Time for a Change

A few months ago, this picture was my inspiration for cutting bangs. Of course, I love everything about that picture. The hair, the clothes, the makeup, the bone structure, the scooter-- if I could, I'd just BE her.

Anyway.

Since the fog of depression has started lifting {and thus, the urge to make myself invisible}, I'm taking a tiny bit more interest in style. I have a ways to go before I can fit some of my most fashion-forward clothes, but I can totally rock the hair for now. I'm thinking of going ombre {I know, so 2012}. It seems like a good way to get some of my blonde back {which I miss} while staying low{er} maintenance:

Is that the same model? I think I'm obsessed with her.

Where do you find yourself dipping your toes into fashion? Shoes? Jewelry? {Stuff that always fits!} I wish I was better about dressing the body I'm in, but part of me cringes at the cost-- it seems like a 'waste' if I'm planning on changing sizes soon. But perhaps that's just an excuse. After all, I'm skilled at taking clothes in, and the boost to morale when I dress my body lovingly and proudly can't be given a price.

Yep, pretty sure I'm fixin' to go shopping. :)

Happy weekend, all!

{image 1, image 2}

Dying Mint Jeans

I've been wanting a pair of mint skinny jeans since last summer {which is eons in the fashion world!}, and stalked a pair from J Crew like a crazy person. Finally, I had to admit that my budget couldn't accommodate such a frivolous item like that, but unwilling to give up, I decided to go the DIY route. 

I picked up two bottles of fabric dye: aquamarine and apple green. I already have a pair of turquoise blue shorts, and while I love them, I knew I wanted this color to be more of a true mint. {Hence the apple green.}

I filled my stainless steel sink with boiling hot water, then started experimenting with the color mixtures. My first few batches were far too green and saturated.

But after trial and error, I discovered that 1/4 bottle of aquamarine mixed with 1 tsp of apple green gave me the perfect mint color. I had an old pair of white flare-legged jeans and steeled my courage as I plunged them into the dye bath. I only left them in long enough to become fully saturated, then stuck them in the washer to rinse out.

They came out beautifully. See how they match my mint nail polish?

A few weeks later, I took the jeans to my mother-in-law's and altered them into skinny jeans. I love them and have been wearing them to everything from an afternoon at the lake to date night at the movies
.

Next, I've got my eye on an old pair of bermudas and some flamingo pink fabric dye... :)

Two More Necklaces

It's friday! Time for some weekend-worthy projects. :) Recently, I've been tearing apart old jewelry in order to use the components. These green enameled links resulted from this, and have been my favorite. I was eager to use them for a necklace. {unfortunately, I took these pictures at night in a poorly lit room, and even after photoshop, they're less than ideal. Sorry.}

01. Start by opening a jump ring.  02. String the first link onto the jump ring.  03. After the second link is added, and the jump ring closed, it should look like this.  04. I continued this process until I had five links connected by jump rings.

05. Instead of using jump rings to connect the chain to the links, I simply opened up the last link in the chain and strung my enamel link on it. Complete this on both sides, and you're finished! {You can also use lobster clasps to make an adjustable necklace, but I left the chain long enough to slip over my head without a closure.}

Et voila! A link-y necklace. I still have five more enamel links- I may make a bracelet or paint them a different color and use them for another necklace.

Next:

I actually remembered to take a picture of the supplies. I had all of these on hand, which made for a {practically} free craft. Love that!

You will need:

• beads in 4 shades of the same color {I cut apart a necklace that already had gradient beads}
• smaller beads to use as spacers
• embroidery floss
• crimp cord ends
• lobster clasp
• needle nose pliers
• flexible bead stringing needle {not pictured}

01. First, string the embroidery floss through the end of the lobster clasp. This will leave you with a double length of floss, which should still be small enough to string beads on.  

02. Next, string your beads {this is where a tiny bead stringing needle comes in handy}. Make sure you  work out your bead pattern before hand: I started with one lightest color bead, and followed with two light beads, two dark beads, then three darkest beads before then reversing to two dark, two light, and one lightest. Alternate the ombre beads with gold spacer beads. 

03. Once you're satisfied with your bead pattern, take the two ends of the embroidery floss and place them in the crimp cord end.

04. Carefully use needle nose pliers to crimp the cord end shut. Affix a jump ring to the cord end, and it's ready to receive the lobster clasp.

Have a great weekend, and happy jewelry making!

Style Once, Wear for a Week

One of the reasons I've always been hesitant to grow my hair long was the fear of all the work it would be to style and maintain. I liked the wash-and-go convenience of short hair {although with round brushing and straight ironing, it wasn't exactly maintenance free.} However, when finances forced me to quit my hairdresser, I discovered how easy long hair actually is! 

