WhoWhatWear

Does anyone else read the blog Who What Wear?

While 95% of the goodies they post are financially out of reach, I find it to be a fab site for inspiration and illumination. I find myself frequently pinning looks to put my own twist on, or jewelry to recreate for a fraction of the cost.

They always to a great job of Runway-To-Realway too - I mean, Elvis In Vegas is not a theme you see yourself thinking as you look at your closet, but then you see this and it seems like an option :

(images)

Check it out for some eye and brain candy - Always fun to see what's happening out there in the world!

Closet Case

Excuse the delay, but buying and moving into a house is soaking up my time like nothin' else. But it's given me a fantastic excuse to completely immerse myself in color and texture : Two of my favorite things!

Closets are currently on my brain - The master bedroom has given me my first ever walk-in (JOY! RAPTURE!), and we're lucky enough to have scored a home with more bedrooms than we have people to sleep in them, so I get my own sewing room as well.

I think it would be fun to go a little nuts in the master walk-in : My fiance loves a neon, and I'm not scared of brights either, so how fun would it be to have a crazy pop of color or pattern in a place where you can close the doors and hide it away whenever you want?

Image from here

 Image from here

And my sewing room. I've seen some shots on Pinterest where folks have removed their closet doors completely and added healthy dose o' contrast for a sort of shadow box effect. Loving it :

Image from here

What do you think? Any recommendations from you lucky ducks who've been living with walk-in's or extra storage space for a while? Dish.

Sparkle & Shine... Some More.

Another ...Love, Maegan inspiration - The accent nail!

Because let me tell you : Scrubbing off glitter polish from every nail made me want to just drink the polish remover and hope for a quick demise. I'll be working on researching a better method and if I find one will be posting it here pronto!

Anyway, using the same two colors from the previous post, here's what my digits look like now :

 

I gave my ring finger on my right hand the same treatment. Fun and subtle, and definately not tough to execute. Winner!

Check out Maegan's original post about rockin' an accent nail here.

Sparkle and Shine

Don't know about you, but I seem to have a hard time not being attracted to anything coated in glitter during the holidays. So you can see why when I saw ...love Maegan's Maegan Tintari take on a neutral nail with a hint of sparkle I had to try my own hand (haaaaaa.) at it.

Glitters-but-not-too-much and goes with everything? Yes. You can see her tutorial here.
 For my own digits, I used Revlon's Sheer Cotton :

Image courtesy of tinroofnails.com

  ...And a swipe of Sally Hansen's new Gem Crush line in the color Big Money :

Image courtesy of AlisNailNews.blogspot.com

Those colors together along with Maegan's single-swipe idea turned out looking like this on my hand :

Excuse the Instagr.am quality, but you get the idea. I'm thrilled with the outcome. The glitter is uber-durable, and a chip in nude nail polish isn't very noticeable, which combined are making my life easier.
Grab the Revlon Sheer Cotton here (on sale for $3.99) or at your local drugstore for around $6. Pick up the Sally Hansen Gem Crush in Big Money (or any of the other DELICIOUS colors) in person only at this point - Not available anywhere online that I can find including the Sally Hansen website, which is currently down. Regardless, I think it will run you right around $6 too.
I plan on quite a few more spin-offs of this mani in my future... Stay tuned.

Color Run Of Gem Crush Line ('Big Money' 3rd from left)

Image courtesy of AlisNailNews.com

Missoni Success!

Woohoo!

After 4 hours of stalking and hitting the refresh button until my finger blistered, I FINALLY got through to the Missoni sale on Target.com.

I picked up the ballet flats, velour hoodie, and the v-neck tissue sweater. I don't know how I managed (erm, actually I do - My bank account said N-O.), but I resisted the robe, sweater skirt, and pajama pants. Oh and the throw blanket, but that was sold out in all three colorways by the time I arrived on the scene. Drat!

Anyway, here is an article about the massive virtual stampede to Target.com from The Washington Post (makes me laugh since I was one of those online crazies), and here is the link to the Missoni goodies. Stores are apparently receiving shipments tomorrow and Thursday to restock.

Based on the current eBay sales, it may be worth snapping up whatever you can find... The shoes I bought for $29.99 are currently listed there (eBay) for $180!

30 Days Update

How are you doing on  your 30 Days? I'm hoping even if you're not creating, you're seeing things in a different light as you're out there in the world. I know I've actually been turning pages of magazines with an eye for "can I make that myself somehow?" and ripping out inspiration pages left and right.

 Image courtesy of RockbrookCamp.com

Note to self... Purchase second bulletin board...

Here's my latest attempt at trying to master a new creative feat: The Chevron Friendship Bracelet. Remember those guys? Takes me back to camp bunks and taking a polar bear plunge in the wee hours of the morning in a freezing lake.

Super on-trend for summer, the old-school friendship bracelet is back and now can be created with more dextrous fingers and better taste in color than when you were nine (...well, hopefully).

First Attempt Bracelet by Yours Truly!

 Here's the tutorial I used to learn via Honestly...WTF. Clear instructions with lovely photos of each step. Fun and easy to do while catching up on all those mind expanding documentaries waiting on your dvr... like... The Bachelorette.

'Fess up, I know it's not just me.

 

Nearly Finished - Note the Puggle lounge in the background...

Inspiration Station

How are you feeling about the 30 Day Challenge in my last post? A little daunting, no?

Let me offer a little inspiration - Even if  you're not Challenge-ing, it'll be some deeeeelish eye candy.

