Merricks Art

SCOOPED HEM BEACH DRESS (TUTORIAL)

2013-05-24T05:00:00.000-06:00

Last summer I made myself a maxi dress swim coverup. It worked well for pregnancy, but once I wasn't pregnant anymore I never wore it. Since I made it to accomodate a big pregnant belly, it ended up being kind of shapeless (rather than nice and fitted like this one), and since it was maxi length I never got any sun on my legs, which I definitely didn't like.

So I did a quick little refashion to pull in the waist and bring up the hemline. I gave it a scooped hemline for a little interesting detail and I love how it turned out. It's flattering, breezy, and perfect for days at the beach. With this little quick fix, this dress will now get tons of use. In fact, I'll probably make myself one or two more!

sunglasses & sandals: target // swimsuit: gap

Materials:

1 1/2 yards of stretchy knit fabric (more or less depending on your size and desired dress length
matching thread
1/4" wide elastic

Step 1. Use the instructions here to make your basic dress. Just make it roughly knee length, rather than floor length.

Step 2. Try your dress on and determine where you'd like your waistband. Mark with a pin.

Now turn the top of the dress down to your pin mark (so right sides are together) and pin all the way around the mid-section. Then sew all the way around, about one inch down from the folded edge (as shown below with the dotted line).

Step 3. Now turn your dress completely inside out and lay it flat. You should now have a 1" wide flap around the waistband. Lay the flap flat and sew a second seam about 3/8" away from your previous seam (make sure you're sewing ON the flap) to create a casing for the elastic, as seen below.

In this second seam, make sure you leave a two inch space at the end so you can insert your elastic.

Step 4. Measure your natural waist and then cut a piece of 1/4" wide elastic to that length. Feed your elastic through the casing and then sew the two elastic ends together. Now sew the 2" opening closed. Your dress should now look like this:

And the waistband should look like this:

Step 5. Lay your dress flat on the ground and cut your scooped hem at your desired length (sorry, I didn't take a picture of it laying flat, but you get the idea). Hem if desired -- I didn't, because knits won't fray and my cutting job was actually nice and straight.

And that's it! A perfect lightweight dress for summer days at the beach!

Oh, and the winner of last week's Little Mr. Giveaway is....Laura Lees! Congratulations!!

Shoot me an email to claim your prize!

And if you didn't win, use code 15OFF for 15% off your entire order at Little Mr. through May 25th! She just added two more darling bow ties (striped and polka dot!!) to the shop, so get 'em quick!

CROP IT.

2013-05-23T05:00:00.000-06:00

sweater: c/o tailor and stylist // shirt: c/o sheinside // jeans: american eagle // shoes: forever 21

For the eight years I lived in Utah, the most annoying thing was how fast it turned from winter to summer. Like, one week in April it would snow, and the next week it was 90 degrees. So we'd all go from winter coats and scarves to sandals and shorts within a matter of days, never giving much time for those cool spring layers. Luckily, we always got a few weeks of beautiful fall weather that sort of made up for it, but still...we lived for those warm (but not too hot) days after a long, snowy winter. And when you don't get them it makes everyone grouchy.

Living here by the beach during the spring and summer is like those coveted spring days every day. It definitely gets warm some days, but then the clouds roll in or we get the cool breeze off the ocean and suddenly it's the nicest spring day every single day. And what better way to enjoy these perfect days than wearing a stripey cropped sweater (with elbow patches!) and my favorite wedge booties? The best part is that I can actually wear these layers all day and not die of heat stroke.

Happy Thursday!

PRETTY LITTLE ACCESSORIES & GIVEAWAY!

2013-05-22T05:00:00.000-06:00

top: forever 21 // pants: h&m // flats: target // watch: michael kors // bag: c/o persunmall // earrings: c/o ivy lane accessories // sunglasses: forever 21

As a mom, big, sparkly, fancy accessories aren't always practical. I love a big arm full of bangles, but they often get in the way when I'm holding my babies. So besides statement necklaces (which I will never give up...never, never, never!!), I try to keep the rest of my accessories small. But just because they're small doesn't mean they have to be simple, and these Ivy Lane earrings are just that -- small, but so fun. I've seen a lot of fabric covered earrings over the years, and these are by far the prettiest and most creative ones I've ever seen.

Today Ivy Lane Accessories is giving away two pairs of their darling earrings to two lucky winners!

To Enter:

Visit Ivy Lane's website and then leave a comment below telling me your favorite pair of earrings. (Only one comment per person, please).

This giveaway will be open for one week and will close next Tuesday, May 28th, at midnight. Good luck!

