How to Paint Converse & Our Nintendo Converse Shoes
In a few days my baby boy will be turning 11. I really have to keep saying it over and over again, because I honestly just don’t believe it. Gone are the days of asking for a new toy for his birthday. This year it was drum lessons, video games and high tops. But not just any high tops. He wanted custom high tops. I’ve realized that I am the most un-hip person on the face of the planet. When I went shopping I didn’t even know where to begin. (I think there should be a place where you can rent a hipster – someone that can go with moms like me who are obviously not cool anymore and show them where to shop and what to buy. And of course they would need a catchy phone number – 1-800-GET-COOL or something.) Anyways. I came up with NOTHING.
So I did the next logical thing and Googled. I saw tons of cool things that were way out of my artistic abilities ( and trust me, there isn’t a ton of artistic ability in me!) But when I saw these I thought, I can do that! Just rectangles right?
Well, we are happy! I was happy that it wasn’t too hard and Josh is happy because, well they are awesome! 🙂 (Drummers need cool shoes you know!)
You will need:
A pair of Converse shoes! (We have plans to paint some slip on shoes too this summer!)
Paint Brushes (This is not a pull out your kid’s watercolor paint brush project. You don’t need the most expensive brushes but some good ones! Here are the ones I used: Spotter, Blender, Shader, & Blender. For the price, I wish I would have also picked up the Wash/Shade Brush set! A slightly bigger brush would have saved time on the bigger areas!)
Since I had the two buttons I also picked up a pack of stencil sponges. (These were only about $3 or $4 at the store I picked them up at!)
Acrylic paint (I used Apple Barrel by Plaid) Make sure you get acrylic paint!
Want to make your own? Here area few things I learned along the way!
– Go ahead and sketch out a rough design on the shoes in pencil.
– Work one shoe at a time! It’s easier!
-Most of the time I was painting I had one hand inside the shoe! It helps to give you some stability.
-Do your outlines first and then shade them in. If at first when you are painting, the color isn’t exactly what you were thinking, let it dry and give it another coat! Especially if you are using black shoes! 🙂
-The shoes are really forgiving! While I did have a light sketch on the I honestly did it mostly free handed. As you can tell above there were some blemishes. But you can always paint over a mistake! (Even on the black where I wasn’t painting anything – a small mistake just took a little black paint and you can’t even tell!) The style we did was a lot of squares and rectangles. This is why having good brushes will come in handy! They make it much, much, much easier to paint a straight line. And if there is a little curve in it – that’s ok! Honestly, no one will notice! Plus, they are hand painted! You will have a little quirk here or there!
-See? That light grey box with the two black buttons? If you look close you can see where I touched up my mistake with a little black paint to make it look even? See! What mistake? 🙂 Work in layers! The paint will dry pretty quickly! Layering details on top will save you lots of headaches as opposed to tying to work around them!
– Add your own touch! We wrote Josh’s name down the backs of his shoes. Not that he would get them mixed up with anyone elses! 😉
-Know that even though they aren’t perfect – they are still 100% cool.
And so I give you our Nintendo Converse shoes:
And yes, we did one side the controller side and one side the console side. Yep. We are kind of Old School.
If you make a pair please let me know!! I would love to see them!!
And don’t forget to pin! 🙂
Fashion For Moms – Summer Outfit – Coral Tank Top Fun
I don’t know you but I’ve been dreaming of tank tops and flip flops! I am absolutely loving the fun colors in this summer outfit! Perfect! I couldn’t find original stores or prices for this outfit (it was linked to a spam site on Pinterest – don’t you hate that!?) But my outfit came in at a grand total of $108.37! That is for all 8 pieces (even more if you count the bracelets individually but hey who is counting right?!) That is less than $14 for each piece! WOO HOO!
Here we go!
The tank top:
I actually have 2 tank tops for you to chose from and both are similar in price. So why the choices? Well, this one on Amazon (above) comes in a bazillion prices and start at $6.50 depending on the size/color. The coral tank in my size was $10.58 and included free 2 day shipping with my Amazon Prime! (Not an Amazon Prime member? Get a free trial here.) Get the tank here.
This tank top is from Target and is available in a handful of colors for $10.00. Get the tank here.
The Shorts:
These shorts are from Old Navy and are the Boyfriend Cuffed Shorts in Amazon Star. Priced at only $19.00! Get the shorts here.
