Emma's First Design!

About a year ago my nine year old cousin, Emma, drew me a picture using her Project Runway game. She designed an outfit from head to toe and asked me if one day I could make it for her. I decided it would be a perfect gift to make at least one part of the outfit she designed. For Christmas I made the skirt exactly how Emma drew it and boy was she surprised!!

This is the drawing Emma mailed to me last January. She was very specific about what she wanted! I think we have a successful young designer on our hands!

Inside the skirt I embroidered a tag that says "Designed by Emma" so she can show everyone that she in fact designed her own skirt! She loved her present and I loved making it for her! I have a feeling a lot more drawings will be sent my way! :)

Leah Staley Designs!

My dad's friend, Leah, studied metalwork. After working with my dad she decided to get back into her passion of metalwork by making jewelry! I must say I am absolutely in love! Her designs are so simple yet unique and personal! All of her pieces would go great with just about any outfit, giving just the right amount of personality! 

These are my favorite pieces on her website, which by the way I also love! The way she presents her work is perfect!

http://leahstaley.com/

These would also go great with any other favorite jewelry! 

Check out Leah's work and fall in love like I did!

Emma Watson, Fashion Diva

Although, I am not exactly a Harry Potter fan I have become of huge fan of actress, Emma Watson! Her sense of fashion is outstanding! I love how she dresses for her age of only 19 but still for her career. She likes to play with different styles of hair and clothes and always seems to make it work! I admire her for not trying to dress too old or scandalous. She is enjoying her youth and her career, not many young actresses do that!

Trend Alert!

Women's Wear Daily recently posted an article about one of fashion's newest trends, the t-shirt style cocktail dress! I am in love with this simple but at the same time elegant look! I have been trying to design something quick and easy to make for myself for New Years Eve and I think I have been officially inspired!

I love how simple all of these dresses are but with a touch of lace or costume jewelry they can be so extravagant! These dresses all look so comfortable to wear but not even slightly sloppy! I have the perfect amount of sequin fabric to make something similar!

Read WWD's article! http://www.wwd.com/fashion-news?module=tn#

Great Gift Ideas!

It is once again that time of year where every magazine and webpage is telling you the top items everyone wants for christmas. While reviewing them I found myself laughing because I don't even want half of the things on that list! I haven't heard myself asking for a cartoon necklace or a desktop calendar! I decided to make my own list but didn't put them in any special order since obviously I love them all!

Number One:

Victoria Secret Pajamas. If you have never worn pajamas from VS you are missing out! They are so soft and so comfortable you will want PJ day everyday! And while you're at it check out the slipper socks my friend and I discovered last week! Softest socks ever!

Raincoats!

Remember when you were a little girl and one of your favorite hobbies was jumping in puddles?! Well I certainly do! I can remember being in Elementary School and when it would rain we would compare raincoats! You know the ones that were not actually that comfortable or warm, but came in great colors and patterns! And then as we grow up and hit middle school and high school raincoats aren't so fantastic. Raincoats were for babies and grandmas and I wouldn't be caught dead in one!

Now that I am passed that stage and rain boots have become popular so are raincoats! There are so many adorable designer raincoats and they aren't as uncomfortable as they were when I was little! There is definitely a common trenchcoat style with the wide belt but there are also other adorable designs out there!

This one is from Neiman Marcus. The trenchcoat style is flattering on almost every body type and the color is gorgeous!

Baby It's Cold Outside

It is definitely chilly in Philly which means bundling up to go outside is a process. As much as I love layers I hate bulk so I find extra warm accessories that will keep me toasty without adding too much bulk. 

Ever since the temperatures have dropped my ears have been freezing so I made myself a wool headband! It only took me three hours to knit and it is not only warm but comfortable! I put snaps in the back so I wont have to stretch it over my hair and mess it up! I also can clip on flower pins that I posted about a few weeks ago!

For those of you who knit it was very easy!

Cast on 16 stitches and use a garter stitch until it is the right length. Allow 1" for it to overlap and sew on snaps! Happy Knitting!

Loving Katy Perry!

Lately I have been completely obsessed with Katy Perry. Her unique style is nothing like mine but I adore it and wish we all could pull it off! She can mix and match the funkiest clothes and totally rock them or she can wear the simplest dress and be absolutely stunning.