Sister's Share It All: One Store -- Day and Night

2013-05-21T05:00:00.000-06:00

You guys, I love online window shopping. So much of my outfit, sewing, and refashioning inspiration comes from online shopping, it keeps me aware of the trends, and I just find it kind of therapeutic. So when it was Landen's SSIA pick this month and she asked us to create two outfits from an online store, it was right up my alley. The store we picked was Old Navy, and the only guidelines were to create a casual outfit and a dressy outfit, and everything in the outfit had to be from Old Navy. Fun, right?

Here's what I came up with:

I mentioned last week that I'm loving knit pencil skirts and graphic tees as a casual summer ensemble. It's perfect for those hot summer days when you don't want to layer but still want to look cute. I added a baseball cap for a fun accessory and some simple brown and black sandals that would go with a bazillion other things.

tshirt // skirt // sandals // baseball cap

Old Navy doesn't have a ton of really dressy clothes, so I went with more of a date night look, rather than a super dressy outfit. Lately I've loved layering a chambray shirt under tank dress, so I did that here and then added a pair of pretty wedges and a belt. Old Navy doesn't sell jewelry on their website, but I would add a big statement necklace to this outfit to pull the whole look together.

chambray shirt // dress // belt // wedges

Now go check out Janssen and Landen's two outfits they put together from Old Navy's website!

$1,000 J.Crew Gift Card GIVEAWAY!

2013-05-20T05:00:00.000-06:00

Just recently I found out about a new website called The Shelf. It's kind of like Pinterest for online shopping. Instead of "pinning" your items, you create shelves and then "shelve" clothing items that you're thinking about purchasing (of course, you can also shelve other items, such as clothes you already own or are blogging about).

The coolest part is that it keeps track of the price and alerts you when a shelved item goes on sale (or you can set a "price alert" so you are notified when the price drops to the price you want to pay) and provides discount codes when they're available.

So in celebration of the launch of The Shelf, I'm teaming up with a bunch of fabulous bloggers to give away $1,000 to J.Crew!

Style Elixir | Fash Boulevard | Ivory Lane | The Chiffon Diary | GBO Fashion

Hello Fashion | Barefoot Blonde | Because Shanna Said So | Shannon Hearts | See Jane

A Little Dash of Darling | Mix and Match Fashion | Little Miss Fearless | Merrick's Art | Coast With Me

Here's an example of a profile showing the shelves and items that have been shelved.

And, as you can see below, when you click on each shelved item, it provides additional information about the product, tracks the price for you, provides a promo code, and alerts you when your favorite items go on sale.

All of us have already started using The Shelf and we'd love for you to join us -- it's a hub for style inspiration and maximum savings! I've shelved some of my favorite pieces and you can keep up with these, or start adding your own!

For your chance to win the $1,000 J.Crew Gift Card...

Click here and sign up to The Shelf (if you're a blogger, add your URL for special features!)
Click here to follow your favorite bloggers' shelves
Complete the simple Rafflecopter entries below... remember the more you do, the more chances you have to win!

This giveaway is open worldwide. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ON REPEAT

2013-05-16T05:00:00.000-06:00

tee: target // skirt: old navy // sandals: target (similar -- check your local store) // glasses: firmoo // watch: michael kors // bag: timi & leslie

The beginning of this week it got really warm around these parts. So I fell back on a trusty combination -- the stretchy pencil skirt and t-shirt. I wore this combo non-stop last summer when I was pregnant, but this year I've found that it's even more fun with graphic tees, rather than solid colored ones. This pretty one from target is one of my favorites in my closet, and I think this outfit (or ones really similar to it) will be on repeat all summer long.

And here are a few other fun graphic tees that I'm loving right now:

1 - j.crew factory // 2 - cotton on // 3 - old navy // 4 - persunmall //

5 - the market // 6 - gap // 7 - persunmall

p.s. don't forget to enter the Little Mr. bow tie giveaway!

DRESSING UP YOUR LITTLE BOYS & GIVEAWAY! [CLOSED]

2013-05-15T05:00:00.000-06:00

Despite what people say about girls being more fun to dress than boys, I have so much fun dressing my boys. Seriously, there are so many darling boy clothes out there. My only complaint is that finding dress clothes for boys is such a challenge. Aside from the fact that most children clothing stores have boy sections half the size of the girls sections, the girls sections are always filled with dresses for every occasion while the boys section (especially the baby boy section) is filled with...pajamas.

