Bisou Bisou and a License to Drive

  
   Today I took my driving test and passed! It's taken me a long time to get all my hours logged so it was mostly a relief to finally get my license. Afterwords, I called up my dad at his office and my older sister in Virginia to tell them the good news, then headed to Starbucks with my mom and little sister for a celebratory coffee. We hit up a local farmers' market that turned out to be not as splendid as we expected, so we spent an hour across the street at Goodwill. What was just going to be a quick look for one or two 90's floral dresses, turned into filling my whole basket with dresses and scarves for new clothing recreations. I had to narrow down my findings by a few pieces, but walked out of the store excited to start new (and finish old) sewing projects! Now, if I need more thread or fabric, I can drive my way to get it!

My driving outfit...comfy to drive in but still fun.

The most important part was getting my hair and make-up look'n good for the license picture!

The sweet little drawing my 8 year old sister made to congratulate me on getting my license.

This is a skirt I found that I realized could be transformed from frumpy to cute by pulling it up

into an instant dress!

 

I don't know what to call the pattern of this skirt, but I love it!

My Bisou Bisou shoes I got for $4...they're very simple but the braid makes them look so cute!

Stay tuned for the outfits I'm going to make using this skirt and pair of heels!

In the meantime...bisous bisous pour vous!

Love from Lulu's

    I am really happy to let you fabulous people know that I have an exclusive discount for my blog readers at one of my favorite online stores! Lulu's is offering a 15% discount from now until August 13th with the code OPENCLOSET. My favorite part of their store is definitely their dresses, so I thought I should make a list of a few of my favorites!

Chicks in the Kitchen Dress-$39

The little chickens on this dress give it a fun 70's vibe.

Don't Worry, Be Happy Dress (in black)-$38

Being a child of the scrunchies and mom-jeans

era, I love that 90's florals are so trendy.

French Toast Tuesday Dress-$38

This dress would look really cute with pastel pinks and

purples for perfecting a make-up color scheme.

Mother May I Dress-$29.50

This is one of those dresses that makes you feel just as light and airy as it looks on you

...just right for hot, hot days when you don't feel like wearing much of anything! 

On the Griddle Dress (in chocolate chip)-$40

A lovely little dress for a party...or summer barbecue.

Wherever you wear it, you're sure to look amazing!

Romantic Novel Dress-$35

The name totally fits! This number is just the dress

to wear on a romantic date!

Stained Glass Rose Dress-$38

I like how artsy this dress looks...if only I

had it when I visited my uncle's gallery!

Swallow Tail Shirt Dress-$45

I love t-shirt dresses...you can wear them with anything

and they're perfect for a casual weekend look.

Verona Velvet Dress-$25.50

I'm in love with the velvet trend for fall this year, so this is

a nice dress to transition from a summer wardrobe to an

autumn ensemble with a couple sweaters and some leggings.

(photo credits: lulus.com)

A Cue from Chanel

   Through the years, Chanel has been a huge influence on the fashion industry. You could even say that the label has formed its own dictatorship on the runway. Each season generates a new "it" Chanel item that every store can't resist to create a rendition of their own. This spring, there were many things to fall in love with-classic tweed, mushroom colored nails, the always-popular quilted purses, sky-high clogs, delicate flower motifs, jewelry tattoos, crocheted dresses, and intricately woven designs. But one understated accessory that added to this faux-peasant theme was the stockings. The sheer tights were given a unique twist with laced-up stripes going up each leg.

    I found a website that sells cheaper versions of this trend in easy to wear socks and stockings. For under $10, you can add a little Chanel style without the immense Chanel cost. Aside from the affordable price, the socks are great for hot days when wearing tights could result in overheating. Leave it to Chanel to start a hosiery revolution!

