some of the best memories...

are made in FLIP FLOPS!

(as you may have seen on instagram)

i just planned and hosted a "sweet & sunny garden party"

for my little sister's 10th birthday...

one of the very cute and fun things we did was decorate our own flip flops!

the flip flops dubbed as a party craft

got the girls all working together and was also a party favor. (snaps!)

it honestly couldn't have been easier.

i do however recommend doing this with a larger age group.

they were easy to follow instruction and could mainly do this independently.

just be sure to have "a few" extra set of hands to hot glue as you go...

assembly lines, FTW ;)

decided to go with white flip flops 

(and luckily so, old navy had the worlds largest supply)

i got a bunch of different patterned and plain ribbon from the craft store

i didn't want to give them a thousand options 

but it was easiest to keep in "color scheme"

(we went with purples and teals)

some people on pinterest end up using just the ribbon, some used just the bigger flowers

consider the accessories you may use on your flip flops.

as per the birthday girl she wanted some glam and some bling!

*helpful helpful helpful hint... 

look for your accessories first, they were hardest to find.

i won't lie to you when i say that i went to...

 hobby lobby, target, christmas tree, michaels &  ac moore 

to find exactly what would word perfectly for the ribbon, which i bought FIRST!

BIG MISTAKE, CHAOS ON THE DAY BEFORE PARTY!

also buyer beware, most of the accessories (bows, small flowers) do not come in bulk. 

this is the part that may get a WEE bit pricey.

hope those tips helped, NOW here are the pics!

*what you may notice is... 

i kept the hangers on the flip flops and wrote the girls name on them

as i said, we mixed it up with different ribbons.

one for base & one for design 

there were smaller flowers

beaded strands from the jewelry section

as well as rhinestones

the girls here all picked one solid base color

had it glued at both the ends and at the toe

*remind them to wrap their ribbon tightly*

they used a "decorative/fashion" ribbon as the 2nd layer

birthday girl in action <3

 

some of the finished products!

they all turned out so so great and it was an awesome group activity

i heard from my sister that the girls

 all ended up wearing theirs on the last day of school!

any questions at all you know where to leave them! ;-)

FYI: the post on the party details will be soon!

the journey...

where does the time go? i say every year, these are busy months. 

there is ALWAYS something going on. i for one know i have days off but i never am off
(the grid) - just to be in the moment or unwind.

so in my personal life, i am trying it out a bit. i am trying to do things a wee bit different.

after all 2014 hasn't been so great to me, yes i know i have 6 months to go and anything
is possible.and believe me, i hope, pray and wish for it to be... VASTLY different.

and you know i can't say that i've been missing in action, because i'm constantly posting on instagram. i've even sat around a lot going pen to paper. i've read more books, reached some personal milestones, laughed, smiled and TRIED. (i'm big on that right now) however for some strange reason (many reasons, of course) i'm on the hunt to figure out why i've been so incredibly critical of posting here!

is it because i've watched so many of my favorite bloggers stop posting over the course of this winter and still until today. these ladies who i've watched face tragedy, bullying and personal greats - like having babies and getting married. they all were who i adored before i started Secrets! maybe i was losing my fire because i wasn't as excited to catch up on their happenings? not to mention it is so inspiring to have so many muses! however i've always handled Secrets a little bit my own way.

i love that this little slice of the internet is mine! i love my name, and what i stand for. i know family and friends follow me. i know i have followers who i don't know (that far reach and people learning about me is my goal) i know i tend to keep it NOT about myself. i never show my face, but recently i've written more personal things. after all this is my journey. 
i started Secrets as a New Years Resolution/Bet with myself!

however, i still consider this a lifestyle blog : 

we do recipes, we do photo challenges, we do nail polish, we do heartache, we do drama, 
we do fashion friday, we do event planning, we do gossip, we do motivation, we do DIY, 
we do amazing finds. oh and did i mention, we do LIFE.

yes dolls, real life! so while i have been pen to papering, designing a new desk/office area (for a space that isn't even ready for it yet - boo to me) navigating the madness that is life, and grieving and coping and facing horrible business owners and trying to get new clients and exposure and pick a new nail polish AND get a TAN!

i have loved this journey, every curve, every bump, every tear. i've been lucky enough to use this as my jumping off point for so long. and i am happy to spring right back into my happy little slice, full force! 

this slice needs me!

she (i mean hello did we think secrets could be a guy?!) needs love, needs TLC.

and she is going to get JUST that! <3