Flash Tattoos

Last week, Cam, Suz and I attended an even hosted by Nine West to introduce their new line and collaboration with InStyle magazine.  Although the shoes were major, we were also very much into the flash tattoo table.  This trend is a great one to try, especially if you're like me and have never been ready to commit to a tattoo for longer than the great 3-4 day staying power of flash.  The metallic colors appear more like jewelry than something stamped onto your body and for short money!

What do you think, will you be trying this trend?

- Meredith


all photos via pinterest

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.

Craigslist Hidden Treasures

As you can see I am obsessed with finding the perfect bamboo or faux bamboo accent piece for my next DIY project. Here are some gems I found over the weekend on Boston's Craigslist listings:

B A M B O O   B U F F E T

Item Description: This is a lovely bamboo design 1960s console buffet. It has great rattan woven drawer fronts, bamboo style accents and bamboo styled legs. Two drawers, two cabinet doors and a shelf below. The center door does not open. Would also make a great tv stand. Measures 44l x 16 1/2 d x 31 h.

While this is out of my current budget and furniture size requirements, I had to share this piece since it is such a gorgeous item. It'd be the perfect piece to pull together any living room or entry way, with little to no refurbishing required.

B A M B O O   C O F F E E   T A B L E 

Item Description: Bamboo wicker coffee table has a glass top. Table has never been used and is in excellent condition. Dimensions are 50"L x 16.5"H x 24"W

For $65 this coffee table is a steal. It appears in great condition and is sturdy enough to handle the usual wear and tear of apartment living (we all know that coffee tables become your kitchen table, foot rest, junk pile holder, etc). Paint a metallic gold to get a hollywood regency look - perfect for any modern gals living room!

M A T C H I N G   R A T T A N   C H A I R S (5th image in)

Item Description: Great variety of chairs including matching leather arm chairs, wingback, parlor, bamboo, caned ladder back and more!

First off, these are amazing. And yes I know the sale was for last Saturday, but I just had to share with your for two reasons. First, from now on I will be on the lookout for chairs like these (when I get a bigger apartment), and you should be too. If you have room and are looking to get a high-end bohemian look in your apartment, these chairs will do just that for you. Second, I am sharing these chairs in hopes that someone out there appreciates these as much as me and calls the owner to find out if they are still available. If they didn't sell at Saturday's sale, chances are you could get a knockout deal. Similar chairs sold on One Kings Lane for $595. 

Keywords used in my bamboo  Craigslist search: bamboo, faux bamboo, rattan, rattan accent chair, bohemian.

Inspiration Images: buffet, coffee table, rattan chairs

- Good luck and happy Craigslist hunting! 

Suzanne

Green Smoothie Essentials for Beginners

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Yes, green juicing is all the rage. Green juices are healthy, delicious, and filling, making them the perfect snack or occasional meal replacement. Unfortunately, ordering from a cool juice bar like JUGOS or Cocobeet will likely cost you $10 a pop. So how can you get these nutritional benefits without coughing up $70 per week? DIY, duh! Even if you don't have a high end juicer, there are some simple recipes you can make with a traditional blender, or immersion blender, that will get you similar results. 

Since I use an immersion blender, I make smoothies instead of juices because the blender doesn't break down foods as thin as a juicer would. I also stick to easily blendable ingredients. For example, collard greens are easier to blend than kale. Here is one of my fav, protein-packed smoothie recipes:

1 fair trade banana

4-5 fresh organic strawberries

1/2 cup chopped collard greens (add more if you're a more experienced juicer, or if you want more veggies!)

1 generous tablespoon of organic Greek vanilla yogurt

1 teaspoon organic morninga powder

Add pineapple juice to taste (more if you are new to juicing because pineapple is good at masking veggie tastes, but look out, fruit juice contains a lot of sugar). 

Blend. Refrigerate. Enjoy.

- Cameron

How to Clean Salt Stains off Your Boots

The photo above is an actual Boston sidewalk that I have to traverse every day to get to work. AHHHH! I mean, I love my bean boots, but some outfits simply require my leather riding boots. I can really only wear my leather boots 3 or 4 times before the salt and sand stains get so unsightly that they need a good cleaning. Luckily, I have become a master at quickly and easily cleaning the stains off my boots. Here's how its done:

1. Use a rag and warm water to wipe dirt and grime from your boots. 
2. Wet a rag with vinegar and scrub the stained and dirty portions of your boots. For best results, simply give the whole boot a vinegar scrub. 
3. Pat dry.
4. Next, evenly apply leather lotion or another type of leather moisturizer. This is an important step because vinegar can dry out the material and lead to cracking. 
5. Lastly, let dry. To keep boots cleaner longer, treat them with a waterproofing spray. 

Voila! 

- Cameron

Wine and Cheese Pairings

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One of the staples to our monthly JUGs book club meetings would be the pairing of wine and cheese.  It's tough to go wrong with these items when entertaining and not be tempted to simply grab a 5-10 "buck chuck" and a block of reliable cheddar, but in trying to widen one's palate, I've been looking for a guide of how these items can complement each other even more than personal taste.

