DIY Leather Mouse Pad

September 3, 2015
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DIY Leather Two-Toned Mouse Pad M Loves M @marmar

I’ve mentioned to you before about how I’ve been wanting to give my office a little makeover. I’ve been pinning some inspiration, and thinking about what pieces I want to get rid of {any pen/pencil with a company’s name on it, for instance. Why do I have so many of those?}, and things I want to purchase to spruce things up a bit. I put together a list of 10 Must Have Office Items, and one of the items I forgot on that list was a mouse pad. Sounds so basic but cute ones are kind of hard to find! I saw this two-toned leather one on Instagram the other week and thought hey, I could make that! It was surprisingly easy, too! Read on for the DIY.

Easy DIY for Leather Mouse Pad M Loves M @marmar

DIY Leather Mouse Pad

MATERIALS
two pieces of leather in contrasting colors {Michaels had a bunch of options}
corkboard
adhesive spray
exacto knife
ruler

DIRECTIONS
Measure out the size of your mouse pad on the piece of corkboard. I decided to make mine 7 inches x 8 inches. If it’s easier for you to do 8×8 do that, though! Cut carefully with exacto knife.

Lay out strips and plan design of how you want it to look like. I decided to cut two pieces of leather diagonally so each color would be represented. Trace line on back of leather and cut carefully with an exacto knife.

Spray adhesive onto corkboard and lay leather piece over. Press firmly to adhere. Repreat with other side, being careful to cover the leather that’s already glued on. I covered mine with a piece of paper.

Once both sides are glued on, apply pressure for about an hour by placing a book on top.
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This DIY was extremely easy. The only thing that required a little more thought was measuring and cutting the pieces of leather so they fit on the corkboard, but even that wasn’t bad. If you wanted to make this one step easier, you could always just use one piece of leather. Then all you have to do is cut both the corkboard and the leather and adhere together. You could even add fabric paint dots if you like!
See the last DIY for an Ombre Tassel Pillow!
xox

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Living

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a little bit country

September 2, 2015
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plaid shirt with denim mini skirt M Loves M @marmar
Feeling a little bit like a country girl in this outfit, and I love it! I got my plaid shirt on, a dark denim skirt, some suede boots and a fun fringe bag. This is the outfit I was hoping to wear last week to the Taylor Swift conference, but then I rememembered she’s more pop now. I traded in the boots for a pair of heels and the flannel for a little black {off the shoulder} dress. It worked but I have to say this would have been a great outfit for her Speak Now or Fearless tours. Ah what I wouldn’t give to go back in time and go to those concerts! {Although I just found videos online so maybe I’ll have to download them for an upcoming road trip or plane flight}.
This blue plaid shirt is a nod to fall while not being too in your face. I’m going to try and save the red and green plaids for December! Try being the key word! By the way, I’m still so into this denim mini skirt. It’s just such an easy piece to style so you might see it again soon! It’s a good replacement when I need to give my favorite pair of jeans a beak!
wearing plaid during late summer M Loves M @marmar
berry fringe bag by Patricia Nash M Loves M @marmar
Isola suede booties M Loves M @marmar
blue plaid flannel with denim a-line skirt M Loves M @marmar
casual fall outfit M Loves M @marmar

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shirt J.Crew, skirt Topshop, shoes Isola, bag Patricia Nash {available in gray and olive!}, sunglasses Illesteva, lipstick Ciate Praline 
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Last night I went to the Dodgers vs Giants game with my best friends. I have been a very bad Angeleno because this is the first game I’ve gone to in a few years. Maybe 5 {shh!}. My best friend Lizzie is a huge fan so it was especially fun to go with her. She gets so into it, knows all of the team members and can explain things to me, like the “rally banana.” It was the perfect belated bday celebration for that superfan. And I even got her to sing one of her favorite Dodger game songs on my Snapchat. You should check it out {@maraKferreira} because it’s pretty entertaining!
Have a great day everyone and thanks so much for stopping by!
xox
photos by Valorie Darling

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Outfits, Style

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An Easy 3 Ingredient Dessert

September 1, 2015
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an easy 3 ingredient dessert that would be perfect for an end of summer party M Loves M @marmar
Oh you guys, this LA heat wave has been pretty unbearable. It was so hot the other night that Matthew and I wrapped ice packs with a towel and put them on our stomachs to help us fall asleep. Sad but true! The late summertime heat is a bit of a deterrent for me to bake desserts so I wanted to make something that would be cold cold cold!
This Blackberry and Mint Granita recipe is it! It’s delicious and so refreshing. If you’re wondering what a granita is, it’s a semi-frozen dessert that uses sugar, water and flavorings of choices. It’s similar to a sorbet or Italian ice. Granitas are perfect on a hot day, or when you’re just wanting to satisfy your sweet tooth.
If you’re looking for something to make for Labor Day that doesn’t require use of your oven, this recipe is it! There are only three ingredients involved: blackberries, sugar, and mint, so you won’t need to hunt down a bunch of things, or spend a lot of money. Both those factors tend to be important when I’m making something, especially for a crowd!
fresh blackberries and mint M Loves M @marmar
making blackberry and mint granita M Loves M @marmar
homemade blackberry and mint granita dessert M Loves M @marmar
Blackberry and Mint Granita Recipe. Perfect for a Summer Party or Holiday. M Loves M @marmar
blackberry and mint iced granita dessert M Loves M @marmar

Blackberry and Mint Granita
makes 6-8 servings


INGREDIENTS
1 lb blackberries
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup water
2 bunches of mint, plus additional for garnish

DIRECTIONS
Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and add mint leaves. Cover and let steep for 1 hour. Remove the mint leaves and chill the syrup in the fridge.

Puree the blackberries and simple syrup {recipe makes about 3/4 of a cup} in a blender. Strain out the seeds and the pulp.

Pour into a container {I used a loaf pan} and freeze for about 5-6 hours. Every hour, remove from the freezer and rake the mixture with a fork.

When finished, add into dishes and serve with a spring of mint.
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This recipe is extremely easy with it’s short three steps! The one thing you have to do, though, is make sure to be home while you’re making it since you do need to rake the mixture about every hour for the 5 to 6 hour freezing time. I started making this in the morning on Sunday and spent the day cleaning and organizing, so it worked out easily for me. It was nice and ready for a late afternoon snack!

 

Here are some other easy dessert recipes!
Or go big and make this Strawberry & Rhubarb Pie. It’s one of my favorites!!
xox

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Dessert, Recipes

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