The Belt:
This braided belt is from Amazon and a steal at only $7.41 with free 2 day shipping with your Prime membership! Get the belt here.
The Shoes:
I decided to go with these Elaina Braided sandals from Target to go with the braided belt. Plus they are only $19.99! Get the shoes here.
The Ring:
This fun ring is from Charming Charlie. It’s only $10.00! If you have never shopped in (or online!) with Charming Charlie it’s so fun! Everything is organized by color which makes it super easy to put together fun accessories with the right outfit! Get the ring here.
The Sunglasses:
These aviator sunglasses are from Payless. I actually have them! 🙂 Just $9.99! (You can always choose ship to store and pick them up yourself to get free shipping!) Get the glasses here.
The Purse:
Also from Payless. This brown bag is classic enough to go with tons in your closet! On sale for $16.99! (Remember ship to store and pick it up yourself to get free shipping!) Get the bag here.
The Bracelets:
I couldn’t decide! The first set is from Amazon. I love how unique they are! This set of six wooden bangles are gorgeous colors and priced at $29.99 with free 2 day shipping with your Prime account! Get the bracelets here.
The second set of bracelets are from Mod Cloth. Again the colors are gorgeous and perfect for summer! I love how the coral would perfectly match the tank top and the brown would tie in great with everything else! This set of 5 is just $14.99! Get the bracelets here.
Don’t forget to check out all of our awesome outfits in our Momma Gets Her Style Back series! Find all of the outfits here.
What is a color you like to wear in the summer? I’m pretty excited for the coral! 🙂
Fashion for Mom – Spring Outfit
I don’t know about you, but my closet has been getting quite the updates with our Fashion Posts! If you want to go back (and you totally should!) and see all of our Momma Gets Her Style Back posts click here.
I don’t want to jinx us or anything, but IT’S SPRING!!! Today was finally nice and there is no snow tomorrow! (Lately a nice day has been followed by a snow storm here!) So I have faith that spring has finally arrived. 🙂 This week’s outfit is simple and classic and perfectly spring!
Sadly the link took me to spam (don’t you hate when that happens on Pinterest?) so I can’t see the original prices, but I’m fairly certain I was able to get an even better deal!
Let’s start with that fabulous bubble necklace! Our look alike is from Amazon and is available in TONS of colors! $11.99 and ships for free with your Prime membership!
All three white tanks above are from Old Navy. The first one is a great look staple to have in your closet! It comes in a variety of colors (and tall sizes too!) and is priced at $22.94! (Get it here) The second has small white dots that give it a great texture! It’s also priced at $22.94 (Get it here.) The third look alike is for plus sizes and also priced at $22.94. (Get it here.)
Make sure to use the code ONSAVENOW for 15% off!
The Dreamer Jeans from Old Navy are some of my favorites! I love how the dark color can be dressed up! $32.50 – get them here.
Don’t forget to use the code ONSAVENOW for 15% off!
Oh these wedges! I can not wait until they are in my closet! From DSW, these Franco Sarto Cera wedge sandals are getting 5 star reviews (and rated very comfy!). You can get them for $59.95 which is a great price compared to other stores where they are $89! Get them here.
Make sure to use the code POINTSROCK to get double the points!
I’m LOVING this clutch from Urban Expressions! The tassel; the texture! I’m also LOVING the fact that DSW has it for $29.99 which is HALF of what you can find it elsewhere! Get it here.
Again, use the code POINTSROCK for double the points!
Total cost of our outfit? $149.05! I absolutely love it. I also like the fact that just by layering a cardigan you can have a whole new look!
Make sure to follow us on Pinterest for lots of inspiration here.
Don’t forget to check out all of our look alike outfits here.
Fashion For Moms
It’s another fashion for moms post in our Momma Gets Her Style Back series! I love hearing about your new outfits so keep them coming! Feel free to send me pictures on Facebook or tag me on Instagram!!
This outfit I found on Polyvore (here). I love the fun colors! A lot of the pieces were not linked to the original stores so I’m not sure how much this outfit originally cost, but I’m sure our look alike will still end up more affordable! 🙂
Unfortunately, I don’t know where the original cardigan is from. 🙁 But our look alike cardigan is from Target and priced at just $19.99! (Get it here)
The look alike is a tank from Target on sale for $7.00! The original is from a store in Europe (?) and costs $21.
