Sep 14, 2009 | DIY, Fashion
One of Betsey Johnson’s drawings for Sharpie
So bummed that I couldn’t make it to New York for this year’s September Mercedes-Benz Spring/Summer 2010 Fashion Week…seriously, I would have gone just for the Sharpie Bar. And Crumbs’ Caramel Apple cupcakes.
Sharpie is making its mark on Fashion Week with the first ever SHARPIE BAR, where attendees are invited to get creative and customize fashion accessories and apparel, including a t-shirt designed by Betsey Johnson exclusively for Sharpie! The Sharpie Bar will be open September 14, 15, & 16 from 9am – 3pm in the Main Lobby @ The Tents of Bryant Park.
- Sharpie is making its first official appearance at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, debuting the SHARPIE BAR where guests and attendees can grab a Sharpie and get creative on a variety of apparel and accessory items. Everyone’s a designer at the Sharpie Bar — choose from skinny ties, sunglasses, fashion bags, bracelets and more — transform plain white fashion accessories into personal fashion statements. It’s all part of the HOT DIY trend. The Sharpie Bar with its giant glass autograph wall and Sharpies in endless supply is a Fashion Week must-see. Get inspired at the shows, then unleash your inner designer at the Sharpie Bar and re-create some of the fashion magic for less. DIY-not?
- Sharpie just signed Betsey Johnson! Betsey is designing an exclusive, limited edition Betsey/Sharpie Tee. We’ll be giving them away (while supplies last) at the Sharpie Bar beginning Monday, Sept. 14. Betsey will also make a special appearance at the Sharpie Bar on Monday, where she will design a Tee to benefit Breast Cancer/City of Hope cancer research center. Betsey is a breast cancer survivor.
Betsey Johnson has also made personalized Sharpie markers for other top fashion designers and sent out big buckets o’ Sharpie markers all over the US!
See behind-the-scenes pics from Fashion Week and become a fan on Sharpie’s Facebook page.
Sharpie is also making its mark throughout the week, popping up in the tents, in VIP gift bags, and on the seats and in the audiences at many of the shows. Sharpie provided personalized Sharpies for exclusive VIP use by many of the designers who customized their Sharpies, choosing from colors – red, pink, blue, green, lime, magenta, black — with their logos imprinted on the markers.
For a little DIY-inspiration…check out this video below about how to customize your t-shirt with Sharpie markers:
And I’m a little obsessed with the Sharpie Blog – the inspiring artwork and the endless possibilities of what you can write on with a Sharpie make me go WOW.
-Carly J. Cais
Leave Comment
Sep 12, 2009 | DIY
Tom Binns is one haute designer who’s been refashioning the way we look at “precious jewelry.” Pieces from his safety pin collection from last year popped up in just about every fashion mag on the planet – and there’s been some cool DIY tutorials for his safety pin necklace (bracelet, in the case of this tute) but earrings there have not been. In fact, the Tom Binns earrings from this collection were notoriously difficult to buy anywhere…leading me to DIY my own. (Well, I would have DIY’d them anyway, since I’m such a cheapskate and like to put my own stamp on things…)
Here’s how (for my version):
You need:
-med-size or small-sized safety pins (I used black)
-pearls (faux, of course!)
-silvertone eyepins
-8″ rhinestone chain (med size rhinestones) (you can scavenge this from a piece of jewelry you already have, or something found at a thrift store, Forever21, or even by the yard from Joann Fabrics)
-8″ rhinestone chain (small size rhinestones)
-oversized rhinestone post earrings with drops below them (scavenged from an ugly pair of F21 earrings)…I know, the original earrings use french hooks, but I wanted a more glitzy, drippy effect to mine
-silvertone jumprings
1. Remove the dangly earring part from your rhinestone earring posts, since we’ll only be using the top.
2. Cut each of your rhinestone chains in half.
3. Pair up one med rhinestone chain length and one small. Thread halfway through a silver jumpring, and attach the jumpring to the earring post drop loop. Each chain will sort of dribble on either side of the jumpring as your earring dangles.