Lacey Lace-up Slipper Socks

$7.00

BUY

Woven Sheer Thigh-high Stockings

$5.00

BUY

Lace-up Small Net Ankle Socks

$5.00

BUY

(photo credits: style.com and socktheory.com

Keeping Busy on a Rainy Day

   Today was the first day of rain we've had for a while so I couldn't spend all day lounging by the pool. I've been sewing a lot this week, but my mom's machine has been temporarily out of order due to a couple jams that occurred while making my knit bikini. So today I spent most of my time on fashionista.com, finding inspiration from blogs, listening to She & Him, watching You Tube videos, and intending on reading the second A-List novel of the series. Without a sewing machine I had to resort to the old-fashioned needle and thread and working magic with just scissors. I cut up another t-shirt that will probably be seen soon in a post all about my ventures in making over my old tees.

This was my lunch that I finally ate at around 4:00pm-tea, peaches, and toast! 

While browsing around online, I compiled a list of things that brightened up such a cloudy day...

1. These cute Lavin sandals that are officially my latest summer obsession in the footwear department.

Lanvin embellished thong sandals-$935

They come in the most adorable shoe box I've ever seen!

(photo credit: www.net-a-porter.com)

2. Isabel Toledo has a new swimwear line out for Target to celebrate their store opening in East Harlem. The pieces for this collaboration will debut on July 25th in the new store and will be available in other Target stores as well as target.com on August 1st.

I really like their approach to these sporty suits and dresses because each one works together. All the bathing suits can be paired perfectly with a complimenting dress. This red one-piece (pictured above) is something I've never seen before...it may look awkward not being on a figure, but I can imagine it looking dazzling once it has a body to be worn by.  

While the clothing still remains within Target's low price range, 5% of every purchase

will be donated to The Fund for Public Schools .

(photo credit: http://www.fashionista.com/)

3. I am dying to try this Korres liquid lipstick at Sephora. It's one of the only Beauty Insiders Exclusive products I've looked into when reading through my Sephora emails.

(photo credit: www.sephora.com)

Paying $22 for 0.12 oz of lip product seems a little expensive, but it claims to have a cooling effect on your lips while protecting against free-radical damage with natural raspberry and pomegranate extracts. Making lips smooth all over, it applies with the texture of  lip gloss and has the finish of a lipstick.

I would really like to try it and see if the heavy price is worth the meager bottle. I also like the idea of something that's as easy to apply as lip gloss, but with a longer lasting and higher pigmented color.

4. This Marc Jacobs terry jumper is so innovative and perfect for beating summer heat. For those who don't mind spending a little extra to get higher quality, it's only $188 at Neiman Marcus.

(photo credit: www.neimanmarcus.com)

Denim Visions

    Lately, I've been on a sewing spree! I have a bunch of t-shirts that I never wear and I'm intending on cutting and stitching them up into original creations. So far I've finished the denim vest I mentioned a couple posts ago and I'm quite happy with how it turned out. As you may remember, I was a little skeptical about it in the beginning. This is because I wasn't going by any pre-made patterns and I never took a single measurement...truthfully those are the steps that make sewing tedious for me, so whenever I make clothing I eliminate them completely!    

  I made my own pattern (well, you can hardly call it that) by drawing out a simple shape on paper, holding it up to me, tweaking it, and repeating these steps until I came up with two pieces that looked like they would fit. I traced the two pieces onto old pairs of jeans, and cut the basis of what I built everything else off of.

   After I stitched the four pieces together, I let my creativity lead me. My favorite part of constructing any piece of clothing is building off of each element I add, just as an actor learns to do when they're improvising. I never draw my designs beforehand, I formulate what I want to create in my head and put it directly onto fabric. I then make changes based on instinct. It's definitely not the most full-proof way to sew because I never know how something will turn out until it's finished, but I like the thrill of experimenting and I normally feel more satisfied with the end product than with what I had originally imagined it would be.

Hopefully, this will be one of many unique creations

I'll be making over the course of the summer.

So stay tuned for more to come!

