DIY Decorated Translucent Bag

Translucent bags are fun. I've been seeing them and wanting one of my own for a while now, haven't you? Here are a couple cute examples of some transparent bags :

Buy this Here

Buy this here

I must admit though, I was a little hesitant to have all my junk out there for everyone to see. 

From I Hate Blonde's Blog

I knew I wanted to get a clear bag, but I also wanted to spice it up a little bit. So how could I get the best of both worlds: a cute clear bag, and not to have everything in my purse showing? I came up with a plan:

From NastyGal's Fall lookbook

Stickers! Luckily for me, my boyfriend collects them. So as someone who likes to work on a budget my first stop was Value Village. I found a bag that was only partially transparent-perfect! And it was only $2.99.

Yes it's Mary Kay. Yes I cut this tag off immediately.

The first thing you'll need are some stickers. 

Next, stuff your bag with something so it has a shape. I put a pillow in mine.

Then start sticking! Don't be afraid to overlap stickers, or cut them up to change the shape. 

Last but not least, dress up and fill your bag with cute stuff. I really like keeping a scarf in the bag, then it's easy to disguise things. It's also great if you have a cute wallet or a few extra little pouches/pockets that you keep in your purse anyway.

Leather jacket- June, Nordstrom Rack

Fringe shirt- H&M

Hooded zip sweatshirt- Ross

High-rise studded shorts- Forever 21

Nylons with back seam- Nordstrom Rack

Leather boots- Steve Madden, Nordstrom Rack

Beanie-H&M

Skull scarf-Ross

"SEX" earrings- Love Culture (originally said sexy but one was missing a 'Y' so I edited them)

Gold chain- Forever 21

Gold rings-various

Thanks for reading! XOxo

Look of the Day: Sheath Dress with a Collared Shirt

Inspiration:

This was an image on the banner of paperlime.com which I thought was such a cute way to transform a more formal/cocktail dress into a dress to wear to work, or in cooler weather.

Xpression:

For my look I decided to keep it simple with black and white and added pops of color. The dress I chose wasn't a conventional sheath dress, but a cute variation with a ruffled skirt. I chose neon yellow ballet flats, which are comfy for the office, and added purple earrings for more color (but you can't see them, because of my mega-black hair).

Dress-Nordstrom Rack

Collared Shirt- Forever 21

Shoes-Gap

Thanks for reading!

Rebel Eight with Neon Highlights

Rebel Eight is a very cool streetwear brand made by the very legitimate graffiti artist Mike Giant. Mostly their clothes are for men, but I was lucky to  score a women's crop top. When my boyfriend bought mine, the only size left was a large so I would guess they run pretty short! I paired mine with new spiked shorts from Forever 21. I wouldn't recommend them. Although they're a cheap alternative to most of the high waisted shorts out there, I've only worm them once and they already lost 4 spikes. Not cool! Since the graphic on the tee has bright orange I wore bright orange lipstick (Morange by MAC) hot pink rose earrings, a neon green belt from JC Penney, and bright turquoise sandals from Ross. For metallic accents I also added my boombox necklace, some skull rings, and a few bracelets. How would you style this fun crop top?

Thanks for reading! Cheers
XOXO

You've Got To Earn Your Leather In This Part Of Town

That's right, it's back.

The leather jacket and corset combo that I added spikes to for the Gaga concert. 

But this time there's a message:

Now, it's in motion in my first ever modeling video.
(If the video isn't working watch it on YouTube)

This look was about attitude. 

It's about fierce.

And maybe you wouldn't rock all of this for an everyday occurrence, but there are style notes you can take away from it:

• It's ok for your tights to go above your shorts if it's obvious you meant it to be that way.
• Same is true with showing the pockets of your shorts. Feel free to decorate them as well.
• The more rings the better.
• Leather + Spikes = instant badass
• Combat boots are an absolute must-have item
• Attitude is everything. If you look uncomfortable, it is obvious. If you act like you're totally pulling it off, other people will think you are too. 

See the making of the jacket/bustier here

Learn how to make your own studded leg garter here

All images and video courtesy of the talented and creative Ivan Mrsic. Check out his Tumblr and Flickr for more from IM Productions. He was a delight to work with.

