jewelry frame *tutorial*

I have been dying to have a better way to display my necklaces lately, and so when I went home to Iowa last week I made sure to scour my favorite thrift store for some great big empty frames to rig up as new jewelry storage. I found two great ones and now I'd like to share with you how I did it!

Here's what you need:

a frame

a drill

cup hooks (available at hardware store)

wire

stapler

nails

Start with a beautiful empty frame. Mine came with a hanging wire on the back already, but if your's doesn't have one then use a wire and a stapler to add one to the back.

Use a marker to mark where you would like to add the cup hooks. I didn't measure, but I spaced out the  hooks about 3/4" on one part of the frame for big necklaces and put them much closer together on the other side for chains.

Drill the holes.

Screw in the cup hooks. 

I always started them by hand and then used a pair of pliers to make sure they were in securely.

Keep going....

And going... 

This is the boring part, but it is almost over!

Once all the hooks are in the frame, hang on the wall and then hang your necklaces!

And there you go--jewelry storage that doubles as art! Enjoy!

peace&love,

Jill

earning my name

Clothes: all thrifted, necklace made by me.

I named this blog over a year ago when I was just hunting around for a new creative outlet, a place to put stuff I made, things I liked, and outfits I wore. I wanted a cool name, a unique name, but I didn't really think that hard about it. I'm not a major risk taker, in life or fashion, but the idea of putting my name on "Favor the Brave" appealed to me.

Fast forward a year or so and it's like the very name of my site is urging me to become the person I am meant to be, which, as always, requires great courage. At the risk of getting too cerebral in a post with pictures of clothes, find that thing you're afraid of and go do it. Go say hi to that guy, go apply for that job, go ask that question. Heck, go sing that song on karaoke night. Or in my case, wear that high waisted skirt even though my legs are too short and chop off those bangs.

 Life's too short people.

Just like me.

peace&love,

Jill

iowa corn and links à la mode

I have been enjoying Iowa corn, various smores based desserts, and a summer rain shower all day but it'll be back to the ranch in Hotkalhoma tomorrow. But, in the meantime, I want you all to go check out my fellow Links à la Mode bloggers from Independent Fashion Bloggers! It was an honor to be featured and there are some wonderful ladies who were chosen whose blogs are well worth the visit!

Links à la Mode: The IFB Weekly Round Up

1. A Minor Obsession: How to wear brocade
2. Anthony & Elle: DIY glitter shoes
3. Bespoke Baroque: How one item can begin to change your life
4. Best Of Bklyn: 5 things to do in 5 minutes to look 5 times better
5. Chic Black Chick: How to wear the Fall trends
6. Classic Glam Blog: DIY Nautical Knot Rope Necklace
7. Crisis in Denim: Retail Therapy
8. Elegant Idiosyncrasy: A close-up look at styling a shoot
9. The Fashionistyle: Celebrating 66 years of the bikini
10. Fashion-opolis: The Art of Sale Shopping
11. Favor the Brave: Embracing simplicity
12. Girl in Betsey: Summer pieces and how to wear them in the Fall
13. Life.Style.Flash: A few honest thoughts on blogging
14. Madly Chic: An Interview with Project Runway contestant Joshua Christensen
15. Pish Posh Perfect: 10 Essentials for the Beach
16. Room 334: Some personal rules for blogging
17. Soffs Blog: The Swinging Sixties
18. South x Style: Five cheap ways to upgrade your look
19. Style Chain: The Formula to the Perfect Arm Party
20. The Style Confessions: How to shop successfully for clothes

peace&love,

Jill

little bitta everything

I'm enjoying my week with my family going to the lake and eating good food. 

And watching husband and my brothers play Super Mario Brothers. 

And I'm actually going to go get back to that now.

And here's an outfit with a little bit of everything in it to hold you over. 

peace&love,

Jill

yummy favorites

I was going through my recipes earlier this week for something to make and take with me to my parents in Iowa. In the process I complied this round-up of all my go-to recipes. None of them are originally mine, just wanted to pass on the good ones!

• Watermelon granita (my version pictured)
• Sweet and sour chicken
• English muffin bread
• Italian herb pan bread
• Pineapple bacon burgers
• Chicken parmesan meatloaf
• Microwave carmel
• Oreo treats
• Spaghetti baked in garlic bread
• 7Up Biscuits
• Million Dollar Spaghetti
• Smore's Pie
• Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits
• Skillet Cookie
• Homemade pretzel bites
• Cake Mix Biscotti
• Strawberry Pretzel Salad
• Frozen Hot Chocolate
• Monkey bread muffins

Hope they turn out as yummy for you as they do for me!

peace&love,

Jill

these are the blues

I love the color blue, but for some reason I don't wear it very often, and I'm trying to consciously change that. Also, this outfit makes me feel like I'm wearing water which is pretty cool.

I'm on my way to Iowa today to spend the rest of the week with my lovely family and so I get to spend all day road tripping with husband. This is summertime.

And these are my blues, but they're the happy kind.

Outfit: all thrifted

peace&love,

Jill

somebody loves me {liebster award}

My dear cyber friend Sara at Sincerely, SK recently gifted me with the Liebster Award. For those of you not familiar with it, the Liebster goes to bloggers with under 200 followers to help them promote and share their blog in the blogging community.

The rules are: you tell your nominees you nominated them, you answer the questions, and you link back to the lovely blog that nominated you.

There is also a list of questions we have to answer to go along with it... here you go!

1. Which blogger inspires you or you simply just love and cannot get enough of?
I'm such a fan of Keiko at Keiko Lynn. I kind of want to be her. 


