Interchangeable Tassel Necklace Tutorial

Tassel Necklace

You know how some new fashion comes on the scene and you think, “I’ll never wear that! Like, never gonna happen, my friend?” Yeah, you know. I think that all the time, and every once in awhile I’m actually right.

Take the whole tassel jewelry thing. It’s just a fad and not your style, right? Or, it wasn’t your style until some suede ones start popping up here and there. Then it’s all, “Hello, texture and leather and we’re going to be the best of friends!” So here we are jumping on the bandwagon. And what could be better than a tutorial to make your own jewelry tassel that you can easily switch from one chain to the next? It makes accessorizing easy, and it’s a great gift idea too! Christmas is coming, as you well know. So, for today I have an interchangeable tassel necklace tutorial to share with you.

**This post contains some affiliate links. Basically, that means if you click on the links I’ve provided and decide to make a purchase, then I’ll make a little commission. It does not cost you anything extra, it just makes it easier for you to find products.**

Supplies for the Tassel Necklace

suede-shirt — You can always start with something you already have around the house.

I have a habit of picking up suede and/or leather items at thrift shops when I find them at a reasonable price. I decided to make this soft suede necklace when styling the Long Grove Dot Top for Glamour Farms a few weeks ago. You can find that post here if you want to get a look at the necklace styled with an entire outfit. My plan was to cut strips of suede and make a tassel necklace, until I realized the entire shirt was laced together with suede lacing and I could just use it. If you don’t happen to have an old suede shirt just laying around here is some similar soft lacing.

Necklace Supplies

Soft suede lacing similar to this – 3 yards
Jewelry chain similar to this – 30″ length in antique bronze
Jewelry stringing wire similar to this – 1 foot
Bead cap cone similar to this – 1 piece
Jewelry crimp tubes similar to these – 2 tubes
Jump ring in similar to these – 1
Jewelry lobster clasp similar to these – 1
Assorted beads to add as desired

Tools

Sewing scissors similar to these
Jewelry crimper similar to this
Neelde-nose pliers with a wire cutter similar to these
Seams Right, optional

Making the Tassel

tassel-wrap-trim=thread — Making the tassel is super easy.

Find something the desired length of your finished tassel to wrap your suede lacing around. I used my handy little Seams Right for a length of about 3 1/2″. Start at one end and wrap until you run out of lacing.
Thread your 12″ of beading wire under the suede at the top of your tassel. The bottom of your tassel will have the loose ends of your lacing.

3. Thread both ends of the wire through the crimp tube and crimp to form two smaller tubes, each one holding one of the wires. For more detailed instructions on using a crimp tool check out this video from Fire Mountain Gems.

finished-crimp-tube — Second step of crimping a crimp tube

4. The second step in the crimping process folds the two wires back on themselves, making them secure so the wire won’t slip.

tassel-bead-cap-cone — Next step is covering the tassel

Adding the Beads

5. Next, add a bead cap/cone to the top of the tassel for a finished look.

tassel-and-beads — Next, come the extra beads

6. Add extra beads above the tassel as desired, just in case you aren’t having enough fun already.

tassel-clasp — The final crimp and adding a clasp

7. Make the very last bead a little smaller, so that the final crimp tube doesn’t slide into the center of the larger beads. Above the smaller bead, thread the wires through a final crimp tube.

8. Using pliers, open up a jump ring and thread through the clasp.

9. Thread the wires through the jump ring.

attaching-the-clasp — Attaching the clasp to the tassel

10. Rethread both wires back through the crimp tube and repeat the crimping process keeping the threaded and re-threaded wires together.

The Finishing Touches

11. Cut the wires so they can be tucked inside the top bead at least to the center of the bead. This part takes a little patience, but it keeps the ends of the wires from poking you and gives your tassel a very finished look.

tassel-on-chain — Adding your tassel to the chain

12. Instead of going through the process of making a necklace with the chain, simply clasp your tassel to the end of your chain and the link that gives you the desired length for your necklace. Use the wire cutters to cut the next link.

You can easily unclasp the tassel and add it to a different length chain, a piece of leather lacing, or even a larger ring for a little purse bling. There are all sorts of possibilities.

Wouldn’t these make fun teacher gifts, especially since the kids can do the tassel wrapping? I’m thinking of making a green one and black one to add to some necklaces I already have. And maybe a few shorter ones for a bracelet or two. What color or length is your favorite?

Maybe we should just have a party and make a bunch together. That would make it even more fun now wouldn’t it?

Final Day for the Closet Makeover Giveaway

9 / 25 / 16

Happy Sunday! I hope y’all are enjoying a day of rest and at least a touch of fall, even if it’s a pumpkin-flavored treat on a 90 degree day!

Lamp-and-hangers — I’ve added two things this weekend – velvet hangers and a small lamp for softer light.

Since it’s Sunday, that makes it the final day for the Closet Makeover Giveaway. Which means, if you haven’t entered, you only have a matter of hours so do so …

And the best part, is that you didn’t even have to do your own closet makeover to be entered! Just click here and follow the directions at the spend of the post to be entered.