4. Using pliers, thread an eyepin through a pearl, cut, bend and loop around the end so the pearl is suspended between two loops. Repeat for each pearl.
5. Using small jumprings, connect the pearl eyepin loops you just made, creating a teardrop shape.
6. Attach teardrop of pearls to main jumpring from Step #3.
7. Randomly pin safety pins throughout the cascade of pearls and rhinestone chain, making sure that the pins will prevent the rhinestone chains from slithering up through the large main jumpring and falling out of your earring.
As you can see, my earrings a bit heavy, so I’ll probably switch out the backs to the comfort acrylic backs that have a larger pad to prevent the whole thing ripping from my earlobe because of the huge weight of them. I also haven’t snipped off the ends of the rhinestone chain where the connector loops were – I’m that lazy!
I feel like a punky Russian princess! Thank you Mr. Binns for such great inspiration!
Happy DIY’ing!
xoxox
Carly
Save
Leave Comment
Sep 11, 2009 | DIY, Media
Featured Here, There, and Everywhere!
Gosh, this has been circulating the internet in a couple places. I’m so thrilled to be featured on some of my favorite sites!
Two readers who made their own versions:
Rachel A. from
Parkavesweatshop sewed up the above one – she made the top longer to pull down if she so wanted or to scrunch it up higher. The longer length looks great!
Amanda V. used this super-cute plaid print and made a smaller, more ruffly-ruffle at the center front.
I’ve been so inspired by Amanda’s version I’m working on another step-by-step tutorial, this time for a fitted bustier-style dress from a men’s plaid shirt. Thanks ladies – for trying this out and posting your results – they look beautiful!
If anyone else tried this out and made a dress – please share! Thank you everyone for the mention – and, as always, Happy DIY’ing!
xoxox
Carly
Leave Comment
Sep 11, 2009 | Fashion
So I’m a little late posting this…please forgive me as it was Little Tot’s first day of School and I’ve been running around all day like a chicken with its head cut off…or a hot guy in a see-thru plastic suit who forgot his briefs.
Roaming the streets of New York today and tomorrow (Sept 10 & 11), two hunky male models are wearing environmentally-friendly tailored suits by Bagir, made from recycled plastic bottles. One suit is the “EcoGir” version [a non-see thru, regular-looking suitlike suit made with fabric derived from plastic bottles]- which is already available at Sears stores nationwide, under the Covington brand, for $149. The other model is wearing a completely clear, see-through plastic suit in order to send a clear message about the benefits of eco-friendly fabric made from plastic bottles. Both are distributing literature about this fantastic, affordable product with a conscience.
If you happen to be in New York City tomorrow, Sept. 11 from 10 AM -2 PM check out the models and their suits (or just stop by to drool) on 6th Ave between 40th and 42nd streets! (And if you happen to snap a photo….pleez send me one, just for me to keep strictly for journalistic purposes mmkay??;-)
No better way to kick of Fashion Week, IMHO!
xoxox
Carly
Update: Here’s a little more information I got my hands on regarding the suits and the company:
The ECOGIR™ suit technology greatly benefits the Earth’s ecosystem by finding a productive use for the nearly 60 million plastic bottles that Americans throw out every day.
The fabric in ECOGIR™ suits is the creation of the Japanese textiles conglomerate Teijin Fibers Ltd. Each suit is comprised of approximately 13 recycled plastic bottles. This manufacturing process reduces carbon footprint by consuming less energy than suits made from petroleum-based materials. ECOGIR™ suits further benefit the ecosystem by being machine-washable and tumble-dryable, eliminating the need for dry-cleaning, which exposes the environment to airborne toxins and harsh chemicals.
The ECOGIR™ collection also features Bagir’s signature performance attributes. All the pieces in the collection feature Bagir’s innovative AeriFlex® technology, featuring a component that helps improve the suits’ comfort factor. The styles have been designed with daily activities in mind. Stretch has been added to the fabric, providing all-over flexibility with concentrated attention to elbows and underarms, along with a unique EZ Hook expandable waistband in pants for more give in the waist. The ECOGIR™ technology will have an introductory price of $250 at Sears under the Covington Perfect Wardrobe label. Currently the suit is offered at a 50 percent savings, $87.50 for the jacket and $37.50 for the pants, providing additional value to consumers nationwide.
