Hello lovely readers! Today I am partnering with the Vintage Clothing boutique Shabby Apple to bring you a great giveaway: for this super-cute Guinea a Minute Dress!
It comes in three colors: Black & White Striped Top with Teal Skirt, Black & White Striped Top with Mustard Skirt [the one I’m wearing!], and Black & Green Striped Top with Black Skirt. Made of a stretchy medium-weight cotton, it really enhances your curves and is super-cute! (I plan to wear under a longer, poufier skirt too when I just want the striped top showing, or under a swingy sweater to play off the mustard skirt). This dress has two functional pockets in the skirt waist adorned with two little buttons on each side – and there are 2 buttons on each of the sleeves near the cuffs. I love the longer length of this dress – it’s totally appropriate for work, but can be dressed up for some nautical-inspired style or a vintage pinup look. One thing to keep in mind with this dress is that the skirt is much more clingy than the top – so if you’d rather keep everything under wraps I’d advise shapewear underneath!;-) Based on the reviews of the dress I sized 1 size up from my usual size 6…and upon wearing it without shapewear underneath I wished I had gone yet another size larger! If you are pear-shaped, hippy, or have full thighs definitely size for your bottom half:-)
So, who would like to win her choice of color of the Guinea a Minute Dress? Complete the steps below!!
Edit 11/23: Giveaway is now closed and winner has been chosen. Thanks for entering!
My dear friend Lex Casciato, AKA Little Warrior, is an amazing musician and up-and-coming tour de force in the world of music. She is a regular contributor to Chic Steals, curating monthly original playlists for your to stream on Spotify, add some background music to your space, mellow out to, listen to while working on your latest DIY project, and add a little music into your life.
Here’s what she says about this month’s playlist:
This month, I am inspired by the beautiful sound waves of piano and orchestral music. Since I was young, I have always found instrumental music to be incredibly inspiring. Without words, no one can fill in the music for me and tell me how to feel. Instead, the instrumentation, melodies and rhythm cascade together to tell a story. From there, I can interpret the music however I choose.The winter is one of my favorite times of the year to be productive. I love to watch informative documentaries, cult classic films, and find inspiration for new art projects. The film composition that accompanies such films excites my composer soul and motivates me to expand my work into more complex realms. It is my hope with this month’s playlist that you find inspiration in the quiet, wordless moments, and you get ideas to explore your wildest dreams!
Described as Portishead and Oh Land meet David Bowie and the Chemical Brothers around a campfire with a drum machine, Little Warrior‘s music advocates peaceful revolution and equality for all. Active on social media, she posts inspirational quotes and upbeat ideas, spreading positivity through images and music.Find her on: Bandcamp / CD Baby / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Tumblr
Originating in the Pacific Northwest, Sticks & Stones was founded on the principle that re-purposed natural materials could be utilized in the construction of sustainable jewelry and accessories. Using materials such as reclaimed exotic wood, elk antler sheds, prehistoric ivories, fine metals, seashells, and gemstones, the in-house manufacturing team uses an intricate process of technology and skilled craftsmanship to produce these limited-edition and often one-of-a-kind pieces.
The construction of Sticks & Stones Accessories is done in various stages, including preparation, sanding, and dipping in a custom oil blend. The oil not only cures and protects the wood but also enhances the luster of the wood used. The strength and durability of these products are a testament to the quality of the
material and craftsmanship that is invested in each piece. Completely handcrafted in Portland, OR, pieces from Sticks & Stones have been featured in Lucky Magazine, Nylon, WWD, and Marie Claire, as well as DailyCandy and TrendHunter. Check out their latest collection below and leave your thoughts in the comments!
On Wednesday, October 16 I had the pleasure of attending the Portland Bloggers‘ Holiday Mingle with PR Professionals event (yes, my recap is a little overdue!;-) Let me just say: what a fabulous event! Being able to hear from some truly experienced and business-savvy PR ladies was so worthwhile, and I jotted down notes furiously (in-between Tweeting out all the great info!)
Organized by Portland Blogger organizer Bee fromThe Spicy Bee, the Holiday Mingle event brought together local PR companyLittle Green Pickle and a number of bloggers raring to hear their advice. In addition, Little Green Pickle’s office was filled with local Portland vendors supplying us with fantastic bite-sized treats and tastes of their wares. From homemade salmon chips by The Bent Brick ($6 at the NW Marshall St location) to Olympic Provisions’ flavored salamis (available for order online here and I recommend all of them but especially the Cacciatore!) to Double Dragon‘s variety of Banh Mi (available at the SE Division location) and deviled eggs.
