Fashion Forward

A Mere Layering Act

2012-02-08T19:38:00.000-08:00

Everyone has basics in their closet so what's better than vamping them up to a whole new level? I say: "challenge accepted". A mere layering act is what I shall call it.

Happy Wednesday everyone! The weekends almost here. Got any Valentines day plans anyone?

Sunday Afternoon

2012-02-05T14:02:00.000-08:00

Today I read the most interesting article. It focused on how many celebrities and bloggers always have the latest designer labels and runway looks, and because of that they are sending a false message to those who look up to them. They are proving that they can afford name brands and influencing their followers to do the same. However in reality it is unrealistic to do so because most of the population is not able to afford such clothing. The article touched up on the fact that celebrities and famous bloggers are almost always sent clothing and freebees from designers rather than actually spending thousands of dollars. So the question is, is this a source of false advertisement? Is it morally right to send those messages? I guess it's just something to think twice about next time you envy blogger x,y, and z. Fashion isn't solely about having the "it" label. There's more to it. Anyone can dress in head to toe Chanel, but is that really the creativity behind clothing and expression?

On a lighter note here's a quick post on what I wore the other day. I really loved the lighting outside in my backyard so I couldn't miss the opportunity to take some pictures:

I cannot wait for spring have a great Sunday everyone! Here's a link to the GL post I did:

http://www.girlslife.com/post/2012/01/27/Guest-post-Bundle-up-in-style-with-DIY-gloves.aspx

what I'm wearing: Zara T-shirt, shorts from nordstrom rack, Timberland boots, Cat Eye glasses from my childhood

Winter Gloves DIY

2012-01-17T15:43:00.000-08:00

This past week I was working on a DIY for Girls Life Magazine. I worked on making three different pairs of DIY winter gloves and I would like to share one of them with you guys! I'll make sure to post the link later for you guys to check out more ideas for making your winter gloves more chic. Here's my favorite:

What you need:

- plain knit gloves

- different shaped brads (buy at any craft or office supply store)

- small link chains

- needle & thread

Step 1: push brads through knit gloves around the base

Step 2: cut chains to desired lengths and sew on the front of the gloves below the brads

Here's the finished product:

It's that simple! Everything costs under $5 dollars for supplies and it's recycled fashion! Have a good Tuesday everyone!

This Weeks Inspiration

2012-01-11T06:57:00.000-08:00

I have been so inspired lately even though I have been flooded with other things that are keeping me preoccupied. I have millions of art projects that I am dying to get started and I have even had the amazing opportunity to be writing for Girls Life (GL) Magazine. I am in collaboration with them for writing online Do-It-Yourself (DIY) projects and I'll make sure to keep everyone posted when the first one comes out. I am more than excited about it! I hope everyone has a great rest of the week! Here's some inspiration/project ideas to share that has been taking over my desktop recently:

metamorphosis

2012-01-01T17:14:00.000-08:00

I have been beyond intrigued by Jonathan Demme's film, Silence of the Lambs, and have watched it twice now this past month. I have gotten to the point where I have thoroughly physco-analyzed the film and for a few days I managed to convince myself that I was a detective(this ended shortly after the only "crime" in my household seemed to be the one of the missing kit kat bar).

All in all, in my analyzation of the characters in the film and the huge reoccurring theme of change (metamorphosis), I put together a collection of photos. I edited them with different color filters for the cold, tense mood I was going for and gathered inspiration from not only Silence of the Lambs, but the film The Help (which inspired the 1950's attire), and a collection of Vogue spreads.

I hope everyone had a great New Years! Cheers to a fresh start.

DIY Crop Pants

2011-12-03T20:23:00.000-08:00

The Holiday season is approaching us and what's better than wearing some cute new outfits? I was going through my closet clearing out some old clothes and I came across a pair of pastel blue flair pants that were awkwardly short on me. I decided that I would put them to use and do a quick little fix with them. Crop pants anyone? They are super adorable and easy to make! Here's the DIY below:

Step 1: find a pair of pants that you want to use. Make sure that they are wrinkle free (just run them over with an iron really fast)

Step 2: Flip the pants inside out and pin them along the sides. In my case I just took in the flair of the pants. If you want you can use a pair of skinny jeans that fit you well and line them up with the pants you are altering to make sure they will fit they way you want.

Step 3: Sew with a machine along the sides that you pinned and flip right side out again. Ta Da! Homemade crop pants for no cost!

I hope everyone has a great week ahead of them! I have a lot of holiday shopping to do!

Air Bound

2011-11-24T09:55:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving! Enjoy the break

"Darling, I seem to be awful lost. Can you help?"

2011-11-13T08:27:00.000-08:00

What exactly defines beauty? Is it that perfect nose, spread apart eyes, and defined jaw line? Is it that stellar personality and enchanting smile? Or is it the girl wearing Prada's latest runway looks with her confidence levels increasing by the mili second?

Has our world suddenly lost touch with reality? Have we all become the hopelessly desperate seeker for the lacking attention we get like Fitzgerald's character Daisy in his novel The Great Gatsby? For those of you who have failed to read the famous novel portraying life in the "roaring 20's", I believe it is time to delve into the pages of this eye opening idea of the loss of the American dream and distortion of what's real and what is not. The novel's message has had me thinking for days now about how our world has not in the slightest way changed from over fifty year ago. Beauty and wealth is this altered image that had been photoshopped time and time again, and manages to trick people with its alter ego. The media has created this concept of perfection that is frankly unachievable, and it has manipulated our minds to thinking that it is in fact possible. However, all it so happens to be is a marketing scheme. So my question is, what is real beauty? When the definition was first created, what was the person thinking about?

Humanity currently is lost. Or has it always been? It's trying to find its way home but it can't seem to figure out where it is going nor where home is located. Humanity is wandering, and this is exactly what the pictures from my photo shoot a few months ago are depicting. Although it is a part 2 to "Ella's Journey", there's a new spin on it. I guess that's just what time does, it changes views and brings out new discoveries:

Wearing: vintage electric blue blouse & wool dress from Urban Outfitters

The West is in the East

2011-10-16T12:12:00.000-07:00

I couldn't be happier. Fall is finally starting to show it's signs. The leaves are just starting to change colors and a freshness can be felt in the air. The only downside is that once fall is over winter comes, but as for now I have many trips planned to take advantage of this gorgeous weather.

I Hope everyone has a great rest of Sunday afternoon! How much does it stink that the weekend flies by so fast?

PS. got any halloween costume ideas? feel free to share

Maple and Oatmeal Scones

2011-09-30T13:32:00.000-07:00

I haven't found the time to bake in quite a while so just a few days ago for breakfast I decided to treat my family to some homemade scones. With fall on the brink, and leaves slowly changing colors, I couldn't resist making some of my favorite treats in celebration of my favorite time of the year. Most people dread fall because it means winter is on it's way, but to me it's a beautiful time of the year. It's almost always sunny out, the air is crisp, and I feel rejuvenated taking out my warmer clothes which all are new rounds of statement pieces. I am able to suddenly change my style according to climate change and get some new inspiration.

Don't forget to add glaze and put the scones on a pretty plate afterwards! Enjoy!

Ordinarily Extraordinary

2011-09-30T11:27:00.000-07:00

The vast valley curved around deeply rooted trees and gravel roads like a carefully sewn quilt. It expanded endlessly over rolling hills until one had to squint their eyes to see. There was a faint breeze blowing through the miles of tall grasses and the land seemed picturesque. It was almost as if one was standing in front of a huge painting at a grand art museum. "Who's the artist?", "May I receive one for my home?", "How interestingly different", were how many would respond. It was an ordinary place but an extraordinary site.

This is how people responded to the works of Gabrielle Chanel, but it wasn't always like that when she first began:

Just yesterday morning I was browsing around On Demand when I saw a free documentary on Coco Chanel. It was one of those BBC series type shows, and I found myself three hours later still on my sofa marveling over the life that Chanel created for herself. Now I know within the industry she is known as one of the most iconic designers that dates back to the early 1900's, but I truly do have a great appreciation for how she spoke out during a time when women were sought after only as objects for men to flaunt. She saw how women were expected to look and act, and her designs (especially when she first started out), were a form of rebellion. There was one scene in the documentary where she was supposed to go hunting with one of her lovers, and she took his riding pants and wore them out instead of a long skirt. Her lover, including all of their friends, were in complete shock with her drastic statement. By many, Chanel was looked down upon. Coco wanted to create clothes that women could be comfortable in, such as pants for example, and especially when war came around she was able to enhance her label. There was an immense amount of women who wanted comfort while working especially since many were taking over men's roles while they were out fighting for the country, and it wasn't possible to do that in elaborate gowns and feather hats.