ABOUT BAGIR
Headquartered in Israel, Bagir Group Ltd. is over 45 years old and is best known for its innovation in men’s and women’s fashion apparel. During the past two years, the company has successfully launched highly innovative tailored suits and garments such as the comfortable AeriFlex® suit, which allows for unprecedented arm movement without stretching the jacket. The collection was launched under a number of private labels with retail chains in the United States, UK, Germany, Spain and Israel. Bagir has three international sales offices located in the UK, US and Turkey.
Leave Comment
Sep 9, 2009 | Fashion
Isn’t Etsy just about the most fabulous invention ever?? I have likely spent a small fortune purchasing from the designers directly through the Etsy interface – and even just browsing and drooling over the mass creativity showcased there takes up a large portion of my time.
I’m in a gray, shapeless, non-definitive mood, and these pricey picks are what I’m lusting after as of late.
Since most of these fabulous finds I can’t really afford right now, perhaps I’ll tide myself over with this hauntingly, achingly beautiful print that reminds me of both the beginning and the end of a journey:
Leave Comment
Sep 8, 2009 | Fashion
Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week is coming up and I better get this posted before we start thinking about Spring 2010, mmmkay??
Vena Cava’s Fall 2009 Collection was shown off-site on Valentine’s Day during New York Fashion Week. Paired with eye-catching hard silver accessories by acclaimed jewelry designer Robert Lee Morris, the floaty-but-with-an-edge dresses appeared shimmery and overall, dark, showcased in the small gallery space as a standing installation. Via Spiga, who collaborated with Vena Cava to provide the footwear, added studded-toe ankle booties, flat oxfords, and suede knee-boots to complete the gritty look – which were in addition displayed separately in a glass container that served as the bar. The Vena Cava design duo also collaborated with
Marisa Tesauro, who created a glittery backdrop for the shoes with fragmented piles of shredded CD’s from a CD recycling company in Seattle.
According to designer Lisa Mayock, the collection was inspired by the Hall of Gems and Minerals at the Natural History Museum, creating a lot of faceted, angular shapes in the pieces. Using a number of different layered materials such as velvet, metallic fringe, tie-dyed wool, rainbow sequins, holographic leather, chains, mohair, chiffon, and two new prints (including a photographic print of rainbow obsidian and a hand-drawn stalactite print), the designers also drew inspiration from New Age music and reinterpreted everything in “a harder, more goth-y” way. They began to experiment with this look emerging from their Spring Collection by adding leathers and skins and pushing the boundaries towards harder and tougher. Overall the focus remained true to the Vena Cava trademark: creating pieces that are comfortable, wearable, and flattering, but are also imbued with a strong sexiness. Of special note were the neutral-toned metallic-fringed dress; a revolutionary faux feather/fur hybrid jacket; tie-dyed tights in a slate/cream pattern; and a floor-length rainbow obsidian-print halter dress.
The look for hair and makeup was also stand-out and unique. Fabulous lead hair artist Ted Gibson worked with the design duo on a look that they termed “rockabilly chic;” creating a downtown girl style with hair slicked back on the sides with a small pompadour at the top. Taking that classic 80’s influence but toning down the severity, he used his signature Tame It shine lotion ($31) in order to create the necessary texture in the hair, and then Fix It Gel ($28) on the sides of the head to create the shape. He finished the look off with a little bit of Beautiful Hold Hair Spray ($28) which added texture but remained pliable. To recreate the slick Vena Cava look at home, he recommended just using the texturizing Tame It shine lotion for the requisite texture to their downtown chic look – no curling iron required!
