How to Make a Lilly Pulitzer Monogrammed Wall Decoration

Today I am going to be sharing with you one of my a time DIY's. These are fairly easy to make and can personalized just for you! Once you get this technique down, everyone is going to be asking you to make them one! 

Here's a little sneak peak at the final product! 

The website that has the font you need for this is www.dafont.com. The font is called “Monogram KK Font". But, I originally discovered it by Googling  “Monogram font” and click on the first search result, which is that website. Whatever floats your boat. :) Click the download button, and then open the file.

I then clicked on the file named “Monogram kk sc” and then pressed the install button. This will install the font everywhere on your computer.

Because this is a Lilly Pulitzer wall decoration, we need some Lilly! I just Googled "Lilly Pulitzer Backgrounds” and chose my favorite, which is called “First Impressions”. I then proceeded to save the image.

Next, I opened PowerPoint. There are many ways to make this wall decoration, but I find that PowerPoint is the most straightforward program. I deleted the textboxes first so that they don’t get in the way. Next, under the design tab, I clicked on “Page Setup”. I changed the orientation of the page to be portrait. Depending on which size you want your wall decoration to be, you can adjust the dimension to your needs. I decided to keep it simple with the dimensions for a regular piece of paper, which is 8.5 by 11 inches. This screenshot was taken before I changed it, to show you what it looked like before.

You will then notice that it changes your slide to resemble a piece of paper. Now, you will want to click on “Background Styles”, which is on the far right of the design tab. From there, you will click “Format Background”. I then clicked on “Picture or Texture Fill”, and you can insert your picture from there.

It’s starting to take shape!

I inserted a text box by clicking the “Insert” tab and the the “Text Box” box.

For your first and middle initials, I find that using size 150 font works the best. Here is what it looks like after I inserted both my first and middle initial. 

For my last initial, I like using size 250 so that it is biggest and most pronounced. 

Now that all of our letters are inserted, it’s time to mess around with the cosmetics of things! I first changed how close the monogram letters were to each other. I personally like the look when my letters of my monogram are pretty close together, so I just move them along the very helpful dotted line. (You’ll see once you start moving them!)

Then, I changed the font color to a hot pink. Yes, I realize you can’t see my initials very well now, but that is why I then inserted a circle. This is a personal preference, but I like the way it looks.

All you have to do to insert the circle is click on the “Insert” tab and then click “Shapes”, where you will find that circle waiting for you. From there, I adjusted the size, the color, and the shape outline to get the final product! Dun, dun, dun dun!!

I think that this is a pretty simple DIY to do once you get the hang of it! I hope that this tutorial helped you learn a little something-something! Good luck!

XoXo~ Megan :)

How to Perform a Closet Cleanse

Hello lovelies!! Today I am going to be showing you some of my most treasured tips and tricks for organizing a closet (especially a small one like my own!). Hopefully my spring closet cleaning endeavor will inspire you to tackle your closet this weekend! So my friends, crank up your music, because we’ve got work to do!!

Here's a quick before picture to set the scene:

Isn't that a stunner? Now onto the steps to transform this heap of sadness. 

Make sure your room is clean. Trust me folks, if your room is not clean when you organize your closet, you are most definitely not going to be very efficient in the ways in which you work. By having both a clean bed and floor, you will have places to organize your clothes, shoes, and other such items in which reside in your closet in a relatively orderly fashion. Now, of course, if your closet is detached from your room, this tip is slightly irrelevant, although, make sure you pick up anything that doesn’t belong. This will make the entire process easier.

Empty everything out of your closet. Yes, even those five-year old shoeboxes. Everything leaves so that only some things can go back. I emptied all of my clothes and shoes (on the floor, the ones on the shoe organizer were a-okay!) out onto my bed and bedroom floor. I decided not to empty the sides of my closet and the top of my closet because they were actually organized, well more like organized chaos. I had previously deep cleansed my closet over winter break, and got rid of any non-essentials up top and on the sides, so I knew that I needed everything on the sides and top, I just needed to spend 5 minutes making it orderly.

