pretty things

rings-XXI, vintage, and gifted; bracelets-self made using this tutorial; clutch-Calvin Klein; scarf-vintage

Sometimes when I spend pretty much the whole day in my comfy/but not really stylish 'lounge-wear' I like to put together things that look pretty; as sort of a way to get dressed up without actually doing it. It's a sham, really. ;)

Lately I've been kind of intrigued by the whole mixing metals trend. I'll admit, I'm very much new to the idea, and I generally admire people who can wear all sorts of metallics and look like it's no big deal. I know I'm suppose to think of metallics as neutrals, and neutrals can be mixed all kinds of ways, but I guess this is just taking me a little longer to get used to. So, on a quite Sunday afternoon, I stepped outside my comfort zone (a big achievement for a Sunday afternoon...considering it's usually when I take a leisurely nap) and mixed a bunch of my favorite metals with a few other accessories that seemingly fit the theme of 'pretty things' ;)

thoughts?

I heart DIY...and NY

I love when DIY's work just as you had hoped! Like with this shirt; just your average 'I hear NY' tube T-shirt bought for about $2, and transformed with the help of some talented DIYer, whom I can no longer find. I would really love to give her/him credit for the awesome idea, so please if you do know where this came from, post the link in the comments!:)

top-NYC street vendor and DIYed
pants- H&M
flats-Joe Fresh
belt- Florence market
hat- H&M

another attempt

Let's pretend my legs aren't as ghastly as they are, shall we? And while we're at it, let's also pretend that the weather hasn't chosen to reverse the spring we had just about gotten used to...:(

When I first started this blog, one of the first DIY's I did was 're-vamping' this denim blazer. I have had it for a while now, without really wearing it, so I thought changing up the buttons would entice me to wear it more. That didn't happen. I didn't want to get rid of it fully because it has a nice shape, pretty timeless style, and generally fits well, but I knew I had to do something about it. So, with the help of some thread and black beads, I re-re-vamped it once again; have a feeling this time's the charm.

blazer-Smart Set & DIY

top-vintage

skirt-Suzy Shier

shoes-Wielde

ring- Forever 21

around my home

To change things up a bit, I thought I'd share some pics of my home and the little bits of spring creeping in! ( I made the flowers following a tutorial I came across a while ago, and cannot find again for the life of me! So, if any of you recognize these, pls post a link in the comments to the original DIY tutorial! )

The feathers I put out as a bit of a joke (there was a themed party in the mix, is all I'll say) and they kinda stuck around. I don't know what is it about them, but they cheer me up and make me want to draw feathers all the time (seriously, you look into my economics notes...all you'll find is drawings of feathers...and paisley designs)

And lastly, my bird cage/ jewelry display! I saw it and feel in love; I saw its price tag and knew i had to have it; and then i had to face several confused faces who'd ask me why I have a bird cage without a bird (it boggles the mind!) and that's how it became a jewelry stand! It's actually perfect for my bib necklaces because the curvature keeps the shape intact. Pretty AND practical- SOLD!

Hope you're enjoying spring wherever you are :)

DIY: re-purposed

As you may already know I love DIY (and sincerely wished I had more time to do tutorials on this little blog of mine)! This particular one took about 1 minute, and cost roughly $2 (not counting the shoes).
Come spring/summer you'll see just how much I love these shoes; they're super comfy, have a slight wedge and I've literally walked miles in them with no problem! I also love them for the simplicity, which allowed me the get a little creative and re-purpose old ear-rings as shoe clips!

To recreate this you'll need:
1. a pair of shoes, regardless of height, color, or material. You just need them to have a not too thick of an edge (or else the earrings won't clip)
2. clip on earrings! I suggest you take a little stroll down to your local thrift store and search through the most inexpensive jewelry (that's where I found these ones for only $1.99) that no is likely to wear as is. (I should've snapped a picture of these on my ears, they're HUGE!)

And all you have to do is snap'em on your shoes! DONE :)

Here's another example, using vintage earrings from the 60's (courtesy of my lovely grandma):

Thoughts?

13/30-bejewled

As mentioned, when I'm stressed out I make things...mostly necklaces. This is really the back-story of how this bib necklace came to be. After visiting a small bead shop a couple of weeks ago, I couldn't contain myself and popped open all of the lovely little bags of crystals and beads I had purchased and thus it began.
Several hours of beading later, I was kinda proud of myself ;) (modesty is one of my many honorable traits).
As far as this outfit is concerned...I was aiming for comfort, and also really wanted to wear the necklace and have it stand out!

blazer- Forever 21
shirt dress-Joe Fresh
leggings-??
boots- Franco Sarto
belt-thrifted
bib necklace- made by me
sunglasses- Nine West

Thoughts?

11/30- spring is in the air

With the snow finally melting I was glad to wear my 'newer' riding boots. You see, these boots are a year old now and I plan/hope to be able to get a lot more wear out of them, and that's why I refuse to wear them when there's snow/slush/salt grains the size of quarters on the ground. (Yes, I'm border line weird when it comes to protecting leather shoes...I guess it's time you knew that about me)
In other ways the weather affected my wardrobe choices--finally ripped off the tag of this flowery top! even though we were still well below zero, I kinda felt like today was the beginning of spring...which is setting myself up for disappointment of course come ...well, tomorrow.

Oh and lastly, Trisha in case you see this--took your advice and wore my little necklace!;)

cardigan-Joe Fresh
top- Anthropologie
jeans-H&M
boots- Franco Sarto
glasses-Nine West
necklace- made by me

Made by Me

When I need a break from...anything really, I usually make jewelry (and in most cases, necklaces). It's just one of those things that relaxes me and never causes me an ounce of stress!
This little necklace was pretty easy to make, and I'm actually quite happy with the turn out!

I'm even contemplating putting it up on my Etsy shop...thoughts?

9/30-cheating

This is how I wanted to wear this outfit...except I had to cheat a little and wear my warmer boots because the weather has not been cooperating with my wishes lately (it's been -25/-27 for about 5 days now). I did wear my riding boots, which are included in my 30 for 30, so I suppose it's not really cheating, but as close as I plan on getting to cheating anyways.

blazer-my momma's ;)
tunic- forever 21
scarf- gift
tote bag- made by me (check out the tutorial here!)
tights-Anne Klein
belt-H&M

What I've been up to...

The last few days were kind of stressful at times (finishing up exams was the main cause), but crafting kept my spirits up! What's a bit strange is, even simply being around my crafting supplies and such, I feel somehow...calm.

yep, still lace-obsessed

Thought I'd share with you some of the jewelry I've made recently (similar styles will be available in my Etsy shop soon!)





Thoughts?
What keeps you sane through stressful times?

DIY-lace earrings

A couple of posts ago, I showed an awesome DIY borrowed from HonestlyWTF showing how to create lace earrings. I was so inpsired by the idea, and just couldn't wait to find some time and make some myself!


Fittingly, with Christmas around the corner, these will make a lovely present for someone...:)