High Heels and Hot Glue

What a year 2018 was! Personally it was very exciting, globally, it was a dumpster fire. Very conflicting, and I have to say, I'm glad it's over. So far, Ben and I have planned a pretty low key 2019, but anything can happen, so stay tuned!

As I think back on 2018, I can't help but also think back to the origins of Hello, Darlings. When I started Hello, Darlings in 2015, I was looking for a creative outlet for me to be able to play with my ever evolving style and to give me an excuse to make all the DIYs I've found on Pinterst. I had written for a blog with my four best friends right after we graduated college, but we had stopped working on it when everyone got busy with our new post-grad lives. And it felt like something was missing.

Enter Hello, Darlings Blog. I really missed working on a blog, but I wasn't ready to commit to certain topics. On the blog I wrote with my friends, I literally wrote about whatever interested me that week. Which was often old movies because I had just started watching any and all old movies I could get my hands on. The name Hello, Darlings is actually a nod to the classic movies I had seen and the ones I was planning on watching. Whenever the two main character changed from disliking one another to having a crush, they use the pet name "darling". And I thought adding "Hello" was a very welcoming name for a blog. But let's be honest, it is a really vague title.

From my very first post on Hello, Darlings!

The job I was working when I set up Hello, Darlings had odd hours, which made it very difficult to get into a routine. It was also right before the holidays, which is the busiest time of year (aka less free time than normal). But I really missed working on a blog, and I knew that even if I only posted once a month, at least I would be working on one again.

Engaged! 12.24.15

In the middle of the holiday craze, and only a few months after setting it up, Ben proposed and I started a new job. Talk about major changes really fast!  My new job needed me to travel every week. This meant a LOT of down time in hotel rooms, by my self. Of course a lot of time was spent researching vendors for our wedding. But as I planned more and more for our wedding, I wanted to document what I discovered and tricks I picked up on. So I started posting again. And let me tell you, I loved it! I had so many ideas and so much time to write. It felt good.

The amount of times I post in a week (or month because there have definitely been weeks I've missed) may have fluctuated in the two years since I've really started working on Hello, Darlings. And my topics and interests have definitely evolved. I still love working on DIYs I find on Pinterest, and I'm getting more "brave" in trying outfits I may never have thought about wearing in the past. I did turn 30 this year and can't get away with some of the styles I used to wear in high school or college (which let's be honest, is for the best).

So why all the reminiscing? Well, I've wanted to take my hobby a little more serious for a while now. And I've finally made the leap to switch blog hosting sites to make a blog that really fit my vision. I've learned so much using Blogger, and I feel I've really developed as a blogger. But I've felt like I've out grown Hello, Darlings and the Blogger platform. So I would like to introduce you to my new blog: High Heels and Hot Glue!

On HH&HG I will continue to post my style journey and all those DIYs I've found, hence the name. I think this name is far better suited for the content I post the most. 😁 But don't worry, this won't restrict the content either. I may even bring back old movie reviews occasionally for old times sake!

What does this mean for Hello, Darlings? The old posts will remain here for a little while longer, while I transition them over to HH&HG. Once I finish this move (which is HUGE btw!), all the old posts will be archived on HH&HG and I will shut down Hello, Darlings on Blogger. I'm sad to say goodbye to Hello, Darlings, but I'm very excited for this new chapter. I hope to see you at High Heels & Hot Glue!

Here's a direct link to my new site: High Heels & Hot Glue

Thank you all so much for your support over the last 3 years and for your support in the future!

Gold Skirt, Black Lace Tee

I love the way a midi-pleated skirt looks. It's very feminine and classic, and there are a ton of ways to make it look very modern. Since I'm not super tall, I also try to keep in mind what shoes I'm wearing. Which is why pairing it with these sandal heels (yes, even in the winter) is my favorite option. To be totally honest, I will probably only wear this for holiday parties, and don't plan on being outside longer than it would take me to get from my car to back inside.

I love to wear this skirt with this lace crop top. Since it's a gold, sparkly skirt, why not get super dressed up in it? I definitely feel fancy! :) To finish off my look, I've added this statement necklace and dangle earring (I know, not something I do very often!).

Such a cute outfit to bring in the New Year! I hope you and yours have a happy and safe New Year!

Pinspiration: Popsicle Sled

Sometimes with all the craziness of the holidays, I like simple and fast DIYs. Well, today's Pinspiration is just that: simple and fast.

Here

Here's what you'll need:

7 Popsicle sticks (5 minis and 2 regular)

twine (here) (optional)

paint (optional)

bell or greenery (here) (optional)

glue
Total Spent: $16.19

I used all regular sized Popsicle sticks for my sleds. So I started by breaking 5 of them in half. Of course that means, the broken end is a little rough. So I used scissors to round it off, then sanded it so no one would get any splinters.

Once all the pieces were cut and sanded, I painted 5 small pieces red and the 4 large pieces brown. I wanted two different colored sleds, so I left one the natural color. Once they were all dry, I glued the two middle pieces together. Then I glued the two small, outer pieces, a little lower than the center pieces. I repeated these steps on both sleds.

I took one of the larger pieces and glued it in the center of one of outer red pieces. Then I repeated this step on the other side. The two brown pieces do need to line up, so keep that in mind when gluing this side down. Again, once they were dry, I then glued the final piece on each sled. I found this to be the hardest piece to glue to the others. I left it up side down and lined up the pieces where I wanted it to sit. Then I slightly lifted each side to glue it together.

I decided not to put bells on my sleds, so I just did the greenery for decoration. I tucked the stem under the top of the sled and glued it in place for a little extra security. Then I took the twine and tied to the sled. Then I also glued the twine to the back of the sled, so I can hang them on my tree! Side note--I did the greenery then the twine. It would have been much easier to do the twine than the greenery.

And that's all! Super cute right?!

Green Velvet Dress

I'm so excited velvet started coming back last year! I remember all the velvet dresses I wore as a little girl, and I totally miss that. They were so soft, and 100% '90s lol. Last year, I found this dress and I definitely squealed a tiny bit when I found it.

Since it's a shift dress, there really isn't any shape to it. I debated wearing a belt with it, and maybe I will in the future. But for today, since the dress doesn't have sleeves, I decided to wear this tweed cropped jacket.

Then I added these black booties and a statement necklace to finish off the look! So festive and fun!