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!

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

Recreating Spring RTW

   Hey guys! Sorry I haven't been posting very frequently...but starting next week I'm hoping I can post a lot more often! This weekend I'm going to NYC so I might not post until I get back, but I'm gonna try to at least post some pictures. I'm soo excited for this trip! My cousin is singing in a concert so my family is going to watch her. We're going to be staying in the Westin at Times Square! I've only gone to NYC once, so I'm thrilled I'll be seeing more of the city!

   Anyway, there were many great trends from the spring shows this year and I thought I would do a bit of my own interpretations of the runways. I've chosen a few of my favorite designers and came up with some cheaper ways to achieve the high-fashion looks.

MARC JACOBS

classified fresno flats $16.99 cutesygirl; urban renewal linen cutout bandeau dress $58 urban outfitters; josefine dress $58 lulus; faux-leather zip hobo $24.50 old navy

STELLA MCCARTNEY

petite floral dress $22.80 forever 21; pastry shell wedges $160 anthropologie; kimchi blue marilyn dress $29.99 urban outfitters; foldover boyfriend belt $24.99 gap

VERSACE

gridiron tunic $33 lulus; f3900 sunglasses $5.80 and colorblock knit skirt $12.80 forever 21; silver filigree flower cuff $4 charlotte russe

ZAC POSEN

rainbow snow cone dress $39 lulus; carlos by carlos santana tropicana white leopard pumps $75 zappos; lips outline brooch $10.99 jewelrymix.com; gauze floral-print scarf $12.50 old navy

The Look For Less: Sienna Miller

The starlet walking the streets of NYC.

   One of my all-time favorite stylish stars is Sienna Miller. I love her as an actress and I love her as a fashionista. She has a bold style that she really takes ownership of. She makes casual bohemian look classy and she makes any gown look glamorous.  The best part about her style is her confidence. Every red-carpet pose dons a big grin and she's never one to be scared of expressing her style. Here is how to get her cool, laid-back weekend look...

Old Navy-boyfriend sweater-$24.50

Doki Geki-ruched sleeve boyfriend blazer-$48

American Eagle-crystal cord-$15.50

Forever 21-soft acid washed jean-$24.80

Wet Seal-stud bottom satchel-$24.50

Urban Outfitters-chelsea crew perforated oxford-$58

Total Outfit Cost: $195.30

Sienna's Loewe Bag: $1,650.37

And the Winner Is...

Kim from Clothes are Cute!

She gets to pick one of the five items that were up for grabs on my giveaway. Congratulations, Kim! I've sent you an email with the details on how to get your super, trendy accessory or piece of clothing.

(In order to get a randomized drawing, I used Random.com.)

    Now that drama club is over for the season, I'm hoping to have a lot more time for posting! I hate not being able to post frequently or read as many of everyone else’s lovely blogs! But, I am also sad that drama's done because it was so much fun performing "Hello Dolly!" I went to Goodwill the weekend before our performance to get a dress for my costume, although I ended up wearing a different one instead. The dress was only $4 and since it's too long the way I bought it, I plan on hemming and fixing it up a bit. I also got a pair of red heels and a brown clutch for next to nothing. I'll be posting about the dress and shoes in the near future! For now, here's today's outfit, including my new clutch.

I felt like a blue jay today!

wearing-

grey skinny jeans-Pacsun

blue off-the-shoulders sweater-The Limited

brown sweater dress-thrift

scarf-a nameless one I've had for a while

striped flats-Gap

clutch-Bijoux Terner

The Look For Less: Rachel Bilson

Rachel is notorious for wearing her beanies during cold weather, and no matter what she wears them with, she always looks great. This casual weekend look is just as easy to achieve as it is laid-back and practical. The ruffles balance out the edgy ankle boots so you get the best of both worlds. My favorite part is that I was able to find an almost identical ruffled sweater online at Victoria's Secret. It comes in a variety of colors, so if you want something different than plain black, a bolder color would make this look more fun. Plus, it's so warm and comfy, who's stopping you from buying it in every color?

ASOS-ribbed oversized beanie-$17

Banana Republic-petite skinny medium wash jean-$89.50

Victoria's Secret-boucle ruffle sweater jacket (comes in other colors)-$14.99

Old Navy-women's handkerchief tank-$12.50

Forever 21-may suedette ankle boot-$26.50

Total Outfit Cost: $160.49

Rachel's Boots: $499

10 Items or Less

Even if you don't have the chance to go shopping often, you can still find new ways to wear your clothes without spending a dime!

 Here's your challenge:

Go to your closet and close your eyes. Pick out a few random pieces and then open your eyes. You now have your first items to work off of. Continue to pick clothes you think would go well with the first ones until you have 10 pieces total. Now make as many outfits as possible using these and any other accessories or shoes!

