Atlanta Content Creator Inspiring [life] style

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Lookbook: Hell Bent for Leather

This outfit came about because, like the title suggests, I was hell bent for leather. I've been wanting a great pair of leather shorts for a bit now and I finally found some. It's actually quite hard to find stores still selling leather shorts.

These are Lauren Conrad for Kohl's and they were actually the only leather shorts in the entire store--and they were on sale.

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As you can see, I have much better light this time around. With DST, outfit photos have to be taken before 4PM or else you're done for.

Anyway, you might remember this Marc by Marc Jacobs top that I wrote about in this Inspiring Style post on Farfetch.

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Everything else I'm wearing has made an appearance on the Muse before. The H&M wedge booties are my latest DIY project. I really, really like the way they turned out.

My default face always makes me look mad even when I'm not. So here's a smile.

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What do you think?
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Monday, November 28, 2011

Inspiring Style: DIY Shoes

One of the things on my 26 by 26 list is to complete more DIY projects. So far, so good. I did some stencil, pattern and paint work on my wall that you might have seen on my Twitter.

Then I decided to finally get my hands on some wedges! I've had these for about a year and I totally like them, I just don't wear them often enough. And I've been seeing a lot of DIY studded wedges online that have inspired me to get creative!
~~~
What You'll Need
♥ Need wedges, box cutter (or scissors), ribbon, rhinestones and glue gun with glue sticks

old-wedge
Let me tell you, I wasn't exactly sure what the hell I was doing at first. I just knew I wanted studs and ribbon. So this is what I did:
First Things First
♥ Line the bottom of the wedges with the silver glitter ribbon to get the proper length
♥ Cut it at the middle and start gluing
♥ It's better to put the glue on the ribbon section by section than putting the glue on the wedge
♥ The rhinestones happened to be adhesive so they stuck onto the wedges without any glue (which was awesome)
♥ So I started placing the rhinestones up the curve of the shoe
♥ Then I used the rhinestones that I took off my Heel Condoms and glued them up the back of the wedge

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When In Doubt, Add More Glitz!
♥ Then I decided I wanted more ribbon so I started to line the wedge two more times on each side by gluing it small sections at a time
♥ Make sure you use the box cutter or scissors to cut the ribbon the correct length to fit the wedge
♥ It's tricky trying to keep the ribbon strips parallel so have patience. I have no patience as you can probably see, lol.
♥ Then I ran out of ribbon, but I'm not sure I would have continued up the wedge anyway.

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Might end up redoing the back of the left wedge if I have time, but I am loving with the outcome.

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What do you think?
~~~
If you liked this project then check out my jewelry making DIY from last year.
~~
Also, check me out (and other fab bloggers) in the IFB Links A La Mode this week!

GETTING INTO THE SPIRIT

Edited by Taylor Davies

Thanksgiving is now officially behind us, so it’s time to start looking ahead to the coming holidays and all the fan-fair that comes along with them. From Black Friday shopping to holiday parties to festive DIY projects, there’s a lot of inspiration in this week’s Links a la Mode selections.

Along with all this inspiration, a few of our bloggers tackled some tough issues, from finding the balance between sexy and frumpy dressing in the workplace, vanity sizing, recession dressing and improving your blog posts. I thought these were important and critical to include for this week’s round up, because even as the holiday season gets into full swing, and we’re overcome with twinkling lights, festive parties and sequins galore – the same problems and difficulties we face the rest of the year will be here.

  • 33 Avenue Miquelon: Has Black Friday Jumped The Shark?
  • Bon Vivant + A Budget: A Good Sweater Is Hard To Find
  • Clothes: Pepe Jeans To Launch Tru-Blu Jeans To Sustainable Fashion Market
  • Cosmolawlitan: Benetton Ads Spark Controversy but Embody Fashion Spirit
  • Fashion Is Evolution: How To Make A Book Clutch
  • Fish Monkey’s Writing Stuff: Not-Sexy Dressing
  • Forever Amber: Size Zero, My Ass
  • In Her Glam: Glam Feature Jill Allison
  • Koi Story: Hair Tutorial v2: Beehive
  • Oh To Be A Muse: Make Up and Muses: The Eyes Have It
  • Oranges & Apples: My Relationship With Make Up
  • Out Of Order: Easy DIY Bow Belt
  • Paperdoll Vintage: My Top Ten Online Vintage Shops
  • Paper + Cloth: 10 Crosby Is Here
  • Roses et Epines: Is The Most Exciting Industry In The World Turning Boring?
  • Semi: DIY Fringe Belt
  • Tansuann: Versace For H&M Timeline
  • The Style Confessions: Fashion For The Recession
  • The Window Shopper: Your Christmas Party Survival Guide
  • Statements in Fashion: How To Write Better Blog Posts
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    Friday, November 25, 2011

    Guest Post: Holiday Gifting

    Is it Black Friday already?

    jsean

    With the holiday season upon us, it’s a great time to get into the spirit by shopping for jewelry--sterling silver to be exact. And it's always great to find presents for loved ones that they’ll cherish forever!