For a quick look at the final closet click on the video below …

YouTube-closet-makeover — A quick tour with a few new elements and giveaway instructions.

Thanks for joining us and following along!

Closet-makeover-final-shot — A final cozy pic to wrap up the Mission Organization | Closet Rescue

This girl!

9 / 22 / 169 / 22 / 16

This girl!

Where to even begin!

She’s the baby. But really she’s an old soul, this youngest of ours. Years ago, when this Mama thing was so new, exciting and terrifying, I wondered how we would ever survive with the house being all quiet and almost boring when the older three had grown up and journeyed out to make their own way.

Then we had this one. Her whose very name means bright. It’s the name we borrowed from her Grandpa because as it turns out he was quite thrilled for his youngest grandchild to also be his namesake. And it suits her, this name that they share.

She has a way of brightening a room with her impeccable delivery of jokes and one-liners. And believe me, she has quite a collection. She’s quite willing to be as goofy as necessary to make people smile and bring a little light to an otherwise routine day.

this-girl-st-basils — Taking a little crazy overseas

We’ve watched her bring an entire room to tears with a single line delivered well. Multiple times. Not because she’s trying so hard to be funny. It’s more that she’s comfortable enough in her own skin to appear goofy to others. I suppose she knows it’s a small price to pay to make someone else’s day better.

this-girl-claire-blair — The beauty of friendship

Perhaps that’s why she has so many friends. I don’t mean a number of followers referred to as “friends” on social media. I mean, true friends. She’s the fiercely loyal type who’s more interested in being a good friend than in having lots of friends. And the end result of that? She truly understands the deep value of relationships, and also has loads of friends. And she entertains them. All the time.

this-girl-second-cousins — Second cousins

It could be one of her signature jokes, a cheesy smile, a dry-witted comment or random dance move … we just never really know. Basically whatever it takes to brighten their day. To make others feel loved. To show them they’re valuable. And it really doesn’t matter how young or old they are either.

this-girl-russian-friend — A new Russian friend

I must say the older ones love her though. It’s because she’s an old soul. A modern-day Carol Burnett in a world trying so very hard to be a Kardashian. She doesn’t saddle herself with a concern about other’s opinions of her. Not in a flippant disregarding sort of way, but in an incredibly freeing way. Her playlist typically includes more Bing and Ol’ Blue Eyes than Beyonce. It’s one of the qualities that has endeared to pretty much every generation older than hers.

I think it’s this comfortableness with herself that allows her to try new things, even if they don’t turn out as well as she may have hoped. She’s brave enough to go for it instead of being tied down by what-ifs. It has served her well.

Along the way she’s discovered several loves – dance, drawing, singing, teaching herself to play piano. As it turns out she’s quite creative!

Balanced in the midst of the fun and games is her tenacity to finish a goal. From measuring, mapping and painting a chevron wall in her room as a 14-year old to pushing through a painful dance injury to be recital-ready. And she’s a spartan. Not like from ancient Greece, like she ran and completed a Spartan race last year. It’s not for the faint of heart.

this-girl-we-want-moore — Every new day is a party

Even with her tenacity in reaching goals, she’s still pretty laid back, just like her dad. She really doesn’t let small things bother her. Unfortunately, much of the time the small things include the clothes on her floor. She finds such details hamper her “throw your arms up in the air and let’s make this day a party” approach to life.

I suppose that’s exactly why we’ve not been bored for years.

She brings the same loyalty, humor and good-nature to our home on a daily basis. And with that, her love for Christ and His love in her comes spilling out in lots of little ways.

this-girl-katy — This girl and her big sister – photo courtesy of Behind the Face Photography

In silly notes, usually signed “Your favorite child”.

this-girl=jess — This girl and her soon-to-be sister

Original artwork created with the recepient in mind. Crazy photo-ops that leave us laughing hysterically and feeling loved all at the same time.

Hours of perfecting a family dance routine just to make her big sister and new brother-in-law smile.

this-girl-nate — This girl and her big brother

So today we celebrate day 6,205 with this one! And we don’t bother worrying about being bored when she’s the only one left living at home. We worry more about having enough tissues about for when she makes us laugh so hard we cry. And oh, there are so many worse things to worry about.

this-girl-emily — This girl and her other big sister

You, my bright girl, have been the best sort of blessing and grand finale in our family. My prayer for you is that you keep following hard after God and loving others with the deep loyalty and compassion He has placed in you. Stay true to who He created you to be and there’s no telling how many lives you’ll change on the journey!

Thank you for loving us the way you do. And “You do you, Boo!”

Your Mama loves you! More than you’ll ever know!

Mission Organization | Closet Reveal Highlights

9 / 21 / 169 / 20 / 16

Mission Organization | Closet Reveal Highlights

A month ago I decided to finish organizing my bedroom closet the way I had planned to when we moved into our house … five years ago. Then I came up with a few ideas to add a bit of decorating and DIYing to the project. And if you’re going to do something like that, you might as well invite a few friends along, right? So I did. Before we knew it, it had become a blogging collaboration between So Much Moore, Tori at Mess to Blessed and Amanda at Life on the Bay Bush. Three weeks ago we challenged y’all to join us for Mission Organization | Closet Rescue. We’ve purged, DIY’d, decorated and organized and now we get to present Mission Organization | Closet Reveal Highlights.

