May 15, 2010 | DIY, From You
She’s referring to the above booties.
I received the following question on formspring.me:
Hi! I adore your blog; your DIYs are absolutely fabulous! Anyways, I fell in LOVE with your booties from “How to Make a Pair of Boot-Covers from a Leather Jacket.” Where did you get them?! <3 always, Kaelie
Hi Kaelie! Thank you for your kind words!
Those booties I bought from Forever 21 – in early November 2009. I haven’t seen them since on the website or in the stores, but maybe there’s Ebay? I will mention they are the most hideously uncomfortable shoes EVER – there’s no padding in the sole, so you can feel the ground as you walk on it…and the top of the shoe is cut too high and grates on my ankle bone with every step I take. (You can see it digging into my ankles in the above photo.) The toe-boxes are also made too narrow…ick. They look pretty, though!
xoxox
Carly
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May 14, 2010 | DIY
I’ve been on the fence regarding these boots for awhile because to me, they fall into what I call the “split personality” category: where something looks totally different from the front as it does from the back or the side. These shoes look so chic from the front – but from the side I always felt the heel was a bit too low and clunky-chunky. I just wasn’t into the shape of it – but still wanted a pair of open-front booties for the warmer months of summer.
I was planning on doing a DIY of this style by just buying a pair of boots which had the pieces anchoring the laces separated a bit, with a single piece of material as the toe-box and tongue. (All you would need to do is cut out the tongue and toe box, leaving the sides and laces intact.) But even I’m a sucker for a cheat – if there’s an easier way to do something, I’m all for it!
Enter Forever 21‘s Lace-Up Sandal Heels. As soon as I saw them, I knew they would be perfect – as the only DIY’ing that needs to be done is eyelet punching. Yay for simplicity! I bought them and then set them on my “DIY’s to Do” desk and left them there for a bit while I was too sick to really bother about making things. In the meantime, The Look 4 Less answered a reader question who was searching for an alternative to those Ann D’s with a recommend for the exact same Forever 21’s I had snagged. (Cripes, I’ve searched for over an hour on their site to find the post, but can’t. Sorry!) Well, I’ve been beat to the punch but it finally provided the kick in the pants I needed to do the DIY for these iconic shoes. Very simple (but your hands will hurt afterwards!)
You Need:
*Forever 21 Lace-Up Sandal Heels
*rotary leather punch
*a pack of small silver-tone 1/4″ eyelets (if you can get 2-part grommets, so much the better! I couldn’t find them at my local Jo-Ann’s…Jo-Ann’s = argggggh!)
*eyelet/grommet setter (I used setting pliers)
*small scissors
*pliers
How-To:
1. Remove laces from the shoes.
Using the rotary leather punch, punch holes in the shoe leather about 1/4″ from the edge, where each ribbon lacing anchor is located. I used the second-largest punch on the rotary.
As you can see, the punch doesn’t go all the way through the leather in most cases. (I also then applied the punch from the inside of the shoe for each hole.)
2. Use the small scissors to cut out all the extraneous material that wasn’t punched out of the holes by your pliers – there’s a couple layers to go through, including the outer vinyl, inner lining vinyl, ribbon ends, glue, and in some cases, the inner buckram stiffener, and usually, the pliers can’t handle it.
3. Use the scissors like an awl, and twist them back and forth in the holes to stretch the holes a little larger.
4. Use the scissors to cut off the protruding ribbon ends – what the Forever 21 boots used as lacing anchors for their laces.
5. Set the eyelets (or grommets!) in each hole. Since the eyelet plier setter is a sucky piece of equipment, and the eyelets are equally sucky, I had to go back in with pliers and press down the backs where the eyelets split, leaving jagged metal edges. If you’re using better-quality tools and eyelets (i.e., not Dritz brand) you probably won’t have this problem.
6. Thread the laces through the eyelets in a zig-zag pattern.
Wear proudly! They’re pretty darn good doppelgangers, and the heel is now a little more tapered and chic.
Love!
Not feeling very photogenic today.
And Lil Tot was so enamored with them that he wanted to pose wearing them as well.
Not sure why his pants are undone. He doesn’t seem to like pants much, considering that the few times I’ve shared his photo on this blog he’s pantless.
Appeals to all ages!
xoxoxo
Carly
P.S. And if I never have to spell “Demeulemeester” again, I will be one happy lady.;-) That, and if I could just get Lil Tot to wear pants done-up for a photo op.
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May 13, 2010 | Fashion
(Spiegel Signature Two-Way Stretch Ruffle Collar Jacket, QoJelly draped convertible chiffon top, oxidized jigsaw puzzle necklace from Japan, unknown crepe convertible skirt I got at Sears (!), DIY sheer black pantyhose, Forever 21 wedge heel booties, Forever 21 rhinestone bracelet, unknown skull-studded white leather bag I got in Honolulu, Forever 21 hammered silver armor ring, Cartier & Tiffany wedding rings)
The weather’s warming up here, Spring is giving way to Summer, but mornings are still nippy and prone to showers. I’m loving layers and lightweight tights at the moment (perhaps also wanting some physical protection from continuous employment rejection? Ack, who knows.).
