Entry period ends at midnight Tuesday, so you guys have just over 24 hours to get those entries in. It’s $100, Shopbop.com, and open Internationally, so whatareya waiting for?? Send some friends over too and share the love!
Good luck to everybody!!
xoxox
Carly
Sparkle cardigan: Forever 21 (a reeeeally long time ago…) (similar here) (and here) (also this would be sooo easy to DIY with your own cardi and some sew-on jewels from M&J Trimming!)
White tissue tee: Mossimo
Fur Bag: handmade by me
Rings: Cartier, Tiffany, mocha
Pleather swing skirt: Forever 21 (no longer avail. on their website tho)
Opaque Reversible Tights: SPANX
Faux Jeffrey Campbell Glitter Litas: DIY (tutorial coming soon!)
What I wore to the Portland Blogger’s Lunch today.
Bloggers = fashionable!! Lunch on December 4th = Holiday Party! So I felt the occasion warranted stepping up my game with something sparkly and blogger-ish.
Pleather skirts have been a trending item lately so I picked up one from Forever 21. It feels pretty flimsy (no hem or lining), but it held up pretty well (i.e., no tears or zipper falling out). I hope it will stand up to repeat wear. Apparently H&M is selling them too now, but a better quality, with a little more gathering at the waist, wider A-line, hem, and lining.
I finally finished my glittery DIY “Litas” this morning…soon to share the DIY tutorial. Well, it’s pretty obvious how I did it, since glitter shoe tutorials are all over the place lately. But I have a couple tricks up my sleeve that might make this project a little more…permanent. Maybe.
There is still a small amount of shedding glitter, though hopefully that will decrease with wear.
I kept getting stopped today by people wanting to know where I got my bag. I mean, I just made it for myself from the fur I use to make my Etsy tails, but I’m beginning to think that if I put these bags in my Etsy, people would buy them. (The finished ones, of course, not the prototype I’m dragging around!!) So many people seemed to want one!! After all, this is that time of year when you start craving something furry, no?
However, the bags are far more labor- and materials-intensive than my tails because of the lining, the zipper, and the chain connection, which means I would have to charge more for them than my tails. So here’s my question for all of you, where YOU, lovely readers, get to determine the fate of this bag…
(It would have a simple satin lining, no inner pockets/dividers or anything. Single zipper pull. Removable shoulder-chain. Roughly the same size as pictured. In the full range of fur colors I stock.)
I’m not collecting a potential buyer’s list and won’t email you saying that you committed to buy it or anything! I’m just trying to gauge what other people’s perception is. Thanks so much for your feedback!:-)
Hope you guys had a great weekend!!
xoxox
Carly
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If you celebrate the holidays with trees and wreaths – have you got your decorations up yet? Or are you maybe thinking something…maybe…a little different this year?
When it comes to indoor decor, I’m definitely not a Pottery Barn or a Crate & Barrel person…but when Crrte & Barrel launched their modern-aesthetic catalog, CB2, I feel in love. The spaces are minimalist and well-designed; contemporary and unified. Maybe a bit youthful and hipster (but when did that become an insult, O Internet?) The design sense is just amaaaahhhzing.
In any case, I always love falling into the CB2 catalog and dreaming of redoing my spaces…perhaps it’s just the lack of kid-clutter I find so appealing? 😉 Their ideas for DIY alternative holiday trees are a great place to start:
http://blog.cb2.com/home/2011/10/20/how-to-create-a-whirly-tree.html
http://blog.cb2.com/home/2011/10/20/how-to-create-a-string-lights-tree.html
http://blog.cb2.com/home/2011/10/20/how-to-create-a-frame-tree.html
http://blog.cb2.com/home/2011/10/20/how-to-create-a-chalkboard-tree.html
http://blog.cb2.com/home/2010/10/14/how-to-make-a-bubble-wreath.html
http://blog.cb2.com/home/2010/10/14/how-to-make-a-snowball-wreath.html
P.S. They also post other DIY home and decorating ideas, so check through the blog archives to see what makeover awaits!