Celebrated makeup artist Vincent Longo wanted to create a bright eye that popped in order to contrast the dark and muted colors in the collection. “To create excitement and this burst of freshness,” he said, he drew a thick orange line (Silky Orange Liquid Shadow, $24) overlaid with a black liner (Nerino Vibrant EyeLiner, $18) in on top to provide depth and definition for the lashes. The rest of the face was kept matte, nude, and very porcelain-like using Liquid Canvas Healthy Fluid Sheer Matte Foundation ($48.50), framed by a strong brow, and finished with a nude lip (Velvet Riche Lipstick in Hush Delight, $23). For Fall ’09 the artist says eyeliners are playing into the makeup far more than they have been previously; orange is a must-have on the eyes; and any product that will contour the eyebrows is a necessity in your makeup arsenal. (Recommended – as seen at the show: Everbrow Micro Pencil with Sharpener, $20.)
Nonie Crème, Creative Director of butter LONDON custom-mixed the color she dubbed “British Racing Green” for the show. She took a dark green from the butter LONDON collection and then painted a solution on top of it to flatten out the color, toning down the shine to it but creating a resonant depth. Like a tonal silk, the color showed up on the models’ nails a deep sage that shimmered with murky greens and forest emeralds depending on the angle. For those of us who aren’t as talented with mixing our nail colors, British Racing Green is now available for purchase exclusively on Beauty.com here.
Visit
http://vivavenacava.blogspot.com/ to learn more about the runway show, or
www.venacavanyc.com for more information about the brand and past collections.
Some more looks from the show:
(Photos: Don Ashby, Style.com.)
What do you all of you think of the collection? Would you buy any pieces from it? Are you waiting to see more from this brand?
-Carly J. Cais
Sep 7, 2009 | DIY
So I fell in love with the image above from the J. Crew August 2009 catalog. I already wrote that, I know.
And I wanted those necklaces. But $98 apiece (the model’s wearing two necklace, BTW) for glass rhinestones??? Swarovski I can understand. But that’s more expensive than quartz gemstone would be, honestly. Buy these from FireMountainGems.com for $4.27 and string ’em yasself and have a gemstone necklace.
But I digress. I wanted rhinestone, I wanted similar styles – and so I headed to my old standby for cheap jewelry finds that I can rip apart: Forever21. (I know, some poor Chinese laborer likely working long hours crafted these pieces, by hand, in a factory somewhere in mainland Chaina [according to the label]. I’m very sorry, unknown Chinese craftsperson, to be destroying your handiwork. I wish there was a place here in the U.S. that wholesaled components like these, I truly do. But until there is, I will have to rip apart the work you slaved over. 🙁 ) Anyway, apologies to the Chinese factoryperson aside, I bought these styles:
You can buy the necklaces here but the bracelet is no longer available online. You basically need a stretch bracelet with large rhinestones on it to do the trick.
The two necklaces were simple; here’s the how-to:
DOUBLE RHINESTONE NECKLACE WITH RIBBON
1. Open up the jumprings on either end (before the clasp and large ring on the end), pull off the clasp and ring, and reattach both jumprings onto larger 12 mm silvertone jumprings . (Both necklace ends share the same ring.)
2. Then tie some black grosgrain ribbon (should have been 3/8″, but I could only find 1/4″ at the store urrr) around the large rings.
3. Tuck the ends of your ties into the knots themselves to conceal them. Secure with some fabric glue, and voila! Your own version of the J. Crew Tiered Crystal Libretto Necklace, for about $11.60 for the two necklaces + $1.99 for the ribbon. (on the left, below)
LARGE RHINESTONE CHAIN NECKLACE
1. Cut the large rhinestones off the bracelet by cutting through the stretchy elestic and pulling them off. (Oversized jewels used in stretch bracelets usually have two holes on each side of the jewel to allow two rows of stretch elastic through.)
2. Thread a goldtone eye pin through the rhinestone holes side-to-side [through the top set of holes on each rhinestone only].
