gorgeous spread from Harpers Bazaar October 2010
and another stunner from Marie Claire October 2010
makes me miss my bowl cut...
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weekend attire
this is the style i will be lusting after this weekend.
however, instead of tromping around the city in cute heels, a pretty fitted dress, and perfectly soft trousers, I will be in my rubber boots wading through my vegetable garden in search of pretty things to pickle.
bon weekend, and i hope you get to enjoy whatever your weekend brings you.
xx
When you're back.
"Where are you? and I'm so sorry, I cannot sleep, I cannot drink tonight."
listen to [I miss you] by blink 182, and I thinking of you.
Although it just about 2 weeks time, but,
I miss you like crazy.
These day, busying myself with homeworks,
calling no one but mother,
have my lunch or dinner with friends or alone,
watching Kang Xi alone,
these day, I don't like.
I like sharing the air with you,
I like pick up my phone with your name shown,
I like listen to you,
I like looking at you,
I like nothing but just you.
It's hard but It's love.
It's temporary but It's heart.
I know and I'm sure,
I'll see you tomorrow,
with a fully loved heart,
welcoming the return of your smile.
When you're back,
then it is holiday.
listen to [I miss you] by blink 182, and I thinking of you.
Although it just about 2 weeks time, but,
I miss you like crazy.
These day, busying myself with homeworks,
calling no one but mother,
have my lunch or dinner with friends or alone,
watching Kang Xi alone,
these day, I don't like.
I like sharing the air with you,
I like pick up my phone with your name shown,
I like listen to you,
I like looking at you,
I like nothing but just you.
It's hard but It's love.
It's temporary but It's heart.
I know and I'm sure,
I'll see you tomorrow,
with a fully loved heart,
welcoming the return of your smile.
When you're back,
then it is holiday.
DIY Weekly - Leopard Print Shoulderless Shirt
Introducing DIY Weekly! I have to admit that when I do DIY projects, I always forget to take a before shot and write down exactly what it is that I did, which is no use to you! To remedy this I've decided to aim to upload one DIY tutorial per week. Hopefully this will focus my DIYing, help me remember to take photos of the process, and make sure that you guys get to see inside my DIY obsessed world!
Here's this weeks DIY. I bought a cute leopard print sheer silk shirt from a charity shop during my mid-week lunchtime thrifting (£1.50) and decided that it was time I got some shoulderless shirt action.
Here's how I did it (please don't hate me for lack of photos of the different steps...DIY Weekly needs some fine-tuning...):
1. I put on the shirt, and in the mirror using some chalk (I sometimes use light coloured eyeliner if I'm out of chalk) sketched roughly where I wanted the shoulderless section of the shirt to sit. I chose to go for quite a deep cut out, almost down to the elbows - but you can always angle it less for a more subtle cut out.
2. I then took the shirt off, lay it flat on a table and cut the marked section of the shoulders out of one side. I then tried the shirt on and checked that the angle was correct. It turned out I had to cut a little bit more out of it to perfect the angle.
3. I then folded the shirt in half down the middle lengthways so the arms were lying flat against each other, I used the chalk to sketch onto the other shoulder the exact cut out I had done. Its good to do this so that you get a symmetrical look. I then cut out the second side and tried it on in the mirror so I knew the cut outs were the same.
4. Then, using some brown thread, I hand sewed the edges of the cut outs. I folded the edge over a tiny bit so any fraying would be underneath and covered. If you have a sewing or selvage machine you can use that instead. I used a long stitch on the underside and a very fine stitch on the outside.
Before:
After:
Here's this weeks DIY. I bought a cute leopard print sheer silk shirt from a charity shop during my mid-week lunchtime thrifting (£1.50) and decided that it was time I got some shoulderless shirt action.
Here's how I did it (please don't hate me for lack of photos of the different steps...DIY Weekly needs some fine-tuning...):
1. I put on the shirt, and in the mirror using some chalk (I sometimes use light coloured eyeliner if I'm out of chalk) sketched roughly where I wanted the shoulderless section of the shirt to sit. I chose to go for quite a deep cut out, almost down to the elbows - but you can always angle it less for a more subtle cut out.
2. I then took the shirt off, lay it flat on a table and cut the marked section of the shoulders out of one side. I then tried the shirt on and checked that the angle was correct. It turned out I had to cut a little bit more out of it to perfect the angle.
3. I then folded the shirt in half down the middle lengthways so the arms were lying flat against each other, I used the chalk to sketch onto the other shoulder the exact cut out I had done. Its good to do this so that you get a symmetrical look. I then cut out the second side and tried it on in the mirror so I knew the cut outs were the same.
