Sister Style: Autumn's Arrival

Our most favorite season is here! This past weekend Abigail and I were celebrating her birthday with traditions. We go to the quaintest little bakery in German Village and eat macarons and explore. It was a glorious fall day to celebrate her life. 

Do you have any fall traditions?

xoxo,

a&a

hat: H&M, dress: XXI, purse: vintage, tights: Express, boots: XXI

Inspiration DIY

Who doesn't need constant positive reminders? We love collecting encouraging quotes and reading them often to keep us motivated. We decided to make a permanent inspirational reminder to decorate our walls. 

Here's what you need:

Magazines

Scissors

A ruler

A frame

Paper

Stick of glue

Letter stencils (optional)

Ashley happens to have an absurd collection of Nylon magazines, so we spent some time searching through those for interesting patterns. It wasn't hard to pick out quite a few options to cut out our letters from.

The only thing to keep in mind here is to have a good balance of bright and dark colors, not too much of one or the other. 

We then just hand traced the letters and cut them out. If you want a cleaner look you can use stencils to even out the letters. We liked the more crafty look of uneven letters.

Finally, when the letters were all cut out, we used our ruler to make straight lines and glued the letters down. We placed the paper in the frame and voila! 

Stay inspired.

xoxo,

a&a

DIY Personalized Painting

As regulars at our local thrift stores, we come across quite a few hideous, outdated paintings. For just a few bucks we decided to spruce one up a bit. 

For this DIY all you will need is a thrift store painting, some paint (we got one of the small bottles at Jo Ann Fabrics) and some letter stickers (also found at Jo Ann Fabrics).

How to:

1. Start with the ugly painting.

2. Stick on the letters. This part takes a bit of patients and precision. As you can see, we had neither and it came out a bit crooked.

3. Paint over the letters. We used a small sponge brush for accuracy

4. After it dries, peel off the letters.

Now, there is a disclaimer. After we peeled off the letters, it wasn't completely clean. We used a small brush to line the letters with a different color and that fixed it right up!

This project has endless possibilities, and we plan on experimenting more in the future!

xoxo,

a&a

Simple Solutions

Today's post is quick and easy! We love antiquing and thrifting and end up finding some pretty unique finds. Sometimes pieces are obvious and on trend, and other times you have to see it for its potential. 

This ugly, brown clock was on sale for half off so we paid $1 for it. Not much of a risk if it doesn't turn out great, right? 

We took it home, spray painted the wood, and now it works perfectly in my living room!

So get out there, thrift and garage sale your hearts out, add a little love, and you have your own unique piece.


xo,

a&a

Sister Style

Transitioning from summer to fall fashion can be rather tricky. Abigail chose to pair a long button-up tunic with a light scarf, leggings, and boots. This simple style is perfect when there is just a slight chill in the air. This outfit is great for looking cute in class or a coffee date. Scarves are also the perfect accessory to pair with the top-knot hair style!

Let us know what you wear between seasons!

xoxo,

a&a

DIY Picture Frame Calendar

Keeping your busy schedules in order is important so you don't forget those coffee dates among work and school assignments. Instead of heading to the store to buy a boring paper calendar that will need replaced each year, make a cute, personalized calendar that will last forever!

You will need:

a set of dry erase markers (these are handy because they have the erasers attached)

a large picture frame (ours is 11 x 15, $7 from Wal Mart, pictured below)

and 7 paint swatches from any local paint store: 

the fun thing about this is you can choose any colors that match the color scheme of your room or office!

How to:

First, we used Windex on the picture frame to remove any smudges. 

Then, we attached all of the paint swatches with tape on the back so they do not move:

Next, place them in the picture frame, color side up, and close the back. 

Then, fill out the month and days with your dry erase markers:

and voila! You have a lovely customize-able calendar. Just erase each month when it's over and start over fresh. 

Have fun!

xoxo,

a&a

DIY Pattern Mug

As coffee & tea enthusiasts (read: addicts), we've been dying to try our hands at making our own cute mugs. We couldn't believe how easy (& cheap!) this process was. They turned out adorable, great for you & great as gifts!

You will need:

Plain white porcelain mug (we got ours at a local grocery store for less than $5)

Acrylic Paint Pen (ours is DecoColor from our local Michael's craft store)

and that's it!

How to:

1. Make sure the mug is clean & dry

2. Draw! 

This part was fun because you don't need to worry about being too clean & careful, we wanted a messy/handmade look! If you did want a more neat & tidy look, the mistake lines wipe off right after use. Otherwise, the ink is washable after it's dry! We wouldn't recommend washing in the dishwasher, but your mug should be safe for hand-washing. 

Enjoy!

Inspired by:

Whit & Whistle

xoxo,

a&a

hello world!

we are excited to do this with you.


xoxo

ashley & abbie