Aug 16, 2011 | Fashion
PurseN, the handbag organizer insert company, has started a unique and captivating video contest on YouTube: the Messiest Handbag Contest.
Show them how much you’re in need of handbag organization with a photo or video of your messy handbag – to win a bunch of cool prizes, like a Louis Vuitton handbag and a PurseN organizer collection!
To Enter: (choose 1 of 3 ways)
1. Make a video showing why you need a PurseN handbag makeover, post it to YouTube, and copy the video URL to PurseN’s Facebook Page.
2. “Like” PurseN on Facebook and post a photo of your messy handbag on their wall, along with the code word PurseNized.
3. Tweet a photo of your messy handbag on Twitter along with hashtag #PurseNized
Prizes:
Also, PurseN is providing a special 15% off discount on any purchase from their site by entering THANKYOU15 at checkout.
By the way…
- Contest starts August 15th to September 23rd. The winners will be announced on September 30th.
- All the winners are required to send their “After” video or photo of their handbag once organized with their PurseN.
- No purchase necessary to enter the contest.
- One entry per person per household.
- All entries can be used in any social media sites or print.
- All entries are subject to the rules and regulations.
Good luck!
xoxox
Carly
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Aug 15, 2011 | Fashion
It’s taken me awhile, but I’ve finally added the listings for about 30+ items from my closet I’ve decided to sell on ShopChicSteals (the site where I sell gently-used items from my closet). I’ve also re-designed the interface and spent awhile re-organizing everything. If you’re in the market for anything, please check it out!
xoxox
Carly
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Aug 14, 2011 | Fashion
Suddenly this is all I can think about. The black-on-natural contrast, the texture on the straps, the neutral base, the buckles…*sigh*. I need this in my life. I shall have to find a way to DIY this…which I think would be pretty easy if I just had the straps.
xoxox
Carly
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Aug 13, 2011 | Fashion
Hair: Priscilla Mecha-Raku Ekusute in Otome-Maki
Rhinestone Necklaces: vintage
Bird-Printed Dress: Miss Selfridge’s
Silicon Day-Planner: MARK’schedule
Rings (L-R): unknown, mocha, mocha, Cartier, Tiffany
Watch: Citizen Eco-Drive
Sheer Maxi-Skirt: handmade by me
Chain-link Sandals: Wet Seal
The last outfit that I took photos of while I was in Japan last month. (Sorry…backtracking a little here…) (more…)
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Aug 11, 2011 | Fashion
Welcome to another installment of 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.
Garcelle Beauvais attended the premiere of “The Help” in Beverly Hills on Wednesday of this week in a bold and bright outfit. It’s not too hard to dye a boring white blouse into a vivid pop of color, and whip up some fashionable DIY accessories to go with the look. Here’s how to get a similar outfit for a whole lot less:
How to Get Her Look
Stylish Steals
Leopard Belt: Leopard Skinny Belt, $24.90, Express.com.
Chunky Ring: Faux Marble Ring, $1.50, Forever21.com.
Bright Pants: Blue Pleat-Front Tapered Trousers, Topshop.com.
DIY Deals
Necklace: This sparkly statement necklace looks (to me) simply like a bunch of clear octagonal crystals strung together with chain links. Buy a Clear Strand of Glass Crystal wholesale from a chandelier supply company; string together with links separated from Gold-Plated Aluminum Cable Chain.
Top: This look can be accomplished just using even one bright color – and to dye a white blouse this sunny yellow is not that difficult. Thanks to Lucky Magazine‘s feature on how to dye your clothes (reposted above), the whole process is demystified. Choose the right dye for the type of fabric, pre-treat to ensure the dye “takes,” and follow the after-care instructions to set. RIT powder dye in lemon yellow would be a good color match.
Clutch: DIY this snap-closure piece using a large eyeglass case (from Studs and Pearls); spray-paint silver or even add a Snakeskin Decal (originally a sticker for your iPod) to dress up the front.
Proof that you don’t need a celeb’s money to look like a million bucks!
xoxox
Carly
Garcelle Beauvais photo credit: Getty Images. All other photos copyright of their respective authors. White Shirt photo source. Photo array by me.
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Aug 10, 2011 | Fashion
So how many of you are uber-excited about Project Runway coming back for its 9th and latest season??!
Though many people out there criticize each successive generation of designers, saying there’s never anyone as creative or talented as Jay, Christian, or Leanne from previous seasons…rather than compare and contrast I’d rather celebrate just some great ideas for fashion that appear on TV each week. I mean, this is the show that made DIY a household name – and “make it work” a national slogan, giving the average viewer an intimate glimpse of just how much work fashion really is.
Here are a couple ideas I’ve seen so far and thought they’d be great to incorporate into future DIY’s:
Bert’s design, Episode 1
Wear a v-neck camisole underneath, and use a button-down shirt (or sheet!) with strategic tying to create a toga-like getup.