Because Chanel was one of the first to introduce women wearing men's clothing, I thought it would be a great opportunity to capture that in an ensemble I put together mimicking her time period with her feminist views, along with trend of masculine attire this autumn. The landscape I spoke of above is my interpretation of the fields where all the pictures above were taken in relation to Chanel's life. I found the place a great representation of someone trying to be different in a world that seemed so isolated and out of touch with man kind. Like Chanel, the land provokes thought and questions, however many unanswerable. Bringing Chanel's mysteriousness into the photographs was my initial goal to this photo shoot.

XX

Thank you to my friend Courtney for taking the pictures of me on this lovely day.

(Wearing: vintage black skirt and tuxedo button down (both unlabeled), beaded bow pin, mom's red shoes, and in some pictures my father's top hat)

* apologies to the picture sizing problems. If you click on the images they can be fully seen and not cropped)

Ellas Journey (Part One)

2011-09-01T11:44:00.000-07:00

11:36 was the time that Ella had last checked her watch, and she knew that only a few minutes had passed since then. It was a Monday morning, and the previous night had been an evening full of slightly drunken chatter around the dinner table while playing scrabble with close friends. Ella was a true master of the game and everyone who knew her hated her for it. She couldn’t seem to help the fact that she had a knack for words. As a girl she spent most of her time reading the dictionary since she had gone through almost every single book in her fathers grand library, and being the only child in her family, she didn’t seem to have much else to do.

That night after leaving her friends apartment, Ella found herself caught in the midst of a horrible storm, and by the time she had reached her flat, she was drenched with rain, and her new penny loafers were completely soaked. She rushed to her bedroom and while putting on a fresh set of warm pajamas, Ella listened intently to the radio for tomorrows weather forecast. She was supposed to visit her parents the next morning in Wales, where she grew up, but feared not making it due to England’s unpredictable climate change. It seemed as if going from London to Wales was an eternity, and quite frankly, Ella wasn’t up for leaving the next morning, especially since she hated leaving her cat, Danny, for the weekend at home alone. But she knew now was no time for excuses, and began packing anyways for the long weekend ahead.

Ella glanced at her watch once again. It was 11:39 and she began worrying about whether or not the bus was going to show. It was supposed to arrive at 11:25, and it still wasn’t there yet. She wondered if it was even going to come, considering the previous nights storm had caused almost all of the electricity to go out, and debris was scattered all over the pavement. She felt absolutely lost and hopeless, especially knowing a telephone booth wasn’t around for a mile or so, and if she didn’t have a minor hangover, she gladly would have walked over and phoned her parents.

But instead she just waited and eventually took a detoured route to the train station to see if there was an express train that was headed to Wales soon. However to Ella’s surprise the train station was completely vacant. Not a single person was nearby, and even when she decided to leave the station the city of London seemed abandoned too. Ella had no idea what was happening and her anxiety levels were tremendously rising. She popped one of her pills her doctor prescribed her for calming down and just stubbornly decided that she was going to walk to where her parents lived no matter how long it took her. She knew herself that it would take a few days, but reassured herself that she had enough money to stay in motels and afford enough to eat. And so her long journey began walking down the asphalt pavement, in a vacant city to where her parents sat comfortably in their home, while it seemed the population of London had mysteriously disappeared during the night.

What do you think happened?

Thank you Sofia (or should I say Ella) for modeling during this shoot.

Skirt: Karl Lagerfeld, Top: anonymous vintage, Shoes: Sofias (unknown), Hat: Garage Sale Vintage (from 40’s), Gloves: Vintage, Suitcase: found in my guest closet

Who Wears Short Shorts?

2011-08-24T17:51:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Sorry for the lack of posts due to my busy schedule and immense number of travels that seemed to have piled up on me. I just wanted to share a recent DIY that I did just a week ago which is what I dedicated this post to. I also want all of you to know that I soon will be changing my blogs URL which might change things up a bit (not quite sure if it effects the blog in any way shape or form, but I guess we'll see what happens!) I'll make sure to let all of you know when that happens so no worries! I hope everyone is having a great summer!

Untamed.

2011-06-24T07:25:00.001-07:00

After being in New York this past week I was extremely inspired by the Alexander McQueen exhibition I saw in Metropolitan. His designs are absolutely incredible, and I find it easy to call him a sheer genius of fashion. While walking through the glass boxes of mannequins show casing his work, I thought of how his designs truly reflected his internal thoughts and clothing was a mere outlet for the chaos in his head. That got me thinking too about his obsessions with death and change, which are seen in all of his designs that incorporate birds and butterflies. Just his death alone intrigued me because there is always some sort of thing happening in ones head to be suicidal. Hence why I view him as a genius. Think of Albert Einstein and all the insane mathematicians in our history. They discovered ground breaking technology and ideas, but they were always a little off in some sort of way. They seemed to be in their own little worlds and solely absorbed in their work. This was Alexander McQueen. He was no different, although he seemed to be driven by his fears and nightmares clearly illustrated in his works.

If any of you have the time to see this exhibit or are in New York visiting, I highly recommend going. It was phenomenal and I think every one of you will get something out of it.

Four Things

2011-05-30T10:59:00.000-07:00

This past weekend while I was relaxing and flipping through all my magazines I became so inspired. So inspired that I realized I need an idea book where I just list every little thing going on in my head. I am a person who always needs something down on paper or else I freak out and my head wants to explode. It's one of the main reasons I have always had a journal throughout my life. I don't think I could survive school and everything without my journal to vent to. It just makes me feel so much better once everything is written down, which is why I realized I am in dire need of an idea book. Just a plain sketch book with blank pages to draw and write in.

But anyway to get to my point, I was cutting and ripping out so many pages of my magazines that there are only the covers left, and as my mom walked in she said to me "Let's go out and buy a few of these items". At this moment I looked at her in complete shock. This actually has been the first time that she has been the one to say let's go shopping. I'm always the one dragging her through stores, but in an instant I jumped to my feet and bolted to the car. Let's just say I am so happy with what I got that I had to post some of the clothes. However the rest of the clothes I didn't have time to photograph, but here are just a few of my favorite items.

Since we were at the outlet malls we were able to get everything on sale which made the shopping outing so much more worthwhile! The picture shows a new hat and shorts from JCrew, and a bag and wallet from Coach (the bag and wallet together were only $170, which is SUCH a bargain compared to the original total that was $450!). I'm saving these for the summer though just to keep the excitement of these new things.

This lipstick is what I actually bought for myself before the outing with my mom. It's been on my list for a while to get a bright coral/orange lipstick. I am so happy I bought this!

This is a reminder for what is on my to do list. These are all recipes from the family and my mom's cutouts which I cannot wait to try soon! Hopefully I will make some good food tonight!

Last but not least I wanted to show everyone what I got my mom for mothers day. I never took a picture of it, but this is a little shell bowl I found while yard saling, and I think it is adorable for holding rings.

Have a great Friday everyone and a great weekend!
XX

Sweet Disposition

2011-05-30T10:35:00.000-07:00

This has been an extremely fun memorial day weekend. I went to the Jersey shore for the day, went shopping, relaxed, and hung out with friends and now I'm sad that I need to go to school tomorrow. Three more weeks and it's summer! Can you believe it? Here are some pictures I took with Courtney on Friday when we got out of school after our half day. We went to this cute little garden near by with a very old mansion. It was an absolutely stunning property. I hope you enjoy!

We both decided to have our outfits be simple and easy to replicate in this photo shoot. Courtney is wearing cut off jeans, and fringe tee that she cut herself, loads of childhood bracelets, and a single feather earring. I'm wear high waisted shorts, a long sleeved that I tied in a knot, and a scarf in my hair. Hopefully these looks gave you some new ideas for the warmer weather!

Have a great rest of the break everyone!
XX

Three Things

2011-05-11T17:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Wednesday everyone! I am in the midst of cleaning out my closet and just took a break to quickly blog post about some recent reorganizing and DIY projects that I have been meaning to share with everyone.

[First Project]

The space above my bed had been blank for the longest time, and I realized my room needed some more spunk to it. Using some handy Martha Stewart ideas and DIY's by Emily from Cupcakes and Cashmere, I put this little design together. It's really cute when the lights in my room are dim at night because there is a slight pink glow in my room now.

[Second Project]

A combination getting my second holes pierced in my ears as well as purchasing new earrings from a flea market inspired this project. I repainted an old large jewelry box white and spray painted the knobs and hardware gold as well as organizing each drawer with different types of jewelry. A drawer from bracelets, one for necklaces, rings ect.

[Third Project]

I am currently working on putting together raised garden beds in my backyard, and I am so excited! Two are already up and have potatoes, peas, carrots, lettuce, cabbage, and garlic in them. I have three more planned with a large assortment of veggies as well as one dedicated to only herbs. I also hope to soon make window boxes full of herbs outside of the kitchen so that in the summer when my moms cooking (I must admit I hardly ever have time to make dinner) she can reach out and grab some.

Now I must get back to getting rid of clothing! I hope to be selling some clothes in one of my next posts so keep updated! Have a great rest of the week everyone! I'll be posting on Sunday since Saturday night is prom.