I have always admired her style but after seeing her "Firework" video I admire her as a person so much more! I listen to this song about 10 times a day :)

Check out some of the awesome things this girl wears!

Her two performances at the Victoria Secret 2010 fashion show.

Kors Inspired Scarf!

A couple of weeks ago my friend came over wearing a gorgeous Michael Kors scarf! It was very simple so I decided to make my own version of it and make mine even easier! This is the Michael Kors scarf. It runs for about $48 at Macy's and is beautiful! It is called the Fisherman Stitch neck wrap. Cleverly enough, it is stitched using the fisherman knit!

I made my scarf just by using a regular knit the whole way through. I used a very heavy yarn that I had at home, which is extremely soft and thick, perfect for a scarf! I also used buttons that I already had but I plan to buy new, bigger ones when I get the chance!

For those who knit I cast on 15 stitches and knit the entire way until it measured about 40 inches long.

The Michael Kors style had actual buttonholes but because I used large needles I just used the holes in the stitches to put the buttons through!

I can wear it multiple ways and it is always warm! I think I have a new favorite accessory in my closet :)

Victoria Secret Fashion Show!

Tonight is the night! It never seems to get old to me, I am still excited for the annual Victoria Secret fashion show! Many people who do not watch the show assume it is a bunch of models strutting down the runway in underwear, but it is much more than that! From the hair and make-up to the shoes and clothing, everything about this show is breathtaking! 

The idea of a lingerie fashion show could easily be turned into something vaguer and inappropriate but it is far from that. The models are all so positive looking and gorgeous, I find it very inspirational! 

Even though the show isn't until 10/9c tonight here is a sneak peak of what is to come!!

Greek Letters!

A couple of weeks ago my best friend came to me and asked if I would make custom greek letters for her! This is her second year in a sorority and has learned quickly how expensive it is to order apparel with greek letters! I told her I would be happy to do it and they turned out great!

She went shopping and picked out the clothes she wanted and the fabric for the letters. I made four 

t-shirts, one pair of sweat pants and two jackets for her! I also embroidered her name and nickname on the jacket to make it even more personal!

This was such a simple and easy way to make a little extra money and create a very personal gift! Not only was it fun for me to make but she gets to have letters unlike everyone else's and that she picked out herself!

Holiday Deals!

Happy Thanksgiving family, friends and bloggers!! 

Check out this awesome sale site that was sent to me! Enjoy your holiday shopping!!

http://www.discountonsales.com/

Creative in the Kitchen

This has nothing to do with fashion but about something I love almost as much... FOOD! Being a busy college kid doesn't leave much time/ money for stocking up my kitchen but I try and eat as healthy as I can. When I do have the time I love to play around with a few ingredients to see what I can come up with!

Today I came home from work and saw a ton of spaghetti in my cabinet but did I have pasta sauce or butter? of course not! I started looking at recipes online but everything I found have too many ingredients that I didn't have. I found one that sounded fun and I cut out about half of the ingredients it called for... it was delicious and only took 20 minutes! 

Here is what I came up with:

1 tablespoon, oil

1/2 medium onion chopped

2 cloves of garlic minced

1/4 cup red wine

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 tablespoon italian seasoning

1/4 tablespoon black pepper

I started by sauteing the onion and garlic in the oil. When they started turning brown I stirred in the wine, sugar, lemon juice, italian seasoning and black pepper. Meanwhile I was cooking my spaghetti as normal. I let the sauce simmer until the pasta was cooked and I poured it on top! Because I can't eat pasta with parmesan cheese I sprinkled a little on last! 

The sauce ended up being sweet, almost like a vinaigrette but the onions and garlic added a nice contrast. I was so excited about my creation I wrote it down and can't wait to make it again!

The recipe that I based this off of is from my favorite recipe website, http://allrecipes.com/

My Thanksgiving Jacket!

About three years ago my mom and I were shopping for my prom dress fabric when the owner of the fabric store pulled me aside to show me something he knew I would love. It was about two yards of a pink and white Chanel fabric. He gave me a great deal on it because I wouldn't leave without bringing it home! 

