Wrap your head around this.

Guys, it is summer time! SUMMER TIME!

But for me it doesn't feel like summer. Because of this Texas thing I was complaining about. Also, my summer vacation was like two days and I spent last week getting trained for 2 jobs. Which is probably why I was not blogging all week.

But this week I have some awesome DIY crafts for you guys that are very summery, that I am doing mainly to bring myself out of my lack of summer rut but also because I want to help you feel summery too.

So guys, remember hair wraps? Where you got a piece of your hair all wound up in embroidery thread. Well my mom never let me get one when I was a kid, so I used to try to do it myself because I thought they looked so cool, but they always ended up looking dumb, and so I took them out. They are like friendship bracelets for your hair. In that you make them during the summer and they use embroidery thread. Not really the friendship part, because I did mine last night and it was me sitting alone in my room for 3 hours watching The Office on Netflix. But friendship bracelets are very repelling right now according to the Man Repeller, so why not make that repelling nature permanent in your hair?

Glad you see my point. I tried to write up a how to for doing this, but I am terrible at explaining knotting, so I will just give you the awesome guide I used because it makes way more sense.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2058376_make-hairwrap.html

And this is what my final product looked like:

Yay! Go give yourself one because it looks really cool.

My Heart is Deep in the Heart of Texas

I am from Texas. And I love it. Texas is the greatest place ever. And Texans are the greatest people ever.

I find myself talking about Texas constantly. I am obsessed with it. I just finished my finals on Friday, and now everyone is going home, and I am staying here in PA. My body is itching to be overcome by the sweltering Texas heat and go for a swim in frigid Barton Springs. But since I can't I am going to have to incorporate my homesickness into my personal style. Starting with this inspirational photoshoot.

I am amazingly impressed by this Italian perspective of Texas.

Handmade Outfit

When I wake up, I usually get dressed before anything else. I remember as a kid, seeing people on TV come downstairs and eat their breakfast while they are all dressed for the day and being freaked out. Why would you do that?! Eating breakfast is how you wake up, and then you get dressed when you are all awake. But now that I am a grown up living with real people, I have turned into my childhood enigma. Except that I still make a cup of coffee before I get dressed.

Anyway, what this has to do with today's post is.... nothing. Well, sort of. This morning, after I got my coffee, Iwent back upstairs to get dressed and then came to my kitchen table and started outlining things for my final on Friday. But as I was sitting here I realized that everything I am wearing today is handmade, by yours truly. In the sense that I put all the raw materials together into pieces of wearable piece-ness. God, that sentence didn't make sense, I need another cup of coffee.

But let's go over them.

Ugh, please excuse the crazy hands on the right.

 

Okay, so step one is the dress. I feel like this being a dress is kind of cheating, because it is so easy to make, and it is all one piece to it counts as a two-for-one thing. But whatever. I decided to make it last summer because I was watching Weeds and Mary-Louise Parker was wearing a dress in the same cut. I thought it was really cute and I couldn't stop thinking about it. So I decided I would make one.

 

It was really simple to make; I did all the sewing in probably an hour. It is a silky silk in a midnight blue. I have this iron-on moon applique that I was going to put on the back, but my friend wouldn't let me because he thought it would ruin the dress. Gay people think they know everything...

 

Dirty, messy hair...

 

Okay, this is me showing off the earring. They are small, and kind of boring. But I made them, and I thing the gold goes well with the blue. I rarely get a chance to wear them because I am usually so blinged up (yes, I made that word up) with silver. And I made them, so they work with the outfit.

YESSSS!

These shoes are obviously what I am most proud of. I mean, they are freaking shoes. That I made. And the best part is that the material was 100% free. I went to this give away thing with a fellow crafter friend a couple weeks ago, where all the samples from home design stores get donated when they are done with them. I picked up a square of carpet (for the soles) and some fake leather wall covering (for the straps), plus a bunch of other stuff that I will make stuff with later. I had been looking for huaraches for a while now, and they don't have them in the thrift stores up here. So the best option is obviously to make them myself.

Then there was the cutting. And the hot gluing. And then I tried to wear them out last Sunday and the heel strap broke about a foot out the door. So I tried again last night by adding double straps and a re-enforcing center band, and I think this heel will hold up.

 

The best part is that it is like I am walking on carpet, but actually my shoes are carpet. And because I decided to put the carpet facing the bottom too, they are really comfy, but also slippery. I was spinning around my kitchen (which is hardwood) for like five minutes giggling like a dummy, and then my roommate said something from the living room. Which is awkward, because I thought he was gone.

Anyway, I hope this inspires someone somewhere to make something to wear for themselves. I mean, you know what you want to wear better than anyone else, am I right? Check out P.S.- I made this for some awesome step by step directions to make yourself some fashionable, awesome, fun items to kick-start your inspiration.

Remixed Dress

Today is gorgeous, and I am wearing this really comfy dress that used to be a skirt that used to be a dress. Let me explain.

Glasses glare!

Does your ear hang low?