XX

Spring is Here!

2011-05-08T18:46:00.000-07:00

So today is mothers day and I think I just got my mom the best gift! Well, at least it is something that I myself would love to receive. I got her an old pair of gardening tools, which are absolutely adorable, and a little light yellow shell bowl with gold trim to hold all of her rings. I bought her all of these while recently yardsaleing, and as a matter of a fact I am quite jealous of what I got for her.

Here is an outfit I put together today which include some of my favorite new pieces! The pants were a steal at a Church sale and were only $10! They are so cool with open sides, and the quality is amazing! The bag was $2 at a yardsale, Tommy Hilfiger top was $15 at a consignment shop, scarf was 50 cents, earrings $1, and shoes $20 all from a thrift shop. You could call all that a bargain! You should have seen my reaction when I saw the earrings by the way. I have been so infatuated by geometric/60's designs, and I basically screamed when I saw them!

I hope everyone has a great rest of the week! I should be going to bed soon! Also, I soon hope to be posting some clothing that I will be selling since my closet is practically exploding. I have attachments to every item I own, and that needs to change so be ready!

XX

Brights and Bolds

2011-04-22T09:24:00.000-07:00

Hello blog world! I'm officially on spring break and it has been so relaxing. However, today I realized I need to start some homework because over these past few days I've already seemed to have forgotten what school is, but after some work I'll get back to doing some crafts this afternoon. Anyway, on Wednesday I did an internship with a fashion PR woman named Rakia, who is the fashion ambassador of Philadelphia as well as an editor for a magazine in New York. It's definitely an understatement to call this girl busy, and just by being with her for only a few hours I got to see how her business was run and what a regular day was like for her. I had a ton of fun running errands with her and we even viewed a clothing line that is coming out soon that we got a sneak peek of. Also on Monday my mom and I took the train up to New York for the day and I was completely inspired while walking around Soho, which lead to the idea of this next post. I saw so many bright bold colors everywhere, and I even got a glimpse of a few models that were walking back from a show wearing the most fabulous 70's outfits and brightly colored flair pants. So I hope you enjoy this bright 60's outfit of mine!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!
XX

Busy like a Bumble Bee

2011-04-13T16:23:00.000-07:00

I have been the busiest girl alive lately, hence the reason why I haven't blogged in a month! YES a month! four weeks just seems to go by so quickly, and I keep taking pictures to upload, but I just haven't had the time to merely download them onto my computer. I'm just like a frazzled lady with so many things going on. Thank God for spring break! I just need to get everything that's on my "to do" list done, and it is growing by the minute. If you saw the sticky notes tab on my computer I think you would be overwhelmed by my lists (I'm a complete and total list freak it's the only way I can have anything make sense).

Anyway back to this post. Last weekend I went to a local fashion show down town for the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA), which displayed work from many students who want to pursue careers in the clothing design industry. I met some great people there, and was able to see some incredible designs which were absolutely inspiring. I really was able to see (in a mini scale) what being at show was like, and it got me thinking about how I want my job when I'm older to be like that. I mean I always had this idea about sitting front row and taking notes for Vogue and writing for their magazine, but this really made it seem possible. Even though I know the fashion world can be a complete and utter mess, I know that's what I want to be involved in when I'm older. All I want to do is be a creative or fashion director for a big magazine, and go to photo shoots and design the sets and plan out what all the models would wear ect. I feel like I could go on and on and on about all this, so I won't bore you with my thoughts, but anyway here and some pictures from the show! I hope you Enjoy and get inspired like I did!

Loved this womans coat! It went almost to her ankles and I found the pattern to be fabulous! This was just a quick snap shot I got of her as she was walking out the door.

I promise to post again this weekend so stay tuned! Have a lovely rest of the week everyone!
XX

PS. here's a screen shot of my crazy sticky notes I was talking about above:

Printed in Plaid

2011-03-13T19:16:00.000-07:00

This weekend was extremely eventful, and with day light savings now in full swing it has me completely off track. Next weekend is our school's production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolored Dreamcoat, which also means that costumes had a ton of work to do this weekend and work to come later this week. The costumes look great from all of our hard work and I'll make sure to post some pictures of them soon.

Because spring is so near that means it's yardsale season, and that implies that I have an excuse to buy more things that necessary. This Saturday morning Susan, from Mostly Lists, and I went out to purchase some bargains and I came home with some great finds. The first is the lovely wool coat that I'm wearing, which I think is from the late 70's. I also ended up picking out some sewing supplies, 80's clip on earrings, and a mini leather wallet with a key ring which I hope to use when I get my drivers license. Overall I only ended up spending $8 for everything!

What I'm wearing:
- Coat from yardsale
- vintage Donna Karen silk top 70's
- Riding pants from Zara's
- Hunter rain boots
- Yellow Leather gloves from Paris

Makeup Inspiration:

Also, here are some hair ideas for this week:

The Sailors Knot

Simple Bow

Braided Headband

Messy Bun with added Hair Clip

Twisted Ballerina Bun

Have a great week everyone!
XX

To Walk Among Their Ruins

2011-03-06T16:24:00.001-08:00

Today I went with my dad and brother to a park near by where we live to take some pictures and walk the dog. Since it was gray and rainy outside I decided to put a look together to contrast with the weather as well as all the broken tree branches that were everywhere. The park is actually a spot of preservation because many animals live there, and it used to be a huge estate back in the early 1900's but it was mysteriously burnt down and the entire mansion and horse stalls were turned to ashes. Now it has been made into a big dog park and some of the ruins are still there. The whole story of the park ties into the title I made for this post, and I also related it to the idea of winter and how everything is in ruins (hence the broken branches and trees). Anyway Enjoy!

Today could not have been a more rainy day, but better rain than snow! Spring is getting closer and closer and I am getting so happy! I'm entirely ready for warmer weather and to put away my thick wool sweaters in exchange for rompers and highwaisted shorts.

This weekend I redid my inspiration board for spring, and it is full of bright colors and returning styles and patterns from the 70's. I'm looking forward to trying out some of these looks and I have a few things in mind that I might treat myself to this season. Those things include a bright shade of coral lipstick, cat eye sunglasses, some patterned pants (possible stripes), and a pair of flair jeans. Hopefully I won't go crazy with the spending however because last time that didn't turn out to well, but now I have a plan: everything I earn I put half into savings, and the other half I allow myself to spend.

What I'm wearing:
- Boots from Nordstroms
- Tights from Gap
- Skirt Vintage Karl Lagerfeld (amazing find from my friends mother in late 70's early 80's)
- top H&M
- jacket DKNY
- umbrella Nordstroms

Also, I've been planning out my vegetable gardens and going absolutely crazy reading my gardening books line for line and sticky noting every other page, as well as getting ideas on marthastewart.com (I had to even go to the extent to bookmark it on my tool bar because I was going on it so much). Anyway, I'll keep everyone posted on the new gardening aspect of my extremely busy life next post when it starts to come together some more.

Have a great week everyone!
I have a new post for later this weekend promoting a new hair straightener a company sent me, so make sure to check it out!
XX

Forget Me Not

2011-02-12T13:52:00.000-08:00

I desperately want Spring to come! I miss the warm weather but I mostly miss the sun and long days. Today is my dad's big 50th birthday so I ended up getting my hair and makeup done with my mom this morning. This is an outfit I put together just while the sun was still up and now I slowly should be getting ready for later tonight!

What I'm wearing:
- Striped Cashmere sweater by Massimo Dutti
- Button Down Shirt and tights from Gap
- Long Black Skirt from my mom's closet (I think from early 90's)
- Gray Wedge from Forever21 Sale
- Military Coat from a yard sale

I hope everyone has a great and relaxing weekend!
XX

Baby It's Cold Outside

2011-02-01T08:50:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! I'm sorry for not posting in a while, but I have been extremely busy with school and midterms. These are some pictures from last weekend when I made chocolate souffles from an old french cook book and a few pictures of my friend Sofia with her new sweater she bought.
I'm planning on taking some more pictures and posting on Friday so make sure to check!

I hope everyone has a great rest of the week!
XX

A Light Dusting

2011-01-10T14:52:00.000-08:00

This weekend it snowed for almost all of Saturday and it was absolutely amazing! One of my friends slept over, and right after we ate breakfast we dressed up and took tons of pictures. I made sure to include some of my most recent sewing projects into the shoot which include the cape that Sofia is wearing and the bright blue dress that I am wearing. I hope you enjoy!

