Happy Father's Day

I love my dad.  He's given me so much my whole life long, and he continues to do the same to this day.  He's taught me how to laugh, how to not care about what others may think and, yes, how to sing.  He's had my back in situations where I didn't know how to win, I only knew that I had to.  And while I can't pretend I've always won, I do know that with him by my side, I'll be alright.  Today, to show my dad I really cared, I went overboard with personal crafts, trying to imitate a little girl's handmade gift to her father (featuring yummy foods, of course).  Above you see THE PAPI BAR.  It's a gourmet milk chocolate bar from Trader Joe's, but you can just as easily do the same craft with a less expensive bar.  The gold foil was the real reason I chose this one.  Simply take off the outer wrapping, measure the bar, and create a wrapper on Publisher.  I added cute details, like custom "Nutrition" Facts and making the Ingredients his character traits.  Then just print, cut and tape the wrapper around the bar.  It probably took ten minutes, but that little effort makes all the difference. 

It's easy to make pop-up cards if you just fold small strips of paper alternating directions, almost like you were making a fan.  then just paste to your decorations and you have a 3-D card.  Apart from the food and DIY themes, I also tried to work in a myriad of puns.  Just little things to make him giggle.  For example, the goodies on the front of the card tie into sayings like "You're the Sweetest Pop," etc. 

Make a simple heart tag in word and stick it to some sweets, preferably with a pun tying them together.  This one says "You're the world's greatest POP!"

On top of a peach can I stuck a little circle of paper with a "punny" sentence referring to the types of peaches.

Honey sticks with, yes, another silly saying.

I put up a banner just to give it a little atmosphere.  It was just a printable off the internet, but it ended up looking pretty nice.  In addition, I had all of my dad's favorite old time songs playing in the background.

Using a modern plastic container I had sitting around, I filled it with some of his favorite snacks and printed the collar from online.  Then it was just a matter of cutting, folding and taping.

I filled a small paper bag with some decorated drinks for him (see below) and tied it up with this tag (found on Pinterest).

Do you remember when you were a kid and you used to give your dad little coupons so he could get you to help around the house?  Well, Disney came out with a free set of those, and they were just so cute I had to print them.  Tie it up in a shiny gold bag, and dad's sure to enjoy.  After all, nostalgia beats all.

Towards the far left of the above picture, you can see the corner of a printable "Dad" book for the young ones.  Even though I may seem too old, I printed it out and filled it with funny, cute anecdotes.  It's a great way to remind your dad you're still his little girl (or boy). 

My mom and I happened to bring matching gift bags, which made the table look extra festive.  The little tie tag you can see under the bow is actually wearable!  I just attached pipe cleaners and my dad looked extra...well, adorable.  And to help with his fatherly adorkable outfit...

...I made us matching glasses (if you'll excuse the bad picture).  Overall, the gift bag was a hit, and I'm so glad I could make my wonderful dad feel special, at least for a little while.

XOXO,
Anonymous

P.S. 

For Mother's Day I had decorated this cake at Cakemix and I realized I never got to show it to you!

Seeing Double

Yes, it's yet another new type of post for the blog! My Polyvore has been doing really well in the short time since I started it, so I think I'll bring my most common type of post on there, here to the blog.  The basic idea is taking one key piece and dressing it up or down.  I've featured a few of these boards in various posts, but now I'm making a specific post series for the pictures.  So, without further ado, here is "Seeing Double"

This first set contains the same pair of adorable leggings from Rare London (rarelondon.com, $16, Rare London Printed Atzec Leggings, found through Polyvore).  On the left is a much more dressed up version, with the blazer and higher end jewelry.  While these particular pants may never fly in some office settings, this look could be perfect for more casual places of business.  On the right, a much more punk look awaits.  For those of us who shy away from black and spikes (ME!) just get rid of the hat and bag and replace them with a more classic look.  You'll still look put together and casual, but this is proof little changes can change so much. 

 

When browsing various street-fashion sites, I am always seeing this Celine shirt pop up ($10, c2coffer.com).  On the left, you see it paired with upscale pieces, including this coral bag that's just to die for (even if it is a bit of a splurge).  To the right, the shirt is dressed down with ripped jeans and one of the cutest polka dot clutches ever (again, pricey)! As in the last set, switch out the necklace and the wash of the jeans for a totally different vibe. 

Holy lord, this sunflower crop top is one of my favorites I've found, mostly because of the price.  The left side look features my ideas on how to style it beauty wise (most of the stuff is from Neiman Marcus, but you can obviously find similar colors for cheaper).  The casual look features leggings, a trend I was hesitant to jump on to (Lulu's are cute, but underwear lines are tacky). However, with the right undergarments (please be careful, ladies, no one wants to see that), I think that leggings are an easy, comfortable style for a day off. 

And finally, two takes on this vintage poodle dress (price unknown).  Along with some beauty tips, both sides showcase quirky glam pieces, including this sarcasm bracelet and these adorable (and cheap) bow heels.  The spiky purse is an adorable way to punk-up an outfit too!
So, there you are, four pieces for the upscale environment or the casual day.  I hope you've enjoyed, and go check out my Polyvore profile (information on About This Blog).

Kisses,

Anonymous

 

P.S.  Check out this amazing link! Seriously genius ideas to DIY Anthropology style.