    Are you looking for a spiritual gift that is just as fashionable? Well, you’re in luck because a Hamsa style sterling silver pendant is a great choice for a holiday gift. As Jay Sean proves, dashing style can be divine!



    jenhud
    Perhaps you’re on the lookout for a charming present that your significant other will adore. If that’s the case, feast your eyes on this heart sterling silver pendant. Jennifer Hudson did and looked every bit as radiant as the jewelry she wore.

    cambelle
    Then again, if you’re shopping for someone who appreciates the simpler things in life, then hoop sterling silver earrings will work great as a holiday gift. Not only are they timeless, but they work well with any kind of style. You can see how they sparkle on Camilla Belle!


    Now that you’ve seen a sample of silver fashion jewelry, you should definitely be in the holiday spirit and ready for Black Friday shopping! After all, there’s no greater joy than giving your loved ones a beautiful present that they adore.

    This guest post was brought to you by Tracy Damas. Overstock Jeweler is a great choice when it comes to holiday shopping!
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    Wednesday, November 23, 2011

    What I'm Thankful For: Fashion Edition

    menswear♥ Girls who rock menswear & who rock it well

    ♥ Fewer people wearing Crocs

    ♥ Designer collaborations for Target, H&M, Kohl's and the like

    ♥ Studs, studs and more studs
    rzbaby
    ♥ The way Rachel Zoe dresses her son

    ♥ Legwarmers in the winter time

    ♥ That natural hair is the new hotness

    gwenmilazoe




    ♥ Gwen Stefani, Mila Kunis, Zoe Saldana

    ♥ Easy to find DIY projects on YouTube

    bloggers
    ♥ Brands working properly with bloggers

    ♥ Motorcycle leather jackets

    ♥ The lack of Ed Hardy

    ♥ Pinterest, Instagram, Polyvore, IFB & ShopStyle

    ♥ Fashion bloggers in the fashion community



    ~~~
    Since I don't post on Thursdays...

    Happy Turkey Day!

    ~~~
    Also, What Mimi Writes is having a great Shopbop giveaway!
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    Monday, November 21, 2011

    Featured Fashionista: Madison

    Featured Fashionista

    Madison from London

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    Madison has such a cool style that's just so hard to come by. She finds a great way to highlight her wonderful DIY pieces (which are some of the cutest I've seen) while also showing her flare for vintage style. Every piece of fashion on her site has a tale to tell so stop by her blog and listen up!

    What do you think of Madison's look?

    Want to be a part of Featured Fashion? Then leave a comment letting me know that you want me to feature your style on the Muse!

    Check out a list of all my beautiful Featured Fashionistas for anyone you might have missed.
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    Friday, November 18, 2011

    Shopping List: Versace for H&M

    There has already been so much talk about the Versace for H&M line that to some people, this post might seem like beating a dead horse. But I haven't written anything about the collab so I thought I would let you all know the pieces that I'd like to get when they become available in stores Saturday morning.

    v2
    You might remember that I love designer collaborations as I've written about them in numerous blog posts like Inspiring Style: Lanvin for H&M and Fashion Headlines for June. In that Lanvin post, you might remember that I thought I got to H&M early, but in fact, by the time my friend and I arrived almost everything was already gone.

    This will not happen again. I have a plan and I'm on a mission.

    v1
    The price range for the Versace looks is from about $20 to $400, but I plan on being smart with my money and giving myself a budget. I had pretty much stopped shopping for a couple of months because I knew this was coming.

    Of the items you see here, my goal is to try to get everything in black, as in:
    the vest, the suede boots, the leggings and the fitted bodice dress

    But I'll be fine if I only get 3 of the 4 as long as one of them is that fabulous vest!
    ~~~
    So wish me luck for Saturday!
    Are you gearing up to shop this collaboration? Which pieces are your favorite?
    ~~~
    By the way, I'm off to see Happy Feet 2 tonight--are you planning to see it?
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    Tuesday, November 15, 2011

    Lookbook: Daylight Saving Woes

    This is what happens when Daylight Saving Time comes around. It gets dark at like 5 PM, which is waaaaaaaay too early for street lights to go on. Do you know how difficult it is to take outfit photos in the dark, especially when you don't want to use the flash?

    This is what it's like!
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    I just wanted to showcase this sweater top that I've had for a while but never really got to wear back in Arizona. Now that it's about 65 degrees out, I can not only wear this top, but I can also pair it with these really comfy sweater leggings and some old faux fur boots.

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    Seriously though, I've been wearing this sweater a lot recently because it's just so easy to put on when it's cold outside. See how much I've been wearing it?

