1960s Cocktail Party Fun!

For New Year's Eve, we threw a 1960s cocktail party at our house. It was so much fun! Low lighting, old records constantly a-spin, and toothpick-stabbed appetizers galore. We scored a fancy metal cocktail shaker at the thrift store, to make fancy things like manhattans and martinis. (But I ended up just drinking spiced rum & coke all night, heehee!)

Most of our friends play music, so we cleared out the living room and set up all our music equipment so we could have a sort of open mic with all our friends. (My favorite part of the night was when Franklin & our friend Henry played weezer songs from the blue album. Oh, sweet nostalgia.)

A video of our friends Jeremy (Leaf Colors)&  Henry (The Fortnight) playing Auld Lang Syne. It is so much fun to listen to drunk people play music. It's all sorts of chaotic hollering and clattering madness, I love it. I hope you all had a great New Year's Eve! My resolution is to be more social, and go on more adventures. What about you guys?

-Elizabeth

DIY Kitschy Christmas Wreath

When it comes to Christmas decorations, I can't have enough kitsch. If it isn't kitschy and just a little bit frightening, then it isn't Christmas. Today I threw together a super kitschy wreath for the holidays. It's so bad, it's good. It makes me happy. Ahh...the holidays are finally here. (please excuse the low-light & poor quality of these photos. I couldn't wait for daylight.)

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
-a styrofoam or straw wreath from the craft store
-wide fabric ribbon (the busier the better! I found mine at the thrift store)
-a stapler, scissors, hot glue gun
-pipe cleaners (or pipe-cleaner-esque ribbon! which is what I used)
-cardstock
-watercolor (or whatever paint you wanna use)
-a focal piece (you can use an old ornament!)

This isn't really much of a tutorial. Just a little peek at some of the steps. You'll wanna wrap the wide fabric ribbon around the styrofoam wreath, so it's completely covered. (I secured it with a couple of staples in the back!) Then, make a scalloped edge using pipe cleaners, bending and stapling every couple of inches. I made a little watercolor banner out of cardstock that I attached with hot glue. The part that really pushes it over the edge with kitsch is that slightly disturbing santa figurine that I scored at a local antique shop (also attached with hot glue). Whenever I go into antique shops this time of year, they're BURSTING with horrifyingly kitschy christmas figurines. So, if you wanna find a good focal piece for your wreath, this is the best time to find something!

Happy kitschy crafting!

-Elizabeth

PS: Use coupon code SBS2012 to get 20% off your purchase in the shop, for small business saturday!