Left side closet before — My closet after the purge, and a weekend trip, but before the makeover

Closet Makeover Goals

Here are a few of our closet makeover goals …

… tame the chaos

… get rid of items we no longer use, wear or need

… make better use of the space we do have

… add touches of beauty

… enjoy the journey with others, not to compare, but to encourage

I have to say, these goals have definitely been met, with a few more perks along the way.

You can read my closet reveal here and you can check out each step of the entire challenge here

Today I want to share highlights from Tori at Mess To Blessed and Amanda at Life On The Bay Bush and some of the ways they achieved the goals above.

Tori @ Mess to Blessed

Tori’s closet is small with a slanted roof so her main goal was to organize and make better use of what little space she has. She found some really awesome items on Amazon.com that she shared in this post. One of my favorites is a hanger made specifically for tank tops, and it can hold between 4 and 16 tanks depending on how you decide to hang them.

mision-organization-closet-makeover-highlights-tori — Tori’s closet before and after

I love her thoughts on this whole organizing thing, and y’all she will be the first to tell you she is not a naturally organized person. Apparently, her Mama may agree too! But her perspective on the fact that we’re dealing with a first world problem, but one that creates stress in our days is spot on! What fun it has been walking through this journey with her and deepening our friendship along the way.

Amanda @ Life on the Bay Bush

Amanda’s closet is a walk-in with great space, but it also held evidence of her three sweet girls and a busy Mama. Her goals included making better use of some great spaces and prettying it up a bit. And y’all, she nailed it!

mission-organization-closet-reveal-highlights-amanda — Amanda’s closet Before and after

She made some fabric covered diaper boxes without having to sew one stitch, and used some crystal knobs to make a little board for hanging necklaces. Every necklace looks better hanging from a crystal knob, especially when it’s next to some original artwork from the children of the home. She also used several other items from Amazon, because some weeks our time is a more precious commodity than our finances. You can find her tutorials and more details here.

To answer a few questions …

No, I really don’t own many more pairs of shoes than the ones you saw. I have several pairs of boots I’ll pull out when I put the sandals away in a few weeks. A lifelong history of foot problems means that every pair costs about $100, so I’m really particular in that area.

My hubby and I do share a dresser, two of the drawers being mine, and our off-season clothes are stored in a few tubs in our basement. I plan to cover a few more boxes for the top shelf and move the off-season clothes into those on our top shelf so everything is in one place.

Mission-organization-closet-makeover-left — My closet after the $30 makeover!

Yes, our closet is pretty huge, but the biggest reason there is so much space is because of the purging. I can’t tell you what a difference it has made in my stress level. From fewer decisions to make every morning, to less to take care of and less clutter to get messed up.

Final thoughts …

The clutter really effects my brain and stresses me out in ways I had not understood before I purged. Like I said in the original post that started this series, I am more intentional about what I add to my closet, like some of the fun new items from Glamour Farms, you can find those here and here.

I would not consider myself to be a minimalist, too much art in my closet for that! But, I do love simplicity and this is just the right amount for me. I have actually joined a group led by a sweet blogger friend, Sarah at She Holds Dearly that she has organized to help us purge our entire homes before the holidays. It seems like a daunting task, but the first week is done and I’m anticipating enjoying the holidays without the clutter.

mission-organization-closet-reveal-all-3 — All three closets after the makeover. Huge sigh of relief for all of us!

I’m so glad y’all joined us for this adventure!

So I hope that this series has been as much fun for y’all as it has for us. We have learned a lot, quieted our spaces and created beauty in them with things that matter to each of us. I hope you’ve been inspired to do the same in your space, whatever that may look like!

Don’t forget to be entered into our drawing for two giveaways from Amanda and I. You can find all the details for that here.

Mission Organization | The Closet Makeover Reveal

9 / 19 / 16

Mission Organization | The Closet Makeover Reveal

Well, this is it! Today is the Mission Organization | The Closet Makeover Reveal and I’m so excited I can hardly stand it. We kicked off this series three weeks ago with an intro to the 3 bloggers collaborating on this series – Tori at Mess to Blessed, Amanda at Life on the Bay Bush and myself. The first week we focused on purging our closets of all sorts of things – clothes that no longer fit, Santa beards, bouncy seats, Ellie Mae wigs … all sorts of things. Then last week we each shared a few of the DIYs and closet tips we planned to implement. And today, like hours ago, Tori and Amanda shared their closet makeovers while I finished up a few things. So here I am, late to the party, but still arriving with some pictures and highlights to share with you of my closet.

If you’re new to So Much Moore from Tori or Amanda’s blog, then welcome! I’m glad you stopped by and hope you find some inspiration for your own closet rescue … not that any of us needs such a thing, right?