What I am wearing:
- electric blue dress (sewn by me)
- JCrew gold belt
- Vintage fur coat found at a yardsale
- Ralph Lauren scarf

What Sofia is wearing:
- Checkered Cape (sewn by me with vintage wool from Scotland)
- JCrew pants
- Thrifted hat
- Her own riding gloves

If anyone is curious I used the Vogue Pattern above to sew the blue dress, but just altered it to not have long sleeves. As for the cape, I made up the pattern but they can easily be found on almost any sewing pattern websites. Thanks for reading!
XX

Your a mean one, Mr. Grinch ❄

2010-12-25T15:47:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays everyone! Today I have been celebrating Christmas with my family, and besides opening gifts it comes with all of us watching tons of Christmas movies together, including one of my favorites, the 1966 animation of The Grinch who Stole Christmas. Recently I have become infatuated with the style during the 1960's and watching this movie seemed to bring out everything I love about it. The color, crazy toys, and music, and especially the shapes seemed to really inspire me to create this post. Enjoy!

What I am wearing:
- ABS dress by Allen Schwartz (thrifted & actually from the 60's)
- Shoes DIY (but original heels are BCBG from Tjmaxx)
- vintage clutch (thrifted)

I hope everyone is having a lovely break. I hope to be relaxing and skiing most of the time, and it's supposed to snow around where I live on Monday! I have a list of projects to complete, so I'll be very busy. There will be another post coming up soon! Merry Christmas everyone!
XX

Raindrops and Lemondrops

2010-12-12T17:30:00.000-08:00

Today was an ultra rainy day, but I decided to give my friend Sofia a call anyway to go on a walk and take some pictures. Below are pictures of her from our excursion. I think they came out beautifully, and the fog/rain adds a great vibe to the pictures. I hope you all enjoy!

Sofia is wearing an over sized sweater which used to be her moms, jeans and shoes from urban outfitters, and the mirror was her grandmothers. Below are a few pictures Sofia took of me as well:

I hope everyone had a great weekend! They go by way to quickly, but break is coming up soon! Now I'm going to settle down with my book and catch up on some reading.
XX

Put another Dime in the Juke Box Baby

2010-12-08T14:10:00.000-08:00

I apologize for the long gap between this post and the most recent one. I have been extremely busy ever since Thanksgiving and now the Holidays! This past weekend I was very sick and in bed all Saturday and Sunday so I didn't get the chance to take pictures, but nothings better than a dose of Harry Potter movies and a bubble bath to cure that every once in a while! On the bright side, I was able to take pictures in the middle of the week which is a bonus, and that means this weekends post will come sooner.

This look was inspired by some old rock and roll posters that I recently found while rummaging through the back of my moms closet. I decided to give it an elegant twist with the long navy skirt which I picked up thrifting just the other week. The jean jacket is from my moms closet, boots are from Paris, tee from JCrew, and the belt is from a designer sample sale in New York.

Additionally, I made some meringues over Thanksgiving that my family loved! They are probably the easiest thing I've ever baked. All it takes is egg whites and powdered sugar! The only down side is that they take three hours to bake in the oven, so make sure that you have time on your hands.

XX

On the Go

2010-11-14T14:10:00.000-08:00

Today was a super busy Sunday! I ran a 5K supporting Alex's Lemonade Stand and was sewing all afternoon. Here are a jumble of different things. Enjoy!

I took this picture today from inspiration in Elle magazine

These are pictures from over the summer that I took of my friend Sofia on the train tracks:

Also, this summer I started an inspiration board which I edit every month and add new things that inspire me. Here is my inspiration board for November so far. I highly recommend everyone starting inspiration boards. They are really motivational and every time I look at it I get new ideas from it.

Have a great weekend everyone!
XX

You Say Goodbye and I Say Hello

2010-11-07T13:45:00.000-08:00

I wish the weekends didn't fly by so quickly! It's already Sunday night, almost 5 o'clock, and the suns almost down. Anyway, I had the best time last weekend celebrating my 16th birthday, and this Tuesday we had a day off so Courtney and I went out to take pictures. The light outside was stunning against the fall leaves! Enjoy!

Have a great week everyone! I have a few giveaways and contests coming up so get ready!
XX

Interveiw with the Twins behind the brand Alex Folzi

2010-10-30T05:45:00.000-07:00

Recently, just about a week ago, I received an email from a young lady by the name of Kaitlyn who is a frequent reader of my blog. She sent me a very inspiring email about these two twins who grew up in Nigeria and moved to Canada to go to boarding school. These twins are the creators and founders of their own clothing line Alex Folzi, and I also found out that they are creating a modeling agency as well! If any of you are interested in reading their story or visiting their website feel free to do so! Otherwise, let the interview begin!

1) How did you two come up with the idea for your brand Alex Folzi? Does the name have any special meaning?

Alex is the short form of Fola’s English name “Alexander” and Folzi comes from Fola as well. That was the nickname given to him back in high school. People often ask why we decided to use one person’s name for the brand. But to us it doesn’t really matter. We decided to use Alex Folzi because Fola had the first idea to start the line. The inspiration for the brand came from our “Entrepreneurship Sprit” like our mum would say. We always loved fashion. So we decided to mix that with the little knowledge of business to start our own line.

2) When both of you moved from Nigeria to Canada for boarding school was it hard to be so far from home? If so, what kept the two of you motivated and strong?

Well at the beginning it was sort of hard, but with time we got to blend in. It wasn’t that difficult though because we had family that lived here as well and our folks came visiting quite often.

3) Are there any major similarities and differences in the fashion trends between Nigeria and the US?

Not that different per say. There are a lot of culture and tribes in Nigeria. So different tribes and culture have a certain way of dressing. But to speak of trends in general, it’s pretty much the same as the American couture. They are just different fabrics in some cases.

4) The main product that you advertise is your classic brief case, what made you both decide to create these?

The trunk collection was inspired by the old Northern American/European couture. We remember watching an old movie, where we saw travelers using trunks to travel by train. Then we were like “Hey why don’t we design and make something like that because, it looks cool”. So that’s where it all began.

5) What are some trends that you would love to see come back into the fashion world?

Majority of the trends we would love to see come back to style is mostly army/military inspired. We always loved the combat trousers we wore while we were little kids still growing up. We loved the female beret for the ladies, we think it’s classy and it reminds us of the French girls. We also think the dungarees deserve a chance to be on the trend list, back then anyone could pull the stunt of looking good wearing a dungarees. So it definitely deserves the chance to come back in style.

6) Where would you both like to see yourselves in the next couple of years?

In the next couple of years we want Alex Folzi to have taken over the fashion industry with our unique vintage designs and styles. We always had passion for business so we had already set up a goal to have over 20 successful international business world wide before we turn 23. The goal has been going smooth lately so the future is looking bright for us.

7) Where do the two of you find inspiration when you are designing for your company?

We get lots of inspirations from different places, things, and people. We get inspirations while working on the street looking at several architectural structures, styling on people and the way people interact with each other. We get inspirations from art galleries and museums; we usually call it our re-creation ground because we tend to go there quite often. The most important part of our inspirational source is our dream. It sounds weird but we get the master plan for the next move while dreaming. Then we usually come together and share our dream with each other to improve our ideas.

8) Who are some of your favorite designers?

We look up to designers like Billy Reid, Burkman Brothers and Brooklyn circus. We feel we have a lot in common, their designs are amazing, its something we would wear and something we would design as well. They are well detailed; you can literally say their clothes have personalities. We look forward to collaborate with these gentlemen someday, and we see it coming soon, sooner than we think it would. In terms of runway shows, we look up to Karl Lagerfeld for runway inspirations. His runway shows reminds us of the movie AVARTA. Karl pushes the barrier when it comes to runway shows, he brings his clothes to life by using the best and most talented models in the industry and by creating his own world in an already existing world.

9) How do you incorporate your culture into American designs?

We tend to mix originality with simplicity. All our products are hand made and well detailed.

10) Who are each of your fashion icons and why?

We look up to guys like David Beckham, John Legend, and Andree 3000. These guys are smooth in their style.

11) Were your 4 sisters ever an influence to you as children, which led to your careers in the fashion world?

Not exactly. Our four sisters were never into fashion as much as we were. They loved buying new clothes, bags, shoes, and jewelries, but they were just not as passionate about it. We remember teasing our immediate older sister that she dresses like a confused 7 year old kid because all she wore was T shirts, jeans, and Jordan trainers. At that moment she didn’t find it funny and never admitted to the fact of her wearing all those clothes. She always called it “High Fashion” which makes us laugh whenever she says it.

12) Lastly, everyone is dying to know! Are you both single?

Yes! We are very much single! The ladies should be aware of that lol…

Well there you all have it! It was great interviewing the Fagbure twins, and it was fun learning about their success story. I still cannot believe they are only nineteen! I hoping to soon see them later on in the fashion world, and I wish them the best of luck! Thanks again you two!

P.S. I hope to be posting more in the week because I have tons of pictures and shoots ready!

They say it's Fall

2010-10-23T21:13:00.000-07:00

Friday was such a pretty fall day. The entire time I was in school I was just anticipating to go outside! I made tons of lists during class of what some of my next posts should be of, and now I have a whole load of projects ahead of me. If you could see all of the magazine ripouts in my room, you all would be extremely overwhelmed! Here are pictures from Friday afternoon right before my dad went to the airport and snatched the camera along with him. "One super quick photo shoot coming right up Ma'am!"

