DIY: Tea Light Lanterns

Save your soup cans, please. There are so many things one can do with metal cannisters, rather than fill than up in a landfill, or waste another round of energy being thrown in the recycler, so get creative!

Here I made lanterns to line up my steps at night that still look pretty during the day.

This is a great idea for New Years party coming up. You can use light to make a party more sparkling than all those sequined mini dresses and blazers of your guests come New Years Eve.

Here, I used left over decorative/scrapbooking paper that I wrapped around the can with a hot glue gun for adhesion.  I drilled holes around the can with various sized drill bits. After, I covered the can with Mod Podge to protect the paper from the outdoor elements. Light up a tea light inside and you're good to go!  

For New Years Eve, I would look for a glittered paper in bright or silver monochromatic to use for a more festive setting. You could also use glitter paint with all sorts of printed paper that would be super cute. Also, cut both top and bottom sides of the can with an open and glue one can on another for height with a hot glue gun. This will add drama with different heights and candles!

I don't know how fire retardent it is, so it's best not to treat it like your outdoor runway lights and leave the house, k?!!

xoxo.

Like I said, minimalism is not my thing

So this bookshelf isn't something you would find in the home of a Puritan, minimalist, transcendentalist, bibliophile, etc.. but it does offer lots of spaces for the wandering eye.

I used a a bookshelf from Ikea to display a few of my favorite possessions beyond the books...it's playful and adds pops of color to the room. It reminds me of a kindergartner stashing their show-and-tell item in their designated cubby hole---without the whole baby-wipe-smell going on.

In between I did a merch display. I love clutches and can't bring myself to stuff them in a closet... they are much more beautiful here and admired afar.

I love trains, the idea of traveling in a time when it was considered glamorous, and of course the vintage luggage that comes along with it. I found a train travel case in the Little Ethiopia District of L.A. for $5. I store all my tights, scarves, and gloves in here for it to spill out. 

I love these sneakers that I found  in NYC. The poppy orange and lilac make me burst into a color-happy-coma.

I used cookie jars from Ikea to store my belts. They play on the whole candy jar thing and are organized and visible for me to remember to wear, too.