making it yours {3}

i live in flats. yes, i have a lot of high heels and wedges and converse sneakers {my favorite!}, but flats pull together every look in a more refined, comfortable, and sophisticated way. that's why when my favorite tan flats became noticeably scuffed around the toes, i was a little more than upset.

since i'm a recent college grad, i don't throw much out. i fix it or reuse in a some different way. i have a little collection of acrylic paints in my diy cupboard, so i thought i would try my hand at the new metallic cap-toe trend that's making it's rounds on the red carpet.

the result?

flats that look cleaner, trendier, and have a fresh new chance at life.

i measured out the length of the cap coloring that i wanted, and then stretched a strip of tape across the toe in order to create a straight line. with a couple of coats of gold acrylic paint, there were clean new strips of color that hid my scuffs and brightened up the whole shoe. {here's a step-by-step from the people who know ;) }

i will be the first to say my paint job isn't entirely perfectly, but those marks are covered up nice and neat. and my skinny jeans? are in love with them. this is a diy i will definitely do again and again, with all different pretty colors :)

making it yours {2}

last week, i got to share with you a bit about decorating that usually messy, white bathroom counter we all have {see this post}. it wasn't until late on friday night that i figured out what i was going to be doing this week:

decorating a camera bag.

since i bought my sweet little canon rebel a couple of weeks ago, i've been cradling it like a small child and trying to keep it out of harms way while still camera bag-less. i checked etsy and amazon, chain stores and friendly recommendations for my "bag-mate." there simply wasn't anything that fit my flair for girly-vintage fun. since i was going to be carrying it around everywhere, i needed to make sure i wasn't cringing at the sight.

then came a fateful trip at the cusp of the weekend. we were hunting through mountains of old purses and totes when my best friend found an old camera bag. it was black and painfully beat up, with a wiry strap that bit deep into my shoulder. but with a little tender loving care? it became a home to my little camera. i might be a little {a lot} ecstatic. with a bit of paint+patience+broadway tunes, i've finally made this precious little bag my own.

{all crafting materials found at jo ann}

{before: wiry plastic strap and all}

{after}