Caroline Burke | Burkatron

I'm a huge fan of those lace trim shorts that have been floating around pinterest, I love pinterest for DIY inspo (and the endless snaps of delicious food... mmmm) I was originally intending to customise a pair of shorts but I changed my mind an opted for a super easy update for some of my crop tees instead.

this little crafty project is really quick and perfect for beginners! you'll just need an old tee, some lace trim and a needle and thread..

I used a meter of lace trim for mine, it's easy to get hold of online or in your local haberdashery/craft department (I picked up this one in john lewis along with a few other designs!)

if you're using a regular length tee simply chop off the bottom to the desired length.. taa daa one crop top! turn the tee inside out and lay the trim along the bottom edge, use pins to secure then sew into place.

once you've sewn the trim into place, remove the pins, turn the tee the right side out and  you're done....easy huh? 

I hope you like it? do you think it's something you'd try yourself?

back soon!

caroline x

ps: a HUGE thank you to everyone who's voted for burkatron in the cosmo blog award shortlist! if you want to vote for some of your favourites you can do so here! 

summer heatwaves call for fresh fruity fingers so I thought I'd share one of my favourite tutorials with you!

you may recognise this design from my collaboration with the awesome LA based company scratch.. it's been a dream come true having them made into nail wraps and seeing other people wearing them!

I though I'd revisit them again this week as the weather has been glorious and it's the perfect summer mani!

I've always used the two same colours for this nail art barry m bright pink and spring green, both having great formula's for the price! I'm a little hooked on barry m this month particularly the gelly range.. yum.

start off by painting the cuticle half of your nails green, fill in the remaining half with the bright pink!

use a white nail art pen or striping brush to draw a white band where the two colours meet!

once dry use a black nail art pen or dotting tool to add black dashes to suggest seeds, leave to dry and seal with a good clear topcoat!

if you don't have the time or patience to try this yourself you can head over to scratch and check out my watermelon wraps before they sell out! they have some incredible upcoming featured artists and have just launched possibly the greatest concept EVER.. a monthly mani box!

back soon!

caroline x

dahlia floral playsuit: c/o sugar and style

watch: river island

cuff: c/o ilcentimetro

wedges: on sale h&m

bag: vintage

hallelujah, the weather has been glorious this week... I have actual freckles to prove it and this floral playsuit has been an absolute godsend! despite the fact I have lots of tea dresses I don't have many strappy options for when the weather is really warm (thoroughly unprepared as ever- I need some more cami's in my life!)

the playsuit is from the lovely peeps at sugar and style boutique who have the most gorgeous selection of affordable but lust worthy dresses and accessories; one of my other favourites was this bow dress that I'm eyeing up for payday! definitely one to bookmark if you're a lover of pretty things..

the wedges were a sale find in h&m last week so this is their first outing.. hello newbies! I've accidentally kept up the white accessory theme with my vintage bag which I unearthed from the depths of my wardrobe earlier this week! (I so love discovering old clothes and bags I'd forgotten about.. yipee!)

forgive me as I hastily close my laptop and run off towards the 'tanning zone' otherwise known as the patio.. my niece is splashing about in the back garden and I feel it my solemn duty to provide adult 'supervision' in the paddling pool... ahem.

back soon!

caroline x

oh my gosh I'm such a hoarder! 

if I step into a charity shop I undoubtedly exit with some more trinkets I don't actually need but have a wicked compulsion to collect (case in point my growing collection of miss matched teacups and saucers..)

I love vintage teacups, I tend to justify collecting them so I can throw afternoon teas parties but more often than not they sit neglected and dusty amongst my other bits and pieces.

so to cheer up my old china I decided to give it a new life as teacup candles! it's surprisingly easy (and darn quick) you'll just need the following:

candle wax (500g was enough for 3 candles)

pre dipped wicks (available here)

a double boiler (two saucepans will do!)

old teacups

first pick your teacups, I went for mismatched patterns as I wanted mine to be a little eclectic.

now take your candle wicks and attach them to the teacup base so they don't move when your pour in the wax! (I just used a dab of super glue)

leave them on some newspaper and get the wax melting. I used a double boiler method (quarter/half fill a saucepan with water and place a slightly smaller saucepan over the top, it's the same method you'd use to melt chocolate) keep an eye on the hot wax as it melts, once it has turned liquid it's ready to pour!

pour into the teacups and leave them to set! easy peasy!