Between finishing high school and starting college I completely forgot about the gorgeous fabric I bought! A few months ago when I was home I saw it in my closet and began planning what I would make with it. I wanted it to be entirely my design. Because it is heavy I decided to make a jacket but the bright pink color made it more of a spring/ fall color scheme. 

The patterns took about two days to complete and then the muslin sample fit perfectly! I was am so proud of myself to be able to make a pattern from scratch! I guess these past few years in school have been worth it ;) I made the actual jacket today in about two and half hours. It is completely lined and fits exactly like I imagined!

I have made plenty of jackets before but this is the first one that I designed from scratch!

I can't wait to wear it this Thanksgiving with jeans and heels!!

Sheer Trend

One of my absolute favorite trends right now is the see through/ sheer look! When I was in London I bought a long top from a vintage flea market. It was love at first sight even though I had no idea what I would wear it with! When I brought it back to the US nobody could understand why I bought a completely see through top and what I would put under it!

Tiffany's Leather

Obviously Tiffany & Co. is worldly known for their stunning diamonds and jewelry but how many people know they carry leather goods?! Bags, purses, wallets, planners, and more all made of gorgeous leathers and designed by one of my family members! Richard Lambertson is my dad's first cousin and has been a leather accessory designer for years! He and his partner John Truex owned a company called Lambertson Truex in NYC and are now directing the leather accessory designs for Tiffany & Co. Their work is amazing and truly an inspiration to me! 

These are my favorite pieces out right now:

Not very many Tiffany stores carry the leather accessories but they are all online!

http://www.tiffany.com/Shopping/Category.aspx?cid=660754&mcat=148212

Disney Returns!

I don't know anyone who doesn't love Disney and the fantastic Disney Stores. I can remember spending hours in the Disney store at home and falling head over heels in love when I saw the one in New York City. After one year of closure the great Disney store is back in Manhattan!

Check out the whole story!!

Disney Store Returns to NYC - WWD.com

Chanel Spring Accessories

One of the great things about the fashion world is how spring collections are revealed the fall before! I have been looking at all of the spring 2011 collections and falling in love! Even though I'm still getting into my fall wardrobe and trends I can't help but get excited for the spring ones!

I fell in love with Chanel's spring 2011 accessory collection! Even though Chanel is known for its classic and traditional look, the jewelry collection makes quite a statement!

These are my favorite pieces:

Paris

While studying abroad in London last winter, we had the chance to travel to Paris for the week. Everything about the city was stunning. The scenery, the chaos, the food and especially the fashion. The way Paris creates fashion is breathtaking! 

Fall Fashion

Now that it is finally getting colder I am cleaning out my closet and switching to my winter wardrobe! I love going through my clothes because I always find new combinations of how to wear them together! In my previous post I talked about my love for layers and today I  discovered all new ways to layer my clothes and make my outfits perfect for the colder seasons! Mixing and matching clothes that I have owned for a while makes them feel like new again and I didn't have to spend a dime! 

Mixing my tanks with jackets makes them perfectly wearable for the colder seasons! None of my clothes are extremely new but I can't wait to wear them to work next week!

Effortless Comfort

This past weekend my friend, Ashlie, and I were shopping in Center City, Philadelphia and naturally, because we are both fashion students, we observe peoples' outfits. One thing we both love about the colder seasons is that we get to dress in layers but we decided that it isn't always easy to pull off. 

If you are like me, you walk or take public transportation to work; therefore it is chilly and you must dress appropriately. However, when you get to work you are busy and hands on meaning you can't have the bulk from clothes getting in the way! This is why layers are fantastic!

I don't have a favorite collection but I picked out some of my favorite ready to wear, fall 2010 designs that I love for their use of layers, color and appeal!

Banana Republic had a fantastic Fall line this year! Trenchcoats are back again along with fur and grey is the new hot color!

Accessorize Yourself!

The other day I decided to take a look in my giant bin of fabric scraps and see what I have gathered over the years. It's amazing how pieces of fabric bring back memories. Some told stories of classes I took with crazy teachers! Some told stories from when I was in middle school making jumpers for myself. I decided to bring back these memories by making them into simple flower accessories! There are so many different ways to make them and wear them, there really is no wrong way! 