4. Then, using some brown thread, I hand sewed the edges of the cut outs. I folded the edge over a tiny bit so any fraying would be underneath and covered. If you have a sewing or selvage machine you can use that instead. I used a long stitch on the underside and a very fine stitch on the outside.
Before:
Stila Reviews
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www.stilacosmetics.comStockist: www.meccacosmetica.com.au
Created in 1994 by a celebrity makeup artist, US brand Stila is known for its modern, and fun approach to cosmetics. The brand is known for its multi-purpose products, its product textures and formulas and its collaborations with other well known brands such as its 'Barbie Loves Stila' range. The packaging is ecofriendly and the
DIY Jasper Garvida SS11 Fairyfloss Hair Buns
The only thing I miss about having long hair is rocking a sexy massive bun. These are amazing and could be, should be, DIYed!
Images: Thanks Shini of Park and Cube
LFW Day 2
Recognise these shoes? Hmmm no you probably don't. The lovely Jen of The Style Crusader took a few pics of me at LFW Day 2 and has put them up on her blog here. Her photography is very beautiful so if you haven't seen her blog, go check it out (she managed to make me look half normal and not like a stunned mullet so she's obviously good!)
Reiss Mesh Heels
There's a description of what I was wearing in my LFW Day 2 post here. A few people have mentioned the red pants, and to be honest, they were in the mountain of things to go on ebay until I got desperate that morning and started re-evaluating the pile...
There's a description of what I was wearing in my LFW Day 2 post here. A few people have mentioned the red pants, and to be honest, they were in the mountain of things to go on ebay until I got desperate that morning and started re-evaluating the pile...
Addicted to DIY
Are you addicted to DIY - or do you just need your daily fashion hit? Lets connect!
Follow me on Google Reader, I'll then go to your page and follow you too! Share the love and DIY.
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DIY Christine Centenera's Sheer Train
Completely fell for this sheer train on Christine Centenera! A. This piece (a skirt or a jacket?) that hangs like a half sheer maxi is amazing and I love that we still get to see her legs. It would be a very easy DIY too! Buy some sheer black fabric, cut to desired width and length (just touching the ground when in heels is perfect), hem in you choose, and then tuck into the waistband of a black bodycon skirt. Wear a jacket over the top of create the illusion of a jacket.
Image: Le Fashion
In terms of where to get your fabric - I often buy gorgeous sheer fabric like this from opshops (you may need to rummage in the fabrics bin), and I have recently been going to one in North London that specialises in second hand indian saris and salwar kameez. They have whole room dedicated to indian shawls and scarfs, of every colour and mix of colours under the sun! Perfect for all my DIY projects. Sometimes you have to look in the strangest places for the best finds.
In terms of where to get your fabric - I often buy gorgeous sheer fabric like this from opshops (you may need to rummage in the fabrics bin), and I have recently been going to one in North London that specialises in second hand indian saris and salwar kameez. They have whole room dedicated to indian shawls and scarfs, of every colour and mix of colours under the sun! Perfect for all my DIY projects. Sometimes you have to look in the strangest places for the best finds.
lovely
from what fall show are these beauties from?
i cannot seam to recall
thanks guys! It is from the Paul Smith collection.
gorgeous
thanks guys! It is from the Paul Smith collection.
gorgeous
DIY Ripped Shoulders
For those of you who are too thrifty to even buy scissors - here's a good DIY for you. In place of the cut out shoulders, go for ripped ones!
Image: Tommy Ton for Style.com
Guide to Thrifting (for the VERY thrifty) Part Two
You may be asking, what does thrift have to do with DIY? Well, erm, just about everything! Thrifted clothes are the backbone of my DIY projects, as I simply don’t have the money to buy new clothes and then experiment with cutting, sewing and ripping them. I wish I had the cashola to fund the luxirare style ‘DIY’ (“take 17 kilos of chains, glue them to a jacket, done!”), but in the meantime I will have to stick with what I can source cheaply from an opshop. I guess also, my interest in DIY was born out of buying cheap thrifted clothes and wanting to make them my own and on trend, and even though I now have a little bit of extra cash to spend on Topshop and Asos, the sense of satisfaction when I have done it myself is unbeatable. Finally, being a bit of a greeny at heart, I love the element of thrift and DIY that promotes recycling and making old things new again. I hate to think of all the clothes that get thrown out and believe it or not, you can often find better quality thrifted clothes than the cheap new stuff out there.