The Dreamer Jeans are $32.50 at Old Navy. I know they are not quite like the original jeans, but these are my favorite jeans in my closet right now! 🙂
A green handbag is on my wish list. So I’m loving this handbag from Patzino and it is just $29.85 (with free shipping for Prime Members! Not a Prime member – sign up for free here.) The original is from River Island and was $66 (now sold out).
The flats are from Ollio on Amazon and are available in many colors. They are $16.99. I know the original shoes made by Soda are more of a light blue color but I love the green! Plus it matches the handbag! 🙂 If you want to stick with the light blue color then the shoes on the far right are also by Ollio and available on Amazon (also in many colors) and are priced at just $16.99 as well.
Here is our version of the original necklace (which again, I can’t find anywhere! The original link took me to a spam site). Our version is on Amazon and for $10.86 you get the necklace and earrings. The second version that we like has both the blues and greens in it! It’s also from Amazon and priced at $16.99 for the necklace and earring set.
I really am loving the green flats and purse! I’m thinking they would look adorable with the green outfit we posted last week!
All in all our version of the outfit costs $117.19! For all 6 items (cardigan, tank, jeans, shoes, handbag and necklace!)
Make sure to follow us on Pinterest for lots of inspiration here.
Don’t forget to check out all of our look alike outfits here.
Want another shopping secret?
ThredUP and Twice are both online stores where you can buy brand new clothes (both new and gently used) for HUGE discounts!
We are talking White House Black Market, Juicy Couture, Banana Republic, and hundreds of other top of the line brands – including petite, plus size and even maternity sizes!
Plus new members for both ThredUP and Twicewill receive a $10 credit! (That’s enough to get a piece of clothing for FREE!!!)
Also, if you want to sell some of your clothes in your closet pick up a bag from either ThredUP or Twice, send them in (shipping is free) and they will pay you for them!
So if you have clothes that are too small, too big, or if you are just changing your style up – free up your closet space and get paid!
Fashion For Mom – Spring Outfit
I have been loving all of the emails that I have been getting about how much you all love our Momma Gets Her Style Back series!! 🙂 If you are new here, one of my resolutions this year was to update my wardrobe. I have felt like since I’ve had kids I shop for them all the time…and myself….not so much. I see all of these fabulous outfits on Pinterest and when I click on them they are almost always (way, way, waaaaay) out of my budget. So this is the place where I turn those Pinterest outfits into affordable outfits!
This outfit is from cowgirlp90 on Polyvore.
I think this is a great outfit not only for spring but even for a cute, grown up St. Patrick’s Day outfit. I was surprised when I clicked over – this outfit was one of the most affordable ones I’ve seen! It retails for $418.99! But our version is as steal at $77.92 (plus you will get another pair of shoes for FREE! Yup, keep reading!)
This is the original shirt. It’s from ModCloth and actually still in stock! I love the color! The shirt is available in many colors and costs $37.99. You can find it here.
Our look alike shirt is from Target. I was a little concerned because it said it had 1 star, but there are other 2 five star reviews and 1 one star review so I’m not sure what is going on there. The shirt has a lot of the same details and is priced at $19.99 (available in lots of colors!) You can get it here.
Black leggins are a closet must. The original leggings were from Kohl’s and are now sold out. The Look Alike leggings are from Amazon and have really great reviews. Choose regular or plus size, tons of colors, fleece lined or not. An added bonus is lots of people say that they are very slimming! 🙂 Prices range from $4.50-$15.00. The pair I purchased was $10.99! Get them here.
Alright I have been dying over these Tory Burch Amanda Riding Boots (uhh my name is Amanda. Is it fate?) They are $347 and sold out (uhh…guess no fate.)
The Look Alike Boots are from JustFab and are $39.99 (with free shipping!) Plus, when you sign up here you actually get a pair free with your first purchase! Pretty awesome!
I am pretty excited about this necklace! The original is from Ax Paris and was $25 (now sold out!). The look alike is a similar size and is from Amazon. It’s only $6.99 and gets really awesome reviews! Get it here.
So there you have it! Shirt, leggings, necklace and two pairs of shoes for $78! Remember, on the Amazon items shipping will be free if you are an Amazon Prime member! Not a Prime member? You can sign up for a free trial here.