I am a forgetful, scatter brained person. I am also really good at losing things. One thing that falls into this category of stuff I lose are earrings. Did that sentence make sense? Regardless, I have a lot of mismatched and single earrings because of this, and because I like them so much I wear the singles anyway.

This Julian Louie single earring is awesome. I like this look because the earring has two tassels, so it is like this girl had two normal earrings and then hooked one into the other because her ear was feeling too heavy. Also, I love these shoes, and how they are so bold with such a demure dress. Is demure the right word? No, but whatever.


So, lets just all agree to wear our single earrings proudly.

Good excuses

This is the week before finals week so I am getting a little overwhelmed by academia. But regardless, I am going to see the Decemberists tonight, so I figured that is the perfect excuse for me to wear:

This.

Outdoors: Coachella

Looking through pictures of Coachella fashion is making me wish there was some warmth in this gorram state. I grew up in Tejas and we went to Kerrville Folk Festival, literally every year from birth to when I was 13 because my parents declared it too "mainstream and commercial". Yeah, my parents are those people. Following that I was an ACL gal all through high school, so I feel like I know my way around the festival scene.

Moving on, here are some adorable Coachella images so you can channel music festival style in your own home. That is, if it is warm. Which it isn't here. But frankly, music festival style looks good all summer.

Oh, Mr. Newton... you certainly have a type...

The Enigma of Ombre

Recently it has come to my attention that people like the way that hair looks when it has been sun-bleached a few months ago, so it is much lighter at the bottom. This is the reason I started dying my hair, to get rid of this stupid, stupid look which I always have during wintertime. Why on earth is this a preferred look?

 I love this bag, but not the head.

Get rid of those shoulder pads....

I now present to you:

 The Power Face.

I wish I could try on this face and wear it around with some particularly daring outfits. It has an intensity that gives me major pause. It must be the eyebrows. And the ice eyes. She demands respect.

Last Call for Cold Clothes

We all know I am thrilled to the gills about the weather finally taking a turn for the lovely. But I am also aware that weather is predictable as weather (tautology anyone?), so it is likely going to take a turn for the crappy. Oh wait, it did that today. There is some lovely rain and some less lovely 45 degrees just outside my window. But I am going to be optimistic. I am going to be positive. And I am going to use this as an excuse to wear some last cold weather items that I haven't gotten around to.

Adorable neutrals.

Spitballin'

I am trying to come up with a cohesive idea of what this blog will focus on. Recently, it is fairly obvious, my main points of interest have to do with runway fashion. I find it fascinating, and I love watching shows and taking notes and making comments and being generally analytical in that respect. But frankly, it doesn't apply to my life.

 I don't wear things like this. Regrettable, I know.

I don't buy designer clothes; and I don't really follow trends. I like to try and find my own style, and I love to observe other people's personal style. But fashion is still extremely important to me, in a weird way. I have been thinking that I would try to see how style influences other people in their lives. So I am working on an interview concept where I will talk to people and see what they think about fashion, their own personal style, and how their occupation affects them. We shall see.

Knees...

I thought we talked about this guys. Knees are the ugliest part of the body. This should not happen.

 Also, it is $200.
That is all.

Personal Style: The Weatherman Lied!!!!

Today is a sunny, sunny day! Well, partially cloudy. But it is going to be 60 degrees (or 16C) today. I am thrilled. I am also behind on a lot of homework. So today I am going to share my sunny weather outfit and then go sit in the grass and work all day. And then go out for tiki drinks. And karaoke. You see that I have my priorities in line (be proud, Mom!)

 

Without and with jacket.

Head, hair, makeup closeup

These are photobooth shots, hence the poor quality.
 Franchesca's dress (on sale for $10!!!), Promod jacket, Bjorn boots, Scuncii (for children) flower, and Chanel N°5

Have a great day!

Rainy Day(s)

 The weather forecast for the upcoming days in my neck of the woods looks like this:

God is dead.

Gah, lets look at rain gear.

Bare ribs (it sounds like spare ribs, get it?)

Coco Chanel once said that knees are the ugliest part of the female body. And according to some showings on the S/S-2011 runways, the newest competitor in lovelies part of the female body is the rib cage just above the belly button and below the breasts. I am not huge showing off my (pale) skin, but this is a look I think I can get behind. These looks, especially YSL, pull this off really well and make the cut look classy rather then weird.

 Eco-friendly earrings made from tribbles, a renewable resource.

Cup O' T(-straps)?

The T-bar sandal, according to the book of knowledge, originated in the early 1900's as footwear for young boys in the UK. They gained popularity up to the 50's and 60's as footwear for ages up to pre-teens, and then declined in popularity afterward. Recently, they have been having a come back that rivals things which have had big comebacks, of which I can think of none. Being to cheap to pay for cable has seriously cut down my ability to make pop culture references, and for that I apologize.

 

Charlotte Ronson and Elie Saab do asymmetrical arms.

