Random hearts: We suuuper heart DIYing it!

Remember the days when you would sit in your backyard or on the sidewalk making tie dye shirts with a bag of rubber bands and hair color bottles filled with dye?

(PS now they make kits...or I guess they did then but we didn't spend the moolah on them)

Or when all of your friends were going to the Broadway for fun new clothes and your mom was dragging you to the local Joann's Fabric to pick out a pattern for your new dress?

We would totally wear this dress now!!

Uh huh...we do and for some weird reason it makes us smile bigger than we ever have!

At the time it seemed like the worst thing ever but now it's pretty amazing that you and mom created things together (well mom...I will over look a few of those needlepoint picks we had on the walls).

Either because of the recessions, war, unemployment or simply because our world is getting soooo uber complicated...creating in your own home items that others make is suuuuper chic...

Let's DIY!

At the bottom of a lot of our posts you get to see fun ways to DIY things we talk about but there are things we have been obsessing over that are sooo fun they deserve their own post! Woo hoo!

The entire reason for this post is this crazy cute DIY Cheese Making Kit...Miss TWH gave her suuuper yuppy and amazingly rad brother, this kit at a local Sew It Yourself store and she became instantly obsessed with all DIY kits...

Her brother said it was by far the raddest gift he has ever received! And at $25 a pop (well the one above is a bit more...deluxe version)

He made some of his own DIY mozzarella and said it was amazing!!!

With one of the cutest (yet totally contrived) holidays coming up...wait is it a holiday if people still have to work?....Anywhoo...with the big day o' love coming we found these j'adorable DIY candy wrappers!!!
Who needs $$$$ customizable M&Ms when you can be even more personal and recessionista chic with these?!?!? Soooooo cute!

Just take your lovers or friends fave candy...print out the wrappers and voila!

Anyone over paying $5 for a delish Ice Blendie from CB&TL? Or Frapp from Starshmucks?

The big "O" shows us her fave and super cheap recipe for one!
Or buy the DIY kit from "The Bean" and save yourself some hassle, time and moolah by doing it at home!

OK...there are almost noooo words to tell you how insanely jealous we are of the people who came up with these vintage teacup candles...

How beautiful! Just pick up some teacups at your local flea market or Salvation Army and get going!

What You'll Need

• antique, pretty teacups, with or without saucers
• enough soy wax to more than fill each cup
• essential oil for scent (I used Lily of the Valley)
• wicks that equal your number of cups
• double boiler
• Pyrex cup or funnel
• chopsticks or wooden skewers
• stirring tool, such as a rubber scraper
• To find out how to make it, read more.
• Pour the soy wax into the double boiler. Let it simmer until the wax is clear liquid.
• Center the wick in the bottom of each teacup. Put one chopstick or wooden skewer on either side of the wick, balanced on the rim of the teacup, to keep the wick centered.
• Add a small amount of your scented oil to the melted soy wax. Mix with your rubber scraper, and then pour into your Pyrex measuring cup.
• Pour the wax into the bottom of each teacup. If the wick gets a little off-center, you can reposition it before the wax sets. Let wax harden. Repeat this process until the cup is half full. Repeat a third and fourth time until the cup is full. You'll want to continue adding small amounts of the scented oil to make sure that the candle is scented throughout.
• Wipe off any spills with a warm, wet rag.
• Clip the top of the wick so it's about half an inch taller than the rim of the cup.
• Light, and enjoy

Our friends made their own candles out of goblets for their wedding (yes they are over achievers and actually made time for it) and it was suuuuper romantic and $$$ saving...not to mention gorge!!!

PS Anthro sells teacup candles for $18 a piece! DIY it!

Remember how much we suuuuuper heart the genius that is Raquel Allegra????

Yeah the beauty that launched the shredded tee craze seen on our fave celebs?

Well, we just learned how to do it...Um 2 warnings....

1. It takes HOURS to do each one (no wonder she charges a lot!)

2. Out of respect for her amazing art form and the fact that she deserves her praise we will not post the DIY we found...

(ppssstt... Google it!)

We suuuper heart this next DIY. They would make amazing gifts or shower favors.

We heart these DIY perfume solids in vintage tins soooooo crazy much we keep trying to find time to make them for all our shmancy friends!!!

Here's how!

Ooooohhhhh how great would this vintage Vaseline tin be for your new solid perfume business??!?!?!
Thanks Ebay!

