Happy Thanksgiving!

I am thankful for my blog readers and those who have supported my Etsy shop, Yellow Blackbird.

I am offering a discount OR free gift to my blog readers this Black Friday weekend.

Choose to get 10% off your entire order by entering code BLACKFRIDAY10 at checkout

OR

Choose 2 free rosette bobby pins from the following colors:

White, lime green, orange, black, turquoise blue

Yellow, purple, pink, red

Be sure to indicate in your message to seller that you are a Yellow Blackbird reader, what colors you want, and if you want dark or light colored bobby pins.

With over 60 items for sale, there is something for every lady on your list!

Gifts range from $4 to $22.50

Great gifts from Yellow Blackbird

Blooming Sash Belts

Available in red, black, white, hot pink, light pink, or your custom color. The ribbon is 2 yards long to tie as a sash. For only $15, this makes such a beautiful gift.

Snowflake Necklace

This pendant is so cute. It looks like a snowflake so it can be a seasonal item, but it can also be seen as just a pretty pendant that can be worn year round. $15


Ribbon Flower Necklace

According to a few magazines and websites I have seen lately- blue is the "it" color. But if it isn't for you, place a custom order to get this necklace in almost any color. $12

Silver Shooting Star Necklace

Statement necklaces are all the rage! This is a beautiful statement peice with that pretty star. Necklaces make great gifts because you don't have to worry about their fit! $16

Lace Belt with Yellow Ribbon

I love this belt because it is so unique! Feel free to contact me to order a different color ribbon! $13.

Hot Pink Flower Statement Necklace

This shade of pink is so pretty! It also comes in a hair clip. What a fun gift to get! $14



Retro Button Necklace

For a truely unique gift, get her this one-of-a-kind button necklace! $15


Faux Leather Flower Belt

This pretty belt would be a delight to give and to get! Order in the size you need! $17



Rosette Bobby Pin Gift Set

Purchase all of the rosette bobby pins together in this great gift set. Please specify in message to seller if you want dark or light bobby pins. $14

The deals start NOW and last through Monday, November 30!

I am participating in the Somewhat Simple Holiday Boutique and the Black Friday on Craftaholics Anonymous. Check out their sites to find more Black Friday deals on handmade items.

What I Wore

Today was sweater day. Argyle sweater day. Not very fashion forward but I like it.

I *heart* this skirt. I had to sew up where the zipper was coming out that morning but it was worth it. Brown tights and brown boots- I *heart* them too!

I love the pops of lime green! I have on a lime green beaded watch too. I call this necklace my "kryptonite" necklace.

Did you notice that I chopped 3 inches off my hair? Yeah, neither did anyone else. People that I see every day had no idea so... I don't know what to conclude! Are they unobservant? Is 3 inches just not that much? Or does it look bad? I like it a lot and that is all that matters!

This outfit was inspired by Kohl's ad that I saw. But, after I took the picture I realized I have actually worn something similar a lot (esp. the cardi and belt). Oh well.

Isn't this dress gorgeous? I really wore it yesterday! We had a colonial festival at school for our 8th graders. My favorite part of the festival is getting to wear the beautiful dresses.

Come back tomorrow for a preview of my Black Friday deals! I will be giving either 10% off your entire order or 2 free rosette bobby pins with every purchase. Your choice! Browse the shop now so you know what to order this week!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Quick and Simple: Making a Poster with Packing Tape

I needed to make a poster to advertise a church activity. I only had white poster board and white paper to print on. I wanted it to look festive and nice, but not take forever since it will be thrown away in just a few weeks.

I searched through my craft closet and found this cute patterned packing tape. It made a perfect border for this poster.

Just make sure the space from the words to the end of the poster are wide enough for your size of tape.

This tape was purchased from JoAnn's for only $1.

Quick and simple- but maybe it will help you if you are ever in a bind.

Be sure to check back this week to see my Black Friday deals!

Turning a Dress into a Shirt

A few weeks ago I was at Old Navy and saw this dress on sale for $.97.

I already owned a similar item- a shirt in the same print but in pinks (as seen in this post). I had purchased that shirt for $5, which I thought was a deal so $1 was a steal! I coudn't pass it up.

It's too short for me to wear as a dress but too long for a shirt. I thought it looked easy enough (for my mom) to hem up.

First, measure up as high as you want the hem to be. Mark all the way around the dress with a pencil.

Cut along the line you just drew.

Stitch a basic hem.

Voila! A cute $.97 shirt.

Great for warmer weather with just a t-shirt underneath.

I can also wear it this winter with my new fave sweater over the top. But you know me, I'll totally have to add a belt to it for the outfit to be complete!

Now I have a small section of this cute printed fabric left over. Any ideas on how it could be used?

Thanks, Mom!

What I Wore

Okay, I have to warn you this week- my photos are not good. They are bad in fact. This is getting to be quite hard. I leave home when it's dark and don't often get home until is dark again.

At least I try...

I totally scored when I got these hand-me-down boots this week from a family member who had only worn them once! I am also wearing a necklace made by me- I will try to do a tutorial soon- but again with the lighting issue. Maybe on Saturday. *sigh*

The other day I saw a lady and thought she looked so cute. Then I realized that I have a similar sweater at home. I've just had it for so long (and usually keep it stuffed in my purse as a back up jacket) that I forget to wear it as regular clothes. Thank you for the inspiration, random cute lady I saw at the play!

