Just another day....

This past Sunday made me realize how mundane the whole mall shopping experience can be *sigh*. Especially since its prom season and everyone seems to be desperately searching for a dress for their junior or senior ball. Maybe I'm still disgruntled because I purposely skipped my own senior prom. But I digress. Two days ago my mission was to buy this leather Fossil satchel that I have been watching and waiting for.... I love how the hardware accentuates the look and feel of the bag and the additional cross strap will leave my hands free to text... or hold hands with a certain someone:)

The picture doesn't do it any justice but its actually a beautiful cognac colour. The rich leather is timeless enough to carry me through the summer with a pair of khaki shorts and a floral blouse, and versatile enough to transition into the fall months with a military jacket and straight leg pant, while still remaining stylish. I love staple pieces in my wardrobe to anchor my look-this piece is one of them. Welcome to my closet, new edition...welcome.

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Cold As Ice

 I absolutely love a clear winter day with fresh snow on the ground! Especially when its sunny since we rarely get any sun here and we are all vitamin D deficient from birth....but that's another story. I was organizing my folders and pics on my computer and came across these pics that I took last winter (I have 3 laptops with pictures on all of them so I'm always loosing pictures after downloading them-I know I'm going to find more pics because I remember changing into two additional outfits that day). I wasn't blogging last year (when I really should have been) so I merely took pictures just to make good use of a winter day. And of course it was cold but I sacrificed my health as usual for a good pic.....

I've always luvvvvvvvvvvvvvvved this mid-nineties vintage leather jacket. The cape on the back is simply incredible-and the rounded bottom mimics a leather circle skirt to die for. They do NOT make jackets like they use to:[ I have on a pair of black patent leather Nine West platforms but the snow covered them. I also made the chandelier mirror earrings that I'm wearing:)

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DIY Bandage Skirt

I never thought of doing DIYs until people started asking me to and I am not sure as to why I haven't pursued the idea sooner. Many of the items in my closet are designed and sewed by myself since I can never find what I'm looking for in the store that is the correct fit, shape, or colour. And if I do find it, it's highly over priced...the story of my life! So here goes...thanks Necca from Chictopia for requesting this DIY! (this may look like a lot but read through it first and then proceed)

The great thing about the bandage skirt, introduced and made popular by Herve Ledger, is that it sucks everything in leaving you with a nice form fitting skirt or dress. The material is cut into strips and sewn in layers to give the illusion of a flattened stomach and slimmer hips. (usually people with curvier figures wear them to accent their figure like Beyonce for example).

So because of this I started off by laying my four neon pieces of fabric in strips side by side (I'm missing one colour because I used it all-these are the scraps that I have left over). I knew that I didn't need a lot of fabric so for each colour I only purchased a 1/4 of a yard (you can use more at your discretion). There aren't very many fabric stores with higher end fabric like the NYC stores in the garment district that I frequented for cool finds. So the closest thing that I could find were bathing suit/costume material which came in many neon colors and stretch for added elasticity.

I doubled the fabric (so that the skirt would have some weight and thickness so my panty line wouldn't show *that's key*) and cut  4 strips (one of each colour) into 4.5inch pieces. I then sewed around the perimeter of each strip and left a little opening to flip the strip inside out. (Remember you're just sewing the strips in a rectangle but the stitching is exposed. Leave an opening so that you can turn it inside out for a smooth finish. Hand stitch the small opening closed).

 

Then I took all four strips and sewed them together "back to back" with a small seam. This makes the skirt look like individual strips made to create one finished piece. Remember the above picture is scrap so its a bit too short to wrap around my body. Use as much fabric as you need and cut whatever access you don't need.

This is what I mean by "back to back" small seam (or just pinch the fabric). My bobbin kept messing up so the stitches look sloppy on the inside but clean on the right side. Bathing suit material is extremely slippery so don't get discouraged if it runs away from you on the machine.

 Now you have all four strips (or however many you choose) sewn together into this long piece of fabric. The next step would be to actually make the shape of the skirt that fits you. You can take a favourite skirt that you like and use it as a pattern or do what I did...wrap it around your waist and pin it to yourself. The reason being is that since the fabric is stretchy its difficult to see how tight it really needs to be in order to create the smooth finish.