I made two flowers for my hair by sewing bobby pins to the bottom. They are comfortable and so easy to make! I also love to wear two headbands one of my friends made me a while ago using fabric and beads!

It's amazing what you can do with scraps of fabrics and there are a ton of blogs full of ideas! Check them out!

http://www.coffeebreakwithlizandkate.com/kates-escapades-how-to-make-fabric-flower-pin-accessories/

http://www.tipjunkie.com/fabric-flower-tutorials/

Philly Cupcake!

Friday evening my boyfriend decided to take me on a date down in Center City! He had heard about this little cupcake place from a friend and so we gave it a try... definitely my new favorite place! It is a tiny little store on 12th and Chestnut street but they have over a dozen different kinds of cupcakes, all with amazing toppings! We decided to get three to share between us both but choosing three seemed impossible since they all sounded delicious! Eventually we chose the red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting, the chocolate cupcake with cookies and cream frosting and an oreo on top and a chocolate cupcake with vanilla frosting and Twix candy on top. I don't even know how to describe how amazing these cupcakes were!

The way your eyes say it

Fashion isn't only about clothes and when designers send models down the runway it isn't solely about what they are wearing. One part of the final presentation that really interests me is the make up, specifically the eyes! 

Obviously, in an ad like this one the eye is the focal point and you are supposed to think it is gorgeous and wish it was totally normal to wear make up like that but when you see a fashionista do you even pay attention to her eyes?

SA VA

In September I started a 6 month design internship with SA VA, located in Philadelphia. It has been an amazing experience so far! Everything we sell is designed and made here in Philadelphia and we are all about going green! I have learned so much about the design process from start to finish and I can't wait to learn more! A few weeks ago SA VA had a show called Native Gypsy and we held it right in the street! It was an amazing experience and so neat to see the designs I had worked on, on display!

One of my favorite things SA VA just launched is our denim line! With multiple styles of jeans you are sure to find the perfect fit for you! I also love the ideas we are coming up with for winter! Scarves, headbands, arm warmers, sweaters and knit dresses! I want it all!

SA VA is an ethical clothing and accessories brand that is built on the platform of effortless, individual style and social consciousness. Based in Philadelphia, the brand is comprised of a flagship store and design studio at 1700 Sansom Street, adjacent garment center and an on-line fashion community and store. SA VA is locally made, globally inspired, and community focused fashion.


http://www.savafashion.com/

DSW!

Obviously I am obsessed with boots but it doesn't stop there, I just love shoes! One of my favorite places to buy my shoes is DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse). They have a great selection for women and men plus bags, hats and other great accessories. My mom is probably their best customer, always finding a reason for a new pair of shoes, but that isn't a problem right!? 

These are my three favorite pairs of shoes from DSW, yes they are all heels! The first pair are Candie's and they are by far the most comfortable pair of heels I own! The grey, suede pair is my newest addition to my closet! They are DITTO by Van Eli and they look amazing with jeans or tights! The third pair has been a lot of fun to own. It's amazing how print heels can jazz up a simple outfit! They are Nine West and also very comfortable!

http://www.dsw.com/

Boots!

One of my newest obsessions is boots! I love how I can change one outfit from casual to formal just by changing the boots I'm wearing. Every pair of boots I own is extremely comfortable and can be worn with jeans, leggings, or a dress! 

These are my favorite casual boots. I bought them before studying abroad in London last winter. I knew London was going to be very wet so I chose not to spend a ton of money on real leather boots that would get ruined in the rain. Sometimes it is smarter to use the fake stuff! This style of riding boot is very casual but can easily be worn with a skirt or dress.

I just bought these suede boots and got a great price on them! They are the most comfortable boots I own and go great with just about anything! It was super easy to use a suede spray on them to make them water resistant so I don't have to worry about getting them ruined.

As I said before boots can totally change the look of your outfit. You can wear the exact same jeans with all three of the boots I have! I bought my heeled boots in London and love them! They were not super expensive which is why I don't mind wearing them to clubs or bars. They look great and feel great!

It just goes to show that one simple change to an outfit can send you from work to dinner in seconds!