Galliano Never Ceases to Impress

  

   I know the spring runways are a little past their time now and everyone's talking about fall, but can I just say how AMAZING I thought John Gallino's Spring 2010 fashion show was?!! I watched it on my iPod while on my way to NYC last week and I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. He always makes such awesome productions of his runway lines and every season uses a new way to creatively present the clothing. This time, he had the models go down a red, glowing runway lit by lasers. As they walked, they were surrounded by balloon-like bubbles. But you soon realize they aren't balloons because they hit the floor and make clouds of vapor! Of course, the clothes themselves were just as magical as the presentation. The collection was inspired by old-fashion cinema and silent-movie actresses. Layers of light-as-air chiffon were paired with lace and floaty dresses were worn with structured jackets. Every outfit had a special headpiece made to accentuate each look.

(video credit-http://fnetwork.com)

 (photo credit-http://style.com)

Odds and Ends...

   I don't know about you guys, but I am so happy about Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom's engagement! I never would've seen it coming, but the more I think about it, the more I realize how they could possibly be the "it" couple of 2010! I never even knew they were dating until I found out they were getting married. Either they did a good job keeping their relationship low-profile, or I am just really bad at following who's dating who in Celebville! This may be a little premature, but I can't wait to see how adorable their kids will be! With her dimples and his curly hair, they are sure to have cute ones!

Pictures from NYC...

The night before we left for the city, we stopped in North Adams were my uncle lives. We went to his gallery opening and Maddie and I were bartenders for the evening!

The art behind us in this picture was my favorite because each drawing built off of another. You could see the process the artist was going through when you compared them all.

I loved the shadow cast by this sculpture, but unfortunately you can't see it very well in this picture.  

(To see more of Weronika Zaluska's artwork, you can go to her website.)

The next day we took a train from Poughkeepsie to Grand Central Station. It was my first train ride ever!

The view from our taxi on our way to Naomi's concert.

It was my first taxi ride too! I know...I need to get out more!!

After the concert, we took lots of pictures outside of the Lincoln Center.

(From left to right-Maddie, my grandma, Naomi, my grandpa, and me)

Maddie, sitting pretty!

The water fountain was so refreshing to sit by because it felt like it was 90 degrees outside!

Passing the time while waiting to get back into air-conditioning!

After everyone had taken a gazzillion pictures, checked into their hotel rooms at the Westin, and freshened up, we all headed to Patsy's, a great Italian restaurant. The waiters were friendly, my gnocchi was really tasty, and the water was the best I've ever had!!

That night, my uncle took the three of us to Time Square. I didn't want to leave!!

We didn't go into Madame Tussaud's so this was the closest I could get to Johnny Depp!

You can tell Naomi doesn't have the same opinon of him that I do!!

The lights were spectacular!

We went to the four-floor Forever 21...it was mere shopping paradise!!

To end our lovely night of traipsing around Times Square, we bought gelato!

The next day, my grandparents took me and Maddie to the Time Warner Center to get lunch at the Whole Foods store there. I loooove that place! You can find just about anything there! We had a nice picnic in Central Park eating the Indian food we got.

We took a stroll around the park with my grandma and rode on the carousel.

We finished off the day with a trip to the Guggenheim Museum and one last visit to Grand Central Station before we were back on our train home.  

Some inspiration for my current project...

   I'm trying to make a denim vest, but I'm a little worried it'll come out a bit tacky, but we'll see! I really need more pieces like vests in my wardrobe because they add more to summer outfits and keep you looking put together, without making you too hot.

Finally...thank you Gina from Anything Imaginable for the lovely blog award!

I'm flattered to recieve it and I think you have a great blog too!

Rules:

-Post the award on your blog.

-Link the person who has given you the award.

-Pass the award to 15 other blogs you've discovered.

-Let these 15 people know that you've given them an award.

The following are the blogs I've chosen to pass on this award to:

1. Chai, Cinnamon, and Couture
2. Couture Carrie 
3. Fab Blab
4. Fashion Cappuccino 
5. Foxy Following
6. Glisters and Blisters
7. Her Armoire
8. Hi Fashion
9. La Petite Fashionista
10. Lions, Tigers, & Fashion OH MY!
11. Roll Up Your Sleeve
12. Stellectism
13. Take Me Out to the Runway
14. Teen Fashionista
15. Versicle

Happy 4th of July Weekend!