3. Cut off the eyepin to the correct length, bend and curl the length to create a loop (for each rhinestone eyepin).
4. Add goldtone jumprings to each loop, and link the rhinestones together.
5. Add some goldtone chain and a necklace clasp set to the ends (I had decided to make my necklace more like J. Crew’s Majesty Stone Necklace ($115) than the Crystal Symphony Necklace simply because the F21 bracelet rhinestones were pretty big – but of course you can attach the black grosgrain ribbon instead of a gold chain to be more like the J. Crew version.)
Anyway, the bracelet from F21 was I think $3.80, and I already had all the findings, so I felt pretty satisfied with the job. I love wearing both necklaces layered, like in the catalog, but they are each pretty on their own.
Happy DIY’ing! Hope all of you are having a fabulous Labor Day!
xoxox
Carly
Save
Leave Comment
Sep 6, 2009 | DIY
I’m sure (for those of you who have SO’s who are male) you’ve got a man’s white underwear-style t-shirt bangin’ around somewhere. Probably Hanes, no?
Hub has this ridiculous tendency to toss his clothes in the trash the minute they have the slightest stain, look a little dingy, exhibit some pilling, or stretch out of shape a little. Wasteful! Though I donate as much as I can of his used clothes to Goodwill/Salvation Army, his ol’ white tees were begging to be given a new life.
And there’s no end to the possibilities with a little fabric dye or paint on hand. Tie dye, potato printing, brushstrokes…it’s all up to you. 80’s-style, abstract tees are all over the place right now.
So why buy when you can DIY?
I used
Tulip Brand Soft Fabric Paint (because it dries soft and flexible unlike a lot of other brands out there), but found that the bottle it comes in has too wide a mouth to distribute a thin scribble-like line (and fabric markers will skip over the fabric, not producing a continuous line, which is what I wanted). So I poured the paint into a Ziploc bag, snipped the tip off (I made the snip too tiny and the paint wouldn’t come out at first – this stuff is surprisingly viscous).
Then – scribble, scribble, scribble front, let dry, turn over, and scribble, scribble, scribble back – and you’re done!
I know the scribbles don’t exactly hide the pilling and the stains – but they draw the eye away, leaving me with a very wearable t-shirt. It also looks casual cool under a blazer/suit combo.
Something to try over the long weekend, perhaps?
Happy DIY’ing!
xoxox
Carly
Sep 5, 2009 | Fashion
(MITSUMARU Allamanda jacket, F21 necklace, Old Navy shirt, Hot Topic watch, H&M skirt, Old Navy leggings, BOLD bag, bear, I forgot legwarmers, R&E boots, handmade ring, Sears multi-rings)
Two outfit posts in a row??
Carly, are you nuts??? (Maybe I’m procrastinating on writing those DIY tutorials…??)
Okay, so I dressed up today to go to one of the worst Japanese restaurants in SW Portland…not that we knew that before we went there.
[BTW…Does anybody know of an authentic, delicious Japanese restaurant in Portland or its surrounding ‘burbs???? Like SW?? (And they better not serve California rolls, because that is definitely not authentic [but I like them anyway – shhh! Don’t tell Hub.] And don’t say Sinju at Bridgeport. They were awful – I mean, slices of potato [russet] in your tempura??? A gigantic multi-floreted head of broccoli tempura?? Blecch. Even I couldn’t stomach that – and I will eat just about anything deep-fried.;-)]
So anyway, I wore a couple of pieces tonight that I found while I was in Japan, to the restaurant a.k.a carpool lane to food poisoning.
Jacket from MITSUMARA Allameda Allamada Allamanda. Whatever. It’s on the first floor of Shibuya-109 on the right as you come in the entranceway. Gosh, I could spend hours at the 109 shopping mecca. It’s like another world. (Of course every Hollywood starlet who visits Japan drops by there – Beyonce [who’s in some awful commercial playing on TV there right now- I’ve never seen her so stiff and uncomfortable in front of a camera; it’s so disconcerting and I can’t remember what it was for…], the Hilton sisters, and Hilary Duff all hit up this mall when they’re in Tokyo. Anyhoo.) When I found out Shibuya-109 finally [it’s only 2009, people!!] opened a web store, I was thrilled. Not that I would buy anything online from them anyway – I have to go there in person to just soak in the whole atmosphere. I just like staying on top of what they offer.