you may find the wax dries with a slight well in the centre, if this happens prick holes a few centimetres deep into the wax around the wick. just pour over some melted wax to level them off and leave to dry again

it's a really fun and easy DIY and you can be more creative with it by adding colour and fragrance into the wax! the teacups and saucers look so pretty on my bedside table, I can't wait to light them...

the saucepan wasn't hard to clean up either, just pour out and wax and add hot water and washing up liquid and give it a little scrub to remove any excess.

if you like this and my other craft projects I'd love you to vote for me in the cosmo blog awards, I've been shortlisted for best craft blog (eeeeeeep) if I could give you all a hug for helping me get there I would, I can't explain how much it means to me... thank you all again!

big love

caroline x

this laurel wreath collection dress makes me rather darn happy!

it has two additions that never fail to tickle my fancy, pockets & shoulder pads.. POW! (oh I heart you fred perry)

essentials aside it's such a cute 1950's inspired number! covered with daisies and polka dots, crafted from silk, it's light as a feather and perfect for evenings in this heatwave. I can't believe how hot it's been this week, crikey! one of my favourite features is the high rounded black collar which you can't see much of in these pictures as my tangled mane has rather taken over. 

the boots are best friends to my feet, uber comfortable (I can walk properly in them) thank the lord for new look. my bag was acquired from the result of rummaging through some of my favourite vintage and second hand shops and is one of my go-to daytime accessories... I can cram an unholy amount of clutter and make up into it...winner!

daisy and polka dot printed dress: c/o fred perry

bowler hat: h&m

bag: vintage

boots: new look 

retro gold face casio: urban outfitters

I have a wedding coming up and this dress is my current favourite option for the big day. it looks so pretty when you can see the full silhouette of high collar and rounded shoulders I'd definitely wear my hair up, I might even attempt some victory rolls and go all out vintage (if I'm feeling brave!)

hope you're all enjoying the sunshine, I seem to have an ice lolly surgically attached to my hand at all times, for medicinal purposes obviously..

back soon!

caroline x

ps, a big thank you to inside fruits who gave my blog the most lovely write up in their 'I love your style' feature here last week.. it actually made my day! you can also email them to nominate any blogs you love reading and help spread some blog love!

I've been trying out a few new beauty buys in the last fortnight as well as a couple of random purchases I couldn't resist! here's my fave bits & pieces this week:

1. topshop white martie t bar geek shoes: I feel in love with these shoes in seconds! I was really torn as I loved the red version but I thought white would be perfect to wear with frilly socks for ultimate grandma geek points!

2. lush sweetie pie shower gel & sugar scrub: I was sold on the shower gel at first sniff, smelling like the inside of a sweet shop with an added bonus of glitter throughout, yum! the sugar scrub was a impulse buy as I love a good exfoliate and I saw the ingredients were celulite banishing hurrah.. bye bye lumpy bits, hello baby soft scrubbed skin!

3. topshop powder room lip crayon: I picked this up in the hope it would be a good handbag essential. I love the matt colour but scrubbed lips are a must before application as it's slightly drying and I'm prone to chapped lips!

4. tresemme backcomb dust: wow where to begin.. this stuff is crazy. I imagined it would be like dry shampoo (which I've always found a bit of a non event) but this stuff packs a punch! I didn't follow the instructions of applying to my hands but instead opted for shaking it lightly along my roots to give some lift. it actually does make your hair seem thicker with more body and it has real texture to it which I wasn't expecting! the drawbacks? go easy at first until you've got used to it as it can easily build up and make your hair feel sticky and stiff, also take a few extra minutes to shampoo it all out after you've used it. I will definitely use this again, especially if I'm tying up my hair and want extra bouffant-ness!

5. iconemesis llama phone case* iconemesis kindly asked me to review one of theire cases; there was so many nice ones to choose from I took an age to decide! this gemma correll one really tickled me and the bright colour was so summery it finally made the decision for me (you may have seen it in my last outfit post but I wanted to share a close up snap for you!) they have a great selection of fifi lapin illustrations too so pop over and have a look if you're after a new case!

have you tried any of these too.. what did you think?

back soon!

ps: if you have a minute to vote for me in the cosmo blog awards I'd be forever grateful! I've been shortlisted along with some other lovely ladies for best craft blog yipee! 

you can cast your votes for all the catagories here (please let me know if you've voted so I can thank you myself!!)

caroline x