Did you know that today is National Tie-Dye Day?

Tie-dye is magical…tie-dye is mystical…tie-dye is happiness.  Whether you've been tie-dying for decades or are tie-dying for the first time, the experience always produces smiles and giggles.  There is just something about tie-dye that attracts all ages.  Maybe it’s that tie-dye just can’t be messed up…or maybe it’s because the outcome is always different.  There is freedom and expression that comes from the tie-dye experience unlike any other creative activity.

Tie-Dye is hotter than ever in 2013, and it's so fun and easy (and mess-free) to do it yourself. Check out the beautiful and tie-dye clad Beyonce in the H&M Summer Collection singing 'Standing On the Sun'.

Experience Google Glass

Watch this amazing video to experience Google Glass.

Block Party! Kate Spade's 'Color It In' Line

Fashion designer Kate Spade recently launched a new line called Saturday that pays tribute to DIY. The new “Color It In” line within the Saturday collection features a Windowpane print that is used on dresses, bags, skirts, sandals and more. Customize with your own creativity using colorful  fabric markers.

 

Here are some examples of what the crew at Kate Spade's came up with when they were asked to play with markers.

Lace & Eyelet Details

Lace, eyelet, and crocheted details are a hot trend for 2013.  If you are like me you don't want to pay top dollar for things at a boutique that you can probably make with some time, the right components, and a little creativity. There is no shortage of great inspirations for lace projects like those shown below.  You can pick up doilies and trims at yard sales and estate sales, at flea markets and thrift stores, or ask your grandmother if she has any tucked away. Here are some great remakes using lace doilies:

Hint: try using this glue to make these lampshades or this bowl.

These garments are but a few of those offered at Anthropologie that incorporate lace. A DIYer could easily  make a similar look by sewing or gluing some lace, eyelet or crocheted elements to her garments. 

Do you XOXO Betsey?

New on the Style Network is XOXO Betsey, a show about the outrageously unique designer, Betsey Johnson. She is giving viewers an unprecedented look into her life with daughter Lulu. 

Here's the scoop:  Betsey and Lulu have always worked together to expand Betsey's fashion empire, but the stresses of their business relationship have created a co-dependent mother-daughter relationship. Betsey and Lulu find their deeply entangled relationship will be tested as they evolve both professionally and personally. 

Hmmm... Yummy! Sounds like another show I'll be TiVoing for my late night alone time enjoyment!

XOXO Betsey Johnson premieres Sunday, May 12 on Style.

The Bindi Chronicles

A bindi on the forehead is an ancient tradition in Hinduism and has religious significance. It is also sometimes referred to as the third eye and the flame, and it is an auspicious religious and spiritual symbol.

Gwen Stefani introduced them in the '90s as a fashion statement, and now bindis are  becoming hip again among celebrities and festival [Coachella] goers. There is a big trend toward spiritualism happening presently due to global influences and fear of an apocalyptic future. Coupled with the trend in Millennials looking longingly back to the '90s for retro inspiration, it is no wonder we are seeing bindis, elements of witchcraft, and crosses as style motifs. Being adorned with these symbols does not necessarily reflect a person's spiritual affiliation. The problem is when these symbols are worn to make a style statement alone, they often offend those who revere these symbols as part of their religious beliefs. This just recently took place last weekend at the MTV Movie Awards on April 14. A Bollywood-inspired Selena Gomez wore a bindi while performing "Come & Get It" and now has a Hindu group demanding an apology from the star. What do you think? Do you think it's inappropriate to wear religious symbols as fashion statements? Just curious.

More bindi sightings: Vanessa Hudgens was one of many who rocked the jewels while attending the Coachella music festival last weekend.

 Vanessa Hudgens at Coachella

 Coachella attendees wearing bindis

Forehead gems from Urban Outfitters

Real Beauty by Dove

Real Beauty...Is it found in how we see ourselves, or in how others see us? This is a good example of a brand making an emotional connection with women.

Dove conducted a social experiment to prove that women are more beautiful than they think, as part of its continuing focus on "real" beauty in its advertising. In a campaign, the beauty brand employed FBI-trained forensic sketch artist Gil Zamora, who usually sketches people described by crime eyewitnesses.
First he drew portraits of women according to their own description, and then he drew portraits of those same women according to strangers who had met them on the day. The differences between how they describe themselves and how others describe them are immediately striking.

Dyed in the Wool

Just had to share this:  Freshly dyed sheep run in view of the highway near Bathgate, Scotland. The sheep farmer has been dyeing his sheep with a nontoxic dye since 2007 to entertain passing motorists.

More dyed animals / BuzzFeed

I'm not sure how I feel about dyed animals when the dye design is labor intensive or the dye goes right up to their eyes. What do you think??? I think I prefer dye used this way. 

Weekend Dye Fans

Here are some dye sightings that occurred over the weekend at Coachella and the MTV Movie Awards.

 Alessandra Ambrosio

 Vanessa Hudgens

Photo from Free People blog

Emma Watson in ombre received the MTV Trailblazer Award

DIY Thrift Store Art

Happy Friday!
I love recycled, re-purposed things. Giving objects a second chance or a brand new life as something else is very appealing to me. I tend to make a lot of my jewelry like this. I saw this on Apartment Therapy and had to share it. I thought this was such a clever idea! Don't we all see these awful old paintings stacked along a wall at our favorite thrift stores and wonder why in the world anyone would buy them, apart from recycling the frame of course? But now they can become a conversation piece in your home, and you can do-it-yourself! Check these out:

 Song lyric wall art by A Beautiful Mess

Add monsters to a scene like artist Chris McMahon 

Make a fun message board incorporating chalkboard paint like the one in this thrift store painting from

The Mosaic Butterfly on Etsy 

Dipped portrait by Oliver Jeffers

Follow a DIY tutorial by Ashley Ann to make a painting look like a vintage Paint-By-Number