Back to the jacket. As you can tell, it has the same fatal flaw that most clothing made for the Japanese market has – it’s cut to Asian body proportions, which means the armscyes are waaaay to high and there isn’t enough room in the sleeve cap or ease in the upper arm. Maybe I have man-arms???? I dunno – I guess Asians have their arms connected to their body higher than the European-derived Caucasian. Plus the Asian body is flatter than the Caucasian – which causes a whole heck of a lot of problems when trying to fit Asian boobs into bra cups that are made for a Caucasian body (which is one of my theories as to why Victoria’s Secret is not doing so well in bra sales compared to lingerie giant Peach John when it comes to the Japanese market. Yet PJ extensively uses Caucasians in their catalog to model their lingerie, which is somewhat hypocritical, hmmm??? Even the Peach John catalog spells out how they draft their patterns to accommodate the flatter ribcage and boobs that are placed further apart and higher up than those of the average Westerner. Trade secrets and hypocrisy! I love it.)
Back to the jacket. Gosh, it’s getting late. The sleeves are ruched and stay permanently rolled-up – love the little glimpse of leopard at the cuffs. Just enough leopard-print for me.
I’m having a really freaking Bad Hair Day. Headband by Goody LOL. F21 necklace I wrote about
here, then I realized I wanted one too and so bought it. That’s the downside of writing a blog and sourcing out fashionable stuff – I tend to covet it and eventually buy it too. Ah well. A girl has to sample the goods, no? It’s a little 70’s for what I normally go for – I may take off those snakelike gold disks above the acrylic jewels.
I’m wearing multiple silver rings that have a ball on each – they can be pulled apart and all worn separately, as you can see below. The studded ring is studs and heat-set gold rounds (that I applied by hand, one by one) onto fabric. It’s my own design. I showed it around to boutiques in New York when I was there last time and a few expressed interest…but honestly, it’s a piece that could be knocked off very easily and quickly by a bigger company and so I’m not sure if it’s something I want to venture into making myself, in quantity. I don’t know – it’s a lot of handiwork, so I figured to make it be worth my time I’d have to charge a fair amount for it. What do all of you think?
Cool bag I found in Japan (at this store called XOXO, which has absolutely nothing to do with the XOXO we all know here in the States. I wonder if they’ll sue??:-) I forget whose bag they’ve knocked off (can anyone help me out here???) but it was $39, and I love how it goes with both silver and gold accessories.
Because you’re never too old to have a Mr. Bear on your bag.
I added Mr. Bear to my bag (I just call him that – he’s kind of a pouf, if you know whutimean…he loves everything sparkly). I pretty much went to every trendy store in Japan looking for this thing…about 6 months ago in Japan the thing to add on to your bag was a stuffed, decked-out bear (I’ve mentioned the trend of bag add-ons here). They crowded the magazines and most notably was Immanoel’s $79 version with Swarovskis and chain attached. Fabulous – but $79 for a tiny bear was a bit too much! Come August and I’m there – and of course the trends have changed and Popples and Care Bears seem to be the way to go (along with gigantic fur puffballs for Fall) and I scour the city looking for the elusive Bear Bag Charm. I finally found one at DollKiss, on Shibuya-109 3F. Not white or black like I wanted, but good enough for a spangled little bear!
R&E (also Sh
ibuya-109) boots!! Not available online yet that I’ve seen. I love the hidden wedge heel – they’re surprisingly comfortable to walk in. I stuffed legwarmers into them cuz I’m cool like that.
Looks like rain for the weekend here in Oregonia – hope all of you have a fantastic Labor Day weekend!! (I’ll be staying inside lying in a shivering heap from impending food poisoning, I’m pretty sure.;-)
xoxxo
Carly
Leave Comment
Sep 4, 2009 | Fashion
(Rachelle Dauphinee earrings, handmade jacket, Le Petit Bateau tee, candy resin necklace from Japan, vintage bag, DIY gloves from Japan, Marc by Marc Jacobs skirt, Spiral Girl tulle skirt, QoJelly shoes)Okay, so I’ve been back from Japan for less than a week and I’m about to go bonkers.