OMFG watch this DIY sock monkey video to make a great kids gift!!!!

Plus it's worth it even if you don't need to make one just for the super cute music they used in the background!

So what ever it is you want to DIY...just Do It! It's fun...creative and hey it beats driving to that crappy mall again.

Have fun j'adorable crazfty craftersons!!!

xoxo things we heart

Random hearts: We heart a great escape! (And Villa Rentals)

There are almost no vacays (vacation for those of you not living in or from the SFV) as good as the ones where you can truly just get away...Oh btw maybe that's why they are called Getaway Vacays...OK, maybe they are not called that exactly but in our world of TWH they are and should be.

A getaway vacay can really be done at any moment, any time of the year and for any length you are comfy going for...a weekend...a week...a month...what ever...just get away!!!

Instead of staying in a stinky overpriced and overrated hotel or a resort where you are almost held prisoner, maybe try something new...something different...something only a suuuper good friend would tell you about.

And guess what beautiful readers of TWH??...We are that friend...you're welcome ;)

We decided to take a GV (getaway vacay) for the Xmas break and boy oh boy did we need it.

We started out in a hotel and after a few poopie days being held hostage to their gross, overpriced food, hairs in our fresh towels and rude service among other no bueno things, we ended up having a blast! This is how we did it...

We called the management to tell them how upset we were for how things were going and then let our polished puppies do a little walking through the good ol' internet to find other places to stay.

There were soooo many options...almost too many to get us out of our GV rut.

After hours of searching and travel agent hunting, we came across a great site that rents villas....uh huh...suuuper shmancy right? Villas???

Well, turns out villas can be small or big...anywhere from 1-20 bedrooms and they are not all crazy $$$$ or for the uber fortunate.

We booked a great villa through Rentvillas.com for the group and tada!! Pure happiness and elation and fun!

Another blessed savior from hotel hell can be a great site called VRBO (it stands for Vacation Rentals By Owner). They have thousands upon thousands of rentals all over the world from every price range and size to meet you or your groups needs.

Wooo hooo.... Oh and it's suuuper easy to use.

PS If you happen to have a few people or couples going you may even be able to save a few clams.

Another great option for the savvy traveler is a house swap.

Did you ever see The Holiday with Kate W and Cameron D?

No? Oh...OK... in it the girls literally sign up on a website (we happen to find the very one they use in the movie called Homeexchange.com) and live in one another's homes...one girl travels to the UK and the other to LA and the hilarity ensues...

But seriously, home exchanges are usually free except for the online membership (which is super affordable) and you exchange your home or apt for one of equal value and voila!!! A super chic and recessionista way to vacay.

DIY anyone? Don't feel like going anywhere or just don't have the time or moolah? No worries...we savvy and crazy chic ladies (hee hee) will help you take a GV from the comforts of your own home.

1. Tell friends and family you will be out of range for a few days

2. Stock your fridge with the sexiest most fun to eat foods...fresh fruit, ice cream, muffins, coffee, champagne or wines, etc...

3. Turn off your phones

4. Go out and get a silky kimono robe and cozy slippers to lounge in

5. Have cash for food deliveries

6. Netflix or rent a few great movies you have been meaning to see

7. Get a good book or some magazines

8. Light some candles

9. Take a bath or 4

VOILA! A perfect GV!!!!

Here are a few of our favorite places to go for the perfect trip:

VRBO

Villa rentals (only sounds shmancy...well some are but not all)

Home Exhange

Home For Exchange

XE (great to know the current exchange rate for the country you are going to so you are not shocked when a tiny cappuccino costs $9)

Kayak (A perfect air travel site...gives great ticket options for the best price for your last minute getaway)

Those hotels won't know what hit them. We will show them who's boss ;)

Get away...not from us but from reality for a second...you totally deserve it!

We heart you...thanks for hearting us. Please pass us along to as many friends as you know!

xoxo things-we-heart

Decor to Die For: And it was all yellow... We heart yellow room accents...

Remember that super cute post a while back that featured the super happy color yellow?

Yup...that's the one!

Well we certainly remember it and have been a wee bit obsessed with all things yellow ever since...well from that and the picture we can't get out of our head of the yellow four poster Ikea bed...

Sooo cheery right? It's like a breath of fresh air. Imagine that with crispy white sheets....ahhhhhh I'm getting sleepy....

