Lifestyle : You know you're a beach bum when..

Do you constantly crave salty air, wavy hair, calm seas and swaying palm trees? You know you’re a beach bum when…

1) You plan your day around when the sunsets.
2) The deciding factor of you going to the club/bar is whether you can wear flip flops or not.
3) You always carry a bikini around with you.
4) You can spend the entire day laying in the sand doing absolutely nothing and feel so content with life.

5) Cracking a coconut open is second nature to you.
6) You don’t understand people who don’t like the beach.

7) You have a million hair products that promise to give you “beach waves”, but the final result is nothing like the real thing.

8) You own a shirt that says ‘Beach Bum’.
9) You’ve been pretending to be a mermaid since you can remember being alive.

10) You know to only take photos at ‘Golden Hour’.
11) You get really angry when you see someone litter at the beach, like they’ve just thrown garbage inside of your own home.
12) Your favorite Pura Vida Bracelet is always on. 

13) You’re always the first one in and last one out of the water.
14) Dolphins are your spirit animal.
15) You’re not at the beach, you dream of it and when you get there, you never want to leave.

Photos:
Julianna Marie

Blog: 

Kat Gaskin

Pura Vida ✌️

www.SieradenFabriek.com 

Recipes : Sunshine Summer Snacks

It’s sunny with a chance of sprinkles! But these are the yummy kind of sprinkles. “Weather” you’re looking to decorate a one-year-old’s birthday party, planning a baby shower or just looking for some sweet and salty treats, Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods, Pink Pineapple Punch and Birthday Cake Popcorn are easy-to-make treats!

Here are a few fun recipes for the perfect sunshine birthday party:

Chocolate Dipped Pretzels with Sprinkles

Ingredients:
1 12-ounce package milk chocolate chips
1 12-ounce package white chocolate chips
24 large pretzel rods
Pink sprinkles

Directions:

1) Place the milk chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and the white chocolate chips in another (if you are making both kinds of chocolate). Microwave one bowl on 50% for 1 minute. Remove and stir with a rubber spatula (the chips should melt while you are stirring, but if they don’t, you can continue to microwave for 30 more seconds on high, then stir again.) Continue with 30 second intervals on high to get it to a nice smooth and melted consistency. Wash and dry the spatula. Do the same with the other bowl of chocolate.

2) Dip one pretzel rod into the milk chocolate; use a spoon or butter knife to spread the chocolate about halfway up the rod (we used a tall glass to dip the long pretzels). Twist the rod to let the excess chocolate drip off. Hold the rod over a piece of wax paper and shake sprinkles on all sides. Place the pretzel on another piece of wax paper to dry. Coat another pretzel with white chocolate and sprinkles. Repeat until you’ve coated all the pretzels, half with milk chocolate, half with white chocolate, and let dry completely, about 24 hours. Cover any remaining chocolate with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.

3) Enjoy with some of our Pink Pineapple Punch. Read along for the recipe!

Pink Pineapple Punch

Ingredients:
Your favorite Powdered Pink Lemonade
2 cups Pineapple Juice
2 cups Ginger Ale
1/4 cup grenadine (I used cherry juice)
Ice

Directions:

1) Fill a large pitcher with ice and pour in pineapple juice and grenadine. Fill the pink lemonade mix to the 1qt line (about 1/3 cup), add to the pineapple juice and stir until dissolved. Add the ginger ale and mix gently. Add water to fill up the large pitcher. Garnish the pitcher with sliced lemons, pineapples and/or cherries.

2) Serve with fun straws and sip on some sunshine!

Birthday Cake Popcorn

Ingredients:
5 cups popped corn
1 (1 1/2 ounce) white chocolate candy melts
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Salt, to taste
1/4 cup rainbow-colored coarse sparkling sugar
2 tablespoons pearl decoratifs

Directions:

1) Place popcorn on two large cookie sheets lined with parchment or a baking mat. Gently heat the white chocolate in the microwave for one minute or until melted, stirring halfway though. Stir in the melted butter. Drizzle over the popcorn and mix with a spatula to coat; be careful, it will be very hot. Toss in the salt and sprinkles. Let cool completely, then break apart any large pieces that are stuck together.

Enjoy these party-planning recipes. Always remember to spread the sunshine wherever you go  Thanks for the yummy recipes and photos Cara (@carakuulei)! Birthday party decor by Michelle Vallembois.

Pura Vida ✌️

www.SieradenFabriek.com

DIY : Distressed Denim

Those expensive ripped jeans are beautiful, but we shouldn’t have to break the bank every time we go shopping. We’d rather spend our hard earned dollars on beach vacations and bracelets anyway  With a little time, patience and an old pair of jeans, you’ll be chic in your brand new old jeans!

Supplies:
Old Pair of Denim Jeans
Scissors
Stainless Steel Wire Brush (We purchased one from our local hardware store for $3)

Directions:

1) Grab your pair of jeans and put them on. Stand in front of a mirror and snip small slits (about 3 cm) with your scissors where you want the rips to be. This way, there won’t be any surprises if you cut the holes without putting the jeans on first.

