Yellow Blackbird: A Creative Blog

Origami Heart Valentines

2012-02-13T21:39:00.004-07:00

Hi Friends! Just dropping in to share my last minute Valentines. While I planned on making cookies (red velvet mmmm....) for our parents and siblings for Valentine's Day, I didn't think I would be doing anything else. Then I saw this adorable video tutorial on how to make origami heart Valentine's. I shared it with my Facebook followers the other day, then decided to make a few myself for my friends at work. It only took a few minutes using my scraps of leftover Valentine scrapbook paper and stickers from past projects to make these. They are so cute! Just don't be too jealous of my mad night time last minute photography skills!

I hope you have a great Valentines day. It's going to be epic over here.

Jewelry Basics: Eye Pin Necklace

2012-02-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted a Jewelry Basics tutorial in a long while because I didn't get much feed back on the last one... lame excuse I know, but here is the next tutorial. This time we are going to make a simple necklace using eye pins. (Click here to see my tips on tools and materials and to learn what eye pins are.)

Materials:
Beads
Eye pins
Round nose pliers
Bent or regular pliers
Chain
Clasp
Jump rings

The first thing to do is to arrange the beads the way you want them. I chose to do my beads in a sort of asymmetrical way... I am hoping that it looks Anthro inspired. (Don't mind that there are already pins in some of the beads...)

To begin assembling your necklace put whatever beads you want in one link on one eye pin (obviously I used 2 beads in the photo below, but just one beads on some of them.)

Using the round nose pliers, follow the steps I gave you in the last jewelry basics tutorial to make a loop on the end of the pin. Before closing it off, slip it onto the next eye pin.

Continue with the same process of linking together your eye pins until your necklace reaches the desired length.

Follow the directions from the last tutorial to attach your jump ring and chain (sorry I didn't show it again, I just thought that since I had taught it once, it would be okay for you to go back and look at the old instructions...).

All finished! It really is as simple as that. Now you can really start to get creative and combine the head pin technique with this eye pin technique to create some more great jewelry.

If you are interested in purchasing this necklace, it is for sale in my Etsy shop for $15 and free shipping along with my other one-of-a-kind necklaces I made for this series. (Shameless plug alert!)

What I Wore

2012-02-11T08:00:00.005-07:00

Old Navy shirt, St. John's Bay (JC Penny) skirt (old!!), Wet Seal jacket, Kohls necklace, Walmart tights, Forever Young boots, Payless bracelet

WHEN: Thursday, February 9

WHERE: Work

GETTING CREATIVE: What would really be creative would be if I would ever wear this skirt with color (but remember what a disaster that was?) so I keep sticking to black and gray. But it works and I like it.

Forever 21 cardigan and dress, Target scarf, local boutique belt, Madden Girl boots

WHEN: Wednesday, February 8

WHERE: Work

GETTING CREATIVE: I have really missed wearing this dress since summer has been over for soooo long now. But when I saw this outfit, followed by this outfit, I was inspired to make it work for winter.

Walmart blazer, Kohls shirt and pants, Target heels, Shade belt, Payless bracelets

WHEN: Tuesday, February 7

WHERE: Work and parent teacher conferences

GETTING CREATIVE: This photo was taken at 10 pm so it's not showing me at my best. Black on black can be hard to pull off but I really think I did a nice job. The pop of green was just what this outfit needed. I have had all of these pieces for a long time so it was fun to come up with this ensemble.

Target shirt, Kohls jacket, Gap skinnies, Payless boots, Forever 21 necklace

WHEN: Monday, February 6

WHERE: Work

GETTING CREATIVE: I got this purple shirt for Christmas. I have worn it about 5 times now and this is the first time I got a photo. I had already worn the exact shirt, pants, and boots combo so I added the jacket to mix it up. My grandma loved this outfit and she has great taste so I consider it a winner. Plus I feel like this is just exactly my style.

Walmart t-shirt, Old Navy jacket, Kohls skirt, Walmart tights, Madden Girl boots, Cold Water Creek necklace

WHEN: Sunday, February 5

WHERE: Church

GETTING CREATIVE: I have worn a similar outfit a billion times. There are so many ways to wear this skirt. While not my best outfit ever, not too shabby.

I really felt great about what I wore this week. I think I just might be figuring out what my style is (ironically enough I am returning to things I wore years ago before I discovered this crazy style blogging world) and I love it!

Be Inspired|Get Creative

2012-02-10T06:00:00.006-07:00

I had two projects to share with you this week, but it didn't work out to get them posted. I got home late on Monday then we had family home evening, Tuesday was parent-teacher conferences, Wednesday I worked all night filling Yellow Blackbird orders, and Thursday night I had a horrible headache and went to bed at 8:30. At least I have been working on this for the last month so it was ready to post. It doesn't have as many links but I am looking at that in a positive light that maybe (maybe!) I spent less time on the Internet. Anyway, hopefully I will be able to share those projects soon! It's now time for the February edition of Be Inspired|Get Creative!

DIY & Crafts:

Numbers are fun to craft with. This video is full of cute ideas!

I don't have a smart phone, and have therefore never used Instagram, but if you do, here's a whole bunch of ideas for crafting with those photos.

Lately on Brassy Apple there have been a lot of fun jewelry tutorials. Just scroll on down through the first few pages of posts to find them.

Style:

It's still winter! Check out this video with tips on how to layer like a pro to stay warm.

Check out You Look Fab for more pattern mixing tips.

Already Pretty explains how to get out of your comfort zone.

The Tiny Twig did a whole series called the "No-Brainer Wardrobe." It got me to make another Pin board (last thing I really needed right?) to post looks I love, instead of just those I want to try to recreate with what I have in my closet already.

Photography:

Look at this post for tips on how to get rid of blur in your photos.

Please comment below if you find anything useful in these links. Should I keep doing this feature every month?

Now, go and create!

I know that you already know that Google Friend Connect is going away... just as I reach 500 followers! I think it's going totally away... or will I still be able to use it since I have a blogspot? Be sure to subscribe to the RSS feed or follow me on Facebook to keep up with Yellow Blackbird. (See my post about my fav blog reading app to help you with this.)

What I Wore

2012-02-04T11:17:00.003-07:00

Ross shirt and cardigan, New York & Co. pants, Forever Young flats, traded belt, Charlotte Russe necklace

WHEN: Tuesday, January 31

WHERE: Work

GETTING CREATIVE: As you know, I *heart* my red pants, but I was getting sick of wearing them with black. I like what I came up with.

Hand-me-down shirt, Walmart skirt and tights, Cold Water Creek coat, Target heels

WHEN: Sunday, January 29

WHERE: Church

GETTING CREATIVE: What's black and white and red all over? I really loved this outfit... mixed prints, a pop of color, oh yeah.

Express shirt, Cold Water Creek blazer, Gap skinnies, Payless boots, Walmart belt

WHEN: Monday, January 30

WHERE: Work

GETTING CREATIVE: Today I channeled my inner Kate Middleton. Do you agree? I loved it!!

Ross dress, Steve Madden boots, Local boutique cardi and belt, Yellow Blackbird necklace.

WHEN: Wednesday, February 1

WHERE: Work

GETTING CREATIVE: I wore this exact outfit last year but this time I added the Lanvin knock off necklace I made (tutorial here). It was the first time I had worn it, even though I made it a few months ago.

I wore one other outfit this week that I really liked. I wore a jacket that I hadn't worn in about 2 years. Unfortunately I didn't get a photo. BUT I didn't rip off any Pinterest outfits this week.... not that there's anything wrong with that. : )

Does anyone have any tips on how I can get my pictures to look clearer? I take them on an SLR camera at the highest settings. The resolution is about 500 pixels per inch according to Photoshop. On my computer prior to uploading they look fine, but get a little fuzzy when published on the blog. Do I need a higher resolution? Anyone know? Thanks!

These are a Few of My Favorite Pins

2012-02-03T06:00:00.001-07:00

Source: breakfastatyurmans.tumblr.com via Aubree on Pinterest

What a stunning color combo! What fun, bright colors. In the middle of dreary winter this is just nice to look at.

Source: fashionsgreatesthits.blogspot.com via Aubree on Pinterest

The picture might not look like much, but the article is full of tips for girls with thin hair. I heard that!

Source: nymag.com via Aubree on Pinterest

I have seen so many pairs of yellow pants on people (on the Internet) lately. Now I've gotta get me a pair! Anyone know where there are some for sale?

Source: honey.hubpages.com via Aubree on Pinterest

I've been looking at pictures of short blond hair. For fun or for reals, I haven't yet decided, but this is such a great cut regardless.

All my pin boards can be found here.
Next Friday will be the February edition of Be Inspired|Get Creative. Happy weekend!

Favorite Blog Reading App

2012-02-02T16:49:00.004-07:00

I haven't posted much lately. I just haven't really been crafting for awhile; I have had many other things on the brain. The last "project" I did was to make a paper flower after posting some fun tutorials that I found. But I always stay caught up on my blog reading. It's nice to take a few minutes during the day and get a quick dose of creativity. I like to read blogs on my iPad, so today I thought I would share my favorite blog reading app.

It's called simply MobileRSS. It's free and connects with your Google account. What I like about it, is that you can add any RSS feed to it and don't have to worry about Google Friend Connect or Word Press or any other host site. It all works (with the exception of 2 blogs I like that I still have to visit their sites). It's so easy to flip between posts, see which blogs have new content, and they download really fast. The only downside is that you can't make comments unless you click further and are actually taken to the web browser. This does allow you to click on any link the blogger posts, which is good.

So anyway, if you use a mobile device (not sure if it comes on other platforms besides Apple), MobileRSS is a slick way to read your blogs at home or on the go. Just be sure to add Yellow Blackbird to your feed!

This is most definitely not a paid advertisement, just an app I really like and thought could be useful to my readers.

Wanna Advertise Here?

2012-01-30T22:16:00.002-07:00

January, aka winter death month, is over! It actually wasn't too bad. Very mild weather and all... That means it's time for new sponsor spots to become available!

This is a great opportunity for small blogs/Etsy shops, etc. to get a little more exposure.

Yellow Blackbird is still small but is growing bigger literally every day. I currently have almost 500 followers (check the side bar for the most current number) and receive between 8,000-10,000 visitors per month.

I post at least 3-4 times per week and link to many blog parties, including "What I Wore" at Pleated Poppy which brings a lot of traffic to my blog.

I am offering ad space for February for only $5 per month. What a deal! This price also includes 1 GROUP blog post about your blog/shop/etc. sometime during the month.

Maximum ad space is 185 X 185 pixels. Email me if you are interested! aubreelarsen@gmail.com Your ad will go live as soon as I get it! (Paypal address is aubreelarsen@hotmail.com)

I will only be accepting family friendly, G rated ads!

IDK Refinery

2012-01-30T21:00:00.000-07:00

This month my fabulous sponsor was Christina from IDK Refinery. It is her personal blog where she writes about life: I am a very random blogger and am not customized to one genre or focused on a set thing, there is so much going on. I am being refined by fire, daily, and ya know what it sucks, it hurts and I cry. But I know that I am not alone and neither are you. I am embracing who I am. Please go over and give Christina a big hello and some love!

Become a sponsor for Yellow Blackbird yourself!

What I Wore

2012-01-28T13:18:00.002-07:00

I am really excited to see that we are almost up to 500 friends here at Yellow Blackbird. I have been worried about this little blog lately because there has been a severe lack of comments. But lots and lots of my stuff is being pinned and you all continue to join so I must be doing okay!

H&M shirt, Walmart blazer, Gap skinnies (cuffed), Steve Madden wedges, Target necklace (gift), F21 bracelet

WHEN: Thursday, January 26

WHERE: Work

GETTING CREATIVE: I love blazers, but don't wear them often.... also I have been loving the cropped pants look lately so though I would cuff my pants and try it. While I think it's cute, my ankles were FREEZING all day, so this look won't be back for a few more months.

