DIY: Key Toppers

Colour coding is a super easy way to help identify which keys are for which doors… your bike lock, just about anything! Using nail polish is a simple and inexpensive way to customize your key tops! Check out this uber-practical DIY to learn how!

Time: 1 hour (includes drying time)

Supplies: 

Nail Polish (Vibrant colours work best)

Top Coat Nail Polish

Tooth picks 

Tape 

Paper 

Step One: 

To prepare your keys for painting, use 1 inch of tape cover the jagged bottoms of the keys to protect them from getting nail polish on them. This will ensure that you have a nice clean edge after you paint the tops of your keys. 

Step Two: 

Start painting! Paint thin and even layers on the tops of your keys with the nail polish. Depending on the polish, sometimes they might need a second (or third) coat. Place them on a piece of paper before you do this to prevent getting nail polish on your furniture. 

Step Three:

Wait for them to dry for about 10-15 minutes. You can also use a blowdryer or leave them outside in the sun to speed up this process.

Step Four: 

Here comes the fun part! You can stop here, take off the tape and leave your key tops solid colours,  or you can go ahead with the designs! Make sure your keys are completely dry before you start. 

This is where you can let your creativity shine! 

Fun Polka Dots: Using the flat end of the toothpick, dip it into a bright colour and press it onto the key top like a stamp. Place them randomly all over the key top for a preppy, spotty look!

Colour Blocking: To do a trendy colour blocking design, use the tape again to section off the parts of the key top that you would like to paint another colour. This will create a nice, even, straight line once the key is dry. After, fill in the spaces that you wanted to paint! Absolutely fail proof and simple! 

Step Five: 

After you added designs, let them dry again for 15-20 minutes. Finish by coating them with a clear top coat. 

Once they are fully dry, take off the tape and you have customized, stylish, identifiable key tops! 

How I Style Flower Crowns!

Hey guys! If you are an avid RachSpeed reader, you would know that I LOVE flower crowns and have been sporting them in blog posts and instagram photos all year. Alot of people were asking me where I got my beloved floral headpieces, and I actually made them myself with the help of a handy glue gun and some floral wire. My sister actually made a DIY video on this that you can check out at her youtube channel, sydtayzer. (The vid is below!)

Anyways, I styled three looks that I wore with a classic floral crown made of daisies, which was also a DIY piece... Here it goes!

Dress: TNA, Bag: Urban Outfitters, Sandals: American Eagle, Watch: Guess, Sunglasses: Aldo

First look: Pair it with a Maxi! I think it's super fun to go "full out hippy" and pair it with some accessories that also help play up the look. If it bothers you that your maxi is dragging on the ground, tying the end in a knot is a great way to keep it off the floor without compromising your style. I can't stand when I'm on public transit and the dress is picking up all the dirt on the ground, so it's a good option! 

I took some inspiration from coachella outfits that I saw online, and decided to go with a whimsy, more bohemian feel. Initially I thought that these would be super awkward to wear in public, but the more that I wear them I get more used to the idea. 

Crop top: American Apparel, Shorts: Hollister, Shoes: Converse low tops 

I am absolutely obsessed with the cult fave, Brandy Melville, so I decided to make the second look an homage to the brand. This is a more "city girl" and punky way to wear a flower crown, and I think it's a great way to bring some 90's inspired pieces back to life.

Dress: Brandy Melville

I would say look three is the most my style, because I love things that you can just throw on and go! 

How are you wearing your flower crowns?

xo Rach

Daytime Skirt Outfit Ideas!

Skirts are way fun and flirty, perfect to spice up February. Although it's super cold where I live, I decided to not opt for tights for the sake of the photo and with Spring coming, we won't have to wear tights for very long. These looks would look great with high socks and fun patterned tights as well for colder weather. I put to looks together that would be day-time appropriate. I can't wait till it warms up where I live! 

Look: Skirt - Agent 99, Shirt - The Gap, Clutch - Zara, Coffee Cup - American Eagle 

The real question is, how can you wear a skirt without looking too dressed up, or simply, just "too much"? The trick is contrast, layers and textures. Find two pieces that sort of "clash". This can be based on the fabric or the cut. The look with the houndstooth skirt is the perfect example of mixing a more casual top with a fitted, more formal skirt. The ruffled detail on the shirt adds interest and flair without being too overwhelming.

Look: Top - Agent 99, Skirt - H&M kids

The next outfit is a little sassier - leopard is a fun pattern that most definitely needs a simpler top. I love the idea of crop tops with skirts! It's a fun way to show a little skin without revealing too much. A bright colour is great as well!

Until next time,

Rachel 

My Bedroom - the (heinous) before & (glorious) after

When I'm not putting together outfits, videos or tumbling, I really love to look at bedroom ideas and home decor. As a student, I live among 3 other housemates in a small townhome in the "student ghetto", pretty much on the edge of my campus. When we moved in, our house was your typical, absolutely disgusting student house with walls that had questionable colour choices. I thought that it had potential, and I started the entire "makeover" with my mom in September the week we moved in. It was a ton of work, but I'm happy that I have a clean space now that I can relax and it was well worth the work... 