This outfit is just cozy. Comfy long sleeve tee (FREE with $10 Kohl's card in the mail!), comfy skirt with tights, comfy boots. Perfect for fall.

I *heart* my new $5 heels as I blogged about already HERE.

Terrible picture, but that's what I wore today and it was my last chance to get a photo for this post.

It was time for the Rosie the Riveter shirt to be worn again so I needed to mix it up. I paired it with a blazer and belt to go for a buisness-y look today. I made it fun with my thrift store shoes, already blogged about HERE.

As always, linking up at the Pleated Poppy!

What girl can resist a pair of $5 red heels?

Not me.
I went to the gym to innocently attend a zumba class, but there was a boutique in the basketball court.

I shouldn't have gone in.

But I did.

And there they were, in all their shiny, pain causing glory.

I've always wanted a pair. But they never seemed practical. But for five bucks?

You wouldn't believe the conversations these babies started...


Don't they look cute with my red Blooming Sash Belt?

I LOVED the shoes with this fab Coldwater Creek coat.

I don't look too much like Cruella Deville, do I?

Happy Monday!

You tried it!

This post has been a long time in coming. But better late than never.

I am so flattered that a few people have made things from my tutorials and projects.
If you are featured here, feel free to grab a "featured" button for your blog!

Becki made these flip-flops based on a pair that I made this past summer. I love the size of the flowers.

Vintage Pollyanna made this darling necklace from my Retro Button Necklace Tutorial.

Mummy Crafts used the Fireworks Bracelet tutorial to make this pretty aqua bracelet.

If you have made something from one of my tutorials please let me know and I would love to feature you.

Have a great weekend!

What I Wore

I have a lot of outfits to share because I haven't done this for a few weeks. This post should be called "14 different ways to wear the same sweater." I wore the same sweater a lot in the last few weeks. It was brand new and I just love it!

My husband tells me that I spend WAY too much time picking out clothes- and he is right. Many of these outfits are my attempt to just grab and go without spending a ton of time worrying about the small details. Like I have said before, I do it to be creative and artistic, but it can be a big time waster.

On to the clothes... My first attempt at grab-n-go. I have never worn this purple shirt over something, just under jackets and sweaters. It's a cute look for fall, I think.

Blue sweater outfit #1

I wanted to wear this new sweater to church and had to find an outfit. Funny that everytime I wear this belt I wear this pair of shoes too.

(Personal plug: you can buy one of these belts here in my Etsy shop.)

Aren't they great? $4 at the thrift store!

Not a great picture, sorry. It's been hard with less light each day. I am wearing the Anthro knock-off blouse that I made under this awesome "leather" jacket.

Blue sweater outfit #2

It wasn't cold enough to be wearing this many layers but oh well. I loved combining the two shades of blue. The necklace (made by me) adds a bit of interest at the neck.

(Personal plug: A purple and pink version of this necklace is available in my shop.)

Blue sweater outfit #3

This was the same day as above, but after work I ditched the dress pants, patent leather peep toes, and blue sweater for jeans, suede peep toes and a white undershirt.

The day I posted this Anthro inspired rose shirt was the same day that I wore it. This is one of the pics from my photoshoot.

It was time for the yellow and gray sweater to be seen again. I don't like to wear the same outfit twice (at least to the same place or with the same people) so I had to mix it up a little for work. I don't think I like the black skirt, tights, and shoes with a sweater that has no black in it. I was going for that grab-n-go thing again, though.

Is it okay to wear these tights with open toed shoes? What do you think?

Blue sweater outfit #4

Sorry, this pic was taken at night so it's terrible

I was going to to dinner with a long-lost friend and thought it was yet another occassion to wear my sweater. This time I paired it with yellow- which I love!

This outfit was inspired by a girl I work with. She wore something similar (gray jacket, tan pants, red shoes) and I thought it was so cute that I copied her. I wore my outfit just a few days later. I changed it up just a bit by adding the red belt. ($1.50 at the thrift store!)

The clothes in this picture don't look like they fit very well. I hope that is just the photo. The sweater is from Express and is one of my favorites to break out in the fall. This day (yesterday) was its 2010 debut!

Happy Wednesday! Only two more mornings to wake up early!!

Autumn Splendor

First off, thanks for the warm response to my Anthro Inspired Rose Shirt! I am flattered by the number of comments both here and on Facebook. A big thanks to Michelle at Someday Crafts for featuring my shirt!

Each day as I drive to and from work I see the same beautiful trees. Their leaves have changed to a vibrant yellow and I continue to admire them, as I am passionate about fall. I finally decided that it was time to get out and experience these trees, rather than only see them through the car window. It's a good thing I did. So many of them already lost their leaves since yesterday.

I think we all need to just stop and do this sometimes. So there I was frolicking through the leaves, camera in hand, in my work clothes, alone, as people drove by. It was so refreshing and beautiful.

Here are a few of my pictures. They may not be fabulous but I had a fabulous time taking them.