Happy Quarter Century Birthday to Meeeeee!

Since this is such a milestone birthday I thought I'd share a few little-knows facts about myself!

1. These photos have no filter or editing! I took them with 'photo booth' on my Mac like 5 minutes ago!

2. I can't/don't eat dairy. It makes me so sick!

3. I've visited 40 of the 50 United States and 20 countries just in the last 3 years.

4. I am scared of the movie 'Finding Nemo.' I won't watch it. The deep water and that floating barracuda freaks me out!

5. I hate cooking but I'm really good at it. Give me some random food items and I can make an entire meal out of it.

6. I've been sewing since I was 5 years old and over time made enough $ doing it to pay for my first two cars!

7. I indulged in two fingers of Johnnie Walker Blue Label at 11am this morning. Cheers!

8. I own 27 winter coats. Don't ask me why. 

9. I'm a closet sci fi geek. I can quote almost every line from the first three Star Wars movies and know every characters name; even the random pilots in the scene where Luke destroys the Death Star in the TIE Fighter.

10. Right after High School I worked in a museum that was at one point a train station during the Civil War.

11. My birthday gift to myself this year was a pair of Christian Louboutin black suede pumps.

12. I've run 2 marathons and 9 5ks.

13. I took a photo of Kate Middleton into the hair dresser to get the hair cut in the photos above and said, 'do exactly this!'

14. Three of the rooms in my house are used as closets... for clothes and shoes.

15. Besides America, my favorite country is Italy.

16. The book I'm reading right now is 'The Bostonians' by Henry James.

17. I told my husband I wanted honey BBQ Anytizers and macaroni and cheese for my birthday dinner. I have very childish food preferences.

18. I'm 5' 1" but no one ever believes me because I usually wear 6" heels!

19. The last movie I watched was 'Legally Blonde'... like 2 hours ago. It's my birthday! I can do what I want!

20. The most played song on my iPod right now is 'Closer' by Tegan and Sara.

21. Last year I spent my birthday in Scotland in a castle.

22. When I was 18 I accidentally dyed my hair hot pink.

23. I can speak reasonably good French.

24. My favorite color nail polish is classic red.

25. The compliment I receive most is that I 'look like a china doll.'

Leave me a comment with a little known fact about yourself!

Thanks for stopping by, Loves! Have a fabulous day!

xox Rachel

10 Finish-In-An-Afternoon Tee Shirt Updates!

I LOVE and thrive off of DIYs! Updating vintage or thrift store finds is one of my favorite past times! Not only because it allows me a creative outlet but because it's extremely cost efficient for keeping up with my constantly changing fashion and style mood swings! I've curated 10 of my favorite Tee-Shirt DIY updates for you below! Enjoy!

ONE // Photo credit Style Reload by Virginie Peny

TWO // Rivet Shirt via Project 22 / Full instructions HERE

THREE // Graphic Celine Paris Tee / Full instructions HERE / Buy this one HERE

FOUR // Use a black and a white tee for this DIY. Simply sew blocks of black over desired areas on white tee and add a pocket. Some measuring and sewing required / Photo credit HERE

FIVE // Lace back insert / Full instructions HERE

 SIX // Dip Dye Star Pattern Tee / Dip about 8" of the bottom of tee into bleach then rinse and hang upside down to dry. Splatter bleach onto upper part of tee with a new tooth brush. Rinse again and dry completely before wearing. Make sure to wear gloves and a face mask as bleach can be dangerous if inhaled / Photo credit HERE

SEVEN // Lace Shoulders Tee / Over lay lace onto the shoulder panels of a tee. Sew down along edges. Trim excess lace. Turn tee inside out and trim away from underneath the lace. Some sewing and measuring required / Photo credit HERE

EIGHT // 10 Minute No Sew Pocket Tee / Full instructions HERE

 NINE // Music Festival Tee / Photo credit and video instructions HERE

 TEN // Coachella 5 Minute No Sew Tee / Full instructions HERE

Let me know which ones you tried out! I can't wait to try the studded sleeve (#1) and color block sleeve/pocket (#4) styles this weekend! Leave a comment below, Tweet me @GLITTERANDBOW or tag me in an Instagram @GLITTERANDBOW!

