trend i love: maxi skirts

i literally do not own a pair of shorts that can be worn outside of the gym, so when the weather is warm, it's all dresses and skirts for this girl. i'm loving all the maxi skirts that are popping up everywhere this season. i was kind of sad to see the boho skirt trend go a few years ago, so i'm excited that it's reborn as a maxi skirt, and let's face it, it's way better this time around. i'm also starting to really love the hi-lo skirts. kind of like a fun, chic mullet, right? business in the front, party in the back :)
the best thing about maxi skirts (other than the fact i can take a break shaving my legs for a day or two) is that they can be worn with a t-shirt and sandals or dressed up with a blouse and wedges. gotta love versatility!

do you love the maxi skirt trend?

pleated chiffon/hi-lo/cobalt blue/striped knit/coral pleats

dvf at gapkids

has anyone else been super excited to see what the dvf collection at gapkids would be like? i'm loving the bright colors! and i love the fact that little girls all over can wear dvf's famous wrap dresses. i'm a little sad there's nothing for the boys, but i really didn't expect there would be.

now, if only i could get that romper and those sunglasses in my size...

bow ties for the ladies

it's no secret i love bow ties. we see them all the time on boys and men, but what about women and girls? i love the idea of having my own stash of bow ties to tie around my neck to dress up or add a pop of color to an outfit. how adorable would a loosely tied floral bow tie look with a chambray shirt and jeans? wouldn't a pretty coral bow tie add some fun to a collared shirt and breezy skirt? i love the versatility of it.
these bow ties form claudine & company are gorgeous, the colors and shapes they have chosen are spot-on. 
wouldn't it be easy to make your own, too? a scarf, strip of fabric, or even a piece of ribbon could give you this look without spending too much time or money.
a few years ago i sewed some up for my sister for her birthday. they varied in thickness and length, but i basically just sewed a bunch of long, skinny rectangles right-sides together leaving one end unsewn, turned them right-side out through the open end, and then top-stitched around the edges. it was simple, fun, and really, the possibilities are endless.
would you wear a bow tie?

floral/navy/pink chambray/green chambray

gold-dipped necklace

okay, that sounds a lot fancier than it is. this is the easiest little project and takes just minutes, but in the end you have a unique and fun statement necklace. does it get better than that?

i've seen a lot of necklaces made with these wooden beads floating around pinterest and stores, but i thought it would be fun to do a little somethin'-somethin' to spruce those beads up a bit.

 is anyone else obsessed with the 'dipped' phenomenon going on right now? dipped chair legs, dipped silverware, dipped baskets, it's everywhere. i thought it would be cool to dip the beads in metallic gold paint (or any paint, really. i'm just obsessed with gold). well...minus the dipping part. i decided to opt out of the dripping mess and long drying time dipping would bring and instead went for a "fake dip."

all you need are these easy supplies:
+wooden craft beads (found at any craft store)
+some type of string/cord/leather to string the beads on (i used waxed-leather cord)
+paint
+paintbrush (unless you want to dip. if you do you are braver than me, so send me a link, i would love the see the results!)
+skewer
+painters/masking tape
+two objects of the same height to set the skewer on (i used little bowls, but cups or really anything  will work. this is to keep the beads elevated to help with painting and drying.)

here's a close up of the paint i used. i love how metallic and sparkly it is. i think a bright color or anything that contrasts would look great too: bright blue, white, red, coral, black....it's endless!

the first step is to tape around the beads. this does not have to be perfect, the less perfect it is, the more interesting and "dipped" it will look (or at least that's what i told myself :).
after the beads are taped, string them on the skewer.

then whip out the paint and paint those little babies. this is when the skewer really comes in handy. i just had to hold the paintbrush and spin the bead and bam! the painting took about a minute. for reals.

then just let the beads dry on the skewer, string on your desired string, and viola, you have yourself a one-of-a-kind "dipped" necklace.
i bought tiny gold beads to put in between each wooden bead but they were too small, they went inside the holes of the wooden beads. fail. but it could be another fun way to mix it up, just do your hole vs. bead-size homework first :).