I made these cookies on Wednesday for my birthday! I gave them to everyone in school. They were so yummy! I got the recipe off the blog Cupcakes and Cashmere here's the post.

What I'm Wearing:
-Pants from Zara's
-Shirt from Gap
-Boots from boutique in Paris
-Coat found at a yard sale $30
-Scarf yard sale
-Purse is my mom's vintage Coach
-White Toy Watch from Agatha
-Other Watch is my dad's

Have a great weekend everyone!
XX

Strawberry Feilds Forever

2010-10-10T19:03:00.000-07:00

Fall is on it's way! Just a last weekend Courtney, her sister Liz, and I went to a nearby field that had stunning tall grasses grown everywhere. We couldn't resist the perfect lighting that just completed the scene.

I took more pictures this weekend of my friend Sofia so they will be up very soon! Have a great Sunday night everyone!
XX

The Hills Are Alive

2010-09-22T16:50:00.000-07:00

Today I had a great afternoon. My last subject in school was art (always puts me in a good mood), I went on a run when I got home, and then I went on a walk with my dad in a nearby park and we took some pictures including the ones that are featured in this post. What made my day even better was that I received an acceptance email from Teen Vogue about how I was accepted to Fashion University, which is a program they have for a few days in New York where readers can meet famous designers, learn in seminar classes about fashion and jobs, as well as meeting the editors! I am so excited especially for meeting Judy and Jane from Sea of Shoes and Atlantis Home in the fashion blog seminar. Thanks Teen Vogue!

I am wearing a 1950's circle skirt that I found for eight dollars at a local thrift shop, an H&M blouse found at a consignment shop, and my moms shoes and scarf. I was so excited when I found the skirt because I've been looking for one for a while, and could not resist the price! The weather has been nice and warm recently so this is just a preview to some of my fall looks. I have a bunch of outfits planned out already so even though I resent seeing the summer pass, I cannot wait for fall to come!

I hope everyone has a great rest of the week!

Telephone ☏

2010-09-12T08:22:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had fabulous weather! It was sunny, breezy, and just a wonderful day. I couldn't resist taking pictures near the barn and an empty house next door which is in the process of being built. Here are some of the pictures that were taken:

Have a great Sunday everyone!

"Summer Lov'in Had Me A Blast" ☀

2010-09-04T13:12:00.000-07:00

Last week my family spent some time on the Island of Martha's Vineyard. My brother and I were lucky to bring along a friend each, so I brought my friend Courtney who has been featured on Fashion Forward before. Here are some pictures from an afternoon we spent at the beach!

Courtney's wearing: A hand-me-down blouse, hand-me-down white jeans which she cut into shorts, and a free people shopping bag

I'm wearing: A thrifted skirt from Virginia (made into a dress by adding a belt)

Hope you all enjoyed! School starts up again on Tuesday, so I'm squeezing in some of my last shoots. This weekend is beautiful so I'll make sure to take a bunch of pictures!

All Dolled Up

2010-08-16T11:47:00.000-07:00

Recently I've been inspired by the 1920's and have been pouring over hats, brooches, pearls, and feathers. I've even managed to make some of my own feather head bands (which I am selling and will soon be featured in a future post)! Enjoy!

What I'm Wearing:

- Vintage Lace dress found in a Charity Shop

- Shoes found on ebay (they are actually for my Latin dance classes)

- Fur Coat found at a yard sale! only $40!

- Pearls mostly from my mother's closet

- Hat found at a yard sale for $25

- all brooches from my grandmother except the spider one which was found in New York

- Lipstick from Bloomingdales (Mademoiselle by Coco Chanel)

Have a great week everyone! XX

Exclusive Interview with A Butterfly By Day

2010-08-02T06:19:00.000-07:00

I had the honor of interviewing duo mother and daughter fashion bloggers Camilla and Valerie from their blog, A Butterfly By Day. These ladies have incredible senses of style and are a great source for inspiration. So, welcome Valerie and Camilla, and readers I hope you enjoy!

*Camilla is in purple writing and Valerie is in red

1. How did you two decide to start a blog? Any inspirations?

My mom was always talking about how fun it would be to start a blog and do one together because she thought it would be fun to have two age group perspectives about fashion mixed as one.

We also use each other as inspiration, I have always admired her style and she has always admired mine. And so that is what we did!

2. Does the blog name A Butterfly By Day have any special meaning to it?

I’ll let my mom take this one, the name was her idea :]

kind of, There is a quote by Coco Chanel where in the last part of it she says fashion should be a "Caterpillar by day and Butterfly by night"

I just turned it around because I think fashion is kind of a "butterfly in the day" too.

What you choose to wear should make you feel like a beautiful butterfly all day long.

Like waking from your cocoon in the morning ready to take on the day as lovely as a Butterfly.

3. Has your blog changed any aspects of your lives? If so, how?

Well we are defiantly more busy than we used to be. Trying to make time to keep the blog up to date and also our regular jobs and school

The blog hasn’t changed my life drastically. I mean, it is definitely a big part of my life now, just because of how much time and care we have invested into it. I love spending time with my mom and drawing inspiration from each other and being able to do photo shoots. Not many people get to have that type of mother-daughter bonding experience. It’s really great!

4. Valerie, as a mother, do you think you have guided Camilla into interests of the fashion world in any particular way?

Camilla has grown up in fashion her whole life. Both her dad and I are designers.

I had a children's line in the 90's that Camilla and her brother were the inspiration for and models. She would wear the clothes all the time and people would stop her on the streets to find out where I got her clothes from.

She loved all the attention it brought and loved getting dressed in the morning mixing up her own styles and accessories even at 3 years old. I would let her wear what ever she wanted she always had her own way of putting it all together.

5. Camilla, what are you planning on becoming in the future? Any fashion or design related goals?

Honestly, I am unsure of what I want to do, as of now. I know that I want to be involved in a creative field, but I am just not sure what Avenue I want to go down yet. Of course I love fashion, but there are lots of other things I love too. I love art and photography and eventually I would like to explore a career in acting. So whether I grow up to do something with fashion, photography or anything else, I promise you I will be doing something that involves creativity.

6. How did you each become involved with the fashion world?

Well I wouldn’t say I have really been involved in the fashion world yet, but in the future I would like that :]

Well I moved to NY in the late 80's to attend FIT ( The Fashion Institute) that is where I met my Husband, Camilla's dad and lots of talented wonderful people who are still my dear friends.

I worked in the industry with lots of young designers many who still successful and have their own companies.

7. What beauty or clothing item can you not live without?

I can’t live without dresses. I wear them a lot. I love how you can dress them up or down depending on the season or time of day and I always love buying new dresses.

YES! I agree totally with Camilla! Dresses are my favorite too and I have tons.

For beauty items love my Clarisonic brush for my face I use it everyday and travel with it. The Clarisonic cleans your face and also exfoliates. I can't say enough just get one you'll be glad you did.

Also pure virgin coconut oil as a moisturizer for the body is amazing! it's all natural and you get it in the health store in the food section. After you put it on you smell good enough to eat but it works a miracle

on your skin and conditions unbelievably .

8. What are each of your favorite designers?

I like Miu Miu and Alexander McQueen and Marc Jacobs.

Dito, plus Stella McCartney, Proenza Schouler, Vanessa Bruno and Rag and Bone. I also love vintage YSL and Halston. i own a lot of Comme des Garcon from the 80's and still think Rei Kawakubois a genius but it is hard to wear

living in LA

9. As many of your readers know, the two of you have an online vintage shop, how did that get started?

Well we are kind of in a holding pattern for that right now. It was started because of our love for vintage and finding that great piece, but we have had a little trouble actually really getting it up and going.

so we'll see what happens in the future.

10. What do you look for when buying pieces for your store?

I'm going to pass on this until we actually get it up and running appropriately.

11. What would you say about vintage that makes it so desirable?

When you really find an amazing piece its safe to say no one will have anything like it!

12. Camilla, you had the chance to talk to Chanel Iman on the phone! Did you learn any valuable information that you would like to share?

I didn’t learn any really valuable information, she was just really sweet to me. She asked me about my prom and where I went to school and that was about it.

13. Do the two of you ever borrow any clothes, or do you seem to each have different styles?

I borrow her clothes a lot. Probably shoes more than clothes though. And she has borrowed my clothes before too! Even though she will probably try to deny it :P

No I don't deny it but Camilla does tend to borrow more from me:)

Yes, we do have slightly different styles mainly because of the age difference. Camilla can wear absolutely anything and look amazing and I shouldn't wear absolutely anything!

Some clothes just aren't meant to be seen on woman 35 and up.

14. What are each of your favorite fashion eras?

I like the 60s. I love the hippie era :]

Funny we really are alike because the 1960's and 70's are my favorite too.