The left side of my closet before...

And after! 

Now for the right side! Before...

And after! 

Here is when I emptied all of my clothes out:

Quick Tip: I think that if you haven’t organized your closet in 6 months or more, you should really go through it with a fine tooth comb. This will make room for more clothes later, and if you’re like me, that’s like the best news ever!!

After I’ve emptied everything out, I like to start with organizing all of my clothes, which can be a tedious process if you’ve got a lot! The first thing I do with the clothes is organize them into categories. The categories that I use are: Dresses, Skirts, Sweatshirts/Cardigans, Uniforms, Shirts, and Pants. I find that by categorizing the clothes that it’s a less overwhelming process.

Yeah, so I kind of just threw everything on my bed at first to get this. 

But then I categorized my clothing to get this organized chaos! 

I also had my pants on the floor, as well as my sweatshirts/cardigans. 

I then went through every. single. item. of. clothing. I like to stare intently at it and ask myself: Would I buy you today? Can I pair this in three different outfits? Have I even worn this in the last 6 months? If my answer is “No” to at least two of those questions, it goes in the “No Pile”. If I’m really on the fence with a piece of clothing, and “my test results are inconclusive” (Yes that was a Divergent reference in there, I couldn't resist!), I put it in the maybe pile. When I’m finished with saying “yes, no or maybe so”, I like to come back to the maybe pile, be a typical teenage girl, and text myself in the clothing item to one of my really honest friends to get their opinion. I then proceed from there, either yay or nay. For the burning question: What do I do if I want to keep the piece of clothing? Well, my friends, put it in the yes pile!

Now that we know whether or not our clothes will be residing in our closets again, time to move on to the shoes. I just found the bff for each shoe, aka its pair, and put them neatly back in my closet. All of my boots stayed on the floor, while my other shoes stayed in my over-the-door shoe organizer. I think that by spending $15-20 on a shoe organizer, you will save so much space! Not only can you store your shoes, but you can also store hats, belts, and scarves. Talk about money well spent! I also put rolled up magazines in my boots so that they keep their shape. I find that my boots definitely last a lot longer compared to when I didn't do this before.

Everything out...

Everything in...

Quick Tip: I think that another thing that people should buy for their closet is a wooden cubicle organizer, like mine. Mine is not very sturdy, but was very cheap from Target. These can organize all of your junk, especially junk you don’t want to be seen. I keep some memoirs from elementary school in there. I also fold my jeans on top for easy access.

When I put my clothes back in my closet, I paid special attention to make sure that I was putting everything on the same kind and color hanger. This may sound a little OCD, but by doing this, it makes your closet look really put together and more organized. I also like to hang my clothes so that when the front of the piece of clothing is facing me, the hook is facing to the left.

Quick Tip: In order to make your yes, no, maybe process easier next time, hang all of your hangers so that the hook faces outward, instead of inward. So when you next organize your closet in three to six months, get rid of any clothes still facing outward, showing a visual that you haven’t worn that item of clothing since you last organized.

The order, in which I put my clothes in, from left to right, is: Dresses, Skirts, Sweatshirts/Cardigans, Uniforms, and Shirts. I fold my pants, like I said before, and put them down on top of my cubicle set.

This step, is of course, optional, but makes your closet really eye-appealing. Two words, color-coding!! I love color-coding because it is really simple once you develop your own system, and makes your closet look super cute! I have an interesting system for color-coding, but feel free to develop your own. I start with red on the left, go through the rainbow, and the order afterwards is as follows: pink, brown, black and white. I then take this process a step farther by organizing the clothes from lightest to darkest within their color group. Once again, a little extreme, but well worth it!

Here is my (now!) organized closet before the color coding:

And after! I think it looks more put together after I do this, but feel free to skip this step. 

I think that by using these tips and tricks, you will be more successful and efficient when you organize your closet. This only took me an hour, and for awesome results! It was relatively easy and quick to-do for the weekend. Most importantly, this closet cleanse will make your life much easier in the long run! What’s to lose people?!

