It’s been almost a month since I last posted, and let me tell ya… it has been one BUSY month. Instead of typing some really long post about how our lives have once again been turned upside down, I’ll leave you with these pictures (and a few short descriptions below).

Starting at the top, and going from left to right:

1. Ryan and I before a baseball game  2. Ryan and his Grandmommy in between games at a double header (very emotional)  3. Miniature hockey players during half time of the minor league game  4. Torre at the baseball field preparing to pitch

5. Ryan and the dogs chilling in the dugout  6. Seeing Titanic in 3D  7. Lots and lots of heating a rubbing to get rid of scar tissue build-up from surgery  8. My new “office”

9. My two besties and I from HS reuniting  10. A trip to IKEA for some storage containers  11. Our nephew pimpin’ his new ride during his 1st birthday party  12. The surprise guest and I at the party

13. Tripp (our nephew) and I going to see Grandmommy at the hospital  14. Kacen, my HS friend’s adorable son  15. Reviewing photos from a photo shoot with Kacen parents  16. Lots and lots of baseball (this is the Varsity team)

17. Hosting my first Open House  18. My husband and I after the most important game of the season (no one will ever understand how important this picture and these smiles are in my heart)  19. Vindication… the score of that very important game (a hard-fought battle by boys who have been through more than their share of ups and downs this season)  20. The birthday boy (my husband turned 26 yesterday)

I won’t promise a certain number of posts each week. I won’t even promise to post again in the next week. But I will promise to be back. Soon. Or not so soon. We’ll see. There are a few things more important in my world than this blog, and while I love each and every one of my readers more than they will ever know, I love my family more. And right now, this blog is taking a back seat to everything else we have going on in our lives right now! I hope you understand, and please know that I’m still stalking each of your blogs, even if I seem to be MIA just a bit!

(These pictures were taken via Instagram, where you can follow me @samanthamuse.)

Man, I’m on a DIY necklace roll lately…. I guess that’s what happens when I get a week off from subbing. Yay for Spring Breaks!

Anyways, I have always loved this necklace that Kendi occasionally sports with her cute outfits, but it is no longer for sale at Anthropologie. Which is fine with me, because I’m pretty sure my $20 DIY version is a lot more affordable than what they sold it for!

Source: midwesterncliche.com via Samantha on Pinterest

Source: kendieveryday.com via Samantha on Pinterest

I used the same process for this necklace as I did with my last DIY statement necklace, nail polish and acrylic crystals!

Here are the supplies you will need (from Michaels and Hobby Lobby). I painted the crystals before taking pictures because my other tutorial walks you through those steps. I used the smaller crystals for the top layer and the larger crystals for the bottom.

The first thing you need to do is attach a ring to each crystal. Make sure they are secure and tight because you will be using a thinner thread to make the bulk of the necklace.

Then without cutting off your string, start threading on the bottom layer of your necklace. I used two small, one large, then two small beads again between each crystal to space them out.

Here is what it should look like when you finish the bottom layer.

Then you will want to cut four strands of your cord that ties the necklace around your neck. Two strands will go on each side. (See the inspiration necklace image above to see what I’m talking about.)

The following steps can get confusing… so here is a close up of the process.

1. Add a large bead to the end of the thread. Fold the two cords in half and wrap around your thread.

2. Loop the thread back through the large bead.

3. Start stringing on your beads and crystals for the top layer. (I used five small beads between each crystal.)

4. Tie the cord in a knot. For a chunkier knot, tie again.

5. Finish stringing on the top layer.

6. Now you can cut your thread. Make sure to leave about six inches of thread on each end so you have enough room to tie it off. String both pieces of your thread through a large bead.

7. Tie a knot to hold your bead in place. I tied it three times just to make sure it was secure.

8. Make a loose loop with your two ends.

9. Fold the other two pieces of cord in half and put through the middle of your loop.

10. Tie the thread in a few knots to secure it around the cord. I applied clear nail polish to the thread knot to keep it from loosening up. Cut the ends of your thread, leaving about a centimeter or two.

11. Tie the cord in a knot (or two, depending on how you did the other side). Tuck the ends of the thread into the knot so they are hidden.

You’re almost done! Now, pull the four ends of the cord up and tie them together in a knot. You can always adjust the length of the necklace by retying the knot at the back later! And you’re finished!

You have a gorgeous, Anthro-inspired statement necklace that probably cost a fifth of what you would spend in the store!

What do you think? I am loving my new DIY necklaces and colored denim!

