Traditions

a cake made by K and K-- isn't it's color ridiculously incredible?
For as long as I can remember, I've had the privilege of celebrating New Years with friends I've known since middle school. Finding a time where we're all free, these days, is much more difficult that it used to be, though, and as much as I hate to admit-- it's because we're all growing up, and going our separate ways. Naturally, school breaks, and holidays are something I've come to look forward to. This year, we all met at my house, where we ate junk food, watched Bridesmaids, and rang in the new year by watching the fireworks show at the Space Needle, on TV.
Cheers, to the new year!
"Friendship is not being inseparable. It's being separated and nothing changes." -Anonymous
G and I had no luck finding sparkling cider at Target, but hit the jack pot at Fred Meyer

Flashbacks

Happy 2013! I hope you all had a great New Years. 

This past year was interesting. I started off with a lot of motivation to blog, but had to eventually put it on hold after things got really busy at school. I ended up taking about a three-month hiatus from spring to summer, and after that, posted whenever I could. Regardless of my absence, I always sensed unconditional support and friendship from all of you. I can't thank you guys enough for all of the love you have given to my blogging endeavors. Cheers to another great year!

DIY Braided T-Shirt Basket

Since graduating from high school, I've accumulated dozens of old t-shirts that are no longer wearable. Instead of having them collect dust in my closet, I decided to search for a few DIY projects, where the shirts could be put to good use. I ended up finding this braided t-shirt basket tutorial on Pinterest (tutorial here). It used about half of the t-shirt yarn made from three different colored t-shirts, and produced a pretty handy pen holder.

New Year, New Nails

Any time for celebration calls for vibrant shades, metallics, and glitter. To ring in 2013, I decided to paint my nails with a combination the three. As a long-time fan of red nail polish, I didn't hesitate to choose it as the primary color for this look, along with a deep shade of raspberry, and gold. To tie in the berry-inspired shades with the metallic one, I finished with a fresh coat of gold glitter polish on my ring finger.
'Manicurist of Seville'  via OPI //'Fiercely Fabulous' via SEPHORA by OPI //'Key to My Art' via Finger Paints //'Only Gold for Me' via SEPHORA by OPI

DIY Vintage Teacup Candles

Today was a good day. I spent the entire afternoon with two of my best friends, K and K. We had a nail painting party, watched Bridesmaids, and made vintage teacup candles (tutorial here). The teacups turned out much cuter than we had anticipated, and although the process was somewhat messy, the end results were more than worth it.
Besides what is included in the tutorial, here are a few additional tips: -If you don't have a double boiler, you can create your own by placing a large glass bowl over a pot of boiling water.
-Don't worry about overdoing it with the scented oil. We started by adding 6-10 drops, and ended up using much more than that.
-Chip off and dispose of as much wax as you can from the pots and bowls you use for this project. Pouring melted wax down your drain can clog it.
-For a little bit of sparkle, sprinkle a pinch of glitter on the tops of your candles.
Good luck, and have fun! As with any other tutorial I post on here, feel free to comment with any questions.

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays, from SWEATshirt DRESSshirt! I hope you all have a wonderful night, and find time to relax with loved ones. 'Till next time!

Last-Minute Holiday Nails

Looking for a last minute nail design to wear for the holidays? Check out the following 4 tutorials:

1. Half-Diamond Mani

2. Sparks Fly

3. Candy Cane Nails

4. Red + Nail Gems