Have a fabulous cleaning session!

XoXo, Megan :)

How to Utilize these Beautiful Items called Mason Jars

I have a wonderful relationship with mason jars. I am kind of obsessed with them because they can be utilized in every part of your life. Today I am going to be showing you the three ways I use mason jars to organize my oodles of things.

Throw it in!

The most simple and straightforward way to use a mason jar is to just put stuff in it. I was organizing my bathroom the other day when I stumbled upon my flossers that I use every night before bed. These flossers are very colorful and bright, and, when added to my space, really added some fun and excitement. By displaying the flossers in a mason jar, it makes me more excited to floss my teeth, compared to retrieving them from their boring, original packaging.

If you like it, then you should put some glitter on it!

I always love a good Beyoncé reference, and this time is no exception. This quick DIY is great because it can make anything look cute, especially when it isn’t very visually pleasing to begin with. 

Here’s what you need for this DIY:

1. A mason jar

2. Mod-Podge

3. Foam Brush

4. Glitter

5. Newspaper

If you don’t have any Mod-Podge, no worries! All you have to do take two parts Elmer’s Glue and one part water. If you have no idea what the heck I just said, use 1 cup of Elmer’s Glue and ½ of water for a good amount of “Mod- Podge”

Here’s three quick steps to make this glittery item:

1. Lay down your newspaper. Take your foam brush and Mod-Podge and apply the Mod-Podge on the inside of your mason jar.

2. Once your Mod-Podge is coated evenly throughout the jar, pour your glitter on the inside. Move your jar around to make sure that every nook and cranny is covered. Pour any excess glitter onto the newspaper, and then back into the glitter bottle (money saving trick people!).

3. Let the mason jar dry upside down so that any glitter remains will fall onto the newspaper. Once everything is dried (wait about 1-2 hours) you can paint on a second layer of Mod-Podge with a foam brush to seal in the glitter. This step is optional, but I recommend doing this if you will be using this mason jar to store something you don’t want to get glitter on.

And here it is in action! I used mine to store a bunch of pencils I had lying around in my desk. 

Yes, please enjoy deeply those old pictures of me (That picture was taken 2 years ago so no judgement!!)

I’m bringing glitter back… and all the jars don’t know how to act

This last mason jar DIY is a rendition on the previous tutorial, but with a twist. This time, we will be covering only half the jar in glitter, and the other half in spray paint.

What you need to creative this adorable design:

1. Mason jar (shocker!)

2. Spray paint in the color of your choice (I used a Tiffany Blue)

3. Glitter in the color of your choice (I used white)

4. Mod-Podge (Refer to recipe in the above if you do not have Mod-Podge in your possession.)

5. Foam Brush

6. Well-ventilated area (Preferably outdoors)

7. Paper

8. Tape

9. Something to cover the ground with (I used cardboard and paper bags)

Tips on how to spray paint:

1. When you spray paint, make sure any nearby objects are covered.

2. That your area is well-ventilated so that the fumes don’t encompass your entire being. (Outside is by far the best option!)

3. Cover the ground with newspaper, cardboard, paper bags, etc. (Just to make sure your grass or driveway doesn’t get ruined!)

I have to say, for my first time spray painting, I think I did pretty well. Make sure when you are spraying, you are spraying from at least a foot because I sprayed too close, and the paint started dripping. 

And now a few simple steps:

1. Lay down your mason jar on top of your newspaper, face down, with the lid removed, unless, of course, you want it spray painted, and if so, go to town! Make sure you are spray painting on the outside as well. This will show off the company logo the best, and I personally think it adds a nice touch.

2. After you have spray painted the jar, let it dry for about an hour or two. This will make sure the paint won’t flake when you put on the glitter and Mod-Podge.

This is what the jar looked like after it dried from spray painting. It doesn't have a perfect coat, but this was my first time spray painting, so I think it looks pretty good. 

