Fashion/Beauty Friend Friday: A Blogger’s Tools

Published February 24, 2012 Fashion/Beauty Friend Friday (FBFF) , Interview 2 Comments
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Katy at ModlyChic, founder of FBFF, has decided to base this month’s post on technology and blogging.  She says, “As I followed along all the NYFW posts and tweets it got me thinking… so much of what we bloggers do is all about the tools that we use. Technology certainly makes what we do easier, even if it is sometimes a major pain.”  So, here’s some Q&A about the technology I use to write here at Suburban Style Challenge.

What are the tools you use to blog?
Largely, I blog right at WordPress using a regular computer (sometimes a desktop, sometimes a lappy).  Once, while I was on vacation, I write and posted a full blog entry using the WordPress App on my iPhone (another FBFF post, actually).  But the vast majority of the time, I use a computer.  It’s just much easier for me.

That said, I’ve definitely started writing posts on my iPhone before.  Sometimes, an idea comes to me and it’s great to be able to open the App, create a new post, and just get what I’m thinking “on paper” right away.  It saves me a lot of “oh shoot, what was that idea?”, and it means that when I’m ready to work more on expanding the idea, I don’t have to have my phone or whatever scrap of paper I jotted the idea down on to remember.  It’s just right there, listed in my drafts on my Dashboard, ready to be finished.  Pretty nifty!

My husband got me a Nook Tablet for the holiays.  I haven’t had a chance to blog from it yet, but I have a feeling next week I’ll get the opportunity.  I have jury duty for potentially the whole week next week, and instead of lugging my laptop, I’ve decided the tablet is a better option.  I’ve used my Nook Tablet to browse other blogs and websites, pinning on Pinterest, and post on Facebook, in addition to reading, but I haven’t yet actually written a post from it.  I just downloaded the WordPress App for the Nook Tablet and will no doubt be playing with it soon.

In addition to blogging, I use Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest to spread the word about Suburban Style Challenge.  I have it set so that WordPress automatically publishes to Facebook and Twitter, which posts my blog entries there immediately.  I also have Facebook linked up to Twitter so that whatever I post on my page gets posted to Twitter.  That makes my life much easier; I can just post to Facebook and still engage Twitter followers.  Sometimes I post on Twitter direct, but not all that often.

In addition to posting blog entries on Facebook and Twitter, I pin all my outfits (and other pinnable posts) myself to my From the Suburban Style Challenge board, usually right after I publish my post.  It’s a little extra work, but the spike I saw in traffic after doing it has made the few seconds extra it takes worth it.

I also have my Suburban Style Challenge linked up over at Bloglivin’, which means folks can follow me there and get immediate post updates.  I don’t have very many followers there, but I follow a fair amount of blogs there and love the one-touch accessibility the App gives me to all my subscriptions.  It makes it really easy to catch up when I’ve got the time and may not be in front of a compy.

I recently joined Klout, but I’m still figuring out what it’s all about (yay rhymes!) and how I can use it to my advantage.

I also have a Polyvore account, which I admittedly have been slacking on.  It’s fun for planning outfits, but I haven’t had much time to screw around over there lately, and it’s pretty much impossible, unfortunately, to make outfits on my phone. I haven’t yet played with it on my Nook Tablet though.

In case you haven’t picked up on it, I use my iPhone for a lot.  Mostly, I use the above-mentioned Apps, as well as the Pinterest App to browse the web, read blogs, get inspiration, share ideas, and otherwise generally stay in the loop.  I think it’s actually my most commonly used tool, since it’s always with me and pretty easy to use.

What technology item is on your wish-list?
I’d love a new laptop.  Something small, sleek, and easy to travel with.  Now that hubs and I have the space for an office (and thus a desktop computer), I don’t really need such a powerful laptop as I have (er, well, it was powerful when I got it 5 years ago… now it’s just kinda average).  I’d be more than happy to get something that’s more travel-friendly so that bringing it places isn’t such a chore.  Because really, when it boils down to it, I definitely prefer to type on an actual keyboard instead of on a tablet screen.

Through the barrage of posts, tweets, pics, poses, messages, etc. how do you avoid becoming a slave to the constant infiltration of information?
Oy.   It’s hard.  But largely, it’s just a matter of saying, “ok, time to turn off and [do something else]“.  I find that periodically stepping away from the computer (and putting the phone down) and just taking some time for myself and my family is best.  99% of the time, my phone is on silent, and I’ve made a conscious decision to not spend every waking moment checking my phone, answering texts, being on Facebook… whatever.  After all, just because I have access to everything at my fingertips, doesn’t mean I need to spend every second of my life using it.

Besides, there’s always time to catch up on things like Tweets, Facebook posts, and blog entries.  There are other things that can’t afford to be missed in “real life”.

Check out what others have to say about technology and the tools they use to blog here.

Facebook Giveaway!

