Bestie Fashion Hour: Summer Concert Style

Hey we're back with another round of Bestie Fashion Hour and this time were dressing for a summer concert! The key to dressing for summer concerts is to where a minimal amount of clothing while also looking cool. 

I'm just going to point out that Miss Mel pretended to hate Miss Heather's wolf shirt. Look who's loving it now! hehe

I don't know what it is about summer concerts but Miss Mel and I have agreed they're just about the most fun you'll ever have. Maybe it has something to do with the fact  that we just absolutely love being outdoors and live music, but really who doesn't like that? 

-Miss Mel and Miss Heather

Bestie Fashion Hour: Picnic Style

As we mentioned last week Miss Mel and Miss Heather got to spend a whole week together and out of that time together we had some great brain storming sessions! We decided to start a new trend for the blog we like to call "Bestie Fashion Hour". To be honest we got the idea from one of our favorite blogs, A Beautiful Mess, where they do a segment called Sister Style. Basically we wanted to share our closets with you guys, plus we just really love dressing up for any occasion! This week's outfits were styled around what we would wear to a picnic!

During Miss Mel's stay at my place we spent the majority of time outside so it was only fitting we start off with our picnic styles! 

Another huge inspiration for our picnic style would be a tradition Miss Mel and I started two years ago in St. Louis. The Missouri Botanical Garden throws free concerts every Wednesday of the summer. We basically went to every one and had a blast every time!  We can't wait to start up the tradition again this summer! What are some of your guys favorite picnic times?

-Miss Mel and Miss Heather

Read this book!

Have you read Mindy Kaling's book, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)? If you haven't, go pick it up now! 

 

 It's the perfect summer read and if you're anything like me, you'll text your best friend all the funny lines from the book. I promise it's not annoying! Miss Heather totally loves when I do that...I think. hehe

In my opinion, this review from The New York Times is the reason you should go out and buy the book right now! "She's like Tina Fey's cool little sister. Or perhaps...the next Nora Ephron."

 

 For those who don't know who Mindy Kaling is, she was a writer, producer and played Kelly Kapoor on The Office and is currently on her own show The Mindy Project on Fox.

-Miss Mel and Miss Heather

DIY: Braided Headband

Yay! We have another DIY to share with you!

Miss Heather and I made braided headbands for St.Patrick's day and I wanted to make one that was, well, not themed. I created this braided headband in less than 10 minutes and I can't wait to wear it all summer long!

 Miss Heather took this photo of me wearing my new braided headband!

Supplies: 

three different strands of thin fabric, trim, ribbon, etc. of different textures

hot glue gun

tape

scissors

 Step One: Gather all of your supplies and unravel your three strands of material. I chose not to cut my material until I was completely finished braiding because whenever I braid something, I always end up using more fabric than I had originally thought. This way, I wouldn't have to deal with having a finished product that was too short. 

Step Two: Tie all three strands together with a knot, leaving about an inch at the end, and tape it to a hard surface. 

Step Three: Braid all three strands together and periodically measure your headband by wrapping it around your head.

Step Four: Once you've braided enough that your headband will fit around your head, tie another knot and leave about an inch of material at the end.

*another option would be to use clear elastic hair ties at the ends instead of having two knots*

Step Five: Grab your hot glue gun and place a dab of glue onto each strand to prevent them from fraying. 

And you're done!

I chose to wear my braided headband on top of my head and tying it a knot in the back. 

Another option would be to tie each end onto an elastic hairband and wear it like a typical headband under your hair OR to be really trendy, you could wear it directly across your forehead and tie it in the back. The possibilities are endless and I can't wait to make more!

-Miss Mel and Miss Heather

DIY: Chevron Bookcase

Hey guys we're back with one of our first DIY's in awhile and it's super easy and cute! I bought this simple bookcase with every intention of decorating it but kept putting it to the bottom of my list but now after a year of sitting in my kitchen I finally took some action! Here's what I used and did!