Closet center before — And the other side of our half-organized space.

The Purge

For a quick catch up, I purged our closet over the winter. My husband Steve and I share the biggest closet we’ve ever had, measuring 4 feet deep and just over 11 feet wide. After gathering up every stitch of clothes we owned from our closet, dresser and off-season storage tubs, we were able to purge around 10 trash bags of clothes and accessories. That’s just craziness! The relief of having less clothes, but ones that we really like and wear, has been such a stress reliever.

purge-bed — The stacks of clothing categories on my bed during our closet purge.

The DIYs

I love sewing and repurposing things, especially when it’s something with a bit of family history behind it. I also enjoy the smell of fresh cut wood from days of watching my Dad build everything from a simple shelf to a barn. Dad and I have done a number of projects together over the years and I always call him for advice, but until this project I had never made something from wood by myself. That’s right, all by my big girl self! All that to say, I may soon add a love for woodworking to that list and may ask for a few more power tools for Christmas.

One of my goals for this project was to do as much as possible by shopping my own house and using resources we already had. I did splurge on a basket carousel to store accessories, but that brought the grand total of my expenses all the way up to … well, how about I tell you at the end … that’s just mean isn’t it!

closet-makeover-reveal — The Closet Makeover Reveal using repurposed items, elbow grease and a bit of imagination.

Enough chatter already … You can look for tutorials on most of the closet projects in the coming weeks, but for today enjoy a pictorial tour of our new space.

I may or may not hear an angel chorus in my head every time I open these doors now! The first thing I did was paint the closet with the leftover paint from our bedroom. The only reason I didn’t paint the closet when I painted the room was because it was pre-purge and I just couldn’t muster the courage to pull everything out of the closet and then put it back too.

Wire Shelf Covers

closet-right-finished — The first DIY was a cardboard lined cover for the wire shelves.

There are two washable shelf covers with deep pockets for cardboard or foam core for sturdiness and attached with velcro. These had been bedroom curtains in our last home.

The Laundry Bucket

The copper tub has been living in our family room but we decided it should be our laundry bucket. Some vintage chintz fabric, leather cording to secure it and a few hours of bringing sketches to life and we have a new laundry bucket.

mission-organization-closet-reveal-laundry-leather-knot — I’m kind of in love with the details on this piece.

We’ve always put our shoes on the floor against the walls and I decided it would be cool to build a little shelf to hold the shoes and our new laundry bucket. Four 1 x 12 planks of cedar from a rental property we’ve been fixing up were perfect for the shelf.

The Shoe Shelf

Usually Steve builds stuff like this for me, but I really wanted to do this project. It seems like a good beginner project, and it was! His patient instruction, encouragement and steadying boards from time to time made sure it actually turned out. I really can’t wait to skype my Dad and show this to him!

The Storage Box Liners

The shelf unit on the left end of our closet holds cardboard boxes covered in washable liners made from two vintage tablecloths. I purchased a bag of driftwood pieces to label each box and secured them with twine and a loop of elastic in the back.

closet-makeover-shelves — Two more open shelves to break up the covered boxes.

I left two of the middle shelves more open so as not to create the feel of a wall at this end of the closet. This gives each of us a space to store things to sort instead of on the long shelf.

closet-makeover-accessories — Most of my accessories are on the long shelf on my side of the closet.

The Accessory Storage and Art Work

I picked up the fruit baskets while I was grocery shopping a few weeks ago hoping it would work for storing some accessories. It’s the perfect space for scarves, boot cuffs and socks. The turntable underneath was not quite working in the kitchen cabinet and it makes everything accessible. The white jewelry box holds a small collection of costume jewelry.

The File Box and Frames

closet-reveal-makeover-artwork — The artwork is simple and intentional, with a bit of a story for each piece.

The box on the right has two section with files for each of us. Each of us also have a frame for notes of appreciation and affirmation. We’ve been working really hard these past few months at telling each other what we appreciate, admireand love about the other. After almost 25 years, we seem to have become a bit distracted and are committed to changing that for the better. The little wire basket next to the jewelry box has notes, markers and washi tape to add notes. Our almost 17-year old walked in the closet today and the first thing she did was ask if she could write notes for each of us. Absolutely! Looks like we may be adding more of these around the house soon!

The Backstories

closet-makeover-oils-art — A few more helpful items with backstories.

Each of the next three items come with a backstory. The essential oils have been a tremendous help for me in seeking relief from years of migraines. That will be another post someday. The “I still do” is something we’ve said to each other every year. The good years. The not-so-good years. It’s a little nod to the choice that we’ve made. Steve and my Dad made the cross out of an old railroad spike in Dad’s blacksmith shop several years ago.

The Burlap Quote and Pottery

closet-makeover-burlap-bowl — Two little reminders from days past and for days ahead.

My daughter, Katy and I made the burlap quote with alphabet stickers and lots of crazy paint streaks. The pot holds the contents of Steve’s pockets at the end of the day. I love the colors, the shape, the handles and the fact that he made it in a summer pottery class as a child.