3. You will want to lay down some paper to catch all of the glitter, as well as creating the straight line for the glitter, as tape all around the jar will peel off the paint. I wrapped a piece of paper all the way around the jar and then taped the edges together so that it stayed.

4. I also suggest that you put on the glitter in sections, so that the glittering process in and of itself is just more simple. I slapped on some Mod-Podge with my foam brush, and then brought on the glitter. If you want your glitter to be sealed, I suggest that you put another layer of Mod-Podge on top after the glitter has dried.

And here it is in action! I used it to store my billions of hair-ties that I had lying around. This really made for a cute touch to my bathroom counter. 

I hoped you learned some new ways to corral your junk via mason jars! Mason jars are definitely my new obsession and I  will be using them a lot this spring and summer! 

XoXo~ Megan :)

How to make a DIY Chevron Canvas

Hello!! Today I'm going to show you how to recreate your very own chevron canvas! These are relatively easy to make, considering how cute they are! 

Here's what you need:

1) Canvas~ this can be the size of your choice~ I had a 18 inch by 14 inch canvas

2) Acrylic Paint of the color of your choice (I chose navy)

3) Foam Paintbrush

4) Small Paintbrush

5) Painter's Tape

6) Scissors

7) Newspaper

8) Pencil

9) Ruler

Steps to achieve this masterpiece:

1) Measure out your canvas if not already measured out for you in the packaging, both horizontally and vertically and file that away in your brain.

2) Divide both of those measurements by two and make a line where each falls lightly with a pencil and a ruler. Make sure that you really do take notice in how hard you press while making your mark because pencil doesn't erase well on canvas. 

3) Next, divide these halves, well, in half. (Refer to the picture.)

4) Now, you should have a 4x4 grid featured on your canvas. I opted for smaller, more condensed chevron, so I proceeded to divide everything in half, again! This then came out to be a 8x8 grid. If you want bigger chevron, I suggest that you stick with the 4x4 grid. 

5) If you want your chevron to face a certain way (horizontally and vertically), this is the time and place when you want to move your canvas in that direction. 

6) We are actually starting the chevron! I like my chevron to start at the bottom instead if the top, but, once again, your preference. I made my diagonal lines starting from the bottom left hand corner going to the top right hand corner. If you like the other look, make yours the opposite way. 

7) You are going to want to repeat the process of making the same kind of diagonal lines on every other column (up and down, not side to side) of your canvas. Refer to the picture below. 

8) Now, instead of making diagonal lines from the bottom left hand corner to the top right hand corner, for instance, you are now going to make your diagonal lines from the top left hand corner to the bottom right hand corner (basically so it makes some chevron!). You will want to do this on any remaining squares.

9) Cue the Church bells~ we have ourselves some chevron! Once you figure out where you want your chevron to begin, you can tape! But wait, there's another step!

10) If you are using a light paint color, I suggest that you erase your lines where you will be painting. For me, this wasn't really a huge concern because I used a dark color (navy). I would also recommend erasing the lines where the white will be before you paint so that it's less of a hassle and easier to touch up later. 

11) Taping was probably the most tedious process in this entire project because tape and I just don't agree. Make sure when you're taping, you're alternating every other chevron line so that you don't end up painting the entire canvas. Also, make sure you mark where you are going to be painting, that could be detrimental otherwise. If you don't want the sides of your canvas to be painted, make sure that you tape them off for a clean edge. 

12) Now for the simplest part of the entire process, painting! I used a foam brush for most of the painting, and used a small, dense brush for near the tape edges. 

13) I removed the tape when the second coat (and a couple touchups afterwards) dried. I didn't have a problem when I was removing the tape on the canvas, which was a pleasant surprise! 

14) Since my lovely tape work wasn't the finest, I used some white paint and my small dense paintbrush for some touchups. 

15) The next day, I erased any leftover pencil marks to get the final product! Voila!! 

I hope you enjoyed learning how to make this DIY chevron canvas! Until next time! 

XoXo~ Megan :)