Published February 23, 2012 Special Offers , Giveaway Leave a Comment
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I’m super excited to have a really fun giveaway for my 200th fan on Facebook.  This one’s especially great if you’re crafty, or want to try one of the DIY’s I’ve done here at Suburban Style Challenge (and there are more on the way too!).  Heck, these would even make a great gift for a friend or family member who’s big into crafts.

I’m lucky enough to be able to offer my 200th Facebook fan a Mod Podge Starter Kit as well as a selection of FolkArt Extreme Glitter Paints, courtesy of Plaid.

Here’s the Mod Podge Starter Kit.

The Mod Podge Starter Kit is great!  It has 5 trial size bottles of Mod Podge in different finishes, which gives you all kinds of fun options when it comes to making things!  The 5 different kinds are Sparkle, Paper Matte, Original Gloss, Original Matte, and Outdoor.  Mod Podge is great for all different kinds of projects and surfaces (they even have a great PDF Formula Guide to help you figure out what you need for which project).  I used Gloss Mod Podge to seal the glitter on my boots and they are holding up wonderfully!  I’ve done a few other crafts with Mod Podge recently and I’ve been re-bitten by the bug!  And don’t worry–the trial sizes are plenty big.  A little Mod Podge goes a long way!

And here’s a sneak peak at the FolkArt Extreme Glitter Paints.

FolkArt Extreme Glitter Paints are an excellent way to add shimmer to items without making a mess with a lot of glitter.  They’re available in 22 great colors, including neons (so in right now!).  I haven’t gotten a chance to craft with these yet, but I’m definitely on the hunt for the perfect piece to glitter up with these great paints (love the idea of doing a variation of this).  I’m thinking they’ll be perfect for a special project I have in mind for my neice’s birthday presents.

Wanna win this great stuff?
Awesome!  All you have to do is be the 200th fan on my Facebook page, and Plaid and I will take care of the rest!

You can click here to like the page, or just click the “like” button on the right hand side at the top of the page here.

And don’t forget to share the Suburban Style Challenge Facebook page with your friends!

And while you’re at it…
Check out Plaid for some great crafting ideas and fun products!  Like Plaid on Facebook, follow them on Twitter and Pinterest, and check out some of their videos on YouTube.  Oh, and don’t forget their blog, Paint Me Plaid, where they post great ideas and info on what’s trendy in the craft world!

Link Love

Published February 22, 2012 Link Love 2 Comments
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Some more Link Love for you, from me.  Again, rather random, but that’s what’s fun about this, right?  Right!

  • Dear Future Boyfriend While this technically doesn’t apply to me (being married and all), I find pretty much every webcomic posted to be something I totally relate to, and always find myself smiling when I see the latest post.
  • Thanks, I Made It Another crafty blog that I stumbled upon looking for ideas for stuff to glitter.  She’s got some fantastic ideas and DIYs, which means TIMI is definitely worth checking out if you’re remotely into making stuff.
  • The Makeup Bandit A local makeup artist’s blog with tips, tricks, and all sorts of great stuff.  Zee shares a lot of what she learns about skin, makeup and more here.  Worth a read!
  • Pinterest I post about this a lot, and know a ton of others who are addicted, but I figure I’d openly declare my Pinterest addiction love. It’s basically a virtual bulletin board where you can pin… pretty much anything. It’s excellent for collecting recipes, fashion inspiration, craft projects, party ideas, and much, much more.  Feel free to ask me for an invite if you need one!
  • Flirty Cupcakes One of Chicago’s local cupcake trucks that frequently makes trips out to the ‘burbs.  If you’ve had even just one, you’ll understand why there’s always a line.  My favorite is the McDreamy.
  • WTForever21 Don’t get me wrong, I love Forever21, but this blogger’s hilarious take on some of the items they offer is just too good to miss!

So there you have it, another round of Link Love.  Check out the above sites.  Maybe some of them will soon become your favorites too!

Random Outfits: January

Published February 21, 2012 Color & Style , Fashion , Winter 2 Comments
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It’s been awhile since I’ve done this, and normally I would have done it earlier.  However, I was sick for about a week and a half in early January, which meant I didn’t particularly care about looking all that cute (or, on some days, remotely presentable).  Anyway, here are some of my favorite outfits for the month of January.

Lace Dress
I got this dress at the SchoolHouse Swap event back in  early December, and finally figured out a way to wear it for winter.  Yay for the relatively mild winter we’ve had here and getting to wear dresses and cute stuff much longer than normal!  This outfit was full of layery goodness, and amazingly comfortable.  I wore the dress over black sweater tights and then topped it with my dark grey cowl neck sweater, which I belted with a brown braided belt.  I tied the brown belt in with a pair of brown lace-up combat style boots.  I topped it all with a great black DKNY open cardigan vest that my mom got me at TJ Maxx when we were out a couple months ago.  I added a bunch of bracelets in mixed metals and textures, and that was it.  I went with minimal makeup (as usual) and messier hair.

With lighter tights and a different sweater (or maybe even just the vest), this is an outfit I could transition into spring easily.