Final Thoughts

Sometimes it’s just hard to know where to even begin at the wrap up of a goal isn’t it? I hope you’ve enjoyed this series and even if you didn’t get to join us by making over your own closet, I hope you’ve found some inspiration. Cleaning and organizing can feel like a daunting task, but it’s so worth it. And the decorating and DIY just make it fun!

I promised to tell y’all my expenses, so here they are …

Fruit basket storage carousel $20

Thrifted picture frames $3.18

Burlap canvas $4

Alphabet stickers $1.19

Driftwood pieces for tags $2.40

Grand total $30.77

Everything else was already at our house.

Mission accomplished!

Giveaway Drawing

As we said at the beginning, we are doing a giveaway to celebrate this final step of Mission Organization | Closet Rescue. Amanda and I will each be giving away a prize. Woohoo for doubling your chances of winning! You can enter by leaving a comment and subscribing to our blogs.

The best part? You didn’t have to clean out your closet to win AND you have until Sunday to enter!

Tori is also doing a giveaway on Mess to Blessed to celebrate the Closet Makeover Reveal. That means another prize!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dwelling on the Sprinkles

9 / 18 / 16

We were chatting and lingering a bit at our favorite local bakery. She had just passed her driver’s license test. First time. Last child. Big rite of passage in the life of a teen. And a Mama.

They strolled in on what appeared to be a date. To be fair, she did more bouncing than strolling. Her little flaxen curls bobbing up and down with each step.

She had chosen a donut. Good choice. Covered in sprinkles. More like smothered in sprinkles. She plopped down in a chair looking up at her daddy like he was the greatest of all the great Superheros. He had after all just bought her the most regal of breakfast fare.

He slid her new sprinkled treasure right in front of her. All else disappeared.

dwelling on the sprinkles — Dwelling on the sprinkles

From where we sat we could only see sprinkles, blonde ringlets and those amber eyes now as big as saucers.

From where she sat, she may as well be celebrating the grandest rites of passage in all of her days. Her vision was completely consumed with icing and sprinkles and the mere delight of it all.

And the thought occurred, what is my focus? Am I looking for the sprinkles in my day? Am I celebrating them with every ounce of my being?

There were plenty of distractions in that little bakery that morning. Noises. Smells. Sights. But not for her. It was all about the sprinkles. Not only that, she was on a date with her Daddy. They weren’t grabbing breakfast. They were on a date. Oh, the excitement of it all!

And therein lies the beauty of the moment. It wasn’t just the sprinkles, though they were grand. It was also that they were from her Daddy.

Whatever was going on around the two of them didn’t matter one bit. They were together. He had just graced her with the bestest of gifts. And she had every intention of focusing on it. And soaking up it’s wonder with every moment and every bite.

Oh, to follow suit. To let everything around me fall away and find the wonder in Christ. In His words. In His grace. In the sprinkle laden moments He lays before me daily.

Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things.

Philippians 4:8 HCSB

Glamour Farms Fashion Friday | Long Grove Dot Top

9 / 16 / 169 / 23 / 16

The curated closet

I hope y’all have been enjoying the Mission Organization Closet Makeover series. It has been fun to hear from those of you joining us and see the variety of ways to organize and make our closets work for us. Designing and beautifying this space has been such fun for me, and it makes me more intentional in what I add to my closet – whether it’s organizing helps, decor or clothing. And hooray for curating your closet because it’s Glamour Farms Fashion Friday! Last month the Isabella Tunic/Dress was our featured item and this month it’s the Long Grove Dot Top.

long-grove-dot-top — The long grove dot top in ivory and mustard

** This post contains some affiliate links. Basically, that means if you click on the links I’ve provided and decide to make a purchase, then I’ll make a little commission. It does not cost you anything extra, it just makes it easier for you to find products. THANK YOU for following along on this grand adventure at SoMuchMoore with Glamour Farms!**

And be sure to grab your coupon code and details for $10 off you Glamour Farms order for So Much Moore readers at the end of this post!

Glamour Farms Fashion Friday | Long Grove Dot Top

Did you know that if you go to Glamour Farms site and search 3/4 length sleeve tops, there are almost 100 items that come up? Seriously, try it here. Can I just say, they’re a staple for these let’s-start-as-fall-but-hit-mid-summer-then-drop-back-down-to-fall-temps-days?

long-grove-black-jacket — Dressed up the little with a black jacket and a tassel necklace.

This top is made with a cotton/rayon blend knit with just enough spandex to make it super cozy. And I love that the neckline is just wide and low enough to be comfortable and flattering without constantly falling off your shoulder. I don’t know about you but I’ve always loved the mustard color because it reminds me of fall leaves. The problem is it’s not a great color on me, so this pop of polka-dot mustard print peeking out under the top layer is perfect.

Football and all things Fall

The first thing I thought when I saw this top was how fun it would be for a football tailgate party. We live right smack in the middle of the Big Blue Nation (aka. Kentucky), I’m officially a UK Mom and we’re all about the basketball, but I’ll still always love football. Naturally, I had to add a gold scarf to cheer on my alma mater the Mizzou Tigers, or I may switch it out for garnet when the Noles are playing in honor of my hubby and his family.