15. Lastly, If you could own any iconic piece what would it be?

Anything from YSL in the 70's would be wonderful! or maybe a Halston before he lost his name and the line became commercial

Thank you so much for letting me interview the both of you! Have a great week everyone! Sorry I´ve been so bad posting but I´m currently in Spain!

☁ Head in the Clouds ☁

2010-07-26T11:57:00.001-07:00

Lately I have been absorbed in my own little world of creativity and of course catching up with Gossip Girl. I've been planning shoots like crazy and making millions of inspiration boards which I hope to start sharing with you soon! Today I've been sewing like no other and would like to show you the projects I've completed. It's such a beautiful day out, but considering I'm leaving in 3 days for Spain, I wanted to get a lot of my projects finished. Later today I'm also going to start painting my bathroom since it is in the process of being redone. Enjoy!

and..TA DA! The most amazing beach bag ever. Props to Martha Stewart

This is the inside. I added a pocket and a coin purse that clips in which is not in the instructions but it's very simple to add on.

(the coin purse opens and closes with no-sew velcro)

For those of you interested in making one of these beach bags here's the link to the instructions on Martha Stewarts website. I highly recommend sewing one of your own. They are really easy and they turn out great! They are esp. durable when you use canvas material like I did.

I also made this high waisted skirt (followed a pattern) as well as these high waisted shorts.

As you can see I've been super busy and can't wait to post soon! Here's what I'm planning on making tomorrow since I saw a new baking book and lemons on the kitchen table this morning.

YUMMY! can't wait to make these! Have great rest of Monday afternoon everyone!

Let The Sun Shine

2010-07-07T12:26:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I apologize for not blogging in a while but I've been super busy. I'm leaving this Friday to go to Iceland and I'm really excited! I'll have some great pictures and new posts coming along so keep updated. Here is one of my favorite spreads from the March 2010 Glamour Magazine, and my Summer 2010 list of things I cannot live without. Enjoy!

Summer 2010 "Things I Cannot Live Without"

I hope everyone has a great rest of the week! I'll be posting soon again!

Mother Divine

2010-06-17T18:19:00.000-07:00

Today after exams my friend Courtney and I decided to go swimming, but before getting in the pool we decided to take some pictures in the 12 acre property next door. The property has this gorgeous house owned by a woman named Mother Divine. Courtney was telling me all about the old women and how when she was little she would go on adventures around the estate. She met Mother Divine once before, and the woman ended up giving Courtney a tour of the house. She is now a widow, but she lived here with her husband until he died, and she said that she still sets a place mat at the dinner for him every night. Mother Divine also told Courtney about how she now lives with all of her closets friends on the property, and they eat dinner and play cards together. So here is the tribute to Mother Divine and her home. I hope to take some more pictures here soon! There will be another post shortly with all the pictures I took of Courtney too.

Mother Divine Mansion

Here are some snap shots I took of my brother on our trampoline today. He did some amazing tricks and I managed to get a few of him in mid action.

Tomorrow I have my last exam and then it's summer so I will be posting a lot more frequently!
I hope everyone is having a great week, and have a happy Friday!
XX

Little Black Dress Approved ✔

2010-06-10T18:11:00.000-07:00

While watching a video a friend sent me, I became inspired by how many different ways the classic "little black dress" can be accessorized and recreated. Below are looks I put together with a black dress I made during the summer.

Original black dress that I sewed

Look № 1:
Layered scarves, striped cashmere sweater and black belt

Look № 2:
Yellow leather gloves, black top, and black stretch belt

Look № 3:
Floral skirt and gold heels

Look № 4:
pink polka dot scarf and beige knee high socks

Look № 5:
Denim button down, black stretch belt, and red heels

This look reminds me of the "we can do it" poster that was used as propaganda for women in the 1950's

Here is the original inspiration video:

Uniform Project Picture Book from The Uniform Project on Vimeo.

Hope you all enjoyed! Have a great weekend everyone! I have final exams next week so posting will be minimum until they are over. My brother is so lucky since he got out last week, but one more week for me!
XX

Dream Catcher

2010-06-06T06:33:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been so gorgeous! Summer's almost here and I'm so happy. Only two more weeks! This shoot was inspired by a dream catcher that hangs in my room by one of my windows. Hope you enjoy!

What I'm wearing:

- Green Skirt (Boutique in Martha's Vineyard)
- Top + Bag (Free People)
- Shoes (DSW-Steve Madden)
- Necklace (borrowed from a friend)
- Headband (Hair Salon in France)

Have a great Sunday everyone!
XX

Mr. Sunshine and Mrs. Atlantic ☀

2010-05-30T15:16:00.000-07:00

I am having so much fun in Florida this Memorial Day weekend. Here are some of the picture from the past few days in the ocean and on one of our friends motor boats. Courtney, Liz, and Marissa are the other girls on the trip. Hope you enjoy!

Love the warm weather! I could stay here forever.
XX

School Style

2010-05-21T12:54:00.000-07:00

I recently came up with the idea of doing a blog post about style in school. This Thursday I decided to bring in my camera and take some snap shots of what people wore. I found it so inspirational and it was fun going up to people that I hardly talked to and asking for their pictures! Hope you enjoy!

Love these jeans! Hannah made them for the schools production of Hair

This is one of the English teachers. Love her style! It's very chic.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!
XX

Darling I Know It's Raining, But I Want Sun

2010-05-18T14:55:00.000-07:00

Q: Shall we pretend it's sunny when it's rainy?
A: I think that's a splendid idea

This weekend was gorgeous, but I didn't fit in time for a shoot (I was too absorbed in reading The Notebook), so I did one this afternoon. I've been waiting for sun ever since Sunday afternoon, but its been so dreary and I couldn't wait any longer. I decided to use bright colors in contrast to the sky. Hope you enjoy!

As I mentioned above I've been reading Nicholas Sparks books all weekend and I've fallen in love with his romantic and charming writing. I have seen the movie The Notebook about a million times, and while in borders decided to buy a copy of the book. This was the best decision of my life. It is so good, and even though I knew the ending I was still shocked when I read it. I'm planning on reading The Last Long soon, I heard that was a good one, but I still haven't seen the movie. If any one has seen it make sure to tell me if it was good or not!
Anyway, off the topics of books now and on to clothes.

What I'm wearing:
-Skirt: DKNY sale ($9.99!)
-Shoes: Valentino (thrifted)
-belt & watch: street vender in NYC
-gloves: picked up by mom at a charity sale
-basket: recent gift from my aunt

Have a great week everyone! Hope you enjoyed!

Windy Afternoons

2010-05-10T17:57:00.001-07:00

Happy Monday everybody! I hope everyone had a great weekend. I know I did, but I have a feeling this is going to be a very long week. This weekend I did a shoot with this fabulous vintage dress that I bought a few weekends ago at a shop called Vintage Connection. I had the honor of meeting the store owner, Heather, and talking with her about fashion blogs and vintage clothing for an hour or so. The dress is from the 1970's, and I made sure to keep the look simplistic to show the true elegance and beauty of the dress. Hope you enjoy!

Hope you all had a happy mothers day! Here is what I gave my mom. This was a super simple DIY which I love. I bought a jar for $1 at a yard sale, filled it with dirt, added shrubs at the top, and tied it together with a bow! try when you get the chance.
XX

Rays of Sun

2010-04-25T05:12:00.000-07:00

I did this shoot yesterday in my backyard, and I am obsessed with the look. The jacket was found at a charity sale and its from the 80's. The skirt and top were both thrifted, the shoes are from zara's winter collection, top hat was found in an old dress up box as well as the pearl necklace. I hope you enjoy!

Hope you all enjoyed!
I hope to be doing another post sometime this week, but this morning as I was reading through some article, I came upon this one about models and eating disorders. I know that this is a huge issue in the fashion industry, and many of us have already heard about it, but I wanted to hear some of your views on it. Do you think that it's right that the industry has a certain "look" they want people to follow? Do you think that the media plays a good role or bad role in influencing others? Tell me your thoughts. I'm curious to hear all of your opinions.
Have a great Sunday everyone!
XX

Dress Up Box

2010-04-13T17:15:00.000-07:00

Just this weekend I went back to Chanticleer gardens with my friend Courtney and we took some new pics. The dress I'm wearing was found in a vintage shop (1950's!! favorite era) and Courtney is wearing a lace top, as well as 1980's sequin shoes, which we found while rummaging through her dress up box. They were some great finds. I hope you enjoy these pictures!

Below is a picture of my mom when she was 17. Do we look alike?
question: what was your mom like when she was younger?
feel free to send me some pics or post about them. I'd love to hear!!

Thanks for stopping by, and ill make sure to post soon!
XX

Lace and Sequins

2010-04-04T13:08:00.000-07:00

I just arrived home last night from Spring Break. Sadly there is school tomorrow but I made sure to squeeze in one more shoot for Easter. I hope you all enjoy!