As a family who attends dressy church every week, we require at least a few dressy outfits, and it is a struggle to find things that are cute, well made, dressy enough, and affordable. All this to say, when I find something that fits all that criteria, I am majorly thrilled. And then I buy it in every size :)

Well, here's my recent find that does fit this bill. Little Mr. bow ties. You guys, these are so well made, so darling, perfect for church or a nice event, and definitely affordable. They have a patent pending on their unique design, which is a little tab with a button hole so the bowtie attaches right to the top button of any button up shirt. I love this mostly because Peanut doesn't complain about being choked by a neck strap, and there is no neck strap hanging out from underneath his collar the whole day, or I don't have to worry about a metal clip scraping my babies neck.

Peanut absolutely adores this bow tie and requests it every week for church. It's a size medium (which fits ages 2-5), but Buck has a big head so it looks pretty good on him too (then again, what doesn't look good on that squishy baby?). Here are two ways we wear them: nice event or dinner attire on the top and church attire on the bottom.

(Can you handle this much cuteness in one blog post?)

You guys, your boys need these bow ties. And if you only have girls, do your mother-of-boys friends a favor and get one for them. These are theeee best.

And if you do know of a baby boy who needs one of these, today is your lucky day. Because today Little Mr. is giving away a $25 gift certificate to their shop!

To enter (required):

~~visit Little Mr. shop and then leave a comment below telling me which bow-tie you would choose if you won, and who it would be for.~~

Extra entries (optional)

~~follow Little Mr. on Instagram and then leave a separate comment below telling me you did so.~~
~~like Little Mr. on Facebook and then leave a separate comment below telling me you did so.~~

This giveaway will be open for one week, closing next Tuesday, May 21, at midnight. Good luck!!

SIX MONTHS

2013-05-14T05:00:00.000-06:00

I'm a little bit late this month, but here are six things about this roly poly at six months:

He's now a champion sitter
We do very little tummy time (since he hates it so much), but whenever we do he starts scooting all over the room. Or maybe that's why we do so little tummy time :)
He loves to play with big boy toys. He has never had any real interest in rattles or little plush animals, but give that boy a pile of duplos and he is entertained for ages.
He is so vocal, and pretty much any time he's awake (and isn't sucking on the pacifier) he's jabbering away.
He's just started to develop a little opinion. The other morning I gave him a big slice of apple to chomp on while I was making breakfast and within a minute or two he'd dropped it on the floor. I picked it up to wash it off and as soon as he saw that I had it, but wasn't giving it immediately back to him, he threw a fit. And then was completely satisfied the moment I handed it back.
He is majorly ticklish. His thighs and armpits are the most ticklish (and hilarious laugh-screams ensue when you so much as touch him there), but really you could squish any part of his body and get a giggle out of him.

Good heavens, we love this baby. Hard to believe we're half way through his first year!

MAMA'S AND MORE PEPLUM

2013-05-13T05:00:00.000-06:00

striped tee: forever 21 (similar) // peplum top: c/o choies // belt: kohls // jeans: american eagle // shoes: forever young shoes (similar) // bag: timi & leslie (different color) // watch: michael kors // necklace: c/o lisa leonard // bracelets: c/o hello fab & c/o poshlocket

This peplum top is quickly climbing the list to become one of my favorite tops in my closet. The fact that it's sleeveless makes it so much more versatile too since wearing different shirts underneath it can totally change the look of it. Wearing it over a striped tee and with a gold belt was perfect for a dinner date to celebrate Philip's 30th last week. I think I'll try it with my gingham button up underneath it next!

p.s. Happy Mother's Day yesterday! I'm so grateful for my boys who made me a mom, and for the amazing examples of motherhood all around me, including my angel mama, my grandmothers, my sister and sister-in-law, my mother-in-law, and too many friends to count!

Anthropologie Pattern Pop Tee (Refashion & Tutorial)

2013-05-10T05:00:00.000-06:00

Last week I saw this darling top from Anthropologie pinned on Pinterest, and then later that day I got a reader email requesting a tutorial for the very same shirt. Now, I don't normally oblige to these types of emails cause I already have a list of tutorial and refashion ideas a mile long (also, this), but this shirt was so cute. Plus it seemed like the perfect top to wear on our Six Flags date last weekend. So...I obliged.

jeans: old navy // wedges: target (old)

Materials:

T-shirt (I used this men's one from Target)
3/4 yards of fabric (silk, jersey knit, polyester, or cotton all are fine)
matching thread

Since I bought a men's shirt as the base of my shirt, the first few steps are to get it to fit. If you use a woman's t-shirt that already has a scoop neck and fitted sleeves, you can skip to step ++++

Step 1. Cut off the neckline ribbing, cutting your neckline into a scoop if it was formerly a v-neck. Discard ribbing.

Next, cut off the sleeves, which you'll need to keep. Then cut the sides of the shirt from hemline to armpit, and finally cut the back part of the shirt off about eight inches below the neckline.