I feel that your bedroom is an extremely important place where it should feel relaxing and sanctuary-like. I wanted somewhere that was calm, girly - I like to dub it my "Taylor Swift" bedroom. I wanted a bedroom that you can "fall in love" in, somewhere soft, feminine and romantic. It went well with the type of room I had, with a slanted ceiling and wood panelled walls, I knew that this was going to be the best type of look suited for my bedroom. 

Pictures are worth 1000 words, so here are the before and afters:

DISCLAIMER: The "before" photos are what the room looked like before I moved in (what it looked like when the last tenants were there). How ugly it was before was out of my control... 

A great tip to have a small place seem bigger is ti MINIMALIZE the crap. Keep only the nice things out, and put the ugly things in under bed storage tucked away. Ugly things are well, ugly! Ugly things will make your room look UGLY, plain and simple. Also, painting the room white made it look fresh, bright and a lot larger than it was before. I used a lot of soft colours and kept the colour scheme of soft baby blue, white and pink. For those of you who are wondering, I have a Queen size bed, and the mattress sits quite low because I do not have a box spring. The sleigh bed is a family heirloom, and the desk and chair was repainted white and are vintage pieces. 

How minimalize all the sh*t (!) in your room: Ask yourself, what is important to have on display? What are important pieces to you? If it's books, have a bookshelf, if it's work, have a desk, if it's sleep, try to invest in a larger bed. Pick 2 priority activities which you'll be using your room for and stick to those. For me, it's my desk/vanity and my bed (Priorites: Filming/blogging, working, sleep). 

Paint colour: "Cloud White" by Benjiman Moore

Tip 2: Matching - Although "Matching" could get a little out of hand, I suggest to try to find pieces that are useful as well as cohesive in a bedroom. The more mismatched things that you have, the more your room will look disheveled. This doesn't mean that it was to be matchy matchy, eclectic/vintage is a look that I love as well,  but there is still a sense of cohesiveness with pieces that have an eclectic feel. Also, know your scale and proportions, try to find pieces that suit the shape and size of your room. 

Tip 3: Utilize your space: The way the closet was organized before was the worst way of using space ever. Look at all the empty space that could've potentially been used for storage. It is common for the student rooms to have closets like this where they are "built-in". Personally, I can't stand it, but I tried to make it work. I took out the rod in the closet, and moved the dresser (which she left behind) into the closet space so I'm able to use the other clothing rod beside, where I display my jackets and prettier clothing pieces. I also painted the background chevron to keep things interesting! 

Finally, not my bedroom but I wanted to show the before & after of my living room. What a difference paint colour makes! This is just to show that furniture does not have to necessarily match to look put-together. These are all vintage pieces (besides the bean bag chair) and having less couches makes the space looks brighter and much larger than it did before.

Overall, I hope this helps show how much the small home improvements make when trying to make the best of a bad/ugly space. I tried the best that I could!

xoxo Rachel 

all the little things (thanks to instagram)

Since I got my iPhone a couple of months ago, I have to admit I've become quite the "instagrammer". I found myself becoming the absolute, typical, cliche Instagram user who was taking pictures of starbucks cups, my home cooked meals and every other stereotypically "Instagram" object. 

What's funny about this, is that Instagram has truly become a photo diary for me. I tend to document more of what I'm doing during the day, and it has helped me discover my obsession with tcotchkes... I love all those small, semi-useless things that keep me motivated. 

I'm not sure if the above explanation made any sense, so let me put it simply: I freaking love small random things that have no other use but to just make me happy. Not saying that material things are the key to happiness, but there are so many small, adorable things that I use that really keep me moving.... and these are the things that I'm usually uploading to Instagram. 

So... without further ado, here are the little things that I've been obsessing over lately. 

First things first, I love to write. One little activity that has been keeping me sane is this book called "642 things to write about", which I bought at Indigo (but you can also get at Urban Outfitters). It's a fun book that keeps my creative juices flowing. It gives you all these really fun tasks such as "you are an astronaut, describe your perfect day", and allotted space for you to write these scenarios. It has almost become another "diary" of mine, because they ask you so many persona stories, that for me, it is definitely something that I need to keep private from now on. It's a great little book for everyday inspiration! 

I would consider myself someone who indulges in technology, so having an iPad has truly changed the way I browse the web, and has taken me to a whole 'notha level of lazy. I also have all my subscriptions hooked up to my iPad so it's a great eco-friendly way to read Cosmo, Seventeen and Glamour - some of my fave magazines. My iPad and my iPhone have really helped me stay on track just as much as they keep me in bed. There are so many apps that I would love to go on a tangent about, but it really deserves it's own separate post. 

 And whilst I'm spending hours in bed, I would also see this as one of the "little things" that make me smile. I love my bed!! My whole life I've been sleeping in a twin size bed, and I've upgraded to a Queen sized bed this year which has actually impacted my life in so many ways. I really do see my bed as a quiet sanctuary, and is the place where I spend most of my time if I'm in my bedroom, whether it's writing in 642 or playing guitar, which is another little thing that lights up my life. I recently took up guitar this summer, and it has been one of the best ways for me to unwind.