If you haven't seen the original post have a look at Part One - A Guide to Thrift Shopping (for the VERY thrifty). In that post I outlined a number of essential factors to help you find cheap thrifted clothes (some say vintage but maybe its best to be honest and just call them 'old'). I decided it it might be a good idea to drill down a bit more into the concept of ‘Location, location, location’, as there were are a few points I think could be better expressed (must apologise for my rambling in that post – if you haven’t seen it check it out!).
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
What I was trying to iterate in my last post was a theory around location, demographics and clientele that dictate finding a good charity shop (yes, I may have thought about it too much...). The last couple of months have provided me with a lot more insights so here goes.
Thrifting potential is definitely something that can be broken down into the what and the where (and the how much?). For me, any success in terms of what I find in charity shops (and how much I paid) is often directly relevant to the area I am looking in. It may sound strange so I have done a little breakdown for you for various areas in your town and their relative thrifting potential (keeping in mind that this is an evolving theory that may be different depending on the characteristics of the place that you live). I have also done a broad map using the London Tube map to illustrate my points (click for whole image). I have only included a section of the map, namely the North, East and West, because I don't have a whole lot of experience in South London.
Locations have been rated as to their thrifting potential using the highly technical OMfuckingG scale (the number of times on average a punter says OMfuckingG when thrifting at this location, brought on by the combination of an items quality and its price).
Affluent Areas
These areas are often characterised by local residents with high income levels, which you can spot in the form of big nice houses and a uniform of white linen and gold sunglasses for the middle aged women (and some very tight looking facial muscles). Charity shops in these areas are often touted as the place to go – due to the likelihood of finding high quality, barely worn items. I agree that the catchment will mean designer, and overall better, items. Also, major chains of charity shops, such as Oxfam, The Salvation Army and others will often send their nicest pieces to these shops. However, for that reason, this quality of merchandise will set you back a pretty penny, locals are happy to pay and shop owners are much better at realistically pricing their items. 20 quid for a jacket isn’t cheap or DIY-ready in my eyes… (I told you this guide was for the VERY thrifty).
Thrifting Potential: Zero OMfuckingGs
Gentrified Areas
Gentrified areas are generally central locations that used to be somewhat rundown, lower income neighbourhoods, that have seen an influx of young professionals and new development. These locations are great for vintage shopping, as there are usually heaps of vintage shops here that sell you nice items (albeit at a serious mark up). However, there are slim pickings in the thrifting department – for the simple factor that there are probably a huge number of people like you, frequenting thrift shops looking for a bargain, so anything good doesn’t last long. Not the mention those sneaky vintage sellers who swoop down and get everything good before your even out of bed on a Saturday morning.
Thrifting potential: Two OMfuckingGs
Cusp Areas
Areas that are on the fringe of newly gentrified locations are what I like to call cusp areas. Soon they will be completely gentrified, but for now, they can sometimes hold a number of good charity shops that benefit from a close proximity to newly gentrified areas, but still retain a little bit of the down at the heel character that is essential in finding bargains. Although you may find there is still competition for thrifted items, the turn over is generally lower than in gentrified areas which means better bargains.
Thrifting potential: Three OMfuckingGs
Suburban Areas
This is where the thrift gets enticing. Suburban areas are key to snagging the best thrifted bargains. A major factor in this is the clientele. The people who go to thrift shops in suburban locations are much less likely to be trendy, fashion forward bright stars – which makes your thrifting a whole lot easier. If you can find a thrift shop in a suburban location, with a local area that feels a bit like heaven’s waiting room (read: lots of old grannies with cute clothes saying goodbye to this life), I promise you will get your hands on the big time. Capes, pleated skirts, amazing jackets, peg leg trousers aplenty. Generally these type of thrift shops are cheeeap too – 2 pounds for a pair of pants type cheap. You won’t feel bad DIYing those pants believe me.
Thrifting potential: Five OMfuckingGs
Urban Fringe
You wouldn’t think your town's fringe, think warehouses, industrial units, miles of freeway etc, would have good thrift opportunities did you? However, do a bit more research and you could find that there is more hiding inside those titan sheds that you first thought. I’m talking about sorting warehouses or depots. Major charity shops such as Oxfam, The Salvation Army, Marie Curie etc often have a depot where any items donated to a charity bin get sent for sorting and checking. If you are very lucky, your local one will have times when it is open to the public. This is when things get hectic and amazingly thrifty. I have been to a few that do 'bag' or 'kilo' sales, ie fill a bag for 2 quid, or a pound a kilo. When you’ve filled a bin bag to the brim for 5 quid you can definitely afford to DIY some of its contents.