A pop of yellow in any room can be a super unexpected twist. It can liven up any space and make it fresh.

Lately we have been having a design crisis in one of our rooms...it's a beautiful shade of Tiffany Blue with black floors, white drapes and black furniture...but we were totally stumped as to why it still didn't look perfect.

Then it came to us...PAINT THE BED YELLOW!!! hee hee...we just got crazy happy even thinking about ;)

So we were off to convince the BF to let us spray paint the black iron bed bright yellow.

Wanna see how we did it???

OMFG!!! This grey room becomes perfection once the vintage (and repainted) sunshine yellow desk is introduced.

Ugghhhh it's soooooo good!!!!! (loving the MW rug too!)

Oh and speaking of Madeline Weinrib rugs... This grey room is gorgeously balanced with a divine B&W Madeline rug and a crazy cute pop of yellow from the side table.

Love how the yellow catches you and really changes the whole vibe of the room. Oh and you may remember our lurve of this room from our much hearted Grey post.

Feeling frisky?
The UK designer Amanda Nisbet serves up the boldest settee we have seen in a while (well at least since the S&M post). The bright yellow against the white of the frame is so charming yet totally doable. Picture this in one of your white rooms you don't know what to do with. You're welcome :)

Oh cuteness! There you are!!!!!

Any room could use a pouf in yellow. It's super inviting to have Moroccan poufs all around...it lets friends know they can kick back and relax...and to have one in yellow? Soooo welcoming!

Toss anywhere... ooooh it would look really yummy on a black and white rug!

Here is another bit o' inspiration for you. Yellow, turquoise, black and white....yummmmers!

While modern glam may be on it's way out...just ask the Goddess Kelly Wearstler...these colors never will be. Imagine this room with more modern pieces but in the same colors and you are GTG!

Just don't let us in the room or we will steal everything.

Here is a great indoor/outdoor garden stool for those who are a bit timid of the bold and brightness of yellow.
Pop this stool anywhere in your room for extra ooomph and pop.

If you are ready to get even more wild and crazy...Miss Weinrib has the rug for you.

Her lemon yellow Toile rug is perfect for anyone...any room.
You couldn't help but be happy with this bright rug anchoring your great space. The yellow will modernize your room while the Toile pattern will help you bring the space together if you have more vintage-y or traditional taste.

Ikea???? NO! YES!!!!!

Loving and obsessed with this yellow side board...
We are trying as we write to find the perfect place for this unbelievably cheery, fun, yummy, bright and smile inducing side board in our home.

Oh...PS when you see this in my bedroom (cross your polished fingers!) plllleeease don't tell the boy where you saw it :). Thanks!

Oh FBF, Jonathan Adler...we love you and your Design Your Own section...we feel just like you!

Well with out the crazy amazing talent and ridiculous amazing stores around the country....

But still we feel really creative...
Can't wait to get this yellow and pink heart pillow. It's going to look uber good on our white chairs. It will be the perfect pick me up in the grey days of Winter.

Anthro!!!! Why did you take this crazy cheery vintage-y chair away from us????

The mixture of old school English charm with the brightness of the '60s ish yellow is the perfect combo.

Make your own! Go to your local flea market...grab a cute, comfy chair...then pop over to your local fabric store and get to work! Cute city!!!

Feeling groovy are we? Yup we are...this rad yellow side table makes us want to get a spray tan and run around the house with a bikini on (and the heater).

It's sooooo Palm Springs meets flea market chic... Put next to your bed with books stacked on it for a, "Haaahhha...I just love the flea markets in Paris. Why yes...that is where I got this beautiful table. No, I just painted it myself in my spare time...Then I read all day and put my novels here for a nap"

Lookin' for a more modern side table to smile at when you walk into the room? Look no further than this cutey mcgoo from Inside Ave.
Still feeling like you wanna DIY it but need a wee bit more inspiration...
Yummy yummy sunny sunny....They took a great little garden bench, spray painted it with yellow metal paint and made a cushion for it and voila! Unbelievable greatness!

We found a couple of metal paints for you creative go-getter decor obsessed lovelies....
Rustoleum Gloss Protective Enamel

and

Krylon H2O Latex paint.

Easy and Peasy!!!!

Brighten up!!!! Go Yellow!!!

xoxo t.w.h.