Target dress, Forever 21 sweater, Old Navy scarf, Forever Young boots

WHEN: Saturday, January 16

WHERE: Women's conference at church

GETTING CREATIVE: Whenever I need to get dressed in a dress quickly, this is one of my go-to pieces. I have noticed that I have pinned a lot of blue and yellow outfits lately so I used that color scheme. With the long sweater and the tall boots I thought a long scarf was in order.

These are a Few of My Favorite Pins

2012-01-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

I didn't do a ton of pinning this week, so I only have a few fun finds to share.

Source: atlantic-pacific.blogspot.com via Aubree on Pinterest

Isn't this the cutest rainy day look you have ever seen? I have red rain boots so I i was immediately drawn to it. I also love the necklace.

Source: purplechocolathome.blogspot.com via Aubree on Pinterest

I haven't yet clicked over the blog to see the recipe yet, but I do love Pizza Factory bread ticks!!

Source: lemontreecreations.blogspot.com via Aubree on Pinterest

I think pallet art such as this is so pretty. I would love to do a piece like this for my living room.

Have a great weekend! See you tomorrow for What I Wore!

One Maxi, Six Ways

2012-01-24T20:09:00.004-07:00

One of my favorite purchases from 2011 was this gorgeous maxi dress that I got at Ross for only about $14. I really love the maxi trend for the modest lengths that the dresses offer. They can be really immodest up top but with a little layering that problem is easily solved for all seasons. Below are 6 different ways I have styled this dress since late last summer. I think I have definitely got my money's worth out of it!

ONE: For summer, I wore a cropped cardigan for sleeves and coverage, while still remaining cool. Open toed shoes were a must. Wearing a heel can add height if the dress is a little too long for you. You might not want it dragging on the ground! I layered a few gold necklaces to fancy it up!

TWO: In very early fall I can't wait to get out the fall wardrobe. I love the colors in the dress for that very reason! I added a little bid more sleeve and length to the cardigan to look a little more "fall-ish" but still was kept cool by the lightweight fabric and open toed shoes. This time I went with a necklace that matched the dress. I thought it worked especially nice because of the neutral cardigan.

THREE: Fully into fall, I wore a mustard cardigan to pull out the beautiful yellow tones in the dress. Nothing since fall or warmth like a cozy scarf. I swapped out the shoes for boots. These boots have a heel to make it a little dressier. I buttoned one button of the sweater to define my waist a little bit since I didn't wear a belt.

FOUR: This was the cozy, comfy, casual styling of the dress. I buttoned the cardigan up all the way so it now looks like a skirt rather than a dress. Layering the necklaces added visual interest while the flat boots kept it comfy. (I wore this on Thanksgiving.)

FIVE: I don't think the colors photographed as well as they looked IRL. I really loved wearing this with the orange sweater, and pulling out all those gorgeous tones (orange is one of my favorite colors).I wore a belt for waist definition again, and a different gold necklace than I had worn before.

SIX: I have also styled this dress for winter (even though there hasn't been much snow, January is still winter!). Layering the dress with a thick sweater makes it appropriate for the cold. I love how all the colors in the dress make it easy to mix black and brown.

I wore this dress today actually, too. I wore the blue sweater again with the belt from looks 5 and 6. I didn't get a photo since husband Spencer was working late.

There are so many ways to style maxi dresses! Off the top of my head I can think of so many other tops in my closet I could remix with this dress: brown jacket, short sleeved brown jacket, purple blazer, brown blazer, brown long sleeved cropped cardigan, black cardigan,. What about a maroon "leather" jacket? Or I wonder how gray would look? I have a lot of gray layering pieces.

Do you like maxi dresses? What is your favorite way to style them?

Thanks for reading!

Book Page Valentines

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

I don't really have any plans this year to make Valentine's Day crafts. It doesn't fit into my plans for the holiday (which are epic, just not heart themed). So instead I am sharing all the book page crafts I made last year, in case you forgot about them or are new here. Enjoy! : )

Book Page Flowers

Book Page Pinwheel Valentine Garland

Book Page Hearts 1...

... and Book Page Hearts 2

What I Wore

2012-01-21T14:01:00.005-07:00

Ross dress, Old Navy sweater, local boutique belt, Madden Girl boots via DSW

WHEN: Sunday, January 15

WHERE: Church

GETTING CREATIVE: One more way to style this dress! Putting the heavy sweater over it is the winter version I suppose. I think I will have to do a post on all the ways to style a (this) maxi dress. I also love the black and brown.

We were experimenting with a new lens to see if the background really would blur, and it did! Maybe once it's warm again outside I will finally get some really good shots of outfits. Maybe. Spencer is so nice to continually take my picture when he really doesn't like doing it. I hate to make him go out in the cold or to a different location when he is doing me a favor!

H&M shirt, Old Navy vest, Kohl's necklace, Ross jeans, Payless boots

WHEN: Monday, January 16

WHERE: Out to lunch and a bit of shopping with Husband Spencer for the day off work

GETTING CREATIVE: This long sleeve, vest, and boots combo is becoming a bit of a "uniform" for me, so I don't know how creative it is!

School t-shirt, Old Navy sweater, New York & Co. pants, Toms shoes

WHEN: Friday, January 20

WHERE: Work

GETTING CREATIVE: Fridays is "dress down" day at work and the students (and faculty) are allowed to wear the school t-shirt. (I have blurred part of the t-shirt as to not advertise my place of employment to the entire Internet.) This was my attempt to make the school tee a little more stylish. It sure was comfy!

Kohl's sweater and watch, Target scarf, Gap skinnies, Payless boots

WHEN: Wednesday, January 18

WHERE: Work

GETTING CREATIVE: Fuchsia and leopard? It works for me!

Local boutique sweater and belt, Down East shirt, Ross jeans, Payless boots

WHEN: Friday, January 20

WHERE: Date with Spencer

GETTING CREATIVE: I have worn this exact outfit before (okay different pair of boots). (Those really are blue jeans although they look the same as the black pants above). It uses many of my most favorite items in my closet!

Linking up to Momma Go Round and Pleated Poppy.

These are a Few of My Favorite Pins

2012-01-20T16:13:00.002-07:00

Source: designsponge.com via Aubree on Pinterest

I LOVE this! I will definitely be making one in the near future. This will be a superb addition to my craft room decor, don't you think? And now that I have a Silhouette machine, it will be easy.

Source: polyvore.com via Aubree on Pinterest

What's your take on the neon and neutral trend? I love this color combo. I think it would work with other non-neon shades of yellow too. You? I think I will try it out come spring.

Source: anthropologie.com via Aubree on Pinterest

This would be soooo cute for a knock-off/refashion project. Just add a little trim and voila! A cute nautical top. I am seeing several nautical items in the new spring lines and I am glad to see that trend will still be around.

Source: moonlightrainbow.tumblr.com via Aubree on Pinterest

Isn't this a stunning photo? I love the colors, the movement, and the angle. Very inspiring to get the camera out.

Source: instructables.com via Aubree on Pinterest

On Monday I showed you a lot of inspiration for paper flowers, and here is one more. I haven't been able to make any more flowers this week, but they are still on the to-do list!

Have a creative weekend! I hope I can get to some craft projects on Saturday. Tonight we are going on a date inspired by the Love Actually blog that I linked you to recently. I am excited!

See you tomorrow for "What I Wore!"

Watch that Scarf

2012-01-19T20:18:00.003-07:00

I wore my scarf like this today. Not this outfit of course. I didn't get a photo of today's outfit so I used this old one of green grass and warmer days to show you... sigh... but anyway I wore my scarf like this today. I had to go to the eye doctor after work, but stopped at home to go to the bathroom because it was on the way. After my entire appointment was over I noticed that my scarf was stuck in the zipper of my pants. Yup. It was awesome.

Grand Bloom Belt

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Introducing the Grand Bloom Belt! It is the newest addition to my sash belt collection in my Etsy shop! So far I have only made the belt in yellow, purple, red, and pink but it is available in your custom colors for your special event. This belt is perfect for weddings and bridal parties, Prom and other dances, cocktail parties, or just your Sunday dress. You can contact me to choose your color of fabric and ribbon. Please contact me before ordering one of the colors below to check availability.

Red

Wine

Cranberry

Orange crush

Mustard yellow

Yellow

Celery

Dark green

Lime

Misty aqua

Turquoise

Teal

Light blue

Sapphire blue

Royal Blue

Navy blue

Electric blue

Periwinkle

Lavender

Purple

Eggplant

Pink

Rose (darker than pink)

Carnation (darker than rose)

Hot pink

Peach

Coral

Brown

Molasses (light brown)

Flax (light tan)

Ivory

White

Black

Silver

Gold

Antique gold (pale gold)

Butter (very pale gold)

You may also order the Mini Bloom Belt, or original Blooming Sash Belt in these colors as well. I am so excited about these belts! Spread the word to anyone getting married... I discount the belts for order of 4 or more!

CLEARANCE SALE

2012-01-16T12:15:00.003-07:00

I have some exciting plans for the Yellow Blackbird Etsy shop this year and need to make room in my inventory. That's good new for you because I am having a clearance sale! All the items you see above have reduced prices. All headbands have been dropped by a few dollars and the necklaces are up to $5 off! Click here to be taken directly to the clearance section! Everything is already made and ready to ship. Happy shopping!

Paper Flower Tutorials

2012-01-16T11:00:00.003-07:00

Over the weekend I went a little crazy collecting tutorials and ideas for making paper flowers. I have only tried one so far, but thought I would share a few of the ideas I found. I know I usually share my favorite pins on Fridays, but think of this as more just tutorial ideas, but I am using Pinterest for the ease of posting the pics!

(You probably already know this but to get to the tutorial, click the picture which will take you to my Pinterest page. Then you can click the photo again to be taken to the original site.)

Source: meholder.blogspot.com via Aubree on Pinterest

Source: omgdiywedding.blogspot.com via Aubree on Pinterest

Source: kindawonderful.typepad.com via Aubree on Pinterest

Source: cheekymagpie.com via Aubree on Pinterest

Source: whimsicalworldoflaurabird.blogspot.com via Aubree on Pinterest

I tried the second one yesterday. Not too hard, but very time consuming. I used my Sillohoute to ease the cutting, but it still took a long time. The next one on my list is the last one. If you try any of them let me know how it goes!

To see more of the ideas I have found you can follow my paper crafts board here.

What I Wore

2012-01-14T07:00:00.001-07:00

Target dress and cardigan, Payless boots, local boutique belt, hand-me-necklace, Walmart tights

WHEN: Thursday, January 12

WHERE: Work

GETTING CREATIVE: I have always loved the combo of blue and orange and when I saw this the other day I was reminded of that fact. I have always struggled with how to belt this dress since it is a faux wrap with a tie. It usually has to be tied in a bow, but I figured it out. I wrapped the tie around me a few times and tucked it in itself and it stayed all day! I don't think I will be belting without a cardi, but I am happy about it!

Old dress??, Target cardigan and scarf, belt traded with Paige, Madden Girl boots via DSW

WHEN: Sunday, January 8

WHERE: Church

GETTING CREATIVE: Well I did get the idea for this outfit from her so I can't take too much credit for it. I do love the repeating elements- the ruffles in the sweater and boots, and rivets in the belt and boots.

Hand me down shirt, Old skirt??, Gifted NY & Co. belt, Walmart tights, Target shoes and necklace

WHEN: Tuesday, January 10

WHERE: Work

GETTING CREATIVE: This was one of those days I had to take a photo of myself and it turned out terrible. But I do love the outfit... and it was my own idea, NOT from Pinterest! : )

H&M shirt, Cold Water Creek sweater, NY & Co. pants, local boutique belt, Payless boots

WHEN: Wednesday, January 11

WHERE: Work

GETTING CREATIVE: I have to wear my red pants at least once per week. And yup, thank you Pinterest. Seriously you guys, how did we get dressed before Pinterest?

Be Inspired|Get Creative

2012-01-13T06:00:00.002-07:00

DIY and Crafts:
A friend introduced me to the Toms arts and crafts blog that displays ways that people got creative with their Toms shoes and flags. Even if you aren't a fan of the brand, it's still got some creative inspiration!