 My fave blog for inspiration on all fronts, Honestly...WTF is not nearly as rough around the edges as the title may make it appear. The best friend duo of a stylist and photographer co-author the site from different cities, taking their own incredible photographs, offering DIY (do it yourself) projects that will blow your mind, and featuring artists who work in all forms of media.

 

Talk about dreamy...

 

Custom-made Vans for Robert Verdi, inspired by his collection of vintage Hermes scarves.

 

DIY hex-nut bracelet - I made my own based on the site's directions!

 TopShop look book loveliness

I can't even say I'm scratching the surface of this incredible one-year-old site. They're prolific post-ers, so you're sure to get something for your eyeballs to snack on daily. 

Honestly... Check it out.

~All images courtesy of Honestly...WTF~

Closet Case

One of the blogs I frequent, Just B, had a recent post citing a few basic goodies every girl should have in her wardrobe arsenal. I've seen a million of these in magazines, and I always seem to find them so... blah. You know the drill: White Collared Shirt. Khakis. Black Dress. Yes, I know these are good things to have, but why-oh-why do they need to be so dull?!

With that said, I appreciated B's take on things, as she shifted her list more towards shapes then a list of colors. Here is her list, and some easy-on-the-wallet visual aids gathered by yours truly:

1) Every closet needs a great blazer, classic dress, and a pair of jeans that make your butt look great!

 

Blazer by LoveCulture.com ~ $22.90

Dress by OldNavy.com ~ $39.94

 

Jeans by Citizens of Humanity via Nordstrom.com ~ $154 (but wear them for YEARS)

2) Take the time to find the perfect fitting denim for your body type. Denim is that piece you can wear with boots/flats or heels - day or night. A stretch fabric can also help you avoid pinching areas you don't want to be accentuated.

 

3) Choose a well-fitting coat like a belted trench, and look for styles that are slimming and comfortable.

Gallery Trench Coat by Michael Kors for Norstrom.com ~ $98 (secret hood!)

4) A piece that can be a classic choice to make any outfit is a basic v-neck top. A 'v' neckline is universally [flattering]. It helps elongate the neck and make you appear taller.

V-Neck Tee from Forever21.com ~ $6.80

5) Don't forget that LBD (Little Black Dress). Dress it up or dress it down - You'll never know when  you may need to grab your classic for a night on the town!

 

Sateen Dress from Target.com ~ $27.99 

So there you have it, a Just B/Wore Room combo post that will hopefully help you get your year-round closet together. My fave thing about all the visuals I found: Just think of the accessory options! You could take any one from grocery store to glam with the change of a jewel and shoe.       

Making My Own Sunshine

In my corner of the world, Old Man Winter will just not unclench his miserable, waterlogged grasp. As of this May 13th, I could see my breath as I walked into work swathed in my fleece and pashmina. Unacceptable!

 Image courtesy of IndependentTraveler.com

So what's the remedy? Well, as jetting off to some island locale is off the table at the moment, I'll settle for sunny, flashy nails.

 I recently discovered Savina nail polish at Nordstrom Rack, and it - Like Mary Poppins herself - is practically perfect in every way. I picked up "Golden", and the perfect metallic that is coating my digits right now is almost as good as seeing a break in the clouds.

Almost.

Image courtesy of VeganGoods.com

 But to boost my morale, Savina also ticks these must-haves off the list:
*Has the ever-coveted perfect application brush (only a couple swipes to evenly coat the entire nail)
*Only two coats necessary, and a quick dry time on the first.
*Earth (& human) friendly formaldehyde and toluene-free formula (say that five times fast.)
*Under $4/bottle for almost 100 colors on VeganGoods.com

Now if only Mother Nature would catch up to my sunny mood.

Follow-Up (5/19/2010): Although this note will force me to come clean on a bad habit, this nail polish (paired with OPI's Chip Skip and Wet n' Wild topcoat) was a dreamy peeler - Came off in sheets when my picking fingers got to it. What fun!

Midas Touch

I love yellow.

It's a tough color to wear, but get it goin' in the right accessory and you're, well, golden. My current choices: A crinkly summer-weight pashmina-style scarf from one of the best gift-givers I know (MBM, this means you!), and my manicure.

Image courtesy of Walgreens.com

Not surprisingly from Sinful Colors Professional, this one has the catchy lil' title of "Let's Meet". We did, and rather than being the day-glo banana it appears to be, it went on a sheer, semi-shimmery deep gold. After two coats, here's what I came out with:

It's thisclose to blending in with my fingers, but has just enough of a orange-y base and shimmer to stand alone without overpowering.

New fave!

Color Your World

Nail polish runs the gamut from the chippy $1 check-out line variety, to the - I am not kidding - $55,000 per bottle made-with-platinum-dust sort. I try to keep it somewhere in between, and a little more towards the former.

Since nail color is a notoriously flighty trend, I tend to not want to invest too much. And plus, who among us has ever truly used up an entire bottle? If this rings true for you, I've got your brand.

Sinful Colors Professional.

Available at every Walgreen's around the country for $1.99 a pop, these full-sized bottles have a decent brush, and with a little topcoat, your pedicure will make it through a couple weeks at least. My current fave for my summer tootsies: Mint Apple.

Image courtesy of Walgreens.com

A drastic change from my tried-and-true terra cotta toe hue, this color gives a nod to the blue family with just enough of a white base to keep me looking tan.

The Sinful Colors branch of the Mirage Cosmetics line was launched in 1996, giving the company ample time to perfect it's formula and develop it's 300+ colors. From glitter to metallic, midnight blue to ballet slipper pink, they've got'cha lacquered. 

At two bucks a pop, I may just try 'em all.