Step 2. If you're using a mens shirt, the shoulders are probably going to be too wide for you, so trim them down as much as needed. I made mine about 4 inches wide, as seen below.

Also, if the sleeve opening is too big, raise the shoulder by taking in a few inches on each shoulder, as seen below.

Step 3. Lastly, cut the hem to be slightly rounded, if desired. Now you're ready to sew.

Step 4. Cut a long strip of fabric (wide enough to go across the entire width of the shirt and several inches longer than your front hem) and with right sides together, attach to the back of the shirt. Add a little pleat in the middle, if desired.

Here's a little closeup of the pleat.

Step 5. (not pictured) With right sides together, sew up the sides of your shirt from hem to armpit. Trim the seam allowance and zigzag or serge the raw edge.

Step 6. Now it's time to add the sleeves. If you're using the sleeves from an oversized shirt, cut down to your desired size, as seen below. Then with right sides together, attach to the arm hole and sew around the arm hole with a straight stitch. Trim the seam allowance (zigzagging or serging the raw edge is optional since the t-shirt fabric won't fray).

Step 6. Now it's time for the neckline. You can just fold the neckline over twice and sew around the entire neckline opening...

OR this is what I did:

cut a 2" wide strip of fabric from the leftover back fabric and sew the ends together to make a circle. With right sides together, pin this circle of fabric to the neckline, stretching it to make it fit all the way around.

After it's attached, turn it right side out and iron the neckline flat, and then sew around the entire neckline with a wide straight stitch to hold the lining in place, as seen below.

Step 7. Next it's time for the pocket. Cut a square out of your contrasting fabric and hem on all sides, then pin to your shirt and sew sew around all the sides except the top with a straight stitch.

Step 8. Cut the contrasting fabric in a scoop shape and then hem the entire shirt. Press all your seams and you're done!

SUNSHINE

2013-05-09T05:30:00.000-06:00

top: forever 21 // skirt: c/o choies // belt: thrifted // sandals: target // sunglasses: target

We've had a cloudy and rainy week here in HB, and although I love, love, love the rain, I'm really a sunshine girl. And if I can't have it in the sky, I figure I might as well wear it.

Happily, just as we were taking these pictures, the sun came out so I didn't have to rely on this skirt to brighten my day (although it still did)!

Happy Thursday!

Thirty.

2013-05-08T05:00:00.000-06:00

Seven years ago I met you when you were a little twenty three year old baby. You swept me off my feet with your good looks and charm, and all these years later you still look at me like you did back then. Thank you for supporting me in every little crazy thing I do, loving me like mad, making me laugh every day, and being my best friend. Can't wait to celebrate your life today, and call you an old man from here on out :)

Happy birthday, love!

Peplum and Theme Parks

2013-05-06T05:00:00.000-06:00

peplum top: c/o choies // undertee: downeast basics // skirt: old navy // necklace: c/o inpink // watch: michael kors // heels: target

Over the weekend, Philip and I went on a date. And not just any old date...an all-day date to Six Flags Magic Mountain. I planned this date months ago, intending to do a little surprise overnight getaway to celebrate Philip's 30th birthday. Long story short, Philip accidentally read a secret text message that ruined the surprise, and then we ended up changing it to an all day date, rather than an overnight trip, because of Buck's refusal to take a bottle, but despite all that we managed to have the funnest day date ever. Kayla watched our boys (along with her two babies, and her husband gone at work all day (the woman is a saint!)) and we came back to them bathed, happy and completely worn out from a day of fun. That made the day even better.

When you have two babies, alone and quiet time together is suddenly so much more limited, so having an entire day just with Philip was absolute bliss. Plus, we both love roller coasters, so it was one of our favorite dates ever and made me realize we need to go on dates way more often...especially if they involve riding roller coasters til we're blue in the face!

. . . . . . . .

Also! The winner of last weeks bubble necklace giveaway is....Manda! Congratulations!

Shoot me an email to claim your winnings!

And don't forget...use code MERRICKSART at checkout to get 10% off anything at Daily Product Deals for the next month!

Wardrobe Essentials - Summer Edition

2013-05-03T05:00:00.000-06:00

After posting our Sister Share It All Wardrobe Essentials posts (part 1, part 2 & part 3) with my sisters, I got a few requests for a summer version. In the version with my sisters, we broke it down into three weeks. Today I'm jamming it all into one post. So hold on to your hats...here we go.

Here are my ten essentials. I've generalized them so it's easier for you identify similar essentials in your closet.

lightweight dress: target (similar, similar) // cut-off shorts: abercrombie (similar) // white jeans: ross (similar) // pattern skirt: c/o oasap // wedge sandals: old navy (similar, similar) // sandals: target (check your local store; similar) // lightweight jacket: c/o chicwish // graphic tee: made by me // solid color tee: kohls // patterned tee: forever 21

These are the ten outfits I came up with, made up of these ten pieces.