enjoy!
xo

diy peter pan collar roundup

i'm a longtime fan of the peter pan collar and luckily, it seems this trend is not going away any time soon. i've been seeing a bunch of tutorials for removable peter pan collars that can be worn with any shirt, collar or not, to switch up a look and i LOVE them! i'm hoping to make one soon (once my sewing machine gets here...) but found a bunch of great alternatives that don't require a sewing machine. i might just have to jump on the collar-necklace bandwagon sooner than i thought.

here's the roundup:

1. studded collar found here

2. glitter collar found here

3. pearl collar found here

4. leather collar found here

5. felt collar found here
6. beaded/sequined collar found here

7. fabric collar found here

all of the links have great tutorials that seem easy and inexpensive. aren't they fun? good job, ladies! i'm always in awe of how creative people can be.

and if you want the look without having to diy, there are always tons of options on etsy or great stores like asos who sell them ready-to-wear.

oh, and in my searching i came across these babies:

i am obsessed with them, but can't seem to find how she made them. i was, however, able to find lots of girls who found great-patterned collared shirts at thrift stores, cut off the collars and wore them in the same way. seems easy enough, right?

anyone know how to make a collar like the ones above?

anyone else love this little trend?

anyone else going to go make one asap? just me? :)

happy monday.

xo

what to wear|book club

i used to be in a book club. at the time i was working full time and overwhelmed and exhausted all the time (being with 10 three and four year-olds all day is exhausting!) and was only able to make it to a few meetings. when i actually went i loved it though. all of us girls chatting (and snacking) over a book; it was nice. i need to find another book club now that we've moved (temporarily), and when i do i'm wearing this.

are you part of a book club? any good book recommendations? i'm always looking for something good to read. (right now i'm reading this)
xo

shoes/sweater/jeans/necklace/bracelet

how to: no-sew pointed bow tie

it seems bow ties have taken over the wardrobes of men, babies, and boys these days, doesn't it? i must admit this trend has been a favorite of mine for quite some time now, and i love the pointed bow ties i'm seeing in all the old movies and shows i have been watching lately (downton abbey, anyone?).

with all the bow ties i see all over blogs i thought it would be fun to switch it up a bit and try something different.

enter: the pointed bow tie.

it often gets forgotten, and i think it's a great nod to men's (and boys') fashion from decades and even centuries ago. making it out of felt not only makes these babies a breeze to whip up, but it also modernizes and adds a touch of whimsy, not to mention makes these the perfect fall accessory for the guy in your life (or girl, i would wear it too, and it would make an adorable hair bow).

supplies:

all you need is some felt (i bought sheets of felt at Michaels for $.20 each)

scissors

hot glue gun (this could also be easily hand-stitched)

the length and width of your felt depends on how big you want your bow tie to be. mine was 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide, with a smaller strip that is about 1/2 inch wide and 2 1/2- 3 inches long. my little guy is one and this size is perfect for him, and i think he'll be able to wear this size for a few years. (i like smaller, more proportional bowties, but if you like them bigger just make your strips larger.)

how to:

1. cut one end of the longer felt strip into a point. lay the felt strip on a flat surface and bring the pointed side across the strip about 2/3 of the way.

2. turn the pointed side over and bring it back across the other side until it touches the edge.

3. adjust the point if you need to, it can touch the edge or hang over a bit, whatever you like.  

4. scrunch the middle of the felt together, making it look like a bow.
5. wrap the smaller felt piece around the middle of the bow where you scrunched it, with the ends meeting in the back.
6. turn the bow around and dab some hot glue in the center of the bow, then fold the top end down over the glue. glue down the remaining flap, making sure the bow is tight and secure.
and then have fun with them!
to turn it into a bow tie i usually thread elastic through the center of the back of the bow tie, but if you don't have room you could glue elastic to it or sew/glue it to a pin or clip.

enjoy!