What I wore to yet another networking event on Saturday. Got tons of useful information and met lots of people, and have since been on a whirlwind personal quest to fix up my webpages(s) and get some professional-looking artistic presence out there on the WWW. (Can’t believe I was desperately trying to get Blogger to post my files via FTP to my webhost and wondering why all the FAQs and how-tos on doing this had screenshots of a screen that didn’t exist in the Blogger interface…and then finally found it I was trying to do this May 2: the day AFTER Blogger discontinued their FTP functionality. Hello, Blogger – what’s wrong with you???!!! And my current hosting svc. doesn’t allow domain CNAME editing – which is Blogger’s “quick fix” to the “we no use no stinkin’ ftps no more” standpoint – AND my webhost’s PHP Elefante scripts aren’t compatible with Blogger’s platform. Arrrrrrrrghhhhh. And to the jerk who bought www.ChicSteals.com a year ago and paid for the name registration up until 2011: better watch yo back. Remember the days when there was no such thing as the Internet? I don’t understand why it needs to be this complicated. Anyways.)
Just about all the pieces in this look are convertible – I just love multifunctionality!
I saw this ruffle-collar jacket on Spiegel.com, of all places – and fell on love. Upon receiving the size 6 I found it cut too generously in the body, so I moved the button further to nearto the side seam to make it fit tighter. The collar’s cool and chic in a Rick Owens-sort-of-looseness – it looks great as a piece in a work wardrobe but can do just as well in a casual sort of look, like here – it’s lightweight, so it works for warm weather too – and the best part is that it was only $49! (hmmm. technically its shape isn’t quite Rick Owens…the sleeve seams need to be set further in at the shoulders…or the sleeve needs to be thinner just below the sleeve cap…ohwell, yadowhatchacan.)
The top has two layers of chiffon – the bottom on two drawstrings so that you can customize the look and the fit – I bought it in Japan at LaForet Harajuku and just love it! The skirt is actually a little longer (I rolled it at the waist) and it has these ties on the inside to create that scrunched-up effect. Really cool – thanks Honolulu Sears Junior’s Section!! (Gosh – I had no idea how rumpled I was from the back until I saw these photos! I was sitting on it all day long which is why it looks sadly crumpled at the back…I think I started out the day okay…ohwell.)
I am very self-conscious about showing my bare legs…note to self: get back to running ASAP!!!…so I DIY’d these pantyhose for days when I don’t want to wear a thick opaque pair of tights (which would usually be my go-to solution for this). Just a cheap pair of sheer “black”-colored L’eggs with the feet chopped off – and it doesn’t look as dark and wintery, but still hides what I need it to.
Well, this week has just flown by. I have another DIY to contribute to another magazine that contacted me…better get that done pretty soon. And rehaul Chic Steals by mashing my super-minimal *non-existent* programming skills with my rudimentary web graphix skills and seeing what I come up with. You guys may see the layout to this site changing slowly over the next week or two – so don’t be shocked if it looks totally different or the layout is messed up (which is more than likely to occur …frickin’ CSS and Blogger skins. Can u tell I’m not a web person??)
Is it Friday yet???? Hope you guys are enjoying your week!
xoxox
Carly
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May 12, 2010 | Life, Score!
Yup, all TEN of ya:
And #37 (vrtish55)…Random.org really wanted you to win, because it picked you twice! (How’s that for weird? Maybe you should go pick yourself up a lottery ticket since luck is on your side today! {or at least Random.org is :-)} Just kidding!) But I promised TEN winners, so I had to re-run the generator – sorry!
So by my calculations the winners are: (emails x-d out to preserve privacy)
#2: EVELYN penguiin.eater@xxxxx
#4: KATHRYN kathrynsprowl@xxxxx
#5: NIIKA face.graffiti@xxxxx
#9: SADIE’S MOMMA ksparham@xxxx
#25: ERIN NICHOLE shortwindedmuse@xxxx
#37: VRTISH55 vickers_73460@xxxx
#40: WENDY13 misswendythirteen@xxxxx
#42: BRANDI
#49: AVO parthgalen@xxxxx
#54: PEGGRADYART peggrady@xxxxx
So PLEASE to help me out a little if you see your name above please please please email me (carlyjcais at hotmail dot com) your full name, mailing address, and phone number from the email you used to enter.
(cuz honestly when I agreed to do this giveaway it didn’t occur to me that ten people to follow up with is a
major undertaking…yikes!!)
Edit 5/15: I’ve now heard from everyone except Kathryn, Wendy13, vrtish55, and peggradyart. Please let me know your info!
I’ll be cross-referencing everyone else’s information with your comment etc. so I make sure you’re the same person (at least to the best of my abilities) and then I’ll forward your info onto to the Afaze rep so you can get your bracelet!
Thank you everybody for entering!
xoxox
Carly
P.S. Sorry I had to delete multiple comments – and if any of the winners cannot provide a U.S. address (as stated in the entry requirements), another winner will be chosen in her stead. Thanks for understanding!