2. What is your horoscope sign?
Pisces. But I had to look it up. Tells you what I know. 



3. What is two quotes you love?
Well I really love quotes,  so I actually have a whole page devoted to them, but here are two of my absolute favorites:


" Just a dog? Porthos dreams of being a bear, and you want to shatter those dreams by saying he's just a dog? What a horrible candle-snuffing word. That's like saying, "He can't climb that mountain, he's just a man", or "That's not a diamond, it's just a rock." Just." - J.M. Barrie in Finding Neverland


"You cannot help but learn more as you take the world into your hands. Take it up reverently, for it is an old piece of clay, with millions of thumb prints on it." - John Updike


4. What is one thing this summer you must do, no ifs or buts about it?
I must go see my family in Iowa! Which is good, because we're leaving to do just that tomorrow.


5. What is 3 words your friends would use to describe you?

I think my friends would be the best to ask about that, but I would say, creative, kind, and resourceful. {Husband may have helped.}


6. What is one dream you hope to achieve in your life journey?

Well there are many, but 


7. What is your favorite dish to eat?

I love seafood and garlic bread. 


8. Who is one person that inspires you in your life?

I'm going to add the word "most" to this question because hundreds of people inspire me, but I think that the women in my family are the collective person that inspires me most - my grandma, my mom, and my aunts.


9. What is one thing you are looking forward to this fall?

FALL CLOTHES. Leggings. Boots. Sleeved dresses. Scarves. Tights. I'm getting fidgety just thinking about how awesome it will me.


10. Favorite television shows that start up in the fall or now summer?

I feel like this is a game of truth or dare, because one of my favorite shows is kind of embarrassing. Ok, I'll just say it - Pretty Little Liars. I also can't wait for Big Bang Theory, 30 Rock, and I wish I could say The Office, but that show is rapidly deteriorating without Steve Carell. I honestly don't watch much TV. 


11. What are the top 5 places you want to travel?
Russia, South Africa, Madrid, Venice, and I so badly want to go back to Ireland. And maybe just stay there.

So here are the lucky blogs I nominate:

StarDustSoul

Short of Something

The Funky Junkie

My Thrifty Chic

Fashion or Famine

peace&love,

Jill

spiral flowers *tutorial*

This was one kind of flower that I made for my wedding last month and it worked really well for the boutonnieres. My husband's was especially adorable, and the photo below is courtesy of my stunning wedding photographer, Suzanne Corum. Visit her site here.

Here's the magic secret weapon to make these flowers look so awesome: shaped scissors.

Use the magical scissors to cut circles out of a thicker paper. I used card stock. You can make the circles as big or as small you want to, it will just affect the size of the flowers.

Then use the scissors to cut a spiral into the circle. Again, you can make the spiral as tight or as wide as you want and it will affect the size of the flower. I found that some irregularity (read: shaky hands) actually added some visual interest, so you don't have to be too careful.

I made a million of these.

Once they're all cut in a spiral, start rolling from the outside. If you pinch at the bottom as you roll it helps.

Keep going.

When you get to the end it should look something like this. 

Tuck the middle up under the bottom of the whole roll.

When you let it go it should look something like this.

I added some hot glue to the center of the spiral and gently pushed down on the top layers to get everything good and stuck together. Then I did this all a million more times.

And there you go! Beautiful flowers!

Let me know what you think and share pictures if you make some!

peace&love,

Jill

our very good friend clark

This is our very good friend Clark. Clark is a corn snake, and he keeps me company while I write. My husband got him for his 21st birthday, and so his 4 yr anniversary is coming up. 

For now, he is our baby.

 You can see how long he is!

And how pretty!

He's saying, "No more photos, please. I'm too cool for this."

peace&love,

Jill

friday I'm in love {7/20}

Here's what I'm loving this week!

• World's fattest squirrel. 'Nuff said.
• Some great ideas that will make your life simpler and saner.
• You know how fun it is to find out what your friends were almost named, but what about your favorite literary characters?
• While we're on the literary thing, here's what some authors have to say about symbolism.
• Create a truly organized t-shirt drawer.
• Some great regional words.
• Planning to make a batch of these breakfast burritos this weekend.
• For the plugged-in child: Goodnight iPad.
• Can't wait to try this sweet and sour chicken!
• I've made this watermelon granita three times in two weeks.

Just made this collage of chalkboards in my kitchen. And I love it.

peace&love,

Jill

what goes around comes around (cue JT)

It seems like most days have been pretty repetitive lately - put on a dress, go outside for five minutes and then RUN back to the A/C, make stuff, photograph stuff, make food, eat food, write like a crazy person. And that is what I am blaming for my emerging summer uniform: dress and belt.

I love this dress for many reasons, one of which being that even though this dress is from the mid-70s it is just so fabulously in style. Sheer midi dresses anyone? Turns out they're not a new idea. My theory is that I will save all my clothes from my whole life in an enormous storage unit and then my daughters will be the ecstatic recipients of a lifetime of in-style clothes, because they'll all, ya know, come back in style. Eventually. It'll work.

I'm going to go rock out with Justin Timberlake now.

peace&love,

Jill

orange & blue

For some reason I only ever wear this great orange necklace with blue. What else could I pair it with? I'm thinking I'll try yellow, but other than that I'm stumped.

In other news, it's still hot, but you're probably tired of hearing about that. 

Clothes, jewelry: all thrifted

Love this summer hairstyle... simply braid your hair and then tuck the bottom of the braid up under the top part and pin it in place. Simple and cool, and it looks complicated.

Also, I got my new business cards yesterday! Can't wait to start selling again.

If you haven't had a chance to check out my new Etsy you should!

peace&love,

Jill