Friday, September 28, 2012

Cloudy with a chance of Hunter Boots

Happy Friday! It's been raining the past couple of days and the only good things from the rain are the grass is greener and I can wear my Hunter Boots. I paired my Hunters with a sweater skirt that I got from the thrift store and my black tunic from H&M. I think these boots can bring any outfit some life. I also think these are great in the winter with a pair of fleece inserts. I got this pair for Christmas last year and a black pair for my birthday this year. I have a great tip for you gals that have a pair of Hunter boots and have noticed they get dull and have a white film. Nordstrom sells a boot shine sponge that works fabulously. I am normally not one that goes on and on about a product, but it works great. I have talked to a few gals that have these boots and they were not aware that Hunter offered this product and it's only $5.00.




H&M Black Tunic- Similar, Love Change Sweater Skirt- Similar, Totes Umbrella- Similar



Hunter 'Original Tall' Gloss Rain Boots
Hunter Instant Boot Shine Sponge






One of my blogger friends, Adrienne from The Rich Life on a Budget, does a post called Positively Friday. In her post, she focuses on the positive things that are going on in her life instead of the negative. I enjoy her blog very much and hope you'll check her out. I am going to try to continue  to be positive in a world, where it is just sometimes easier to be negative. So here it goes:

1. I am so happy that my son, Harrison, got his cast off this Tuesday. He still has a little bit to go, but he is walking better each day. I am so happy that he has such a supportive and great kindergarten teacher. It has made this whole broken leg thing a little easier.

2. Also, I feel so great to finally be apart of something that truly helps others. I am taking part of a program through the Celestial Mission. This program is providing the homeless a meal that come in during off main dine eating hours. How it works is they provide you with a food saver. You then put your left over meal from dinner into the food saver, then in the freezer. The mission then comes and collect the meals you have frozen from your house. You are only giving your leftovers, not making a full meal. I am not really a cook, but I am only required to give 2 single serving meals a month. I can handle this and hopefully cook more. I have been wanting forever to give back and there never seems to be enough hours in the day. This is a great way to get people involved. This allows someone that comes in off the street to have a great meal from someone's left overs. This is my first meal and I think this will help me cook more.
Yum! porkchop, corn, and noodles.

3. Lastly,  my younger brother, Kevin, is currently working for the AmeriCorp. He decided to do this for a year after he graduated college. He is one of the kindest people I know. He is currently helping people that have faced a natural disaster. He sent me a message during a crazy week that said he was thinking of me and loved me. That made all the craziness better. I am so lucky to be related to a person like him.

Well I won't be doing this every Friday, but I wanted to share.
Do you have anything positive to share? Do you have any plans for the weekend? What do you wear your rainboots with?

Linking up at
 

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Star Gazer

One of my favorite things for fall are printed tunics. Prints range from stars, polka dots, and animal prints. I find myself really liking star prints lately. Tunics are a loose sweater or shirt that goes farther than your hips, but shorter than your knees.  I like the look of a tunic with wide leg pants and jeans. If that is not for you , then tunics are great with a pair of leggings, jewelry, and a pair of boots for a casual outfit this fall. Tunics look great on many types because they tend to be loose and flow. To make a outfit more dressy, you can tuck in your tunic as seen in the second photo. I have many silver bracelets, but I have been slowly adding to my gold bracelet collection as seen in the second photo.

Star Silk Tunic- Marshalls - Similar, Old Navy Khaki Wide Leg Pants - Similar


 Carole Spike Bracelet in Gold,
Stella & Dot Gold Spike Bracelet




Do you have a favorite print you are drawn to this fall? Do you like wearing a tunic?

Linking up at the Pleated Poppy.

Monday, September 24, 2012

Animal Lover

Hope everyone had a great weekend. I have been resting a lot over the weekend, because the week days are long and busy. One of my highlights of my week has been reading some of my favorite blogs. I plan on making a list very soon to share. Also, my son gets his cast off tomorrow and I am very excited about that.  I can't seem to get enough animal print. Many bloggers think of animal print as a staple piece in any wardrobe and I certainly agree! I have animal print belts, scarves, shoes, skirts, shirts, and pants- yes that is a tad bit. I found these Cheetah pants at Zara in NYC and here are two ways that I styled them.  The first is dressier.  Something I would most likely wear for work or out. I paired it with my silk black shirt that I have worn in several posts and my Zara ankle pumps.The second look is a casual look, I paired the pants with an older J.Crew animal gray tee and my favorite converse shoes.  My newest accessory addition to my fall wardrobe is this awesome purse from Nordstrom. I have been on pursuit for a studded purse and found a cute one for a great price.


Zara Sling Back- Available in red , Cesca Studded Faux Leather Tote


Printed Cropped Cheetah Trousers- Zara
Grey Converse Chuck Taylor,
Xhilaration- Gold Metal Aviator Sunglasses

   Besides my wardrobe, I incorporate animal print in my house decor. I love it when my husband  says getting a little crazy on the animal print in the house. I incorporate it by using throws, lamps, rugs, and an ottoman with animal print.


This is my is my zebra print ottoman that I use for extra seating and my coffee table.

In my hallway, I use my buffet to display a zebra frame with a cheetah lamp.

These are some great ideas for incorporating some animal print into your interior design.

source


source

Do you use animal print in your home? Which of the looks is your favorite the casual or dressy?

