day but the nights are definitely getting cooler. What I love about this kind of weather though is the layering options. Since its still on the warm side during the day, I don’t want to wear anything that I will be overly hot in.

My favorite fabric is Jersey. I just love the way it feels. So in my finds you will see lots of Jersey options. (side note: when traveling jersey fabric to me doesn’t take up much room in my suitcase which is a plus).

So on my hunt I wanted to find a couple of outfits. The first I found was a great lounge outfit for running errands, or doing work around the house. The Jersey Lounge Pants and Destination Zip Hoodie were perfectly comfortable but not sloppy looking. I can easily run to the grocery store or a homeschool meetup in this outfit with no problems.

The next piece I chose was something that was versatile. A classic lightweight oxford shirt can be dressed up or down. Pair with some jeggings or dress pants depending on the event. A classic, white button down shirt is something I think everyone should have in their closet.

Back to layering, one of my favorite items to layer are boyfriend cardigans or any cardigan for that matter. Cardigans are lightweight but can easily warm you up as the night begins to cool. Besides layering cardigans with everyday wear, I also like to pair them with dressier items for an evening out. In my find, I paired a white boyfriend cardigan with a teal jersey dress as a date night option.

Last but not least, it is eventually going to get bitterly cold. I found the Cable Knit Tunic on sale a couple weeks back that I can’t wait to snuggle up in this winter. Since the tunic has short sleeves, I opted to pair mine with a basic long sleeve tee and leggings. Look out boots, I’ve got an outfit for you!

This Month’s Old Navy Finds

Cable Knit Tunic

Lightweight Oxford Shirt

Jersey Lounge Pants

Jersey Destination Zip Hoodie

Jersey Dress (I couldn’t find the original dress I found in-store but this would be something I would probably love)

Jersey Boyfriend Cardigan

Lightweight Boyfriend Sweater

Slub Knit Cardigans

I forgot how fabulous Old Navy deals were, especially their clearance. Lookout for additional percentage off sales. My overall experience shopping at Old Navy was a good one, I did run into a few snags with not having my size available in a couple of items that I really liked but other than that my experience was great.

My best advice for shopping at Old Navy

Look out for SALES! Most of the sale items I picked up were at least half off the original price.
Clearance, clearance, clearance Always check clearance, I’m always amazed when I find something in clearance for only a couple of bucks.
Coupons Old Navy has a really great coupon “game” on their facebook page that I would recommend checking out before making your trip in-store.
Take advantage of Item of the Week or limited time sales: occasionally Old Navy has limited time sales (ex. $1 flip flop day) these sales are usually really great deals

Using all of the tips above, I saved $51.83 on one of my trips. I saved more than I spent!!!

What are some of your favorite Old Navy picks for Fall?

Disclosure: I am participating in the Old Navy Blogger Subscription Program. I was given a giftcard to use towards my purchases. Participation in the program is voluntary and as always opinions are my own.

Unique Gift Idea: Personalized Key Chain by Pickled Tink

The Domestic Diva — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 16:17:15 +0000

I had a birthday this past week, actually half of my family had a birthday last week as well which is why I’ve been a little MIA lately. The beginning of August is always a busy time for me not only with birthdays but now preparing for homeschool.

A while back I was approached by a company to give their personalized gifts a try, and what better week to do that than on birthday week! Pickled Tink is a unique company that offers customized jewelry that was recently featured in Pregnancy magazine! They recently sent me a sample of their horseshoe shaped key chain with the words “domestic” and “diva” on two pink (my favorite color) charms. Because the charms are handmade, no two charms are the same.

What I like about the Pickled Tink charms is that you can customize the jewelry to your liking and add onto it as time goes by. With necklaces, key chains, and bracelets the way you choose to customize is up to you.

The key chain (that I received) is cute and functional. One thing that I did find that is a must with the horseshoe shaped key chain is that you HAVE to make sure the ball on the end, that you screw on and off to get your keys on, must be on TIGHT. If not, you might find your keys missing. Thankfully my key came off in the car but it was a valuable lesson learned.

I really like their charm bracelets and could see making a geeked-out one with words like “blog”, “tweet”, and “@”. It would definitely be a great conversation starter at blog conferences or out with the girlfriends.

For more information about this unique, handmade jewelry check out pickled-tink.com.

Disclosure: I was given a product sample of the horseshoe shaped key chain by Pickled Tink. However, opinions of this product or other products by Pickled Tink are 100% my own.