I shared this post at:
Centsational Girl

I love colored denim. I think everyone does right now, actually. I bought a pair of yellow jeans last year and never wore them because no one else was (yes, I jump on the fashion bandwagon when it’s in my neighborhood). But this year, I have the courage to wear them proudly. Probably with my denim button up. Or my crop lace tank. Again, I like the bandwagon. It tells me what to wear. And I like being told what to wear because if it were up to me, leggings and oversized college t-shirts would be all the rage. And ponytails. Lots of boring ponytails.

And much like any trend that I fall head over heels for, I go to the extreme. As in, I own a lot of colored denim right now.

But there were a few colors I couldn’t quite find in a fit I liked or in a price range that my wallet liked. I love the J. Crew Toothpick Jean in neon persimmon and festival green, but they are waaaay too expensive (at $125 a pair). Express definitely got the colors right with their Zelda collection, but it sits a little too low on the waist for my liking. And of course, there’s always the Fifty-Five Color Skinnies from Joe’s Jeans, in which one pair costs as much as I’ve spent total on my seven pair.

So I decided to make my own. I found some white skinnies at Target that fit me perfectly, and the price was even better! They carry colored denim too, but I like the feel of actual jeans, whereas the colored pants are thinner and stretchier. They were $19.99 a pair so I ordered three pair.

I bought some Rit Dye at Hobby Lobby and found this awesome color guide on their web site. It tells you what combination of the dye powder to use to get a certain shade or hue. There are over 500 awesome colors, so it was pretty hard to choose!

Then I just followed the instructions on the Rit Dye box.

I boiled 3 gallons of water and poured it into a big bucket from Home Depot.

Then I dipped my jeans in the hot water to get them wet before adding the dye.

Next, I added two cups of boiling water with the right amount of dye and mixed….

… then added it to the big bucket. (Be sure to remove the jeans while adding the dye.)

Then I threw the jeans back in and soaked them until I got my desired color. It’s important to move the item that you are dying around if you want the whole piece to soak up the color evenly. I learned that whatever color you see when you take the jeans out of the dye is pretty much what you are going to get after you rinse them. Denim soaks up the dye well and doesn’t leave too much extra for rinsing out.

After about 10 minutes, I took my bucket to the bathtub to rinse out my jeans. You start with warmer water to rinse, and as the water begins to run clear, you make it cooler. Make sense?

Here are my jeans after I rinsed them until the water ran clear.

The last step is to dry your jeans and make sure you got the color you want!

I love the turquoise, it turned out exactly how I wanted! My pink pair however, are a little brighter than what I wanted. I was going for a lighter, paler pink, kind of barely there, but after seeing this outfit post, I actually like the color.

So now, I have red, yellow, dark pink, turquoise, blue and light pink in my colored denim collection.

But I did mention I bought three pair of white jeans, which means I have one more pait left to dye. But I’m having a really hard time deciding which color to dye them…

via, via, via

What color would you go with? Have you dyed anything lately?

I shared this post at:
Centsational Girl

She just started a new series called Gorgeous Girls and she was so sweet to include me in it!

I first fell in love with Abi’s blog when I found out she used to live in Germany, because as we all know, I am slightly obsessed with Europe and I loooooove to travel! Be sure to go over and check her out- like me, she blogs about everything, and I promise you’ll love her!

Thanks again Abi for the feature!

I found this coral and gold necklace on Pinterest a while back and loved the color and style of it. However, at $145, it was definitely out of my price range.

Source: lorenhopedesigns.com via Samantha on Pinterest

But then I found this tutorial on MadeByGirl’s blog and decided to give it a shot.

Source: madebygirl.blogspot.com via Samantha on Pinterest

I went to Hobby Lobby and found acrylic teardrop beads in a pack of two for $1.99, but they were on sale for 50% off. I already had the nail polish and bought the rest of the jewelry making supplies while I was at Hobby Lobby.

I followed the steps outlined on MadeByGirl’s blog and painted one coat of nail polish on one side of the pendant.

While I let the first coat dry, I cut my necklace to the length I wanted.

Then I added my clasp to one end, and left the other end alone because the clasp was the right size to catch any of links on the other end. (This also gives me the freedom to adjust the length of my necklace depending on my top.)

After the first coat of polish was dry, I added my second coat, making the pendants brighter.

I added a coat of clear protector, and once everything was dry, I placed my pendants on the necklace. I love this nail polish color because putting it against a darker color intensifies the pink.

And there you have it! It only took about 30 minutes to make one necklace…

… so I made another one just for fun!

Stay tuned for another necklace tutorial soon. My mom has been amazing and has searched all the Hobby Lobby’s in her area to send me more beads, and I’m hoping to get them today or tomorrow to make another necklace I’ve had my eye on. Have a great hump day everyone!

I shared this post at:
Bower Power, Young House Love, The Great Indoors, Hi Sugarplum & Centsational Girl