Nani’s Cardigan
I wore this on Friday the 13th, and could easily wear this over and over and over.  It was so gloriously comfortable and perfect for winter.  If I recall correctly, it was one of the first really cold days, and I knew I’d be freezing at the office.  I decided to wear my grandma’s wool cardigan (which is also listed in the above-linked post) over a black tee, black skinny pants from GAP, and my Costco “ugg” boots.  I wore wool socks too, and was so perfectly cozy that day.  And I didn’t look like a schlep either, which is good.  To keep the ultra-thick cardigan from looking frumpy and adding pounds, I belted it at my waist.  This actually had a beautiful effect as it managed to highlight the nice lines of the cardigan on top of giving me a lovely hourglass shape.  Makeup and hair were pretty basic.

Yea that’s right.  I’m a style blogger, and I’m actually wearing knockoff Ugg boots in an outfit post.  What of it?

Cranberry Jeans
Yup, wore the jeans I dyed again recently (January 18th, actually… just before I got sick)!  I’ve worn them more since dying them already than I had before dying them.  Crazy how that works, isn’t it?  Anyway, this time I wore them with a longer black tank under my dark grey cowl neck sweater, and again with my faux-Uggs.  I loaded up my arm with a bunch of bracelets, including my amethyst Oprah bracelet from the mother-in-law and a my new teal spray painted rhinestone piece.  Added a little bit of extra color and sparkle to an otherwise simple outfit.

My husband tells me these particular boots look like Muppet feet, and I totally see that in this pic, haha!  I know, I know, not only am I sporting them, but I did it twice.  Bear with me, it was cold-but-not-icy here in the ‘burbs (I don’t wear these boots when it’s icy because they have no traction, and I found that out the hard way last winter).

Judging the Raw Talent Model Competition
I was selected to judge the Raw Talent Clothing Model Competition that was held Friday, January 20th in Milwaukee.  Despite the absolutely gross weather and 8″ or so of snow, my friend Christin and I made it up there with enough time for me to change into something suitable for judging.  I wore my new In Love With Fashion asymmetrical black pleated dress (which I got for 50% off) over a black tank and torn skinnies.

They ended up delaying things a little because of the weather, so Christin had some fun with my hair while we waited, giving me a super cute side braid and tiny little bun-like things along the nape of my neck.  I still wore my glasses, but sported a teal lid, a little bit of contouring, and some NARS Orgasm on my cheeks with a light shimmer gloss.  I added glitter polish to my nails for some extra pop, and stacked all those mixed bracelets on my wrist.  I also recently got these cute earrings on sale at Macy’s.  One says “oui” and the other says “non”, so I wear “oui” on the side where I have my triple helix.

And then there’s my shoes :swoon:  I got them on New Year’s Eve, when my husband decided he’d drag me into DSW for “just 15 minutes”, without my wallet.  15 minutes turned into over an hour because he couldn’t decide what shoes to get.  Meanwhile, 20 minutes in I found these beauties by Zigo Soho on clearance for just $60 (from over $100) and proceeded to spend the rest of the time walking around the store in them.  Needless to say, hubby bought them for me, because he’s awesome.  I wore them that night, as well as for this event, and have no regrets.  They’re a 6″ heel with a 2″ platform yet they’re shockingly comfortable.  I absolutely adore them, in all their impractical glory.  Yea, they’re a JC Lita knockoff, but I like the silhouette much better.

My piercing is healed, despite a minor setback with a slight infection.  I had the top two earrings changed out, but the middle one is still long and I need a shorter post for it still (it’s sticking out really funny, which makes the holes look all misaligned–they’re not, I promise!).  I also need to get a new earring for the bottom one, as the shorter post was too short.  But it’s getting to where I want it.

Mustard Jeans
Getting more and more confident styling these, as well as wearing them with bright colors.  When I wore them for day 4 of my 21 Day Challenge, I paired them with a fuchsia top, and I really liked the way the 2 colors looked together.  So on January 24 I wore them with a similarly colored top… the one I snagged at the clothing swap!  Because the top is sleeveless, I added my thrifted boy’s Van Heusen blazer over it.  I twisted two dramatically different scarves together and wrapped them around my neck for some more warmth, and tied the teal in by wearing my wonderful peacock booties, which I showed off by cuffing the jeans.

This outfit was loosely inspired by this outfit posted by Cheap & Chic in Chicago.  I really liked the pop of color under the blazer with the gold pants, so I figured I’d give it a shot.  I love how it turned out, especially with the extra textures created by the twisted scarves!  Definitely something I’d wear again!

Midi Skirt
I posted about this skirt before, bragging that I got it for a steal at $3.97.  I wasn’t 100% sure about the length initially, because it had potential to make me look stumpy, but couldn’t pass it up.  And I’m definitely glad I didn’t, because I felt incredible wearing this!  The fabric is beautifully flowy and light, which makes this really fun to walk in, and it hit me in a spot that just works nicely.  I think the dark color helps keep it looking lean and not shortening me more.  I wore this January 27 and paired it with a sold black sweater, plain black tights, and brown military-inspired boots (that have a little bit of a heel).  To tie the brown in, I added a leopard scarf that has hints of mint and red.  Perfect!

