Five Steps to Decorating a Bubba Keg

Good Morning from Myrtle Beach!!! I am here on Beach Week with what feels like all of UVA right now and so happy to be here! We got here on Sunday and don't leave until Thursday so there is plenty of time to tan and hang out with friends one last time before we all go our separate ways this summer.

This year, I decided to decorate my Bubba Keg for beach week so that no one picks it up thinking it's theirs and also because I love to craft! I actually didn't have time to finish decorating it before Beach Week because I was working on a Mother's Day project so I had to finish crafting it on our balcony in our suite! Nothing says "you're in a sorority" quite like monogramming a bubba keg on your balcony at beach week!

It was actually super easy to decorate the bubba keg, and while I didn't have time to do the original Lilly print I was planning to do, I love how it turned out!

What You Need:

Bubba Keg* (any size you want, but I have a 34oz and that is more than sufficient)

Painters Tape

Metal Primer

Spray Paint/Acrylic Paint

Paint Pen

Modge Podge

Waterproof Sealant

1) Line the Area in Painters Tape: Spray paint will speckle any area around the part that you are painting so make sure that everything you don't want painted is covered! (don't forget to cover the handle)

2) Apply A Coat of Metal Primer: One or two coats of this should do the trick. Also, when I say metal primer, you can use a multi-purpose primer, too! I just got one of those heavy white spray paint ones and I actually didn't even put white paint over it for the stripes because two coats was heavy enough.

3) Paint Design on a Cooler: You can really do any design you want based on time and artistic ability! I love the way a Lilly Print looks on these, but my basic stripe design took me no time at all, I just bought a little thing of spray paint and utilized more painter's tape to tape off the white area. Also, for monogramming, I would recommend a paint pen. I am pretty good at freehanding my monogram (that's what I did on my cooler) but that pen allows you to have a bit more control. I would also recommend using a monogram sticker or transfer paper to trace if you are less sure of your freehanding skills.

4) Seal the Cooler: You don't want the paint to chip! I actually didn't have modge podge with me so my cooler wasn't sealed this way, but the waterproofing did the trick for now...

5) Waterproof Your Cooler: This is a great sealant and it is perfect for the beach! The water isn't getting into my cooler which is ideal. I actually walked around in the water with my cooler yesterday and nothing happened to it so that is saying something!

6) Fill it and ENJOY! Whether it's a margarita or just water (stay hydrated, my friends), enjoy your beach beverage!

Have y'all decorated a bubba keg or cooler? I would love to see pics!

xoxo,

SSP

* I think they are cheapest at Walmart, but Amazon sells them too and they have a host of color options

Kate Spade Keds DIY

A college girl's budget is hard to shop on. It means learning how to bargain hunt like a professional and what is worth spending money on. Jack Rogers? Worth it...oh and did I mention they're on sale on Last Call right now? I am talking I just spent like $65 and got two pairs of them...yeah, two. Follow this link to get the gift card and you can save extra money by entering the code "BestMom" at the living social checkout and enjoy!

Okay, back to this post...

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I am definitely on a budget and that budget does not include $75 Kate Spade Keds (similar)...even if they are totally adorable and covered in polka dots.

Well, all I could do was think about them and then one day when I was in Target (my happy place), I got an idea. Why don't I just make my own Kate Spade Keds? So for less than $20...yes TWENTY...I made my own pair and I couldn't be happier! (aka I got 2 pairs of Jack Rogers and a cute pair of sneakers all for the price of the original Keds)

What Do You Need:

White Keds or flat sneakers (mine are from Target)

Gold Fabric Pen

Pencil

Tissue Paper

How To:

1. Stuff the tissue or newspaper inside the shoe and try to pack it in there. It is much easier to draw on the shoe and apply pressure if there is a solid backing to it.

2. Take the laces out of your shoes so that you can color that part of the shoe too.

3. Add polka dots to the shoe.

This part is totally a personal preference thing. If you are not confident in your ability to draw a circle, trace the end of the pencil with the gold pen and then color inside that circle (this can take a while...I was trying to hold the pencil in my mouth...it was a hot mess). I personally freehanded the circles and the spacing, but I totally understand if you don't want to! Also, make sure that the color paint is what you are looking for. I did these last night with one pen and when I remembered that I had a gold paint pen, I re-did them this morning and I am so happy I did!

left is the new gold, right pen was more yellow

4. Add the laces back in and rock the shoes!

Seriously, this was such an easy DIY. I think I finished them first time in an hour and for so much less than I would've paid for the original Keds.

xoxo,

SSP

Gift Guide: For Your Mistle Toes

Well, I probably should've been packing and cleaning last night, but instead some TV and a homemade dinner basically took over my evening and I have no regrets. Seriously, praise everything! Finals are over and I can head home today. Now that I am heading home for the semester, I can bake Christmas cookies and see my friends (oh, and work)...oh and then come back for January Semester in a couple of weeks, but it will be a much needed break. 

I know I have posted gift guides over the last couple of weeks, but those were primarily gifts for the select few friends who get specialized presents. I mentioned how much I love to give presents in those posts and while it's true, my college budget is not known for having a lot of wiggle room. A month or two ago I came across a post on Pinterest that inspired me (and many other bloggers by the look of my reading list) to get little gifts for a bunch of my friends.

Every girl can use a new bottle of nail polish and these tags I created add a punny, unique flair to your gift. If you have time to order them online (aka you don't need them for a gift exchange in the next couple of days), I highly reccomend using Amazon or eBay to find Essie and other name brand polishes at a lower price. So here's to cute gifts that don't break the bank. Plus, with gifts as easy as these you have time to add some homemade peppermint bark or Christmas cookies to the gift!

What budget-friendly gifts did you give this year?

xoxo,

SSP

I went with 2 mini bottles instead of one big one,
but either works!