My favorite thing about these ten pieces is that they are so basic, but put together they become incredibly versatile. There is an outfit for nearly every summer occasion, even with so few pieces. A day at the beach, out to dinner with friends, a lunch date, an evening concert, an afternoon at the park, a dressy dinner...you name it.

1. This is the simplest of the ten outfits, perfect for a day at the park with my babies. Since it's just shorts and a t-shirt, I added my gold watch and a pretty gold necklace to make it a little bit less plain.

2. This might be my favorite of the ten outfits. The mint and white is such a simple, clean palette that I didn't want to over do it. So I added a monochrome necklace, a skinny gold belt, and a swipe of red lipstick. Perfect for date night!

3. Jean cut-offs and a graphic tee is a super simple and casual look, but adding a fun army jacket, glasses, and a pretty gold necklace makes the whole outfit a bit more interesting while still being casual.

4. This skirt might be my new favorite -- it is so versatile. Here I paired it with my solid colored tee to offset the loud pattern, and also pulled it up to be a high waisted knee-length skirt. I added a little lip color to match the orange and pink tones in the skirt, and a simple pendant necklace that completes but doesn't clutter up the outfit.

5. White jeans go with everything, and a navy and white striped top goes with everything. A match made in heaven. I cuffed the jeans, added a pretty necklace, and threw on a nude colored belt to complete the outfit.

6. For this outfit, I pulled the skirt down to make it more midi length and it totally changed the feel of it. Then I added a chunky bracelet and my gold watch and called it good.

7. This dress is simple enough that you can add belts, scarves, cardigans, tights, or any number of accessories, but I kind of like it just by itself. I added a pretty necklace and my hat for a breezy simple look.

8. You should know by now that I love pattern mixing. Although this is a pretty bold pairing, the colors in the top and skirt are similar so it works. I added a simple but bold necklace, a bright lip, and a top knot, for a fun and easy look.

9. Like I mentioned above, this dress is so easy to pair with everything, and this jacket is no exception. I added a pretty pink belt (to help define my waist and add a pop of color), and my gold watch.

10. Sometimes shorts and a t-shirt don't have to be so casual. Knot your tee, add a big sparkly necklace and some wedges, and suddenly you've glammed up the most basic of outfits.

Whew! Ten great outfits from ten summer friendly pieces! Did you make it all the way through??

If you want one more post like this, check out my 8 pieces: 14 outfits guest post I did over on Audrey's blog last year.

Happy Friday and Happy Remixing!

Party Around Your Neck & Giveaway! [CLOSED]

2013-05-01T05:00:00.000-06:00

tee: target (in stores only) // blazer: c/o sheinside // jeans: american eagle // necklace: c/o lisa leonard designs // flats (not pictured): target

This little gold bunting necklace is one of my new favorites pieces of jewelry. It's perfect for layering with other delicate jewelry (which I did here), or wearing by itself. Bunting is one of my favorite party decorations, so it's like wearing a party around my neck all day!

Today Lisa Leonard is giving away a piece of jewelry of your choice to a lucky reader!

To Enter (required):

~~Visit Lisa Leonard's website and sign up for their newsletter and choose your favorite piece of jewelry.~~
~~Come back here and leave a comment saying you signed up for the newsletter and tell me that piece you would choose if you won.~~

Additional Entries (optional):

~~Like Lisa Leonard on facebook and leave a separate comment telling me you did.~~
~~Follow Lisa Leonard on Twitter and leave a separate comment telling me you did.~~

This giveaway will be open for one week and will close next Tuesday, May 7th, at midnight. Good luck!

Juxtaposition [And a Good Deed]

2013-04-30T05:00:00.000-06:00

sweater: nordstrom rack (similar) // gingham top: forever 21 // spiked necklace: c/o style lately // watch: michael kors // bracelet: c/o hello fab

Nothing like a little gingham and spikes combo to create a perfect juxtaposition of edgy and sweet.

. . . . . . . .

Have you guys seen that video, "A Few Minutes of Perfection?" If you haven't, it's a five minute clip of people helping strangers around them and doing good deeds, and the spirit of service is passed along as others witness the good deeds and then perform an act of service themselves. It's really an inspiring video that leaves you feeling happy and ready to help someone.

Well, here's a chance to do your good deed of the day. My little brother, Crawford, is headed to college this fall, and is currently competing for a $5000 scholarship through a local law firm. The winner of the scholarship is partially based on a reader votes.

