Jun 23, 2011 | DIY
Welcome to the first installment of a new series I’m trying out: Steal That Style!, where I feature a celebrity’s recent outfit and break it down into the Steal-able (that is, similar pieces that are affordable) and the DIY-able. Let me know what you guys think – I’d love your feedback!
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Olivia Palermo was spotted recently at a film screening, wearing this bold ensemble. I look the juicy colors, the pop of print – and the gutsiness of this as a party look. Above is how to get the look for less, by shopping cheap…and creatively crafting.
How to Get Her Look
Stylish Steals
Cuff: Metal Braided Cuff, $21, AlltheRageOnline.com.
Dress: Exhibit A Cutout Coral Dress, $59; or Aryn K Sudden Chill Orange Dress, $83; or Cutest Smile Red Dress, $38; all Lulus.com.
Shoes: Liliana Muses 3 Leopard Pump, $23.90, UrbanOg.com.
DIY Deals
Dress: The dress can be made using BurdaStyle Pattern 1/2010 #128. Choose a bright shantung fabric for the same look. Eliminate the belt and cut the sleeves shorter to about a 3/4 length sleeve (don’t forget hem allowance). Also if you like eliminate the center front seam by overlapping the front piece patterns on top of each other (only overlapping the seam allowance), and cut the front as one continuous piece. If you really like that high-waisted seam, you can always add a piece of black cord trim in the midsection of the dress to thoroughly emulate the look.
Clutch: Take a clutch you already have (or something thrifted), and cover with hot pink satin (example from HancockFabrics.com), using Loctite Vinyl, Fabric and Plastic Adhesive
to adhere it.
Shoes: If you’re feeling crafty and have a pair of beige pumps on hand (or can find a usable pair at your local thrift store), paint your own DIY leopard print using Angelus Acrylic leather paints (ideal), or acrylic paints, covered in a layer or two of Mod Podge Matte
to make the spots weatherproof.
Proof that you don’t need a celeb’s money to look like a million bucks!
xoxox
Carly
All other photos copyright of their respective authors. Photo array by me.
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Jun 21, 2011 | DIY
I had so much material and great sites bookmarked from last week, last Links of the Week was threatening to become a gigantic 2-chapter installment. So I split it up so I could include many more wonderful DIYs and extraordinary ideas this week!
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Flowers made from tights by K.I.S.S. is a great project if you have pretty tights with runs in them. (Reminds me of my Rolled Tights Rose Tutorial, which I shared last year on Cut Out + Keep.) But hers are much prettier and more whimsical!!
Or how about jewelry made from plants? Living jewelry, that is! Though it’s not a tutorial, I’m feeling inspired by Viola Living Jewels, a line that uses tillandsia (air plants) in pieces.
Thera Joyce shared a video tutorial on how to make a tube top from a T-shirt you already have in your closet. Add this to your summer wardrobe, too! Watch it here.
If you like Glee, you’ll love this Emma Pillsbury T-Shirt Refashion project by iCandy Handmade! A prim and perfect refashion.
Brittany shared with me her new DIY blog: Opposite of War. She’s just starting out in the blogosphere and shared her great idea for a pair of Ballerina-Inspired Flip-Flops. Lovely!
Livlig Online is a new site I’ve discovered, featuring TONS of DIY roundups (like One Pretty Thing, except different) with Home, Jewelry, and Clothing DIYs…it could keep me busy for HOURS!
Nichelle not Michelle posted her tutorial for creating a dress from a shirt and a pair of leggings. What a sexy makeover – Meow!
Featured on Chictopia as a “DIY Bikini,” this 3D-printed nylon piece by Contiuum apparently arrives at your door flat, and you have to snap it together. And when I write “printed” I don’t mean that it has a printed pattern on it…I mean that it’s literally printed with a printer that creates 3D objects from scratch!! However, I’m much more interested in Continuum’s D Dress App, an online application that converts any dress you draw with it into dress pattern made up of tiny triangles, available for you to print on your home printer. I’ll have to try this out and make my own avant-garde wearable piece!
Inspired by a piece by NastyGal, Cheap Chic Obsession created a DIY Fringe T-shirt. Easy and chic and perfect for summer!
I love this idea for reuse and recycling! Rather than dump the 400 yards of non-biodegradable fabric from an old balloon into a landfill, Turk + Taylor designed their Spring Collection of clothing using the ripstop nylon from the balloon. How amazing is that??! (Source)
If your project was featured above, feel free to grab a button and share the DIY!

