25 Ways to Make Life Sparkle
Sparkle Until You Shine!
We all have rough days ~ days when darkness creeps in and we don't know why. It doesn't need to be cloudy or dark or gloomy; nothing horrible needs to happen; no tragedy is required to sneak upon you...sometimes it just happens. You get up and nothing goes right...you can't find your favorite shoes (maybe you can't find your shoes at all), then you put salt in your tea or coffee instead of sugar, the milk gets put into the cabinet and not the refrigerator (only to be found days later ~ ewww) and you can't get one green light on the way to work or school. What do you do?
On a day like that, maybe all you need to make your day a bit happier is to add a little sparkle. I'm not talking BIG sparkle like diamonds or a new Lexus...just something tiny. Some days it just means getting a brand new nickel back in change at the grocery store or finding a shiny penny on the ground. That's all it takes for my son, anyway. But, we can't count on those things everyday, so on the days when that doesn't happen (or it starts off rotten right off the bat) we need to create our own sparkle.
I'm going to show you 25 ways to add a little sparkle to your own life. Yes, most of them will be little crafty, but not all of them will require you to do much of anything at all. Even the crafty items will be fun and easy, I promise. What's better is that you can do them with friends and add sparkle to both your lives! If you do them ahead of time they'll be all ready for the day you roll out of bed and land smack on your face instead of your feet.
Photo Credit: Abby Lanes
Most people think happiness is about gaining something, but it's not. It's all about getting rid of the darkness you accumulate.
— Carolyn CraneStarting off easy... these Sparkles require virtually NO work at ALL! Simple to make and to use! Let's eradicate some darkness!
Fairy Dust
So easy to make and fun to sprinkle around for a little sparkle. You can even add sparkle to a friend's day with this fun fairy dust! All you need is a small corked glass vial (some even come with rings so you can add cords to hang around your neck), glitter (one color or multicolored), and a label so everyone knows that it's not just "plain" old glitter! Voila! Fairy Dust! Whenever you need a little sparkle to chase the clouds or blues away ~ a dash of fairy dust does the trick!
A note of caution ~ not everyone likes glitter so don't run around sprinkling it on folks unless you ask ahead of time or your efforts and little bit of sparkle may be turned upside down on you, which would defeat the entire purpose.
Sparkly Nail Polish or Eyeshadow
Whether you do the tips of your nails or one nail or all of your nails, a little sparkle can add a lot of fun to boring nail polish. The same goes for eyeshadow. Though depending on your work environment you may need to be a little more conservative than you are if you're going out at night or on the weekends. Adding a little touch can sure brighten the day every time you look down or glance in the mirror however!
Sparkly Water
Add a little sparkle (or in this case, BLING) to your water! Sparkling water comes in about a gazillion flavors today so it's nearly impossible not to find something you'll like. In fact, you have no excuse to drink plain, boring water anymore (unless you're just thirsty, of course). But seriously, spice up at least one day a week with something special that sparkles or shines or has a little extra flavor!
Personally, I like to buy flavored waters and then add fruit to mine. I even freeze fruit in water to make sparkling ice cubes so I have double sparkling water. Yes I know, I'm a bit overzealous sometimes. What can I say? Ummm, that I like to share? Why yes, I do!
Sparkly Stickers
Sparkly stickers may seem like they're more fun for kids than adults, but you'd be surprised! Hey, don't knock it until you try it. Give yourself a shiny, glittery gold star for a job well done when you're having a rough day and see if it doesn't make you feel good. Better yet, stick it on your well-deserved Starbucks and you'll feel like a million bucks (though you'll wallet may feel a little light)! You can also pass them out to friends you see having a bad day. I don't think I would ever frown if someone gave me a star (I've received a few of the purple variety and I've never frowned yet)!
Glitter Gel Pens
I love jazzing up a note with gel pens, especially the glittery ones! I don't just reserve them for holiday use anymore. The best thing about them...they don't just brighten my day, they brighten the day of the person getting the note! Now, I would reserve the use of them at the office, just like with overdoing the sparkly make-up, but if it's a personal note, it won't hurt to sign your name with one.
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Easy things to do with twinkle or LED lights...they blink, sparkle and shine and just make everything better! (And they're not just for holidays anymore!)
