DIY Ombré Painted Jeans

When I had the chance to head up north and visit iLovetoCreate's HQ in Northern Cali with Maya in the Moment, I knew I'd have markers and paint and glitter and beads and tie dye at my fingertips.

You know I had to do a lil somethin' somethin'. 

I had pair of these white jeans I bought from H&M that looked so plain and sad and whatnot. I had to give it some life with a little ombré.
Check out my ombré tutorial:Make sure you follow @Boifromipanema and @iLovetoCreate on Twitter Instagram and Tumblr!

DIY Stenciled Frida Kahlo Tank

So lately, I have been on a big tank top kick.

 Being that I live in "sunny SoCal" the temperature is still in the 80's and 90's well into the beginning of October. 

Meaning??

Summer is still in full throttle mode.  

...le sigh....when will it be scarf, boot, hot cider weather yo?!!

I figured that the opportunity was still ripe and ready for just one more Summa-time Shenanigan post. Just to really seal up the deal. Although you can use this method on any fabric surface of your choice,  I decided to create a stencil of the beloved Frida Kahlo on a tank using DecoArt's SoSoft acrylic fabric paint.

Um, bewbs.

Frida was so butch.

Step 1: I started by printing out a few images of La Friducha that I liked from the interwebz. I was partial to these two, for obvious reasons. I found a really cool tutorial by Kathy, The Crafty Chica on how to cut graffiti-styled stencils which you can peep below.

Step 2: Make the stencil. I didn't have that cool little knife that Kathy had in her video, so I used a #11 X-acto blade. Try not to cut, stab, or dismember yourself like I always seem to do.

My stencil in progress.

All cut out and ready for some paint.

Kathy used spray paint, but I decided to apply the SoSoft fabric paint with stippling brushes.

Making sure the paint goes on nice and smooth.

SoSoft fabric Paints by DecoArt.

I can't rave enough about DecoArt's SoSoft fabric paint. The stuff is hashtag totes amaze. Since it comes in so many colors as well as glitter colors, I decided to make a few tanks for the ladies. Yeh, that's right, I said it...for the ladies. ;)

Step 3: Final step...bask in your the glory of your handiwork. My tanks came out bad ass, just like Frida herself.

Even the stencils turned out pretty dope at the end. I think I may frame these bad boys.

And there you have it, your own stenciled Frida Kahlo tank. Go forth and embrace your inner bad ass.

Cover Time: "Blue Jeans" by Lana Del Rey

The fav and I were hanging out on a hot summer night and decided to do a little cover. Hope you like it ::))

DIY Graphic Tee with SoSoft Fabric Acrylics from DecoArt

Have you ever been out shopping, when you see an article of clothing that makes you say, "I could totally do that myself"?

Well, that's me....most of the time.

One thing I've seen everywhere are hand-painted graphic shirts. The simple designs and sleek lines really make for an interesting piece.
So instead of just thinking hey I can do that--I actually decided to do it!

___________________

Let me show you how you can create your own cool, modern graphic tee so you can rock it out for the last days of summer and into the fall!

Step 1: Stretch the shirt over the cardboard so that you have a smooth, taut surface to work with. 100% cotton is always the best choice. And remember, if you choose a dark colored tee, the colors you choose may not show up as brightly as you'd like. I decided to stick with white.

That black stuff was a previous design I did with black that stuck to the cardboard backing.

Step 2: Choose a quality fabric paint in varying colors.  I have a set of RAD fabric paints from the cool people at DecoArt. Their SoSoft Fabric Acrylics paint line is the bomb dizzle. A lot of paints claim to be made for fabric, but end up feeling hard and thick once they dry. Nobody wants crunchy paint on their clothes. The SoSoft paints really do feel so...soft.....yeah. Just like the name implies.

look at all the pretty colorssssssssss

I even got a few bottle of the fine glitter finish.

Step 3: This next step is when you can really flex your creative muscle. Choose your color palette. You can then paint a design you may already have, you can incorporate a stencil, you can use a brush to give it a painterly effect or you can use your fingers. I decided to use a silkscreen technique of "squeegeeing" the paint onto the tee.

I choose these four colors.

I placed four very generous blobs of the fabric paint on my tee. It's okay if they touch. You decide where you want them on  your tee. I chose right under my v-neck tee so it could be positioned on my chest.

Here is where the squeegee comes in. I used a thick piece of watercolor paper folded in half as my squeegee, but you could also use a plastic one from a hardware store. Press down on the paint and with a fluid motion, spread the paint in the direction of your choosing, once, using even pressure.

I like how the paint faded toward the bottom of the design. And the tee is super soft and so is the painted design. Simple and modern and most of all, SUPER COMFORTABLE!!!

I really dig the abstract vibe of the design. I'll definitely be making more of these! 

água de melancia (sandia)

I may be a born and bred Californian and stem from a long line of tropical blood,

but LAWD HAVE MERCY!!! It is hot as satan's wrath up in in here!

In my effort to stay cool and hydrated...no actually I wasn't thinking about being hydrated at all.  I just wanted something good to drink

           lez be honest...

I looked around my kitchen and saw that I had a nice big watermelon which TOTES gave me a craving for something cool and refreshing. I pulled out my juicer that my mom and dad bought me and whipped up a favorite of mine, an água de melancia (watermelon water). 

Here's what you'll need;

• A blender or juicer ( if you're using a blender you may need to strain the juice at the end)
• 1Watermelon cut into large chunks
• 3 Limes peeled (or the juice of three limes)
• A handful of mint leaves
• Agave nectar to taste (optional)

soooo......basically just combine all of the ingredients in the blender or juicer, add the agave nectar and chill. Serve cold. Super simple and MAJORLY delicious! 

Some people make it more savory and add rock salt or chili powder, however I prefer mine a bit sweeter so depending on the watermelon I will add a bit of the agave nectar to taste.

     but that's pretty much it! 

Simple and refreshing, a perfect companion to all your summa-time shenanigans 

Hope you enjoy!!! ttyl
BoifromIpanema