Goodbye for now from Project D.I.Y.

Today I received a farewell email from Project D.I.Y. I thought I should post it for those who are interested in knowing what is going on with the boxes. The company confirmed that the box has ended but they have some new things up their sleeves.

Dear DIY Friend, 

Starting with our inaugural collection last September, Project DIY has brought our valued subscribers original do-it-yourself kits inspired by the latest runway trends. We've loved seeing the creative ways you’ve made each piece your own and taken your DIY skills to the next level to personalize your accessories. The response we’ve seen from the DIY community has been impressive, and we’ve witnessed how drawn people are to the DIY movement, a phenomenon that embraces ingenuity and boundless creativity. With that in mind, we decided to spread the DIY movement even further than before. 

So we're taking Project DIY to the next level. We're refocusing Project DIY and we’re working on developing a new line of projects that more aspiring DIYers can enjoy! 

Our March collection, Modern Heirlooms, will be our final subscription offering. Your card will not be charged after this month. After this collection we will be taking a brief hiatus to develop many more of those amazing DIY projects you've grown to love over the past few months. 

In the meantime, all of our previous collections will still be available atmjtrim.com/project-diy.html. We're truly looking forward to this next chapter in the life of Project DIY, and we hope you are too! Continue to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest news in fashion and accessories, and up-to-the-minute updates on our upcoming projects! 

Stylishly yours, 
-Project DIY Team

I am currently working on the Modern Heirlooms post and will put it up once it is done.

Darby Smart March 2014 Box "Wood Burining"

Since Project DIY is no longer going to be creating boxes. I started to look into other craft themed subscription boxes. There are a few options out there but none that really caught my eye. I randomly stumbled upon DarbySmart.com and I am glad I did. The website sells craft sets, as well as, crafting supplies; you can also purchase a monthly DIY subscription box from them. Darby Smart keeps the theme of the box secret until the boxes ship. From what I can tell the project options are endless, the month may have jewelry, accessories, something for your home, the DIY list goes on and on.

The DIY project for the month of March was a "Wood Burned Cutting Board." This was such a new territory for me. I had never used a wood burner before and I love that the gave one to everyone who subscribed this month. The cutting boards that were included were sturdy yet very small. I plan to use mine as a cheeseboard.
 

The supplies included:

• Creative Woodburner Value Pen, including stand and four tips
• 2 Bamboo Cutting Boards
• 6 x 6 Mini Birds Stencil
• 1 piece of scrap wood for practice
• Tulip Brand, Beads in a Bottle (green)

Here is my completed project. I only burned one of my boards since I'm still thinking about a design for the second one. It took a little bit of practice but I finally managed to get the Woodburner to do what I wanted.
 

 

Overall this was a pretty fun box and I don't think I would have ever done a project like this on my own. I love the way my board turned out. My sister has been hinting that she would like me to design the second board for her. :)

If you want to peruse the website and learn more click here: Darby Smart
Promo Code: "HOWDYDARBY" will take $10 off your first box, making it only $9 shipped.

BITE BEAUTY: Luminous Crème Lipstick Duo in Vivid

I stopped by Sephora today after school just to look around and spotted this cute Bite lipstick duo by the cash register. I had been looking at this product online for some time now but never pulled the trigger to purchase until today.

What it is:

• a bite-sized lipstick duo from Bite Beauty
• retails for $12
• comes in two shades (neutral or vivid)
• each lipstick is 0.05 oz.  x 2

I purchased the duo in VIVID which includes the colors Palomino (a vibrant magenta) and Violet (a vibrant purple).

Here are some personal swatches I made of the lipstick colors:



Left With Flash / Right Without Flash

Left With Flash / Right Without Flash
Top: Palomino
Bottom: Violet

Top: Violet
Bottom: Palomino

Both lipsticks had great color payoff. They were opaque in one swipe, long-lasting, and mositruzing. The downside of this duo is that it was smaller then I had expected from looking at it online. Also both colors are gorgeous for spring however they are pretty similar. Overall I am happy with this purchase. It's a great buy if you are new to the Bite brand and want to try one of their products without spending a whole lot money.

