DIY Post: Country Chic Engagement Party.

I recently had the honor to help host an engagement party in my little hometown Nacogdoches, TX over Christmas break. My friends Kristen, Catherine and I had such a fun time together making sure the party was planned with our own personal touches for our guest of honor Chelsie and Cade. We had little time to throw it together since we all live in separate city's now but we managed to pull it off with a little bit of creativity, a few DIY projects, one long night of decorating, moving furniture and of course the help of my Dad, the handiest man I know. (Thanks for all your help Dad, we couldn't have pulled it off without you. I wanted to share a few pictures of the fun DIY projects that I thought made the party perfectly personal.

Invitations (Printed on card stock paper & ribbon)

Flowers (Made by Catherine in vintage vases)

Cake (Made by my Mom and I from one of my favorite baking blogs Smitten Kitchen. Link to icing recipe here & cake recipe here)

 Decorations (By Kristen)

Monogram Door Wreath for Entrance (Made by me using, spray paint, wooden letters & ribbon)

We had such a great turn out from so many friends and family that love and support Chelsie and Cade as much as we do! A big thanks to everyone who was able to come help celebrate this amazing couple. I'm so happy for these two love birds and can't wait to stand by their side on April 11th!

XO, Claire

DIY: Monogram Envelope Clutch.

What You'll Need:

1) Beacon Fabri-Tac Permanent Fabric Glue - $15 for large bottle (It's the best, don't waste your money on other brands.)

2) Letters (Any kind will work as long as you like them. I purchased mine at a trim store in the garment district in NY. But you can find multiple options here.)

3) A Clutch (I purchased my leather envelope clutch at Joe Fresh a few months back. But below are a few options I found online I thought might look nice with a personal touch of a monogram.)

1) Gap.  2) BCBG.  3) BCBG.  4) Gap.

How To:

1) Arrange letters to desired position

2) Glue back of letters and hold down firmly onto clutch for about 1 minute per letter.

3) Let dry overnight

Finished Product:

DIY: Varsity Letterman Trend.

I am loving the letterman shirt trend right now and as you probably already know-- I am a sucker for anything that has my initials on it. So instead of going on a mad search for a shirt with a "C" on it or buying some random letter-- I thought why not just make one myself? So that's exactly what I did. Not only was this the easiest little DIY projects I've ever done but it might be one of the least expensive. So if you can glue, all you need to know is where to buy the supplies. See links below to purchase materials similar to mine. Happy Crafting!

What You Will Need:

1)  Fabric Glue

2)  Letterman Patch (Purchased at a trim store in the garment district for $2. Or you can purchase the iron on versions here & here.

3)  Thick cotton shirt of your choice.

(Similar to the one shown at J.Crew here). 

Or if your wanting to make a letterman jacket, there are plenty of inexpensive options here & here.

The fun part about this trend is that the possibilities are endless on what you can add a varsity letterman patch to.  Not only are you on trend but it gives it a little personal touch and you get to wear a letter than is meaningful to you. As you can tell, I actually had way too much fun on snapchat the day I wore my shirt coming up with names that my "C" could stand for.

I also made the initial hat on the left in about 5 minutes. It was inspired from the Ebbets Field Flannel Hats for J.Crew of course.

Hat: Forever 21. /// Hat: Ebbets Field Flannel Hats for J.Crew.

MY FINISHED PRODUCT

(More images here from an earlier outfit post).

Outfit Post: Initial It.

Top: J.Crew ("C" was purchased from a trim store in NYC). Skirt: J.Crew (Last year). Belt: Gap (old). Espadrilles: Sam Edelman "Leona." Bag: Celine. Sunnies: Karen Walker "Betsy."