Go Tigers! Though it looks like a “Time Out” call … it’s suppossed to be a “T” for Tigers …

The Long Grove Dot Top also comes in an ivory & blue dot print, just in case your team is not blessed with the black and gold color scheme. And if that doesn’t work for you, Glamour Farms has a lot of comfy and unique tops to show your team spirit in a sea of the same ol’ team color wear options. As a sports mom I always wanted to wear the “right” colors, but you do get tired of wearing the same few shirts every weekend!

I’ve paired it here with some black legging dress pants, similar to the Ahh-Mazing Tummy Tuck Ankle Legging, or if you prefer a denim legging, the Ahh-Mazing Tummy Tuck Denim Legging.

Some more layering options

long-grove-cargo-jacket — How fun are fall colored skinny jeans and a cargo jacket!

If the weather does happen to get a little cooler then there are several jacket options to add to the Long Grove Dot Top. Like this American Eagle military style jacket, similar to the Sage Creek Cargo Jacket, and a pair or colored skinny jeans, these are from Kohl’s but are similar to the Ava Hyper Stretch Skinny Jeans. The boots are on loan from one of my girls, thank you Em, but are similar to the Matisse Espana Suede Bootie.

long-grove-dot-spiders — Though new clothes may make you feel adventurous, I suggest staying out of spider webs … they can be a little creepy.

You can dress it up a little more with a different jacket, like this black one from my closet. I paired it with my favorite comfy American Eagle skinny jeans, similar to the Elizabeth Skinny Jean The necklace is a fun little piece that my daughter, Katy and I made the other night. You can look for a tutorial on that in the coming weeks.

What I’m wearing

Long Grove Dot Top in Ivory & Mustard – size small

Ahh-Mazing Tank Long Shaper in Sandstone – One size fits most

long-grove-dot-laugh — A fun photographer/daughter and the right outfit can put just about anyone at ease in front of a camera.

Just like last month, Glamour Farms has graciously offered a $10 off coupon code for So Much Moore readers. All the details are below, so be sure to use the code when you place your order. And we would love to see what items you purchase and how you choose to style them. You can add pictures in the comments or tag me and Glamour Farms on instagram.

september-gf-coupon-code — Just plug this code in when you place your order for $10 off

Mission Organization | DIY Project Highlights

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Mission Organization DIY Project Highlights

Thanks for the love on Monday’s Closet DIY post! It seems that the copper tub has stolen a few hearts! Along those lines, let me add here that the colors, styles and types of DIYs I am using in my closet may not exactly capture your heart. And you know what? That’s okay! In some ways, it’s almost better! The goal is not to make your closet, home, family, life exactly like someone else’s. How boring would that be? But if something you see sparks an idea to solve an issue in your own space … then mission accomplished! Which is why today we’re checking out some other DIYs in this next step of Mission Organization | DIY Project Highlights.

If you’ve joined us on this Closet Makeover enough to have purged your clothes and culled through some of the chaos in your closet, then give yourself a hand. If you were here I’d fix you a coffee or give you a cookie or something. Because we all know a plaque or ribbon would be too tempting to take home and shove in your closet somewhere, and we’ve moved way on past that now haven’t we!

mission-organization-closet — This is it! The Mission Organization | Closet Rescue Challenge. Join 3 bloggers as we makeover our closets and let’s all head into fall with less chaos and more order in our lives.

Anyway, if you have not had the time, energy or resources to move past the purge, that’s okay too. This moving in the right direction requires a lot and every step along the way needs to be celebrated in some way. Wherever you are in this process, we want to celebrate with you. So here’s your reminder to send in a few pictures and follow us on social media. And what better way is there to celebrate than with a few prizes. Since mailing chocolate is complicated, we’ve opted for some happiness that would make a nice addition to any closet space. You can find all of our contact info at the end of this post to be entered in the giveaway drawing.

Tori’s Tips and Tricks at MessToBlessed

Tori’s master bedroom is in what formerly was an attic, so the closet is not exactly spacious. It also has sloped walls, making it impossible to store items on the walls. She found a few helpful hanging items on amazon to simplify her accessories and make her closet more functional all at the same time. One of those items was a pack of shower rings to store her scarves. I’ve tried something like this plan before, but it didn’t work so well because I didn’t have the right hangers … I wish I had read her post first to save myself some frustration.

She also found this handy 2-pack of hangers for tanks. Depending on how you hang them, they will each hold between four and 16 tanks. That’s enough to clear out and entire drawer AND keep them from wrinkling. I definitely need to add some of these to my closet.

tank top hanger — A hanger designed specifically for tank tops!

Amanda’s DIY Projects at LifeOnTheBayBushBlog

Amanda has a walk-in closet with wall space and shelves to store things but has been working on making it more organized and user-friendly for a busy mom with three girls. One of the things she did was cover some old diaper boxes with fabric and a hot glue gun, a perfect solution for those who want the look of a covered box without the details of sewing. She also had a brilliant little tip for dealing with the printing on the outside of the diaper box. Another aha! moment for me!