Supplies:

Black bookcase (I got from Goodwill for $10)

Paintbrushes

White paint (I used a flat paint because I wanted that kind of result but shiny is also fine)

Stencil (made it out of cardboard)

Painter's tape (I didn't use any but if you have a less steady hand they could be helpful in painting inside the lines)

Step One:

I made my stencil out of cardboard by tracing it and cutting it out with an Xacto knife. If you're using painter's tape now would be the time to lay your tape down on the parts you want unpainted. 

Step Two:

Now we paint! I painted about three layers on each stripe, waiting for each layer to dry before putting on the next layer. Luckily I was outside, in the sun, so it took little to no time for everything to dry. After everything dried I took a smaller paint brush to smooth our some of my broader paint strokes.

Step Three:

All that is left is to add whatever you want to go on the shelves. As I mentioned this goes in my kitchen. I store my cookbooks, coffee and homebrewed cider in it but obviously you can put whatever you want in it!

I was extremely pleased with my results. Although I added white to the bookshelf it was the pop of color it needed! I will admit the idea struck me after helping Miss Mel decorate for her birthday party earlier this month! (I'm such a thief! hehe) What kind of bookcase upcycling have you guys done? We'd love to know!

-Miss Mel and Miss Heather

Bestie Time!

Today is super exciting because Miss Mel is trekking down to Springfield to see Miss Heather for the week! Yay! While it really hasn't been too long since we last saw each other it is the first time in forever that it'll just be the two of us! Yay again! 

I mean, but really, this explain our relationship in a nutshell.

This week will consists of fun crafts, swimming, bunnies, biking around town and some fun new blog ideas, all of which we'll be posting about later! We're so excited  we can barely contain it! What are you guys doing with your day off? We'll most likely be lounging at the nearest pool!

-Miss Mel and Miss Heather   

Sweet Summertime!

This weekend is Memorial Day Weekend meaning...it's officially summer! Yes! Bring on the dresses, the tans, summer concerts, jorts and having more time to spend with Miss Heather!

Summer Style Inspiration Board

&

A few songs to start your weekend...

"Hang Loose" by the Alabama Shakes
"Out of My League" by Fitz & The Tantrums

"Southern Girl" by Tim McGraw

-Miss Mel and Miss Heather

Do or Don't: Lace Shorts

  I've been seeing lace shorts all over the place and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I know Miss Heather is a huge fan of lace but honestly, all of the lace shorts I've tried on essentially look like very large underwear. Perhaps I don't have the right body for them? Who knows. In theory, I think these shorts are adorable but I just can't seem to find a pair I like. Does anyone else have this problem? 

 

High-Waisted Eyelash Lace Shorts from Forever 21 

Blake Lively in Marchesa Lace Shorts

 

Cherish Lace Shorts from Nasty Gal

Emma Watson looking tomboy chic in lace shorts.

Pins and Needles Lace Tap Shorts from Urban Outfitters

Oasis Lace Shorts from ASOS

What do you think? Are lace shorts a do or a don't?

-Miss Mel and Miss Heather

DIY: Backyard Bash

Hi friends! I know Miss Heather and I have been MIA for a month or two, but we're back! I'm excited to share with you photos from my 23rd birthday where Heather and I crafted our little hearts out. Seriously. It was non-stop crafting and to be totally honest, Heather started and completed most of the crafts while I ran around like a chicken with it's head cut off. My birthday party started out innocently enough and next thing I knew, Heather and I were planning an over-the-top backyard party. We received so many compliments during the party and people were even telling us how cool the party looked from the pictures that Heather's lovely boyfriend, Tim, took. 

Therefore, I wanted to share with you how to turn any backyard party into the perfect summer backyard bash!