The skirt will dramatically shrink-my skirt ended up measuring 12 inches across at the waist and 14 inches across at the bottom. (that's measuring from tip to tip not the circumference-so it would be a 24 inch waist, but it stretches beyond that). I based the measurements on what felt comfortable enough to get over my hips but tight enough to lay smoothly on my figure. Now I know it looks funny because the seam is at the side (usually the left side would mimic the right) but I did that intentionally because once I turned it inside out I moved the seam to the center back to avoid seams down the side of my thighs....

 Tip: Make sure to line your strips up with the center back or else the colours will be off kilter. It looks crooked here because of how I cut it out, but once on its completely straight.

TADA!

A bandage skirt similar to the picture in the Cayman Islands on my blog.

Journey to the Caribbean

Thanks!

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I'm a Teen Vogue Fashion Click Blogger..yayyy

You see that badge on the left hand side of my blog? Well, I actually just got an email saying that I was accepted into the Teen Vogue Fashion Click Blogger project which is pretty exciting (!!) especially since I'm not a teen anymore *womp womp*. So not only will my outfits be seen solely on my blog or through BlogLovin' but it will also appear on Teen Vogue's website giving my blog more exposure to other readers. Very coooool. Let the posting begin......

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Cheers to Elizabeth Taylor and Her Glamour

Cheers to the lady with style and grace...

Elizabeth Taylor was born in England on February 27, 1932 and passed away today at the age of 79 in Los Angeles. Before she hit her teens, the actress was a bonafide movie star and eventually came to epitomize Hollywood glamour. By the age of 9, she’d signed a contract with Universal Studios for $100 a week. By 12, she was a superstar; by 18, she was married to her first of seven husbands; and by 29 she’d won her first of two Best Actress Oscars. At left, Taylor at age three with her brother Howard.

Article from Elle Magazine

***

They certainly don't make them like they use to anymore- and Elizabeth Taylor was proof of that. Her beauty was simply amazing, and unfortuneately her reptuation for multiple marriages has clung to her name. If she was a man, I wonder if that would have even be mentioned it.But I digress. Although she has passed on, her beauty stilll remains.

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Bangs and Ruffles

My love for mens fashion is a little unknown secret that many people do not know. People usually see me as the dress up, girlie type but I love a masculine flair in every aspect of my attire. Wait I'm lying. I love a good ball gown or wedding dress! I would honestly do it more often but the truth is that mens clothing is so expensive! Even the kids clothes! How do parents maintain their budget while raising growing boys? When I do find a good sale, I'm always on the look out for cropped vests, feminine blouses, and a quality textured pant which are always very classic because it never goes outdated........

Sooo I decided to do my hair as usual since my behind is so picky and frugal...I'd rather spend my money on clothes and vacays not at the hairdressers and nail salon. Its fine for others but that's just not me. and spent the entire day getting it just right. *sigh* there's always room for improvement but I am really satisfied with the way it came out. My sister in law really got the cut right..What would I do without her. I change my hair so many times when I was dating my hubby (my bf at the time) that his mother thought he was bringing a different girl around every time. OUCH that sucks

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[Ex]posed

Let me just start off by saying that I hate the cold. I really do. I don't care how many years I've lived up here...it still hurts my bones and damages my skin. But for a great pic I will suck it up and bear it for a few minutes. what a trooper I am. WINTER....ugggh. I will admit that I am grateful that I only have to dodge the winter storms and the icy roads, as opposed to natural disasters in other parts of the states. But I digress as usual...I keep finding pictures that I took weeks ago on my camera/computer. I really need to get better at posting them sooner. I actually used one of the pics as my header and totally forgot to post it.