Check out her basic instructions on sewing-free fabric covered diaper boxes

Another fun project she did involved these glass knobs, a piece of wood and some fun paint. Whenever you can add some style to the storage process it’s a good thing!

glass knob hanger — What’s not to love about a glass knob.

You can find each of us on social media using the links below.

Send your pictures to blog@somuchmoore.net or tag me in your pictures on Instagram @bethsomuchmoore, on Pinterest @ somuchmoore and on facebook @Beth Leininger Moore

You can follow Amanda @ lifeonthebaybushblog, on Instagram @ thebaybush, on Pinterest @ life on the bay bush and on facebook @ life on the bay bush blog – click on each of the underlined links to go straight to her pages.

You can follow Tori @ messtoblessed.com, on Instagram @messtoblessed, on Pinterest @ Mess to Blessed and on facebook @ Mess to Blessed – click on each of the underlined links to go straight to her pages.

Happy organizing and DIYing! And check back on Friday for more fun stuff to add to your closet, including a coupon!

Mission Organization | DIY projects

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Mission organization | DIY Projects

Happy Monday y’all! Hopefully, you’ve been able to do your closet purge and are ready for the fun stuff because this week is Mission Organization | DIY projects. Even without the DIY organizing perks, it’s amazing how simply having a purged closet can bring tremendous stress relief. Somehow we don’t realize how much of a stress-inducer chaos can be until it’s gone and we breathe a sigh of relief!

You can check out the first post and “explanation” of this series here. And there are some tips to the purging part of the process here. As well as highlights from Amanda and Tori, the other two bloggers hosting our closet makeover, here. Then you’ll find the details to join us and enter our giveaway at the end of next week later in this post.

I’m still in the process of working on some of my DIYs and should have more on those later this week, but in the meantime, I want to share a few of the completed projects. My main goal for our closet is to use items around the house to create a calm functional space with touches of things we love.

laundry-leather-knot — Like this little beauty … more on her later.

Washable Wire Shelf Cover

Our closet isn’t a typical walk-in, but it’s 11 feet wide and 3 feet deep. That extra foot of depth, along with two full-size doors that open in the center make it feel huge compared to any other closets we’ve had. One of my least favorite features are the wire shelves. The same ones we’ve had in both of our homes and every other place we’ve rented. They’re functional and affordable, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve set something on top of one of them only to have it fall through the wires and into the laundry basket or a shoe or the great abyss.

washable-shelf-cover — The shelf cover lining on the left and the fabric top on the right.

I wanted to use some of my fabric stash to create something washable, sturdy and inexpensive. Hello, shower curtain from our previous home, and muslin and velcro from my Mama’s collection, and corrugated cardboard rescued before it hit the recycle bin. I created 4 pillow-case type pockets on the underside of the shelf cover to slip in a few pieces of cardboard. The cardboard can be easily removed to wash the covers and then slid right back in to create the necessary sturdiness.

back-Velcro-strap — The Velcro strap on the back of the shelf.

I have always loved the natural look of sea-grass and the way this flows with our calm beachy color theme in our master suite. The shower curtain actually started as a tablecloth from a clearance shelf years ago. There are velcro strips attaching the cover to the back wire of the shelving and underneath the front edge so that all you see are the brackets. AH! Problem solved with no added expense. You can look for a full tutorial on this in the coming weeks, with ideas for other materials that you may have around your home.

vront-velcro-strap — Velcro tab to cover front of shelf.

Laundry Tub with Washable Liner

The next DIY I’ve been working on is a new “laundry basket” that started with an idea my hubby suggested. There are several tutorials for French laundry baskets on pinterest – gorgeous! But, it was more than the already long to-do list could handle, and I didn’t have all the materials at home. Then my hubby asked about the big copper bucket in our family room that we’ve tossed pillows in for years. Hmmmm..

laundry-bucket — A little antique copper / mid-century chintz laundry bucket

It’s really old, with plenty of character, including a cut on one side that would definitely snag clothes. It can also only be cleaned up so much, so I decided to make a washable fabric liner for it. I didn’t want to use the same fabric as the shelf covers, so I opted for this thrifted mid-century chintz that I’ve been saving for something fun for the past year.

I cut out a tweaked a practice liner from some broadcloth and ended up using it to actually line the liner, because why not! There’s a 2″ flap over the top edge, including a small section inside the handle, to help it stay in place. With a little casing and 2 pieces of leather cording, that liner isn’t going anywhere until I decide to remove it and wash it. You can also look for a more detailed tutorial on this in the coming weeks.

Some in-process Artwork

The other project I’ve started is a little bit of artwork. Our daughter Katy and her best friend Jessica – who will soon also be my daughter-in-law, yes, another post on that coming up – painted some super cool artwork for Katy’s wedding a few years ago. One of those was a fun quote and I knew I wanted to use the same technique for a little quote to add to our closet wall.