After noshing on all the deliciousness we sat down to hear a presentation from PR mavens such as Carrie Welch from Little Green Pickle, Meaghan Burns from Broussard Communications, Lisa Hill from Lisa Hill PR, Heather Jones from Heather Jones Consulting, and Vicky Hastings from Maxwell PR. They touched on a variety of topics including how big of a following a blogger should have before reaching out to a PR company (1000 readers is a good rule of thumb, they agreed, but often reader engagement through comments, retweets, shares etc. is more important than just numbers), what kind of bloggers are a good fit for what kind of brands, and as a blogger, how to work with a brand and make it into a relationship. Here are a few things I Tweeted out during the event:
(And if you’re not able to make it to any of the Portland Bloggers events – or don’t live in the area- you should Follow me on Twitter if you’re not already because when I’m at an event I’ll post tons of great tips and advice from the pros about blogging, social media, etc!)
During the evening, due to the sheer volume of Tweets all the bloggers and vendors and PR reps were putting out there tagged #holidaymingle, it actually trended on Twitter in the Pacific Northwest region! How cool is that?
If you are a local blogger looking to attend some of our upcoming events, definitely check out the Portland Bloggers site to connect with us! Likewise, if you are a vendor, PR professional, website dev company, social media marketer…or anything that might be of interest to our large group of bloggers (over 300 now!!), drop us a line to see how we can connect you and your services to our network.
Seen all over the runways for Fall 2013, this sophisticated take on a monochrome check pattern is too good to miss out on this season. I love the graphic boldness of this windowpane grid pattern – and how great it looks paired with other solid colors (in a Mondrian-esque fashion). It seems to me that this would be a pretty simple DIY…which I’ll be sharing with all of you shortly (once the supplies I ordered more than a week ago arrive!!)
Hello everyone! Today I am over on WeHeartThis.com sharing my DIY tutorial for some sweet Washi Tape Barrettes. They’re so easy to make with your favorite washi tape – and they look like you could have bought them from a store! Click on over to check out the full step-by-step tutorial on We Heart This!
Halloween’s TOMORROW (OMG!) and you may still be wondering what to wear. (For the record, it’s been dictated that I will be Splinter, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ rat trainer and Master of Ninjutsu…as dictated by Lil Tot, who is tickled at the idea of me playing second fiddle to his Leonardo. Teenage Mutant Turtle, that is…not Da Vinci. Who incidentally might be a pretty cool DIY Halloween costume for a guy using just a bandage, a brown tweed jacket, and some paintbrushes…but I digress.) If you’re freaking out about what to wear – try raiding your closet to become one of these inspiring (and fashionable!) ladies:
Anna Wintour (former Editor of American Vogue and current Artistic Director of Conde Nast)
The grandmother of American fashion and symbol for generations of style personified, Anna Wintour’s classic look is easily made with a pair of oversized sunglasses, neutral coat with furry collar, and A-line dress.
You Need: large sunglasses, bob (or faux bob if your hair is longer), beaded choker necklace, neutral overcoat, furry scarf or collar, stiff A-line dress, black pantyhose, low-heeled nude sandals or brown knee boots, copy of Vogue magazine.
Sue Sylvester (character from TV series Glee)
That outspoken and terribly evil rival and the Glee club’s worst antagonist, Sue Sylvester is instantly recognizeable in her trademark tracksuit with accompanying bullhorn and stopwatch to keep everybody (cheerleading squad included) in line.
You Need: Striped tracksuit, white sneakers, stopwatch, white bullhorn (DIY from some rolled white cardboard, secured with tape). On the series she has appeared in a number of different-colored tracksuits, so any color you have is a go (or a quick Goodwill purchase).
Janelle Monae, award-winning singer/songwriter
With that trademark pompadour and borrowed-from-the-boys image, Janelle Monae’s stylish duds are easily re-creatable with just a tailored suit, bow-tie, and slicked hair.
You Need: Tailored white or black suit, tie, bow-tie, or black ribbon, rhinestone stud earrings, rat, sock, or donut to build a large pompadour on.
The Duchess of Cambridge, public figure
The whole world has watched as the Duchess of Cambridge has shot to fashionista status with her wardrobe of kicky prim dresses and coats, ever-present pantyhose, classic heels, and sweet little hats.
You Need: Flared coat-dress, opaque black hose, prim black heels, pillbox hat (cover a clean tub or can with felt or fabric for a last-minute DIY and pin in place). (optional: baby doll swaddled in a blanket)
Cher Horowitz (character from the movie Clueless)
This iconic character from the 90’s mainstay Clueless picked her wardrobe via computer to ensure ultimate matching. Don separates with a sassy mini-skirt, knee-socks, and a ton of shopping bags so you won’t let that jeep’s trunk space go to waste. As if!