As I mentioned, I felt great in this outfit.  I love the versatility of this skirt and how easy it is to dress it up or dress it down.  This is definitely a piece I’m reserving for heels though, as I feel it’d make me go stumpy if I wear it with flats.  Looking forward to styling this for spring (and I mean real spring, not this spring-like winter we’ve had).

Neon Tee
I pinned a similar look to do Dup-A-Look on at some point, and snagged a neon yellow tee from Forever21 last week so that I could.  I wasn’t really in the mood for pleather-front pants and super high heels on January 28, because I felt they were a little too dressy for a casual house-warming party.  So instead, I took some cues from the look I pinned and wore torn skinnies with my brown combat-inspired boots.  I layered a black waffle-knit cardigan from Gap over the tee, and topped it off with my lovely fur vest (suede side out).  I added an arm party, including a new clear and rose gold Fossil watch I got that I’m obsessed with.  I pulled inspiration from the teal bracelet (a DIY) for my eye makeup and did a solid teal lid with a neutral lip and some light contouring.  Oh, and my “oui/non” earrings.

Definitely loved this look and got tons of complements on my vest (which is a favorite piece of mine).  Looking forward to the challenge the neon yellow tee is going to present… it’s so much brighter than pretty much anything I have.  But I love the way the color looks on me, so yea.

Bleached Jeans
I can’t lie, I had originally bought these jeans for a Halloween costume 2 years ago (I was Pat Benatar for work–sorry no pics).  I loved them, but knew Halloween was the only chance I’d get to wear them for work.  I figured they’d be one of those pieces I’d hang onto, shoot in occasionally, and never really wear otherwise.  Then, one day, I decided to wear them on a day off work.  I got tons of complements!  Since then, I’ve been trying to wear them here and there, because, let’s face it, they’re pretty flippin’ awesome.  On Sunday the 29th I wore them with a black studded tee (one of those amazing Kohl’s bargains–I think this was $4 a few years ago and I adore it), which I topped with a grey military style jacket and my brown fur vest again. For the third day in a row, I wore my brown boots.

Loved this outfit, though I was a little chilly because genius here didn’t bring an additional coat, but oh well!  These jeans have proven to be a fun challenge for me, and I’m glad I’ve started wearing them.  At the very least, it means I didn’t waste my money on them for just a Halloween costume!

Glitter Boots
I posted about them already, along with a couple pics of this look, but here’s more of my awesome glitter boots!  I’ll be posting a full post about how I did everything soon, but in the meantime, you’ll just have to marvel over how wonderful they are.  I paired them with a very un-January-like outfit for the last day of the month; it was in the mid-50′s!  I wore a high-low sheer skirt from H&M with my great grey cowl-neck sweater (over a black tank) and black tights.  For a little interest, I added a pearl and chain necklace as well as a thick gold chain around my neck, and my new Fossil watch on one wrist.  I had my grandma’s bag with me for pics too, since I didn’t want to put it on the wet ground.

Overall, big fan of this outfit.  And I got a lot of complements on my sparkly boots at work.  For sure I’m looking forward to a “real” spring version of this outfit and wearing this skirt in summer as well.

So that’s it!
A long post with tons of random January outfits for you.  There’s February ones as well, but I’ll have to post those in March… otherwise, it’ll get way too long!  Stay tuned for more random outfits!

Inspiration Monday: SJP

Published February 20, 2012 Fashion , Inspiration , Inspiration Monday , Winter 6 Comments
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Today’s Inspiration Monday over at Two Birds and I actually remembered to play along!  The inspiration for today is Sarah Jessica Parker, wearing a lovely blue dress and chunky aqua cardi with neutral pumps.  Here’s the pic…

And here’s what I decided to wear today, inspired by SJP’s look…


Oy… terrible pic!  That’s what I get for forgetting to do this on lunch and having to do it inside and at the office so I get get this posted today.  Note to self: Never again!

I opted to stick with neutrals instead of going with brights because I really wanted to wear this specific chunky cardigan.  It was my grandpa’s and is super comfortable.  Also, I liked her tone-on-tone thing, and didn’t have a cardi that worked in such a way with the dresses I have.  The dress is a jersey number that is certainly one of my favorite, super-versatile pieces (I’ve worn it for work, nights out, holidays, and even during the 21 Day Challenge–such a great dress).  It’s by Soprano and I got it years ago at Marshall’s.  I added cocoa tights because it’s a little chilly here today (though still rather warm for February) and decided to really work the tone on tone thing SJP has going on by wearing my Carlos Santana wedges (a great Goodwill find).  I added a chunky but delicate necklace that works with the browns on my lower half and simple CZ studs.  The necklace I actually made myself, and is three large tiger’s eye beads and olive seed beads.  I don’t wear it often, but it worked really nicely with this look.

