Be beautiful.

“One day I decided that I was beautiful, and so I carried out my life as if I was a beautiful girl. I wear colors that I really like, I wear makeup that makes me feel pretty, and it really helps. It doesn’t have anything to do with how the world perceives you. What matters is what you see. Your body is your temple, it’s your home, and you must love it.” — Gabourey Sidibe

...and then December was over.

I have no idea where December went, but I was a blogger fail.
...as you can see.

Since I can't make up for lost time, here is a review of the month via Instagram.
I promise to update more in the new year. In fact it's a resolution ;)

I opened an etsy shop!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/autumnwilson

New Office Decor

Sometimes, just by focusing on the things that you love
you discover a whole new realm of possibilities...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you are all able to enjoy the holiday with your friends and family.
Today I am so thankful for my family and modern medicine.
My little niece was recently admitted to the hospital due to sickness,
and today I get to spend all day with her and my family.
She has always been one of the happiest babies I've known and now she is by far the toughest.

Can't wait until she gets her smile back.

Revealing

 

 On Monday, I shot with the beautiful Brianna.
I knew I wanted to try shooting something more intimate and personal (a bit risqué - perhaps).

Something... naturally beautiful and simplistic.

Turning 23.

I am 23 today.
I could never have predicted I'd be where I am today.
I am so thankful for life and the opportunity to chase my dreams
while surrounded by those who love and support me.
#celebratinglife #happybirthdaytome  :)

DIY : Custom kitchen canisters

I found this pin awhile back on Pinterest showcasing these
beautiful DIY kitchen canisters, and I just knew I had to make my own!

If you are at all interested in making these yourself or would like to order already made printables
then you NEED to go and check out The Painted Hive for a step by step tutorial.

Here is the direct link to The Painted Hive's online tutorial:

http://thepaintedhive.net/2012/02/magic-decal-transfer-tutorial-with-free-printables/

I followed it step by step and I couldn't be happier with the outcome!  I'll add in a couple tips I think might help you understand the process a little bit easier, as well as including a few photos of my own process. However, this is by no means a step by step tutorial.
You'll need to go to The Painted Hive to understand the entire process!

 As you can see, I opted for a different type of jar to use.

I don't know why, but I've just never liked the snap-on lids on SLOM jars.

These twist-on lids were a little bit cheaper and I knew they'd still keep things sealed up nicely.

In order to make these printables you need two different types of paper:

Waterslide Decal Paper

&

Magic Decal Coating

Since the company that The Painted Hive uses is located in Australia...

I decided to see if I could find anywhere that sold it online (through the US).

I was able to find an online store through Ebay called www.robinseggcetera.com

They sell 5 sheets of the waterslide decal paper and magic decal coating together for only $12.61.

I started off by downloading The Painted Hive's free printable PDF onto the glossy side of the waterslide decal paper. I did a little rearranging in photoshop so I would only have to print off one sheet since I knew I only wanted 8 custom wordings.
(I only ended up using 7 of the ones I printed)

Note: When you 'separate' the magic decal coating paper from the translucent protective paper -

All you're doing is removing the tissue paper. It's nothing you have to peel off.

While reading the instructions from The Painted Hive

I initially thought it was something I'd have to peel off. It isn't. :)

I had to buy a cheap laminator from Walmart for $24 since I didn't have one.

I was initially hesitant to put the 3 papers together through the laminator...

I was afraid the tissue paper would melt or something would get stuck...

Aside from my worries, I went ahead and slid the 3 papers (together) into the laminator

and thankfully they came out just as they were supposed to. :)

So don't be worried... Nothing will melt.

 

Afterwards, I tried my hardest to cut the words out into nice squares...

this proved to be more difficult than anything.

Note * : When you are dampening the watermarked side of your laminated printouts - be sure to
dampen the entire surface (Edge to Edge)! I missed a corner and a little bit of the edging on one of
the labels and it was a pain to try to fix it after already peeling the watermarked side off.

(This will make sense when you actually get to that point)

Also, if you have a pesky kitty who always wants to know what you're up to...

this makes this project much more challenging.

The jars after heating 2 at a time in the microwave for 5 minutes each (with the lids off, of course).

Note**: Do NOT do this. After my final jar... my microwave temporarily overheated and would not turn on...
It took about an hour for it to turn back on again... Needless to say, I thought I broke it.

You'd be best to use a hair dryer or the oven. :)

Two of the canisters are missing because I didn't have any powdered sugar or brown sugar. :)

I'll be getting some soon.

I also cheated with the cocoa, as you can see.

I think it might be time to make a homemade batch of cocoa.

All-in-all I'm very happy with the outcome and can't wait to use this knowledge for future projects!

sweaters & skirts

I'm crazy about skirts right now.
Especially this faux leather skirt I found online at Forever 21.
I thought it'd be perfect to pair it with a cozy knit sweater for today's beautiful fall weather.
I hope you all had a great start to the week... I'll be working on crafts all day tomorrow! :)