Vanity Makeover DIY

So, I'm one of those people that never fully finishes decorating. 1yr. after we've been in this house, I'm getting around to tackling some corners of the house that need some TLC, I created my closet out of one of the spare bedrooms, and in this room there is what seems to be a vanity, I'm only guessing since it has a sink, yet it's in a carpeted spare room.....Anyway, I felt it seemed a bit outdated, take a look....

So I whitewashed the cabinet, added different handles, added wallpaper accents & lettering to the doors and drawers...finally I added some extra lighting on the sides of the mirror, I took some old fixtures I had, created them into a plug fixture....and Voila! (Click here to see a video that shows you how to create a hard wire into a plug  fixture.)

Check it out! 

I really Love how it turned out, I combined this project with another I had in mind, I tend to keep all these empty jars,containers....etc. for any ideas that come to mind, so here's a good one, Vanity organizers....Here's what you need:

Empty cans, jars,or boxes will work...I'm obsessed with Fornasetti, the Italian artist...So I printed these images on Card stock to use, But you can use gift wrap paper, personal pictures, or any opaque paper...(If you use something too thin, the labels might show through.)

you'll also need your glue gun, and feel free to cut any container that's too tall for your use....like so.

Measure the container to the paper, mark & cut to fit.

Glue paper in place starting with an edge, going all the way around your container, once you have all your containers done, fill with glass marbles, rice, dried beans, decorative rocks...basically anything you wish to add height to the inside of your container. That's it! 

I love projects that allow me to make something pretty for less, all while recycling, Check out the finished product. 

Do what you love! Thanks For following, and allowing me to do what I love....Xo

What am I doing?

I hesitated a bit to publish this particular post, But then I thought blogging is about creativity, at least for me it is, and what I, what we (Hubby & I) do for a living requires quite a bit of creativity....So what better way to give you a glimpse of what it is we do & how we do it than to blog about it...Now I know most of you get freaked out at the thought of opening a business, and although I'm the first to tell you that business isn't for everyone, I like to think we give some people the jump start they need. 2 weeks ago we came back from opening the 3rd location of Patty's Closet in Hawaii, We basically start off with an interested franchisor, after all the agreements are signed, place of new location is established, and lease is executed we get started.......we basically set up shops for people, people like you & I that always dreamed of having our own store. I'm not going to make this post too long...Because then you won't want to buy the book in the future (dreaming...hey you never know). But here's a quick look at the process. ENJOY:)

This is the space we started with:

 AS you can see it used to be a cleaners......Until we moved in.

After some improvements done by the franchisee.........

                         
                                                             A fresh Coat of paint

and We're ready to make magic!

The hubby (Juan)& I arrive to the location usually 3-5 days before the scheduled grand opening, so really it's do or die....not much room for anything to go wrong, But usually when we arrive we already have everything waiting for us, BUT it's waiting outside.......Like, this......

Yep! That's right, everything we need is usually in the container...Juan and I arrived on the red eye flight to Hawaii at 5am on Wednesday, we jetted to the center and unloaded this bad boy in 80% weather with 69% humidity, We constantly looked like we had just taken a shower....But in sweat. Not to mention the container was at least 200 ft from the actual store, so we lugged everything in ourselves, To top it off.... the air conditioner wasn't working! Turns out the cleaners never used it...talk about sweat shop!

Anyway....we're always prepared for some obstacles, so that didn't surprise us, If you think I'm lying...we have witnesses.

and so, after 2 days of constant box openings & many drenching hours. We finished, take a look....

I have to mention we did have some help from our regional Manager Danielle, she came in after we had unloaded everything...lucky her:)

Then it was Grand Opening time!

 

 

The newest franchisees are an adorable family, we really love the fact that our shop gets to be a family affair in most cases. 

All in all we LOVE what we do,I get to travel to paradise, set up a shop with my name on the storefront,shop for fashion everyday....all while doing this with my best friend & soulmate! What else can I ask for? I truly feel like we're making everlasting memories...maybe we'll fail, maybe we'll fall....But you know what? we try, which is more than most can say at the end of their lives.