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    Next time I'll prepare a lot better and take outfit photos out in the park and over the weekend where I'll have a better background and light for hours.
    ~~~
    At least these things around the web managed to cheer me up!

    thenet
    ~~~
    What do you think?
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    Monday, November 14, 2011

    Interview: Find Out What Your StyleSays

    If you're a blogger (and if you're reading this then you most likely are) then you know how much fun it is to find a new online site that you just love. I mean, who isn't going ga-ga over Pinterest, sharing photos with Instagram, and creating sets with Polyvore?

    The fact is, most bloggers love to find great websites that add to their online experience of shopping, sharing and styling.

    And StyleSays is looking to be that next great website! Check out what Jess Lam, the creator of StyleSays, has to say about his site.
    ~~~
    logo
    Shop with Confidence, Shop with StyleSays

    Oh to Be a Muse: Tell us about yourself.
    Jess Lam from StyleSays: My name is Jess and I started working on fashion sites with a couple friends back in June. We launched StyleSays in mid-September. Originally I’m from a small farming town in Oklahoma. Lots of corn and cows but not much couture. I came to California for school and haven’t been able to leave.

    Muse: And what about the site?
    SS: StyleSays is a place for close friends to meet online and shop hundreds of curated stores. The two biggest benefits to using StyleSays are 1) trusted advice from your friends and 2) sales notifications on specific items in your collections. The collections are essentially wishlists with sales updates that you can theme however you like. The overall goal is to help people make more confident purchases online through valued advice and pricing updates.

    ss
    (a picture of Jess' StyleSays profile)

    Muse: What's one big benefit of the online shopping experience?
    SS: To talk with friends while you shop! We have both real-time chatting and offline messages, in case your friends aren’t on at the same time as you. So when you find an item you want advice on or just want to share you can click “Send to a friend” and they’ll see the item and message when they check their email or log onto StyleSays.

    ss1
    Muse: What is the biggest difference between your site and other sites? What sets you apart?
    SS: We are really focused on helping you shop with real life friends. Many sites allow you to share clothing and pictures with a large, somewhat random audience. Expressing yourself in that way can be really fun but when you’re shopping you need something a little more valuable. Think of it like this, when you walk out of a fitting room you'd rather get your friend's opinion of your look rather than some random stranger shopping in the store with you. This is where StyleSays really separates itself.
    ~~~
    To top it off, StyleSays is currently giving away two pairs of Uggs! Just visit their giveaway page and choose the friend you want to win with.

    What do you all think of StyleSays?
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    Friday, November 11, 2011

    Movie Review: Movie Hopping

    The date: 11/11/11 is a big day for movies, and while I was moving, the hubs and I spent a lot of time seeing movies because 1: we love movies and 2: we didn't have cable and internet for a while.

    Then I realized that I haven't done a movie review on the blog since September so I thought it made sense to do a post all about how I've been wasting spending my time.

    tower-heist
    Tower Heist was just an overall funny movie. It had no real substance; it didn't really make you think; but it did make me laugh for the most part.

    Eddie Murphy was the best character--unless you count Miss Iovenko who swore up and down that she was never studying for the bar.

    It had some parts that didn't really make sense, but I could see past that seeing that it was a comedy.

    I give it 3 of 5 hearts!
    ♥♥♥


    intime
    I went into In Time knowing that it wasn't going to be the best movie of the year. I didn't care. I was really enthralled with the movie's concept so it didn't matter if the acting kinda sucked--I was all in.

    Overall, JT didn't do such a bad job (generally, he's a decent actor) and the concept was very interesting. I just thought there was a lot of unnecessary lull and weird love scenes.

    I give this film 3 of 5 hearts!
    ♥♥♥
    realsteel
    Now don't judge me for seeing Real Steel because it's a kiddie movie or even a silly movie. I don't care. I love robots. I will see any movie with a robot in it.

    The best part about this movie was the little kid. He was a very believable actor and his character worked so well with the robot.

    I give it 3 of 5 hearts!
    ♥♥♥

    moneyball
    I had to see Moneyball because I'm pretty much in love with Brad Pitt. I've loved him for a very long time and nothing will ever change that.

    This movie is based on a true story about how a general manager (Pitt) for the Oakland A's uses a unique computer-generated method by Jonah Hill's character to turn the team into a success.

    I give it 4 of 5 hearts!
    ♥♥♥♥

    Have you seen any of these movies--or any other movies--recently?
    P.S. Thanks for all the great, insightful comments on the last post!
    p.p.s - please take a second to vote for my friend Gaby in the Bobbi Brown Pretty Powerful Contest!