If you want to learn to crochet, the Crafty Minx has a great series of tutorials. Twenty-three lessons in fact. I am a little stuck on lesson 5 right now and need to get my MIL to help!

Maybe this isn't exactly inspiring but you need skills and knowledge to be creative and this article/video on what glue to use for what project can help! (You must click over just to learn the secret way toothpaste can be used as glue.)

Style:
Jessica from What I Wore did a recap of all her outfits from the entire year of 2011, starting with this post about January. Great place for a little style inspiration.

Girl Next Door fashion wrote a great article with ten tips to inspire you to get out of a style slump.

Want to wear more color and less neutrals? Sally tells you how and why.

Guide to pattern mixing from A Reason to Be Fabulous.

Other:
I found two great blogs, Love Actually and from there the Dating Divas, that have actually really inspired me. Husband and I have been married for 4 1/2 years now and although we have been constantly dating each other, we could use some fresh new ideas. I have found a lot of fun ideas and will be creating some unique dates! Also good ideas for group or family outings (or innings!)

Now, go and create!

2012 Shopping Rules (best advice I ever heard)

2012-01-11T18:40:00.003-07:00

My first purchase of the year was these few pairs of Toms. A neighbor had a Toms party at her house and these were on a really good discount! It was awesome.

Before we go into this year's rules and that best advice the title promised, let's review last year's rules:

First, I have resolved to not buy anything in the month of January.
I did great. I didn't buy any clothes until March! I did splurge on some makeup (to make up for it?), but I am still using the UD Primer Potion I bought a year ago and love it.

Second, I need to think about wants and needs. Of course there is not a single clothing item in the world that I NEED. But I mean more like what does my wardrobe need. What items do I need to allow me to wear something I already own or what "key" things am I missing?

Right now my "need" list looks like this:
-black pencil skirt
-white 3/4 sleeve cardigan
-white classic button up

I got a black pencil skirt about 2 weeks ago, a bought the cardigan several months ago and it still has the tags on it, and didn't get a button up. Didn't work out so well.

Third, I can only buy things I really love. I can't buy something because it is on sale or a good deal. I can't buy something because I am shopping with a friend and it is what she is looking for. I can't even buy anything just because it's only $1.

I think I did better at this than I did in 2010. But just because I love something doesn't mean that I will wear it a lot or that it works in my wardrobe. So that brings me to my 2012 "rules".....

Only buy something that is from your dream closet!
So many times we see a woman who who has an amazing wardrobe and we wonder why we don't have a closet like that. Well, if we would purchase pieces that are out of our dream wardrobe we would! So just buying something I "need" or that I really really really love isn't going to work. Sometimes I find a piece that in that moment I am in love with, but that doesn't mean that I will like it later, it matches the rest of my closet, or that it is worth the investment. This year I am going to work on building my dream wardrobe! (I heard this advice from Sally first.)

Source: rayandjen.com via Aubree on Pinterest

And finally, another thing I am trying this year is this idea from Pinterest. A day or so after Christmas I hung all the clothes in my closet backwards. Every time I wear something I will turn its hanger around so that I can see what I don't wear much. This has helped me already! The pin says to toss anything that isn't worn by June 1st, but since it's likely to be chilly here until June 1 I will wait until July 1 to reevaluate any clothes still backwards.

Do you try to build your dream closet? Any Advice?

What I Wore

2012-01-07T13:27:00.002-07:00

Express shirt, Gap pants, Target cardigan, F21 boots and scarf from Seagull Book

WHEN: Friday, January 6

WHERE: Work

GETTING CREATIVE: I hadn't yet worn this scarf that I'd had for several months and wanted to figure out a way to wear it. I just went with neutrals... it would be difficult to come up with something colorful to match my teal and gold scarf. I guess that's my next challenge.

I only got one photo this week. If you want to see more go check out my top 10 outfits from 2011 or click on the Style button above and scroll on down!

Linking to Momma Go Round and Pleated Poppy.

Eye Spy: Glasses USA Review

2012-01-07T13:02:00.005-07:00

I have needed vision correction for about 18 years now, and I have been in contacts for over 10 of those years. During that time I have always wanted a really cute pair of glasses to wear at night and or on days that my eyes can’t handle the contacts. I haven’t really been too successful and I think I know why. I have always limited myself to the meager selection on hand at the doctor’s office. Did you know there are places to buy glasses online? I really didn't know until I heard about Glassesusa.com.

Glassesusa.com is a website that sells a large selection of eyeglasses. They have a wide variety of frame shapes, colors, brands, and materials to choose from. My favorite shape for my face is rectangle, but they also have round, oval, and even aviator among others to choose from.

This is a perfect website to check out if you just want glasses so you can look smart and cute or if you need prescription eyeglasses. It seems to me to be a trendy thing right now to wear glasses even if you don’t need them. Glasses are a fun accessory and a way to add creativity to your look.

Glassessusa.com also sells sunglasses and bifocal glasses. I don’t need bifocals (yet?) thank goodness, but I have always wanted a pair of prescription sunglasses. So necessary for driving!

My favorite feature of Glassesusa.com is the virtual mirror where you can try on the glasses right on the site. I played with that for a little too long. : )

Glassesusa.com is having a sale! Take 20% off any pair of eyeglasses and get FREE US shipping with the code: New2012 OR Take 10% off any order of prescription glasses. Code: Blog10.

This post was sponsored by GlassesUSA but all opinions are 100% mine!

These are a Few of My Favorite Pins

2012-01-06T21:28:00.002-07:00

Friday may be over in parts of the world but I still have a few hours to get my regularly scheduled Friday post up for you!

Source: familyfun.go.com via Aubree on Pinterest

I think this would be the funnest Photoshop project to try!

Source: howaboutorange.blogspot.com via Aubree on Pinterest

Christmas is over and it still haven't snowed but we can still make snowflakes, right?

Source: oneradmother.blogspot.com via Aubree on Pinterest

I had to repin this for obvious reasons!

Have a great weekend!

Book Page Blackout Poems

2012-01-03T19:39:00.006-07:00

Recently I have linked you to the "How to Steal Like an Artist" article and the Newspaper Blackout Poems books both by Austin Kleon. I have never been one for much poetry, but decided to give the newspaper blackout poetry a try. Please go read about it but basically you take a written piece (newspaper article or in this case book page) and blackout the words that you don't want to make a poem.

I gave it my own spin by using book pages and paint rather than newspaper and Sharpie.

I am a little embarrassed for you to read my poems so hopefully my experimentation with my new camera lens make them too blurry to fully read. : )

If you choose to use the paint method, be sure to use a very small brush to go around the words you want to show. I accidentally painted over some of the words I was planning on using. Oops.

I am planning on hanging these in my craft room, but I am not sure how yet. I think it would be cute hanging from some clothespins. Any ideas?

This isn't my usual type of project, but it was fun to try something a little different! Let me know if you take a look at the Newspaper Blackout website and/or try your own!

I link up to these parties!

What I Wore

2011-12-31T09:15:00.003-07:00

WHEN: Sunday, December 25

WHERE: Christmas morning at church

GETTING CREATIVE: This is a new skirt and it's so pretty! It has a big rosette on the side that is hard to see from the photos. I just had to wear red to church on Christmas. I wish Christmas was on Sunday every year. It was so wonderful to go to church!

Target sweater, New York & Co. pants, Payless boots, Yellow Blackbird necklace

WHEN: Tuesday, December 27

WHERE: Family holiday party

GETTING CREATIVE: Oh Hello, Monkey Face, I didn't see you there. What? You have worn pretty much this exact outfit before? What a coincidence! Of course I didn't have that outfit in mind when I bought the sweater. You think I bought the beads just to make the necklace to copy you? No way!

Gift from Smithsonian tee, Old Navy long tee and vest, Ross jeans, Payless boots

WHEN: Wednesday, December 28

WHERE: Out to lunch with parents, and dinner in with my in-laws

GETTING CREATIVE: My MIL gave me this Rosie shirt from the Smithsonian for Christmas. Wearing under a vest was so perfect because it helped dress up the tee just a little bit and kept me warm! We all know how much I love Rosie!

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you have plans for a fun weekend! See you next year, ha ha!

These are a Few of My Favorite Pins

2011-12-30T14:27:00.002-07:00

Source: laviepetite.blogspot.com via Aubree on Pinterest

I love this outfit. I copied Cori another time she wore this dress (outfit 15 here) and will probably do so again.

Source: meggielynne.tumblr.com via Aubree on Pinterest

This is just so cute. The title of the pin was "Oh please let it snow!" and I agree! Christmas is over and winter hasn't even begun here in Utah. The predicted high temp today was 60 degrees!

Source: quilling.blogspot.com via Aubree on Pinterest

More quilling inspiration for me. Love the bird (duh).

Source: igottacreate.blogspot.com via Aubree on Pinterest

This is a cardboard food box turned inside out to use as gift wrap. Thrifty! Genius!

If you want to follow me on Pinterest, find my boards here.

See you tomorrow for What I Wore. I hope you have enjoyed my top 10 posts this week. I haven't had any comments on them so I hope someone is reading them! : )

Customer Service Counts... Especially for Handmade

2011-12-29T16:58:00.006-07:00

Customer service is really important to a business. Take, for example, one of our favorite restaurants, Costa Vida. The first time we went there it was only because they were giving away free ice cream bars from a company owned by one of our neighbors. We both ordered a pork burrito, and after dishing mine, they were out of pork and told Spencer he would have to wait. By the time we reached the cash register, the pork was out and the burrito made so we waited a total of 1.5 seconds, not a big deal, but they gave us his meal FOR FREE. We were hooked. Customers for life and have returned so many times that they have definitely made their money back!! Plus, I tell that story to everyone I can and have given them a lot of free advertising. Another time I went there with a friend because I had a gift card. Their machine to read the gift cards was down but there wasn't a sign about it and I didn't find out until I reached the cash register. They gave me a free meal for that too! If there is a Costa Vida near you, go visit!

Contrast that with my recent shopping experience at Maurices. I don't really love going there because the sales people are pushy, annoying, and I really hate how they ask my name, write it on a little chalk board outside the dressing room door AND spell it wrong every time without asking for the correct spelling. I bought a pair of jeans right before Christmas and the employee forgot to take the security tag off. I didn't notice until I was home. The store is about 20 minutes and a lot of traffic away, but luckily there was another franchise only 5 minutes from my house so it wasn't a big deal. I took the pants to the close store and they couldn't remove the tag because they use a different security system. The girl did offer to exchange the pants for a pair in her store, but they didn't have the right size. She also offered to reorder the pants and have them shipped my house with no shipping charge. In hindsight I should have done that, but I wanted the pants for Christmas morning. For my trouble, she offered me a coupon for 10 percent off my next purchase. Really? Are you joking? For my trouble YOU are going to be rewarded by me purchasing another item and giving you another sale? Whatever. So I drove all the way up to the other store and the sales girl asks me for my receipt rather rudely, like she though I stole the pants. I ask her if she can apply the coupon I already got towards the pants because of their mistake. This was our conversation:

Me: can you return the pants then I can re purchase them with the coupon?

Her: sorry, can't be applied to a past purchase.

Me: but it wasn't my fault the tag wasn't taken off.

Her: well, we already gave you a twenty percent off discount.

Me: uh, that is because they were on sale. That is why I bought the pants.

Her: Well, sorry.

Me: so what can you do to make it better for me? (I explained the whole situation to her)

Her: sorry.

Me: well, if you aren't going to do anything about it I will think twice before shopping here again.

And I walked out. And I meant it. Unless I get desperate and can't find long enough jeans I am not shopping there again.

It is even more important to have good customer service if you are running a small handmade shop. I had a poor experience with an Etsy shop lately (I won't name the shop. It seems different to call out a fellow Etsy seller like I did the large corporation Maurices.)

