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

Small Town Thrift Shopping

I love going thrift shopping every once in a while, but the problem is that you really have to dig deep to get the good stuff in New Hampshire! I've always wished that the thrift stores where I live were overflowing with cute vintage clothing and jewelry. Instead, they are usually the ones people pile all their ratty 90's clothes that nobody wants to wear anymore. I mean, it's fine for people who need cheap clothes, but when I'm looking for a unique vintage find, it takes a little while to find some good stuff. I went to one last week that was in the middle of nowhere and although the few clothing racks that they had were slim pickings, I was able to find some cute little buttons, a pair of earrings, and a scarf. The scarves were right at the door when I first walked in. They weren't made out of gorgeous silk, but for 75 cents I couldn't resist. After looking through all the clothes that didn't do much for me, I found a bucket of buttons and I just thought, "Hey, at least I'll look at these to occupy myself. Some might be interesting!" I ended up getting a handful of gold and silver buttons with anchors and emblems embossed on them. At the counter, I looked at the jewelry while my grandmother checked out. Right before she paid for everything, I spied these gold and white flower earrings I thought would complete my trip. They are now my favorite earrings (besides my pearls) and they are great to wear just to the beach or with a cute skirt and tube top. As for the buttons, I'm thinking of using them to jazz up a cheap jacket...but that'll be another thrift shopping day!

The scarve is really cute with just a t-shirt, skinny jeans, and adorable flats!