an updated ottoman

I've been wanting an ottoman for our living room for quite a while now. I wanted one that sits low to the ground because our couch sits low, and I also wanted one that had storage inside, but I wasn't willing to pay over $15...yep, I'm cheap! :) While out thrifting the other day I finally found the perfect ottoman! Well...except for the hideous fabric and the fact that it was stained and really worn-out looking! But, hey, I love projects! I used left over fabric from when I re-covered our dining room chairs. The fabric is navy and white Moroccan print and I also made black piping. Black and navy isn't my favorite color combination , but our couch is black so I wanted to tie that color in somehow - and this article I recently read affirms the combo! :) I really like how it turned out! Here are a few before and after photos!

high-low hemline

Remember that frumpy, floral, thrifted skirt that I refashioned into a high-low skirt here? Well, I wore it out to dinner with the husband the other day! It was so fun to wear! Because I love the combination of floral and stripes, I paired my high-low skirt with a classic striped tee (also thrifted) and added my favorite tan belt and wedges! This outfit is definitely spring time appropriate! Because, you know...spring is officially here now! :)
Happy Thrifted Thursday!

outfit details:

skirt/thrifted (but refashioned by me here), striped tee and clutch/ thrifted, shoes/JCP, necklace/gift, bracelets/mix of gift and JCP, watch/Anne Klein (ordered online)

short in the front + long in the back {and no I'm not referring to a mullet!}

I've been wanting to test out the high-low skirt trend for a while, but hadn't yet found one in stores that suited my fancy..or my pockets. So, I made one! Or rather re-purposed a frumpy thrift store skirt into one! I found a floral print (because you know I love anything floral) skirt at my local Goodwill and had a vision for it. Pretty sure the lady at checkout thought I was crazy for buying it though, especially because of the semi-grandma floral pattern.. :) But it's fine, because I really like how my high-low skirt turned out! Want to see how I refashioned my skirt ?

The thrift store skirt I bought had buttons all down the front and I did not like this at all, as buttons tend to gap open..and who wants to wear a slip? seriously?! So, I just removed all the buttons, pinned right sides together, and sewed a straight seam right over the button placket. My seam allowances were pretty wide (3/4 inch) because I had to catch the button holes in my seam. Then I pressed the seam open.

To make my high-low hem I kept the skirt right sides together and folded it in half, matching side seams. Then I placed my pins in a line along where I wanted my new hem to be. My high-low hem is not very severe, it's more gradual. Then I cut my fabric along my pin line and then sewed a narrow hem. I kept the hem that was already sewn on the back of the skirt because I didn't want it to be any shorter. This made it a little difficult to make my new narrow hem on the front of the skirt match up with the hem that was already on the back. If I were to do this again, I would probably first unpick the entire original hem and iron it flat before cutting my new hem length and sewing the new hem. If that even makes sense? Either way it's an easy (and quick) refashion!

I love my new skirt! Come back on Thursday and see me wear it in my Thrifted Thursdays outfit post! :)

diy bracelet holder

Crystal Light drink mixes are a favorite in our house..and the containers that they come in are such a
cute shape! After we finished off the last of the drink mix (ruby red grapefruit is my favorite!), I decided to make something using the empty container; and pretty bracelet holders were a must since my jewelry has gotten rather disorganized as of late. I actually made two since I had another empty container lying around!

Would you like to make one (or two) bracelet holders?! :) Here's what I did..

sewing table makeover

After scouring craigslist and ebay for an old fashioned, fold-out sewing machine table with no luck, I happened to walk into Goodwill one random day this summer just to see what all they had...never expecting to find this!

Ah, a fold-out sewing table!!!