Hello and HAPPY MONDAY!  I can't believe tomorrow is August already - can you slow down, time!?  These days, I'm only thinking about football season and my cold weather wardrobe.  I know, two polar opposites but I have to be ready for both!  With that in mind, I've been stocking up on my fall accessories first and completely scored the jackpot at Charming Charlie.  If you're not aware, this place is a girly girl's heaven and honestly stepping inside of a Charming Charlie store almost makes you feel like you're on auto-pilot - just moving and dropping pieces into your shopping bag.  If you don't have a location near you, don't freak, they have an awesome selection online!  In this post, I wanted to take you guys on a virtual shopping trip with me and show you all the accessories I'm REALLY loving and some I think you guys will love too.  Let's do this!

Bracelets

1. Motto Bracelet - You can never have just one.  These ones are all so darn cute!

2. Beaded - I used to collect (and make) these when I was younger.  Love that they're trending again!

3. Wrap - Every girl needs one! They're so easy to wear and this one is super pretty.

4. Cuff - I used to not love these because I have small wrists, but any that adjust are perfect. Totally loving this one!

Necklaces 

1. Layered - I live for a layered necklace! Makes accessorizing SUPER easy. This one is perfect!

2. Choker - A dainty choker like this one is all you need.  I love this one!

3. Drizzy Set - I have a slight obsession with drizzy jewelry and anytime it comes in a set, I'm all ears.  This one is amazing. 

4. Statement - This one is a no brainer.  Literally swooning over this one!

Earrings

1. Tassel - Yes please! I'll take these in every single color. 

2. Beaded - I love these clip-on earrings so much!  They're so darn cute and fun. 

3. Dangle - I think these are timeless.  They never go out of style and always look so pretty on. 

4. Studs - These are also timeless pieces and love how dainty and sweet they are!

Accessories

1. Carry On Bag - I'm obsessed with this print as of late.  I don't know anyone who doesn't love a cute weekender bag! 

2. Glamper Set - This would even make such a cute gift!  I can totally imagine taking this out on a fall trip with my girlfriends.

3. Clutch - This sparkly clutch is to die for.  Seriously love it SO much! 

4. Scarf - I think the print on this scarf is so adorable.  Plus, I'm really into huge neck bows this season!

I could literally go on and on with every single item I'm currently loving!  I hope you guys liked a few of my picks and if you do choose a few others, leave a comment below.  I'd love to see what you all are coveting!  Anyway, happy shopping and I'll talk to you guys soon.

xo,

Melissa Victoria

*Thank you, Charming Charlie for sponsoring this post.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

Cucumber Tequila Cocktail

If you know me, you know I love tequila on an extra level all summer long.  When I'm up for a drink during the warmer seasons, I always jump for tequila because it's just SO refreshing and nothing else sounds as good - other than water of course.  In this post, I wanted to share a quick cocktail I made over the weekend to celebrate something extraordinary that happened.  I can't quite share those details yet because it's a surprise that's being shared with family first, but needless to say, I obviously had to have a moment of cheers with my favorite summer drink.  Okay, let's go over what you need and how to make this yummy cucumber cocktail!  Side note: It's totally Wednesday morning and looking at these pictures makes me awfully thirsty.

You'll Need

Tequila of your choice - I used Milagro Tequila 

Flavored sparkling water - I used IZZE Lemon Lime

Limes

Cucumber 

Spicy Seasoning - I used Tajin

How To

1. Slice your lime in half and also cut some slices of cucumber.  

2. Take your cucumbers and mash them or you can cut them up into tiny pieces. Drop the cucumber into your cup.

3. Next pour 1.5 ounces of tequila into your cup.  You can always adjust the amount and add more if you'd like.

4. Take your flavored sparkling water and pour as much as you'd like in the cup. 

5. To coat the rim of your cup with spicy seasoning, take half of a lime and sprinkle the seasoning over it.  Swipe this all over rim until you have as much as you'd like. 

6. For extra spice, you can also add seasoning into the cocktail.

7. Slip in a straw and enjoy!

Sip sip hooray,

Melissa Victoria

How to Make an Elastic Waist Skirt

Okay I'm back.  Work has been super busy as of late and has totally been consuming my time, but in a positive way!  Not too long ago, my friend Jaime and I had the best conversation about the artsy phase her daughter is currently in and I swear a lot of what she mentioned totally reminded me of me when I was her daughter's age haha.  That conversation totally helped rekindle my love for sewing and made me itch to make something fun.  I've never lost touch of this fun craft, but you know how it is when you have a full time job, have relationships to keep up with, run a blog and try to stick to your content calendar as much as you can...all the busy.  Anyway, because I was itching to sew something, I decided to make my favorite thing - a skirt!  I would definitely say this is a beginner skirt and if you know how to literally run a basic stitch through a sewing machine, you can make this.  Now for the fun part, let's start go over the details!

You'll Need:

1.5 - 2 Yards of Fabric: This should be enough for your waist length x's 2.  My waist is 27 inches so I used 54 inches.

Scissors

Measuring Tape

Pins

Thread 

Elastic: This should be the length of your waist, but if you'd like a snug fit, cut off 3-4 inches off

_____________________________________________________________

  Step 1:  

Measure the length from your waist down to however long you'd like your skirt.  My skirt length was 19 inches and width was 54 inches.  Once you have your measurements, you'll need to keep your fabric folded and cut out your piece.

 Step 2: 

Cut all along your fold to have two even pieces of the same width and length.  Turn your two pieces right side in (this means to stack the two pieces on top of each other with the front of the fabric facing each other).  Next, insert pins along the lengths of both sides of skirts to connect each side of fabric together.  This should look like a large tube after you've inserted your pins.  You'll then just need to make a basic stitch along the pins and once you're done, flip the skirt inside out to show the right side of the fabric. 

Step 3:

Depending on the size of your elastic (mine is 1") you'll need to make one fold in that is at least the size of your elastic because that will need to go through the casing you're about to make.  I basically made a 1.5 inch fold and curled that extra half inch into the skirt for a clean finish.  This is optional, but when making your casing, you can take an iron and quickly run it down the tube you made to make sure it stays down. 

Step 4:

Pin your casing down and run a basic straight stitch all along the tube.  Next, take a safety pin and pin it to the end of your elastic and run that through the tube until it's popped out through the other side.  As you run your elastic around, you'll also need to pull the fabric through and sort of scrunch it up.  Once the elastic has made itself through the whole tube, take both ends and sew a few stitches up and down to lock it. 

   

Step 5:

You'll now need to take both ends of your skirt that are open and simply run a straight stitch all the way down.  You might find it a little difficult to stitch over the elastic part, and to lock this part down, I first start a few inches after the elastic and then hit my back pedal to stitch backwards.  If this is still difficult, you can always hand stitch that part and you should be fine. 

Step 6:

To hem your skirt, you can basically do this in three ways.  For one, you can fold the raw edge of your skirt up the exact same way you made your casing.  It's about making a tiny tube, pinning down and running a straight stitch all around.  The other way is to make a zig-zag stitch all around the raw edge to lock in the fabric similar to using a serger.  Third, if you have a serger machine (thanks, #KingMartin) you can run the bottom of your skirt all around and be left with a fun detailed stitch.  

After you're done hemming your skirt, turn the skirt inside out and you're all done!  Don't forget to email or comment below with any questions you may have.  Talk to guys soon!

xo,

Melissa Victoria