Happy DIY’ing!
xoxox
Carly
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Wow – a Links of the Week posted on Thursday! This week it’s super-late because I’ve been involved a bunch of projects that threatened to take over everything for awhile. There were the 3 Bear Costumes, 3 pairs of Bear Mittens, 3 Bow-Ties, 6 Lacy Aprons, and 6 Lacy Hair-Bows I made for Lil Tot’s class Winter Performance (tomorrow!). And the two HUGE projects I have due in my classes tomorrow: one a CD design prototype done in Photoshop and Illustrator, and one After Effects rough cut of a 1-minute composited project. Then I got an email on Monday that a company wanted me to come in for an interview (I had applied for an internship with them) – so I redid my entire portfolio. All at once everything was happening, and despite the DIY I did for my son’s costumes, I wasn’t able to do much for this blog for a couple days.
Anyway, the world has still turned and much DIY goodness came out of last week! Here are a couple things that caught my eye:
I’ve discovered another DIY blog – called I Have a Deer – and I loved this tutorial on how to make glittery epaulets from an old bra. Repurposing at its finest!
DIY your own velvet skirt (from a thrifted velvet dress) just in time for the hollidays! Chictopian Headbandit has the tutorial here.
Inspired by a pearl necklace seen in Vivi Magazine (I think I bookmarked the same necklace!), Sparks in Spring made this super-cute Peter Pan Collar Necklace. It’s so sweet – and surprisingly easy to do!
Though I don’t normally post non-wearable DIY’s, I couldn’t resist with this Glitter Flatware from Oh Happy Day. I mean, it’s so sparkly -how could one resist?!! Perfect for your next holiday fete.
For this time of year (at least in the Northern Hemisphere), staying toasty on chilly days is a must. This ingenious DIY from The Style Projects repurposes an old sweater for some new and fabulous legwarmers. Now I’m waiting for the next frigid day with bated breath!
Thinking along the same lines, Whitney at Freshly Given posted her sweater to Cowl tutorial. A great way to re-purpose old sweaters – and then cut the arms off for legwarmers!
The Free People blog has come up with a couple ideas to turn holiday ornaments into accessories. (I’m sure it helps if the ornaments you pick already resemble accessories, LOL!) But seriously, this time of year is great to find some things that normally might hang off a tree…and re-purpose them into things for necklaces, bracelets, headbands, and earrings.
FashionDIY101 is a new blog I’ve discovered, and I love her chic, simple DIY’s Check out her gold wire bracelet tutorial to get you started!
If your project was featured above, feel free to grab a button and share the DIY!
If you have a DIY how-to or tutorial that you’d like to see featured on Chic Steals, please email me at carlyjcais at chic-steals dot com – and I’ll try to squeeze it in to one of my Links of the Week posts! (Tutorials/how-to’s with steps and photos included please! So everyone can share in the DIY goodness:-)
xoxox
Carly
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Oh, Anthro – such a source for DIY inspiration, as always! Though Alicia from Dismount Creative was similarly inspired by the latest catalog, I wanted to post a few more things that could be DIY’d straight out of the pages of Anthropologie’s most recent offerings. And besides, who wants to pay $500 for a sweater? (Or $2,175 for a box set of books, for that matter??…marked down to a mere $1400 on the website, I now note.)
Use neon fabric paint and masking tape to liven up a bland clutch with a bright stripe.
Add candy-colored lace edging to a neutral cardigan for a Jason Wu-inspired feel.
Easily DIY those boots by gluing some printed fabric onto the shafts of some vintage boots. And the earrings? Snake chain on french hooks, with clipped feathers hanging off the bottom. (Use a glue-in cord end to connect the feathers to the chain.)
Pretty up a chunky cropped sweater with hand-sewn clusters of crystals.
DIY some party booties with a handful of tulle and some sparkly beads.
DIY a formed bangle with some white Polyshrink plastic, forming the curve while still warm and wearing oven mitts.
Make a bustier extra-special with the addition of velvet ribbon and gold nailheads.
Make slippers all your own by hand-sewing vintage keys or buttons onto the toes.
Dress up your favorite mocs with the addition of some pretty trims, tied in a bow.
xoxxo
Carly
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Carly J. Cais I am a DIY’er, designer, sewist, maker, and marketer. Chic Creative Life is where I share what I do, and help others bring their unique style into their own lives.
