DIY: How to dye with tea!

I'm very excited to publish my first [ever] DIY post on Candy Louise! It's been a while since I last posted. My personal style has changed quite a bit, my interests, and just life in general is different. I'm very happy to be back in the blogging world though, and I hope you all enjoy this super easy method for dyeing (pretty much anything!) with tea. 

Step 1: Choose an item you want to dye. I picked my all time favorite lacy bra from Free People, the galloon lace halter bra. I bought it in the ivory color, and though I love pops of bright white, I wanted it to be a bit more muted. Any item that's light in color works for this! 

Step 2: Boil water in a pot that is large enough to fit your item. Also make sure there is enough water to fully submerge what you're dying! Once the water begins to boil, steep the tea. You can use any type of tea, but I used basic black tea for my first go around. For a small item, I used 2 bags. 

Step 3: Place your item in the pot! Try and find some sort of utensil to stir the item around while it's being dyed. Make sure that you let the tea soak into your item long enough. The material should be slightly darker than you want it to be before you take it out of the pot. 

Step 4: Rinse your item under cold water until the water runs clear. This will wash a bit of the dye out, so make sure it's a little darker than desired when you first dye it! 

Step 5: Let the item air dry. Mine took about a day! 

Alright guys, there you have it! This is such an addicting way to dye clothing. Since doing this bra, I've dyed a few of my shirts, and a slip! If you experiment with different types of tea, let me know how it goes. I'm excited to try some other types to see how it affects the final color of the fabric. Good luck in your dyeing endeavors!

Much love, 

Tess

While I'm Alive

(Hat & Necklace: Free People, Top & Shoes: UO, Shorts: DIY thrifted) 

This is just a casual outfit I like to put on throughout summer! I was surprised at myself that I wanted to pair navy and rasberry together, but I like it! Sort of a muted patriotic combo I think. This top from Urban has been my favorite lately. It's super soft and comfy. Simple, but just what ya need during the summer. 

I attempted a jumping photo for these shoes, since I love them so much but as you can see, the focus didn't feel like cooperating much. This shoes, though. They're insanely comfortable! Mary Jane's will always be absolutely adorable in my mind, so I was glad to finally get these. I'm sure I'll be wearing them all summer long! 

Hope ya'll enjoy my awkward outtakes below. Figured I'd add some in since pretty much 95% of the photos I take for this blog are like the one's ya see here... and the 5% are the ones that normally make the cut haha. 

Black & Blue

(Tank & Hat: Forever 21, Pants: UO, Necklace: Free People)

Finally an outfit post! Sorry it's been so long. The past couple of weeks have been really busy and I just haven't had time to blog! 

This outfit is pretty simple, and is something I love to throw on. Who ever said that black and blue can never go together is crazy, they look so cute together I think. I've been really into crop tops lately (don't kill me). Don't get me wrong, I would never wear belly shirts and low rise pants or anything along those lines. But a loose crop and high rise jeans or shorts? So cute! Especially for summer. I'm so excited to have found this top, too. I plan to wear it with my maxi skirts and over some dresses too for a layered look. 

Ah, sorry these photos are so bright and unfocused! It was raining outside, and my brother who happened to be taking the photos doesn't really know his way around a camera. Better luck next time I suppose.