Initially, the tights-and-shoes thing and was a really tough decision for me.  I don’t think I’ve worn dark tights with lighter shoes since reading it was a major fashion faux pas in Seventeen magazine when I was a teenager.  But, I decided I’d brave it and see how I felt about it throughout the day.  Overall, I’m liking it.  Hopefully, I will be more willing to brave this look as spring approaches, because I think it can really work.  Yay for being pleasantly surprised about something I’ve decided to be adventurous about!  Seems to be happening more and more, which is most definitely a good thing!

Overall, I’m pretty happy with this outfit.  It’s not something I’d normally put together, and it’s awesome that I was able to work this look out with what I had.  I suppose that’s part of the point of Inspiration Monday, but yea.  I love when it works out!  Now if only the pic was as good as the outfit :grumbles about florescent lighting:

If you’d like to participate in Inspiration Monday, keep an eye on this page every Friday.  That’s where Megan and Nora post the inspiration shot.

Dup-A-Look 6

Published February 16, 2012 Color & Style , Dup-A-Look , Fashion , Inspiration , Winter 2 Comments
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Today has already proven to be a great day for this look, as it’s back to being mild here and the sun seems to be peeking out here and there.  And I’m mostly over my cold (yes, another cold), so yea.  Dressing nice has me feeling even better, as it usually does.

Today I decided to dup this look from Flashes of Style, which I pinned here.  Oddly enough, when I went through my Pinterest board, I hadn’t realized she had written, “The weather can’t make up it’s mind, so I decided to mix Spring attire with Winter.” on her blog entry about the outfit back in March 2011.  The mix of florals, the scarf, and the tights were what drew me to the outfit.  Seems like that’s what’s been going on here, and this is quite an appropriate outfit because of it.  Funny how that works, huh?  Anyway, pics…

Yea, I did 2 versions because I really liked that close up one, but wanted ya’ll to be able to see the full thing too.

I didn’t have a work-appropriate floral dress with a regular hem, so I went for this uneven hem dress I got over the holidays at Forever21.  It’s one of 2 I got there when they had their “Buy 1, Get 1 Free” sale.  It’s a really light fabric, so when I got it I had put it aside in the extra bedroom closet where I keep all my long-hanging off-season and fancy clothes because I figured I’d have to wait until Spring to wear it.  However, I decided to pull it out for today–it’s supposed to get up to 43F today, and 48F tomorrow!  In February.  In Chicagoland.  Craziness.

I belted the dress with a black belt and then topped it with a burgundy cardigan (from Target).  I realized I don’t really have thicker at-waist belts in any other colors and I’m working on remedying that, but I had to make do with black today.  I wore black tights and my black Qupid Puffin boots.  Around my neck, I wrapped a taupe ruffled infinity scarf that I got last winter, but can’t remember where.

Overall, I really dig this outfit.  It’s actually rather out of the norm for me in the sense that nothing really matches–there’s no black, taupe or burgundy in the dress at all.  And yet, it’s working really nicely together.  Plus I’m not all “ZOMG CAN’T HAVE MISMATCHING!!!!” complexy about it like I would have been, say, a year ago.  Yay for progress!

Oh, and this is a really good example of how to wear a dress in winter (even though this really isn’t what I’d call “winter” haha).

Inspiration: Alexa Chung’s Hair

Published February 15, 2012 Hair , Inspiration Leave a Comment
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I’m currently in the process of growing my hair out.  I go through this every couple years, and am typically back at a pixie cut at the point I’m at right now (which is just about my chin, and super layered).  It’s a really awkward length right now, and I can’t do much of anything with it.  I increasingly have very little patience for this length, and it doesn’t help that I’m largely hair-styling challenged–I have a much easier time doing stuff with my hair when it’s above my ears than when it’s much longer than that.  So usually, when I get to this length, I make an appointment at the salon, dig up some pics of Agyness Deyn, and head in to lop it all off.  This is the longest my hair has been in nearly 2 years I think, and I had just about gotten to that “gotta cut it all off” point a few weeks ago when something amazing happened.

Alexa Chung walked onto my TV screen.  Yup.  The first time I saw her hosting the delightfully ridiculous show 24 Hour Catwalk I knew I wanted her hair style.  And this one is actually one that’s remarkably achievable for me!  (Usually I lust over thick, voluminous curls that are entirely impossible for my hair to do… and oh, have I tried!)  Here are 3 pics of Alexa’s cut, though the length in them varies just a little, you can get an idea of what I’m looking at.

Alexa’s shaggy demi-bob is a great length and cut.  It’s long enough for me to moderately style own my own, but short enough to maintain body and texture–two things that have become really important to me since I went with a short cut.  The cut looks like it’s close to all one length, but should work beautifully with the layers that are currently in my hair.  In fact, I’ll most likely keep the layers because they’ll add some great texture and movement.  I also feel like it’s an age-appropriate cut that will take me into my 30′s gracefully, which is definitely a plus.

