DIY Denim Cutoffs - Sequin Party Shorts

          The final pair of denim shorts I made this summer took the longest to make. I must have spent at least 12 hours sewing each individual strand of sequins on one side...then again on the other side.

          Needless to say, I did not tackle this project all in one day! I spent a few hours a day on my bedroom floor stitching sequins and listening to a Pandora station of The Weeknd, Trey Songz, Drake and Miguel. The perfect music, of course, to listen to while embellishing what I have deemed my Party Shorts. Since sequins aren't a typical, everyday adornment, I designed these for special occasions and nights of dancing. I discovered they look best with a simple tee to offset the sparkle and low heels so as not to look too "club-y."

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!

DIY: Valentino SS14 Embellished Leather Headband

        One of my favorite Spring 2014 collections as a whole was Valentino. It had all the cornerstones of my spring wardrobe -- lace, crisp collared shirts, bohemian prints, suede and strappy sandals. But what really finished every look was the red headband atop each model's head, embellished with studs. The studs reminded me of some gold crest buttons I had and I immediately decided to recreate the Valentino headband.

Photo credit: Style.com

        You can create your own embellished headband by following my DIY "how-to" below. To start, you will need a plain thick headband, red suede or leather fabric, fabric glue, a sewing needle, thread, fabric scissors, and gold buttons.

Step 1: Cut the leather fabric into a rounded strip that will cover the headband.

Step 2: Position the fabric on the headband and tack it in place with glue on just a couple edges. 

Step 3: Sew each button onto the fabric, matching the Valentino pattern. The number of buttons you use is up to you, depending on how closely you space them. Make sure they are sewn securely. 

Step 4: Once all of the buttons are sewn, glue the rest of the fabric edges to the headband. Pull the fabric taut as you glue to ensure everything will stay in place. 

Step 5: This is an additional step, so you may not find it necessary. The buttons I used are a bit bulky so they moved around and jingled on top of my head. Since I'd rather not sound like a Christmas caroler, I tacked each button in place with fabric glue.

       Once I finished my headband, it was time for a photoshoot! I put on my most Valentino-esque outfit -- a sleeveless oxford, a new patterned maxi dress and t-strap pointy toe heels. I figured I couldn't go this far without the ear-covering, low ponytail, so I sprayed back any flyaways and completed the look. Thanks to my talented brother for the photos!

Photographs courtesy of J. Ortakales Photography

Throwback Thursday: Bottle Cap Tee Inspired by Jessie J

          I meant to post about this DIY project many months ago, but alas, I've been crazy busy with fashion week, two internships, several trips to Boston, and launching my Etsy shop! So what better way to finally show you my bottle cap tee with a Throwback Thursday!

           It was probably over a year ago when I stumbled upon a picture of Jessie J wearing a cutoff sweatshirt adorned with bottle caps. Now, I love every fashion decision this girl makes. I dressed up as her last Halloween (right down to the Union Jack lip tattoo)! But this one was beyond perfect. It wasn't a stunning red carpet gown or elaborate performance getup, but it was pure genius! I'd never seen anything like it! Sure, people add studs, jewels, and leather to shoulders all the time, but you rarely see them using their old bottle caps on clothing. I knew right away that this was going on the top of my DIY to do list.

My inspiration...

          Unsurprisingly, I obtained the bottle caps for my DIY through some college kids who had hundreds saved up from all their parties. And luckily for me, they seemed to dabble in many varieties of beer. This made for great colors and some really cool designs! Of course, there were a few old-school soda bottle caps in there too, wink wink.

          Being the perfectionist that I am, it took me some time to plan out the arrangement. There was no way I'd have too many red ones together or two Bud Lights in a row! Other than that, making this shirt was pretty easy. I punched holes in the caps with tacks and stitched them in place with a needle and thread. Not many supplies needed, just a bit of patience.

My rendition...

Photography courtesy of Jeff Ortakales.

