The winter cold started late for us southern Californians, which is great because most department stores are selling their winter gear for cheap. When winter clothing first came out in stores, I was eyeing this new spin on beanies but refused to put out $25 for it. So I decided to wait it out, bought a $5 beanie and made my own.

What You’ll Need:
- Beanie
- Needle and Thread
- Scissors
- Sewing Machine (optional)

Steps:

1. With your needle and thread, start a running stitch about 3.5 inches from the base (head opening) to the middle of the beanie.

2. When you reach the end, pull the thread so that it starts to scrunch the beanie. Knot and fasten.

You’re done! But to make sturdier, run through the stitching with a sewing machine 2-3 times.

She's Crafty: Zombie Costume

OMG!  Halloween is right around the corner and you are not trying to be a hoochie-out-the-bag, so what do you do?  DIY!

There’s  no need to buy anything, because if you’re a crafty gal already, then you’ll have everything you need on hand to make this zombie costume inspired by the Thriller music video.  It just takes some guts (yummy!), a little muscle (mmmm!), and some brains (delicious!) to turn you into the walking dead without even walking out of the house.

I remember that the stylist in the making of the Thriller video crafted the zombie costumes from old second-hand clothes.  After a quick roll in the mud, she baked them in the sun.  It looked amazing but I’m not wearing any dirty clothes, no matter how dead I’m supposed to look.  Try out this method for a more clean and sanitary zombie approach.

Materials Needed:

• Old, funky clothes (cleaned, of course)
• Scissors
• Acrylic or fabric paint in red and brown
• Paper plates and paper towels
• Hot dark tea (optional)
• Black eyeshadow and brush
• Red lipstick

Pre-Step:  If you have white clothing, give it an aged look by first soaking it in some hot dark tea.  Brew a cup and throw it in a bowl with the white clothes and let it dye overnight.  Make sure it’s completely dry before you begin Step 1.

Step 1:  This step requires GUTS.   Some people are scared to cut clothes because they are afraid of mistakes, but with this costume, there are no mess-ups!  Take your scissors and randomly cut the clothing.  I balled up a collared shirt and just snipped into the fabric over and over.  Make sure to cut near the edges of the fabric too, like the hems of pants, so items look more worn-in.

Step 2:  This step requires MUSCLES.  For a look that just screams that zombies have been attacking you, rip apart some of the shreds that you first cut into the fabric.  Some areas may be easier to rip than others.  Leave some holes larger and some smaller.  The more you rip, the more zombie you are.

Step 3:  This step requires BRAINS.  You will have to think about where dirt and blood goes so your look is totally deadly.  On a paper plate, squeeze out some brown paint.  Dip a crinkled up paper towel into the paint and randomly blob it on your freshly cut and ripped clothes.  Smear the paint in some places and re-crinkle and re-dip as needed.  Repeat this with a new paper towel and this time the red paint, but try to focus the bloody red paint on the areas with the large rips.  Those are where flesh-eating zombies attacked you after all!

Step 4: This step requires NO SKILL.  Seriously, I’m not a make-up artist, but since zombies are ugly, it’s not hard to do up an ugly face.  Using an eyeshadow brush, apply black shadow all over your eye sockets.  Next, suck in your cheeks and apply more shadow under your cheekbone.  Blend this shadow as much as possible.  Last, carefully apply some red lipstick, and after it looks perfect, take your hand and smear it all over your mouth and chin.  Believe me, it looks legit.  For your locks, just rat it out…the messier, the better.

Now, you’re ready to go out and feast on some flesh!

If you go for a zombie this year, link us to a picture….we’d love to see how you rock it.

Happy Halloween!

With the new release of the crackle effect nail polishes, I can’t blame those who have emptied their wallets to collect each color available. I mean, who doesn’t want to put a twist to their colored talons without the trouble and cost of going to a nail salon? But at the end of the day, each bottle adds up and can definitely break the bank. Here is a DIY for less the cost and very similar effect.

Materials Needed:
- paint brush
- crackle medium (available at your local craft store)
- acrylic paint
- top coat

STEP 1: With pre-base coated nails, apply your favorite nail polish shade.  Let dry.
STEP 2: Using a paintbrush, apply the crackle medium to your nails. Let dry. Make sure to clean your brush and dry with a towel.
STEP 3: Apply a layer of acrylic paint to your nails. Try to do this with quick and even strokes. Let dry. Immediately, you will see the acrylic crack.
STEP 4: When the acrylic is completely dry, apply your top clear coat to prevent chipping.

TIPS: When choosing your acrylic paint, try searching for the higher pigmented brands. I used the 99 cent kind which worked fine in darker shades but did not work as well when trying out the lighter ones (gave a highlighter pen effect). Also, before heading to your craft store, look out for discount coupons to save more money! They always accept competitor’s coupons too.

It’s March! First thing that comes to mind is St. Patty’s Day which leads to greens galore, and well, everyone’s favorite legal green: MONEY! So M.I.S.S. brought out our tough lovers to give us a money ring crash course. Enjoy!

Hey everybody – stujessica of toughlovenyc.com here…  in case your old school dollar bill ring making skills have become a little rusty over the years, here are some refresher-course instructions on how I make these bad boys.  I make them dazzling and built to last.

Materials Needed:
- Dollar bills
- Big faceted heart gems
- Small faceted circle gems
- krazy glue (preferably with the brush)

STEP 1: If you look at the back of your dollar bill while it’s face down, you’ll notice that there is a white margin at the bottom. You’re going to fold that margin up to the front of the bill, as seen in the picture above. Make sure the line is good and straight at the fold.

