DIY Project: Fabric Flowers

A few weeks ago I was playing around with some leftover fabric I had lying around, and I thought I'd try my hand at some fabric flowers. I've seen some reeeallly cute ideas for rosettes on skirts, purses, and other things, so tonight I decided to make a necklace! It was really easy:

First, cut four large squares (about 3x3 inches) out of any material you want.
Then, cut four slightly smaller squares (2x2-ish).
Next, cut all of the squares into circles. The key here is to not be precise - you don't want all the circles to be exactly the same size or perfect in shape.
Then, place the four larger circles on top of one another, with the four smaller ones on top, into one big stack of fabric circles.
Finally, fold the stack in half and hand-sew them in place. Fold it in half the opposite way and sew again, to pucker the flower.

And there you have it! I made five flowers and sewed them onto a long ribbon to wear as a necklace.

And look - it doubles as a belt! Don't you just love two-for-one deals?



I was feeling pretty proud of this until I searched google images for fabric flowers to show you and saw some freakishly adorable necklaces and other goodies that looked waaayyyy better than what I made. Serves me right for thinking too highly of my sewing skills. Oops! Oh well, you gotta start somewhere, right? Here are some other ways to use a fabric rosette that I'll definitely be trying out more and more.

Happy DIY-ing :)

Best Month Ever?

Oops, it's been a week since my last post.. My bad. In a perfect world, there would be enough time in a day for me to post my daily musings. However, this summer has proven itself to be the busiest summer I've ever had, despite its terribly slow start. It also doesn't help when my house goes without Internet for a week.. So I'm taking advantage of the free WiFi at Starbucks by blogging, when I really should be doing homework for my online Microeconomics class. Anyways..
When finals were over and summer had finally commenced, I had three wonderfully lazy days before I began my fabulous new internship at a design company called Neodandi House of Couture in Pioneer Square (http://neodandi.blogspot.com/). Fast forward to Day 2 of the internship, and I was already out of a job. I wasn't fired, but my boss found out she was needed at their New York office for the rest of the summer (I know, rough life) so it wasn't necessary for me to work for her. Major bummage. The day and a half that I spent at Neodandi was so interesting, thought provoking, and exciting. It's a one-of-a-kind, avant-garde brand that broadened my views of the fashion industry and related businesses in the short time that I was with them. I wish I would have been able to spend the rest of my summer in that unique environment. Here's a few pictures of the creative studio they work in.

So the next week and a half had me flailing around Seattle searching for a summer job, which is quite difficult, considering my summer is only two short months long. But God is good, my friends, and He never fails to amaze me with His provisions. I found the most perfect nannying job: only three days a week; 2 hilarious children; and hello, it's a job! Praise God! These are the kids - Cameron who's 10, and Meghan, who just turned 8 on Monday.

Other exciting happenings in June and July were: camping out in the backyard of my best friend's house after her 21st birthday; my cousin Karly's absolutely beautiful outdoor wedding at her family's orchard; celebrating my other friend Paige's 21st in Seattle; going to the International Beerfest at the Seattle Center with some of my roomies; spending ALL DAY in the sun at Gasworks Park with Paige on the 4th of July and then watching the best fireworks show I've ever seen; my sister Jenn showing me the pictures and telling me the stories of the two weeks she spend in Australia and New Zealand (jealous? yea, me too. Her blog is http://jennysworldadventures.blogspot.com/). AND! Last night was Angie's bachelorette party!! It was sooo cute and such a fun party - I love all those girls.
Here are some pics I've taken on my iFin this summer:

 Me and Paige at the Padres vs. Mariners game. M's won :)

 Nikkio and me going to our friend Shayla's wedding!

 Lovin' the sun on 4th of July

 Fireworks at Gasworks

The gorgeous goodies at Angie's Bachelorette Party!



Meanwhile, it's been a blast being able to help Paige with some crafts for her December wedding, and helping my other sister Angie with her wedding, which is in FIVE DAYS! AHHHHHH! I can't believe my big sis is gettin' hitched. I can't explain what a blessing it has been to live in the same city with her for the last 3 years; we've grown so much closer in this time and I'm grateful to have someone to talk to, look up to, and have so much fun with. And it's been wonderful getting to know her fiance, Scottie as well. Thank goodness they'll be living in Seattle after their wedding - I don't know what I'd do if they moved away! Anyways, they are getting married July 22nd at Bethany Community Church and it is going to be the cutest wedding ever! Not to mention the funnest PARTY ever. There will no doubt be another post about it next weekend. Just wait.