This Etsy seller was featured on a blog I read and I was really interested in her product, but took a couple of weeks to decide exactly what to buy. By the time I made the decision she has closed her shop for the holidays. I sent her a message asking if she would be willing and able to open to sell to me, and if I could get it by New Year's Eve. She promptly replied and opened. Unfortunately, the price of the items had gone up from $10 to $12.50. I explained how I had been waiting for so long and asked if she would be willing to sell me the item for the $10 price. She responded with "do you want more than one?" I said no, and then I never heard from her again. Her shop was closed again and she never responded to me.

What poor customer service. A good response from her would have been:
"Thanks so much for your interest in my shop. I have determined that in order for me to stay in business and make a profit I need to sell my items at the $12.50 price. I hope that you will still order from me. I will be sure to get it to you by New Year's Eve."

A better response would have been:
"Thanks so much for your interest in my shop. I have determined that in order for me to stay in business and make a profit I need to sell my items at the $12.50 price; however, since you followed me here from the giveaway and are so interested in my shop I would be willing to sell the item to you for $11. I hope that you will still order from me. I will be sure to get it to you by New Year's Eve."

And of course the best response would have been:
"Thanks so much for your interest in my shop. Since you followed me here from the giveaway and are so interested in my shop I would be willing to sell the item to you for $10. I will be sure to get it to you by New Year's Eve."

I definetely would have purchased with the best or better responses, and would have considered purchasing if I would have got the good response. I also would have posted about my purchase on Facebook, and linked to or mentioned her shop on my What I Wore posts everytime I wore the item. That advertising alone would have been worth the $2.50. But instead she made $0.

What do you think? Do you base your return to a store on their customer service? Do you have any good stories to share? Any businesses or shops to promote due to their great customer service? Leave a comment below!

Top 10 Favorite Outfits of 2011

2011-12-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

#10

Source: yellowblackbird.blogspot.com via Aubree on Pinterest

Shout out for January Sponsors!

2011-12-28T13:18:00.002-07:00

This is a great opportunity for small blogs/Etsy shops, etc. to get a little more exposure.

Yellow Blackbird is still small but is growing bigger literally every day. I currently have about 480 followers (check the side bar for the most current number) and receive between 8,000-10,000 visitors per month.

I post at least 3-4 times per week and link to many blog parties, including "What I Wore" at Pleated Poppy which brings a lot of traffic to my blog.

I am offering ad space for January for only $5 per month. What a deal! This price also includes 1 GROUP blog post about your blog/shop/etc. sometime during the month.

Maximum ad space is 185 X 185 pixels. Email me if you are interested! aubreelarsen@gmail.com Your ad will go live as soon as I get it! (Paypal address is aubreelarsen@hotmail.com)

I will only be accepting family friendly, G rated ads!

Top 10 Favorite Projects of 2011

2011-12-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

#10 Valentine's Day Book Page Garland

Here

#9 Book Page Flowers

Here

#8 Anthro Inspired Necklace

Here

#7 "Create" Book Page Garland

Here

#6 Gray and Yellow Photos

Here

#5 Gray Wedding Jewelry

Here

#4 First Skirt

Here

#3 Anthro Inspired Bracelet

Here

#2 Toilet Paper Art

Here

#1 Quorra from Tron: Legacy Costume

Here

Yellow and Gray Photos

2011-12-26T10:23:00.003-07:00

How was your Christmas?? I hope it was amazing! I had a wonderful day! I was so exited to give the gifts I made. Here is one of them...

A good friend of mine has a ggorgeous pinboard of gray and yellow home decor. One pin in particular shows a black and white street scene with just the [yellow] leaves in color. I recently completed a 6 week Photoshop course and I felt confident that I could make that for her for Christmas. I used photos that I took myself (two of them are from the tulip photo walk I did with Amber so that was kind of special I guess) and some Photoshop tricks to make these:

I gave her a 4x6 of each photo, the files on CD (sans watermark of course), and a gift card towards future printing and framing when she gets her dream gray and yellow room.

I am sorry that I don't have a tutorial for you. I used a different process for each photo and am not savvy enough to write PS tutorials. Try looking here for instructions.

Most of the rest of this week will be a year in review. I will be featuring my top 10 favorite tutorials, outfits, and even books I read. I do have a few more Christmas gifts I made that I will try to post here too. And lucky for me I received a lot of Christmas gifts that will help me be creative and have even more fun stuff to post!

What I Wore

2011-12-24T09:49:00.003-07:00

Kohls shirt, Ross belt, handmade by my mom skirt, Walmart tights, Yellow Box shoes

WHEN: Thursday, December 15 and Sunday, December 18

WHERE: Work, then the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert and church

GETTING CREATIVE: Red tights and tucking in. I love the pop of color.

Charlotte Russe shirt, Old Navy cardi and jeans, Madden Girl boots via DSW

WHEN: Wednesday, December 21

WHERE: Running errands and lunch out with mom.

GETTING CREATIVE: I was trying to look festive for day time so I wore a glittery shirt and cardi. Pretty simple.

WHEN: Friday, December 23

WHERE: Running errands and dinner out with husband Spencer

GETTING CREATIVE: I am wearing the necklace sideways. The large cowl neck covers up the clasp and other beads.

The bangs are bag in town! I have had a master plan this whole time to go back to bangs. My straight across bangs had become too thick so I grew the whole chunk out. When they reached my chin I wanted to cut a few bangs back to where they used to be, and blend the rest in. I was able to get a haircut from my friend Whitney again. She does such a good job on my hair. I love it!

I hope you have a Merry Merry Christmas! I will be linking up to Clothed Much, Momma Go Round, Pleated Poppy, and Cute and Little.

These are a Few of My Favorite Pins

2011-12-23T14:00:00.003-07:00

It's Friday... that means it's time for me to share some creative inspiration. This week I will be sharing some of my favorite pins.

Source: bythewaythisiswhatweworetoday.blogspot.com via Aubree on Pinterest

I think this is perfection in an outfit. Mustard cardi, boots, not too over done. Yes please.

Source: creationsbykara.com via Aubree on Pinterest

This may appear that I am looking towards Valentines Day already. Certainly not! I just think this is a beautiful way to wrap that could be incorporated into many occasions.

Source: domestifluff.com via Aubree on Pinterest

Bird's nest made out of book pages?? Does it get more Aubree than that?? I have to make one for my craft room!

Source: a-chesterfield.blogspot.com via Aubree on Pinterest

This is a great tutorial to get this photo effect in Photoshop. It's on my to-do list!

Paper Christmas Trees

2011-12-23T13:45:00.004-07:00

I really didn't mean to go the whole week without posting. I had several things planned, but I had more to do to get ready for Christmas than I thought. In fact, I still have a few gifts to wrap and my entire house is covered in spray adhesive and glitter, but I am going to take a minute to share one of the Christmas crafts I did this year (and I will do a second post on my favorite pins since it is Friday). It's likely too late to be of any use to you now, but pin it for next year!

I originally saw the idea for these paper trees in my paper copy of Better Homes and Gardens and didn't look twice at them because there weren't any instructions in the mag, rather one was to go online for the template. Later I saw them on my favorite local lifestyle show and have even linked you there before. The pattern was posted so I downloaded it and printed it off.

They were really easy to make. I filled the trees with candy and a little gift for the recipients.

The guest on the TV show suggested using wrapping paper... because that is what company she represented. Wrapping paper is decidedly less expensive than scrapbooking paper so I tried it. The wrapping paper I used was too lightweight and the trees collapsed a little bit. I gave them to some eight year old girls in my church and would wager that by the time the trees got home a few no longer resembled trees. You should make some, but I would suggest using heavier paper.

Merry Christmas!!

What I Wore

2011-12-17T13:00:00.001-07:00

I have been thinking a little bit more about photos doing a better job showing how an outfit looks than the mirror. I have changed my mind from what I said a couple of weeks ago. I think I was just in denial. :) There are cases of bad photos, but I just have some clothes that don't look good on me at all. As I look through my style inspiration pinboard I notice that all the outfits have one thing in common.... the clothes all fit really well! I have set a goal to really clean out my closet and get rid of all the clothes that just don't fit. To help me figure out what really works for me I started a new pinboard where I can pin pictures of myself in outfits that work. Hopefully I will notice patterns and start selecting clothes that not only fit better (part of that has to do with me changing sizes over the past year or so) but actually flatter. I tend to buy something because it's really pretty or a good deal even if it isn't the best fit on me. I bought an orange jacket at H&M recently because I have wanted one for awhile even though it has hideous buttons and makes me look like a box. Dumb, dumb, dumb. I will be taking it back. Here is an interesting article on the same topic.

WHEN: Friday, December 16

WHERE: Work, then a family get together at our house

GETTING CREATIVE: Is color blocking still trendy? I finally did it again, now that I have solid color bottoms that aren't just black. I thought the gold accessories helped it look festive. BTW that shirt is a really bright turquoise but looks pale blue in the photo. This outfit was even more colorful than what you see here!
WHEN: Sunday, December 11

WHERE: Church, family dinner, and church choir festival and sing-a-long

GETTING CREATIVE: This is the most versatile skirt I own. I have styled is so many ways and adding the brown boots was another way to do so. The curve of the faux wrap sweater isn't looking so good from this angle... yikes! Again, I was hoping the gold would make it festive so I could save my red outfits for the Sundays closer to (and on!) Christmas.

WHEN: Monday, December 12

WHERE: Work, then out for ice cream and Christmas shopping for FHE with husband Spencer

GETTING CREATIVE: I finally wore my black blazer after months (maybe even years) of neglect. Plus, check out my photoshopping skills!

Yesterday I posted the first of a new feature called "Be Inspired|Get Creative." Please let me know if you found any of the links helpful!

Linking up to Pleated Poppy and Momma Go Round

Be Inspired|Get Creative

2011-12-16T06:00:00.002-07:00

I would like to start sharing inspiring links that I find with you to help you be inspired to create. It will be a few times a month on Fridays... that way we can all be ready for a creative weekend!

Creativity and Color:
If you haven't seen this article called "How to Steal Like an Artist" hurry go! Read it! I love it so much! My favorite is #1. I love sharing and collecting ideas. I really don't like it when a blogger posts a tutorial with a notice that it isn't to be reproduced for sale, especially when it's for something like a flower that could be used in a myriad of ways. Did the blogger really have the idea all on her own? She designed the fabric, invented the needle, created the idea of a basting stitch and came up with the fabric flower trend? I think not. She got the ideas from someone else. If a crafter uses that tutorial to make a flower and then uses it in an entirely new way and sales that product on Etsy what is the harm in that? If you don't want your idea shared, don't put it on the Internet! (Don't hate me if you disagree.) I love the article so much that I already pre-ordered the book. It's very cheap on Amazon.

Fresh color combos for outfits, but can apply to ANYTHING.

Amazing website to help you find that perfect color pallete.

DIY & Crafts:
Here's a lot of ideas on repurposing that soon to be outdated calendar.

Fabulous ideas on using a trash to treasure approach to decorating.

Style:
I found a favorite new style blog. Check out Hello Monkeyface for some great style inspiration!

Awesome ideas for getting more use out of your tights.

Photography:
Monkeyface has a great series on bloggers who take their own style pictures. It's really inspiring and led to me finding a lot of new fun blogs.

Diversons is one of the blogs with a detailed article on self-photography.

Want to take perfect photos of your Christmas tree? Emilie teaches you how.

Food:
Super creative ideas for Christmas treats.

Now, go and create!

Gingerbread Houses- Ultimate Creativity!

2011-12-13T22:15:00.003-07:00

I love making gingerbread houses. It's such a fantastic way to explore creativity. You are given a limited amount of materials and the sky is the limit as to what you can make. It's a great experience to make candy and frosting into something new. This year husband Spencer and I made the Snoopy's dog house from the Charlie Brown Christmas movie.

Spencer made this amazing Snoopy lying on top of the house out of a marshmallow Santa. I was blown away.

The poor sad Charlie Brown tree was made by drawing it with melted chocolate onto wax paper and putting it in the freezer (mom's idea), then Spencer added the Fruit by the Foot leaves and fondant ornament.