STEP 2: With George Washington right side up and facing you with the fold, turn the bill around so that George is upside down.  Fold from the bottom of the bill up towards the top, you can leave a little tiny bit of space, it doesn’t necessarily have to be all the way to the top edge.

STEP 3: Fold the bill in the same way/direction again so that you can read the word “one” from the back of the bill (as shown above). Make sure all of these folds are straight and tight.

STEP 4: Flip the bill over so that the “one dollar” side is facing you.  You’re going to be folding the bill into an “L” shape in this next step.  Take the left side of the bill and fold it up so that it lines up with the middle of the letter “N” or the end of the “N” so that the “E” in one shows. – it either makes it a little looser or tighter…  I tend to fold at the middle of the “N”.

STEP 5: a) After folding the left side up, with the bill in the same position, take the right side of the bill and bring it over the fold you just made.  The word “ONE” should now be facing you, but it should be upside down. b) Turn the bill so that the word “ONE” is in front of you, like the letter “B” in the picture above.  See where my fingers and holding the edge by the letter “O”? Keep your fingers like that.  More specifically with your index finger underneath the “O” for folding/sizing guidance.

STEP 6: Grab the top end of the bill and bring it under and around your index finger until the eagle and shield are centered over the “O”. (In the picture above, I’m showing you from the opposite angle of how it’s supposed to go under for visual guidance).

STEP 7: Take the right hand side of the bill and fold it over the eagle and shield so that it looks like this:

STEP 8: Fold the top part of the bill downward and tuck the white margin underneath so that it looks like this:

STEP 9: Fold the half that remains sticking out underneath and fold it tightly. The rings sometimes come out tighter than others, so I would practice on a few before gluing them. you can get a basic idea of how it’s going to fit with all of the folds.

Gluing: Glue under the top “one” fold (as shown below)

and also glue the last fold (the one in step nine) to the underneath part of the top “one”.  Take a pen cap or my needle nose pliers to push down on the parts where you put glue. Put pressure on the spots for a few seconds and then let the ring sit for a little while.

Setting the stones:
Hearts: Glue the back of the heart  and then place it on the top of the ring. Position it in the center and press down for a few seconds. Round Gems: (seen above in the middle) Put a tiny drop in the “O” and throw the gem on and position it as quickly as possible.

I almost freaked out when my 10-year-old girl asked me if she could get red highlights.  “But the other girls have it,” she pleaded.  Honey, I’m sorry, but if I’m not getting highlights, then you sure ain’t either!  And…you’re only 10!  But she definitely is not complaining anymore because we both have feather hair extensions, and all her friends now want what she’s got.  These feathers are fun, colorful, fashionable, and as temporary or permanent as you want them to be.  No dyes needed, just 10 minutes and a 10-year-old (and her mama) have both brightened up their hair.

Feathers are all the rage, especially since Spring 2011 trends are summoning the whole laid-back bohemian vibe.  Feather hair extensions will give you the look for as long as 4 months, depending on care.  You can wash them, curl them, cut them, and straighten them; it’s like real hair!  If you’re tired of it, it’s such a cinch to remove.  Fancy salons everywhere are charging as much as $40 to fancy up your mane, but we at M.I.S.S. love to get crafty and do it ourselves.

I started my search by looking up rooster saddle feathers through sporting goods stores, because the feathers are generally used for fly fishing.  But now, it’s is nearly impossible to find these feathers anywhere but on eBay or Etsy, as fashion fiends are buying out whole inventories.  I’ll bet these fishermen and women are pretty pissed off, but hey, at least our hair is pretty!

Gather up your materials, ladies, and let’s get fly!

Materials for Feather Hair Extensions

Materials Needed:

• Saddle feathers, in any color or quantity you wish
• Crimp bead, a.k.a. hair extension links
• Bobby pin or thin, bent wire, opened like a “V”
• Comb
• Clip
• Mirror

STEP 1:  Finding your spot.  Gather up your feathers and play around with where you want to place it.  Try putting it under layers to hide the bead and decide on what you like.

STEP 2:  Part hair where you want the extension, comb it back and secure with a clip.

STEP 3:  Thread the hair.  In the area where you want the extension, separate a small section of hair where the bead will crimp on.  Using the thin wire or bobby pin, place the section of hair in the “V,” close the end, and thread the ends of the wire through the bead crimp.

STEP 4:  Use the bobby pin or wire to pull the hair through the crimp bead.

STEP 5:  Stick the feathers in the bead.  Make sure to leave a little extra feather on the other end of the bead.

STEP 6:  Clamp the crimp bead down with the pliers.  Make sure it is as flat as possible and that the feathers are secured in the bead.

Remember, you can style the feathers like normal hair.  My daughter and I have had them for over a week and they’re still looking fresh.

REMOVAL: Use the pliers and squeeze the crimp bead in the other direction.

Tips:

• Place a few feathers in various locations for a head full of color.
• Or….focus on one part of your hair and go feather-crazy.  You may need to use more than one crimp bead with many feathers.
• Cut feathers in shorter lengths to highlight bangs.
• Buy extra feathers so you can change your look and colors as you please.
• Your friends will most likely want you to do this to them too, so invite them over and do everyone’s hair!  Birds of a feather flock together!
• If you buy your feathers from certain sellers, they will include crimp beads and wire in their kit.  I purchased mine from eBay seller shyandmat.  I ordered 25 feathers for about $1 each, and got to pick my own colors.  She offered free shipping, and it arrived at my house quickly, because you know we were so excited to try this out!  I’ve looked around quite a bit and hers seemed to be the best deal.

Thanks to my daughter, Jada, for modeling.

Graphics by C-Rocka