DIY Denim Cutoffs - Rockstar Style

          The next pair in my series of DIY denim cutoffs was a rockstar style, complete with studs, dye and a little sparkle. For a grungy look, I ripped the bottom edges and dip-dyed the bottom of the shorts. Then, I covered one back pocket with trim and glued star studs to the front with fabric glue. It was a pretty simple design, but time consuming no less.

DIY Denim Cutoffs - Hippie Style

           I've had less time for sewing this summer (as well as blogging) since I've been freelancing, interning and endlessly apartment hunting for the upcoming school year. However, I still managed to make a few pieces before I left home for a month with my older sister in NC. My first projects were actually due in part to my sister, as I found a few pairs of her high school bell-bottoms in a pile of  old clothes. I've wanted to revamp old pairs of jeans into embellished, cutoff shorts for a while, so the hardest part was deciding which of my ideas I would choose.

            For the first pair, I created a hippie-inspired design with trim, embroidered flowers, iron-on appliques and lace. I had a little trouble with some of the iron-ons sticking, so I secured them with fabric glue. Other than that, I was really happy with how they came out!

Apple Picking

         Fall is one of the upsides to living in rural New Hampshire. The leaves are beautiful when I'm driving around, the air smells crisp, my family stokes up the wood stove, and of course, we go apple picking! An annual family tradition, I always look forward to the pretty apple trees and eating apple cider donuts. However, I leave the actual picking to the rest of my family. After 15 plus years, I've found that it's much more fun to walk around and test each variety while my dad and brother are climbing the trees to grab the best apples. This year, I figured the time I spent wandering around would be a great chance to do a photoshoot. The orchard had a beautiful view of the mountains and a cute, little farmhouse sitting on the top of the hill.

hat - T.J.Maxx // scarf - gift // leather jacket -T.J.Maxx

 jeans - Charlotte Russe // ankle boots - Cole Haan

 

 

Photography courtesy of Jeff Ortakales. 

To see more of his talented work, visit his webpage at

 www.jortakalesphotography.com and like his Facebook page. 

Makeup: 

mascara - Diorshow by Dior 

eyeliner - e.l.f. Glitter Eyeshadow in "Night Owl"

lip color - Estee Lauder Lip Pencil in "Apple Cordial"

lip gloss - Victoria's Secret Minty Kiss

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White After Labor Day

          I'm a firm disbeliever in the "no white after Labor Day" rule. While I do think that there are certain clothes, colors, and patterns that just aren't appropriate for cooler months, I don't think any one characteristic should be singled out. Plenty of spring/summer clothes can be transitioned into fall, including white. It all just depends on what you wear with it.

Lace top - TJMaxx

Jeans - PacSun

Pumps - BCBG Max Azria

 

          I wore this white lace top with dark jeans and black pumps to give it a darker edge that is more suitable for fall. Plus, this top has leather details that make it more versatile, as leather is usually worn in fall and winter.

           My t-strap pumps were a new purchase for my birthday. I'm not normally one for pointy toes, but I was very impressed by the way these elongate my legs. I figured they would not only be a great basic to have, but would also be the perfect shoe to dress up casual pieces like jeans or tees.

Check out my outfit on Lookbook:

Gravity

     Just a quick outfit post before I go to bed...

My little sister made me the yarn bracelet!

My older sister got the three of us sister necklaces. Our own birthstone is

inside the heart and each of our sister's stone is on the end of the key

Tank Top-Aeropostale

Sweater, Jeans, and Shoes-Charlotte Russe

Socks-American Eagle

It always seeems I have a song stuck in my head! Today's song?

Gravity by Pixie Lott

Gravity, gravity, gravity, gravity, gravity, gravity
Stop pullin' me

I know that you still haven't found you
And when I wanna stand on my own too
Suddenly you start to show signs of what is possible

Then you're back to your ways and I let me down
Tell me why I keep tryna stay around
When all my family, they always tellin' me be through with you
And I know that deep down I'm calling time on you, on you, on you

Every time I'm ready to leave
I seem to be pullin' in the wrong direction, divin' in with no protection
And you can't keep steering me wrong, oh gravity

Pulling me back, pulling me in
Why you pulling me back, pulling me in?
Just like gravity, gravity, gravity, gravity, gravity, gravity

I know I betrayed what I'm made to
Ignore the universe when I see you
'Cause every night the stars will shine merging into U-turn signs