What are the little things that light up your world (like nobody else, haha)? 

xoxo Rachel 

For those hopeless sleepless nights... My fave websites of the moment

I've been feeling super nauseous and sick lately, so that resulted in me taking a "nap" from about 10pm to 1 am... and now 4:38 has arose and I cannot sleep. Still feel a little sick, but honestly nothing stops me from my laptop time. Normally when I have my insomniac episodes, I end up all night browsing the internet. I thought it would be fun to share some of my fave blogs with y'all!  

My fave webbies...

FOR WORKING OUT/HEALTH & FITNESS...

1. Blogilates - I love blogilates!! It's super fun & most definitely not intimidating. I'm not exactly the most athletic person, so it's a great way to get myself moving and active. You can pretty much make it as challenging as you want, and I love Cassey's upbeat attitude and music! 

2. FITSPOS (Check out my current fave one here, fit-and-furious) - I know this is sort of controversial, because to be honest, there are many tumblr "fit-inspiration" blogs that can give you a super skewed, unrealistic image of what a healthy body should look like. I try to find fitspos that focus on exercise and athleticism more than just being thin, or coveting "thigh gaps" - I love ones that have words of encouragement, before & after photos and exercise ideas! 

FOR WASTIN' TIME...

1. TUMBLR (here's mine!) - I love tumblr. I never truly understood the point of it till my sister showed me it, but I absolutely love it. I've had one for almost two years now... and I'm still obsessed. I would say I'm a pretty "visual-oriented" person, so a website like tumblr is perfect for me. I truly feel that it's a way that I'm able to express my feelings without actually knowing how to verbalize them just yet. For me, tumblr is more a "diary" type of blog, but there are so many ways to use it - Just like blogging, tumblr can really be absolutely anything you want it to be, it's super versatile. 

2. PINTREST - Although I do not have my own pintrest account... I love pintrest. I don't really understand the full entirety of it just yet, but it's great way to look at certain things (for me, it's bedroom decor), and gain ideas and inspirations. 

FOR FUN...

1.  The Beauty Department - It's such a great website with honesty, the best tips and tricks of the trade. They make beauty fun without it getting too prissy or complicated. I'm also a super huge fan of Lauren Conrad, and I love that they created such a great website that can help you add flair to your beauty regimen.

2. ROOKIEMAG - My friend Zoe just showed me this website! AND I love it! It's kind of a "hipster" version of a teenvogue or seventeen, but in website form. They have everything there from fashion to relationship inquiries. It's a new find for me.. but so far I've been obsessed.

FOR WERK...

1. BIBME - I know this one is a little big nerdy, but I don't even know how I would do my bibliographies without it. It's my favourite bib maker because it's fast, plus you can also get an account, which saves your bibliographies! I've been using it since high school and still use it in university to help me out with my "works cited".

2. Khan Academy - Khan Academy is really popular, and is the only way I am surviving through my drudging statistics course at the moment. They simplify their online lessons and go through certain topics (Math, Science, History... you name it), it makes great review as well. 

FOR MUSIC...

1. 8 Tracks - I know there are so many other "radio" like websites out there like Pandora, songza and whatnot, but I really do think that 8tracks is the best one. It's a great way to find out about new music that you haven't heard before, and the playlists are always something I'm in the mood for. You can choose whatever type of music you want to listen to, whether it's sad, happy, acoustic... I love listening to it in while I'm getting ready in the morning or in the shower. They have great workout playlists too, and you can even create your own and share them if you're feeling crafty. 

& with that, I'll leave you with the current words that are keeping me motivated...

xoxo Rach

SCRUNCHIES!!

  With the new tv show The Carrie Diaries out & about, I decided to create my own ode to 80's fashion by wearing scrunchies! Although I never really indulged in "scrunchie-wear" as a child, I definitely had my moments of hair accessory experimentation. I made a quick trip to pick up a few scrunchies, and I was most definitely impressed with the selection at American Apparel. My fave ones are definitely the velvet ones! Whether you just need to tie your hair up, want to try something new or have gym class - scrunchies are the best way to tie up your hair and not have those awkward kinks/dents.  Here are some ways that I wear my hair up!

1. Low side pony - leave your hair looser and fluff the ends out. If you have bangs, leave them out! It's a really pretty way to make your hair look effortlessly put together.

2. High pony - I know that Blair Waldorf would never be caught DEAD in a scrunchie, but if she had to, I suppose this would be the most "blair way" to do it. Tie up all your hair and fasten it with the scrunchie, fluff the ends and loosen it a little so it looks less "done".

3. Side rope braid - This could also be done in a fishtail braid or a normal loose braid, but I decided to do a rope braid because it's fun and easy to wear casually, plus it doesn't take a lot of time to do it. 

4. Messy bun - The messier the better, start with creating a pony tail, then bring your grip of the pony about an inch further down than you would normally wear it. Create your bun from there and leave some of your wispy front pieces out to keep it looking messy and casual.

Scrunchies - American Apparel - 7.00 each (buy three get one free) 

I've also mastered the art of online collages! Expect more of these...

xoxo Rach