 I was amazed by how many outfits I was able to make and how different each look was. I went for a simple color palette with a few touches of pink and blue. This worked well for my first time doing this, but next time I want to add some more interesting colors and patterns for more playful and bright looks.

These are the clothes I picked out...

1. black cardigan-Banana Republic
2. little black dress-Rue 21
3. striped dress-Old Navy
4. striped button-down-American Eagle
5. striped jacket-thrift store find
6. gray sweater-Aeropostale
7. white shirt-Forever 21
8. v-neck sweater-Aeropostale
9. gray skinny jeans-PacSun
10. blue shrug-Old Navy

 ...and I was able to make nine outfits out of them! I probably could've kept going if I hadn't needed to go to bed. It was like playing dress-up and I couldn't stop thinking of ways to wear the clothes.

Outfit #1-Date Night

Outfit #2-Party Time

Outfit #3-Goofing Off in Study Hall

Outfit #4-Sightseeing

Outfit #5-Shopping Day

Outfit #6-Playing in the Snow

Outfit #7-Miss Daisy

Outfit #8-Workin' for the Money

Outfit #9-Rock Concert

A New Love Affair

I've pretty much just realized that Urban Outfitters is my newest favorite store! How have I overlooked the affordable, trendy, and oh-so-chic clothes? I have no idea, but I'm in love! I know, this happens all the time with stores I begin to fancy, but in this case, I think it's going to last.  My store crushes may be just as excessive as my celeb crushes (Gerard Butler, James Franco, Johnny Depp, Ryan Reynolds, the list goes on...), but it's always good to have a list of stores that will never fail you when you're in need...something much more complicated when it comes to guys!  Also, seeing that shopping within a strict price range will put some limits on my holiday shopping, Urban Outfitters might be my one stop shop for presents for my fashionable girlfriends and sisters, as well as the much needed holiday ensembles for me! So will this be just a short-lived love affair? I think not! I've fallen head-over-heels, and I don't plan on going back anytime soon!

Kimchi Blue Sleeveless Secretary Dress

$19.99

byCORPUS Full Panel Skirt

$19.99

BDG Chambray Pleated Trouser Pant

$14.99

Dark Harts by Erik Hart Hooded Moto Vest

$19.99

Ecote Strapless Dress

 $19.99

Silence & Noise Tube Rolled Hem Jumper

$14.99

Peruse the $9.99 Racks:

Grommet Wool Beret

 $9.99

Printed Rose Full Foot Tights

$9.99

UO Snakeskin Bangle Bracelet

$9.99

Mod-Trick-or-Mod-Treat?

Last night my school had it's annual Halloween dance, which I don't normally dress up for, but decided that it would be more fun if I put together a fun costume. I bought this psychedelic dress from Goodwill for $5 and I already had the shoes. I found some fake eyelashes for a few bucks, used a TON of hairspray...and voila! A cute mod 60's look for under $10! What's even better? I won a category for the costume contest and got an iTunes gift card for $10! My Halloween trick-putting together a cheap costume that looked pricier than it was...my Halloween treat-relaxing on the night of Halloween and buying songs from Uffie, Lissy Trullie, Goldfrapp, Anjulie, Kate Earl, and Lucy Schwartz!

Trick-or-Treat!

How To: Make a Braided Headband

So a few posts ago, I showed you all my braided headband and I promised to reveal what I made it out of. I took a pair of old sweatpants that didn't fit me anymore, cut them into strips, sewed the strips together, and braided the strips. I've made a step-by-step process of how to make this easy hair piece, DIY style!

What You'll Need:

• sweatpants, t-shirts, old jeans, really anything you don't need anymore
• thread
• pins
• sewing needle
• fabric scissors
• any ribbons, lace, sequins, satin, or other embelishments (optional)

Step 1:

Cut a big square out of the fabric you're using.

Step 2:

Cut out six strips of fabric that are about 10in. long. You can make them whatever width you like.

Step 3:

Pin two strips together at the ends so they become one long strip. 

Do the same for all six. You will now have three long strips.

Step 4:

Sew the strips together where you had pinned them.

Step 5:

Sew all three long strips together at one end so they are aligned to braid.

Step 6:

Braid the strips together. 

Step 7:

After you've braided until the end, sew the ends together. This is when you'll have to make sure it's the right size. Wrap it around your head to see if it fits. If it's too long, cut the braid shorter and sew at the ends. If it's too short, you can sew an extra strip onto the ends of each strip.

Step 8:

                                                           Sew each end of the braid together.

And there you have it! A cute braided headband that you can make out of whatever your heart desires.

Take a look at some of my other creations and variations.

Adding Yarn-

Adding Satin-

Adding Lace and Chains-

Have fun and be creative!