So now I’ve got my sights set.  I’m hoping for a not-quite-collar-skimming length, more similar to the middle pic above.  As of right now, I’ve got about 2″ to go, which means I should barely hit the mark with my longest layers by June or so, which is just in time for my birthday!  I’m sure it’s going to get frustrating, though I think the toughest part is really past.  The inspiration is strong too–every time I watch 24 Hour Catwalk I “ooh” and “ahh” over Alexa’s hair and how effortlessly chic it always looks.  I’m confident that not only will the length look great on me, but that I can swing the messy bed-head look easily, and that I can even manage to achieve the wavy texture on my own if I want.  I’m really looking forward to getting to this length, so I know that I won’t crumble

Image Sources, Left to Right: Pinned, About.com Beauty, Fashion Daily Mag

Make Stuff Monday: Glitter Boots

Published February 13, 2012 Boots , DIY , Glitter , Shoes 4 Comments
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With glitter shoes and boots being all the rage right now, and DIYs on how to mimic popular (yet expensive) trends, I figured I’d give glittering a pair of boots a shot.  At first, I thought about getting a new pair to glitter, but decided I didn’t want to spend a lot of money, and wasn’t able to find anything suitable at the thrift stores.  So I turned to my closet, and dug through my 70-something pairs of shoes and found these cowgirl-inspired boots, which would be perfect.  I picked them up at Forever21 for around $18 about a year ago, and while I wore them a decent amount, I figured it was time to give them a facelift.  I’m working on not wearing as much black as I used to, and decided adding a little sparkle to an otherwise plain black boot was a step in the right direction.  And it turns out, the straps around the ankles were removable!


All the pics in this post are clickable if you want to see them bigger!

Once I got my glitter and decided what colors I wanted to add to my boots, I masked off the area that I wanted to glitter.  I also tucked the ends of the non-removable straps back into themselves.   This way, I didn’t have to worry about being perfectly neat with my application.  I also took a few minutes to brush them off (just with my hands) and remove any fuzz or dog hair I could see, just because I didn’t want to have to worry about it affecting the glittery goodness.


These pics were taken pre-brushing, as shown by the dog hair still on the boots.  Also, Christin’s Floor Babies have made cameos in these pics.

As you can see, I actually brought the masking tape down into the inside of the boot, to cover the part of the front that stuck up a bit.  I wanted to make sure I didn’t get any glitter on that front part at all.

Once I was done masking, I mixed my glitter with Aleene’s Permanent Fabric Glue.  Since the boots were faux suede, I figured fabric glue would be a better starting point than Mod Podge, and I knew I wanted to mix glitter with the glue instead of just doing the spread glue-apply-glitter method.  Not only is it neater from a crafting standpoint, but I figured sealing the glitter in directly with the glue would result in less fallout as I wore them.

I mixed 3 different types of Tulip brand Fashion Glitter together: a silver, a coppery color, and a fine silver holographic (this shimmers rainbow!).  It wasn’t a very exact process, and I just kind of added glitter and stirred until I felt it looked pretty (and then added more, at the urging of Christin).  I mixed the glitter together in a small plastic pot that came with a cover, so that I could cover it and not worry about it drying out between coats (which ended up not being an issue, since I had very little left after doing both boots and just washed out the container).  I did make sure to make more than I thought I’d need, because I didn’t want to have to try and mix up the same mixture of colors if I ran out.  I wanted the amount of glitter and the colors to be the same on both boots.


Ok, that’s actually Christin mixing the glitter for me, because her nail art was so gosh darn cute!

Once the glitter was mixed up I started painting.  I used a smaller, angled brush for the edges, and then filled in with the biggest brush I had.  It took almost no time at all, and I was able to watch TV while painting.  I did one coat on each boot and let them dry overnight.


You can totally see the rainbow-reflecting glitter in the first coat!

As you can see, my single-coat coverage was pretty good.  But that’s because Christin kept yelling “MOAR GLITTER!” as I daintily dumped glitter into the mixing pot.  Had I gone with my initial instinct, I’d have most likely had to have done 3 coats to get this coverage.  The lesson?  When it doubt, MOAR GLITTER!!

I then applied a second coat, mixing a fresh batch of the same 3 glitter colors.  Again, not a real exact process, and I made sure that I’d have enough to do both shoes so that the colors were the same on both boots.  I left the masking tape where it was and let them dry again for a couple days.  After a couple days, I sealed them with one coat of Satin finish Mod Podge, letting them dry (again) for a couple days.  Once they were completely dry, I carefully removed the tape and re-wrapped the straps around them, buckling them up like they were when I got them.

Even the Floor Babies thought they were cute!  Aww!

I’ve only worn them once since I made them, but I got a lot of complements!  And I’ve had absolutely zero glitter fallout too, which is awesome (especially because my husband threatened swift removal of glitter-shedding items from the house).  I’m super happy with the way they turned out, and plan on rocking them more in spring, when there’s less threat of salt-damage (we’re finally getting some real winter weather here).  As I wear them more, I’ll be interested to see in how they hold up otherwise, because I couldn’t find a single tutorial that had a followup regarding wear and tear on glittered items.