<a href=”https://chiccreativelife.com/category/links-of-the-week”><img src=”https://chiccreativelife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/diylotwfeaturedbutton-1.png” /></a>
If you have a DIY project, tutorial, or creation that you’d like to see featured on Chic Steals, please email me at carlyjcais at chic-steals dot com – and I’ll try to squeeze it in to one of my Links of the Week posts!
xoxox
Carly
-all photos copyright their respective authors; photo array by me-
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Jun 21, 2011 | Fashion
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Yup, my family and I leave for Tokyo today – and we’ll be there an entire month. However, I’ll be taking my laptop with me this time, so I’ll still be blogging from the other side of the world. I’m looking forward to a month of tons of walking and exercise, tackling my personal webpage and portfolio, tasting some superb food, hanging out with my relatives, and indulging in some fabulous, fabulous shopping!
See you guys on the flipside!;-)
xoxox
Carly
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Jun 19, 2011 | DIY

How many of us have been drooling over the chic-ness of the metallic Minx manicure since it debuted a few years back?
Being someone who loves metals, I’ve been dying to get my hands on one – well, get one on my hands, really – for ages. But the $40+ pricetag (for a set of nails that barely lasts 2 weeks) has been a big deterrent.
Now, Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips have been out awhile in drugstores here in the U.S. – but though there are glitters there are no true metals offered in the line.:-( So I was on the hunt for something similar – that could mimic that Minx look for less.
Enter Nail Rocks Nail Wraps (for a mere $11.55 from ASOS.com). (And with Free Shipping to the U.S. too – how about that?) With a little fiddling (and a home hairdryer) that gorgeous liquid metal manicure can be yours for a fraction of the cost. Here’s how to use them:
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Jun 16, 2011 | Fashion
I am so excited to announce that Shabby Apple is partnering with Chic Steals to give away one of their lovely dress to one lucky winner! I’ve been a great admirer of all of Shabby Apple’s clothing for a long time – especially their beautiful dresses, which truly need no extra pieces to make a spectacular outfit! Feminine and flirty, vintage-inspired and tasteful, these are dresses for the modern woman who wants to feel special every day.
The winner of this giveaway gets to choose one dress in their size from the dresses above: the Bernini dress, the Cider dress, the Trade Winds dress, the Champs Elysees dress, or the La Noche Nigra dress (from left to right)
ARV: $78 – $89 (depending on which dress the winner chooses)


The Bernini Dress / The Cider Dress


The Trade Winds Dress / The Champs Elysees Dress

The La Noche Nigra Dress
How to Enter
REQUIRED:
2. Leave a comment on this post telling me which lovely dress you would choose if you won! (make sure you leave your email address or that your address is in your profile so I can contact you). (1 entry)
ADDITIONAL ENTRIES:
3. Tweet this giveaway. Leave a SEPARATE comment on this post with the link to your tweet! (1 entry)
Total: 2 entries per person allowed.
However, if you do not keep your additional entry comment separate from your required entry comment, it WILL NOT BE COUNTED.
Giveaway open to U.S. residents only (apologies to my international readers).
Giveaway period is open from now until Thursday, June 23, 11:59 PM PST.
Edit 6/23: Giveaway period is now closed and winner will be announced shortly.
Winner chosen by Random.org and notified by email.
And if you just can’t wait to hear the results of the giveaway, Shabby Apple is also offering Chic Steals readers an exclusive discount code: chicsteals10off to receive 10% off any order from ShabbyApple.com. (good until 7/14/11) So if you just can’t get these beautiful pieces out of your head, check them all out (including skirts, jewelry, swimwear, and kids apparel) online:
Good luck!
xoxox
Carly
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