Inside Twinkle Mood Lighting
This chandelier is by far the coolest thing I have EVER seen in my life! If I had this set up at my place, I'd be in the best mood every darned night! The folks at Twig Décor set this up for a New Year's Eve party, but wow, I'd keep it up 24/7! Go check out the entire set up because this would put sparkle into anyone's life!
Twinkle Lit Mirrors
A great way to make yourself sparkle to add twinkle lights around your mirror. Then with the flip of a switch, no more harsh lighting and your face sparkles, twinkles, shines and lights up wherever that mirror is located. I suggest one for every room and at least two in the bedroom! Seriously, it's like being surrounded by stars! Check out an example at Alternative Energy Gardening. These are the exact lights I have wrapped around my headboard (year-round) and they are so cute! I adore them!
Twinkle Lights for Outside
Need a place to unwind after a long day? Why not a place that sparkles? You can do something elaborate (like shown) or something smaller such as wind some lights around a tree, a chair or edge a table with them. Just make sure you use lights that are suitable for outdoor use if your area isn't protected from rain or snow.
LED Lights In Vases
This is one of the most interesting and easy things to create a fun and sparkly mood around the house. Use twinkle or LED lights (I used the Starry Night Lights, which are my favorite because they run on batteries and don't get at all hot) and keep it simple with just the lights or add accessories to the vase.
For the example above, I used a scarf inside a large mason jar but you can add gemstone fillers, rocks, glass bulbs or glitter or any combination you'd like, to give you just the feel you're looking for to sparkle up your life!
Image Credit - me!
Twinkle Light Wrapped Anything
One of the more unique things I found wrapped in twinkle lights: a bicycle! Be creative! Whatever you find that isn't twinkly or sparkly...make it so!
I keep lights wrapped around the headboard of my bed year-round. Whenever my mood needs a pick-me-up I flip them on and am immediately cheered!
We are all of us stars, and we deserve to twinkle.
— Marilyn MonroeCrafty Sparkles you can make, add to clothes or to the decor of your home. Do them alone or with friends! Beware! They are addicting!
Embellished Hair Clips
A little sparkle in the hair can go a long way! I'm not suggesting you break out your tiara from when you were the high school prom queen and wear it to work or even out on a date, but I have witnessed gals out with the cutest little rhinestone bows or embellished bobby pins in their hair and thought to myself that they sure did know how to work it! Again, as long as you don't go overboard, you know it's in your hair and it makes you feel a little extra sparkly! It's pretty easy to hot glue a rhinestone or glue some glitter to a plain bow, so go check out your hair accessories and see what you can jazz up!
Sequins Sparkle Too
It's quite easy to hand stitch a few sequins to your favorite shirt, skirt, pants, jacket or scarf. Just a few around the neckline or bottom of the sleeves will add enough sparkle to make it stand out. With jeans you can add around the pockets or bottom of the legs. On scarves you can outline a small portion of the pattern near the ends. Just enough to catch the light and make it special and sparkly to you!
Interesting Candles
Add a little dimension to the norm...float candles in vases, above fish in tanks, suspend them in glass bulbs from the ceiling using fishing line, put them in mason jars along the hallway, make arrangements in your fireplace, just get creative. The tiny flicker of tea lights make sparkles all their own!
Bedazzle Something
Admittedly not my favorite suggestion but hey, this can really work for some items and for those people who have a Bedazzle machine and nothing fun to do with it AND need some sparkle, this is for you! Look how cute these plain flip flops are now that they've been Bedazzled? They even make me smile!
Break Down & Sew It
Sparkly patches and appliques are available from craft and sewing stores, not to mention yards and yards of glittery, sparkly, sequin material to meet your every desire. So if you can't find what you want anywhere else and you MUST have some sort of clothing item or book bag that is adorned with some happy beaded and glittery items AND you can sew, then this is your golden opportunity! You have a chance to show off your talents and while your at it, make a few presents for friends!
Would you ever bedazzle something or add sequins to items you already owned?
As a last resort, if you're feeling less crafty but still want your sparkle, break out the cash or credit card and buy something sparkly! It doesn't need to be super expensive to lift your spirits. (You can always opt for getting someone else to buy it for you, too!)
Sparkly Tops
A sparkly top doesn't need to sparkle all over to make you sparkle or feel sparkly! Sometimes as long as part of it is sparkly it makes you shine all the brighter! Here's a perfect example (though I think I'd keep the cut off shorts for the days around the house)!