xox Rachel

5 Last Minute Mother's Day Gift Ideas

ONE // Lovely watercolor printable stationary via The Alison Show

TWO // Pick up your Mom's favorite coffee and present it to her with a personalized chalkboard tag from How About Orange 

THREE // Spa in a Jar. Go to your local craft store and pick up a mason jar with lid then visit Bath & Body Works, Walgreens or Target and gather mini sizes of bath scrub, lip balm or gloss, foot scrub, nail file, lotion, a new Essie nail color, her favorite chocolates or any other goodies she might enjoy. Arrange them in the jar and voila! Image via The Gunny Sack. (click link for label printable)

FOUR // A project for Dad's to do with the kids from One Charming Party. Download and customize this printable coupon book for Mom and let her redeem her gift whenever she chooses!

FIVE // If you're feeling super crafty try making this super chic Rachel Zoe inspired necklace! All that's needed for this DIY project is a quick trip to Michael's or Hobby Lobby for the pieces! via HITHA on the Go. (click through for full instructions)

Happy crafting and happy Mother's Day to all my lovely mums!

xox Rachel

Instagram Lately

There are so many little daily occurrences which get recorded that I just think might be too share-y to post on the blog every day! I try to limit blog posts to longer more informative pieces about a specific subject. For example tomorrow I'll be posting about super quick DIY projects you can have ready by Mother's Day (in case you've procrastinated up until now!) But some of the photos I don't share on here I really love so I thought this week I'd do a little re-cap of my favorite moments. Hope you enjoy and if your'e not following me on Instagram click through and let's be friends! 

Top to bottom / left to right: 

Pandora carriage charm that arrived in the post from my Papa for my birthday // Enjoying a pot of Lady Gray on a sunny afternoon // Playing around with a retro hair style for an event I'm attending at the Crazy Horse in Paris at the end of this month // Favorite Summer flats by ZARA // Inspirational typography quote // New Victoria's Secret card level! Oh dear. // Fresh, organic goodies from the market down town  // German drugstore makeup haul  // Trying to choose a color for at-home mani time //

Oh, Hello 25!

Alright; I suppose I'm going to cave... all my sweet friends and family are asking me what I want for my birthday and it's time to face the fact that I'll be 25 in a week! Where did the time go!? I blink at 21 and suddenly it's 4 years later! 

When I was a kid birthday's were always made a big to-do over. My brothers and I would literally add to our birthday wish lists for an entire year and promptly forget about all of it when we ran into the dining room on the morning of the big day and see the yards and yards of colorful streamers, balloons, a Baskin Robbins ice cream cake and massive piles of gifts. 

As much as our parents joked every year about us being too old for gifts they sure outdid themselves time after time. My mother would plan for weeks before the big day and we even got to pick out a theme each year of what decor we wanted. Every detail of the party would go with that theme. 

In May 2010 my 22nd birthday was just days before my wedding (May 18th) and I told my mother I wanted a 'my little pony' theme... she didn't bat an eyelash. On May 15th, 2010 I woke up to a birthday party every 6 year old girl would be jealous of! Obviously it was a silly request... but I'd always secretly wanted a 'my little pony' themed birthday and just thought I was 'too cool' for that after 13. I was wrong. You're never too old for My Little Pony. I had decided for my last birthday in my parents house it was ok to enjoy just being their little girl. 

So even though having a birthday means being another year older I've come to realize that the number is the best gift I could receive... It means another year I was alive and lucky enough to have people who ask me what I want for my birthday because even after 25 years they still want to celebrate the fact that I exist. 

That little life lesson being said I do in fact have a little list that possibly would help me feel less depressed about the other perks that come with getting older... Not getting any younger! This is a list of things I just basically can't justify buying for myself because they're truly extravagances! 

Ok... fine. I bought the mint DV flats. That was my 25th birthday gift to myself! 

Chloe Eue de Parfum 1oz. $65 // Lemon blossom blouse from Victoria's Secret $50 // Diptyque Tubereuse candle $60 // DV by Dolce Vita Lunna flats $60 // Vanity Fair (Four Corners Familiars)(hardcover) $30 // The Great Gatsby (hardcover) $18 // Ditsy dog print wash bag in 'baby pink' by Ted Baker $39 // Ciate paint pots nail varnish in 'Mistress' $15 //

xoRachel