Distress Your Jeans in True JunK GyPsy Style

Distress Your Jeans Junk Gypsy Style

A do-it-yourself tutorial I followed from the 

Junk Gypsy Book

My obsession with the Junk Gypsy's style started back in 2010 when I was a junior in college, after having discovered them through Miranda Lambert. I fell in love with the Junk Gypsy designs, their passion for all things old, their unique t-shirts, fun jewelry and their fearless fashion sense. Every paycheck, I would browse their "sale" page looking for a deal on a t-shirt or jewelry piece I couldn't live without. 

The Junk Gypsy style photo with "Mama Tried" tanks and distressed jeans. Gypsyville.com

I did my best to rock the junk gypsy look. I bought a black button up vest, cut the tops of my t-shirts off to make a more off-of-the-shoulder fit, layered my jewelry and wore my boots. I rocked everything but the pantalones department. I VIVIDLY remember googling "junk gypsy jeans" and "what jeans do the Junk Gypsies wear". I was obsessed with their jeans, and their distressed look they always had. 

Amy and Jolie. Photo from the Junk Gypsy Book.

And unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how we look at it) I never found an answer. I remember searching in the chain store called Buckle for distressed jeans like Amy and Jolie's, couldn't find em. Eventually I came across a photo of the Sikes sisters and realized they were wearing the American Eagle brand jeans. So I ran to the mall and searched their jeans too, but no luck. All the distressed jeans I kept finding were high fashion jeans and their "distress" look was NOT that of the Junk Gypsy style distress I was looking for!

But fast forward to 2016 and the release of the long-awaited book, Junk Gypsy: Designing a Life at the Crossroads of Wonder and Wander, and there it is, in bright bold colors and easy-to-follow 9 simple steps to achieve the peRfeCt distress jean in true juNk gYpsy style. Hallelujah!!!

Even it being 6 years after my jean hunting obsession, I still want the junk gypsy distressed jean look. So I opened to page 167...

Then started by gathering the essentials tools needed...

Step 1- gather your tools
Jeans, a sharpie, scissors and a piece of cardboard.  I grabbed an older pair of BKE and Wrangler jeans I owned. So for step #1- I put the jeans on. Step #2- Using the sharpie I marked on the jeans where I wanted the distressing, then took them off. 

step 3
Step #3- I took the jeans off and laid them on a solid surface (our kitchen island butcher block). Step #4- I placed the piece of cardboard into the leg, below the marked area of where I was going to distress the jean (to make sure you don't damage the back fabric on that particular pant leg). 

Step 4
Step #5- Then the damage was made. I used a pair of scissors and scraped the fabric back and forth to cut through the denim. And I scraped, and scraped, and scraped (step #6).... my left hand which was holding the denim flat got to be very sore. 

Step 5

Step 7
A ta-da! The hole was achieved. I did this on each leg, on each pair of jeans, but each hole was in a different spot. One was above the knee, one was directly on the knee, one was far below the knee and I also distressed a pocket (step #7).

For step #8, I washed and dried my newly distressed jeans. 

Step #9 declared me a bonafide Rock Star. BOOM. 

Here is my "before" and "after" proof. 

Before: a standard pair of BKE jeans. After: BKE jeans distressed (at home) following the Junk Gypsy how-to

Before: a standar pair of Wrangler jeans. After:  a badass pair of Wrangler jeans that were distressed following the Junk Gypsy distressing how-to 

This Do-It-Yourself project is rated EASY AS PIE. Its fun, simple and easy to follow. 

The Junk Gypsy book is filled with awesome do-it-yourself ideas such as this project. Make sure to pick up your copy today and start creatin'.

XOXO- Sarah Beth 

                               

The Aztec Chair Makeover for $15

The Aztec Chair Makeover: for $15

                    

calamityjanewouldhave.blogspot.com

On a Wednesday afternoon I decided to spend my 30 minute lunch hour at a thrift shop down the street from my office. And at that thrift shop I found this set of vintage metal chairs.

The seats were in real bad shape but the bones of the chairs were great! I saw potential right off the bat. They were very sturdy and each knick, dent and paint chip on the legs told a story. So took them both home for a total of $5. 

                                     

So to begin the chair makeover, I shopped for the perfect fabric and gathered all the supplies I would need. 

Supplies needed:

-safety glasses

-Screwdriver 

-gloves

-fabric scissors

-fabric

-staple gun

-measuring tape or ruler

                                     

As you can see, the bottom of these seat cushions were scary. 

step 1
1) First step was to remove the seat cushions. They were simply held on by screws, so I took them off. 

step 2

2) Second step was to remove the cover on the seat cushions to inspect the condition of the actual seat cushion. The plastic covering was attached very tightly to the seat cushion, and the old staples were very old and rusty, so I just cut off the old plastic covering being very careful to not cut into the actual cushion itself underneath the plastic. (Easier said than done!)