Anything that they can just to change my mind
When I pass your road, I can't help rewind
What is wrong with me? All that I wanna be is through with you
And I know that deep down I'm calling time on you, on you, on you

Every time I'm ready to leave
I seem to be pullin' in the wrong direction, divin' in with no protection
And you can't keep steering me wrong, oh, gravity

Pulling me back, pulling me in
Why you pulling me back, pulling me in?
Just like gravity, gravity, gravity, gravity, gravity, gravity, gravity
Stop pullin' me gravity, gravity, gravity, gravity, gravity, gravity

Be quiet, let me leave, let me go, don't say another word
'Cause with every sound you're pullin' me down
Baby, you got a hold on me like gravity
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, gravity

Every time I'm ready to leave
I seem to be pullin' in the wrong direction, divin' in with no protection
Oh, you can't keep steering me wrong, oh, gravity

Pulling me back, pulling me in
Why you pulling me back, pulling me in?
Just like gravity, gravity, gravity, gravity, gravity, gravity
Gravity, gravity, gravity, gravity, gravity, gravity



 

Purple Velvet, The Perfect Leather Jacket, & Cosmic Lycra

     Today, my friend Danielle and I relived 4th grade days and wore matching tops to school! Yes, normally something like this would be viewed as a fashion faux pas...however, some best friends have friendship bracelets, we have matching velvet corsets! The best part? We both have our own style so we wore them differently. She wore a black sweater over hers and I wore a maroon quarter-sleeve tee under mine.

 

     I also wore my new Victoria's Secret leather jacket to and from school to ward off the frosty, morning winds and chilly, afternoon breeze. I am totally in love with it, so don't be surprised if I wear it almost everyday! I've been on a hunt for the perfect leather jacket lately, envying starlets such as Taylor Momsen and Rachel Bilson, and realized this one just had to be on my Christmas wishlist!

     Another addition to my wardrobe via Christmas presents? These Charlotte Russe studded clogs--a trend I've been wanting to try for a while now. The fuzzy lining and thick heel make them so comfy, they may become my go-to pair of heels for winter.

And now for my astronomical (quite literally) Victoria's Secret purchases...

     I was thinking of saving the best for last, but I just couldn't wait. I've been eying this amazing monokini on victoriassecret.com and couldn't help buying it with the gift cards I got for Christmas. When I got it in the mail today all I wanted was for the snow to melt, the humidity to rise, and for another vacation from school! And it's a good thing I bought it when I did because I can't find it on the website anymore.

     I couldn't be happier with my swim suit...in fact, it was hard for me to take it off! I was tempted to just wear it all night long, despite the chill of early January and my family probably not enjoying that idea!

     And oh yah! I got this sweater too! It's not as exciting, but at least I don't have to wait a whole six months to wear it. Plus, there have been multiple times (mainly during the holidays) that I've needed a red sweater, but haven't had a very flattering or versatile option. So this was sort of my practical buy to offset my impulse buy, which in this case, turned out to be a very smart choice anyway!

 Hope everyone has a lovely beginning to their week!

PS - Sorry I haven't been posting my "Who Belongs to These Shoes" segment very regularly. I've been reconsidering the day I normally post it, so stay tuned! It'll return...just perhaps on a different day!

The Gap Turnaround

     Last week there was a big fuss about Gap's new logo design. From tweets to blogs, everyone was quick to express their strong disagreement with the company's decision. No sooner than the new logo surfaced, the old one came back! Gap claimed they have learned from their mistakes and understood that they didn't go about this the right way. "This wasn’t the right project at the right time for crowd sourcing,” said Gap Brand North America president, Marka Hansen.

     In the past few years, Gap has lost its modern appeal and it's not surprising that the brand tried something different. However, maybe they should be making bigger strides in the design of their clothing and less in entering the public eye as insecure and hesitant of their direction. I can't help thinking that without changing their image further than just a logo, their future might not be as triumphant.

     On a more positive note, the few things Gap has done right throughout the years? Their ads!

Here are some of my favorites...



The Funny Boys:

The guys of Saturday Night Live.

James Marsden

A Gossip Girl Holiday:

Ed Westwick and Leighton Meester

Chace Crawford, Blake Lively, Penn Badgley

Black and White:

Twyla Tharp

Hugh Dancy

John Mayer

Lucy Lui

Selma Blair

My Favorite Models:

Abby Lee Kershaw and Lily Donaldson

Anja Rubik

Chanel Iman

Coco Rocha

Sasha Pivovarova