matchy matchy

I'm aware that it's nearly May and I'm still wearing a trench and scarf. Don't be fooled by the light in the photographs, I swear it's still cold out here!

Today I'm wearing lots of black, blue and gray. I really do want to whip out the florals and a lighter palette, but I guess my subconscious is in mourning--mourning the onslaught of exams and my allergies that continue to kick me in the head. Yay?

spring harem

Getting the feeling I'm wearing a bit too much of H&M, yes? Anyway, I picked up these harem pants at H&M last night after a long search for a pair I'd be satisfied with. I touch absolutely everything on the store racks when I go shopping (hey, if it doesn't feel good to the hands, how can it feel good on the body??) and the viscose was surprisingly soft. Win. There was also a subtle sheen to the pants which really made them a bit more playful than the average matte black harem pants. They're so roomy and for lack of better terms, swooshy as heck. I'm not taking them off even if it makes my butt look big!

Had a humongous grapefruit and a mega dose of coffee, which now in retrospect, sounds like the perfect recipe for indigestion...hm. Regardless, I'm ready to move onto some DIY projects to get this weekend going.

poly and givenchy

That Givenchy bow headband. I want one and I'm sure it'll cost a leg and arm. So I'm hoping I can make one similar to it instead. It's now lined up on my list of DIY projects. I will report back soon enough with the (crummy) results

strawberries & shepard

There's nothing like waking up to a nice large bowl of strawberries like this morning. Just noticed that the photo I took of my breakfast totally looks like something you'd see on iStockPhoto. Lame!

Anyway, the sunlight was gorgeous inside my condo early in the morning, but when I stepped outside the sun had disappeared behind the clouds. Consequently, Boston looked gloomy and everything appeared undersaturated. Strange. Anyway, today was the famous annual Boston Marathon, so Happy Marathon Day!

more

Just a close-up of my fave personal project so far. It was pretty simple. I tweaked a vintage rhinestone bracelet and screwed several conical spikes onto it. It's so lethal I love it.

In terms of future projects, I think I'm moving away from rhinestones and spikes temporarily and moving into a more draping, fringe, grosgrain, and feathers direction. Yes, it sounds all a bit unrelated and word salad-y, but there's much more to come.

show

I'm really pleased with how this piece turned out. I am convinced I can wear this with everything. Don't tell me otherwise!

drapes and gladiators

I haven't posted a daily outfit in a while, partly due to the weather acting like it's anything but Spring, allergies kicking me in the head, and exams kicking me in the rear. But here I am frolicking about in the streets. The "scarf" I'm wearing is really just a yard of bamboo jersey fabric I ordered for another DIY project in mind, but I threw it around my neck to take it for a ride before shredding it to pieces. It's the softest fabric ever and drapes so effortlessly. If I'm going to make some draped Grecian dresses in the future, I will definitely experiment with bamboo jersey first.

Also, if any of you lovely gals are looking for comfortable gladiator sandals, go to H&M and buy these black caged ones from Divided. They're cheap, soft, and the sole is generously padded. And for those who pay attention to the details, they have deliciously chunky silver zippers in the back. I walked 10+ miles in them and have not one blister or sore spot. Christian Louboutin*, can you make shoes THAT comfortable? Thought not.

*I'm not dissing Loubies, really. They're just too expensive for my 10+ mile feet. But if anyone would be so generous to donate me a pair, I'd graciously accept ;-)

wear 4

I had some leftover rhinestone necklaces from past DIY projects. They weren't vintage nor signed. Actually, they're "bridal necklaces" ordered in bulk from China. So what was I going to do with 10+ rhinestone bridal necklaces? I was going to play around and have fun with them.

I whipped out some oversized safety pins (they don't look so huge in the picture, but seriously, they're near novelty-sized) and connected 4 necklaces together. Balancing the necklaces was a bit of a toughie. When I threw in the pins where I wanted them, the necklace's weight was unevenly distributed most of the time. So I struck a balance (pun-y yes), and though they aren't exactly where I wanted them to sit, it's still quite aesthetically pleasing and doesn't slide and tip over when worn. I threw in some black satin ribbon to top it all off. I can already imagine this necklace with some simple monochrome looks or against a fun floral dress.

sweet ride

Forget the vintage Schwinn I've been eyeing to purchase for my city biking urges. I've decided on a Dutch bicycle thanks to the NY Times. They're black (my fave colour), sleek, evoke an air of European chic, and I won't have to worry about getting my Spring dresses caught in the chains.