You Need: Black blazer, white button-down, pleated miniskirt, white knee-socks, maryjane shoes, shopping bags.
Miss Piggy, character from Sesame Street and iconic figure
The original fashion-lover since the 70’s, Miss Piggy is best known for (besides her opinions) her bright pink wardrobe, opera-style white gloves, and classy long curly hair.
You Need: tight pink dress (or pink bathtowel), white elbow-length gloves, triangle ears on a headband (DIY your own with painting some cardboard triangles peach and taping to a headband), faux eyelashes, feather boa, pink eyeshadow, large rhinestone earrings, necklace, and bracelet, green stuffed frog (optional).
So all the Fashion Weeks around the world – New York, Paris, London, Milan (and Portland, LOL!) – have now concluded and it’s time to do a final wrap-up of all those great ideas and put some inspiration on file to add to the DIY queue. So what’s in store for this coming Spring? And what are you DYING to DIY? Let’s take a look at some amazing runway pieces and see how we can interpret them for creative fashion-lovers on a budget (AKA the Rest of the World):
Left:Take a cue from 3.1 Phillip Lim and add agate-inspired layers of fabric paint to an artfully-cut hem of a white top. Stitch in a layer of sheer fabric underneath for length, and some glued-on rhinestone jewels for your sandals. Right:Alexander Wang‘s oversized trousers are potentially an easy DIY by thrifting a pair of too-large gray dungarees and folding the excess fabric towards the front, securing with hand-stitching in the shape of an X at the waistband.
Left:Burberry Prorsum’s chic update on the granny-lace skirt can be made by adding some sew-on rhinestones over the flower motif in a lace pencil skirt (and you could easily make one from a thrifted tablecloth or lace curtain!) Update a pair of sandals too by adding a same-colored rectangle of fabric between the toe-strap and ankle-strap (and just gluing the fabric over the straps on the underside). Right: Simulate the pretty elegance of Carven‘s cutout dress with some DIY floral applique at the sides, and a strategically-placed cut-out in the center of a simple LBD.
Left: Create a suitlike ensemble with mismatched separates with some strategically-placed floral applique (see Carven, above) just like at Creatures of the Wind. Right: Warrior chic is totally attainable by stitching in some neutral fringe trim at the waist of an ivory dress, and adding some tan leather extensions to your flat sandals, inspired by Derek Lam.
Left:Edun‘s pattern play can be re-created by stamping a black X pattern with fabric paint over the bottom half of a white coat, and stamping a larger pattern onto plain white sandal slides. Right: That funny folded skirt outfit at Giambattista Valli could be made by cutting the skirt part off of a wide A-line dress, then slitting the skirt up the center. Flip each side outwards and secure with invisible stitches underneath each roll for the skirt-part, and crop the top part of the dress to create a crop top.
Left:Honor‘s understated dress can be made from a simple black LBD with the addition of sew-on silver star sequins scattered on the collar and pocket. Also: glam up a pair of black flats with some multi-colored pink glitter on the toeboxes by using Mod Podge. (Plus: glittery sunglasses too!) Right:Hand-stitch a couple pieces of black strapping to the bottom of a bikini top to mimic the Jason Wu Spring 2014 strappy bikini.
Left: Create a boldly-striped skirt like at Jil Sander Navy just by streaking a pleated white skirt with some vertical stripes of diluted fabric paint. Right:L.A.M.B.‘s fashion-forward dress can be re-created by sewing a long rectangle of fabric to the bottom of a straight black tanktop, and allowing to gape open for a fun nonchalance. Also: Re-color the tops of white sandals with some Angelus leather paint for that contrasting cobalt hue!)
Left: Taking a page from Markus Lupfer‘s playbook, small cut-out hearts can be made in a sweatshirt by hand-stitching some lace fabric behind each cutout, with the edges hidden by sewn-on ruffled trim. Glue some chunky rhinestones onto the toe-straps of some plain black sandals. (Adorabe Persian kitty sadly not DIY’able!) Right: Go wild with Moschino Cheap & Chic‘s take on Spring: Add some flamingo-shaped iron-on appliques to a plain white purse, create some pink marabou puffball shoeclips, and stamp a white cami and pant-set with flamingos rendered in pink and black fabric paint. Now all you need is a Cosmo!
Ideas from brands beginning with N-Z soon to come!
