Contributor | Design your own iPad Clutch!

Hello friends! This is Bec from Clouds of Colour and today I am back on the wonderful Here Comes the Sun blog with another DIY - a super cute clutch which I have ended up using for my iPad. I really enjoyed designing and making this. I'm not much of a sewer so this has been all hand stitched. Lets begin...!

Supplies needed for this project: A pretty fabric of your choice, Vinyl (you could also use leather), Modpodge, needle and thread.

Firstly cut your two pieces of fabric into a rectangular shape. Use Modpodge to secure the center down. Fold the fabric into thirds and stitch together using a dark thread. I wanted to make the top of the clutch a bit more fun when opened so instead of using a normal stitch, I used a brightly coloured embroidery thread and did crosses as shown below.

In the center of the top, I attached a long piece on vinyl which is used to wrap around the whole clutch. You could also add a vintage button or clasp.

Your clutch is now ready to rock! I really love the outcome and will definitely be using it for my iPad and other goodies.

Thank you so much for stopping by and checking out my little bit of creativity. I hope you enjoyed it!

Bec Brown
Clouds of Colour
Here Comes the Sun Contributor

Fourth Estate Leadership Summit

Hey guys! Ok so this post is different to what I normally write about on here but please bear with me because I really believe in what I'm about to say!

One of the things I feel strongly about in my life is championing my friends and getting behind them to help them achieve their goals. So today I want to talk about good friend, sister and flatmate Shannon. Shannon has a heart for justice and is studying politics and sociology so that one day she can become a world changer in human rights issues.

As part of her journey towards this career path Shannon has worked and volunteered for many different not for profit organisations, also including Invisible Children. Coming up this August there is going to be an event held in Los Angeles called the Fourth Estate Leadership Summit. You can read more about this event here but basically it's a chance to teach, empower and encourage young leaders to make a difference in this world.

Anyway, I really want to get behind Shannon to help get her to this event because I know by investing in her, I'm investing in one of our future world changers! I know this is a big ask and I wouldn't normally do this, but if you feel a calling in you to support Shannon too, please donate below. Since we are from New Zealand the cost of getting to events like this is extremely high (flights aren't cheap when you live at the bottom of the world!) and any support would mean so much.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and even if you can't support financially (and I do realise it's a hard ask to do so for a complete stranger) your prayers and encouragement mean just as much!

I will update you along the way with Shannon's journey and will keep you in the loop with the next phase of this story! Any donations made will go directly to Shannon's flights from NZ to LA.

Much love xx

Sunglass Hut & OPSM New Collections

Just a few pictures from the Sunglass Hut & OPSM event I recently attended! I always get way too excited over sneak peeks (it's kinda like the excitement of watching movie trailers I think) and I love sunglasses so this was the perfect excuse to try on frames and enjoy some wine + nibbles. The weather has been pretty miserable here in New Zealand lately so it's always nice to have a little pick-me-up event like this during the week!

What I Wore | Sydney Edition

Mink Pink cardigan c/o Market HQ | Skirt & Boots c/o Boohoo | Glassons Merino Knit | Ray Ban sunglasses

Just dropping in with a few pictures of what I wore when I was in Sydney with Boohoo last week. It was a fun trip and Sydney is one of my favourite cities I've been to so it was great to have an excuse to do some exploring. 

I have to admit I'm struggling to keep up with blogging a little at the moment. I've got a bit of the winter blues and there has been so much rain/darkness that it's been hard to find the time and motivation. The winter season is always a harder one for blog content but I promise to find a way around it so I can keep updating with fresh and interesting things! I've got a few giveaways I need to draw this week so keep an eye out for that too :)

Happy Monday! xx

Contributor | Homemade Herbal Teas

Hi lovelies, It's Nicola from Eat Well NZ here to share another guest post with you. Today I'm sharing how you can grow and make your own fresh and delicious herbal teas. While I do enjoy standard herbal teas from the supermarket, there is something quite therapeutic and relaxing about making your own fresh concoctions. There's a lot of love going into growing and tending your plants, then picking and brewing them. Plus you can get the most benefits out of using fresh herbs and ingredients like ginger and manuka honey to add to your teas. The smell is also amazing as you brew them.

Growing your own herbs for a tea garden is super easy and you can use them for plenty of other non tea related uses too! The good news is you don't need a lot of room and I grow mine in pots on the patio as it's convenient to just pop out the door to grab a bunch (plus because I see them every day I'm less likely to neglect them!).

To get started on my garden I planted the following:

Lemon Verbena - this herb has a refreshing, lemony flavour and an amazing fragrance. It's said to be good for digestion as it stimulates the production of bile . Keep protected from the cool in winter months. This herb can be grown inside too.

Stevia - up to 300 times sweeter than sugar but with no calories, stevia is an excellent natural sweetener for teas. Growing your own is fairly easy, but be sure to bring it inside in cooler weather as the cold will kill it. I left mine out in a frost and it didn't make it!

Peppermint + Mint- Any mint plant seems to be super easy to grow. If it starts to look a bit shabby, just cut it all back and it will regrow. Peppermint is especially good for digestion and helps relieve bloating and nausea.

Chamomile - this is also super easy to grow and will in fact grow like weeds! Don't buy roman (also known as lawn) chamomile - the variety you want to get is officially known as Matricaria chamomilla as it has medicinal properties. This herb is an excellent relaxant. I sometimes drink chamomile before bed to help me sleep. You use the flowers from the plant to make tea, which you can use fresh or dried.

Plant your herbs in good quality potting mix to get the best results.

My favourite drink to make at the moment is a lovely mixture of herbs plus fresh ginger and honey. It's a lovely warming drink that I imagine would be equally nice served chilled with ice for those of you in a warmer place than New Zealand right now!

Lemon Verbena, Mint, and Ginger Tea (for one serve)

1 tablespoon lemon verbena leaves
1 tablespoon mint leaves
1 thin slice of ginger, chopped in four
1 teaspoon manuka honey
1 slice of lemon

Bring a jug of water to the boil, and pour into a mug. Chop the herbs finely. This helps them release their flavours. Place the chopped herbs and ginger in a mini sieve and place on top of the mug of water. Make sure the cup is full enough so that the herbs/ginger are immersed in the water. Leave to stand for 5 minutes. Add the honey and stir, and drop in a slice of lemon. You can squeeze in some extra lemon juice too if you like. If your'e not a fan of ginger you can leave it out, or reduce it.

Drink warm, or refrigerate for a cool drink.

If you're keen to know more about growing your own herbal teas, I'm in the midst of writing up a little freebie about what herbs to grow and their health properties which I'll post a link to on my Facebook page. If you head over and like me there you'll be able to get a copy when it's done :-)

Nicola Graham
Eat Well NZ
Here Comes the Sun Contributor