Jacket-originally from Ross

Bustier-originally from Forever 21

Fishnets- from Target (holes not included)

Shorts- These were originally jeans. I added all holes, bleach spots, etc.

Boots- Steve Madden from Nordstrom Rack

The Summer Flannel- How To Wear Your Winter Fave

As a  Seattle dweller it seems necessary to take note of the plaid shirt. Summer doesn't seem to be the season to wear a long sleeved cotton button-up, but this piece is standing it's ground. How? As an accessory.
Guys and girls alike are donning their favorite plaid shirts as an accent piece instead of a staple. The 90's era is all the rage right now, so it only makes sense that we would see plaid displayed in an oh-so-grungey way. What do you think of the look?

Fashion Blogger Le Happy

Leila Hurst for MissKL.com

Colton Haynes

As seen on NastyGal.com

Thanks for Reading!

XOxo

DIY Studded/Spiked Armbrace Legbrace, or Garter

I have had a few inquiries about the leg garters I've created and I promised this post a while ago, so I'm sorry for the wait!

Anyway, as many of you are aware I am a huge fan of accessories. I love finding new ways to wear things, and I truly believe that accessories can make or break an outfit. Shoes, jewelry, clutches, hairbows and headbands, makeup, I go nuts for the stuff. Maybe because (with the exception of purses and shoes) accessories are usually cheaper than clothes-thus it's easier to justify the purchase. Or maybe because accessories are amazing.

Naturally when I discovered that girls were making decorative garters and "leg braces" I was excited to get on board. The first pieces I came across are selling on Etsy for about $40 each. If you want to buy one, go check out Fox and Owl. They probably didn't pioneer the idea, but they're doing the best at it that I know of. But I didn't want to pay $40 for mine. If I were making them, I would probably sell them for close to that because that's how business works, but to me making them looked like more fun.
I started by making a few studded garters. Then I decided to try making one for my arm.

This post will show you how to make an arm "brace." I'm putting brace in quotations because it doesn't actually function anything like a brace. Maybe I'll come up with a more creative name later, or you can feel free to leave suggestions for me! After you look through this tutorial you will be armed with all the information to make a garter for your leg, or a brace for your arm, or something even cooler!

What You'll Need:

• Black Elastic (or whatever color you like)
• Pyramid studs, or spikes, or both (I buy mine here. They ship from Seattle so it's really fast. You can buy cheaper from Amazon, if you have time to wait until they come from China.)
• A needle and thread, or a sewing machine.
• Scissors
• Pins (if you can't do it without them)

What to Do:

• Take a piece of elastic and measure around the area you want to decorate. Make it a little snug. 

• Sew the elastic into a nice circle. 

• Trim the elastic down so there is a minimal overlap. If you're only making a garter all you have to do now is decorate it!

• Repeat this process with another piece of elastic that is measured to fit the area nearby. 

• Measure the distance in between. Cut a third piece and pin the pieces together so they don't move while you're sewing.  Attach the connecting piece on the inside so you don't have edges showing.

• Add spikes and studs as you like them. I like to place them strategically to cover any visible stitches. 

Screw on spikes are very easy to add. Just pierce or cut a small hole, and slide the screw through. Then screw on the spike!

Pyramid studs stab right through the elastic. No need to make a hole first. 

I use pliers to bend the pyramid spikes nice and snug with the elastic. Make sure they are tight!

• That's it you're done! Wear it proudly! But be careful if you used spikes ;)

Double-wrapped version and single studded garter.

If you'd like to do something different, try substituting cute buttons or beads for spikes or studs. You could also use fabric and velcro or snaps instead of elastic. I just use elastic because it's the easiest to fit.

Thanks for reading! 

XoXO

Emerald City Inspiration

I spent the day in Seattle. Capitol Hill. Downtown. Inspiration comes from around you if you choose to look. Talk to people. Listen to what they say.

About the Look

Where feminine meets its dark side. A pretty top with pops of soft and bright pink and a pair of combat boots. When these worlds collide people will let you know how they feel about it. Just watch. 

Boots: Steve Madden-Nordstrom Rack

Leggings: Ross

Leg Garter: DIY (post coming soon!)

Shirt: Forever 21

Accessories: Various- Nordstrom, Forever 21, Burlington Coat Factory, Hot Topic, vintage, and more.

Thanks for reading!

Xoxo