Table Layout

~We created "food" and "bar" signs by using foam poster board, spray paint and tissue paper. For the "food" sign, heather created a chevron stencil to paint the design and then we used black paint to spell "food".  For the "bar" sign, heather used the same chevron stencil,outlined the letters with a sharpie and then hot glued crumpled up tissue paper to fill in the letters. We used white candles, fresh flowers from Trader Joe's, white tablecloths and a lantern to decorate our tables.~
*our inspiration for the boards were found on pinterest and based on this and this.*

The Bar

~At our bar, we made spiked Arnold Palmer and it was delicious! We used equal parts iced tea, lemonade and added vodka to taste which we placed into a glass dispenser from World Market. On our table, we arrange some more fresh flowers, a bucket for wine, wine glasses and chalkboard mason jars.~

~Our chalkboard mason jars were a hit! Everyone was asking how we made them and they were by far our easiest craft! We bought 12 packs of mason jars from Wal-Mart, one package of sticker labels and chalkboard spray paint. We sprayed the labels the day before and placed a label onto each mason jar on the day of the party!~

~We made a "Keep Calm and Party On" banner to use as a photo backdrop. We used a pre-made banner from Hobby Lobby, spray painted it pink and wrote on it using a sharpie. It turned out great!~
*we based our sign off of this idea from pinterest.*

~What really pulled the party together were white string lights and paper lanterns that we strung up all over my backyard. It really set the mood for the party and I'm planning on leaving them up all summer! P.S.My friend, Ellen, made this giant wine glass for me using a glass from Micheal's, paint and baking it!~

~more photos using the string lights and lanterns as a backdrop~

~

~in addition to all our decorations, we set up our outdoor fire pit, created yummy chocolate cover pretzels, created "happy birthday" flag banner cupcake toppers and lined the way to the party using white balloons pinned to the ground with golf tees!~

We can't wait to throw more summer parties and to get inspiration for your own summer backyard bash, visit our Pinterest!

-Miss Mel and Miss Heather

Colorado: Part Two

Yesterday we did our Colorado: Part One post where you saw photos from our hike to Red Rocks and us enjoying tasty beer at Great Divide Brewing Company. Today we want to share photos from the last two days of our trip where we went hiking in Boulder at The Flat Irons, drank tea at The Boulder Tea House, stopped by Avery Brewery, drove through the mountain to Estes Park and got snowed on at Bear Lake!


Tim and Heather at The Boulder Tea House

 Mel at The Boulder Tea House drinking a flower. 

A.K.A. Jasmine Bloom Tea

 Heather, Mel and Tom beginning the hike at The Flat Irons

 Heather at The Flat Irons

 Mel and Heather=Champion Mountain Climbers

Mountain Women

 Heather enjoying her beer at Avery

Tom and Mel on Bear Lake

 Heather in really appropriate snow gear...it was 60 degrees at the bottom of the mountain and then snowing halfway up!

 

Tom, Mel, Heather, Niki and Tim

 Until next time Colorado!

-Miss Mel and Miss Heather

Colorado: Part One

Last week Miss Heather, Tom, Tim and I drove 14 hours from St.Louis, Missouri to Denver, Colorado. We spent four days hiking, exploring breweries, driving through Rocky Mountain National Park and becoming "mountain people" (or at least we thought so hah!). 

We had SO much fun and I wish we were still there! 

Below are some pictures from our first two days we wanted to share with you. 

 Tom, Heather, Mel and Niki at Red Rocks

 Tom and Mel at Red Rocks

 Heather was super nice and thew a snowball at Tom-hah!

 Heather in a nook that we decided was where Simba would live if ya know, he were real and in Colorado...

 Tim and Heather at Great Divide Brewing Co. in Denver

 Mel and Tom at Great Divide Brewing Co. in Denver

Heather and Mel at Great Divide Brewing Co. in Denver

Thanks to Tim and Miss Heather for some of the photos! 

Follow us on Instagram at MissMel455 and MissHeather167 to see more photos from our trip!

-Miss Mel and Miss Heather