4 days after we get back my brother-in-law decides to drop in unexpectedly and stay for a week.
So since I’ve been back I’ve been trying to ignore my jetlag and frantically cleaning the house and fixing up the garden, to make space for him to stay (not that I’ve stuck him out in the garden, mind you heh heh heh- it’s just the house looked like a bomb hit it since Hub’s idea of unpacking is to upend both suitcases and spread everything all over the house instead of actually putting it away). It’s not that BIL cares very much – he’s easy-going and fun to be around – it’s just that I care, and a messy house and yard makes me look sloppy.
I’m not sloppy, darnit!
So to prove that, beyond an infinitesimal shadow of a doubt, I wore this to my son’s school registration day when I was forced to drive into downtown Portland and sit in a hot, sweaty gym for 3 hours listening to the head of school drone on about school policies and such – which are all spelled out in black and white in the school handbook. Doesn’t anyone read nowadays?
I whipped together this jacket in a couple days before I went on vacation. I didn’t use a pattern; just eyeballed it using a well-fitting jacket I already had as reference. This is made of a 2-way stretch denim, and it’s a bit too well-fitting, since I didn’t account for the stretch. In other words, the only thing that’s fitting under it is a really fitted tee or some latex body paint. (I’ll skip the body paint for the school registration meeting, methinks.)
I made the jacket with zip-detailing that’s actually functional – just for kicks, I can zip off the ruffled front and sleeve cuffs and come up with…
A jacket that looks pretty much the same as the previous version.
LOL. (The asymmetrical hem and neck are actually intentional, though that little bobble at the top of the closure is not…I fixed it after this photo was taken, since I’m OCD like that. It also looks kinda puckery…I don’t have a steamer, and I’m scared to put it in the wash since it might shrink even more than the prewash I put the fabric thru. Ah well. A DIY fail?)
The Rachelle Dauphinee earrings I won from Lucky Magazine since I was apparently one of the first to download the Lucky widget one month. They’re simple hammered hoops but very beautiful – like $230 retail – the most expensive thing I’ve ever won from a magazine.
This crimson snake bag I found at a vintage store (I forget the name) on South Street in Philly. It’s made of real snake, and the scales are peeling in places (gross). I bought it a long time ago, and didn’t think it was real then, which was why I bought it. (I’ve developed a distaste for buying new things made from animal hides over the past couple years [though I’ll make an exception for cow/pig leather for shoes because honestly, in trendy shoe styles those leathers are pretty much impossible to avoid; fashionable vegan shoes are either horrendously pricey or cheap-looking and mass-made in China]…but since I own it and the snake is officially dead by now, I figure I at least should use it, even though I feel a bit guilty each time I do. I try to console myself that it’s vintage, so I’m at least giving this bag another life. Poor snake.)
The gloves I bought in Japan – they’re UV-protectant gloves that Hub said make me look like Michael Jackson – and I didn’t like the bracelet-length style, so I shortened them and added 2 little pearl buttons to make them look like a little vintage 40’s pair that the Portland vintage stores will charge $25 for.
The shoes are QoJelly – a Japanese brand I’ve written about here – that I bought in Jan of 2008 at Harajuku LaForet in Tokyo. They have this loose band on the top that you can bind with long ties, which can also be worn a couple different ways. Spats for women!!
So anyway, all that griping about my brother-in-law at the beginning of this post was meant to convey that I have about 10,000 DIY projects ready to go and be photographed sitting right in front of me, and not a single spare millisecond to spend on them. 
Like being at an all-you-can-eat dessert buffet without a spork.
I can’t wait to share them with you all…I promise I am working on them…I just have to get brother-in-law out of the garden and Little Tot shuffled off to school and Hub sequestered in his…Hub-space….and then I can go at. Promise! 🙂
Hope all of you had a fabulous August!
xoxox
Carly
Leave Comment