So..........if you have a free minute right now, I would be so grateful if you could vote for him. It's super easy -- just click this link (which will take you to the law firm's facebook page), push "like" in the upper right hand corner. Then push the "vote" button for Crawford's essay about the civil tort system. (They ask you to put your name in after you click "vote", but your vote will still count even if you skip that....I did).

Thanks in advance for voting and helping him out!

(my fave picture of Peanut and Crawford!)

A Few Weekend Snapshots

2013-04-29T05:30:00.000-06:00

This weekend, my family came to visit. On Friday we spent the day at California Adventure. We'd planned to do both Disneyland and California Adventure, but with only one day, we decided to just do the one park, and it turned out to be one of my favorite Disney days ever. With so many adults, we were able to go on a ton of rides, including Tower of Terror and Soarin' Over California, which are two of my faves (that I haven't been on in years).

best part of the day!

he was so sad to leave :)

The next day, Saturday, we spent the whole morning at the beach. It was a little cold and windy, but it didn't stop us from soaking up the sunshine and enjoying the incredible view. The highlights were a bunch of dolphin sightings, aaaaand when my dad, brother, and Peanut played "bury the frisbee in the sand and the other person finds it" and then spent half an hour digging around a ten square foot area trying to uncover it and could never find it. So hilarious.

The little spectator while the boys played a little soccer on the beach

A perfect weekend!

p.s. don't forget to enter the Bubble Necklace giveaway! Tomorrow is the last day to enter!

Sequin Shoulder Top Tutorial

2013-04-26T05:30:00.000-06:00

I'm loving all the fun shoulder details on tops right now. Leather, spikes, floral, sequins...the options are pretty much unlimited. Since I have a baby and spiked shoulders aren't exactly friendly for holding babies (just thinking about that makes me cringe), I figured that sequins were a better way to go. Plus, I had an old sequined infinity scarf laying around begging to be used.

It took about ten minutes total for this project and was super easy, and I love how it turned out. Such a simple way to amp up a plain t-shirt!

Materials:

Plain T-Shirt (mine is this one from forever 21)
Fabric
Scrap fabric for pattern
Matching Thread

Step 1. Use a scrap piece of fabric and cut a half circle shape. Try on your shirt and pin the scrap fabric to your shoulder to determine it's the right size and shape. Trim and resize as needed. Now use that pattern to cut out your real shoulder patch fabric.

Cut two.

Step 2. Pin to the shoulder, just past the neckline, and sew with a straight stitch around the entire half circle as close to the edge as you can get. Repeat on the other shoulder.

And you're done!

Simple.

2013-04-25T05:00:00.000-06:00

top: c/o sheinside // jeans: american eagle // watch: michael kors // shoes: f21 // bag: c/o chicwish // hairclip: f21 (different color)

As a mom, running errands, chasing a toddler, and getting spit up on are daily activities, so I rarely have need for fancy outfits. Most days, jeans and a top are my uniform. But make those jeans fitted and cute, wear a top with a little bling at the neckline and arms (plus a pretty scooped hem), add a pair of fun wedges and a darling bow clip, and suddenly a really simple outfit is anything but plain.

Now that's what I call a mom outfit.

Happy Thursday!

Four Ways to Wear a Bubble Necklace + Giveaway! [CLOSED]

2013-04-24T05:30:00.000-06:00

Remember how bubble necklaces were all the rage a year or so ago? I almost didn't want one just because everyone and their mother owned one. Well, now that a year has passed, the trend has calmed down and now I really like them and think they're a fun and really unique piece of jewelry that can be worn in a lot of different ways.

Daily Product Deals sent me two fun mini bubble necklaces, one in white and one in navy, and I want to show you four ways I like wearing them. Also, I think it's worth mentioning that in my opinion the mini ones are way easier to style and way more versatile than the large versions.

Here's how I styled them:

And today, Daily Product Deals is offering one reader a mini bubble necklace in the color of their choice!

black // mint // navy // white // pink

To enter the giveaway (required):

~~leave a comment below telling me which color you would choose if you won (colors shown above).~~

Additional entries (optional):

~~Follow Daily Product Deals on Twitter and leave a separate comment below telling me you did.~~
~~Like Daily Product Deals on Facebook and leave a separate comment below telling me you did.~~

The giveaway will be open for one week, closing next Tuesday night (April 30) at midnight. Good luck!

If you can't wait, use code MERRICKSART at checkout to get 10% off anything at Daily Product Deals for the next month!

. . . . . . . .

Oh, and click here to see if you won last week's Poshlocket giveaway!!

