Monogram Beach Tote (DIY)

So I want this.

But don't want to spend the money sooooo I made my own. 

Thank gosh for crafty people in the 21st century. 

What I used:

-Beach Tote Bag (bought at dollar store for literally like $1.50)

-Felt Marker/Sharpie

-Paint (Any craft store)

-Computer

-Paper & Pencil

-Font

1. So I started out making sure I found the perfect font. At first I wanted a loopy font but then as I searched through fonts I found my match. Mongolian Baiti (A preinstalled font on my computer). For me though, it did the job. I made sure the middle initial (for my last name) was in the center. and Bigger. I made the R and D size 400, while the G was 600. 

2. Then I took a pen and paper and traced it on my computer. I mean thats probably not the brightest idea right there but I do it all the time and have yet to see a problem. After, I went over it with sharpie and was ready to get to work!

3. I found the color I wanted (teal), and painted using a smaller brush. The tote I bought is not high quality made so I had to do a few coats of paint to get it to darken. 

Voila! A beach tote. Check my instagram this weekend to see when I put it into good use!

Happy weekend!

Preppy on a Budget

As I had about 12-15 tabs open of items I wanted from Marley Lilly, I narrowed it down to these. See, as I was looking through the prices I was thinking, "ooh! I just got a paycheck I can spend it all on Marley Lilly!!!" WRONG RACHEL. You. Are. Wrong. Luckily, I was smart enough to put my debit card down and proceed on with my day.

I went back on my computer, too soon and came across the idea of searching for these items on Etsy.  Guess what? Well, not a good idea for my debit card but I found all the items I wanted, FOR MUCH CHEAPER! The greatest part about Etsy, in my opinion, is that there are different 'shops' to choose from, that price things different. I put on my thinking cap and searched far and wide to find my cheapest options. 

1. Iphone Monogram Home Button

If you are looking for one, I highly reccomend MEEsDesigns. I placed my order and received it within 5 days. But want to know the best part? $2.90, including shipping. WOO. Count me in. It's been on my phone for a little under a week now and I've received so many compliments. Even my dad thinks it's the bee's knees.

Best picture I could take, sorry! ...But it fits perfectly!

2. Circle Monogram Window Decal 

Ever want to monogram your car? Because I sure did. I was SO excited when I received this in the mail! I knew I would love it from the start. I got it within a week and as soon as I picked it up from my mailbox, it went onto my car. No hesitations. Only $5.95, too!

Other items I ordered but have not received yet!

-Monogram Pullover & WindBreaker. Currently on their way but I luckily was able to save a few bucks here and there by not buying from Marley Lilly. There is nothing wrong with their products, but being on a budget makes it harder to buy from them!

What are your favorite monogram items?

Look out for a DIY post on friday!

DIY Sneakers via CP/Kate Spade

I took College Prepster's awesome tutorial on how to DIY polka dot sneakers instead of paying 75 dollars, I paid in total about 20-25!

Some snapshots I took of my DIY project:

What DIY projects you've seen that you've seen from blogs and have actually recreated it?