I am so thankful that my hubby is always willing to take my pics and has an inquisitive mind. He found an underpass with a ledge overlooking a river with cement walls that served as a canvas for graffiti stomping grounds. It almost felt like we stumbled onto someone's secret hiding place with an invisible 'no trespassing' sign hanging within the underbelly of the bridge. The colours popped so well against the slabs of cement...yes...gangsta in suburbia. We were sure to take pictures and leave footprints, without disturbing a thing....(*(scouts honor)*)

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Rihanna Covers VOGUE

I scanned this month's issue of VOGUE today while I was grocery shopping and instantly caught a glimpse out of the corner of my eye of the raggedy ann red hair-without a doubt it was Rihanna. I ended up unloading the groceries onto the conveyor belt and was unable to look at her spread. 5 second readings at the cash register is the story of my life.

Badda bing, badda BOOM! Vogue finally got it right by putting Rihanna on the cover of their shape issue. Although, she kinda reminds me of a browner version of The Little Mermaid and Jessica Rabbit wrapped up into one. Doesn't she? Maybe I'm just regressing back to my child hood memories...

I never checked out her spread until I saw Sewing Stardom's video about Rihanna's spread in Vogue. How could I forget? Unpacking the groceries got me side tracked... Anyhoo, here's to Ri-Ri. Luv her style. Oh, wait before you look at the pics...I have one or two things to say. Rihanna is a fashion risk taker. We know this because she is always willing to push the limits of style and because of this she remains in the forefront of her peers such as Ciara, Kerri Hilson, etc which (might I add) all have the same stylist. Why am I mentioning this in the first place? Because style is about being comfortable in your own skin. And because of this she's taken her career to another level. I believe Rihanna gives her stylist, Mariel Haenn, very little restrictions as to what she is willing to wear as opposed to some women who have to see another person wearing it before daring to try it on themselves (who else would have rocked the Alexandre Vauthier white jacket in her "Hard" video ft. Jeezy?) I DEFINITELY would without hesitation. Rihanna has accredited her career not only to her music but to her image as a fashion icon to today's youth. I stress today's youth because Grace Jones' style has certainly been reincarnated through the young songstress. But I digress.

Back to our regularly scheduled program.....

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DIY:Make Your Own High-Waist Harem Pant

I wanted to feature a DIY post for the high waist harem pants that I made in this picture of me in the Cayman Islands but I forgot that I even took pics of the creation process. I've had a few people compliment me on them and to tell you the truth I'm actually not sure if you can find them in the stores hey maybe you can, round of applause to you but why not just make it in the colour you want? I'll try to make this as quick and painless and possible! 

Follow along....

Normally, I would use a pant pattern to sew this but that would require me to cut out each leg and then sew it together up the crotch (sorry that's just what it is) but I was really pressed for time since my flight left in a few hours. I also somehow decided to dye my hair right before I got on the plane...can someone give me the queen of procrastination award already? So I laid a pair of pants that I liked onto the fabric. This may not have been the best pair of pants to use, but I knew the look and shape that I wanted-a jersey fitted pant that draped away from my thighs with a closer fit towards the ankle.
~cut, cut away!~

I admit this looks pretty rough since I was rushing, but once the edges are sewn the steams rounds out. I also may have trimmed the corners for a smoother look as well after I took the photo.

 The last step was to create the extra material to create the waist band. I knew I wanted it a little bit above my belly button, so I cut a piece of fabric 8 inches wide and 32 inches long (I'm a size 2). I always give myself a little wiggle room for mess ups but keep in mind that you want to make it snug on your waist so its not droopy. Then attach the waistband to the top of the pant with pins and try it on. Sometimes this isn't the best idea because I scrape my skin every time. Here's a tip: Make sure to sew the waist band all the way around the top of your pants and have the two ends of the waist band meet in the back of your pants. Center the seam to your tail bone so your pants don't look crooked from behind.

Tada! 
High-waist Harem Pants

Click HERE for the original post 
"Journey to the Caribbean"

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Another Sunday...

Sundays are pretty much a lazy day for me and if I don't get out at some point to catch a breeze I can easily feel a headache coming on...I don't know if its because of boredom, lack of motivation, or what... but when I do get moving, Sundays are great for exploring and finding cool spots down roads I've never driven on before. This was a beautiful horse ranch that we stumbled on and took a few pictures before remembering that we passed a "do not trespass" sign. Forbidden places always create the best photos...

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