Interview with Giuliana Rancic: Tropicana Trop50 and Summer Fashion Trends

The Domestic Diva — Wed, 26 May 2010 21:52:47 +0000

I recently had the opportunity to speak one on one with Giuliana Rancic, you might have heard of her from E! News, about her recent involvement with Tropicana Trop50 and got to pick her brain a bit about what sort of fashions to expect for the summer.

You recently teamed up with Tropicana Trop50, can you fill us in on what Trop50 is and what it’s benefits might be?

Tropicana Trop50 is my favorite drink right now. It is so fantastic. First of all it is delicious, it comes in two flavors pomegranate blueberry and pineapple mango. What I love about it is that it is 50% less calories and 50% less sugar than other fruit juices AND no artificial sweeteners which is so important which you see a lot of times in these types of juices. It’s a fantastic juice, especially for the summer. It’s just a great drink and I’m loving it.

Swimsuit season is upon us, What are some fashion tips to make swimsuit season a little less dreadful?

Well I can show you a few styles that people that come to your blog can identify with. For instance, let’s take a look at my model Caitlin here. Caitlin feels she has not enough bust which I’m sure a lot of people that read your website think the same thing. Basically what I said was Caitlin let’s go for a pattern on top. So we went with this great pattern because it adds a little bulk to the bust area. You can also achieve this look with beading, ruching, basically anything that adds bulk to the top. And Caitlin like all crazy models thinks she is a little big at the hips, can you imagine, so I said you know what, Caitlin, I’ll work with you girl. We went with a solid color on the bottom. What you want to do is you don’t want the attention to be on the bottom, you want the eyes to go upward towards the bust area. So I think she looks great and what I’m loving too is that Caitlin obviously is so young and hip so instead of doing the traditional wrap we did instead this Michael Stars top which is this really cute cover-up and it keeps her really hip and on trend for the summer.

Being a Fashion Blogger you must be on top of all the trends, what are the kinds of trends we will be seeing in swimsuits this year?

Well some of the other trends are one pieces because they are so glamorous. So let’s bring out our one piece model, this is Nicky. And I love this look. First of all, one pieces are very forgiving and they are very slimming which I love. Women tend to go for blacks or navy blues and I say you know what forget that. You can still look slimming and gorgeous in this fuchsia color, it’s this wonderful color for the summer and a lot of one pieces are doing these little add-ons, its kind of a substitute for jewelry with pretty beading. So we really want to get a one-piece that makes our bodies look good in a fun color but also has something interesting going on with it otherwise its just a boring one-piece. And over sized sunglasses are huge this summer, if you’ve seen Sex and the City 2 or are planning on seeing it all the girls are wearing oversized glasses. They just scream glamor and beautiful. I was showing the Micheal Star’s coverup earlier before, well Nicky here is going for the more glamorous look so we put a wrap on her. There are so many light wraps out there. You can cover up what you want and at night if it gets a little chilly you can throw it over your shoulders to be warm.

Can you share with us what types of swimsuits work best on different body types?

Well if you have a pretty great body like our next girl does, Casey, you can wear this beautiful bando style. This is my favorite bikini right now because for a lot of women you have to figure out what you like the best about your body. So like Casey here she has wonderful shoulders and a great clavicle, so we put her in a bando style top to really accentuate that. And what I love too is that there are no tan lines. I am on so many red carpets and see so many actresses in these gorgeous Oscar Dela Renta gowns with tan lines! And I’m like are you kidding me? Whether you are an actress or a regular girl going out at night in a strapless dress, tan lines are a no-no, I do not forgive you for tan lines. So this will avoid that and it could be a little boring unless you spiced it up a bit like we did with this statement necklace. There is no reason you can’t wearing jewelry to the beach. A great cuff and of course a hat to get rid of any UV rays because wrinkles are so 10 years ago.

What is your number one tip for keeping your cool and keeping your confidence while wearing a swimsuit?

I think diet is so important. It really is. No matter how great your swimsuit is and how wonderful your spray tan is before you go to the beach. You know you really have to have a good diet because if you don’t you are going to feel bloated, you are not going to feel good at the beach. The key is having healthy snacks on hand. I love nuts, I love fiber crackers, anything that is a little filling and of course drinks. I don’t do the big slushy drinks when I go to the pool or the beach because then I feel bloated and embarrassed so instead I do the light drinks like the Trop50. So these are some tips that hopefully will help your readers and for sure go to Trop50.com because I have come up with 50 tips for the summer to help women look good and of course feel good too, which is the most important thing.