2) Take off the jeans and lay them on a flat, hard surface. There will be thread and fabric fuzzies after you’re done, so doing this on a carpet is not recommended. Starting with one of the slits, gently, but forcefully rip the fabric in a relatively straight line until you’re happy with the size of the hole. You can cut more slits above and below each rip depending on the look you’re going for. You can also cut entire holes (think rectangle shape instead of a line) for a really dramatic look. Free air conditioning, hey!

3) Grab your wire brush and go to town. This is where it takes a bit of patience. Brush away the thread on each rip, moving the brush in both circular and straight motions. Don’t be afraid to really get in there and damage the fabric! The more brutal you are with the brush, the more strings will come loose.

4) Once you’re happy with the amount of distressing, throw your new (old) jeans in the washer/dryer. This will encourage the newly exposed threads to fray. Et voila! Distressed denim for only a few dollars AND we up cycled.

Bracelets: SieradenFabriek
Custom Vans: @Vansbymanna
Camera: Fujufilm Instax Mini 8
Towel: Sand Cloud

Pura Vida ✌🏻 

www.SieradenFabriek.com

Why you should drink more green tea!

Who knew your morning cup of tea could be so good for you? Calming your nerves, burning fat and giving you that extra boost of brain power are just a few proven benefits. Here's why you should drink more green tea:

• It's an excellent source of antioxidants
• It burns fat, speeds up your metabolism and allows you to exercise for longer
• It reduces stress and boosts brain power
• It reduces high blood pressure
• It helps protect your liver
• It helps prevent tooth decay, strengthens tooth enamel and cures bad breathe
• It helps preserve and build bones
• It aids in digestion and keeps your tummy feeling happy
• It clears up your skin
• It boosts your immunity against illness
• It rehydrates better than water

Ways to get more green tea into your day:

• Cold brew a big pitcher of green tea by placing 5 bags in a large glass pitcher of water and leave overnight on your counter
• Add a squeeze of lemon and a drop of honey for a different taste
• Replace the water or milk in your morning smoothie with green tea

• Make green tea ice cubes by pouring brewed tea and mint leaves into ice cube trays. Freeze overnight then use in your morning lemon water

• Make it a latte! Add some warm frothy milk, a teaspoon of coconut sugar and a splash of vanilla extract to your cup of green tea to make it a creamy treat
• Instead of plain water, add green tea to your morning oatmeal

Pura Vida ✌️ 

www.SieradenFabriek.com 💕

Healthy 'Summer Splash' Juice!

Staying hydrated never tasted so yummy! Blend up our 3-ingredient 'Summer Splash' Juice for an instant hit of refreshing tropical sunshine. Here's how: 

Ingredients:
3 C Watermelon
1 C Pineapple
1/4 C Cucumber
Coconut Water (optional)

Directions:
1) Peel and chop everything so it can fit into your blender.

2) Drop in the watermelon first, then pineapple and cucumber last. 

3) Whiz up everything until juicy smooth. Add a splash of coconut water to get the mixture going if necessary. If you're blender comes with tamper (like Vitamix), use that to push down the ingredients while the blender is on. Don't attempt this with just any regular spoon!

4) Now go outside, walk barefoot through the green grass and sip on your Summer Splash under the sunshine!

Pura Vida ✌🏻️

www.SieradenFabriek.com 💕

10 reasons why you're awesome!

We could all use a little pick me up, so here are 10 friendly reminders about why YOU are awesome:

1) Out of over 7,000,000,000 people in the world, there is no one that looks exactly like you.

2) You know the words to at least one Taylor Swift song.

3) You somehow grew from one microscopic cell to the person you are today. #mindblown

4) Your smile can brighten anyone's day.



5) You are someone's soulmate. 

6) No matter what anyone says, your taste in music is the best. 

7) You are great at something.

8) As Drake said, you look beautiful wearing sweat pants, hair tied, chillin' with no make-up on.



9) You are loved and give love.

10) Your imperfections are perfect.

Fijn weekend! Pura Vida ✌🏻️ 

www.SieradenFabriek.com 

4 Yoga Mantras To Improve Your Life!

Sometimes our lives can get a bit hectic and it's hard to find time to slow down. This is where a mantra can really help you focus and make the most of your down time. Mantras are chants in Sanskrit used in yoga to keep our concentration focused inwardly and quiet the distractions of the outside world. Try to take a few minutes every day to repeat these mantras quietly to yourself and help anchor your wandering mind to find some inner peace:

1) OM
The sound of the universe. It's the first, original vibration, representing the birth, death and re-birth process. OM is a great way to begin and end a yoga or mediation practice, and also comes in handy when you just need to chill out.



2) Om Namah Shivaya
This is a great mantra to help build self-confidence, reminding us that we are all made up of divine energy and should treat ourselves accordingly.



3) Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu
This mantra is a powerful way to dedicate yourself to living a life of non-harming and being of service to the greater good. This mantra encourages cooperation, compassion and living in harmony with the environment, animals and our fellow human beings.

4) Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
The peace mantra is focused on providing peace of mind, stress relief and increasing harmony in your surroundings.

Pura Vida ✌🏻

www.SieradenFabriek.com