I was actually walking by Club Monaco last week before I read that article and noticed a lovely bicycle in their display window (I barely noticed any of their clothes. Yes, that's how much I loved the bike). Well apparently, Club Monaco has exclusively partnered with Royal Gazelle to sell the Gazelle Dutch Bicycle. They're a thing of beauty. Major want.

EDIT: I have been informed that the bicycle in the ad campaigns was actually a bicycle from A Black Bike not Gazelle. Thanks for the clarification!

100 studs

I really wanted to stud the underside of an oversized bag because I liked how the studs would remain discreet yet, just from the right angle, people can sneak a peek of the spiky goodness hidden beneath. I also knew I didn't want small wimpy pyramid studs, so I found some fairly massive 1 inchers which looked heavenly.

If you're interested, all you need is:

* a bag you're willing to sacrifice for the purposes of DIY
* studs (Gold or silver, it's your pick. Also, measure the underside of your bag and make sure you'll have enough studs to fill it up entirely. There's nothing more anti-climactic than getting excited studding and then about 3/4 the way through realize you're short about...50 studs. I calculated that I needed ~100 1"x1" pyramid studs to fill the entire surface area)
* an exacto knife
* kick-ass music playlist (I don't remember exactly how long I was studding for, but you can imagine for ~100 studs, it's quite a while. Good music will keep you sane.)

Before you place a stud in, imprint the prongs on the leather. Then take the knife and cut small slits where the impressions are. Pop the studs in, fold the prongs down, and you're done.

Good luck!

knotty scarf

A little bit of a sore throat today so I piled on the scarves. 3 scarves to be exact and they just kind of hung there, rather forlorn and pitiful looking. Before running out the door I quickly braided them together. Now the scarf is even denser and warmer than before.

Talking about braided scarves, I've only recently picked up on the awesomeness that are the Damir Doma wool braided scarves. I love how they remind me of scraggly dirty dreadlocks . . . but maybe that's just me liking strange mangy things. I'll definitely be making something similar as a gift to the boyf. I'll probably wear it though! It's the thought that counts, yes?

10 minute DIY

I haven't bought jewelry in ages. Quite a while back, I collected and sold vintage jewelry as a hobby, so you can imagine how dated my collection is. Don't get me wrong, vintage is wonderful, but sometimes a gal needs something playful, funky, and new. So I pulled out some spike beads I recently ordered online, some bails, a chain and pliers. Result: A basic necklace that can add some tough-chic edge to any outfit.

I can definitely see myself wearing this one quite a bit. Annnd, that's your 10 minute DIY!

tunez

I'm a design nut, but I'm probably more of a good music nut. So anything that puts awesome music creation at my fingertips just makes me giddy with joy. The Daft Punk console lets you recreate and remix "Harder Better Faster Stronger" with your computer keyboard. I hope the creators of the console work on offering other songs in the future. I have LCD Soundsystem in mind . . . their songs would be perfect for this.

Music for all. Werk it.

grosgrain

A bit of a lazy post, but with exams coming up tomorrow and the day after, I'll just share a bit of what I'm researching for upcoming projects. I recently had a Lanvin binge and don't think I'll be coming off of it anytime soon. I'm a little tired of trends, what's hot and not, what the editorials say is beautiful. It's back to the basic and classic. I'm a little bit obsessed with grosgrain ribbon and its potential . . .

"Grosgrain (pronounced/' grəʊgreɪn/) is a closely woven fabric which has fine horizontal ribs . . . As a more subtle choice than satin, grosgrain is very popular with eveningwear, being used on the lapels of most dress coats and high-end dinner jackets, as well as matching accessories such as bow ties and cummerbunds, though these are often in barathea to complement the main suiting while still avoiding the glare of satin . . . "

data moshing is what the cool kids do now

I heard this song several months back, but only recently checked out their video. To my surprise, they use data moshing which I've been quite fascinated with lately. Anyway, would love to try data moshing some day. Love this song.

say no to ironing

I finally had the chance to check out Muji. I left the store with this souvenir--a t-shirt squished into a small cube. I was just way too curious to not buy this one. Apparently, what comes out is an insanely wrinkled t-shirt. If Miuccia can make an entire iron-challenged collection look darn good, then I had to try this cheaper thrill out. Out of its wrapper, the t-shirt was hard to pry apart and had very much the consistency of crumpled paper. It even looked like paper.

I can't wait until someone asks me, "Ahem, I think you really need to iron your shirt," to which I'll giddily respond, "It's supposed to be like this!" Woo.