My best contribution was the 1st prize ribbon from a peppermint and Fruit Striped Gum.

My brother and sister-in-law got creative with the green frosting and made a Hawaiian hut. Can you say creative? They melted candy for the water and used cereal and brown sugar to replicate the elements of an island.

And check out that tree! It's made from fondant, then frosted and decorated to resemble a palm.

Of course our littlest brother (actually the tallest?) always has a grand time creating his gingerbread house.

Remember last year when we made a Grinch Who Stole Christmas house? If you have made a gingerbread house leave a link in the comments below so I can come check out your creativity.

P.S. Thanks Mom.

What I Wore

2011-12-10T11:33:00.005-07:00

Sometimes in real life when people mention my blog I worry that they think I am vain, taking pictures of my clothes and posting them on the Internet and all. But I don't mean to be vain. I just really love getting dressed. It's an art form. It's a way to be creative every day even if I don't have time for crafting, photography, or some other art. I don't have many photos this week but I did love some of the outfits I put together.

I did wear my red pants this week but didn't get a photo : (

If you use Pinterest at all and ever look at "women's apparel" you will recognize this outfit. It's pinned a ton. I completely copied it from her. And probably matched 99 other women that day too. But I did add my own touches. The gray tights, boots, and black belt? All me.

The most creative part of this outfit was the necklace. I wanted something shiny that had dimension. So I wore a necklace backwards. The other side has brightly colored flowers.

I don't know that I will wear something like this again. The tucked in cardi was cute but super uncomfortable. And this skirt is just too short for my liking (what you see giving it length is a slip sticking out from underneath). It got put in the donation pile.

H&M striped top, F21 cardi, Charlotte Russe necklace, Ross belt, hand me down skirt, Forever Young boots, and tights from some little store at Union Station in D.C.

We got home after it was dark this day, but I wanted to take pictures anyway because I really loved this outfit. First time wearing the red tights was interesting. I just loved when people would see my legs, look awkwardly up to my face, then down to my legs again. It's called "red" people.
I have had this dress for ages so it was fun to style it in a new way. I coordinated the red tights with the little beads in my necklace and earlier in the day I had a matching lip color too.

Target dress, Papaya jacket, Walmart tights, Steve Madden boots, necklace from a local boutique courtesy of my mom.

I'll be linking this post up with Momma Go Round and Pleated Poppy!

P.S. If you want to see another outfit I wore this week click here. It was practically the same except I wear pants, not leggings and my boots aren't as tall. It was a Pinterest inspired week for me!

Quilled Christmas Cards

2011-12-08T20:33:00.003-07:00

Remember when I got my quilling kit? I have been playing with it and made a few Christmas cards. If you like paper crafts you should really try this art form!

You can find the original instructions and inspiration for these first three designs here.

This little baby was my own design and creation. When I first made Rudolph, his antlers were a lot smaller. Dear husband, who was sitting next to me the entire time I was working on it, asked if it were an alien. I might have thrown it at him. I was so proud that I had designed my own quilling pattern.... and it looked like an alien!!!! I have since added bigger antlers and announced it is Rudolph to anyone I have shown before they can ask or guess.

While slightly time consuming, quilling is super fun. Try it!

Handmade Gift Exchange

2011-12-06T21:02:00.003-07:00

Once again I participated in Linda's handmade gift exchange over at Craftaholics Anonymous. My partner this year was Melissa from Sew Cute by Melissa. She sent me these adorable Christmas blocks. Aren't they fantastic? I love the papers and colors she chose. They match the colors of my decor really well. I put them in the window of the dining room... and area that could use a little Christmas love.

I sent Melissa a few accessories to get her holiday party ready: a sparkly green necklace, some red hoop earrings, and some black rose shoe clips.

A big thanks to Linda for hosting and to Melissa for the great gift!! Be sure to hop over to CA to see the other gifts that were made!

30 for 30 Week 3

2011-12-03T17:35:00.005-07:00

As you will see, I only got to day 24 but I am calling to quits on the remix. Three weeks was all I really planned on doing (so it isn't a 30 for 30 at all and I should have called it something else) and it served it's purpose. I learned more about my style and found some new ways to wear things.

During the middle of it, I had talked myself into starting a separate blog about style. I think most Yellow Blackbird readers are here for the crafts and DIYs, not the outfit photos. But the quality of the photos below (the look on my face, my posing, the backgrounds, the lack of detail) has really turned me off to the idea. Well, that and the fact that Spencer hates taking my picture everyday. I think for now I will keep doing "What I Wore" each week but I won't be going back to the Shop Your Closet feature. It was extremely unpopular and I don't think you readers want more than one day of my "style" photos. I do like posting on Saturdays instead of Wednesdays so I will continue posting my outfits on Saturdays and focus on crafts and creative inspiration the rest of the week.

I always read on blogs how the mirror isn't telling the true story. Photos are what really show how an outfit looks. But I don't buy it. I don't think the photo captures everything. It can't see how well the garment moves with your body or how it looks in different lights, etc. The photos below freeze just one small moment in time, capturing a slouchy boot, a crooked smile, hair in the face, gloves in the pockets making the vest look too puffy, and awkward hand position, a squinty eye, or a crooked collar, things you may not notice otherwise. They don't really show how the clothes work in real life. I really do think that I look better IRL than I do in most of the pictures. In fact, today while I was shopping at H&M, I was approached by a modeling talent scout and given a business card and instructions to call her. That would not have come if she would have seen the portraits here, but she saw what I look like in life. That really helped to boost my self-confidence. I think I only get asked because I have long legs, but I hadn't been approached in several years since I was in college and it made me feel better that even though my hair is crazy right now and I have gained weight that I can still look good.

But I digress.

SIXTEEN

I have now styled this dress about 5 different ways and this might just be my favorite one. I love the bright sweater and of course the belt and boot combo is signature Aubree.

SEVENTEEN

I am so glad I bought this shirt. I love it. In fact, at H&M today I bought one that is exactly opposite (large white and small dark stripes) and know I will wear it a ton.

EIGHTEEN

These boots are too slouchy. The leg warmers are supposed to just be peeking out of the boots, but they keep falling down. I was inspired by this, but fell quite short of it. Of course, it's hard to see from this side angle and I always think that my outfits look better in real life as I said before... And I like my skirts below my knees unlike the inspiration photo...

NINETEEN

Sort of a feminine Indiana Jones vibe going here. This was the only time I wore this shirt in the remix.

TWENTY

I am sad that this photo didn't turn out because this is my favorite outfit of the remix. It was so cold and windy that we snapped a quick three photos right outside the door and called it good. I love my heart tights and the flower is from my Blooming Sash Belts. This was inspired by Cori, something I have been wanted to wear for awhile. I just loved it. I wore it to work, so I will have to wear it to church sometime.

TWENTY-ONE

I can't get enough of this red vest! The white shirt was technically part of the remix, but I counted it as an undershirt. You can't see the turquoise necklace too well, but I love red and turquoise.

TWENTY TWO

Oh my windy!!! I never would have thought to wear this beige top with gray pants without this remix.

TWENTY THREE

A blazer, stripes, leopard and boots is so 2011, am I right?

TWENTY FOUR

This is what I wore today. I was actually going to end the remix on Friday, but I didn't have much time to get ready on Saturday before Amber picked me up for our H&M excursion and looking through the whole closet was too overwhelming. So I chose another outfit from the remix and used that classic Aubree belt and boots and it became one of my favorites from the remix.

I have several new things to wear this week now that I am done. The whole red pants trauma is over- I finally got a perfect pair and returned the one that didn't fit. I have 2 new puffy vests, a new pair of riding boots, an orange jacket, and two long sleeve tees. My grandma already gave me my Christmas money so I am sort of counting the boots as a gift and may wait until Christmas to wear them. We'll see...

Have a wonderful rest of the weekend!

Photo Letters Again

2011-12-02T17:18:00.004-07:00

Have you been dying all week to know what was in the brown paper packages? Today is the day to find out!

Remember the photo letters gift I made for my brother last year? I decided to do the same thing for Spencer's sister's family this year. We had their names for the family gift exchange and I really wanted to make something and have it be personal.

For the mom and dad gift we I did the family name in larger frame.

For each of the kids I made a 5X7 collage of their first names in Photoshop and framed it. I was going to tint the letters to match the colors of their rooms but it only looked good in some of the colors so I left them all black and white.

Unfortunately, the printing turned out a little dark on this one, but it isn't as bad in real life as it is here.

This one is my favorite! I had such a hard time finding the mailbox B last year, that I was worried about finding another B, but it wasn't too bad. Funny, that I drove past the new B everyday last year when I was looking and never noticed it.

This was easy since Tanner and Anne are almost the same! :)

If you are still looking for a unique and personal gift, there is still time to make one! Just keep your eyes constantly peeled for objects that look like letters and soon enough you will find all the letters you need. Actually, finding the 5 opening frame was hardest part. After going to every store in the tri-county area (ha ha) and tons of websites I found this one at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. See my post from last year for a few more tips.

Have fun!!

45+ Ways to Keep Christ in Christmas

2011-12-01T06:00:00.001-07:00

It's December and the Christmas season is in full swing. It's so easy to get caught up in all the gifts, parties, shopping, and wrapping and forget the true meaning of Christmas. I recently saw a funny comic on Pinterest that said something to the effect of "I find it ironic that the day after we celebrate being thankful for what we have, we become greedy and go crazy buying more stuff." Too true.

It's important to consciously choose to participate in activities that keep the real spirit of Christmas in our homes and hearts. Below is a list of such activities that I compiled last year for a church activity. Many of them apply to members of the LDS (Mormon) Church, but plenty will work for you if you are of another Christian faith.

Keep Christ in Christmas

· Hold a family testimony meeting.

· Read about prophecies of the Savior’s birth in the Book of Mormon.

· Read the Christmas story from the Bible.

· Memorize The Living Christ.

· Make a list of your blessings.

· Watch the First Presidency Devotional on the first Sunday in December.

· Watch Music and the Spoken Word Sunday mornings.

· Make thank you notes to use after Christmas.

· Learn a Christmas hymn to sing as a family.

· Read a Christmas story from the Friend or Ensign.

· Make or use a service advent calendar- no one gets the treat until a service has been performed.

· Write down on paper, roll up, and tie with a bow, a gift you are going to give to the Savior.

· Keep track of all the service given by family members in December in a white stocking, gift box, or manger scene. Read the good deeds on Christmas morning.

· Write your testimony in a Book of Mormon and give it away.

· Make Christmas ornaments that focus on Christ.

· Visit Temple Square- especially the nativity scenes and the statue of Christ in the visitor’s center.

· Make a flannel board nativity and leave it out for children to retell the story.

· Use simple costumes to act out the nativity story.

· Write letters and make cards to send to loved ones far away.

· Color, paint, (or purchase) a nativity scene and hang it in your home.

· Watch an uplifting Christmas DVD together such as Joy to the World.

· Have a "white" Christmas--attend the temple.

· Go shopping together for Sub-for-Santa or angel tree gifts.

· Help children clean out toys and donate good used ones to charity.

· Make dinner for a neighbor in need.

· Help children write a story about the manger on Christmas night.

· Write a note to a missionary.

· Have a Bethlehem dinner.

· Have a family Christmas music night with instrumental and vocal performances.

· Attend a live nativity.

· Listen to Handel's Messiah and learn the story behind music. (See Ensign December 2010).

· Make a Christmas advent candle, and read a Christ related scripture each night as candle burns.

· Wrap meaningful and uplifting Christmas books and open one each day and read together.

· Collect uplifting Christmas stories and compile in a binder to read as a family each day.

· Collect or make from paper symbols of Christmas and teach children the meaning. They could draw one from a gift bag and tell how it reminds them of Christ.

· Go for a nighttime winter walk and enjoy the beautiful stars and talk about the special star that appeared at Christ's birth.

· Draw names of family members on Dec 1^st. Secretly serve that person all month. Reveal on Christmas morning.

· Make handprints of children, cut out, and print "I will have helping hands for Jesus."

· Determine a need and perform a service anonymously.