Make sure to follow us on Pinterest for lots of inspiration here.
Don’t forget to check out all of our look alike outfits here.
Want another shopping secret?
ThredUP and Twice are both online stores where you can buy brand new clothes (both new and gently used) for HUGE discounts!
We are talking White House Black Market, Juicy Couture, Banana Republic, and hundreds of other top of the line brands – including petite, plus size and even maternity sizes!
Plus new members for both ThredUP and Twicewill receive a $10 credit! (That’s enough to get a piece of clothing for FREE!!!)
Also, if you want to sell some of your clothes in your closet pick up a bag from either ThredUP or Twice, send them in (shipping is free) and they will pay you for them!
So if you have clothes that are too small, too big, or if you are just changing your style up – free up your closet space and get paid!
Fashion For Mom
I’ve got spring on the mind!! I’m so ready for winter to be over and I can be outside (and not freeze to death!) So maybe this week’s fashion for moms post is a little wishful thinking (since it’s a high of 15 today!) but I’ve got faith that sometime soon spring will be here!
Cute huh? I found it here. I’m going to GUESS that this original outfit costs about $2,461. That handbag! I can’t find it, but his bags sell for, on the low end about $1,600. In case you are wondering, no I don’t own one. 🙂
I loved this shirt! It’s from House of Fraser (a UK company) and cost $41. It’s currently sold out (bummer!)
No worries!! Our look alike is from Old Navy and comes in lots of colors. Plus, it’s linen so a perfect spring fabric! It’s $26.94 (and use the code: ONSAVENOW for 25% off!) You can get it here.
The original skinny jeans (on the left) is from Zoe (now sold out) and cost $242. The look alike jeans are missing the holes but I love the color. You know what I love even more? I love the fact that they are $20 on Amazon and ship for free (with an Amazon Prime/Mom membership! No membership? You can sign up for a free trial here.) I have a few pairs of jeans from this company and I love them! Get them here.
We are keeping the original shoes. They are from Toms. I have them in another color and I absolutely love them! These will be ordered today! 🙂 ($59) You can get them here.
The original glasses are Ray Bans ($195 at St. Bernard Sports). The look alike glasses are from Payless and are on sale for $8.99. Buy them here. It never seems to fail – if I buy expensive glasses I will lose them. Cheap glasses? I will have them forever!
Alright. Let’s be honest. There was NO finding a look alike bag to this Jason Wu bag. His bags sell for (a whole) lot. But this bag from Payless is fun and a great spring color! It’s also $14.99!
So the original outfit was $ and our outfit is $129.92 (and half of that was a splurge on those Toms!) 🙂 Great outfit at a great price!
See all of our look alike outfits here.
Make sure to follow us on Pinterest for lots of inspiration here.
Fashion For Mom: Cute Clothes on a Budget
I’m in a little bit of a navy phase right now. I want to paint my bedroom a nice navy. I just bought a pretty adorable navy Ipad case. And I am dreaming of the new navy and white sheets I want (now I just have to actually find them….) So when I saw this outfit on In My Closet’s Polyvore account I just knew I needed to recreate it!
The sweater on the left was from the original outfit. It was originally $12 from a store in the UK (sold out). The cardigan on the right is the look alike (and pretty spot on!) from Amazon! There are lots of colors to choose from. Prices range from $11.99 – $19.99. This runs small so order a size big!
The white tank on the left was the original. It cost $20 from a store that I’m not sure where it is. (The only words I could read were Kate Moss!) The look alike is a tank from Target on sale for $7.00!
The jeans on the left are $195 True Religion Jeans (original picture). The look alike jeans on the right are $24.50 (Shipped!) from Amazon! (Get them here.)
I’m in love with these navy scalloped edge shoes. Unfortunately they are sold out! I found a pair on Etsy for $109. These are handmade, Suede shoes (blue suede shoes non the less!) The reviews are fantastic. I am really excited to order a pair for myself!
A yellow handbag just screams spring to me! The original bag (left) is the Ps1 Proenza Schouler satchel and has a price tag of $1,812. The bag on the right (from Buxton) is still a great yellow color, but has a much more doable price tag of $69.99!