See more of his work at jortakalesphotography.com

Reconstructing the Old

          Every summer, I do a lot more sewing than usual. With all the extra time I have, I like to design dresses and fix up thrift finds. This year, I've taken six pieces from drab to fab and did a photoshoot with my cousin to showcase them. In the next couple weeks, I'll be featuring a different piece each post and giving the steps to how I made them. Here's a little sneak peak of the pieces I made!

Modeled by Naomi Kolok

Modeled by Naomi Kolok

Bikinis Aren't for Tan Lines Anymore

     There's one thing that I try not to do every summer, but it always ends up happening anyway...buying a new Victoria's Secret bathing suit! They're always coming out with new designs and I just can't resist making one of them mine! 

      This year, my bathing suit of choice was actually an older design that has come back for a couple seasons. I've wanted it for a long time now, and it went on sale for a short time, so I couldn't just let it slip away! It's much less coverage than I normally go for...not the kind of suit I would wear on a family vacation! But it was perfect for my trip to LA to see my boyfriend! 

Very Sexy Swimwear - Strappy Bandeau Top $38 & Strappy Brazilian Bottom $38

      I realized this bikini wouldn't be the best for tanning either! With all those straps, I would have some pretty strange tan lines! But then come to think of it, today's most stylish suits aren't much different. The days of plain old triangle bikinis are long gone and designers have gotten much more inventive, meaning lots of cutouts and straps and no more clean tan lines. And I like it! 

Cushnie et Ochs Resort 2014

       I always look for something unique in my latest bathing suit purchase and recently, there have been a lot more brands stepping outside the box. It also takes the focus away from needing to look perfectly bronze and brings more attention to how cool your bathing suit looks. I usually tan a little bit every summer, but I burn more often than I get golden color. So I like showing off an awesome suit more than my skin.

MIKOH swimwear - Xavier One Piece - $194

ASOS - Leaf Print Caged Bikini Top $27.15 & Bikini Pant $23.76

Victoria's Secret - Very Sexy Strappy Twist Bandeau Top $43.50 & Brazilian Bikini Bottom $39

Revolve Clothing - Anna Kosturova Flashback Bikini - $154

For more awesome bathing suits that defy tanning lines check out this shoppable widget below! 

Ella Moss Two-Piece Swimwear · 6 Shore Road Two-Piece Swimwear · Vitamin A Two-Piece Swimwear

Backstage with Shea Rose

     This weekend was the kickoff to Boston's first annual Outside the Box festival. Three days in, it's already featured some amazing artists, including the very talented Shea Rose. She performed in Saturday night's "Rythm of the Universe" concert, a 150 piece ensemble celebrating music around the world.

      The show was spectacular and Shea was my personal favorite musician. She rocked the stage with an R&B set including a cover of The Cranberries song "Zombie," a mashup of "Suit and Tie" and "Mr. Nice Watch," as well as her own songwriting. Her sister sang backup vocals and her brother rapped with her.

       Aside from her singing and rapping skills, her style really caught my attention. She wore leather pants, sky-high heels, and an edgy harness, very similar to something my favorite girl Rihanna would wear. Shea definitely has her own style though. She rocks her hot hairdo just as effortlessly as her dance moves and she doesn't need a lot of stage makeup because she's naturally beautiful. The confidence she exudes on stage and in person isn't overwhelming, but rather approachable. When I tracked her down after the show she was extremely down-to-earth and friendly. After I told her I was totally girl-crushing on her, she took a few minutes out of  her busy post-show night to answer some questions. 

J: Where did you get everything in your outfit?

S: This [harness] is from BCBG, this belt that I attached to it is from Arden B, these [shoes] are from Bakers, and this top is, I believe, H&M.

J: Is this how you normally dress everyday? 

S: Oh, yes when I roll out of bed! Haha. You know, I try to stay as close to how I am in everyday life so that I feel like when I'm on the stage, it's just a natural segue. Because sometimes I feel like when you put on a lot of makeup and a lot of stuff, it puts you in a different physical space and you're not quite as free. I like to integrate a little bit of things, high-heeled shoes, that's different from my daily, eyes pop and lips pop.

J: Where are you originally from?