March 2014 PopSugar Must Have Box

I was a little annoyed that my postman decided to not deliver my PopSugar on Friday like it was promised but its okay since it was on my doorstep when I arrived home today. I am not going to lie, I just couldn't contain myself this month and ended up looking at spoilers beforehand. Anyway without further ado, here is March's box.

"Get ready to shed that Winter coat and welcome Spring with open arms. Before you do that, though, you'll want to prepare with products that are all about new beginnings- new foods to get healthy, new skin care finds, and new accessories for organizing your jewelry. Of course, you'll need a fresh scarf and necklace to look your best too. It's all about putting some spring in your step. Open away!"



Contents of the March 2014 box

Here are the contents of this month's box:

Must Have Food

1) Harvest Snaps Snapea Crisps 3.3 oz.

    $1.69

Must Have Home
2) Baublebar Elephant Ring Tree
    $12.00  

Must Have Beauty

3) Jurlique Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum 0.5 oz

    $30.00

Must Have Fashion

4) Brokedown Blue Ikat Scarf
     $72.00
5) Dogeared Lucky Horseshoe Make a Wish Necklace  (gold-dipped)
     $30.00
Must Have Fitness
6) Activeforever Fusion Exercise Ball
    $9.95
Special Extra
7) Nature's Bakery All Natural Strawberry Fig Bars
    $1.25

TOTAL RETAIL VALUE: $156.89
 

If you are interested in joining PopSugar click on the link below: http://popsu.gr/slJx

Promo Code: "Refer5" this code will take $5 off a monthly box 
                           "March10" or "IKAT10" will take $10 off your order

Project D.I.Y February 2014 Cold As Ice Collection

I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day/Holiday Weekend. Project D.I.Y released the photos for their new collection and I have to say it is a pretty amazing box. I am loving both projects. This month the company took inspiration from the winter weather happening in the Midwest and East coast.

Our Cold As Ice collection includes trims and embellishments to make a series of fierce and electrifying jewelry pieces including our Crystal Clear Statement Necklace and On the Rocks Bracelet Duo.

This collection is a treasure trove of crystalline accents brimming with DIY and customization potential. You can use these crystals interchangeably with any of the unique designs, which complement each other so well that you can—and should—wear them all together. Let your imagination guide you towards creating designs as unique as a snowflake.

Project #1  Crystal Clear Statement Necklace
Turn these:

Into this:

Project #2  On the Rocks Bracelet Duo
Turn these:

Into this:

I absolutely love, love, love this collection. I might order another box just to give out as a gift. I haven't started on the projects yet but they seem easier then other projects that Project DIY has sent out in past boxes.

Unfortunately this is the 2nd to last month for the PROJECT DIY subscription box. I am not going to lie I am somewhat upset about them stopping the box. I was really enjoying making my own jewelry. I spoke to a representative who said that M&J Trim is in the process of launching the DIY pillow packs nationwide come this Fall. If I learn anymore information I will keep you all posted. They said that the boxes for March will be the last ones.

If you are interested in purchasing projects from the past DIY boxes you can order them here: http://www.mjtrim.com/project-diy.html
If you would like to know what is going on with Project DIY click here: http://mjprojectdiy.com/faq/

It's March!!

Happy Monday!

I thought it was time for a little life and blog update. First off I can not believe it is March already. Where is the year going? My schedule has been getting chaotic lately. Every time I look at my calendar I am reminded of another paper or project I have due. It's crazy. Anyway to help me relax I have been doing a lot of DIYing, specifically I have been completing DIY sets from Project DIY. I seriously just LOVE this subscription box.

Here are a few things that I am going to be posting up this month on the blog. I am considering posting a Project DIY Roundup post for all of the projects I have completed. I have almost the entire subscription. The box is fairly young so there are only 6 months worth of projects. I have 3 months entirely completed and was thinking of doing a picture post just so that everyone knows that the projects are doable. Also I will be getting the March PopSugar box so that is another post that I will keep everyone updated on. Finally April is my birthday month and if my schedule allows it I might do my first blog giveaway.

Thank you for reading my little blog I really do appreciate it and I will hopefully be posting again real soon :)