I also can't go without mentioning what happened this week: the release of the final Harry Potter movie, aka the end of all movie anticipation, aka the end of my childhood, aka the a-potter-clypse. I won't go so far as to say it was the saddest day of my life, but I must request a moment of silence for the last decade I've spent reading (and re-reading) the books, waiting for my acceptance letter to Hogwarts, crushing on Daniel Radcliffe, practicing my British accent, and experiencing the magic of the world that the brilliant Jo Rowling created.

But, as my dad would point out, the sun still came up the next morning! Life goes on! And thank goodness for that, because the next week is going to be fantastic. This week will include: the final wedding preparations; a Katy Perry concert Wednesday night; dress rehearsal Thursday; and the Big Day on Friday! It's going to incredibly busy and even more exciting. This unfortunately means I probably won't be able to blog again until next week.. So until then, mischief managed.

Locks of (unrequited) Love

Okay, I'll admit I've been coveting a lot lately, especially when I see great hair. I have been trying (and I stress trying) to grow my wispy locks for a while, but I tend to get bored.. But I'm determined to have long tresses! So while I [impatiently] await my long luxurious locks, I must do with these photos to motivate and inspire me..

Also - I love a good braid. They're perfect for summertime! Nicole Richie has mastered the boho-braid look that I adore.

DIY Clutch

American Apparel has these really cute clutches that come in like 20 different colors and go for $68.

They're a-DOR-able and such a simple style that I decided to try to make my own. So, I bought some vinyl in tan, black and red, and three 16-inch zippers.

First, I cut the vinyl to be just a bit bigger than a magazine, so it'll be plenty big to hold the essentials.

Next, fold the fabric so the shiny side is facing in; fold back a bit of the vinyl and pin the zipper FACING DOWN to this edge.

Then pin the zipper's other edge along the opposite edge of vinyl (sorry it's kind of hard to see).

Sew along both edges of the zipper. TIP: Unzip the zipper all the way to allow for more sewing room.

Then sew the right and left edges of vinyl to close the sides of the clutch. TIP: After you sew one edge, be sure to unzip the zipper, otherwise you will have sewed your clutch shut inside out :)

Once the sides are sewn, flip your clutch right-side-out and TA-DAAA! Super cute clutch :) This is such a quick and simple project - I made three in less than 2 hours.

The fabric, zippers and thread for 3 clutches only cost me $22, when one at American Apparel is $68!
Win? I think so.
Happy DIY-ing :)

Style Crush

I'll admit, I love a good magazine. Vogue, Bazaar, Elle, you name it, I'll read it. Like most people, I'll usually choose to flip through a magazine based on who is on the cover. Some of the women with the greatest style (in my opinion) are...

Alexa Chung. This girl can do no wrong. Though I love her fancier choices, she mixes vintage, designer and affordable pieces that are wayyyy cute and my favorite street styles.

Diane Kruger. She's not the most well-known actress, but I always love whenever I see her in the magazines, whether on the red carpet on walking the streets of Germany, her country of origin.

Emma Watson. Okay - I LOVE her pixie cut. She's young, she's chic, she's in freaking Harry Potter, come on! I can't wait to see what she wears to the premiers this summer!

Chloe Sevigny. I love that her always has a modern twist on 70s fashion. And you've gotta have some nice legs to pull of those micro minis.

Blair E. This blogger (atlantic-pacific.blogspot.com) is a genius when it comes to layering. Not only do her outfits have multiple levels, but I love the way she piles on jewelry. This affordable gal is an inspiration for those of us who don't have personal stylists or expendable bank accounts.

There's not a lot I wouldn't give to trade closets with any of these ladies. *sigh*
So as I await the day my fairy godmother will arrive with a magical credit card (that won't disappear at midnight), I will make do with some fun projects of my own. Tomorrow I'll post my findings at ValVill. #getexcited.