Olivier’s design, Episode 1
Take a leaf from Alexander Wang’s Olivier’s playbook and replace the sleeves on a woven garment with sleeves made of sweatshirt fabric.
Viktor’s design, Episode 1
Use contrasting fabric to cover the collar of a simple dress or blouse for a graphic pop of interest.
Anthony Ryan’s design, Episode 2
Though sunflower seeds may not be the most appropriate material, adding embellishment to a high-collared dress (like beads, rhinestones, or nailheads) makes the piece utterly chic.
Anya’s design, Episode 2
Colorful ropes woven in a body-conscious pattern make a bold statement.
Danielle’s design, Episode 2
Utilize a net bag or open-stitch fabric to create an outer layer for your outfit.
Who are you rooting for? I’m drawn to Anya, because of her signature style, but for design skills alone it’s still too early to tell. Viktor or Olivier? Maybe Danielle? I can’t wait to see the next episode tomorrow!
xoxox
Carly
-all photos from MyLifetime.com
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Aug 9, 2011 | DIY
I had the opportunity to guest post for the blog Seamingly Smitten today, and I’m thrilled! They are hosting a 12-day Sew Chic Upcycling event with guest posters every day – and a ton of tutorials on how to upcycle, re-use, and re-purpose just about anything you could think of. In my post I show you how to turn a sweater into something sporty and Alexander Wang-inspired…with the addition of some mesh fabric from a thrifted football jersey. Please check it out below!
Thanks, Jenny, for having me! And definitely check out all the other guest poster’s tutorials, as well as the long Linky list at the end of the post for tons more inspiration.:-)
Happy DIY’ing!
xoxox
Carly
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Aug 8, 2011 | Fashion
Myself, Hub, and Lil Tot went on an impromptu camping trip yesterday (well, we had only started planning it on Friday) to Silver Falls, Oregon. We only stayed about a day but it was the first time we had gone camping together as a family (if you don’t count the dry run we tried last summer in the backyard where the dog barked all night since we had brought her into the tent with us).
We managed to erect the tent without throwing out our backs, managed to sleep the night without defaulting to sleeping in the car (though Lil Tot has been sniffling today; I think he caught a cold from not wearing a hat while sleeping); managed to cook both dinner and breakfast on the fire (though there were some very burnt blueberry pancakes), and managed two hikes while we stayed there.
I had no idea, but apparently this area is classified as “temperate rainforest”…I always had this image of rainforests being warm. It was overcast and chilly (in the 50’s to mid-60’s); a typical Oregon August.
We saw multiple mini-tornados (are they called dervishes or something else?? I have no idea.) springing up on farmland on the drive in; and on the hikes, an anthill seething with ants; orange raspberries; tons of foxgloves; a slug longer than my hand; and a 93-foot waterfall. It was the perfect length for a little mini-vacation, and everybody enjoyed themselves.
Maybe next time, we’ll even bring the dog.
xoxox
Carly
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Aug 6, 2011 | By Carly J. Cais, DIY
It was my best friend’s birthday this week and I had wanted to send her something I made. Unfortunately it took me a lot longer than I had anticipated to make all the bracelets I had wanted to, so I ended up popping them in the mail a little after her birthday.
It’s been 20 or so years since I last made a friendship bracelet, and I remember back in the day only being able to make the kind with the diagonal stripes. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to make the chevron, crossover, diamond-patterns, or Chinese staircase bracelets. The bracelets I made back in the late 80’s were pretty horrible; too loose or too tight, bad colors, wayyy too short… Now in 2011 there are tutorials all over the place and following one closely I finally was able to make a double diamond-patterned bracelet (the navy one above).
I was thrilled.
I also sewed in rhinestones and beads into my bracelets, and did wrap bracelets with bright embroidery floss and ball-chain and rhinestone chain, similar to what Honestly, WTF had posted on their blog a little while ago.
I figured that, no matter how old we get, sometimes something as both cheesy and iconic as the friendship bracelet can bring a little pop of color to an outfit – and a smile to one’s face.
Happy Birthday, J!!!
I hope she likes them.
xoxox
Carly
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Aug 4, 2011 | DIY
Lace is a huge trend for this Spring and Summer – and its delicate, airy quality lends it to a variety of applications. I’ve been wanting a lace dress for awhile, but I wanted to make one that was both easy and extremely versatile (I’m a BIG fan of multifunctional garments, as most of you already know;-). I finally created this pattern for an incredibly easy lace dress – that only uses straight cuts in the pattern and allows you to customize it to your size and shape – and that can be worn a multitude of ways since it – *GASP!* – contains no lining. Let’s get crackin’!
You Need: (more…)
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