DIY: Polka Dot Clutch

It's official. I'm obsessed with polka dots. In the last month, I've bought a blouse, a dress, and a pair of shorts - each imprinted with dots. And it seems I'm not the only one with love for the perky spots - check out these awesome bags from another MJ I love = Marc Jacobs.

 (if you want to buy these bags, I found them all here, but seriously, why buy when you can diy?)

These bags have inspired my next project: the polka dot zippered clutch! If you want my tutorial on how to make the zippered clutch, you can find it here. And if you want another idea for how to make a clutch super cute with paint, go here.

This is seriously the easiest project ever - I was hoping for something more complicated to really take me away from all the homework and studying I've been doing lately (finals are in a week), but turns out, it took me longer to find pictures and links for the Marc Jacobs bags above than it did for me to actually make my own.

ANY-who.

All you need is:
A clutch
Paint (I chose white, you can choose whatever color you want!)
A dotted paint brush (I got a super cheap one from JoAnns)
Some Adele music and a cheery disposition.

Straightforward/You-don't-really-need-my-help Instructions?:
Using the dotted pain brush, ummm, dot the clutch with paint. Wait to dry, flip over and do the other side.

See! I told you how easy it was. And if you mess up? Use a sharpie.

Seriously. So. Easy.

Happy DIY-ing!!!

DIY: Color Block Clutch

One of my first posts was a how-to on sewing cute clutches; you can find it here.

Since then I've made so many of them in different colors, but recently I decided to change it up a little.

Thus we have -- neon color block clutch! It's literally the easiest way to add a little pop of color to an otherwise simple zippered bag.

You'll need a clutch (see my tutorial for how to make your own), painter's tape, a brush, white and neon acrylic paint.

Start out by measuring off how much of your clutch you want painted, and tape around the whole thing.

Start with a base coat of white acrylic paint -- you can skip this and go right to the neon color if you're impatient, but the white will really make the neon pop! Wait for it to dry, then flip it over and repeat. duh.

Once that's dry, it's time for the fun color! I layered the paint on thick so no white would show through and to get rid of any brushstrokes. Wait for it to dry, play some Jason Aldean, don't forget to remove the tape, tuck your shirt in and put on a cute belt to take a picture and VOILA! Cute bag-ness.

Like I said -- easy. Happy DIY-ing!

Stud Muffin

I generally wouldn't describe my style as edgy, but I do enjoy a good stud now and then. No, I'm not talking about Zac Efron, I mean a metal piece of hardware in bronze or silver.
They're everywhere! People who used to implement studs were generally typecast as bad-A, rock 'n roll rebels -- thanks to, well, bad-A, rock 'n roll rebels (Gene Simmons, Joan Jett, Led Zeppelin, and pretty much every band from the 80s). Now those rockers wouldn't be found on my list of "inspirational style," under normal circumstances. But hey, a trend is a trend, and when used sparingly, studs are cute and "so hot right now."

Some of my favorite style blogs have even included this hardware in their recent posts; enjoy!

From ManRepeller;

http://www.manrepeller.com/2011/12/thematic-repelling-birthday-that-keeps.html

From Atlantic-Pacific;

 http://atlantic-pacific.blogspot.com/2011/12/studded.html

http://atlantic-pacific.blogspot.com/2011/10/blushing.html

From Cheetah is the New Black;

http://www.cheetahisthenewblack.com/2011/12/mini-moments.html

And from the rest of the world-wide-web;

This next one might be a bit much...

Just sayin.

DIY: Embellished Sleeves

So, I saw this pic on Pinterest and I have been wanting to do something similar for a while.

And badda-BLING! Inspiration for awesome-easy-fun DIY project.

Essentials:
1 basic grey tee. (I got an XL from Target for $8)
1 sequin-covered shirt or scarf you no longer want. (I had a sequin top from forever21 but never wore it)
Grey thread.
Sewing machine.
Scissors.
Pins.
A killa attitude.

Do it:
Measure your sequin top to cover the sleeves of your basic tee.
Pin in place.
Cut the sequin top to fit.
Sew! I left the edges raw cuz it's easier, but you can fold the ends under for a cleaner finish.

And voila! Super-awesome-fun embellished top.

Who's excited about their project??? THIS GIRL.

Add a neon scarf for fun? okay!

**Warning! You may need to wear sunglasses to shield your eyes from all the sparkle.

Trend Alert: Blazers

I just spent so much time trying (unsuccessfully) to come up with a clever title with the word blazer in it that now blazer doesn't sound like a real word. Isn't that ablazeing? hehe.

Soooo... I did it.

I listened to Christmas music.

I know, I know. I've never been able to wait until after Thanksgiving to start getting excited for Christmas, but usually I make it to November at least! Alas, not this year. But I don't care! Celine Dion is currently serenading me with "The Prayer," and I'm happy about it.

So while my soul gets ready for winter, my outfits are still happily in love with fall. BLAZERS! (still doesn't sound right..) I just love a great blazer! Thicker versions can help with the cold-weather transition, or you can layer lighter styles with sweaters, vests, blouses, etc. And let's not forget about accessories! Pile on your arm party, add a statement necklace, or roast your neck with a comfy scarf! A few months ago I bought two old oversized blazers from Value Village for - get this - four bucks a pop! I love bargain hunting. I am assuming these blazers came from two 60-something women with, uh, questionable style, because both jackets had quite ample shoulder pads. While this dramatic style was brought back into fashion by Balmain a few seasons ago, I opted out. It was really easy to remove the shoulder pads, I used my seam ripper. I left one blazer pretty much alone after that, I simply rolled up the sleeves a bit and voila! Cuteness.

The second one had unsightly, baggy sleeves so I removed them for a sleeveless look!

(Please excuse the blurry, cluttered-closet-in-the-background, mirror pics. They're from my iphone.)
I encourage everyone to peruse their local bargain store for simple and fun DIY projects!
Meanwhile, enjoy more cute blazers and perhaps some Josh Groban holiday cheer.

I know this next one's more appropriate for spring, but it's. oh. so. cute.

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 :)