Currently, I only wash and set my hair once {usually Sunday} and rely on the resulting curls to carry me through the rest of the week. Here's how:

{1} I like to set my hair using elevated pin curls. To do this, start with clean, air-dried hair. Lightly mist all over with a water bottle. {2} Section off a piece of hair. Notice that the ends still look dry and frazzled. {3} Dab your fingers into some leave-in conditioner or finishing creme and smooth it onto the ends of your section of hair. I use John Frieda's Smoothing Creme. {4} Carefully roll the section of hair all the way up to your scalp. {5} Secure with a flat, single pronged clip. Proceed to the next section of hair until finished. {6} After a few hours {I take that time to eat, get dressed, and get the kids ready for church} remove the clips and lightly shake out the curls with your fingers.

The first day is the curliest, but there are lots of things I do with my hair the rest of the week:

Wear a hat! {I steal J's hat regularly}

Put it in a pony tail! Low side-pony's are nice and retro-looking.

And of course, everyone loves to go granny-chic and wear a bun. :) Do you favor long hair or short? Any hairstyles I should try? I've been eyeing a few braids...

PS I still shower every day after running, but with a little baby powder or dry shampoo, it isn't really necessary to wash my hair more than once a week. Liberating!

Wardrobe Update: hAha

My gorgeous hAha just had a baby and is craving a wardrobe overhaul. She already has impeccable taste, but haven't we all had those moments where you step into a store and don't even know where to begin? She asked for some mood boards to help get her started, and I needed no further excuse to go virtual shopping. ;)

Her requests: single layer {it's hot and humid}, nursing friendly, bright, breezy and beachy. I started with the simplest {yet most impractical} of outfits: date night clothes!

Separates are not only cost effective {they mix and match so well!} they're also very nursing friendly. Besides, nothing makes you feel human again like putting on a skirt, painting your nails and going out on a date with your man. ;)

1. Lace Tee by Dorothy Perkins //  2. Carin Skirt by Monki // 3. Pastel Orange Belt by Asos // 4. No. 2 Pencil Skirt in Neon Pink by J Crew // 5. Checked Shirt in Navy from The Gap // 6. Chunky Heeled Peep Toes in Mustard //

But the reality is that we moms spend most of our time in casual wear, so that's where I went next: casual with {perhaps too much?} mint:

hAha, I seem to remember you having a nice pair of gladiator sandals, and I KNOW you have a rockin' fedora, so I went from there. There's a lot of DIY we could do here {Make the necklace! Dye your own pair of mint jeans!} but here are the links anyway:

7. Drapey Elbow Sleeve Tee by J Crew {color in stores} // 8. Fedora // 9. Clean Front Bermuda Shorts by The Gap // 10. Lucky Brand Gladiator Sandals // 11. Spearmint Skinny Jeans by J Crew // 12. Albion Necklace by Apres Ski // 13. Sailor Boatneck Tee by J Crew {I got mine at Forever 21}

Next, more easy and breezy outfits. I'm a firm believer that every woman needs one amazing sundress in the summer {just add a whisper-thin cardigan}. I don't know about you, but after I started having babies, the ones at Old Navy just didn't cut it. I had to find better fabric and fit. Maybe this one should join our Sisterhood of the Traveling Wardrobe, because the silk is sooo lovely and I'm kinda obsessed with it:

Plus, colorful shorts! I have these in mint, but I unroll them to make them bermudas. ;)

14. Blouson Dress by J Crew {also available in a nice red/orange color in stores} // 15. Unification Bracelet by Sabrina DeHoff // 16. DIY Paint Chip Necklace // 17. Tessa Top in Flax {made of linen!} // 18. Boyfriend Roll-Up Shorts in Heatwave Orange by The Gap //

So there's some inspiration! Next, we'll figure out how to do it all on a dime. ;)

Happy Weekend!

Wardrobe Envy: Emma Pillsbury

The older I get, the more I feel a sense of freedom when it comes to fashion. I no longer have as much of that middle-school anxiety about what people might think, and am able to revel in dressing however I please. Since I'm ultra-girly and have a fondness for vintage, it should come as no surprise that I openly covet Emma Pillsbury's wardrobe. 

Yes, she's a fictional character {from Glee- a show I don't even watch *ahem* anymore} and there's no way that she, as a High School Guidance Counselor could afford even one fourth of what she wears, {mostly Kate Spade, J Crew and Eva Franco} but that hasn't stopped me from envying her clothes. Her look is sweet, fresh, and undeniably feminine yet buttoned up and mature.

Yesterday, I scoured Goodwill for brightly colored skirts, unusual brooches and patterned blouses. I'm hoping that after an afternoon with a borrowed sewing machine, I'll have an Emma-Pillsbury-inspired outfit for far less than it'd cost to go on a J Crew shopping spree {which is what I'm really craving.} Stay tuned!

Do you have fictional characters that you envy? Who's your fashion icon?

Spring Mad Men Collection

You know what happens when I'm broke? I stop paying attention. And when I stop paying attention, I miss hearing about really important things. Things like the launch of another Mad Men Collection at Banana Republic in anticipation of the show's season premier on March 25th. Seriously, I want it all!

