Feening for Fall: Snakeskin Accessories

I leave for L.A in a little over a month, and I am unfortunately not nearly as prepared as I should be! One big thing on my "to do" list is getting together some basic winter wear for the season just right around the corner. Where I live now, our "winter" consists of cool 70's during the day and high 40's at night, if we're lucky! I'm excited to finally be able to experiment more with winter wear and edgier pieces. Over the next week I'll be doing daily posts on some of the main items on my Fall wish list. Better yet, all of my choices will have a variety of options for you as well, and all of them will be under $100!

First on my list is snakeskin accessories:

When incorporating the snakeskin into your wardrobe, try to stick the print in neutral colors, that way you can get the most wear out of it.

Tomorrow's post: Rich, jewel tone pieces!

-M<3

Collaborate and Listen

It is an exciting time for big name department stores. Though celebrities and designers have worked with stores such as H&M and Target in the past, Fall 2011 has scored some of the biggest collaborations we have seen yet.


The Kardashians "Komplete Kollection" just hit Sears department stores. The girls designed not only clothing items, but shoes, handbags, and even sunglasses! You can currently receive 30% off when you buy online. Prices for women's apparel range from $42-$99, which is a little higher than Sears' average. Go here to check it out.

Karl Lagerfeld for Macy's was recently revealed, and it set to come out at the end of this month. See my favorites here, and the full collection here.

Another recently announced designer that will be launching a collection later this season for Macy's as well is none other than Giambattista Valli. This collection will hit stores on October 26, and prices will range from $50-$150. Read Fashionista.com's article about the collab here.

Target does it again by pairing up with another successful designer. This time, its Missoni. The 400 piece collection has been revealed and can been seen in its entirety here. Now we just have to wait until it is released in stores on September 13th.

Just announced today, Leigh Lezark will be next in line to have a collaboration available for purchase at H&M. She will be hand picking her favorite pieces from past and current collections, along with limited edition items. No pictures of any pieces she has decided on have been revealed yet, but what has been leaked is where you will be able to purchase it at. Unfortunately, the pieces will only be sold at H&M's new "shop within a shop" at Selfridges in London.


Time to mark your calenders and start saving up! Who says you need money to have style? Which collaboration are you most excited for?

-M<3

Class for Less Cash: D.I.Y Chanel Bag Tutorial

What you'll need:

• 1 plain canvas tote bag(I found mine at JoAnn's for $4)
• Black fabric or arylic paint
• Small/medium sized paint brush
• Cut out Chanel design
• A pencil
• Various colors/lengths of chains
• Grommet tool and kit
• 1 yard of ribbon/fabric of your choice
• A small assortment of coordinating buttons or brooches
• Needle and thread

Step 1:
Lay your tote bag flat. (I would also suggest ironing it before you start! I obviously didn't...oops!)

Step 2:

Outline the Chanel design on your tote. I placed a single one in the center, but feel free to have some fun with it in placement and number!

Step 3:

Once you have your design(s) outlined and are happy with the overall look take your paint, and begin to paint the inside of the design. (If you purchased acrylic, make sure to mix it with a little water.)

TIP: You might need to put a few coats of paint on the design. Let each coat dry for a few hours before doing so.

Step 4:

Gather your chains and measure them out.

Step 5:

Determine how and where you would like your chains to be placed. I decided to have mine hang from the top of each corner. I just sewed the chain to the bag, but you can attach it to the bag any way you like. I copied this chain detail on the other side of the bag as well.

 Step 6:

Gather your assortment of buttons, and again determine where they will be placed. I created a small cluster in the upper left-hand corner.

Step 7:

We're almost done! Next, take your grommet tool and kit to create the placement for your straps. After that, measure out your straps and decide how you want to attach them through your grommet holes. I decided to use a thin, black ribbon and tie it in a medium-sized bow on the opposite corner outside to add more girly flair.

 Your bag is now finished!

My finished result:

What I really love about this bag is that you can use it all year round and change out the buttons and straps anytime you want! I ended up purchasing most of the items on sale, and was able to complete the bag for under $50! It is completely customizable, and will always be a classy go-to accessory.

Warped Tour/SD Trip

I went out of town to San Diego as an early birthday vacation. Spent all day at Warped Tour on Tuesday, and went to the beach for a while after breakfast on Wednesday. Here is what I wore to Warped Tour:

(Shirt-COCO, Neon Bra and Shoes-Target, Shorts-FACI, Bag-D.I.Y)

It ended up getting quite warm, so I went with something simple and loose, but still made me stand out. To see more pictures from my trip, visit my tumblr.

I will finally be posting the tutorial for the bag seen above on Saturday!

Mixing Prints

I've been wanting to wear these two pieces together for some time now, but never actually dared to try it until this past weekend.

I also just signed up for Lookbook.nu and Tumblr! I'll be posting more outfit looks on Lookbook here. Feel free to check out my Tumblr here.

-M<3

 



Karl Lagerfeld for Macy's

The Chanel designer's collection was revealed yesterday. Prices for each piece range from $50-$170. A small price to pay for such beautifully designed clothes! Here are a few of my favorites:

To see the full collection, click here.

-M<3

A is for Accessories

I've been getting into the whole idea of incorporating more accessories into my everyday looks lately. I'm beginning to realize that jewelry, bags, and shoes are the things that can take a basic outfit that a hundred other people can wear and make them into an outfit that is unique and personalized to fit your own style. Here are a few accessories I have purchased in the past few weeks that are basic enough to be worn with a variety of outfits, but each exemplifies a part of my personal style.

 Brand new red clutch I found today at a local thrift store. $3

 Basic black purse I bought on clearance at Target for $13. You can buy it here.

Modern edgy ring from Burlington-$2.99

 Feather earrings from Burlington-$3.99

 Statement necklace from Burlington-$5.99

I wore the necklace today with a printed blouse. This purchase was actually inspired by Kelly of The Glamourai, since her jewelry is somewhat similar to this.

Currently, I am working on a few more D.I.Y projects that include a few accessories as well(with tutorials of course!), which I hope to have up soon.

-M<3