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

DIY: Gold Glitter Toed Oxfords

Gold and black combo is a trend for this fall. When I do DIYs on shoes it sometimes doesn't work,so I try to work with shoes from Plato's closet, thirft stores, or consignment shops. I came across these black oxfords at Plato's for $7.50. They still had the orginal price tag and were very comfortable - a plus! This project is very easy and the outcome added a great up-to date change to these shoes.




There are some great glitter toed shoes, but the cool thing about these shoes are you can make them yourself!
Jimmy Choo- Whirl Glitter Flats
Sam Edelman 'Frances' Glitter Pump







Materials you will need are gold glitter, masking tape, scissors, Mod Podge glue, foam brush, and a  paper plate to let shoes dry on.

Step 1: Tape up your shoes will masking tape. I followed the front outline of my shoes. If you do not have an outline, go back two inches from the toe point of the shoe. Make sure to tape the bottom of the shoes.

Step 2: Mix the glitter with Mod Podge on a paper plate. I put equal parts glue and glitter. Then paint the mixture onto the shoe.

Step 3: I painted 5 coats on each. I let them dry 30 minutes between each coat.


Step 4: This is the hard part(not really). You need to make sure you remove the tape slowly , so it doesn't rip the glitter and glue off. I used the scissors to run over the edges before removing the tape. It makes a smooth even edge.




I will be getting a lot of use out of these shoes. One important thing- this glitter will last- Mod Podge is a great adhesive. I have worn these twice and the glitter hasn't peeled off !





What is your favorite color trend this fall?
Linking up at the Pleated Poppy for WIWW

Monday, September 17, 2012

Leather - Real or Faux ?






Calvin Klein Fall 2012 Leather

Hope everyone had a great weekend. This post is dedicated to the hot fall trend of leather. Leather is a great item to look out for in thrift stores or consignment shops. If that is not your cup of tea, then there are many options for you whether you want real or faux. Now, most of us want real including myself, but you can come across some great pieces in faux leather that don't look "cheap". I came across this pencil skirt at Forever 21 and was only $22.80. Some of the complaints I have heard about Forever 21 is the store is very large and their sizes are for smaller people. So, I am pleased that they have expanded their sizes. Also, their pricepoint is great for some of those staple or trendy pieces. This fall, retail stores are offering many bottoms in leather from shorts, pants, and skirts that can reflect your sense of style. Another leather trend that I will post on later is leather tops, which I am very excited about!





Burgundy Boxy Polka Dot Shirt- Forever 21
Essential Faux Leather Skirt- Forever 21





These are just a few great leather bottom options.


ALexander Wang Leather and Knit Dress



Leather Studio Skirt- Zara


Full Leather Mini Skirt: Rebecca Taylor
Stretch Leather Trousers- Zara
Faux Leather Shorts -Forever 21
Zipper Skinny Pants- Forever 21

Have you thrifted or purchased any new leather lately?

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Wednesday, September 12, 2012

DIY: Taking a flannel shirt from unsightly to studdly


Well, you can tell by my DIYs, I am totally into embellishing lots of clothing.  On my trip to NYC, I actually saw a couple of flannel pieces that were embellished. They were pretty expensive, so I put this project on my to-do list. The only snag I came across was finding a thrift store flannel shirt that was acceptable. So, I ended up buying a new Mossimo flannel at Target for $17.99. I normally don't like purchasing a new item and trying a DIY, but I was pretty confident that I could pull this off without messing the shirt up. If you have a flannel already in that closet for a total of $4.00 that is for 2 packs of studs, you can make this shirt for your fall and winter wardrobe.





 Materials needed for this project are a flannel shirt and studs.


 Step 1: Look at the pocket design and lay out your design on the pocket before you pushing studs through. I started in the middle to cover the button slit and then worked my way outward.
 Step 2: After you finish the first row, start the second row directly under the middle top stud. Make sure studs are very close together. You will need no special tool for this only your fingers. Flannel is a very soft material and easy to push the studs through.

Step 3: The first two rows contain a total of 7, the third row 5, and 4th row 3. The stitching of my pocket has a "v" pattern that I followed. This is what they should look like completed.

Step 4: Repeat the same on the opposite pocket. Then you shirt is complete. This is such an easy project and can be done in less than an hour.



I got many complements on this shirt and nothing feels better than knowing you accomplished it yourself- even if it is only a shirt!



I did get me these great Mossimo booties at Target and they are a steal at $29.99. They come in taupe and black.

Linking up at Pleated Poppy for What I wore Wednesday.
 Do you wear flannel?

Monday, September 10, 2012

U Can't Touch This

Well, I am sure that most people are familiar with MC hammer's song "You can't touch this" -it's a oldie but goodie. This post is dedicated to that song, because for a while I have been looking for a pair of as I would call "hammer pants". I have been really selective buying a pair, because I feel like they sometimes sag in a non flattering way. I came across this pair in NYC at the thrift store. I fell in love with the print and they were high waisted, so they don't sag in the middle. I must say these are not in my comfort zone, but I feel with fashion every once in a while you should try outside of your comfort zone. I loved pairing these pants with my sling back pumps from Zara and my basic silk shirt.






One trend for the fall is ankle strap pumps. I purchased a pair of basic sling back pumps at Zara in NYC. I found the same pair I bought, but in red. I think the red might be in my future. All of these great ankle strap heels are  from Zara. All of these are great and the price is excellent . Do you have a favorite pair?

Basic Sling Back


Studded Ankle Strap Sandal

Vamp SHoe with Heel Back


Zara -Shiny Sandal

Printed Medium Heel Shoe
Have you worn something recently out of your comfort zone?

Linking up at Monday Mingle and  Visible Monday .