· Forgive and make amends with someone.

· Give family members a “golden gift.” Wrap a Christ centered gift (book, scriptures, CD, etc) in gold paper and open on Christmas morning.

· Purchase nativity play sets for children

· Strive to be more like the Savior each day!

Helpful links:

Christ Centered Traditions Blog
Helps for memorizing the Living Christ at Discover the Scriptures
Nativity Matching game
CHRISTmas at I am Momma- Hear Me Roar

Call for December Sponsors!

2011-11-30T11:14:00.002-07:00

This is a great opportunity for small blogs/Etsy shops, etc. to get a little more exposure.

Yellow Blackbird is still small but is growing bigger literally every day. I currently have a little over 470 followers (check the side bar for the most current number) and receive between 8,000-10,000 visitors per month.

I post at least 3-4 times per week and link to many blog parties, including "What I Wore" at Pleated Poppy which brings a lot of traffic to my blog.

I am going to offer ad space for the rest of 2011 for only $5 per month. At the end of December I will reevaluate my stats and adjust the price accordingly, if needed.

This price also includes 1 blog post about your blog/shop/etc. sometime during the month.

Maximum ad space is 185 X 185 pixels. Email me if you are interested! aubreelarsen@gmail.com Your ad will go live as soon as I get it!

I will only be accepting family friendly, G rated ads!

Embellished Brown Paper Packages

2011-11-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

Wrapping gifts is not one my talents. Most of the time my presents come out looking horrible. I tend to stick with gift bags (usually ones that someone has already given me, including the tissue paper!). This year I decided to skip all the wrapping paper and bows and go with simple brown "Kraft" paper as my blank canvas. Now I can be creative and have fun!

I had to make these particular gifts flat without much dimension because I was sending them home on a long road trip over Thanksgiving weekend with Spencer's sister's family and I didn't want the wrappings to get squished.

If you want to make your gift all coordinate, consider buying a few sheets of matching scrapbook paper, stickers, and a little bit of ribbon. All the paper I used was from the same line so the gift somewhat go together.

This one turned out to by my favorite. I used a simple strip of paper with the word lyrics, some neat letter stickers, and some holly leaf stickers. So quick and easy, yet personalized and cute!

This one used another strip of the paper and a few strands of ribbon that are each taped to the back of the package. The tag came printed on the paper. After the photos were already taken I filled in the to and from.

The present for Anne is the first one I did, and obviously I was more ambitous at the beginning. I painted the snowflakes on the package using a stencil. I added a ribbon and another tag cut from the paper. I finished it off with letter stickers to spell out the name of the recipient.

This was for a nephew (rather than the other three for nieces) so I figured I could go a little more simple. I punched three circles out of coordinated scrapbook paper and added a simple sticker for a monogram. I love putting monograms on gifts and tags. It's easy and stylish.

For the parents I used the same ideas as above- strips of paper, a tag cut from paper, and monogram stickers. I like it.

I still have some wrapping paper left that I will use this year (probably for Spencer's gifts) but from this point forward I am going to stick with the brown paper. It can be customized for any person on any occasion!

I want to show you what's in these packages, since I made the gifts. I don't think anyone in that family reads my blog, but if you do, be warned that later these week I will be posting photos of the gifts and don't want to spoil your surprise! : )

30 for 30 Remix Week 2

2011-11-26T16:19:00.006-07:00

It's week 2 of my 30 for 30 remix. To see week 1 click here, and to see all the clothes I picked click here.

SEVEN

These first two outfits I actually wore week 1 but never got pictures so I recreated them. The photos turned out terrible. I look like I have a huge head so I had to crop it out below. Anywho... layering a cardi over a sweater made for a cozy outfit.

EIGHT

I like the polka dots together. I think they are far enough apart that they don't clash. I have only ever worn this skirt with brown so adding black was kind of fun. However, keeping the sweater tucked in and smooth all day was awful. I think that only works with flowy skirts.

NINE

More dots on dots! I layered this shirt over the dress, which I have never done before. I am wearing the raspberry Blooming Sash Belt (get it for 15% off with code YellowFriday BTW). I am ok with how this turned out.

TEN

Not very exciting, but at least I was shopping my closet and wore something new, right?

ELEVEN

Okay, I might look a little Ronald McDonald but this was so fun to wear! I wore it to school on a "free dress" day and sooo many people (including the kids) complimented me on my boots! I hope they weren't making fun of me. : ) I am loving red and yellow together!

TWELVE

Since this outfit was sort of voluminous on top maybe I should have worn boots on the bottom to better balance it out. I do like the belted blazer, you?

THIRTEEN

This is what I wore to Thanksgiving dinner. I felt like dressing up a little bit, and to be honest I wore this because it allows for a lot of eating! No pants to become too tight and no one can see the food baby, ha ha! (I really hate the term "food baby." Yuck!). I think the cardi would have looked good belted but that would defeat the purpose so I piled on the leaf necklaces instead. I am sporting my Jo Tote camera bag!

FOURTEEN

A lot of occasions are calling for this sweater so I added the black scarf to try to change it a little from how I wore it before.

FIFTEEN

I have worn this outfit before, but took away the belt and added the scarf and yellow shoes to change it up. It really is all about accessories.

Well, I am about half way through the 30 for 30, but remember at the beginning I said I would probably just do 3 weeks instead of the full 30? This is going to be my last week. By then I will be up to about 23 outfits. Holiday parties will be in full swing and I will want to be wearing certain things (aka sparkles and red pants!!!) that aren't included in this remix.

Since I know you all care SO much about my red pants (NOT!) here's an update: I decided that they don't fit very well at all. They are too big and I spent so much time looking for long ones, but in the skinny style I don't need longs. I got back online (New York and Co) and saw that the pants are $10 cheaper than they were when I bought them the first time so I ordered them again in a different size and will just return the first pair to the store. More waiting!

Reminder: You have until Monday night to get 15% off at my Etsy shop with code YELLOWFRIDAY. I thought the code name was so clever, ha ha!

BLACK FRIDAY SALE AND FREE GIFT

2011-11-25T00:01:00.001-07:00

It's official! It's Christmastime! And with that comes holiday shopping! I am joining in the madness that is Black Friday weekend by offering 15% off your entire order from my Etsy shop, Yellow Blackbird! Enter code YELLOWFRIDAY to receive the discount.This offer is good through the end of Cyber Monday.

The first 5 customers to mention the Yellow Blackbird blog or Facebook page in the message to seller on Black Friday ONLY will receive a FREE wire bird's nest charm in your choice of red, gold, pink, burgundy, silver, bright blue, turquoise, dark blue, dark purple, or black.

Here are some of the great gifts you can find at Yellow Blackbird:

Rosette Bobby Pin Gift Set

Hot Pink Flower Hair Clip

A Different Kind of Pearl Bracelet. It also comes in a necklace in pearl, pink, black, turquoise, and blue.

The popular Anthro bracelet kit or finished bracelet

And of course my signature Blooming Sash Belt available in a wide variety of colors.

Happy Shopping!

Coat Closet: Organized

2011-11-21T17:01:00.003-07:00

We have been on an organizing frenzy at our house lately. I am much more inclined to clean this time of year instead of the spring. I want my home clean for the holidays and if I am going to be cooped up inside all winter, I don't want to be in a mess!

One of the projects I did on Saturday was organize the coat closet since I am now using it every day. We had all of the mittens, gloves, scarves, and hats in a plastic tub in the top of closet. Any time we needed something we had to stir through the mess, and it was particularly hard when short on time in the morning.

My solution to this problem was to buy an over the door shoe organizer. I got one at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. With the 20% off coupon that always comes in the mail it was only about $12. Sooooo worth it!

All of the gloves and mittens have their mate, and everything is easy to see. I have only been using it for two days but it has been so helpful to find the right color of gloves and just go!

If your winter gear is in need of an overhaul, I would highly recommend this method! I just love looking at it! All the neatly organized bright colors just make me happy (including my red rain boots!) AND I have more space in the top of the closet now!

In case you are wondering... yes, I will be doing a Black Friday-Cyber Monday sale this weekend for all items in my Etsy shop. There will be percents off and even free gifts for the early birds! Come back late Thursday night to be the first in line!

30 for 30 Week 1

2011-11-19T17:30:00.005-07:00

I didn't get this up as soon as I would have liked because I was at the crazy Old Navy sale. All adult outerwear was on sale 75% off. The checkout line was 1 hour long. I did snag some good deals, so I guess it was worth it. Did anyone else go?

I had a fun time with 30 for 30 this week. There's actually 2 outfits that I wore that I didn't get pictures of so to make my record complete I'll put them on again sometime next week so I can get photos. With the holiday break this week, I will get many more days of jeans in the remix.

ONE

I was so excited that it rained so I could wear my rain boots. Aren't they cute?

This dress has been one of my favorite pieces this fall.

I love this photo. I actually cheated a little bit here by adding the cream tank under the jacket, but the undershirt I had just wasn't modest enough. The best thing I have learned from all these outfit photos for the past year, it's mixing neutrals. BTW, I was slightly inspired by this.

My mom altered this dress for me today so next time I wear it, it will be knee length. I liked this color combo. Several of the bloggers I follow wore striped skirts on the same day... funny!

I really liked this one. I needed to wear this new scarf from Forever 21 and it worked to mix these patterns together, no? (Plus I was having a fantastic hair day!)

I am so glad I wore flat boots and light layers today for the craziness that was Old Navy. (And I will blame that on this bad hair day!)

If you want to see where these clothes are from, or all the pieces I am remixing click here. I will have time to get all caught up on my photos (and shouldn't miss any) this week since I only have to work two days! Next week I should have 8-9 more outfits. Fun stuff!

P.S. I ordered some red pants from New York and Co. They should be here Tuesday. If they fit, I will NOT be waiting until my 30 for 30 is over to wear them!! : )

P.P.S. If you like my outfits or feel inspired, why not pin them and share with others? : )

These are a Few of My Favorite Pins

2011-11-18T18:02:00.003-07:00

I haven't had too many projects to share on the blog lately because I have been busy filling Yellow Blackbird orders. However, I did make some cards with some paper quilling to share, and tomorrow Amber is coming back so we can make more ear warmers so those should be coming up soon.

In the meantime, I want to share some of the funnest things I have found on Pinterest lately.

Source: realsimple.com via Aubree on Pinterest

I love these book shelves! I want to make some for my craft room!

Source: cherishedvintage.blogspot.com via Aubree on Pinterest

Isn't this a beautiful scarf?? I believe you can buy it on Etsy if you click through all the links. Would also be fun to use as an inspiration piece to make your own.

Source: homedesign.marthastewart.com via Aubree on Pinterest

You know my obsession with book page crafts...

Source: mattersofgrey.com via Aubree on Pinterest

You also know I am a little bit of a sci-fi nerd too, what with the Tron costume and all... I love Star Wars too. I think husband and I will be making these for Family Home Evening soon.

Source: lyndarthemerciless.blogspot.com via Aubree on Pinterest

I don't know if I have the skills to pull this off, but it's sooo pretty!!

If you are interested in following me, find all my boards here.

Be sure to check in tomorrow to see how I am doing on my 30 for 30 remix!

Twenty Thou

2011-11-17T18:29:00.003-07:00

Twenty Thou is an Internet jewelry, accessories, and gifts shop ran by Nicold. Her goal is to sell 20,000 items over the next few years to help her get out of debt. Now that is a cause I can support! I love that she working hard for this cause and not just asking for handouts (read her story in her own words here).

Here's a few of the pretty pieces you can find at Twenty Thou.

The I Love Lariet I necklace

The Anti Bling Coconut Ring

The Quiet Lemon-Lime bangle, which is part of a collection. The bangles can be stacked, but because they are wrapped, they don't make any noise.

Get your Christmas lists out and head over to Twenty Thou!

DIY Ear Warmers

2011-11-15T17:59:00.005-07:00

This fall I have really come to love ear warmers. I bought a yellow crochet one from Forever 21 (as seen on me here). So when my friend Amber shared Delia's tutorial for ear warmers through Pinterest I knew I had to make one.

