Alfred Hitchcock Party

Today I'm doing a guest post over at Paper Sparrow! Andrea hosts fabulously themed Blog Parties (Tim Burton or Harry Potter anyone?), and today she's tipping her hat to Mr. Hitchcock himself!

Here's a little peek at my post. I had so much fun with it (who doesn't love an excuse to wear cat eyes and a beehive hairdo?).

Stop by this afternoon and let me know what you think!

♥ Shannon

Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations to Dawn who said "What a fun giveaway! I love your tutorials. :)" Thank you so much for your support, Dawn--send me an e-mail with your address.

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway, and again, everyone who stopped by and commented for the mini blog party.

♥ Shannon

Mini Blog Party Wrap-Up

I just want to thank everyone who stopped by my mini blog party today. It was fun to put the posts together, to talk with you, and to try something new with my little blog.

Here's a re-cap of the posts from today:

--Dream Art

--Easy Vanilla Bourbon Cupcakes Recipe

--Ombre Nails Tutorial

--Curly Hair Tutorial

--DIY Paper Clip Picture Frames

--What I Wore: Birthday Edition

And of course, the Giveaway, which will be open through Friday, August 12. Good luck!

Thanks again for stopping by--it means so much to me!

♥ Shannon

What I Wore: Birthday Edition

I love a casual dress with cute pumps, know what I mean?

Outfit details: Dress: Fancy Treehouse; Pumps: Forever 21; Cocktail ring/clutch: Express

I like it when a dress shows just a peek of thigh--not too much, but just enough to give a glimpse.

♥ Shannon

It's time for a giveaway!

You can't have a mini blog party without a mini giveaway, right? This one is perfect for the last days of summer and the early fall.

Giveaway package includes:
--Olive green wristlet from Express
--Open knit beret from Forever 21
--Gold aviators from Forever 21
--Gold feather necklace from Forever 21

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below and tell me what your favorite kind of post is here on Little Luck Tree.

For additional entries, you can do any or all of the options below--just leave a comment and tell me what you did:
--Tweet this: "@Luck_Tree is having a blog party--stop by and say hello! http://tinyurl.com/6kgyvvb"
--Follow Little Luck Tree via Google Friend Connect 
--Follow Little Luck Tree via Bloglovin
--Follow Luck_Tree via Twitter
--Add Little Luck Tree to your blog roll--then post the link to your page

WINNER ANNOUNCED: Congratulations, Dawn!

♥ Shannon

DIY Paper Clip Picture Frames

So while I was away for a week, Matt moved into my workspace--turns out he also loves the natural light. Anyway, I had some pictures of our niece lying on the desk and Matt wanted to prop them up (he loves that baby and it is so cute), so he fashioned these little frames. I thought I'd show you how.

This is a great way to keep rotating pictures--so easy at home or at work. And cute!

♥ Shannon

Curly Hair Tutorial

It's time to just let it happen!

To begin, may I suggest that you only shampoo your hair 2-3 times a week? (And when you do so, please try to use an organic shampoo that is sulfate-free). Once out of the shower, gently pat hair dry with a towel. Run your fingers through it to detangle--no brushing!

Take a quarter size dollop of gel or hair cream (may I suggest Lush King of the Mods? It smells like a dream) and run through hair from roots to tips--just enough to lightly coat the hair. Too much gel will result in crunchy curls.

Feel free to let it air dry from here, helping to boost it at the roots. Or give them a head start by using a diffuser on the low setting to begin the drying process. Just keep in mind, too much time with the blow-dryer with dry your curls out.

Voila! All done--wear those curls wild like nature intended.

♥ Shannon

Ombre Nails Tutorial

I am having so much fun with pink ombré nails. They are light and summery with just a bit of whimsy. Here's how to do it:

You'll need a light shade and a dark shade of the same color, plus a clear coat.

Prep the nails with a clear coat--this will help protect them from your color.

Use the light color on your pinkie nail. It is tricky to do a second coat of color, so lay this first coat on thick.

Use a spare piece of cardboard for mixing--drip some of the light color and the dark color onto the board.

Begin to gently mix the shades.

Gradually add in a bit more of the darker color for each nail.

Continue adding the darker color through the middle finger.

Switch paint brushes to the darker color for the index finger and thumb (this will help make these nails darker than the first three).

The thumb should be just the dark color--no mixing.

You're done! Add a clear coat and enjoy!

♥ Shannon

Easy Vanilla Bourbon Cupcakes

And they're vegan, baby!

There are a ton of recipes for cupcakes from scratch, but every now and then you need a quick and easy fix! Trader Joe's mixes are made of natural ingredients, and if I can pull these off, anyone can.

Free recipe card from vol.25

Here's how to veganize these:

Trader Joe's Vanilla Cake & Baking Mix calls for...
--1 Full Package of Mix
--2 Large Eggs 1/2 Cup Vanilla Soy Yogurt
--1 Stick Melted Butter 1/2 Cup Earth Balance
--1 Cup Cold Milk 1 Cup Cold Milk Replacement*

*I have used both Coconut Milk and Almond Milk--both are sweet and bake really well.

Baker Josef's (aka Trader Joe's) White Frosting Mix calls for...
--White Frosting Mix
--1 cube unsalted butter 1/2 Cup Earth Balance
--2-2.5 TBS hot water

I suggest two boxes of the frosting mix to top 18 cupcakes. Or the cakes taste ridiculously good when they're still warm topped with a little Earth Balance. Yes yes yes.

Enjoy the kind life, friends!

♥ Shannon

What did you do for your dreams today?

This was my first time making a painting with the intention of keeping it. I wanted a bold reminder for myself, a bold reminder to do something every day about my dreams. I have very big dreams, my friends, and they haven't changed since I was eight years old.

I had a teacher that said you should do something to reach your dreams every day. It might be making a plan, doing some research, taking a class, or actively going for it. Just something to bring you closer.

What did you do for your dreams today?

♥ Shannon

Mini Blog Party

"What's a blog party? Can I go?" --Matt

So check it out, this is how we're gonna make the magic happen:

Starting at 12EST, there will be a new post every 1-1.5 hours. Look for giveaways, some tutorials, inspirational posts, and other such things that might tickle my fancy.

I'll be tweeting along the way so you know when new posts are up.

Stop by, say hello, win some prizes, and make my whole day.

♥ Shannon

You're Invited!!

Wednesday is my birthday, so I'm having a mini blog party to celebrate! Check in for inspirational posts, tutorials, giveaways, and more!

See you August 10th!

♥ Shannon