Foodie Friday: Edamame Hummus

I have invented a new thing. It is called "Foodie Friday" and what happens is on Friday I will pretend like this is a cooking blog. This is mostly because on Friday I come home and I want to cook/make something really fun and delicious. It is going to be grand (and full of garlic).

First off, Trader Joe's has this thing called edamame hummus at their store, and it is goooooood. But I am one of those people who likes to make stuff, even if I can buy it for about the same price. This is probably because I am difficult and stubborn and I like doing kitchen things. So I tried my hand at this hummus, and I can tell you without a doubt it is the most delicious green paste you could ever want.

Around the web

Get ready for a tour of the world wide internet. I am going to provide you with a few little articles that I hope you will enjoy. This cop out of a post is brought to you by staying up late to karaoke last night.

Sass.

Swimmy Suits

Yes, I am slightly obsessed with warm weather. Yes, I realized that it is a frigid 35 freaking degrees (Farenheit, that is about 1 for you Centigrade lovers) in my craptastic state. And yes, I do realized that I am grossed out by public pools so I probably won't go swimming anyway. But none of these facts are enough to prevent me from drooling over swimming apparel. And you should join me.

 Simplicity... Samatha Pleet for StyleLikeU

Basics: Sleeves

Sleeves are a big deal. A huge deal. They can be cuffed. They can be buttoned. They can be fluttery. They can be different material than the rest of the garment. A lack of sleeves is a statement of coolness, as we all (read: me and other cool kids) learned from that one episode of Wishbone. They are usually not the right length if you are tall. They are what keep your (read: my) weird elbows with that scar from when you had a staph infection from being set on display for the world to see.

They are also big in fashion.

Sometimes literally.

Trending: Karate for Spring

As I said earlier, I am obsessed with spring. Far to obsessed for anyone to be about something that I am coming to believe is an urban legend. I am like those people who spend their lives looking for Bigfoot in the mountains up in Washington, who take plaster casts of places where little kittens slept in the forest and say it is his footprint. Only instead of my whole life it is this weekend, and instead of Bigfoot it is fashion, and instead of Washington it is the internet, and instead of plaster casts it is me really excited about birds foraging in my backyard because maybe, maybe spring is coming.

Anyway, I noticed something... awesome.

HIIIIIIIYA!

Spring is not actually here

The beginning of April is right around the corner and I am still wearing my coat everyday. I was running to the bus stop with coffee in one hand and my other hand thrust in my pocket to keep the wind chill from threatening it with frost bite. In fact, a man yelled at me for not having my coat buttoned up all the way, even though I was doing my signature barely-getting-my-shoes-on-in-enough-time-to-catch-the-bus thing, so how could I have time to button my coat?!

Anyway, I did laundry on Sunday (and yes, it is a day long production, as I am sure you know) and as I was sorting out my spring dresses that I was able to wear only weeks ago I looked outside and gave the sky the bird. Well not really, but it is a metaphor, or perhaps an allegory. I don't remember much of english (the subject, not the language (or perhaps both)). Anyway, if you are lusting over the warm weather clothes tempting you from your closet as much as I am (which I hope not, because wearing dresses around your house with thermal underwear underneath is not a good look for anyone, and I would prefer that it was contained to my own awkward space) then here is some springy sartorial porn for you.

Ohhh yeahhhh.

Basics: Jeans

Denim is the uniform of the working man, and while chambray has been almost universally embraced by the fashion world, you would be hard pressed to find a picture of denim jeans on the runway. Despite this, denim is something almost all of us have in our closets, usually a favourite pair that we love to put on when there is not other inspiration waiting for us, or for me at least, around this time of year when the weather takes a turn for the worst after a couple days of spring dresses.

But today lets take a look at new ways to wear the jeans we have to make the standard seem unexpected.

Class.

Zuckerberg and hoodies

I know not everyone is into fashion, or even personal style. I am confronted by it everyday. You see, I am a student of the Engineering Arts. No, actually, it is not an art. You can tell because after walking into the engineering building, a.k.a. my second home, my eyes accosted by hoodies, sneakers, cargo pants, and t-shirts emblazoned with my school logo.

And this is the future of my generation. Sigh.

More about me

WARNING:
This post contains a lot of me talking about myself and my crazy pants and more about myself so, feel free to not read it. Or just laugh at the pictures.

Before I became interested in fashion, I really couldn't careless about what I wore. Or I thought I didn't care about what I wore. Throughout high school I was completely adorned with tye dye pants, thrifted shirts, and blue jeans.

Oh god.

Welcome

In the lull after fashion week(s), I feel as though all my favourite street style and couture style blogs have been less riveting than I recalled. Frankly, this is probably because no one is going insane blogging 24/7 anymore, but I read them 24/7 so this doesn't work with my lifestyle people!

Regardless, be aware that this blog is being started to fill the void in my heart and brain for constant fashion updates and inspiration. I hope that I can show some interesting insight into my personal style, and as an ultra-newcomer to fashion, but an old-timer in vintage, to give you some inspiration for your daily life.