One of the cushions was in much worse shape than I had hoped. I pulled just a little too hard on the corner of an old staple, and the entire corner tried to come off! :( 

                                   step 3                              

3) So I got some really sturdy, thick cardboard I had on hand and cut out a new bottom support for the broken cushion. 

The two cushions with old fabric removed. 

4) The next step was to inspect the old cushions for bugs or anything else gross that could be living within the fabrics. You just never know what you'll be taking home from a thrift store. These cushions seemed to be clean to me, so no bug spray was needed. 

** I also washed off the metal chair frames and let them air dry in the sun. They were covered in dirt and dust.

5) So I attached the new cardboard backing to the broken cushion with a staple gun. 

                         

6) Next, I got out the fabric. Starting with one corner  of the seat on the ending corner of the fabric, I starting stapling. Once I had one corner and one whole side stapled, I measured out the remaining fabric that would be needed to complete the cushion and cut out the fabric not needed. 

**Remember to check your fabric BEFORE you start to staple to make sure the fabric is facing the direction you want it to, and to make sure its the right side up.

**Also remember to pull your fabric very, very tightly as you staple it to keep it uniform and tidy on the front side of the cushion.

                                  

Some of my corners had too much fabric gathered in the folds, so I chopped off the extra after I securely stapled it on. 

The Painting Stage:

After I placed the reupholstered cushion on the chair to view it (not yet screwed back onto the chair) I thought there was something missing. I had picked a very light colored fabric to use, so your eye was drawn straight to the cushion and the rest of the chair was left unloved. I needed something else.I thought about it for a while and on a whim I decided I would paint the chair back. It was a perfect solid wood and was begging for some love. 

So I gathered my supplies. 

Supplies needed to paint: 

-Desired color of acrylic paint

Painting tray or paper plate

-Small paint brush

-Water cup

-Paper 

-Pencil

-Measuring tape or ruler

-Tape

7) I chose to paint on an simple shaped Aztec design to go with the Pendleton style fabric I had used on the cushions. I measured the chair's back and decided on the size of the design I wanted on the chair. Then I sketched it out. And erased it, and re-drew it, then erased it again and re-drew it a million times over until it was to my liking. 

8)Then I cut the design out and taped it to the chair. 

9) I painted around the outside of my cutout to get the shape. And instead of full painting, I "dry painted" this design on, a technique I learned from the Junk Gypsy Book. I dabbed my paintbrush very lightly in the paint and spread the paint out lightly on the chair back because I wanted it to be rough and somewhat "faded" and not full bright full of new paint. 

I then removed the cutout and decided I wanted to paint the full shape of the design, but smaller sized, within the blue shape I had just painted. And instead of going back and creating a new stencil (like I knew I should have) I decided I would free hand it. And boy do I regret that. While my final product came out great I do still wish I would have made a stencil for the center of the design and I would have a much more uniform design. Oh well, lesson learned. 

step 9
10) Once the paint was dry I screwed the cushions back onto the chairs!

                                step 10                            
And ta-da! The final products. I finished the entire project in about 3 hours and all for under $15. The chairs were $5, the paint was under $3 (I already had it on hand) and the fabric was $14 for a whole yard but I barely used half of the yard. So the total came to be $15. SO worth it in my book!

The finished product. Refinished thrift store chairs. Aztec style. 

I purchased the fabric off of Etsy, the Indian Fabric's store. 

This project was fun and relatively easy. I will be keeping my eye open for more sturdy chairs like these to fix up with creative love. 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a blessed day!

XoXo- Sarah Beth 

the Junk Gypsy Book review: And how to win a free trip to TeXas

The JUNK GYPSY Book: A Review
Junk Gypsy: Designing a Life at the Crossroads of Wonder & Wander

Its been in the making for 18 years. The book we have all been waiting for. The long awaited page turner of every Junker's dream. The stories, the ideas, the tips, and the inspiration we all want to share...

IS FINALLY HERE! 

The Junk Gypsy Book is available for pre-order, to come out October 4th, 2016.

The Junk Gypsy book comes out October 4th, 2016. But guess who got her glittered filled hands on a pre-sale copy?!?!? THIS GAL! 

I've been reading, studying, obsessing over and re-reading the Junk Gypsy Book for a week now. And I can't get enough of it. 

Here is my brief review: 

On a scale of 1 to 5 I give this book a FIVE STAR rating

I give the Junk Gypsy: Designing a Life at the Crossroads of Wonder & Wander by Jolie and Amie Sikes five out of five stars. 