Sisters Share It All: My Favorite Shoes

2013-04-23T04:00:00.000-06:00

Today we're talking about shoes...specifically, our favorite shoes. It's hard to choose which shoes, out of all the shoes I own, are my very favorite, but my leopard pointed flats are right up there at the top. They're just bold enough to create fun pattern mixing, and just subtle enough to wear with almost anything.

Here are three ways that I wear them:

1. Casual. For the weekends, or really any day of the week, a simple jeans and tee ensemble is taken up a notch with a cute baseball cap, a leather jacket, an edgy necklace, and, of course, a pop of leopard at the feet.

jacket: forever 21 (similar) // tee: made by me (tutorial) // jeans: american eagle // necklace: c/o style lately // hat: target (black - in store only) // flats: target

2. Date Night. Philip and I never do anything too fancy for date night (unless it's our anniversary), so sticking with a blouse and jeans keeps me comfy while still feeling put together and pretty. Adding the leopard shoes creates a little pattern mixing (which I always love), and completes the outfit nicely.

sweater: target // top: kohls (similar) // jeans: american eagle // belt: cozy (similar) // necklace: c/o lisa leonard // flats: target

3. Dressy. Wearing a little black dress, smokey eye, and layered gold jewelry usually calls for a tall pair of heels, but I actually love the little pop of pattern that these leopard flats add. Plus, if you're going to a dressy event, your feet will thank you for leaving the 4" heels at home just this once.

dress: downeast basics (similar) // necklace: c/o inpink + forever 21 // watch: michael kors // bracelet: c/o hello fab // flats: target

Any other ways you would wear leopard flats? And I'd love to know pair of shoes in your closet are your favorite! (If you blog about it, leave a link in the comments!)

Also, go check out Janssen and Landen's favorite shoes and several ways they wear them!

Summer Nails

2013-04-19T05:00:00.000-06:00

Last summer I was working on kicking my horrible nail biting habit so I was getting regular shellac (or gel) manicures. But between the cost of the manicure, plus a tip, and getting them done every 3-4 weeks, it was getting pricey. Although it ended up being worth it for me since I no longer bite my nails, my wallet was grateful when I stopped. But I was bummed to be back to plain nails all the time, and when I painted them myself they were chipped within two days.

Enter nail stickers. I tried these ones from Jamberry last week and was instantly in love with them. Aside from the floral pattern being so fun and so on-trend, they were super easy to apply and have already lasted a week with only a little bit of wear at the tips of the nail (and that's probably because I am really tough on my nails). The best part for me is that they last almost as long as shellac, and are reusable, and cost less!

Their website has a zillion fun sticker choices to choose from (my floral ones are called Midway Floral and were last month's Sister Style Exclusive) but I'm also loving this month's Sister Style one, as well as this one and this one.

They have full instructions on their website, but here's a little step-by-step to show you just how easy it is!

Right now Jamberry is offering Buy 3, Get 1 Free, so snag yourself a few sheets that will last you all summer long!

Poshlocket Giveaway! {CLOSED}

2013-04-17T05:00:00.000-06:00

chambray: target (similar) // gingham button up: forever 21 // skirt: target // heels: payless // watch: michael kors // necklace: c/o inpink // bracelets: c/o poshlocket (here & here)

Today's giveaway is from the jewelry line, Poshlocket. They have gorgeous and very well-made jewelry that's classic and beautiful, but also trendy and fun! One lucky reader will win a piece of jewelry of their choosing!

We're doing PIN IT TO WIN IT style again, so enter below and good luck!

Requirements for entry:

~~Visit Poshlocket and pin TWO (2) of your favorite pieces from their site (the winner will win one of these pinned pieces).~~
~~Leave a comment below telling me that you've pinned two images, and please include the links to your pins~~.

Optional entries:

~~Follow Poshlocket on Pinterest and leave a separate comment below telling me that you've done so.~~
~~Follow me on Pinterest and leave a separate comment below telling me you've done so.~~

This giveaway is open to US residents only.

The giveaway will be open for one week and will close on Tuesday, April 23 at midnight. Good luck!

...and the winner is Morris!

Huge congratulations!!

Home.

2013-04-16T05:00:00.000-06:00

t-shirt: c/o the home t // sweater: target (similar) // jeans: american eagle // sandals: target // necklace and wrap bracelet: c/o inpink (here and here) // bracelet: c/o Hello Fab

If you've been reading this blog for more than a week, you should know of my undying love for Target t-shirts. And although I could (and do) wear those all day, every day, I'm not a fan of most other t-shirts -- all my free, boxy, and oversized ones from high school are looong gone. So I was a little dubious about this Home tee, but it has turned out to be one of my new favorite t-shirts. Aside from being unbelievably soft, the simple graphic front is just really appealing to me. Plus, a portion of The Home T's profits are donated to multiple sclerosis research, and I just love supporting companies that work for a good cause.