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May 12, 2010 | By Carly J. Cais
So I’ve posted a few items for sale in my newly-resurrected Etsy shop carlyjcais. Just some jewelry I had on hand that I hadn’t got around to selling yet!
My cross rings are proving very popular – I’m running out of them almost as fast as I can make them! Plus, I’ve made a couple cross necklaces too!
As you can see, I’m a bit bipolar when it comes to jewelry design, because I love both edgy and feminine things. So my store’s a bit all over the place! Anyway, please take a look if you’d like…
Thanks for looking!
xoxox
Carly
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May 11, 2010 | Fashion, From You
I was asked the below questions on formspring.me and I thought I should consolidate them to answer:
do you think the style of zipper embelished accesories and clothing is still in?
is denim still in?
First of all, I think it’s hard to say “what’s in” in general since fashion is so diversified even within a single season, and even designers known for a certain “look” will send different pieces down the runway to appeal to a larger market. Plus, regionally, trends vary – and no matter where you are, there’s always going to be a girl who goes against the generalities and has her own signature unique style.
That being said, I believe both are “in”! (Any style, any way is my motto.) There was a lot less zipper-embellished clothing/accessories on the Spring/Sumer 2010 runways (with the notable exception of Ann Demuelemeester, whose zipper headpieces and scarves sent even the most zippered-out fashion editor into paroxysms). Zipper-edging? Sculptural zipper elements? Not so much anymore per se. But just because it wasn’t on the runways and has begun to desaturate the retail shelves doesn’t mean you should put all your zippered pieces away for good. The 80’s are still back with a vengeance, and a little zippery lends a hard edge to tiny-flowered dresses and short shorts. Maybe try a small accessory if you’re unsure? (I just spotted some rolled zipper rings at Target which might work well if you just want to dip your toes – er, fingers, into the trend.)
my own Zara display photo; D&G runway img from Style.com;
As for denim, according to the runways, retail, and catalogs – denim is HUGE for this summer. (Especially blue denim on blue denim – eeek!) Just look at Gap’s last ad campaign – the shelves of Zara – and the last D&G collection if you’re unsure. Now, whether it’s actually happening on the streets and on fashionable girls in the know….well, that’s another thing. I think if you wear denim-on-denim you’ll look exceptionally trendy and straight out of an editorial, though depending on the crowd you hang with you may get a few raised eyebrows. Want to look on-trend but not like an 80’s victim? Maybe stick with one piece of light blue denim (and not necessarily your jeans!) as a counterpoint to busy prints, bustiers, a loose tee, a chain cross-body bag, sorbet-colored pumps, or strappy flat sandals.
Hope that answers your questions!
xoxox
Carly
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May 11, 2010 | Blogging, From You
Have fun looking through everything!
xoxox
Carly
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May 10, 2010 | From You
I received this question awhile ago on Formspring.me when I had an Ask Me Anything account there:
I have a question about modeling in Japan. Are the height requirements similar to the ones here? I’m relatively short (5’2-ish) and curvy, but not fat in the least!
Hi! Models in Japan need to be a minimum of 5’6″ (166 cm). Since the average Japanese person is shorter, there tends to be no market for models under that height. You also need to be able to fit into Japanese clothes, with the standard size being: B (80-86 cm; 31-34″) W (54-60 cm; 21-24″) H (80-86 cm 31-34″). (There is a little bit of variance here and there, and if you want to work on late-night TV shows or raunchy catalogs etc you can be more curvy.) There is almost no market for foreign Asian models there – the more blond and Caucasian you are, the more work you are likely to get. (Though as of the last ten years or so half-Japanese models are getting more work for more mainstream outlets, but they are usually from Japan and speak Japanese to begin with.)
Hope that answers your question!
xo
Carly
My modeling in Japan story:
Though I’ve returned to Japan since my son was born in 2005 for a month every single year to visit my in-laws, I never modeled there again. All I can speak towards is general trends I’ve been seeing over the past decade or so, but I’m no expert!!
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May 9, 2010 | Fashion
Could you send me a photo so I could see where the cracking is? I might get a better idea of how to camouflage it. Thanks!
xoxox
Carly
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May 9, 2010 | Beauty, From You
To tell the trutch, my first reaction was ewwwwww…but they’re very editorial-looking. Sure,for a party or photo-op, why not? Def. not for the office! (I feel the paper would be somewhat distracting on the eyelids for the wearer, but who knows?) They may take off unlike Lancome’s tattoo decal eyebrows from way back when…
Inspired by the art of Chinese paper-cutting, Eyelashes blend an element of traditional culture with contemporary design.
Intricately cut and delicately pretty, Eyelashes are available in three styles, each infused with symbolic meaning rooted in Chinese culture:
Horses: symbolic of success
Peony: for happiness and good fortune
Peach blossom: a symbol of love and romance
Unique and expressive, Eyelashes come in two sizes: accentuate the corners of your eyes with the smaller lashes for a subtle daytime look, or make a statement with the full lashes for a special occasion.
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