First off, the title is fitting. The book is an inspirational booklet full of ideas, stories and motivation for anyone who has the passion to design their life with things they love, or want to love. And designing a life in and outside of the home. Amie and Jolie are old souls who are rooted in with their family and their hometown, their Mayberry, yet they have a deep, passionate love affair with the road and the adventures that the blacktop can bring them. They are wanderer's, full of wonder, that have brought their expertise of living a gypsy life at home with their loved ones.  

Quote from Amie & Jolie Sikes from the Junk Gypsy Book.

The Ballad of the Junk Gypsies: The Authors are two sisters, Jolie and Amie Sikes, who took a huge leap of faith and left Corporate America to follow their dreams and use their creativity to make a living. Little did they know that their junk obsession would bring them to be highly sought after designers, creators, TV stars and store owners.  Personally, I don't think I have the guts or grit to leave my safe and secure job to go be a professional flea market vendor.... do you? But to read the story of these gals and how they did just that is nothing short of amaZing. And it makes me re-consider my idea of staying in corporate America... I may just start looking at how to set my soul free...

On every page of this book, you see the true grit, glamour, passion, adventure, love and creativity of the Junk Gypsies. And it is addicting, inspiring and contagious to anyone who reads it. 

Quote from Amie & Jolie Sikes from the Junk Gypsy Book.

 This book is also an educational guide. It educates the reader on "Junkology",  the value of "Sweat Equity", important details in "Architectural Salvage 101" and the idea of "Granny Economics". These are all terms used by the Junk Gypsies that have brilliant meaning to the junker's work and your everyday life. I consider myself a junker, but I learned SO MUCH from the pages of this book. It is extremely inspiring. 

Top: vintage floral waste basket find. Bottom: Sanding the top of a kitchen hutch project in my Junk gypsy tee.

It was also a comforting reminder that I'm not the only one who is eager to rummage through someone's garbage, or pull over to pick up an abandoned piece of furniture in hopes to find the perfect treasure. :) 

Pile of junk goods in my yard.

One of my favorite parts of the book are all of the Do-It-Yourself tutorials that are scattered throughout. The DIY tutorials, ranging from easy to difficult, come with step by step instructions and lots of pictures. Pictures are so helpful, and there are plenty! They also include a full list of materials and a "Pro Tip" on how you can enhance your project, if your heart so desires. 

This entire book is packed full of beautiful, colorful pictures. And I mean FULL of pictures. And I loved each one of them. Each photo is beautiful snapshot of life, creation, emotion and character. Inspirational.

Quote from Amie & Jolie Sikes from the Junk Gypsy Book.

As I mentioned earlier, the Junk Gypsies have a true love affair with the road. They have gypsy souls, the yearn to travel, to wonder and explore. They truly believe in the healing powers of driving down a long highway, windows down and the music blaring. Clearing your soul of the day to day hustle that can bog you down and smother your creativity. And after reading their words of encouragement and adoring their adventurous road photos, you will most likely hop in your vehicle and put Willie Nelson on Pandora and take off wherever the wind blows you. I'll bet you a dollar you do because that's exactly what I did. I'm tellin' ya, THIS BOOK IS INSPIRING. 

Quote from Amie & Jolie Sikes from the Junk Gypsy Book.

"The difference between an adventure and an ordeal is attitude." -Robert Lipkin

Quote from Miranda Lambert about the Junk Gypsy Book.
If the fact that the Junk Gypsies designed country star Miranda's Lambert's wedding, or that they have an entire "Airstream Chronicles" section of their blog because they design big star names air streams like Billie Joe of Greenday or Dierks Bently (country singer) isn't enough to intrigue you to read their book.... I hope this review helps. 

If you like old things, if you like junk, if you haven't yet worked with junk and want to start, if you yearn to wonder, if you are already a wanderer, if you love the Junk Gypies, or if this is the first time you've heard of the Junk Gypsies, this book is for you. 

Quote from Amie & Jolie Sikes from the Junk Gypsy Book.

There is a common theme I noticed throughout my review (which was completely unintentional by the way...) and that is the word "inspirational". To sum it up, this book is INSPIRATIONAL. Its one of the best books I have read all year and I hope you enjoy it as much I did. 

Now go pre-order your copy TODAY! 

If you pre-order your copy of Junk Gypsy: Designing a Life at the Crossroads of Wonder & Wander, you can enter for a chance to WIN a FREE TRIP TO TEXAS and a JUNK GYPSY SHOPPING SPREE!!!