S: I grew up in Braintree, Mass! So I'm a Boston girl! I just graduated from Berklee in 2011. When I decided to go to Berklee, I moved into the Back Bay area. This is my home town, which is why this is so significant for me. It's historic! For this to be happening in Boston, for me to be a part of it the first time we ever have a music and arts festival.

J:When did you start singing?

S: I started taking it seriously when I went to Berklee. I went in 2007, and that's when I was like, 'I think I want to do this as a living! Crazy!'.

J: And when did you get into the rapping?

S: I was not always a rapper. I was singing first, and then I started rapping in about 2009. I did this contest with Queen Latifah and Covergirl and they wanted someone who raps...and I just started rapping!

J: How did you start performing these concerts?

S: Emir [Cerman] and I met in school and he told me about this Rythm of the Universe. I didn't quite know what it as but everyone was doing it. That was the amazing part! So I was a part of this monumental performance they did in Symphony Hall. So I had a chance to rap in Symphony Hall! This is the first of many for them and I'm jut so happy to be a part of it!

J: What's the best part of being on stage while you're performing?

S: Oh my gosh, the best part is when you have those moments when you're just completely connected to everybody, not just your band members, but the audience, everyone is connected. It's like a reciprocal experience. The audience is giving to you, you're giving to them, so when those moments come you're like 'This is why I work so hard!'.

       If you missed Saturday's concert, you still have a chance to see Shea perform! She will be doing a solo performance for Outside the Box this Thursday, July 18th at 1pm, at City Hall Plaza.

       Make sure to check out Shea Rose's music on her website at www.shearose.com and watch this awesome video of one of her recent street performances.

Photo has been removed as per request of subject.

My Trip to LA

       I got back from LA a week ago and all I've been able to think about since are the sunny skies, sandy beaches, beautiful sunsets, and the perky palm trees of the West Coast. I had so much fun there and my boyfriend made every moment perfect. Everyone I met during my four day stay was very friendly and made me feel so welcomed. There's an endless amount of things to do in LA. People kept suggesting places to go and we only got through half of them! Overall, Santa Monica was my favorite place in the area. It's right on the beach and it has a great little downtown area with lots of shopping and restaurants. Here's a little photographic diary of my visit in California...

Wednesday

My pre-trip manicure. I've had these snakeskin decals for a while, so I decided this special occasion could use some fierce nail art.

Andy picked me up from the Long Beach airport Wednesday night and gave me this beautiful bracelet within the first 15 minutes of my arrival.

Another gift he gave me the night I got to LA! This awesome necklace can also be worn as a watch ring! So cool!

Thursday

Andy lives a couple minutes away from Warner Bros. Studios!

Andy's friend Chloe took me to Santa Monica for the day. We walked around the Promenade and I ate my first Johnny Rockets burger!

That night, Andy and I met his cousin, Erin, for a Mexican dinner. Later we hung out at her apartment and met a few of her friends.

We got cupcakes and six flavors of ice cream at Sprinkles. You can order your cupcakes from their "Cupcake ATM" and watch them come out the machine!

Friday

We drove up to see the Hollywood sign!

Andy met some guys shooting for NBC!

Cactus!

We got lunch at the Grove.

Our crepes were amaaazing!

Andy was very impressed by his Nutella crepe!

We had to go into Dylan's Candy!

After the Grove, we checked out Wasteland for some thrift shopping.

Palm trees at Venice Beach.

We walked around Venice Beach until sunset.

The sunset was so beautiful!

We got dinner at Seasalt Seafood Grill in downtown Santa Monica.

I got fish tacos and Andy got a Poboy...they were so yummy that we got seconds to take home!

Saturday

Saturday, we spent the day at the beach in Santa Monica.

 

That night we went to Universal Studio's City Walk. It's like a mini Times Square!

Andy jamming out to Justin Timberlake!

In front of the Universal Studios gate.

     Being in LA with Andy made me so happy I didn't want to leave! I know I'll be back though! On our way to LAX Sunday morning, we got to see the sunrise over the mountains. Definitely the best way to end my trip!