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Tuesday, March 5, 2013

::Travel Tuesday::

Hey y'all! 

Since it is Travel Tuesday & I have been obsessing over Cotton On/Typo's travel goodies {adorable shop, check out them out} I have been inspired to do today's post over Must Have Travel Accessories!

Not all of these accessories are necessarily for a 6 hour road trip to Phoenix, Arizona, but more likely for an international excursion.

So here are my TOP 10 Travel Must Haves:

-iPad Mini-
Apple iPad Mini
We bought one of these bad boys over the weekend {thank you base pricing and no tax} & now I cannot imagine traveling without it! It is so light weight {not even a pound} & small {smaller than most books} that it can't even be considered a burden to carry. You can download movies, music, games & more to keep you busy on your long flight or cross country road trip.

You will be needing something to cover your new little buddy, Cotton On/Typo has these sweet covers for only $20 {or if you use their 40% off coup they have until March 10, 2013 it's only $12}!!!!
Cotton on/Typo iPad Mini Cover
No worries if you already have an iPad 2... They have the same case for you! 
You cannot go wrong with this purchase!

-Music-
Make sure you load your iPad mini up with plenty of tunes! This is a must for ANY kind of trip you will be venturing on. It doesn't matter what you love to float into your ears as long as you have enough to last your trip!
{We learned that not having enough tunes while in driving through the desert for 4 hours can be a little annoying... You can only sing "she will be loved" so many times}

-Travel Wallet-
Cotton On/Typo Travel Wallet
I love, Love, LOVE this wallet! I actually ordered it for our trip to Europe in September!
This is great because it has a place for your airline tickets, passport, documents & checks. As long as you're traveling smart and have this in a place that it can't get snatched, it's a great idea. I love being organized so having all of my stuff in order! 

-Passport Cover-
Bambina Passport Covers
  Having an adorable passport cover is not "necessary" but who wouldn't want one? 
There are so many adorable ones in the Bambina Etsy shop! You should definitely check them out!

-Travel Journal-
Cotton On/Typo Journal
 Although, they make actual Travel Journals, you can use  ANY pretty little journal you please. I love the travel journal because it helps you remember things that would typically slip your mind days or years later. 
 -Sleep Mask-
Cotton On/Typo
If you have ever been on an over night or  transatlantic flight you probably know the benefits of sleep masks! They are a must if you are like me and like complete darkness when you sleep! They come in every color and pattern imaginable... Of course I would go for the "dreamer".

-Starbucks Via Iced Coffee-
Starbucks Via Iced Coffee
Okay! Okay! I know this may see a bit crazy... BUT I am very picky about my iced coffee! This is an extremely cheap way to do your trip! It cost about $6 for 6 packets & I usually only use half a packet a day anyways {unless its a give-me-caffine-now-before-I-hurt-someone kind of day}. All you need is a bottle of water and a cup of ice. Perfect for being on the road or in another country!

-Headbands & Scarves-
Three Bird Nest
One of the best parts about having tons of headbands & scarves while traveling is that they can dress up a extremely comfy casual outfit and make you look a bit more put together! Of course that is how every girl wants to look after she gets off a plane {minus the heels... those girls are insane}. I have been obsessing over Three Bird Nest for about a year now! They create super chic, adorable products & they run GREAT sales!

-Great Book-
 I love reading on the plane and while waiting in the airport! I always, ALWAYS travel with a book... or two!

-Crossbody &/or Backpack-
Michael Kors Kempton Crossbody
This crossbody is prefect for traveling. It is big enough to fit the essentials while walking about but small enough {with a zipper top} to deter from sticky fingers to grab your goodies.
A back pack is also always good. When Mattie & I go to Europe, he will be carrying one with things like water, first aid kit, & other boring adult things, but all the important stuff will be in my crossbody!

I CANNOT wait to go to Europe this September!

Let me know your Top Travel Musts! I'd love to hear them!


Monday, March 4, 2013

::Happy Tuesday Eve::

Hey Y'all!

I hope you all had an amazing weekend!

Here in SoCal it was a beautiful 80 degrees on Saturday so we (& everyone else) headed to the beach!

Don't be jealous but here are some pics!

Friday night's gorgeous view from my patio.
Traffic to the beach!
My babies excited to go to the beach!!!
Almost there!
Rooney loving the sun and sun
Tired Penny Pies after running around like a maniac
You can blame the lack of Penny-beach-pics can be contributed to me being part water bug and Mattie's want to be a photographer. Regardless, we were having too much fun to worry about pictures! 

Hope your weekend was as much fun as ours was!

Have a HAPPY Tuesday Eve!


Sunday, March 3, 2013

::DIY:: Tinted Mason Jars

Hey Y'all!

Sorry, I have been absent from posting for the past couple of days! It's crazy how much work it has been to start up an Etsy Store and revamp my blog {looks fab right?!?}. Some pages are still under construction, but will be up and running very soon!

Before I get to today's DIY, I have a little announcement! 
The first GIVEAWAY will be when Slightly Brilliant's Facebook Page reaches 200 likes! 
Invite your friends and as it gets closer I will let everyone in on what they will be up for grabs! 

Let's get to it! 
Matte Mod Podge 16 oz. $8, Mason Jar $1.50,  Food Coloring $2
As usual... This is a very easy and in expensive DIY! 
Left: 5 drops of green 5 drops of blue. Right: 8 drops of blue
Mix 1 Tablespoon of water with you food coloring. The brighter/darker you want the tint to be, the more food coloring you want in the mixture. My mixture is about 8-10 drops. 
Pour you mixture into the mason jar.
5 drops red, 4 drops yellow
Add 1 table spoon of Matte Mod Podge. Make sure you have a bowl handy to pour the excess mixture into after swirling.
Lay upside down on paper plates or paper bags, whichever you have handy. Let dry for 30 minutes like this. Heat the oven to the lowest temperature (mine was 170 degrees).
You can tell a slight difference in transparency as it dries.
Place in the oven for  upside down for 15-20 minutes then flip over. I only did mine for 10 minutes and they ended up a bit streaky because the paint was still a little watery.
Bake for another 20-30 minutes right side up.
Like I said the green and red came out a little streaky but if all goes well, they should turn out like the blue! Perfectly tinted!
You can now use your tinted mason jars as candle holders or even as a vase!

Now you have seen how tinting can turn out right and very wrong!

Hope you had an amazing weekend! I know we did! 
Don't forget to get inspired!