If you are in the northern hemisphere, good are the chances you’ll find this colorful tutorial helpful :)  The DIY fabric dyeing technique shown for this watermelon short can be used with any fabric dye project your creative mind will think of :)  One useful trick before trying this for yourself;  the dye will fix best on 100% cotton fabric, or other natural fibers.  Synthetic fibers are water repellant, which means they will prevent the colored water (your dye) from penetrating the fabric.  I got my short at the thrift store and the dye kit at Deserres.ca.  Follow the steps and have a wonderful summer style :) xo Ari

Material:

• Thrifted white shorts (100% cotton is the best.. 98% cotton will work as well)
• Tulip Fabric Dye Kit – available online here
• Pebeo SetaSkrib fabric Marker – available online here

Video tutorial:

Lately, one of my favorite things has been experimenting in the kitchen. What I mean by that is trying new natural foods, discovering their amazing benefits and figuring out the perfect combinations to create the ultimate bliss burst. As much as there is a panoply of amazing foods out there, sometimes less is more and you only need a few ingredients to come up with delicious things. For example, my latest concoction, the Honey Ginger Lemon Elixir! Below find out how to make the elixir and learn about its benefits.

Lemon

• Aids Digestion
• Cleanses Your System (acting as a diuretic)
• Boosts Your Immune System
• Balances pH Levels
• Clears Skin (for healthy glowing skin!)
• Energizes You and Enhances Your Mood
• Promotes Healing
• Freshens Breath
• Hydrates Your Lymph System (supports the immune system by hydrating and replacing fluids lost by your body)
• Aids in Weight Loss

Learn more about the benefits of drinking warm lemon water on Tasty Yummies.

Ginger

• Cancer (Several studies have demonstrated ginger’s ability to defeat several types of cancer cells)
• Diabetes Prevention (Lowers blood fat levels)
• Antiobiotic
• Antifungal
• Ulcers (intestinal ulcers can be prevented with ginger)
• Anti-inflammatory ability
• Reduces Menstrual Pain (in a blind study, ginger powder capsules were found to be as effective as both mefenamic acid (an anti-inflammatory) and ibuprofen!)
• Eases Nausea and Motion Sickness

To learn more about the benefits of ginger visit GreenMedInfo.

Honey

• Natural sweetener
• Builds up immune system
• Soothes soar throat
• Cures a hangover (the fructose speeds up the oxidation of alcohol in the liver)
• Beats insomnia
• Improves athletic performance (Studies suggest that honey may be one of the most effective carbohydrates to ingest before a workout since it’s easily digested and releases into the body at a steady rate)
• Anti-bacterial and anti-fungal (heals cuts and burns)
• Great skin moisturizer

Please buy honey consciously! Try as much as possible to buy local, organic and unpasteurized. Pasteurized honey looses most, if not all, of its properties.

Now the real deal! It’s basically like making tea besides you’re pouring hot water over some freshly sliced ginger and lemon. Sweeten (with honey) to taste. Use agave or stevia if you prefer vegan options. Drink hot on a cold rainy day, or let infuse and cool down in fridge for hot summer days! For a perfectly smooth texture, pour the concoction through a strainer.

I discovered this Brooklyn wood artist yesterday on one of my favorite local blog, Mode 34B (french only sorry) and I immediately feel in love with her creations.  Made of reclaimed wood laths from old floors and walls, Ariel Alasko‘s designs are rough & textured but also very delicate and rich, respecting the noble material she works with.  She creates wood wall boards, bed head boards and tables with one of a kind patterns. A talent to be recognized :) I invite you to follow her blog where she shares beautiful pictures of her everyday work.   xo Ari

You guys asked for it, here it is :)  The DIY tutorial for creating your own nebula print.   A nebula is a cloud of particles and gas resulting of the explosion of a dead star.  New stars are born in nebula clouds, it’s a pretty amazing process that occurs over millions of years in our universe :) It’s awesome because you can pick your favorite nebula out there to recreate.  You’ll find some examples at the end of this post.

Material (all avalaible online at DeSerres.ca)

• Cobalt, baby blue, pink, white and black acrylic paint
• paint thinner for softening your paint
• one tiny brush
• one large sponge and one small sponge
• cotton tee-shirt, leggings or shoes.

As I was surfing the web in search of kitchen shelf inspiration, I found a little hidden gem: Chiaozza, a small design studio based in Brooklyn, NY, designing and making playful objects for everyday life. The frames are hand-cut geometrical shelves built with simple wooden joinery. Their components slot together and can be hung on a nail. Effortless, yet sophisticated, colorful and creative.. in short, all the ingredients needed to add personality to a room!

Give your sunglasses a fresh look with flowers and pearls and chains!  Simple and very quick to create, you’ll find most of the material at your local crafts store or online at DeSerres.ca .  Check out our embellished sunnies inspiration post for more ideas on how to make your shades look swell for the season!  I personally loooove the tiki look but couldn’t find the ornaments to succeed the look.  Let us know how yours turn out on Instagram @arianeski #boatpeoplevintage or by email at our info email address!  :)  xo Ari

Material needed:

• Silk daisies or other tiny scrapbooking flowers – available here
• Glue gun
• Chain, pearls and other ornaments

Watch the video tutorial:

Special thanks to the band Ponctuation for the song, which is available for free here!

Now, if you decide to use traditional make up and have naturally light colored eyebrows, obtaining a bright result won’t be too hard. However, if your eyebrows are naturally pretty dark, you can tone them down using a concealer pencil. I tried it myself and I love it. It’s playful, futuristic (definitely makes me feel like I’m from The Capitol) and perfect for summer …so get loose with your make up, paint your face and have fun!

Image source

I am sometimes nostalgic of my teen years during the 90s, but when nostalgia strikes, I always find a way to ease my pain, like putting on a Lionel Richie record or watching 16 Candles, Weird Science, or even better:  Untamed Heart (you have to see these movies).  Sometimes a movie doesn’t make it so I dress up like it’s the 90s again, good thing it is pretty trendy these days!   So I decided to recreate this crazy trend we had in the late 90s called the convertible pants, or the zip-off pants.  This time around, I made it from an American Apparel (our sponsors, thanks!!!) easy jeans, the most comfortable pants.. EVER!

Ari’s tips:

I suggest you use a plastic zipper so it won’t iritate your skin or get stuck in your skin (or hair if you have leg hair lol)

You can finish the hem or leave it raw, but the raw fabric will fray, and this means you’ll have to re-sew it once in a while!

You can do a short or a bermuda, I went for the mid-thigh length which I think is a unique length we don’t see much in fashion these days, which I love. :)

Material:

• 30-40 cm plastic zipppers
• Scissors, thread, pins
• sewing machine
• Skinny pants

Watch video tutorial:

Boat People’s co-owner Mel moved three months ago in this cute one bedroom apartment downtown Québec, Canada.  Being a true vintage worshiper, she decorated this tiny space with care and style, giving an amazingly modern twist to her romantic vintage furniture.  Mel is a great example of someone who can make a lot with a little;  The 500 square feet apartment has a monthly rent of 490$ but when you step inside, it feels big and fancy!  Hope you enjoy the tour xo

Indoors:

Decor inspo ideas: add rugs, pillows, lights and plants or fresh flowers to your space.

Backyards:

In the city:  you’ll need plants, plants and more plants!

Image source here, here and here.