Monday, December 10, 2012

Happy Monday! DIY Gradient Bulletin Board



Start your week off with a fun and easy DIY project! Accessorize your workspace with a colorful gradient bulletin board, all you need is a few simple things...
  • a covered workspace
  • a cork board (with a frame or without)
  • 2 square head paint brushes
  • painters tape (if your cork board has a frame)
  • long ruler or yard stick and pencil
  • a plastic plate to mix color
  • 2 shades of your choice of color of acrylic paint ex) teal and green
  • white acrylic paint
  • bowl of water  
1. Tape the frame of the cork board so not to get paint on it.

2. Measure the width (the long side) of the cork board and divide by 4, then mark each 4th on the paint tape.  Next, measure the height (the short side) and divide by 2, then mark the middle of the long side. Repeat on all four sides.

3. Take your long ruler match up the opposite sides and draw a straight line across the board with a pencil.

4. Pick your favorite color out of the two, this will be your dominant color. Make a few splotches of on the plate for mixing.


5. Start at the top left square, paint with the color straight from the bottle.  For the next box, add 3-4 squirts of white to make a lighter shade of teal. Continue this method for the 3rd and 4th square, if the shades aren't light enough add more white until you can see a difference. Make sure to keep the colors separate, don't add onto the previous color because you need to make enough to add a 2nd coat, so the color is even when it dries.  


 3. For the second row of color, use the same mixtures from the top row but add 1-2 squirts of green to each color to change the shades just slightly. 

4. Paint the coordinating colors on the opposite site of the first row. Again, make enough mixture for 2 layers.

 5. Once complete let dry with the painters tape on for 1 hour.

6. Once dry you can add your push-pins and VoilĂ ! Hang on your wall in your kitchen or next to your desk and you've got a pretty bulletin board!

Thursday, December 6, 2012

What's Your Style...Ski Bunny, Ski Lodger or Sporty Skier?

Recently I was asking around to see if any of my friends wanted to plan a fun ski weekend for my birthday, and one of my friends told me that she doesn't like skiing as much as she likes sitting in the lodge and sipping on some fun drinks! She's definitely a "Ski Lodger", personally I love skiing but I also love lodging... and compared to others, I'm not the super adventurous skier who likes to get crazy on jumps and go on black diamond runs. I like to spend part of the day skiing and the rest mingling. The ski season just makes me excited. There's something about the cold weather, fresh air, and warm coffee in the morning when its snowing that makes me want to bundle up. So what's your ski style... Ski Bunny, Ski Lodger or Sporty Skier? ...me?...I'm a little bit of all three.



ShopBop Coat with fur collar  / Mara Hoffman Pullover / Eugenia Kim Fur Earmuffs / ASOS Fake Fur Snood / UGG Bow fur Gloves  / Sorel Fur Boot

J. Crew anchor scarf / BB Dakota Berkeley Fair Isle Red SweaterKohls Fleet street Puffer Jacket / Sorel Black with pink laces  / Kate Spade Stripe Gloves / TopShop Earmuffs / Jcrew Fair Isle Leggings




J.crew Hunter JacketNorth Face Down Vest / TopShop Stripe Gloves / Goggles / Roxy Fleece HeadbandJcrew Zig Zag Scarf / Red Hunter Boots

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Follow my Blog with Bloglovin!

Hey friends and followers, I just joined Bloglovin! If you use it like I do to follow all your favorite blogs and see the latest posts all in one place, please add my blog to your follow list! Just click on this link that takes you to my bloglovin profile, then "follow", thanks!!

Happy Holidays.... Love, The Malins


Last year was the first year I sent out a Holiday Card separate from family, perhaps because it was the year I got engaged and felt like I had a reason to share some wonderful news. I always looked at Holiday cards as something you do as you get older when you have your own family, and now that I am married and have my own family I am excited to start our own traditions and Holiday Cards! Our holiday card this year is courtesy of Tiny Prints, one of my favorite go-to online stationary printers for invitations, cards, and more!

A lot of online retailers have been offering some great deals for holiday cards with free shipping, and just in time for the Holidays! Hurry and you can save on your holiday cards with these great deals!

Tiny Prints up to 25% off all Holiday Cards and free shipping, Code: dec25sw

At Minted.com you get 15% off and Free Shipping on all Holiday orders of $100+  
with code: FROST15

Enjoy 15% off at Hello!Lucky with code: LUCKYDECEMBER

Up to 30% off Holiday Cards at Shutterfly and free shipping on orders of $50+ 
with code: SHIP50
They are also offering up tp 40% off on photo books!

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Outfit Equation:Falling into style

Every season my color schemes seem to change shape... this fall its the warm tones that are trending in my closet: burgandy, black, burnt red, and marigold. Here's a few of the pieces I've bought this winter mixed in with a few I desire that, all of which add up to a great winter outfit! What's yours?!
1. BCBG Sweater / 2. Zara Print Top / 3. Hunter rain Boots / 4. Jcrew Puffer Jacket / 5. Zara Leggings / 6. Ray Ban Cat Eye Sunglasses / 7. Kate Spade Bag

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Room Revival: Living Room

Since getting married 4 months ago I've had the itch to redecorate our home. Slowly but surely I've been buying things here and there, trying to find new pieces that move away from our coastal beach decor and more towards a clean and trendy mid-century modern.