Delia actually has others that I like better (check out her tutorials) but this is the one that I pinned. (Not that this one isn't darling!)

Source: prudentbaby.com via Aubree on Pinterest

Amber brought several colors fleece and she let me use this pretty orange color.

I made the flower by cutting out a variety of circles and stacking them. I then bunched up the bottom and sewed it together.

Aren't they cute? Amber made a gray one like Delia's.

It was so fun! Thanks Amber!

I'll probably be making more... can't wait to share them with you!

Fall 30 for 30 picks

2011-11-12T16:42:00.005-07:00

Last winter I participated in Kendi Everyday's 30 for 30 style remix. It was a lot of fun and I learned a bit about my wardrobe and style (see weeks 1, 2, 3, and 4). I also participated last summer, but it was an epic failure so I dropped out. I really don't like summer clothes. This summer was especially hard because none of the shorts from the year before fit me anymore and I didn't want to buy new shorts that I could wear for only 3 months. But fall and winter are my FAVORITE times to dress! I have several new peices this season that I can't wait to mix right up. I have been waiting for Kendi to do another challenge, but she hasn't so I am doing it on my own (and anyone who wants to join me like I said earlier today).

So here it goes!

SHIRTS

From left to right: H&M, H&M, H&M, Old Navy, Hand-me-down

T-SHIRTS

Gap, Shade (thrifted), Ross, Gap
(Yeah, they are all pretty much the same shirt!)

SWEATERS and CARDIS

Target, local boutique, Old Navy, Ross, Forever 21

JACKETS AND VESTS

Old (don't remember), Papaya, Coldwater Creek, Gap (thrifted)

Yes, I did pick three brown jackets!

DRESSES AND SKIRTS

Old, Target, Ross, Old

PANTS

Old Navy, Maurices, Gap

I have a few things in there that I have had for so long that I don't even remember where they come from. There's also a couple of things that I have never worn before (or just once or twice) so I think I have a good mix.

You noticed I didn't pick any shoes?
That's because I like to make my own rules. I only chose 25 items and will have unlimited access to my shoes. I likely will wear the same 3 pairs of boots the whole time, but shoes are pretty much accessories anyway.

I will also swap out that pair of jeans for any others and not feel bad (I may want to go flair instead of skinny).

I may only go for 25 days with my 25 picks. We'll be into holiday party season by then and I may want to wear my sparkly stuff. I wish I would have started a little earlier in November....

Come back next Saturday to see how my first week went! You can link up your outfits too! The best way to do that of course, would be to follow! : )

Shop Your Closet

2011-11-12T10:10:00.005-07:00

This week I shopped my closet for an outfit to match to a scarf. I said I was going to match a scarf I hadn't ever worn.... and I didn't. (In this post you can see the two other ways I have worn this scarf.) But I did wear something brand new!

Although I LOVE this jacket, I hadn't worn it yet this year, so I thought it was a great addition to an outfit in which I am supposed to be shopping my closet for something new to wear.
(See how I wore it here to model an Anthro shirt refashion I did.)

Wearing Target jacket and scarf, Old Navy shirt, Gap pants, and Forever Young boots

NEXT SHOPPING TRIP: 30 FOR 30 REMIX. I am taking a break from the weekly shopping trip prompt to participate in a longer style challenge. Basically, you choose 30 items from your closet and make 30 outfits for 30 days. Come back later today to see what items have I picked (and how I am bending the rules).

Want to join in? I will post all of my remixed outfits for the week on Saturdays and continue the linky party so you can link up. BTW, you can link up any outfit post! I would be happy to get a linky with thumbnail photos but since so few people link up I haven't yet.

P.S. It's not too late to go over to GiGis Petals to get a slamming deal on one of my Blooming Sash Belts. You have until the 16th!

Have I Got a Deal For You! (Blooming Belt Sale)

2011-11-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of GiGis Petals yet? It's a site that has daily deals on handmade items. Starting today you can get a Blooming Sash Belt from Yellow Blackbird for only $10! Choose from black, red, or white, and there is no limit on how many you can order! Hurry and click on over to GiGis petals to grab this deal while it lasts!

If you have had your eye on another color of the Blooming Sash Belt contact me and let's talk about what we can do for you. aubreelarsen@gmail.com

Handmade by Mrs. H

2011-11-09T16:00:00.000-07:00

I'd like to introduce to a sponsor of Yellow Blackbird.... Handmade by Mrs. H! This darling Etsy shop is ran by Samantha in the UK.

She makes darling handbags such as this purple tweed one. Love the embellishment!

This rosette brooch is to die for! I love the color and the style!

Samantha's shop is filled with these wonderful cushions. They come in so many different styles such as this blue and white polka dot one.

Samantha also runs the blog At Home with Mrs. H. She is the best participant in my Shop Your Closet feature.

Go say hello! And tell her Yellow Blackbird sent you!

What I Wore

2011-11-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

Is anyone up for a 30 for 30 remix? (Don't know what that is? Check out this link to read about it. Basically you choose 30 items from your closet and make 30 outfits for 30 days just from those items and any accessories). I have been waiting and waiting for Kendi to announce a fall one (I even asked her about it on Facebook) but I don't know that she is going to do it, so I am going to start on my own. It's fun to do with other bloggers so anyone want to join me?

I will be starting this Saturday. I will continue to post my weekly "Shop Your Closet" linky party on Saturdays but instead of a weekly challenge I will be doing 30 for 30 for the next month. Feel free to come on Saturday and link up if you want to participate in the remix (or have other outfits to share).

-----------------------------------------
It was cold this week! I got to bundle up!

Wearing Old Navy jeans, Forever Young boots, Old Navy t-shirt, ??? jacket, F21 ear warmer.

I love this picture. I love the yellow ear warmer. I love the pop of color. Don't I look better with curled hair? I am SO glad I finally figured out how to do it!

Wearing Target sweater, Old Navy Jeans, Madden girl boots, F21 ear warmer, gifted necklace from a SIL

I just got this sweater over the weekend. Isn't it awesome? I love yellow and gray.

I can't believe it took until this winter for me to get on board the ear warmer trend. I love it! It keeps me warm without being the full hat. They have sort of a flapper vibe which I am over the moon about! Over the weekend I made some ear warmers with a friend. Watch for that in an upcoming post!

Also coming up... my boot socks! I "made" them myself. I will be posting about that soon too!

Can you guess which coat I wore with the above 2 outfits? Yup, that one.

Wearing Cold Water Creek blazer, ??? skirt, Express shirt, belt traded with Paige, Walmart tights

All browns. As much as I love color, a little monochromatic outfit never hurt anyone. Isn't the jacket divine?

Wearing Ross dress, boutique cardigan and belt, Madden Girl boots, Charlotte Russe necklace

Ah, color. You are back! And in a big way. Nothing like a punch of orange to brighten your day! The wind did some crazy things with the dress in the photo. It kind of makes me dizzy to look at. Sorry!

One last thing... isn't Spencer doing a good job with the photos? Our schedules now allow us more days that he can take my picture. He says that he feels like dying every time I ask him, but he does it anyway. (I only take 1 minute and we only take 3-5 photos every time so it's not a huge deal...) Love you! Thanks!

Validation

2011-11-07T19:54:00.004-07:00

I know that not many of you are going to want to hang around my blog for 15 minutes to watch this entire video. But you won't regret it if you do. We watched it for Family Home Evening tonight (it's not church related though) and talked about how we can be happier each day if we are trying to make other people smile. I saw it for the first time 1 week ago and have been thinking about it and trying to act on it. It has made a difference in my life.

(Sorry in advance for the quick "h" word at the beginning!)

Follow this link if the video isn't displayed properly.

Have a great week everyone!!

Shop Your Closet

2011-11-05T09:37:00.001-06:00

This week I went shopping in my closet to find an outfit to wear with my khakis and this is what I came up with. I followed some of the tips in the article from Already Pretty that I linked you to last week, such as the cognac boots. But I really went out a limb and wore red with tan. This was a stretch for me, not only because I don't want to look a Target employee, but because the kids at my school wear red and tan as part of their uniform and I don't want to match or be mixed with the students. The brown jacket solved that problem.

I started with the pants, of course, then added the boots. As I was rummaging around for a shirt, I found the red and though, why not? But this shirt pretty much has wings so I needed something to make it look more fitting. Last time (and the time before) that I wore this I used a black belt so I wanted something different. The jacket was just the thing.

Throw in a green bracelet for some color and voila!

Did you try out your khakis? Or shop your closet in any other way? Link up below!

NEXT SHOPPING TRIP: SCARF I am going to plan an outfit around one (or two) of the new scarves I have that I haven't worn yet.

Be inspired to join in:

Make it the focus of your outfit.

Mix your patterns like Jessica.

Go neutral with a pop like this.

Add a pretty pattern like Emerald.

Tie it in a bow.

Or one of these 25 ways.

Paper Quilling Inspiration

2011-11-03T21:59:00.002-06:00

Source: 100christmastrees.blogspot.com via Aubree on Pinterest

If you look closely, this amazing work of art is made up from small rolled up pieces of paper. It's an art called paper quilling. See more amazing art like this on artyulia.com.

Paper quilling is something I have been interested in for a long time. I tried it once in high school but wasn't really following the correct techniques. I just purchased this Paper Quilling for Dummies kit from Hobby Lobby so I could learn. I am excited to get started making some fun projects.

But first, I will be practicing the basic shapes:

Source: increations.blogspot.com via Aubree on Pinterest

Eventually I want to make a monogram like one of these:

Source: typographyserved.com via Aubree on Pinterest

Source: craftastical.com via Aubree on Pinterest

I will be sure to show you what I come up with!

What I Wore

2011-11-01T17:25:00.005-06:00

How was everyone's Halloween? It was our first time staying home to pass out candy. We sat on the porch and ate pizza while we passed out candy because there was a very steady stream of kids. We grossly underestimated how much candy it would take so eventually we had to sneak in the house and turn off all the lights. Did you check out my awesome Tron costume yet?

F21 cardi, Old Navy t-shirt and scarf, Gap pants, Forever Young boots

I really loved how this outfit turned out. Simple, matching, cozy. I love yellow and gray together.

Old Navy sweater, Target dress and boots, Express shirt, Ross belt

This outfit was inspired by Suburbs Mama in this outfit. I have been waiting for months to wear it. The skirt is really a dress but it looks terrible as a dress on me. I pulled it up under my arms so it looked shorter.

Don't forget that this week I am shopping my closet for khakis. I haven't worn my outfit yet.. I need some time to play in my closet and figure it out.

Retro Room Redo

2011-11-01T06:00:00.001-06:00

Do you remember my retro room? It's our downstairs family room. Recently we gave it a small facelift. Over the summer I gathered retro-inspired paraphernalia and we rearranged all the decor to add it in. I want the walls to be plastered with stuff, like a themed restaurant.

(This wall has an empty space... waiting for me to make or find something...)

The photos don't do it justice. It's such a fun room! So if you have any unused retro-inspired decor, send it my way! : )

Halloween!! Quorra from Tron and Clark Kent Costumes

2011-10-31T14:15:00.006-06:00

My Halloween costume this year was Quorra from the movie Tron: Legacy. As soon as I walked out of the theater last spring I knew this is what I wanted to be for Halloween.

For the light up effect, I sewed little elastic loops to my clothes and ran EL wire through the loops. The battery pack is in my boot. It looks so cool in the dark. I purchased the identity disc on Amazon and husband built the mount using recycled materials and spray paint

Coolest. Costume. Ever.

I love my Quorra Tron costume!

Spencer went as Clark Kent.

He is so creative. This was kind of a last minute costume and he had the idea to wire the tie so it looked like it was blowing in the wind.

I LOVE dressing up!

Quorra and Clark

And finally, this is my good friend Holly who dressed up as a disco ball. She even had a tape player (yes a tape player) inside the disco ball so she could turn on music!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Shop Your Closet

2011-10-29T10:56:00.004-06:00

This week I did another "free for all" shopping trip into my closet. We had a couple of particularly chilly days this week so I broke out a few of my cold weather staples and remixed them to come up with this outfit.

