The JUGs Get Artsy at The Paint Bar on Newbury

If you get e-mails from Groupon, Living Social, or Gilt City, then you are probably familiar with the "paint night" concept. For $20 - $40, novice painters are supplied with a pre-stretched canvas, paint, and step-by-step instructions for creating a beautiful piece of art within 3 hours! 

Recently, the JUGs were given the opportunity to try one of these events at The Paint Bar on Newbury St. Though we showed up a few minutes late (in true JUGs fashion), everyone was warm and welcoming and the crowd (of all ladies) was ready to get started. 

But ya, first things first - WINE. 

After grabbing a  glass of wine from the hot bartender, we learned the basics of painting from our fun, goofy teacher, Aristotle, who is studying at Mass Art. Then he turned on some jams and we got in tough with our creative sides.

and, two glasses of wine later, voila:

The Paint Bar is a perfect activity for mother-daughter pairs, a low-key bachelorette or birthday, or just a non-dive bar weeknight activity! We had an absolute blast and now have our paintings proudly displayed in our apartments! Can't wait to go again!

- Cameron

Giveaway: The $50 Home Makeover

Win this book!

Just Us Gals is giving away Shaunna West's new book, The $50 Home Makeover. West is the writer and designer behind one of my favorite DIY and decor blogs, Perfectly Imperfect, a blog full of tutorials and decorating tips for creating the perfect and livable home.

Shaunna also writes for Country Living and for Houzz.com. She and her blog have been featured on The Nate Berkus Show, as well as in  Flea Market Style, HouseBeautiful, Apartment Therapy, and Design Sponge.

The $50 Home Makeover offers 75 fun and creative projects (all under $50) that will help give any space a stylish, modern look—without having to blow your budget, including:
• Step-by-step instructions with full-color photographs.
• A key to denote how long a project takes, how much it costs, and the level of difficulty.
• Before-and-after photos of the finished product.

From an Antique Door Table to Reclaimed Wood Wall Art, each DIY project will beautify your space in unexpected ways, and you'll finally get to make those big improvements that you've wanting to.

H O W   T O   W I N

• Follow JustUsGals on Instagram and Twitter.
• Leave a comment below! Tell us what your latest DIY home makeover project was.

Good luck!
The contest winner will be announced via Twitter on Tuesday, July 22 at noon.

DIY Christmas Lights

We've already had many mentions of the holiday prep on the blog including gift guides, wrapping ideas, holiday outfit inspiration and christmas trees for small spaces, but we have yet to discuss my favorite part of holiday decor - lights!

Lights are the perfect way to add sparkle and holiday cheer to your apartment, and can act as a great alternative to the sometimes high maintenance christmas tree. Plus, it is totally acceptable to leave lights up almost year round!

Here are just a few links with fantastic and simple DIY ideas for lights, candles and tea lights to help you warm up your apartment for the holidays!

- Suzanne

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Gift Wrap Inspiration

Most from PaperSource // Etsy sources 1 // 2 // 3 // 4

As much as I do not miss hustling family members to buy Sally Foster gift wrap to support the hometown PTO (where the sales "skills" start for most elementary children of the 90s, but I digress...), I still do love me some decorative paper.  While I do not have this "art" down to a science, I admire those who are skilled in having their thoughtfulness of the gift translate to its packaging.  My family members always put a lot of effort into this, and I think it might just come down to having "the eye."

You don't even have to spend that much!  Last year, I wrapped all of my holiday gifts in Trader Joe's shopping bags and adorned them in glittery ribbon (basically so they were not mistaken for trash!).  See, easy to do on a budget, and easy for guys who might not want to be in a line at Paper Source picking up some glitzy rolls of gift wrap.  Here are some examples of skilled wrappers I've come across to be my inspiration this gift giving season:

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Have you found other styles that you'll be emulating this holiday season?  We'd love to see!  Happy wrapping!

- Meredith

Treasure Hunting at Brimfield Flea Market

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You heard right - the gals who brought you Craigslist Hidden Treasures are currently on the ultimate treasure hunt. We're spending the day scouring for the best vintage finds at Brimfield Flea Market! Keep tuned to see what we end up with.