Sparkly Bottoms
You don't need to make the entire pants sparkle to make you feel sparkly and fun. Just a few sequins or some rhinestones added to some pants or a skirt will do the trick nicely. Again, make them appropriate for the occasion!
Sparkly Shoes
The great thing about sparkly shoes is that they aren't as obvious as a blouse or pants, skirts or even shorts. Yes, some of the high-heeled varieties can draw quite a bit of attention (especially if you go with any of the Lady Gaga versions) but the flat types go virtually unnoticed. My mom, who is retired, has the cutest pair of Toms in pink glitter, and they are adorable, plus they make her feel great every time she wears them! A great pick me up to your day if you wake up on the wrong side of the bed (or on the floor)!
Sparkly Accessories
Accessories come in a variety of items: hats, gloves, bags, umbrellas, purses, scarves, belts, even socks. Decide what mood you're in and what fits the occasion and sparkle yourself a little here or a little there. Just enough to lift your spirits and not have everyone thinking you might have some type of leak in your house that's creating fumes which are making you a little wonky. Here's a lovely purse that matches the fabulous shoes. Now who could question your judgement with these? Well, likely not many, as long as you're going in to your job as a nurse wearing them!
Sparkly Jewels
Okay, sometimes you just have to break down and get some flashy, sparkly jewelry. The trick is to not break the bank! No one wants to go hungry because you were sucked into the Tiffany's vortex of blue box mania and had to take out a second mortgage on the house to have that lovely diamond tennis bracelet. Next thing you know you're going once a week and the kids are on the corner begging for food money. So curb your enthusiasm and stay your course. Keep on budget unless you or someone who loves you can afford those blue boxes. Smaller sparkles are just as lovely and it's the meaning behind them that should bring the happiness anyway.
The totally free, you don't have to do a darned thing to reap the benefits of these sparkly things...just do it, man! Now get a move on before all the sparkle gets gone!
Never Miss an Opportunity - to see a sunrise or sunset!
It only takes a second or maybe ten or twelve to stop and see the sunrise or sunset if you happen to be awake or around when one is taking place. I absolutely NEVER forget to stop and look if I'm around. Even my 14-year-old son is so accustomed to my habit that he points them out to me if I'm driving or chatting with a friend. Suddenly I get a tap on the shoulder and a "Mom look," as he points. It's awesome. We stop for a few seconds and admire the awesomeness and are uplifted then return to business as usual, but I feel sparkly right down to my baby toe!
Don't Forget to Believe - it makes your sparkle from within!
I don't care what you believe in, but believe! Magic, God, Allah, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, unicorns, elves, fairies (and their special dust), monsters (okay, maybe not), dragons (the good ones), yourself but believe in something...especially on the days when the darkness seems a little closer than normal!
Image Credit - me!
Get in Touch - with your inner child!
Nothing keeps your inner sparkle alive better than keeping your heart and spirit young! Do something to keep the childlike wonder alive and well! You don't need to go out to a wild party or dye your hair purple (unless you want to, of course) but go outside one night with the kids and catch fireflies or make the most awesome bubble solution around...
...Break open a glow stick or two and mix it into some bubble solution and voila! Glow in the dark bubbles! What a fun way to spend a warm summer evening. Maybe you'll even attract more fireflies with it!
While You're Outside at Night - don't forget to stargaze!
I know, I know...in the bigger cities with all the lights and pollution you just can't see the stars very well sometimes, but typically if you turn off the porch light or the garage lights you can still see at least a few. Better yet, grab the kids or your significant other, a few blankets and those awesome glowing bubbles and head a half hour to an hour out of town and flop down where you can get a better view of them.
Recently we just downloaded a free application called "Sky Guide" (had a free code from Starbucks) for the iPhone and even if we couldn't see the stars (luckily we can), we can still use that to tell us what we would be seeing and it tells you all about the stars. It even has terrific audio effects! My son adores it and I've learned more about the constellations than I ever forgot I knew!
Window Shop - sometimes just looking is enough!
Taking a break to window shop for sparkling items is enough to bring a smile to your face! Today we experienced just such a phenomenon! My son and I took a lovely walk in our "Old Town" and I found a lovely store that was covered in lovely sparkly items! It was a feast for the eyes! I took a few snapshots just to give you an idea!
Image Credit - me!
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Do you prefer to make or buy your sparkle?
Did you like any of these...please let me know!