I am wearing a Coldwater Creek sweater, Old Navy black tee, handmade by my mom skirt, Target boots, and some black tights. The bracelet is from F21 and the watch from Bumbles. I bought the gold leaf charm from the Gem Faire.

Click here to see another outfit with the skirt. This is how I have traditionally worn it (I have had it for years). Going back through the archives only turned up in this terrible/outfit photo of the sweater and this outfit that I actually like. Aren't we all glad I don't take my outfit photos like that anymore???

What do you think about my lipstick??? I don't usually wear a color like that? Should I keep wearing it?

Did you shop your closet and remix a new outfit this week? Link it up below and share with us all (this includes and "what I wore" posts or any outfit posts that show a remix of your wardrobe).

NEXT SHOPPING TRIP: KHAKIS. A few weeks Already Pretty posted this article about styling your khakis. I SO need this. I have several pairs I bought to wear to work and I never wear them. I recently turned a boot cut pair into skinnies so I am ready to bust them out. Go read Sally's article for all the tips.

Love Ramsey makes her khakis business worthy in this outfit. Love the pop of blue.

If you would like a more casual approach, check out this outfit from the Daybook. I love the stripes.

I noticed that Jessica from What I Wore wears khakis a lot. This is her most recent outfit, but if you look over at the sidebar at "recent outfits" you'll see quite a few.

Good luck to us all! I am going to need it! The school year is 25% over and I haven't worn them once. I haven't photographed them (or probably worn them) since the 30 for 30 remix last year. I wore them Day 24 (yuck) and Day 4 (this outfit I actually like).

New Blog Design by the CreativeB

2011-10-29T10:46:00.002-06:00

If you are checking out this post in your reader, click on over to the site to see my new blog design by the Creative B. I LOVE it! I look like a professional now! And it's so ME! I LOVE the bird cages. Aren't they adorable?

Working with Kassiah from the Creative B was wonderful. She was so quick to respond to emails and let me know exactly what was going on each step of the way. She didn't mind if I got a little picky with things, just changed it so I got exactly what I wanted.

This blog redesign included the banner, the menu buttons, post signature, post divider, buttons, Etsy shop banner and avatar, sidebar titles, social media buttons, and even a little bird up icon up in the address bar of your internet browser!

Click here to see other samples of the Creative B's work.

All of this can be yours if you click over to the Creative B right now. And lucky you, there is a sale going on right now. So hurry! Don't delay!

What do you think of my new makeover?

What I Wore

2011-10-26T06:00:00.000-06:00

Last time I wore this dress, I told you it would soon look like this pin. I had to throw something together Sunday morning so I forgot about the scarf in the picture but oh well. I still liked it. (If you are new, here is the tutorial for the lace socks.)

This is one of the shirts I mentioned yesterday. It was on clearance at the Gap Outlet. I know it could be really cute layered and accessorized, but for this first time (and warm day) I wanted to keep it simple.

I wore it with Gap skinnies, and Steve Madden heels. The necklace was a gift from my SIL.

I wore it with this Target trench.

I had a lot of good photos of this outfit so I thought I would show them all. Okay, on to something else.

Polka dots, cognac, and peacock! Loved it. I wore this to my family pumpkin carving party.

I did a bit of pattern mixing here. Polka dots, stripes, and plaid! Cute or too much? I liked it.

Do you like my pumpkin? I did a bird this year because I was lazy and wanted to make it match my blog, ha ha. Husband carved the bat without a pattern or drawing on the pumpkin. He is so talented.

Last, but not least, this is what I wore for Shop Your Closet last week.

Didn't husband do a good job on the photos this week? Love him!

Linking up with Pleated Poppy and Momma Go Round.

Our Adventurous Weekend

2011-10-25T17:09:00.006-06:00

On Saturday I referred to the adventurous weekend we were having. It was fall break, which meant that husband and I had Thursday and Friday off. We took our car in to be looked at. It has been having problems and we have been trying to sell it too. We found out that it was going to be over $2000 to fix. My poor little '03 Alero just wasn't worth it. Instead we decided to buy a new car. You have to know, we don't take a lot of time to make big choices. I picked the first wedding dress I tried on, Spencer looked at one engagement ring, and we only walked through 4 houses before we bought. We didn't want to spend a lot of time on this car shopping thing. Besides, we had a weekend getaway Friday/Saturday and didn't want to miss it!

We looked online, found two cars we liked, test drove them both, and bought one. We got this cute little '08 Mazda Tribute. The dealership was only going to offer us $500 for trade in credit on the old car. What a joke! We just replaced the tires and that was around $400 alone! We took it to a company called Low Book Sales and they gave us way more. I was sad. You shouldn't personify a car like that. My poor baby is somewhere all alone! I abandoned her! (It was my first car. I bought it when I was 17!)

We wrote the check and then zipped off to Park City for the weekend.

We planned to get there at lunch time, but with the car issue we didn't get up there until 4:00. We went to the Olympic Park and walked through the museums. I have a serious fetish for Olympic pins so it was neat to see their collection.

We went to dinner to a pizza place called Maxwell's. The pizza only came in one size- 20". It was HUGE. I wish I had taken a photo. And we ate the whole thing!

(Does anyone else have that problem? Sometimes I feel a little funny whipping out the SLR.)

We went back to the hotel and relaxed and watched cable for a couple of hours (I also finished the Pioneer Woman's book). The next morning we went to breakfast at a cute little place on Main Street called the Eating Establishment.

We were STARVING! We usually eat breakfast at 6:00 am so to have it at 10:00 was hard!

We had this delicious freshly squeezed orange juice. It was the best juice I have ever had, but it was $2 just for this little glass so we didn't have much.

We then went to this big white barn called the Big White Barn. : ) We walked through the beautiful fall foliage in the perfect weather to look at scarecrows.

Before we went home, husband let me stop at the outlets. I bought a couple of shirts. You can see one of them if you come back tomorrow...

That night we had a Halloween party with a few friends but I can't post photos because I can't reveal my Halloween costume yet.

On another note... YBB is getting a new look! The makeover will be revealed pretty soon. It is being designed by the Creative B, who is a sponsor of this blog. Did you see the button over there ---->? Did you click on it yet?? She is having a sale right now so go take advantage!

Shop Your Closet

2011-10-22T08:16:00.000-06:00

We are having quite the adventurous weekend, much more than we planned. I can't wait to tell you all about it, but it means that I don't have much of a Shop Your Closet post today.

We were having a "free for all" shopping trip into our closets. Husband and I went on a haunted cruise on the Provo River this week and I needed something warm to wear. I shopped in my closet until I came up with this. I am wearing a lot of Old Navy! The tank, scarf, jeans, and coat are from ON. The headband/hat is from F21. This was the first time I have worn it, although I bought it months ago. I am also wearing that favorite blue cardi of mine that you can't see very well. It was the perfect amount of layers to keep me warm!

Did you shop in your closet this week and come up with a brand new outfit? Go ahead and link it up below!

NEXT SHOPPING TRIP: Can we do "free for all" again? I didn't get to use it like I wanted.

Have a great weekend!

Craft Room: Book Page Collage Art (and a peek at the room!)

2011-10-20T11:47:00.005-06:00

This craft room is taking a lot longer than I thought it would. I am usually a person to jump in and get a project like this done. It's fully functional and put together, but not completely decorated. I just keep collecting ideas and items and slowly but surely am adding them to the room.

The best part is that last week, husband got everything that was ready hung up on the walls! Wahoo! Keep reading to see the photos.

I have had a big empty space on this shelf next to the dress form for quite a while. I didn't know how to fill it. I needed something tall, but should I go with color or neutrals? I made my choice when I saw these free printables from Simply KellyB. If you have been reading for awhile you know I love book page crafts and have already used one for the craft room so it was meant to be!

(The directions given on the blog for downloading the printables didn't work when I tried. Instead I copied and pasted the picture into Word where I resized it.)

I had an extra 11X14 frame lying around so I dug through my paper scraps to make a collage. I originally intended to make something colorful and maybe even 3D but found these two papers left over from this project (and another one that I guess I never posted) that matched the dress form. I simply cut the pages up into squares and rectangles, arranged them, and glued them to a paper that fit the frame.

Below the tall shelf, I made a little one for ribbon storage. I intended to do this but the curtain rods I found were too big around to go through the ribbon spools. I like the appearance of the rainbow order and it will be easier to replace a roll when it's empty.

I love these bird cages! So cute, so me! We got these hung up over the sewing machine for necklace storage. LOVE IT! (They are from Rodworks, just FYI if you are a Utah local and want to go looking for them).

My mom gave me the other bird wall hanging (also from Rodworks) so this wall is almost complete. I need to finish the lower book shelves still. I am also up in the air about the tissue paper puffs on top, however, when I take them down, the shelf looks so bare. What do you think?

And finally, the spools I made are hung up and are so fabulous for hanging headbands!

Click here to see everything I have done for my craft room so far.

Did you see that I have new clothes for you to Shop My Closet?

Shop MY Closet again!

2011-10-20T11:36:00.003-06:00

Hi friends! I will be back again later with a craft project, but I wanted to let you know that I have added new stuff to the "Shop MY Closet" page. There are a several tops at below thrift store prices. I would love to trade too!

This sweater is an example. I LOVE this shirt! I remember shopping with a friend in San Fransisco and seeing a striped sweater with beautiful fall colors but it was too expensive. A few stores later I found this little baby at a much better price. I was estatic. I am sad to give it away... but apparently my body is finally figuring out that I am a grown up and closer to 30 than 20 (yikes!) and can't be a stick figure anymore! : (

Click here!

What I Wore

2011-10-18T22:00:00.003-06:00

Silly me! I hung pumpkins in my picture taking spot so don't mind the jack-o-lanterns sticking out of my head in a lot of these photos.

Lots of "flowy" stuff going on here. That's all I really have to say about this outfit.

What's black, and white, and gray all over? My tights are gray flowers (I bought them in DC this summer). The shirt has white pearls on the neckline. It's really pretty.

I LOVE this sweater! I love breaking it out every fall. I always style it pretty simply. Any ideas on how to jazz it up?

Close up of my beautiful fall necklace. Sigh. I am in love.

Gettin' my leopard on... Inspired by this.

More leopard for Shop Your Closet. Although I think I called it cheetah in that post instead of leopard. There is a difference you know...

First time wearing this cardi from H&M, also bought on my DC trip. I wish it was longer, but it's a pretty color.

Tonight I got to go square dancing with my husband at the youth activity at church. It was a BLAST. I figured it would be entertaining, but it was SUPER fun! Tomorrow is our Friday... it's fall break this week! We've jam-packed our long weekend with fun!! Wahoo!!!!! More exclamation marks!!!!!

I link up with Pleated Poppy and Momma Go Round. Click the menu above to see their buttons and find links.

Shop Your Closet

2011-10-15T11:05:00.003-06:00

The shopping trip of the week was to be inspired by an outfit seen on Pinterest, a blog, etc. I chose this pin, a very recent find. When I saw it, a light bulb went off in my head. I had never worn my black dress with brown, denim, a belt like this, a scarf, or cheetah print. Duh!

(I didn't have a necklace like the one in the pin so I added the cheetah scarf. I really liked it!)

Dress: (old), Jacket: (old), Scarf: Target, Boots: Steve Madden, Belt: local boutique, Shades: Kohl's, Tights: Walmart?

I can't wait to wear more outfits inspired by my Pinterest board. However, I have been collecting fall outfits for awhile, so I will have to wait until it cools down again. We're smack dab in the middle of Indian Summer. And for that reason...
NEXT SHOPPING TRIP: Free-for-all! I have some ideas for other shopping trips, but I want cooler weather to try them out. So this week I will have no guidelines, but will find some new outfit in my closet that I have never worn without buying anything new.

If you have an outfit in which you shopped your closet (you didn't have to follow my challenge), link it up below!

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