Hello all! Now I am finally back on the West Coast again, after spending the last 4 days in New York attending Lucky FABB. What an amazing experience! If you’ve been following along on Instagram or Twitter, you may have seen my quick updates and snapshots of the fun. It was such a whirlwind trip – and though I’m glad to be home – I wished it could have lasted longer. Here are some of the highlights from the event: (more…)
So finally I’ve finished a DIY video for my latest creation: a Pretty Pearl Beaded Ring. It’s taken a super-long time from the planning to the execution to the editing, and I definitely couldn’t have done it without the help of my co-creator, Emily Dokken. (She’s just awesome – she has a discerning eye for framing artistry and a wonderful energy. Check out one of her other videos: Burning the Behemoth on Vimeo…it’s a fascinating story of an artist’s journey to burn his wooden mammoth creation in Washington.)
I had waited to release this video until after I had re-branded with my new logo and everything…plus finding the music took searching through 600+ tracks on the FreeMusicArchive.
Thank you so much, Emily, for your amazing collaboration!
DIY Pretty Pearl Ring
Camera/Storyboards/First Edit: Emily Dokken
Concept/Tutorial/Second Edit: Carly J. Cais
Music: The Easton Ellises ~Dance It Dance All Motel Costes Mix
http://theeastonellises.com/ under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0
from FreeMusicArchive.org
Hope you guys enjoy! Leave us your feedback below 🙂
Carly J. Cais I am a DIY’er, designer, sewist, maker, and marketer. Chic Creative Life is where I share what I do, and help others bring their unique style into their own lives.
Hello lovely readers! Today I am partnering with the Vintage Clothing boutique Shabby Apple to bring you a great giveaway: for this super-cute Guinea a Minute Dress!
It comes in three colors: Black & White Striped Top with Teal Skirt, Black & White Striped Top with Mustard Skirt [the one I’m wearing!], and Black & Green Striped Top with Black Skirt. 
Made of a stretchy medium-weight cotton, it really enhances your curves and is super-cute! (I plan to wear under a longer, poufier skirt too when I just want the striped top showing, or under a swingy sweater to play off the mustard skirt). 
This dress has two functional pockets in the skirt waist adorned with two little buttons on each side – and there are 2 buttons on each of the sleeves near the cuffs. I love the longer length of this dress – it’s totally appropriate for work, but can be dressed up for some nautical-inspired style or a vintage pinup look. One thing to keep in mind with this dress is that the skirt is much more clingy than the top – so if you’d rather keep everything under wraps I’d advise shapewear underneath!;-) Based on the reviews of the dress I sized 1 size up from my usual size 6…and upon wearing it without shapewear underneath I wished I had gone yet another size larger! If you are pear-shaped, hippy, or have full thighs definitely size for your bottom half:-)
Good luck!!
My dear friend Lex Casciato, AKA 
Described as Portishead and Oh Land meet David Bowie and the Chemical Brothers around a campfire with a drum machine, Little Warrior‘s music advocates peaceful revolution and equality for all. Active on social media, she posts inspirational quotes and upbeat ideas, spreading positivity through images and music.Find her on: 
Originating in the Pacific Northwest, 
On Wednesday, October 16 I had the pleasure of attending the 
Organized by Portland Blogger organizer Bee from 
Seen all over the runways for Fall 2013, this sophisticated take on a monochrome check pattern is too good to miss out on this season. I love the graphic boldness of this windowpane grid pattern – and how great it looks paired with other solid colors (in a 
Hello everyone! Today I am over on 
Halloween’s TOMORROW (OMG!) and you may still be wondering what to wear. (For the record, it’s been dictated that I will be Splinter, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ rat trainer and Master of Ninjutsu…as dictated by Lil Tot, who is tickled at the idea of me playing second fiddle to his Leonardo. Teenage Mutant Turtle, that is…not Da Vinci. Who incidentally might be a pretty cool DIY Halloween costume for a guy using just a bandage, a brown tweed jacket, and some paintbrushes…but I digress.) If you’re freaking out about what to wear – try raiding your closet to become one of these inspiring (and fashionable!) ladies:
The grandmother of American fashion and symbol for generations of style personified, Anna Wintour’s classic look is easily made with a pair of oversized sunglasses, neutral coat with furry collar, and A-line dress.
So all the Fashion Weeks around the world – New York, Paris, London, Milan (and Portland, LOL!) – have now concluded and it’s time to do a final wrap-up of all those great ideas and put some inspiration on file to add to the DIY queue. So what’s in store for this coming Spring? And what are you DYING to DIY? Let’s take a look at some amazing runway pieces and see how we can interpret them for creative fashion-lovers on a budget (AKA the Rest of the World):
Hello all! Now I am finally back on the West Coast again, after spending the last 4 days in New York attending 