The shirt I'm wearing is from Free People $39.99, the top is from a vintage stall in New York $5.99, the shorts are BCBG from Nordstroms Rack $19.99, and the shoes are Steve Madden $29.99. I have tons of other shoots in mind so there are a lot more posts to come!

p.s. right now these shoes from Miu Miu are on my wishlist. I've been looking all over online for these for under $200, but I probably have to wait a while until they are that price. Tell me if you see them around!

Happy Easter Everyone!
XX

Magazines and Lemonade

2010-04-01T12:32:00.000-07:00

For Spring break we are officially in Florida! Here are some pictures from the beach yesterday. I'm wearing one of the dresses I made. I really recommend this for beginner sewers or for people who just want to be creative. I'll explain below. Anyway enjoy these few snap shots!

Susan relaxing

This is a new sewing book that I really want. I'm hoping to buy it online soon!

This is the dress that I mentioned above and I wanted to explain how easy it is to make. You can go to any fabric store and purchase the pre-scruntched material with the normal cotton connected to it and just sew down the back, hem the bottom, and add straps if necessary. It's SEW easy (pun intended)and you don't even need directions or sewing patterns. I use this dress all the time especially when I go to the pool or the beach, and it's super easy to change in and out of a bathing suit if there are no rest rooms around.

Anyway, I'll be doing another post very soon since I seem to be taking around 400 photos each day!

Good Morning Sunshine the Earth says Hello.

2010-03-20T06:54:00.000-07:00

The lovely Susan from Mostly Lists gave me an excellent idea for a new shoot. She recently bought a vintage type writer and told me to come over and we could revolve a shoot around it. What a great idea! I put together an outfit and brought my camera, and drive over to her place. Enjoy!

I am wearing an ann taylor blazor, h&m thrifted blouse, thrifted cameo pin, high waisted shorts from nordstroms, and Susan's wedges. Thanks Susan! Hope you enjoyed. P.S. I went to the Ingrid Michealson concert last night..IT WAS AMAZING! love her soo much :D

Silly shoots in Versailles

2010-03-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

A few months ago Vogue had a spread at Versailles in Paris, and when we visited I couldn't help to take some snaps shots of my mom and her friend Teresa pretending to be models. I got an amazing idea for a shoot recently and will post that really soon. Hope you like these silly shots!

Soft Creams and Whites

2010-03-05T05:54:00.000-08:00

This week has been super busy and I sense spring in the air. The snow is melting and this weekend is supposed to be gorgeous 50 degree weather! I'm hoping to get in some new shoots, and enter the H&M blues contest for look book. Below are pictures from last weekend where Sofi and I did a shoot and did our best to incorporate the snow. Check out Material Evidence for more pictures from this shoot! Enjoy.

Have a great weekend everyone!
XX

Inspiration Station

2010-02-26T07:54:00.000-08:00

I have offically been inspired. Nothing more needs to be said.

http://yayeveryday.com/post/8797

First day in Paris

2010-02-23T06:15:00.001-08:00

I'm back! I apologize for not posting in a while but traveling and trying to catch up with school work set me back a bit. In the mean time I received an acceptance letter from LookBook so happy! check out my profile: http://lookbook.nu/user/125137-Tatiana-J-F
Anyway, I have tons and tons of pictures from Paris but here are a few from the first day. I've decided to put them in order from the days we were there.

Department stored called the Bon Marche. Great designer collections.

Beautiful leather glove shop. I ended up getting the yellow ones in the window.

The first day was kind of exploring the city, and we ended up going to the Louvre, which is a huge museum holding some of the worlds most famous art. It was actually snowing which added the best affects to the pictures but I hope you enjoyed!
XX

off off and away!

2010-02-09T10:50:00.001-08:00

I am off to what they call the city of love. Paris!!

I'm so excited and will make sure to take tons of pictures. Make sure to check out Material Evidence (link on the side bar) because Sofi will be updating the new post!

wish me a safe trip and I'll make sure to post when I get back!

Valentino

2010-01-31T15:04:00.000-08:00

This Friday while at my friend Sam's house we were going through some of her moms old clothes and we found this fabulous vintage Valentino dress! She let me borrow it to take some picture but now I don't want to give it back! Can you believe it..VALENTINO!
Anyway it reminded me of a 1950's dress someone would wear to a Diner while drinking a milkshake, and I was going to go out to Ruby's but didn't find the time. Some time I will. I also went vintage shopping this weekend and came across a store called Melena's Boutique. This young lady ran a fabulous business with all different eras ranging from the 1920's to the 1970's. I was so excited when I walked in and the prices were moderate too. There were racks of dresses (I ended up getting a 1950's circle dress which will be in one of my spring shoots and my other friends got two 1940's dresses which will also be featured) and racks of furs, chanel coats (fell in love with a 1960's set which included a skirt but it was way too much considering I'd only wear the jacket) and my mom ended up getting a few gifts for some friends and jewlery. Overall it was great and I cannot wait to go back next season! Hope everything is going well for everyone.
XX

"Gotta Love a Mom's Closet"

2010-01-24T14:47:00.000-08:00

I am the new "wear anything and everything cool my mom has in her closet". I can't stop raiding! I keep finding the most beautiful clothing and lot's of vintage furs which I recently found out were from a day when she went to a yard sale!

The first look here has a dyed cashmere scarf (sample sale in NYC) and vintage fox fur from yard sale

The next is a ralph lauren skirt, cashmere beige sweater, forever 21 tights, ballroom dance shoes, vintage channel clutch, and belt (don't know where its from)
BUT i did DIY the bow at the back of the shoes. I saw this look in a Prada AD and had to do it with black fabric on a pair of shoes. Its super easy too!!

Hope you enjoyed!
this is the last week for the contest so make sure to comment and I'll be busy studying for midterms so sorry if I don't get back to you this week!
XX

Vintage Finds

2010-01-20T12:28:00.000-08:00

Today while I was rumaging through my mothers closet I found this vintage fur shawl. I couldn't resist not using it for a shoot so I decided to put an outfit together. I used a vintage Ralph Lauren skirt, cashmere navy blue sleevless vest, and yellow leather belt, matching yellow Tori Burch bag, yellow blue and red heels from somewhere down town, JCrew bracelet, and the vintage fur shawl I mentioned before.

Hope you enjoy the pictures, and YES the contest is still going on. It will go on for all this week.

Make sure to comment if you would like to enter the contest and make sure to tell what you is the best outfit to wear with it. Check the posts below for more details :)

p.s i would like to thank The Trendy Fashionista for this award. I would like to pass it on to:

1) A butterfly by Day
2) Style Bird
3) Fascination Drop
4) Clothes Cameras and Coffee
5) Rainbow Paving Stones
6)Mostly List
7) If you live on the moon what do you shoot for

Mrs. Sherlock Holmes

2010-01-17T17:14:00.000-08:00

I finally have posted the item for the contest. I decided to pick a purple necklace, and for those who have not heard about the contest, it's where I have an item which I ship to the winner, who can take pictures with it for three days, and then send it back. The winner is the person who can describe to me the coolest way to wear the item (in this case the necklace). read my last post for more of the details, and comment if you want the prize!

Anyway, below are some pictures from today. I was inspired by Sherlock Holmes since a book popped up in my book shelf today! I hope you like the shoot!

Below is the necklace for the c0n+eSt!!

Thanks for reading and make sure you join the contest! It will be really fun and I'll make sure to post the winners photos on this blog!
XX

Contest Read below and Summer time Snap Shots

2010-01-05T05:21:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! Here are some shots from the long warm days of fall which are greatly missed by me! There are more from this collection on material-evidence (my other blog with Sofi CHECK IT OUT! we have had a bunch of new posts since!)

Anyway I got this new idea from this blog i was reading and they came up with an amazing contest type thing. What I do is every month I have an item which I send around to the blogger who comes up with the coolest way of taking fashion pictures with that item. The thing is you can only have it for three days and you have to send it back to me. Anyone can join! For example I'll have a hat and someone has to write how they would wear the hat, and I'll choose who to send it to. It'll be super cool and I'll do a post on the winner and the pictures they take with that item. Anyone besides me can contribute items to this game but they must email me first with their info and then send the item to me so I can send it to the winner. You will be credited do not worry. So who's in?!?!?!?! Tell me if you all like the idea and we can all start ASAP!

I hope you enjoyed the pictures but DO THE CONTEST PLEASE!
i promise it will be super funn
XX

A Trip Down Memory Lane

2009-12-28T18:32:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! I'm sorry I' ve been bad on posting but when we went on vacation my dad forgot to bring the camera picture down loader. Anyway I hope everyone had a great holiday! I went to visit my grandparents and cousins in Massachusetts from England and we had a great Christmas! Below is what I was wearing on Christmas day. I really like the entire 50's look I was going for. I had just seen The Notebook (great movie I recommend it) and I really liked all of the outfits Racheal McAdams was wearing. I also got inspired by some old pictures of my grandmother and her mother. They were very fashionable, and I see where I got that from!