I own three pieces from the collection last Fall {two dresses and a skirt} and they are among my most-worn, most versatile, go-to staples in my wardrobe. The fresh colors and similar silhouettes in the Spring line promise to be even better. If I can find any of it. {The lovely cream and polka-dotted sheath is all but sold out!} That pink floral is stunning.

What about you? Did you snag some awesome fashion while I was busy snoozing? Please share {and let me live vicariously through you!}.

Happy Weekend!

Hot Girls Wear Glasses

Where was this whole geek-chic trend back when I was in 6th grade and could have really used it? Let's just agree that I was ahead of my time, shall we? Also, if fashion continues to follow this course, braces are about to become very hot. Just sayin'.

Elements that I appreciate from current trends include: buttoned-up, modest clothing with uber feminine details / industrial housewares and office supplies  /  typography and hand lettering  /  vintage wayfarer glasses

{images: Donna Reed & Zooey Deschanel}

Pretty Things

I love the styling for Red Valentino's Fall 2012 collection-- those hand-drawn backgrounds are just the right shade of whimsical and set off the clothing perfectly. Honestly, who wouldn't want that little black dress full of beautiful details and textures? Add a lacy pair of knee socks and I'm sold!

Hope you're having a nice President's Day. As you can see, I've spent the long weekend staring dreamily at pretty things while trying to sort out my real life. :)

{images}

A Shot of Orange

Once upon a time, I declared orange to be the ugliest color of them all. Oh, how mistaken I was! Lately, I've developed a bit of a crush on this misfit in all its hues. From rust:

to tangerine:

In doses large:

and small:

It's gorgeous as an accessory:

and punches up my favorite wardrobe staples:

Maybe someday, I'll even become brave enough to tolerate it in the home. I like it paired with soothing whites and grays:

or in little accents, like boxes and books:

rugs and artwork:

But perhaps my favorite source is outdoors, where it pairs so nicely with natural woods and greenery:

While I've learned to admire orange from afar, I think for the moment my adoration will stay confined to the tangelos on my citrus tree. And perhaps that orange belt... :)

{photo sources on my Pinterest}

Style For Less

As the weekend approaches, I can't help having my head turned by all the fabulous sales out there. If I were at liberty to go shopping, this is what I'd be spending {and saving!} money on:

The Dotline Boatneck T is just $29 at Anthropologie. The brass geometric elements of the necklace would set it off nicely {$39 at Madewell}. Add a pop of color with green denim jeans, a bit of polish with leopard print ballet flats {a steal at $12!} and finish it off with a messy bun and some bright lipstick. Voila! A sassy outfit for less than the price of a pair of jeans.

Happy Weekend, all!

Tasty Clothes

Last week was a doozy. We had Grandpa's funeral {which was emotional and wonderful all at the same time}, a trip to urgent care for Baby R to get stitches {poor boy!} and E turned 7 years old, all as I balanced on the precipice of depression. While I do have thoughts and personal struggles I want to record at some point, for now I feel that some lightness is in order. Thus, I start the week off talking about clothes. :)

This is my new favorite outfit. Not only because I finally {!!} fit into the pencil skirt, but because the blush colored silk of the blouse paired with the soft peacock blue of the cardigan makes my mouth water. I could eat that color combination. Add a subtle grid pattern from the pencil skirt, some chain and stone texture from the necklace, and that my friends, is an outfit I could gorge myself on.

That delicious necklace is from Target, which is where I {and most everyone else, it seems} finds the best, inexpensive little luxuries. As you've likely heard, the Jason Wu for Target collection is set to release Feb 5th, and I've already composed a little lust list...

I'm crossing my fingers that it won't be crazytown like when Missoni released their Target collection, especially since I could really use a clearance price on some of those dresses.... A girl can dream, right?

p.s. Thanks for all of your kind words on my last post. You're the best. :) I'm feeling a bit better and hope to get back to posting regularly this week.

Indulgence

What do you do to reward yourself? {or as Tom & Donna would say, Treat Yo Self!} Snuggle up with a carton of Ben & Jerry? Watch guilty-pleasure television? Buy clothes? I have to admit, I love all those things. But lately, my favorite way to treat myself is with new nail polish.

Last week, I bought a bottle of Essie's Master Plan {a nice grey similar to Chinchilly, but with less of a purple undertone} It feels neutral and edgy at the same time. Love it. For Thanksgiving, I think I'll brush on a bit of gold glitter, like so:

Other nail trends I'm loving: a glittery french manicure...

A gradient grey manicure:

And these awesome {but expensive} chevron printed nails:

On a side note, sometime this year I officially released my death grip on silver and began to embrace gold, glitter and brass. What the what? I thought warm metals would be forever banned from my home and wardrobe! What can I say? I blame peer pressure. :)