I came across an interactive online tool that I like best, Cheese Cupid, whose name could not be more fitting!  As you'd expect, you choose either a wine or cheese and the tool does the rest for you:

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I especially like the pairing recommendations with other snacks... whenever I go to The Salty Pig, I rely on the server's suggestions, but this tool has educated me on what I should request next time.  Now you're just left with the tough decision of which to contribute to your next book club meeting!

- Meredith

Daily Read: Live Simply by Annie

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Today, we present Annie Traurig, organization queen in Seattle by way of Detroit.  Although I don't recall which source led me to Annie's blog, I'm just glad I landed there!  I have always been slightly obsessed with organization, but that commonality is not the only reason Live Simply is a daily read for me. Annie does not just provide before-and-after pictures for the common "how-to" where you're left with afterthoughts of the excess and likely hold onto just a smaller section of mess you started with.

Annie's honesty is evident through her writing.  She delves into the psychology of stuff and helps her reader understand purpose behind its placement (and, ever-important reasons to just purge).  Annie's recommendations for change in ones life are straight-forward and inviting to put into practice.  Here are a few of my favorite posts including tips I have bookmarked for present (and future) use:

• essentials for a cleaning caddy
• hidden kitchen storage
• online planners and time management systems
• painless lunch packing
• how to organize your wallet

own interpretation of Live Simply's philosophies

Isn't it clear why I look forward to each of Annie's posts?  With series such as small space solutions (#citygirlproblems), organizational product recommendation/reviews and Monday mantras that support how you can simply, live simply each week, it's all there!  What a motto to get on board with!

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Be sure to make Live Simply your next daily read!  Annie knows how to show one the beauty in simplicity.  It's never too late to implement some self-discipline in a gal's life! 

- Meredith

Dressing Up Your Drink

cin cin // bottle santas // map tote // life jacket // custom photo label // canvas

We're popping things off right today, in honor of my birthday!  A friend of mine recently asked for suggestions on how she could dress up a bottle of booze she was giving as a gift.  Despite considering myself a creative gift giver, I realized I have never gotten into what can be an art form.  Everyone loves what is in the bottle, but here are some ways to dress them up with DIY or low budget finds... all of the above are $15 or less!  Sláinte!


- Meredith

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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Daily Read: SMP Living

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In growing up on fairy tales, it only seems natural for us gals to fantasize about our "happily ever after" every now and then, no matter how futuristic that day may seem.  Move along, Pinterest, there is another cowgirl in town...

Chances are you have heard of the umbrella site of StyleMePretty, a well-known "ultimate" wedding blog. The site has its own magazine, vendor directories and every resource a bride could need at her fingertips in their "Little Black Book."  Fellow Boston gal Abby has compiled a mecca of creative sources for gals in our city and beyond.  This is a hub of information that is all well and good, but again, not applicable to a lot of gals out there who are not quite at that point...

Enter: Style Me Pretty Living.  No matter what your relationship status, this is a must-read.  It is is my newest favorite source of "hubitat" ingenuity.  As someone who always loves snooping at real estate and interiors whenever possible, I quickly added SMPLiving to feedly since I just moved to a new place that needs A LOT of updating in order to make it my own.

The home tours are especially great since featured spaces are tastefully curated for city dwellers on a budget.  Amidst my own apartment rehab of sorts, Amber's home was especially a point of inspiration for me in choosing a color palette and selection accessories for my space.  I'm excited to share the finished product in a few weeks!

Go peruse the blog for yourself!  You'll get lost (in the best way) for a while!

- 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

Lara Spencer is Just Like Us

Newsflash: it's nearing Labor Day and in Boston that means some Boston only holidays are coming up - September 1 (love it or hate it) and Allston Christmas. I'm sure everyone knows September 1 by now and for those who don't know, Allston Christmas is a term coined by Allstonites which refers to the amount of "junk" that is left on sidewalks from people moving in or moving out to the hood. As we all are starting to notice, Allston Christmas extends all over Boston...and one gal's junk is another gal's treasure!

For those of you that agree with me, I highly suggest you add a new book to your collection, I Brake for Yard Sales by Lara Spencer, as it is an excellent resource that tells you how to wheel and deal at any yard sale or large flea market. From finding the best name brands, to knowing your price, to endless makeover ideas - Lara helps guide you through it all.

Can you guess how much some of those gorgeous items above were? That awesome Missouri Pacific Lines sign (what an amazing statement piece) was just $80!  The pair of yellow club chairs - just $45 each and that pair of peacock velvet chairs - $40 each! How jealous are you?

It also has really come in handy for me as I navigate through endless amounts of stuff on Craigslist and consignment sites in attempts to furnish my new apartment!

Have any recent DIY furniture makeovers? Send them our way! And don't forget, Brimfield is right around the corner!

- Suzanne

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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