My sister-in-law and I went shopping, and I tried on a pair of designer jeans on sale for $100 from $200ish. I liked them, but didn’t really NEED them. You know, that age-old teaching we teach our children and tell ourselves – need vs. want. Do I really need this? Or, do I want this? My sister-in-law said, “Just get them. My new motto in life is YOLO.” I did a semi-smile and nod reaction, then asked, “What the heck does YOLO mean?” You may be thinking that I live under a rock, and perhaps I do, but I honestly had no idea what YOLO meant. She shared her hashtag wisdom upon me that day and told me that YOLO stands for…You Only Live Once. #YOLO

What powerful words that we often forget. You Only Live Once. We have one shot at this ONE beautiful, amazing, hard and miraculous life. Why waste it? Make the most of everyday, and live your best life…and life will give it’s best to you. YOLO!

Long story short, I bought the jeans. And, I learned what YOLO stands for.

Shortly thereafter my sister-in-law embarked on a new journey in a new city with a new job. She was nervous, but brave. I sent her off with a reminder of what she taught me that day, and some tips to go with it.

DIY YOLO Cosmetic Bag

You’ll Need:

• Cosmetic bag {mine was $3 from Target}
• Acrylic paint
• Golden GAC 900 Medium, to make regular paint into fabric paint
• Freezer paper
• X-acto knife
• Paintbrush
• Gifts to go inside. I found most of my gifts {see below} from my favorite small town bookstore, The Bookworm
• Watercolor paper
• Watercolor paint
• Gold sharpie or gold leaf pen

Directions:

First, I used Microsoft Word to design my YOLO to place in the middle of the bag. Print YOLO on regular computer paper, then trace it onto freezer paper.

 Use an X-acto knife to cut out the words and a border. Then, iron in onto the costmetic bag.

Paint YOLO with black ink.

Design a pattern around YOLO. I chose to do triangles, so I randomly made a geometric triangle shape print with Frog’s Tape. Then, paint inside the triangles.

Shop for all your small gifts that go inside the YOLO bag.

Once your YOLO bag design is complete, start to make the tags to go along with each gift. Cut watercolor paper into triangles. Freehand the words of wisdom for your friend in gold sharpie or gold leaf pen. Then, use soft watercolor over it.

My tags read:

Wear red | red lipstick
Set your own direction | Compass button
Indulge in sweetness | Curly Girl chocolate bar
Remember to laugh | Blue Q funny chewing gum box
Celebrate | Hyrda Soap Hangover Bath Tea Bag
Stop to smell the roses | Paddywax Rose scented candle
Believe in yourself | Quotables The Sky is the Limit matchbox
Be Kind | Be Good to People chapstick

Attach the labels to each item.

Place all the fun items inside the DIY YOLO cosmetic bag and gift.