The scarf on the left (the original) is from Banana Republic (now sold out) and cost $50. Our look alike scarf (I suppose we should say inspired) is only $15 shipped on Amazon!
The original cuff bracelet is from Coach (sold out) and cost $58. I saw the cross cuff bracelet on Etsy and fell in love. Only $15.00!
So in total the original outfit cost $2,177! Our look alike outfit comes to just $260.48 for all 7 pieces!
Love this outfit and want to see more? Check out all of our Momma Gets Her Style Back outfits here.
I want to see your cute mom outfits! Follow us on Instagram and share a photo with the #itsafabulouslife No Instagram? Share it on Facebook with #itsafabulouslife
Want another shopping secret?
ThredUP and Twice are both online stores where you can buy brand new clothes (both new and gently used) for HUGE discounts!
We are talking White House Black Market, Juicy Couture, Banana Republic, and hundreds of other top of the line brands – including petite, plus size and even maternity sizes!
Plus new members for both ThredUP and Twicewill receive a $10 credit! (That’s enough to get a piece of clothing for FREE!!!)
Also, if you want to sell some of your clothes in your closet pick up a bag from either ThredUP or Twice, send them in (shipping is free) and they will pay you for them!
So if you have clothes that are too small, too big, or if you are just changing your style up – free up your closet space and get paid!
Fashion For Mom
(Original outfit styled here)
When I saw this outfit on Pinterest I just knew I had to have it! But with a price tag of over $1,900 I knew I would have to work some magic to get a look alike – much cheaper! Have no fear – I did it! You are welcome! 🙂 You will be the most stylish mom at the next PTO meeting! Fashion for Mom is fun and cute!
Chambray Shirt – Old Navy – $19.00
This shirt was actually the same one that they used in the original! And a great deal!
Red Cashmere Sweater – Nordstrom – $49.90 (on sale from $79)
The original sweater did not have a brand with it so I couldn’t tell where it was from or how much it cost. This sweater is on sale for $49.90 and is a perfect closet staple. Plus, it’s cashmere so nice and soft! (And that color! Perfect for Valentine’s Day, Christmas and everything in between!)
Dark Denim Jeans – Target – $27.99
I love Target’s jeans! They hold their color well and are always priced right! The original jeans were from Zappos (now sold out) and cost $192!
Cheetah print shoes – Target – $14.99 (Currently the shoes are part of a buy 1 get 1 50% off shoes, accessories and jewelry!)
How fun are these cheetah flats? $14.99 is a steal compared to the original $170 pair from J. Crew (now sold out).
Gold Ball Stud Earrings – 4MM – 14 K gold – Kay Jewelers – $29.99
The original pair of earrings were from American Apparel gold plated earrings for $15 (sold out). These are little more expensive, but they are 14K gold. And for the price – they are a great deal!
Necklace – Charming Charlie – $15.00
The necklace in the original outfit was $50 from Carolee (sold out). This set from Charming Charlie is just $15! I love the gold and browns (and they would match perfectly with the cheetah print shoes!)
Brown Handbag – Aldo- $60
I really loved the original handbag from Miu Miu bag, but it was over $1400! This bag from Aldo has the gold details to help complete the outfit and the light brown matches the other pieces to create a uniform look. And it’s $60! I adore all of my Aldo bags and they have held up for years so expect this one to last! 🙂
My grand total for the entire outfit? $216.87! That’s about $1,700 off. I can not wait to get these in the mail!
Love this outfit and want to see more? Check out all of our Momma Gets Her Style Back outfits here.
I want to see your cute mom outfits! Follow us on Instagram and share a photo with the #itsafabulouslife No Instagram? Share it on Facebook with #itsafabulouslife
Want another shopping secret?
ThredUP and Twice are both online stores where you can buy brand new clothes (both new and gently used) for HUGE discounts!
We are talking White House Black Market, Juicy Couture, Banana Republic, and hundreds of other top of the line brands – including petite, plus size and even maternity sizes!
Plus new members for both ThredUP and Twicewill receive a $10 credit! (That’s enough to get a piece of clothing for FREE!!!)
Also, if you want to sell some of your clothes in your closet pick up a bag from either ThredUP or Twice, send them in (shipping is free) and they will pay you for them!
So if you have clothes that are too small, too big, or if you are just changing your style up – free up your closet space and get paid!