I wore it out on Saturday, and I saw people look at it as I passed by and I happily thought, "Yes...I'm one of you. I love calling this state Home." And although the shirt is a really casual shape, it dresses up so well with a cardigan, sparkly sandals, and my new favorite necklace (that I have literally worn almost every day since it arrived).

And with code MERRICK30 you can get 30% off of all jewelry at INPINK (excludes nail polish and gift cards) through 5/15/2013!

Happy Tuesday!

p.s. I'm THRILLED to announce that I'll be a teacher at Sewing Summit in Salt Lake City this year! I'll be teaching a class for my Polo Refashion and I'd love to have some of you there! Tickets go on sale this morning at 10am MST (and will go fast) so head over and snatch yours up!

BOLD FLORALS: High-Low Dress Tutorial

2013-04-15T05:00:00.000-06:00

Back in January, Kayla, from See Kayla Go, came to visit me here in SoCal. She was only here for two nights, but she managed to sneak out to the LA fabric district one afternoon and she came back bearing gifts. She picked up this gorgeous floral silk (for $2 a yard!) in two colors, so we each took a color and set off with the goal to make something pretty and report back.

The fabric sat in my stash, untouched, for about a month until I was looking through my pinterest DIY board for some inspiration and saw this dress from ModCloth and knew instantly that I wanted to recreate it with this fabric. This dress ended up taking way longer to make than I expected because I hit a few road blocks and ended up unpicking more seams than I'd like to discuss. The only positive thing about it taking so long is that Kayla had moved down to Huntington Beach by the time the dress was finished, so we were able to do a photoshoot together in our matchy outfits. It felt like elementary school matching with your friends all over again (and yes, people stared).

dress: made by me // belt: thrifted (similar) // shoes: kohls (similar) // clutch: thrifted (similar) // necklace: forever 21 (similar) // watch: michael kors // bracelets: target & c/o poshlocket (here & here)

Materials:

2 yards of fabric (mine is silk, but a polyester or lightweight cotton with a nice drape should also work well)
matching thread
1/8" wide elastic

Step 1. Using a loose blouse as a pattern, cut out the top part of your dress. Add a 1/2" seam allowance around the entire shirt. Also, note that the top part of your dress will only go down to your natural waist, so measure and cut the top length accordingly.

Now cut a large, slightly tapered toward the waist, rectangle for the bottom half of your dress. Make sure the shirt and skirt are the same width where they will connect at the waist. Mine was 19 inches, as seen below.

Step 2. With right sides together, sew up the sides of your skirt with a straight stitch with a 1/2" seam allowance, and then serge or zigzag the raw edge. Next, lay your skirt out with the side seams on the top and bottom (as pictured below), and cut your high-low hemline to your desired length.

Step 3. With right sides together, sew the sides of your top with a straight stitch and a 1/2" seam allowance. Trim and serge or zigzag the raw edges.

Step 4. Cut the front neckline to your desired depth.

Next, cut the neckline "ribbing." Measure your neckline front from shoulder to shoulder, but measuring around the scoop of the neckline, and then subtract an inch from that measurement. Now cut a 1" thick strip of fabric on the bias (so it should be as stretchy as possible) in that measurement length.

Repeat for the neckline back.

Fold your two strips of fabric in half (wrong sides together) and press. They should now be two long strips, 1/2" wide each.

Pin the "ribbing" strips to the front and backs of your necklines (as seen below), making sure that the ends of your "ribbing" match up with the shoulders. The neckline will be bunched to accomodate the "ribbing's" shorter length. Sew around the neckline, as close to the raw edge as you can, stretching the "ribbing" in between pins as you sew.

Press the ribbing flat and repeat for the neckline back.

Step 5. (not pictured). With right sides together, sew the shirt together at the shoulders with a straight seam and a 1/2" seam allowance, and then hem the sleeves to your desired length.

Step 6. Now it's time to attach the top to the skirt. With right sides together, pin the top and skirt together (matching up the side seams) and sew around the entire waist with a straight seam and a 3/4" seam allowance.

serge or zigzag the raw edge, but do not trim the large seam allowance since this will become the casing for your elastic.

Next, pin the large seam allowance up toward the top of the shirt and sew around the waistband again, 1/4" above the previous seam. Leave two inches open at the end of this seam so you can insert the elastic.

Measure your natural waist and cut a piece of elastic in that length. Thread the elastic through your casing, then sew the two ends together to make a circle. Sew up the two inch opening in the casing.

Step 7. Hem the dress to your desired length and you're done!

Now hop on over to Kayla's blog and check out the details of her pretty silk top!