I recieved the wallet and scarf from my grandmother for christmas and the dress is from an Urban Outfitters sale.

The framed picture above is my grandmother when she was younger and the book below is a book I had my family fill out (a scrapbook type memory book so it can be passed down in my family to fill out) and there is a picture of her from when she got married! One of the men is my grandfather and the other is his twin i think.
Well that's enough of my history. I'll make sure to post soon since I'm back!
XX
p.s. I got some of the presents from my wishlist so I need to do another post on those soon :)

Winter Wonderland

2009-12-21T06:22:00.000-08:00

It's the first snow storm of the year! We got around 14 inches of snow and it's a miracle. It hardly ever snows around here and when it does it's only about an inch or two. These pictures were taken early in the morning when it was a light snow. I decided to go over to the barn where my friend Courtney takes care of a horse. She and her friend Julia have been riding for years and I wanted all of us to be in some pictures for my blog. Julia and Courtney are the cute ones in the reindeer antlers. Hope you enjoy!

Happy Holidays everyone!
XX

2009-12-10T17:50:00.000-08:00

Project Overload

2009-12-02T18:29:00.000-08:00

Sorry i have been so bad on posting lately!
I have been super busy with school work and the Thanksgiving holidays that I've had no time to rest! Plus managing another blog is a lot of other work too! Anyway this past weekend I went to NYC with my family and some friends and we went into some really fun design stores and I got some AMAZING material! The material store was this messy run down place but i mean HEY it was cheap! I got some great vinyl for making bags and really cool dark purple silk. I've also been busy making Christmas pressies for all of my cousins so below are some of the things I've made so far! Hope you like them =]

These are the new lables I've made for my design brand. I'll post some of the headbands I've been making too!

This above is the vinyl from NYC. It's not done yet I still need to do the sewing (its only pinned) and I need to add handles and SEQUINS! The inspiration is from Betsy Johnson

The rest above are some of the designs I've drawn recently. I'm planning to make the last dress above. That's why I bought the silk in NY. I'll make sure to post soon and keep you up to date with my millions of projects!
XX

Darling it's all about the Lashes

2009-11-22T18:47:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!
This weekend I decided to try out my Twiggy inspiration look! For those of you who do not know who Twiggy is, she is a 1960's model. Give me your feed back to how you think it is! And make sure to check out my other blog for some of the other shoots I did this weekend!!
www.material-evidence.blogspot.com
Enjoy!

Below are some pictures of the famous Twiggy herself

I just wish I had eyes like her and I could have my pictures taken by Richard Avedon. Oh the day dreams!
Anyway hope you enjoyed!
XX

sneak peek

2009-11-17T18:41:00.001-08:00

hello everyone!
I'm here to advertise my new blog again that I'm sharing with my neighbor Sofi! I'm so sorry I've been bad on posting. It's harder managing two blogs than you think! Especially with all of the pictures, I'm trying not to be to repetitive.
Anyway here is a sneak peek at some of our recent shoots that we will be posting soon! make sure to check out www.material-evidence.blogspot.com and dont feel shy to follow us! =]
This is a preview to the Alice and Wonderland shoot so make sure to check it out on Material Evidence!

Hope you enjoyed!
XX

Expirimental shooting

2009-11-09T14:03:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone
I was just playing around with the shutter speed on my camera with lights a few days ago and thought it would be cool to post! Here are some of the pictures! I hope you enjoy. I would also like to say that my friend Sofia and I made a new blog for when the both of us do shoots. It's called material evidence and I think you all should check it out! http://www.material-evidence.blogspot.com

Hope you liked it! Make sure to check out Sofia and my new shared blog!
We will both still be posting on our separate ones too, no worries!
http://www.material-evidence.blogspot.com
XX

Small Surprises

2009-11-07T19:48:00.000-08:00

Just getting back to date! I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while but I went see an art exhibit and guess what I saw? THE HAMBURGER DRESS LADY! One of my posts during the summer was about this women who crochets tons of things and I was writing about how I wanted this hamburger dress she made. I was basically cracking up when I saw this and told the women I had made a post about her, she found it really cool that I was so into what she was making. Her are some pictures I took while I was there.

I love how on the edges of the pie she changed the yarn color to make it look crisp on the edges.

My favorite besides the dress. I want this all in my room!

I hope to one day wear this dress...wish me luck!

Awards!
I've been very bad about posting these and apologize for the delay. I'm so happy I got these and would like to thank Under Lock and Key and also Style bird for them.

Lot's of love award

i would like to give both of these to:
1. Zany Style
2. Mostly Lists
3. Style Bird
4.If you live on the moon what do you shoot for?
5.Clothes Cameras and Coffee
6. Happy Happy
7. Sea of Shoes
8. Vintage Dear

have a lovely day everyone! Thanks for all my blogger friends!
XX

Top Hats and Fish Nets

2009-10-31T05:25:00.000-07:00

Just this previous weekend, after dance class, I took my other friend Sofia out to take some pictures for my photography class at school. Since my mom was out with the digital I decided I would take a test with using a film camera. Let's just say its not all to easy. Most of the pictures didn't turn out, but that's okay, I've learned now to really appreciate people who take pictures with film for a living. It must be a masterful talent. The picture of my dance instructors I thought came out really well! I wanted to make a long exposure so they would blur in the time of 4 seconds. If you have a camera at home (any camera which can be set up with timing) try to make long exposures. It's super cool especially with light or glow sticks. Have an amazing halloween! I know I'm planning to. Some more fashion shoots are coming so I'll make sure to post the pictures!

Enjoy!
XX

Halloween Spectacular!

2009-10-27T07:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween everyone! I saw these cute pictures online and I knew I had to post them! It still does not feel like fall and I'm still having a hard time accepting that school has started! Oh well...I'm going to post some costume ideas soon that I have come up with, and some more fashion shots. I'm so super excited for trick or treating =]

I hope the candy in here isn't all gooey from the pumpkin!
I would definitely have a CLEAN container in there.

I love this set up! Wouldn't it be great to have a full out halloween party like Martha Stewart?

I hope you liked the pictures! Get ready for halloween!
XX

Just another Fall Day

2009-10-18T12:53:00.000-07:00

What an extremely fall day it is! I was going to go out to a near by farm for these but didn't have time. I'll make sure to one of my next ones there. The jacket is ralph lauren and the belt was a thrift shop find, and as for the fur at the top, that was found in the back of my mothers closet. The skirt I made, and same with the feather headband. I'm selling the headbands so I'll make sure to do a post about all of the different feathers incase I have potential buyers. Tell me if you want one!

Hope you enjoyed!
XX

Another day with the Beasts

2009-10-09T08:44:00.000-07:00

The other day I went to my friends barn to visit the horse she's taking care of. I made sure to take some snap shots of her riding with no reigns or saddles. After that we rode to one of our neighbors houses and rode some of their horses too! What an afternoon. Enjoy the photos!

The tiny little (not even an acre) had chicken eggs!

Galloping bare back

The hay loft at the top of the barn
I wanted to make sure I got this shot.

I'll be making a post very soon on some more fashion shoots!
XX

Lovely Weekend

2009-10-02T09:50:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone has as calm, peaceful weekend! The summer is slowly creeping away, so enjoy the last warm days while you can!

Don't you want to sleep on this soft looking grass?
XX

Water and more Water

2009-09-25T04:58:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!!
I'm actually in study hall right now with nothing to do so I decided to make a post! I've been so busy lately and I'm super happy it's Friday! Anyway last weekend I checked out one of the blogs I follow Clothes Cameras and Coffee and was totally inspired by her water shoots. I decided to call some of my friends and go to the creek we live by and takes some pics before the cold icy winter comes! Its hard to actually see the water but it's there! And my friend still needs to send me one more picture which will come at one point in the year haha.
Enjoy!

Sofia was being such a good sport in the last picture! We laid her across a mini water fall so her hair would be everywhere. It looks dry but its really wet! Thank you Roz for such great inspiration!
XX
Tati, Camille, and Sofia!!

2009-09-05T14:43:00.000-07:00

Big City

2009-09-01T18:15:00.000-07:00

Today i went on an adventure with my friend Marina to the city! It was so much fun. We took the train and went a happy relaxing day down town.

I got a purple skirt for $4.99 at Urban Outfitters, I'm so happy for such a great find! Marina got two shirts there for $4.99 each also.

Here are some pics from the day!

I couldn't resist a sunflower for $2

Yummy Cosi sammys for lunch eaten at a local park.

We went to a soap shop called lush. The store looked like a candy shop of homemade soaps and body scrubs. heaven...

Fresh veggies/fruits at a stand.

I planning to go back super soon! I really love it down there. The people were so nice if we ever got lost.