We pulled out some paints that the Deco-art crew shared with us at Haven and started on this little beauty. It kind of looks like a dark boring mess right now, but trust me there will be more color and fun by next week when we post our Closet Makeover Reveals.

put on love mess — My completely not-styled mid-breakfast shot of DIY artwork

Don’t forget to sign up for the Giveaway!

Speaking of the Closet Makeover Reveal, here are the things to do if you want to be entered in the giveaway …

1 – Send your pictures to blog@somuchmoore.net or tag me in your pictures on Instagram @bethsomuchmoore, on Pinterest @ somuchmoore and on facebook @Beth Leininger Moore

2 – Follow myself, Amanda and Tori on social media …

That’s it! Check back Wednesday for some tips and techniques from Amanda and Tori as well as progress on a few more DIYs. And if you haven’t started, it’s not too late to join in the fun. You are not required to have a magazine-worthy closet at the end of this, but once you purge and do even just a little organizing, you’ll be so very glad you joined in!

When your day turns out way better than you planned

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The annual weekend getaway to the Smoky Mountains

You know how sometimes you make plans for something and you’re just sure they’re going to be awesome? And then they’re not? They’re actually better? I love it when that happens. That was our story a few weekends ago and it was so sweet.

Porch-view — The beginning of “better than we planned”.

Our church family started a wonderful tradition a few years ago. We reserve a cabin, or three, in the Smoky Mountains and spend the entire weekend just hanging out and enjoying the views. Or hiking, playing games, fishing, cruising Gatlinburg or doing nothing … basically whatever strikes our fancy at the time.

It’s such a fun balance between being away and being together. Oh, and we eat. And maybe nap. And then we eat again. And enjoy the views.

Mountain roof — And even more views to enjoy.

Our family drug in pretty late Friday night this year. I was up early Saturday morning as part of the breakfast crew, which obviously called for coffee. I was a little surprised when the mug had the name of a Bed & Breakfast where we had stayed for two nights as part of our honeymoon almost 25 years ago.

I sipped my coffee as we finished up breakfast and then headed out to the other cabins to let everyone know breakfast was ready. As I was heading back I noticed a little tree house off one of the rooms of the main cabin, and that’s when it dawned on me.

Cabin-and-tree-house — Our main cabin and the tree house

Made a little sweeter this year

It was the B&B where we had stayed, and suddenly it’s like I saw and remembered so many details. The latticed brick entryway floor and beamed ceiling in the kitchen. The deck stretching across the entire back of the large cabin. The little bridge out to the private tree house that at one time held a hot tub.

Treehouse path — The now familiar path to the treehouse

I was so excited I could hardly stand it. I quickly found another mug with the name of the B&B on it and poured Steve’s coffee. When he showed up a few minutes later I led him out to the little tree house deck to show him the view.

Stained-glass — Stained glass and cabin surprises

As if that wasn’t awesome enough, his expression showed the exact moment he recognized everything. Even our teenage girls were impressed with the story.

What are the odds? There are hundreds upon hundreds of cabins for rent in the Smokies, and we just happened to be at the very one where we had honeymooned.

Bright-mountains — Somehow the mountains seems even brighter and more magical.

I had actually searched for the B&B a few years ago to surprise Steve for his birthday, but I couldn’t find it anywhere. We ended up camping for his birthday and it was great fun. And this better-than-expected surprise was such fun to share with a few of our kids and each other 25 years later.

Rockers-on-deck — Soaking in the details calls for slowing down

My own reminder to notice the details and savor the surprises

So I guess my reminder in all of this is to pay attention. I’m sure at some point it would have dawned on me where we were staying, but I’m so glad it was at the start of our weekend. It made our time even more enjoyable and special.

And the other lesson? Coffee. First thing. Every day. You’re welcome!

What sort of better-than-expected moments have you celebrated lately?

Tassel Necklace

Supplies for the Tassel Necklace

Necklace Supplies

Tools

Making the Tassel

Adding the Beads

The Finishing Touches

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Mission Organization | Closet Reveal Highlights

Closet Makeover Goals

To answer a few questions …

Final thoughts …

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Mission Organization | The Closet Makeover Reveal

The Purge

The DIYs

Wire Shelf Covers

The Laundry Bucket

The Shoe Shelf

The Storage Box Liners

The Accessory Storage and Art Work

The File Box and Frames

The Backstories

The Burlap Quote and Pottery

Final Thoughts

Giveaway Drawing

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The curated closet

Glamour Farms Fashion Friday | Long Grove Dot Top

Football and all things Fall

Some more layering options

What I’m wearing

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Mission Organization DIY Project Highlights

Tori’s Tips and Tricks at MessToBlessed

Amanda’s DIY Projects at LifeOnTheBayBushBlog

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Mission organization | DIY Projects

Washable Wire Shelf Cover

Laundry Tub with Washable Liner

Some in-process Artwork

Don’t forget to sign up for the Giveaway!

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Made a little sweeter this year

My own reminder to notice the details and savor the surprises

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