Recently I bought a new buffet from West Elm to put in our living room. I love the clean lines and earth tones. Next I need to find some accent pieces to decorate the top of the buffet. And while we'd like to buy a new sofa and sitting furniture as well, we want to wait until we move into a bigger place since our place is tiny. In the meantime we are changing the look by sprucing up what we have, reupholstering a chair with great fabric that I found in the fabric district in LA and switching out the pillows and wall art to change the vibe of our living room.

1. West Elm Birds / 2. Target Gold Metal Tray / 3. West Elm Lamp / 4. Target Gold Vases / 5. Wood Box / 6. Picture Frame / 7. Wood Clock / 8. Monogrammed Pillow / 9. Patterned Pillow / 10. Wood Side Table. / 11. Mesh Chair / 12. Patterned Floor Pouf

Monday, November 19, 2012

Pattern Perfect: twoems Wall Prints on ETSY

I adore these bright and vibrant wall prints from twoems on Etsy that will make any room happier instantly!






Monday, November 12, 2012

Time to decorate the Tree

Without a doubt, Jonathan Adler is one of my favorite designers. I adore this season's Christmas ornaments perhaps because they take me back to my childhood reminding me of the simple things like porcelain dolls and the circus... These ornaments will definitely be on my tree this year! 
 Jonathan Adler Ornaments

Tis the Season... Some of My Favorite Gifts for Giving

With every retailer trying to advertise all of their best gifts for the holiday season, Christmas shopping has become a season of too many choices! Each website has so many options and such great things! I've put together a list of some of my favorite things that I would give to my friends and family that are fun and unique... Starting with ....


Jonathan Adler Phone Doc / Kate Spade USB Drives / West Elm Owl Speaker / Target Chevron Ipad Case / Jonathan Adler Sunglasses Cases / Jonathan Adler Zodiac Pillows / Jonathan Adler Jackie O Pillow / Tory Burch Bag / Tory Burch Needlepoint Ipad Case / Horchow Monogrammed Coasters / Pottery Barn Mugs / West Elm Tote Bag / Jonathan Adler Letter Pillow

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Bridal Eye Candy

Call me a sucker for fashionably-styled events, I LOVE this bridal photo shoot featured on Style Me Pretty yesterday. Style Me Pretty is one of the blogs that I frequent every day, especially since I got engaged last year. I love the typography used for the signage in this photo shoot, it makes me wish I had amazing handwriting so create some of my own masterpieces like this!

Photography By / Christa Elyce Photography








Monday, October 15, 2012

Wardrobe Essentials: The Black Blazer

Having recently traveled to a lot of metropolitan cities including Seattle, San Francisco, and New York, I’ve realized that there’s something missing from my wardrobe, the basic blacks…

You know, the boots, the handbag, the blazer…

Every winter Season I find myself wishing I had more of these basic black pieces in my closet to wear on gloomy days or when I’m packing for a trip to a big city. But living in Southern California where it sometimes can get up to 90 degrees in the dead of winter, I haven’t had much need to buy black (plus I’ve always felt I look better color).

Since I don’t have much, I end up wearing the few black pieces that I own over and over again. And in my recent travels I’ve felt a little out of place because I’m forced to mix in a bit of color. But Black being the ultimate universal color, I know I need more of it. And when I say universal I mean it, San Francisco, Seattle, New York, Paris, anywhere you go, you’ll never feel out of place if you’re wearing black!

So I’ve set a goal for my wardrobe, as I do every season, to “invest” in more basic blacks so I feel more like a “local” while traveling. I always think it’s the best compliment to get asked for directions in a city where you’re just visiting, because it means you look like you fit in!

I’ve check off the boots and the bag from my list, next up… the basic black blazer





Theory Leather Sleeves
Rachel Zoe Velvet Blazer
ALC Jones
Helmut Lang
Maryna Blazer
Halston Heritage
Asos Leather
Patterson Kincaid.

Sunday, October 7, 2012

What's your style?

A curious blogger commented on one of my previous blog posts with a question, “What if you have neither fashion nor style?” The post that spawned this question was the quote by the queen of fashion herself, Coco Chanel, “Fashion Fades, only style remains the same…”

In response, it’s important to first understand the difference between fashion and style.

Fashion, is like a storm…it brews, spreads like wildfire, hits a peak, then disappears as if it never happened.

Style, however, is what defines who we are to others forever, in the memories we leave behind and in the present… Has anyone ever told you, “This shirt looks just like you,” or “I saw this cute shop and it made me think of you,” … That’s because we as individuals express our personalities through the way we look, act, and project ourselves in the various aspects of our life…fashion, hairstyles, makeup, our homes, the restaurants we choose to go to, the books we read, etc.

Most people think they have no “style” because their clothes aren’t on the latest trend or their hairstyle has been the same for the last 10 years. But it isn’t the clothes that are “in fashion” that make your style, it’s the shade of lipstick you always turn to when you get dressed up, or the sunglasses you have in three different colors in the same style because they look the best on your face.

Whether it be very simple or very chic, the important thing to remember when you are putting on your favorite pair of jeans or go-to your ballet flats, is that these are the things that make your style you.

My challenge to you is this, look at your wardrobe, your makeup, your house and analyze the colors, patterns, and styles that you seem to always turn to. Put them together and soon you’ll start to notice a pattern. Does your style reflect who you are? Remember that style can evolve over time, but it should always stay true to your personality.

Here are some examples of Style Achievers...



Karl 1/ Karl 2 / Karl 3 / Karl 4/ Karl 5 /Jackie 1/ Jackie 2 /CBK1/ CBK2/ CBK 3/ CBK 4