The fashion-forward dress company London Times is hosting a Savvy Summer campaign and invited me to be a part of it! (more…)
My good friend Alexa Raquel Casciato, AKA Little Warrior, is an amazing musician and up-and-coming tour de force in the world of music. I asked her to start a brand-new post series here on 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:
June is a transitional month. We move into summer, days get longer, and we are get more active. As we glide from spring into summer, we feel the warmth of the sun on our skin and breathe the fresh air in a little deeper.
I’ve chosen this June playlist with this transition in mind. I wanted to keep it balanced between a mellow, lounge-like mood with peaceful moments and a solid, grounded beat that transitions into an energetic dance. May this mix carry you into summer with a blissful state of mind.
~Little Warrior
Listen and enjoy!
Feedback please: what do you guys think of it?
xo
Carly
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 inspiration quotes and upbeat ideas, spreading positivity through images and music. Find her on:
Bandcamp / CD Baby / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Tumblr
Snidel is a fast fashion Japanese brand created by the mash style lab conglomerate [I’ve featured a lookbook from another of their brands, Lily Brown, here]. Snidel focuses on simple, pretty details for feminine clothing with a twist. Headed up by mash style lab’s Chief Designer Asami Kusakami, Snidel is arguably one of the group’s most successful brands, launching in 2005 and now available in over 60 stores in Japan and China. Price points for the pieces range from around $50 for a simple T-shirt, to $220 for a tailored trenchcoat. The brand also launched another division in 2013: Snidel Girl, catering to – you guessed it! – girls.
Once I made this DIY Eyelash Applique shirt, I started to think of all the ways to wear it. Wearing with a pair of jeans is awesome, and makes a casual outfit a little more tongue-in-cheek (or eyelashes-on-mammaries?) Pairing with a sweet flippy skirt was how I wore it at the latest Portland Bloggers Meetup a couple weeks ago (though you can’t tell in the picture).
But on this day, to make it a little more dressy and to counteract a pair of very sleepy boobs, I added a loose pair of crazy jungle-print pants from Forever 21.
I’m in love with the crazy floral and leafy-print, so much so that I’m willing to overlook the flimsy material that seems to rip each time I wear them. I know have to do some serious mending! *sigh*
I DIY’ed my own version of the ubiquitous transparent clutch, but I’m not loving it so much. I have to do a couple tweaks on the design before I can share on the blog, unfortunately.
I’m now off to a dinner at my husband’s workplace…it’s Hub’s birthday in a couple days and so his coworkers are throwing him a party. The sleepy boobs shirt is staying home, though! Hope everyone’s having a great weekend!
xo
Carly
Alicia and Ben Wood are the dynamic husband and wife duo behind Ms. Wood. After graduating from Seattle Central’s design program Alicia moved to New York to study at Parsons before moving back to Seattle to work as a designer at Tommy Bahama. Ben is a talented fine wood-worker specializing in furniture, shoes and accessories. Launching their line with wooden jewelry and gorgeous hand-carved wooden platform sandals (tied with buttery-soft leather straps), together they won the title of Best Emerging Designer of 2010 at Portland Fashion Week. Now having expanded the line to offer drapey kimono-style tops and dresses, as well as structured handbags, Ms. Wood is a permanent fixture in Portland, known for organic, easy-to-wear pieces.
You can shop the Ms. Wood collection in the official store online, or at select boutiques on the West Coast (see list here).
xo
Carly
Nanogarden photo by Wim Noorduin/Harvard University
I can’t believe May is almost over! This month has just whoooshed by, and I mean whoooshed, leaving a huge mess in its wake! I’m leaving the country in TWO weeks, just when Portland gets gorgeous and Summery…and trading it in for unending rain during Tokyo’s steamy-hot rainy season….followed by mosquitoes breeding in droves as soon as the rain stops. I’ll be bringing my open-toed rain-proof sandals! School’s almost out and the year is wrapping up…and there’s been a ton of interesting info online this past week:
An installation of colorful masking tape in Japan. I wonder who got all that washi tape when they were done with it?
This may be an older post, but it’s still super-relevent. 21 Ways to Be More Creative will help kickstart those creative juices when you hit a roadblock!
Amazing micro-flowers: Nanogardens grown on the surface of a penny. Is “nanogardening” the next new thing?
Designer merchandise is currently on sale at Saks.com, and you can snag a gorgeous Summer shirtdress for only $55 (marked down from $138). Can you say score??
All tortoiseshell glasses and sunglasses are on sale here for 15% off for the month of June. Snag them while you can!
Oh, I need this dress in my life, state. It would be the perfect Summer dress….plus chevrons. Who doesn’t like chevrons??
5 Anthropologie knock-off ideas for your home will help beautify your living space easily.
This DIY Racerback Muscle Tee Recon video will have your old tee festival-ready in no time.
I’ve just discovered a new DIY Blog/Tumblr: Dream a Little Bigger, which has a ton of links to tutorials all over the internet. So many great projects to visit!
If you shop cheap, this is a must-read: How to Make Your Fast Fashion Items Last. Take care of them, and your affordable clothes may just live through their first wash.
Now’s the time to ramp up your interaction online: Your social media profile might be your next credit score.
xo
Carly
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.