All in all, I spent about $17 on the glitter, glue and Mod Podge, and have plenty left over for other projects (and oh, have there been other projects!), so this wasn’t a very money-intense project either.  Yay!

Overall, I’m really glad I decided to bite the bullet and glitter the backs of these boots.  I love the way they look with the strap running across the back, and how the sparkle is subtle but still there.  They’re no longer just a plain pair of cowgirl-inspired boots.  Now they’re unique and something no one else has!  If you’ve got a pair of boots or heels you’re looking to give a little extra oomph too, this might just be the project for you!

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Here are some other glitter DIYs for shoes, if you’re interested in giving this project a shot.  I used them all for inspiration and technique ideas when doing my boots.  They also show a few different places to apply glitter, such as the heel or the sole of a high heel!

Budget Fashion Fix: Tribal Wedges

Published February 9, 2012 Budget Fashion Fix , Online , Shoes , Shopping , Spring 3 Comments
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Wedges are all the rage for spring (much to the dismay of my husband, I’m sure–he hates wedges) and among the amazing selection of super-cute wedges are floral prints, bright neons, colorblocking, and tribal prints.  I’ve decided, in this edition of BFF, to focus on the tribal print wedge.

Steve Madden’s Winnona is really cute.  Available in two great color/pattern combos, it looks like a great spring-summer shoe–one that would mix well with both the pastels and the neons appearing in all the color palettes.  Heck, it could even move into fall, most likely, with dark tights or skinny ankle pants.  But at $99.95, the price is kind of steep.

The Winnona is all fabric with a man-made sole.  It’s got a whopping 5″ heel and a 1″ platform (so a 4″ “real” heel height).  The ankle strap and crisscross strap at the toe make it look like this wedge would hold your foot nicely though.  It could be a good buy, if you would get a lot of wear out of it and could stretch it across 3 seasons.  But if you can’t (or don’t want to) drop $99.95 on a pair of trendy wedges, there’s another option.

The Inlet Tribal Strappy Open Toe Wedge, from UrbanOg.com is going to be your best bet.  Sure, the pattern’s different, but the overall shape of the shoe is pretty much an exact match.  The heel is 4.5″ with a 1.35″ platform (which means a “real” heel height of 3.15″), which is a little lower than Steve Madden’s shoe.  The straps appear to be a little thinner too, but have the same ankle strap and crisscross at the toe.

The Inlet Tribal wedge is also man made, and is available in three colors (red is shown, but there’s black and blue as well), all of which have a blend of other colors as well, meaning this shoe will mix and match easily too.  And it’s about $70 less than the Winnona, ringing up (before shipping) at $28.40.  That means that you don’t have to splurge on the tribal wedge trend if it’s one you don’t see yourself wearing often.

There are a few other options too, of course.  Bakers has a shoe by Blowfish called the Timo that’s $69 (on the left below).  The straps are different, and there’s a ruffled band going down the front of the foot.  It’s a more subtle striped pattern that’s very colorful and may work for some better than the in-your-face look of the Winnona or the Inlet.  It still has a pretty high heel, measuring 4.25″ with a 1.25″ platform (for a 3″ “real” heel).  The Timo is available in two colors.

If you want something that will be a little more secure, the Bamboo Mirage (also at UrbanOg.com) might be for you.  It’s got crisscross straps all the way from the toe to the ankle, and a cork and fabric platform/wedge that’s really pretty (pictured below, in the middle).  The pattern is also more striped than bold tribal (like above), but it’s a good option if you like the look and want something that might hold your foot better.  The heel’s pretty high, at 4.95″ with a 1/25″ platform (a “real” heel of 3.7″) and the Mirage is available in two colors for just $28.10

If a high heel isn’t your thing, Charlotte Russe has your answer in their 3-Strap Sarape Wedge (on the right below).  The wedge is only 1″, and the shape and pattern are similar to the Timo.  But it’s a great option if you want the look, don’t want the height, and love the price of the Inlet.  Charlotte Russe’s wedge is just $28.50, though there are no color options.

  

So, what do you think?  Are you going to jump on the tribal wedge bandwagon for spring?  Or do you prefer floral prints or color blocking instead?

Tipsie Tuesday: Keeping Your Makeup Safe

Published February 7, 2012 Advice & Tips , Beauty , Interview , Makeup Leave a Comment
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Before I started modeling, makeup cleanliness wasn’t really something I concerned myself with.  I mean, I wasn’t sharing my makeup, so I didn’t think it was that big of a deal.  I also just used the applicators that came with my makeup, or even just my fingers.  But as I got into modeling and started to work with more makeup artists, I quickly realized that the right tools, and taking care of them properly, were really important to applying makeup and keeping my face healthy.