    Thanks!
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    Wednesday, November 9, 2011

    Makeup and Muses: The Eyes Have It

    So I think we all know that my Makeup and Muses posts are about beauty in the form of makeup, skincare, nails and the like. This post is definitely about 'the like'.

    eyes
    And recently I was on Refinery 29 and I read a post about a man here in California (Gregg Homer) who has created a laser that can change eye color from brown to blue. The procedure is irreversible and still in the beta phase, but apparently, the process takes as much time as it takes to watch a Covergirl commercial.

    ealy
    According to the inventor, "people like the depth of a light eye," which I guess is supposed to mean that having a lighter eye color will make you more likable? I don't know. I read a lot of the comments on the post and it seemed like half of the readers were offended by the invention while the others didn't see the harm in it.

    I can totally see both POVs: What's the problem with permanently changing your darker eyes to lighter eyes when you can already do it temporarily with contacts? And how is this so bad when people go under the knife every day to change their entire face & body à la Heidi Montag.

    more-eyesOn the other side, should we really endorse one more thing that says one look is better than another? So if your eyes are darker does that mean that you are some way inferior to people with lighter eyes?

    I'm not sure how I feel because, like I said before, I can see both viewpoints. When I was in middle school I really wanted to have lighter eyes because I thought they looked cooler. But one day I followed my friend to the bathroom to watch her put in her contacts and the entire process totally freaked me out. So I guess that means I'm stuck with my brown eyes. If Van Morrison can write a hit song about a brown eyed girl then I think I'll take my chances.

    On a related note, check out this post on the embarrassing things women do for beauty.

    What do you think: is beauty in the Eye of the beholder?
    ~~~
    Also, go check out my interview about why I became a fashion blogger over at Style Diaries!
    sd
    ~~~
    And the winner of the Tara Lane Designs Etsy Shop giveaway is:
    diane
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    Monday, November 7, 2011

    Inspiring Style: Balmain Resort 2012

    Now that I've moved more north it actually feels like fall here in California. And I know everyone is having fun dressing in layers and scarves this November, but I recently got internet back and one of the first things I spotted online was the Balmain Resort 2012 collection.

    It rocked my socks.
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    OK what do you guys think?

    I'm not only loving the clothes, but the belts and the heels as well. Everything is just so wonderfully styled.

    Even though my eyes are on Resort, I'm still searching for the perfect chunky knit and red pants to complete my fall wishlist that I mentioned in this inspiring style post.

    Anyway, I have to finish unpacking now that I've moved to the Bay Area. I hope you muses had an awesome weekend!
    ~~~
    And I was interviewed in this video by the wonderful Wade Lee all about the Emerging Designers for Phoenix Fashion Week!

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    Friday, November 4, 2011

    FBFF: Light Reading & Vacay Pics

    So sorry for my absurd lateness. I've been in the middle of moving and had hardly any internet connection. Apologies.

    I still only have internet sparingly, but hopefully life will go back to normal some time next week when the internet gods bestow me with a high speed connection.

    In the meantime, please read this Fashion Beauty Friend Friday post all about the last 5 books I've read. Then take a look at some travel photos at the bottom.
    ~~~
    fbffbooks
    Judging by my Goodreads account, you can see that I read a lot of books in the months of August & September. Here's the rundown:

    Divergent - very cool dystopia type of book about a society where you have to choose whether you're Erudite, Candor, Dauntless, Amity or Abnegation. If you don't fall into one of those categories then you're Divergent--and that means trouble.

    Stealing Faces - I'm a lover of a great mystery, especially one where the protagonist spends the first half of the book stalking the murderer until he realizes that he's being watched.

    Mockingjay - The last book in the Hunger Games series. It has a great ending and must be read with the other 2 books in the series, of course. This book is about what happens when you decide to defy your society. Read the series before the movies come out.

    The Help - I only read this because I knew that I was going to see the movie. The book tells the stories of two maids and one young writer in Jackson, Mississippi. The book is wonderful and so is the movie.

    Style A to Zoe - Rachel Zoe's book on style and fashion. I felt like the majority of the stuff in this book was pretty much fashion common sense. But I really enjoyed the section on home decor--that made me want to become Jeremiah.

    Connect with the other FBFF posts here!
    ~~~
    Here are some photos from the vacation!

    coyote
    Random coyote in Death Valley ~ Me & the hubs as Jack & Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas

    hoover
    Me at La Reve in Las Vegas (it's like Cirque du Soleil but with water) ~ the Hoover Dam

    zipline
    About to do a Zipline on Fremont Street in Vegas ~ Occupy San Francisco

    The lobby at the Wynn Hotel in Vegas ~ Me & the pups in Death Valley ~ Yosemite

    The hubs and I doing the actual zipline on Fremont street, aka, old school Vegas ~ can check this off my 26 by 26 list

    The hubs with Inigo, King of Yosemite ~ Me ~ the hubs with the pups

    Yummy crepe at Paris Hotel ~ Look at those pups!

    Vegas hotels like the Bellagio!

    What do you think?
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