Cotton Candy Ombre Nails

What’s better than a fresh coat of paint on your lovely tips? A fresh coat of paint that looks like you just dipped your nails in cotton candy! So grab your pretty polishes, find a shady spot under a tree and try our delightful DIY Cotton Candy Ombre Nails. Bonus! You can also customize the colors to match your Pura Vida.

Supplies:
2-3 Colors of Nail Polish (We love côtepolishes because they’re vegan, cruelty-free and don’t have a lot of the toxins other polishes usually do)
Clear Coat
Q-Tips
Nail Polish Remover
Scissors
Makeup Sponges

Directions:
1) With your scissors, cut a few pieces of makeup sponge the same the width as your nail.

2) Carefully paint a straight line of each color underneath one another onto the sponge. You may need to re-dip your brush then paint over each line a few times for the polish to stay wet.

3) Lightly dab the sponge on each nail making sure you make contact with the edges of your nails also. Re-apply the polish onto the sponge as needed. *Important: You will have to apply a few light coats of polish with the sponge for the color to begin to show. Be patient! We did 4-5 coats and left enough drying time in between each coat.

4) Once your nails are completely dry, brush on a coat or two of clear top coat. This is the finishing touch to your nails as it really blends everything together! Don’t miss this step.

5) Clean up your edges with a few Q-tips dipped in nail polish remover. Let dry completely. So sweet, right? Cotton candy nails right at your fingertips.

Pura Vida ✌️ 

www.SieradenFabriek.com 💕

Aloha Energy Bites

What better way to celebrate Aloha Friday than with these yummy Aloha Energy Bites? Packed with the sweetness of pineapple, creaminess of coconut and crunch of macadamia nuts, these healthy snacks will have you hula dancing into the weekend!

Ingredients:
Makes approximately 12 – 15 bites
1 cup shredded coconut (divided)
¾ cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
½ cup chopped dried pineapple (We used unsweetened to control the amount of sugar)
2 Tbsp water
1 serving vanilla protein powder
2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp honey (We didn’t add any, but feel free to add some extra sweetness!)

Directions:

1) Combine ¾ cup of coconut and macadamia nuts into a medium bowl.

2) Combine the dried pineapple and water into a small microwave safe bowl and heat for 20 seconds. Remove and allow to cool enough to handle.

3) Add the reconstituted pineapple to a food processor and pulse into a paste.

4) Add the pineapple paste to the coconut and macadamia nuts along with the protein powder, vanilla and honey. Mix to combine. The consistency should be sticky and form a ball.

5) Roll 1 inch balls of this mixture and then coat with the remaining ¼ cup of coconut. Place in the refrigerator to set for a few minutes. Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Pura Vida ✌️ 

www.SieradenFabriek.com 💕

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 💕