Thrifting potential: Six OMfuckingGs (would have been 8 but you had to spend 12 quid on the train to get there and then walk through an industrial estate didn’t you?).
Small towns
What can I say – small towns are where it’s at for thrifting, low retail rents often mean there are heaps of stores in the one place. Now if only my boyfriend would stop the car when we go somewhere and see one…
Thrifting potential: Six OMfuckingGs
There is obviously going to be a whole range of anomalies to the analysis above. I must admit that complex cities such as London are also harder to predict due to the mixed nature of wealth and demographics (one street will be gorgeous victorian terraces and the next one will be a council tower block). However, the only way to find out is if you explore. If you see an op shop - have a look inside, no matter where you are and what it looks like from the outside. You may be pleasantly surprised. Once you have visited enough you may be able to form your own spatial analysis of thrifting potential....
Do any of you have any other tips for thrift shopping that I haven't mentioned? Would love to hear them!
Evo Reviews
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www.evohairproducts.comStockist: www.adorebeauty.com.au
Fun, sensible and luxurious Australian brand evo hair care was created from the desire to create high quality salon hair care products using fun and cheeky quotes on the packaging. Now evo houses some of the best products for face, hair and body under their brand banner.
evo Body Self Indulgence Body Creme ($5.95+AUD) 50ml / 200ml ★
NARS Reviews
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Francois Nars, one of the world's most coveted makeup artists has worked with the industry's finest celebrities, photographers, and supermodels. His love for makeup brought about the creation of NARS cosmetics which is regarded as 'high-end' cosmetics and has won the hearts of women all around the world. Originally NARS
Cut Out Shoulders
These babies aren't going away in a hurry. And they are, like, totes easy. Something to keep in mind when DIYing this, the angle of the cut out is important to the overall look. I like the cut out on the pink shirt (third and sixth images), which goes from underneath the collar to just above the elbow. The more shoulder showing the better. This also emphasises the collar, and I'm all about the collars. Comprende?
Image: Fashion Clique
Image: Fashion Clique
L'Oréal Paris Reviews
www.loreal.com.auBuy L'Oreal Professional products - click here!
Proudly one of the world's biggest brands, L'Oréal Paris is a brand that outshines many others on the market because it produces affordable luxury in makeup, skincare, hair care and nail colours.
L'Oreal Paris Body Expertise NutriSummer ($15.95AUD) ★★★
Product type: gradual tanner body moisturiser. Packaged in a plastic squeeze
Proudly one of the world's biggest brands, L'Oréal Paris is a brand that outshines many others on the market because it produces affordable luxury in makeup, skincare, hair care and nail colours.
L'Oreal Paris Body Expertise NutriSummer ($15.95AUD) ★★★
Product type: gradual tanner body moisturiser. Packaged in a plastic squeeze
DIY Contrasting Collar
This is the perfect addition of a collar to an outfit, the contrasting colours are perrrfect.
Image: All The Pretty Birds
This one sits flat against the neck, so when you make yours using a thrifted black shirt (choose one with a large collar for this one) - cut the collar off, also removing the interfaced section that makes the collar stand up when it is attached to a shirt (shown roughly below). Cut along the inside seam so that the collar doesn't fall apart.You should be left with the simple outline of the sollar. Finally, attach a hook and eye where the two small X are on the diagram so that it stays on.
This one sits flat against the neck, so when you make yours using a thrifted black shirt (choose one with a large collar for this one) - cut the collar off, also removing the interfaced section that makes the collar stand up when it is attached to a shirt (shown roughly below). Cut along the inside seam so that the collar doesn't fall apart.You should be left with the simple outline of the sollar. Finally, attach a hook and eye where the two small X are on the diagram so that it stays on.
DIY Camo Coat Dress
This coat dress screams 'alter a thrifted camo coat, then belt'.
Image: Streetfsn
It's been awhile...
It's been awhile, I busying with school works...
It's been awhile, I got my a week off from school...
It's been awhile, g.y not around with me...
It's been awhile, I finished my essay...
It's been awhile, I come back to you.
It's been awhile, I got my a week off from school...
It's been awhile, g.y not around with me...
It's been awhile, I finished my essay...
It's been awhile, I come back to you.
DIY Shredded Knit
Amazing shredded knit. Hit the jumbles (aka charity shops) for a gorgeous thick knit, preferably in this sand colour, and get shredding.
Image: Christeric
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