- Cameron

Sunday's True Confession: I Took Cartooning Classes

Circa 1997, I spent a summer taking weekly classes on how to be comic illustrator / cartoonist. Hey, we all had big dreams!

Various Uses for Washi Tape

In starting the moving process, I've slowly started to part with odds and ends.  Although, not everything needs to be recycled right away.  I came across a few rolls of Washi tape, a seemingly simple craft item.  A quick search on Pinterest confirms that the uses for this tiny roll of tape seem endless!  Here are some simple upgrades to every day items that you can try:

I took one photo of inspiration (and zero "skill" level) for a DIY to label a few of the various chargers I have that can easily be confused with others.  The tape repairs split cords in the short term, will make them stand out in bags and against others on a weekend excursion among other iPhone/iPad cords.  Albeit, it's a bit ghetto, buttttt, never lose yours again!

sources:  mini garland // agenda // tea light // flag garland // luggage // utensils // power cord

Have you tried any of the above?

- Meredith

Craigslist Hidden Treasures: DIY Color Pop Coffee Table

When you move and have finally paid of your first/last month's rent, security deposit, and moving fees, the last thing you want to do is blow your meager grocery budget on crappy Ikea furniture. Instead, the JUGs keep their eyes peeled for Craigslist hidden treasures. Not only is buying furniture off craigslist wicked cheap, its also green because you are preventing something from ending up in a landfill.

I purchased this butler style coffee table for $30 from Craigslist. It had a few stains and scratches, but nothing that a $4 can of spray paint couldn't fix! First, I removed the top of the table, scrubbed it, sanded parts that were rough, and put masking tape over the hardware. Then, created a tarp out of old paper grocery bags on my roof, and sprayed the table top. I let the first coat dry for about 45 minutes before applying the second coat of purple spray paint. Waited about and hour....and...Voila!!!

- Cameron

Happy Saturday

H A P P Y   S A T U R D A Y ! 

Today we're partying. Here are some of the pics that inspired our party decor:

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Not able to make it to our Stella & Dot trunk show? Shop online here and snag some great last minute gifts for Mom!

Planning a party of your own? Check out more of our party decor ideas on our Pinterest.

Craigslist Hidden Treasures: Tables Under $70

I am pleased to announce a new series on the JUGs blog called "Craigslist Hidden Treasures." As our blog is still in the infant stages you probably don't know much about us. This will be one of my many posts about interior design, a particular passion and hobby of mine. As a young adult, interior design to me is often paired with the phrase "on a budget" and therefore involves reinvention and DIY.

Because of my budget restraints I frequently find myself browsing Craigslist and looking for ways to spruce up my interiors for cheap. As my apartment if not the size I wish it was, most often I have to let "unnecessary" items on Craigslist slip away...until now! Now with our new blog I am very happy to pass along my hidden treasures to others, along with suggestions to help get your interiors in tip top shape.

To kick-off the series off I am starting with tables - large and practical items that in some cases require no work at all. However, if you do want to spice up your space and makes these tables statement pieces, my suggestions are below.

TABLE #1: AN ENTRYWAY TABLE FOR $69

I think this piece is an absolute great find. It could also be used in a variety of ways such as in an entryway, as a vanity or as a sofa table. It's tough to tell from the pictures but it appears to have a fresh stain and be in good condition. It could easily just be styled and voila!

If you want to get adventurous with the table and transform it into a statement piece, I think a high gloss black would be stunning. I also like the idea of highlighting the grooves and details with gold.

I also am a huge fan of bright colors, and a bold purple could be a great pop if you want to explore a more funky and eclectic route. Or maybe another jewel tone like jade. What's great about paint is that it is always changeable - maybe next year you could paint it orange!

TABLE #2: NIGHTSTAND $50 (LISTING HAS 2 AVAILABLE)

The curves on these tables scream feminine and romantic. They are in great condition, though I don't love the stain.  

I'd recommend painting them and then flanking your bed. If you have extra money to spend you could always change out the hardware with pieces found at Anthropologie or your local hardware store.

I had to take the opportunity to say it, the three drawers really make me want to try an ombre affect. I love the idea of using blush tones like the example above, but when it comes down to it I am always weary of trends. Luckily you could always paint over it when you're sick of ombre! 

- Suzanne

 Image Sources:

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