All you have to do is pre-order your copy, go to this website and enter your receipt number- then TA-DA! You're entered. May the odds be ever in your favor my junker friends. :) 

Thank you for reading my review- and feel free to ask any questions or your own thoughts on the comments below. 

xoxo- Sarah Beth 

The Best Western Boutiques for the Cowgirls and Gypsy Souls

Top 10 Western Boutiques for the Cowgirls and Gypsy Souls

The Rollin J

Thanks to the ever-famous app named Instagram, prominent things such as "selfies", "hashtags" and "filters" became a part of our mainstream, everyday lives. But aside from those, the one major thing that Instagram gave me was easy access to discover local and unique boutiques from all over the country and all over the world. Because of Instagram, I now have the ability to shop for items that no one else in my area has, and that allows me to create my own style, or find style inspiration from others and find their items for purchase. Now... having such easy access to this new form of online shopping has been both a blessing and a curse. There have been times when I spent way too much money because it was just way too easy to leave my name, email and size on an Instagram comment and end up with a negative account balance. But, aside from poor money management on my part from time-to-time, Instagram has given me the access to the most unique boutiques that specialize in my style and livelihood. 

The following are my absolute favorite Instagram accounts that I follow for both shopping and for style inspiration. 

**I am not endorsed by any of these business's**

This post is entirely based on my own opinion and experiences. If there are accounts I did not list, I may not have discovered them yet so feel free to leave a comment! 

1) Savannah Sevens Western Chic

Bust our your checkbook and be prepared to fall in love with every piece of clothing and jewelry this boutique has to offer. There are high quality turquoise items, one of a kind t-shirt designs and gorgeous boot rugs every cowgirl needs in her life. 

You can find their Instagram account here or visit their website here. 

2) Wild Bleu Southern Vogue

Straight out the great state of Texas are the ladies of Wild Bleu. I have acquired my most unique pieces from this precious boutique and they are one of the only stores that sends me an email newsletter that I read! I delete most of them, but Wild Bleu only sends them out when they have pre-orders available or newbies up for grabs. Love it. Love them. Obsessed. 

You can find their Instagram account here or visit their website here.

3) Among The Willow Wagon

This is a new boutique and it has already made quite the name for itself. Keep your eyes peeled for big things coming from this shop and be prepared to fall in love. 

You can find their Instagram account here or visit their website here.

4) The Rusty Rose Co

I was once featured on the Rusty Rose Instagram page sportin' my Rusty Rose gear! #ThatCatciHatThough

The Rusty Rose is a super fun boutique that has great style and originality. Shopping with the Rusty Rose won't break the bank either! What else could you ask for?

You can find their Instagram account here or visit their website here.

5) The Dirty Gringa

If you are in the market for a real squash blossom or quality turquoise vintage jewelry, YOU MUST SHOP The Dirty Gringa. And while you're shopping the vintage goods, there are plenty of wearables that you'll love. LOVE LOVE LOVE this shop.

You can find their Instagram account here or visit their website here.

6) Twisted J Apparel

If you are in the market for a real squash blossom or quality turquoise vintage jewelry, YOU MUST SHOP The Dirty Gringa. And while you're shopping the vintage goods, there are plenty of wearables that you'll love. LOVE LOVE LOVE this shop.

You can find their Instagram account here or visit their website here.

7) Tin Rose Boutique

If being from Fort Worth, Texas isn't cool enough, shopping at the Tin Rose Boutique will just be the cherry on top of the cake. This is a trend setting boutique that will have you scrolling through their Instagram posts for all the fashion trends. 

You can find their Instagram account here or visit their website here.

8) Envie Boutique

This little dime of a shop is located in California and they are a small local shop that ships all their goodies to whom whoever orders with them through Instagram! That's right, just Instagram shopping if you're not from the Visalia area, until they get their online shop up and running. And I can personally vouch that they have great customer service! I ordered the Serape Ariat boat shoe from them and I received two different sized shoes by accident. They were very quick to fix the problem and they paid all the shipping for the entire return process. :) 

You can find their Instagram account here or visit their website here.

9) Retro West

Get your bib, because you will be drooling over everything from Retro West! I wish my entire closet was Retro West goods. A girl can dream right? Fashionable western styles and creative fashion inspiration all day everyday. Love me some Retro West.

You can find their Instagram account here or visit their Facebook website here.

10) The Rollin J

The Rollin J is by far my most FAVORITE Instagram account. Their photos are breath taking and will bring a smile to your face. They host good deals and will have anything you will ever need for work, school, vacation or your special event. They also have the best handbags and blankets!!! 

You can find their Instagram account here or visit their website here.

Thanks for stopping by my friends! Please feel free to share your most favorite boutiques and shops not listed here. Keep real and God Bless. 

xoxo- Sarah Beth