Jun 10, 2011 | Fashion
1. Color T4 Belt ($39.90) / 2. Cast4 Shoe ($59.99)
3. Fletcha Ring ($29.90) / 4. LLuna Necklace ($44.90) / 5. Fox Bracelet ($34.90) 6. Foulard Topping Scarf ($34.90) / 7. Cuba Sunglases ($34.90)
8. Barbados Sunglasses ($34.90) / 9. Pablot Bracelet ($29.90) / 10. Rodi Shoe ($154.90) / 11. Big Handbag ($59.90)
12. Anne Belt ($49.90) / 13. Maldivas Sunglasses ($34.90)
14. Kiti Handbag ($99.90) / 15. Ingles Shoes ($79.99) / 16. Rosal Scarf ($29.90) / 17. HAITYT4 Handbag ($69.90)
Ever shopped at Mango before?
I’ve never had the pleasure of visiting an actual store but now I’m filling my virtual shopping cart as I write, delighted with my new online discovery! Cross-body flap bags, natural-colored oxfords, chic sunglasses, patterned scarves, statement jewelry… Every neutral accessory that’s just perfect for summer is here. And it’s so affordable!
I think I’ve found a new go-to store for everything. (Plus they sell incredibly chic clothing!!)
How about you? Have you ever shopped Mango before? Did it live up to expectations?
xoxox
Carly
Array by FactoryPR and by me.
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May 26, 2011 | DIY
I’ve been so busy lately I’ve been neglecting to share things that I’ve made. Here are a couple items that I’ve finished up and am enjoying:
Galaxy-Print Scrunchie
Make following this tutorial from some leftover self-designed galaxy-print fabric scraps. I’m making a top with the fabric and since the tiny amount I bought was so goshdarn expesnive, I didn’t want to let any part of it go to waste. The fabric is silk, backed in black mesh chiffon. I should have made it twice as wide, but I only had so many scraps leftover. It tends to slip out of my hair since it’s silk, so I wear it around a hair-tie.
Tribal Necklace
Made with faux bamboo-stick beads and faux coral beads from Michael’s. I love the spiky organic-ness to it.
Bohemian Leaf Head-band (Head-dress?)
I’m not really a boho gal, but I couldn’t resist crafting this. Take any flat-ish jewely finding that has a hole in either end, and string them together with jumprings to make an adornment for your brow. The leaf findings I used only had one hole, so I drilled another one in the end of each piece. Which took a $%##% long time, too.
Feather Earrings
Made in the style of Owlita. (Theirs are much nicer, though!) I just wired together some feathers and added a handmade ear-wire to them. I love how they mingle in with my hair.
Have you made any projects recently that you’re dying to show off? Do tell!
xoxox
Carly
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May 18, 2011 | DIY, Media
I love the idea of using a wicker or straw handbag once the weather warms up. There’s just something about an airy, earthy bag that spells summer to me. Using a basket as a handbag reminds me of delightful childhood stories, dressing up as Alice, tea parties, picnics on the lawn…
And baskets are just about everywhere! Check out a thrift store or a garage sale for the most affordable baskets imaginable. (Baskets with built-in lids are a lot harder to find, but they’re certainly out there!) Craft stores like Michael’s or Jo-Ann’s sell them (but for a lot more than thrift).
This scan from the May 2011 issue of Ray magazine presents a wonderful assortment of basket-style handbags…and though the prices are something to gasp at, there are oodles of wonderful DIY ideas in there as well. Dress up baskets with silk flowers, scraps of lace, purse hardware, pompons, paint, ribbon, or gems, for starters. Add a satin lining, a dried starfish, a vintage brooch, sequin trim, bows, or even a teddy bear’s disembodied head. (!)
I DIY’d a half-moon clutch a couple years ago, by stitching on some puka shells and adding a little tassel pull and braided trim I made from raffia.
So if you can’t find what you’re looking for locally, there’s always Ebay, which is a great source for baskets, straw totes, and wicker clutches. (Like this one below – which looks oh-so-Chloe S/S 2011!)
The only difficulty is narrowing it down to the one you want!
xoxox
Carly
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Apr 17, 2011 | Media
Spent a lazy Sunday pulling apart the magazines that have piled up over the past couple months…and came across this Lucky Magazine feature in one of their issues from a little while ago (not sure which one). Sure, P.S. I Made This did a DIY of the obi-style belt back in February, but this is a little bit of a different style – plus includes some sources for buying the leather. Here are the sources mentioned in the blurb above:
All great sources for leather, but I would also add:
(with stores throughout the U.S., this is THE place to get leatherworking supplies, tools, hardware, and skins)
(variety of exotic leathers and hides)
(includes frogskin and metallic hides)
(extremely high-quality, full-sized hides for a variety of end uses)
And, my absolute, all-time favorite:
(beautiful, amazing array of FAUX leathers and manmade vinyls!! Yay!)
My Tips: When using lambskin or lightweight leather in a loose, tied belt like in the picture – all you need to do is cut and tie. (Yay for simplicity! But don’t ever ever EVER use your the same scissors/rotary cutter you use on fabric on leather…that’s a sure way to blunt your instruments.:-( Have dedicated leather-cutters if you can! [I use my kitchen shears that I use to cut other stuff in the kitchen with b/c they’re tough and can really withstand the abuse…but I’ll never cut fabric with them! LOL])
If you want a more structured belt, say like Gucci’s S/S 2011 RTW metallic python version with tassels – finishing the edges properly will make all the difference between looking “home-made” and “couture.” If you’re using real leather, don’t forget to burnish the cut edges!!! (What is burnishing? you may ask. A how-to coming in a future post, chickadees!)
xoxox
Carly
Gucci runway photo Style.com, Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com
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Mar 25, 2011 | DIY
Yesterday I coveted it, so today I’m going to show you how to make it. It’s DIY in 5 – minutes, that is. The easiest, quickest ways to take a piece from blah to fab and update it to current trends.
Also called the pussy-bow blouse on the other side of the pond, a chiffon bow at the collar of any blouse elevates it from everyday into elegant. But when you’re shopping on a budget (read: buying cheap), often the blouses that are affordable tend to lack such special details. I thrifted this lovely wide-collar chiffon blouse, but felt it needed an extra something to give it more style.
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