I brought in my friend Christin, a skilled and successful full-time makeup artist, to help me with this post.  She really knows her stuff when it comes to makeup, and I figured I’d ask her some questions about makeup, keeping tools clean, and how to know when something is expired, and let her take it from there.  Here we go!

Why is it important to keep my makeup brushes and tools clean?
Keeping your makeup brushes and tools clean will not only help the overall application of your makeup and make your brushes and tools last longer, but it will help improve the overall appearance and health of your skin.

I don’t share my makeup with anyone, so I don’t have to worry about germs, right?
You do still need to worry about germs, but to a MUCH lesser degree.  You don’t need to take the same precautions and steps a makeup artist would with their makeup or tools.  For the most part, you should only be applying makeup to a freshly washed face (with the exception of touch-ups which are generally just lips and maybe a powder throughout the day.  If you are touching up more than that, there is something wrong with your application technique or the products you are using).

Does how I store my brushes and tools affect how clean they are?
Not only will it effect how clean they are, it will effect the lifetime of the brush itself.  You want to store them in a cup of some sort with the brush part sticking out of the top.  I use a stainless steel cup I acquired at an art store and I use the same cup to soak them before washing.  You don’t have to use stainless steel, glass or plastic will also do the job.

Ok, so how do I go about cleaning everything, and how often should I do it?
For general, personal, daily use I suggest deep cleaning them once a week.  Some brushes I use for wet products, like liquid concealer and eye liner, I clean after each use.

For single use clean, drop a small amount of brush cleaner on a paper towel and swirl the brush around until the product is off the brush.

To do a once a week deep clean, put a few table spoons of your favorite brush cleaner (I personally cannot live without MAC’s brush cleaner–it cleans, conditions, and sanitizes!) then add a little water and a drop of dish soap for really dingy brushes.  Do not fill the cup up too much.  The level of the cleaning concoction should not go higher than the ferrule.  If you get liquid above the ferrule, it will soak in and will weaken the glue and your brush will break.  Soak your brushes for about 5 minutes or so (do not leave to soak for more than 15 min at the absolute most, as the liquid will soak up into the ferrule).  Take each brush out individually and swirl the soaked bristles in your hand.  Depending on the kind of brush you’re using it will make a frothy substance.  Swirl and rub the brush bristles around in your palm for a few seconds, then move your hand under running water while continuing to swirl.  Take your brush and squeeze the water out of the brush and swirl under the water again.  Then squeeze the water out once more.  Keep doing this until the liquid runs clear and not colored or sudsy.  At that point, you are done and can move on to the next brush.  Lay your brushes flat to dry over night.  Do not place them back into your cup to dry.  The water will soak into the ferrule.  Do not put them brush side down in your cup.  They will dry in a weird shape and will make application difficult.

How do I know when to replace my brushes and tools, or can I keep them forever?
If you have invested a bit in a non-drug-store-purchased brush, chances are it will last a long time if not for the rest of your makeup wearing life.  If you treat your brushes well and protect your investment, you will not have to purchase another one again!  If you have decided to go the drug store route, you can tell if your brush needs to be replaced if it isn’t applying product the way it should, if the brush smells at all, or if it breaks.

If brushes can carry germs and get dirty, what about my makeup?
Your brushes mostly get dirty because of the makeup itself.  If you are not sharing your products, and applying with clean hands to a clean face, you shouldn’t worry too much about this.   If you’d like to clean your powder products from time to time, you can wipe a tissue across the surface.  This takes off the first layer which is where the germs would be.  For creamy products, I just scoop out a small amount to use so I don’t have to worry about contamination.  Same thing goes for liquid products.

How do I know when it’s time to throw my makeup away?
All makeup has an expiration date on the packaging.  there is a little picture on the back, usually on the right hand side with a drawing of a makeup container with a number on it.  It looks like this.  Most powder products will not go bad (this includes eye shadows).  Cream and liquid products usually have a 12 month shelf life.

Do you have any tips for storing makeup to keep it from going bad or breaking?
Store your makeup in room a room temperature environment.  I like to store mine in desk drawers so it wont accidentally fall onto the floor and break.  Here are some pics of my setup.

Makeup Storage Makeup Storage
Makeup Storage Makeup Storage

I advise against bringing a huge sack full of everything you’re wearing in your purse for touch-ups.  It gives a lot more opportunities for broken makeup that gets all over everything.  If you need to touch-up this much, evaluate your application technique, get some tips, and/or change the brand of product you are using.

Thanks for all the awesome tips, Christin!
Readers, we’ll most certainly be hearing from her again, ‘cause she has more amazing tips she wants to share about hair and makeup.  Yay!  In the meantime, you can check out her amazing work on her Facebook page.
If you’re looking at investing in brushes, and aren’t quite sure what you need, don’t worry.  I’ll be talking to Christin about some of the basic tools that should be in every makeup bag soon!  Until then, play around over at the MAC website.  They have a really nifty brush finder that can be pretty helpful.
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