Thank you for allowing me to share just a glimpse of our lives with you, and remember that 9 times out of 10, it's only fear that stands between you and your dreams. If you are interested in possibly franchising, email us! We'd love to be part of you dream too. Contact us at franchise@pattysclosetstore.com for more info. or visit us at www.ilovepattyscloset.com

My Sinful must trys:

OMG it's 2 dessert places in Hawaii, if you're going soon, you have to try these places:

1. Leonards Bakery, try the Malasadas, They have filled ones and plain ones, it's basically like a sugared donut, but lighter & fresher. I tried the Guava filled, Since it's one of my favorite flavors.We also tried a cupcake, It was good...But the Malasadas were INSANE.

2. Hokulani Bake Shop, Try the Strawberry Shortcake, or Strawberry Guava cupcakes,I'm telling you it's the Krispy Kreme of Cupcakes! moist & tasty...Jeez I'm craving them now...ooh lil fun fact the were on the food network, as a winner for Cupcake wars! MUST TRY!!!!

Any who...Hope you enjoyed this post, Have a sweet day:)

" Be a Practical Packer "

It's that time of the year where a lot of us Take off for mini trips or our long awaited vacations....I tend to travel a few times a year and have learned to be a practical packer, there's nothing worse than being the person that holds up the line in the airport because of all the unnecessary packing, it's actually unplanned packing, I know vacationing should be relaxing & easy, But if you do some last minute planning through your packing...Your travel will feel like a real cost effective vacation instead of an expensive hectic tornado.Since we have our 3rd grand opening happening this week  in Hawaii, I decided to share my travel tips.... Here's 10 steps I take while traveling for a 5-day trip.

1. I keep it to a carry on and personal item, fees for check in bags start at $25 now a days, So I really try to plan my outfits to make this possible.

2.I try to treat my packing as if I were changing my store window mannequins, in other words I stick to a color scheme, and try to get (1) outfit for each day that i'll be traveling, each which that can be worn with the same shoe and accessories as the other outfits.If you see below, every outfit can be used with either of the shoes shown here, one more casual than the other depending on the plans we may have, as well as the accessories that can also be interchangeable between all the outfits.( This step will be your HUGE space saver)

3. In order to eliminate accessory tangling or breakage, I pack them in between my clothes, also I pack my undergarments on the very bottom, this way if you happen to be randomly checked through TSA, there's no embarrassing moments happening, Chones should be your secret, Not everyone else's.

4. I always add 2 tees, that can be worn with any of my bottoms that I've packed, a PJ bottom that I can use with any tee that I won't end up wearing and in my case a bathing suit just incase we can turn our business trip into a pleasure one. I also add (1) bonus outfit, Just incase something comes up, dinner, concert, luau's....etc. Remember to make sure it will go with your accessories and shoes that are already packed.If you notice i literally have 3 outfits, 2 tees, 1 bonus outfit & the one i'll be wearing while traveling, That's 7 outfits without having to check in a bag.

5. As far as my toiletries, I pack the ones that I won't need handy, such as lotion, face scrub, hair ties, hair treatments, mini perfumes, night creme...etc.

6. In my personal bag, I carry another makeup bag with lipstick, face wipes, a mirror, face powder & blush...as far as makeup while traveling I keep it light, this way there's not much to touch up & I don't look like a clown that took a nap. BB creams, nude lippies and zero eye shadows are my favorite way to go on a trip.

7. My personal bag is a tote, where I can fit a laptop, tablet, phone, headphones, makeup bag & small messenger bag...This way if I want to read, listen to music, watch a movie or work...It's all in one place. Plus if i don't want to carry it, I can pull out my small bag with my wallet & credentials....leaving the heavy stuff behind in one place.

8. I know this one sounds like a bit much, But I pack snacks....Airport/Airplane food is SO pricey, this is a HUGE $$ money saver, I take items in plastic containers that I don't mind tossing, as well as ziplock bags, This way once you eat you can toss right in the plane, and you have one less item coming off the plane, or in this case it's in your tummy already! Why spend extra money buying crackers on the plane when you can spend it on a great relaxing dinner on your destination? I stick to cheese & turkey rollups, chips, crackers & cut up fruit.

9. I usually have my boarding pass,and ID or passport paper clipped together for easy access.

10. Planning your outfits saves time,Space & money....No holding up the line or getting held up at Check point,no waiting at baggage claim, & no extra baggage fees. SO don't think twice about following these quick steps, If you just put a little thought into your packing....you won't need a vacay from your vacay.