Fashionspiration: Easter Sunday Fashion

Mes cheris I had the greatest Easter Sunday, chocked  full of adventures, and my Easter Sunday Fashion was decided the morning of, and shaped up for a home run. Early morning the roomies and I grabbed a delish breakfast at Alice's Tea Cup...a.mazing! I ordered the Eggs Benny with smoked salmon on a buttermilk scone and oh wow it was divine. Not to mention the pumpkin scone I had later with leftovers!

After Breakfast, we walked in Central Park and enjoyed a leisurely stroll in beautiful warm weather. We danced around Bethesda Fountain, one of my favorite NYC spots, took lots of pictures...and probably blended in with the tourists...except for the cute outfits and heels.

Layered racerback tanks from Target and Buffalo Exhange started my Easter Sunday fashion. Buffalo Exchange also provided the finds for the sling purse and the cute Steve Madden platforms. The circle skirt I made myself with upcycled 70's fabric.

Although not totally bursting with color, I did make sure to pop some pastel into my outfit for a nod to traditional Easter Sunday fashion. It turned out to mimic the sky which did not stay this overcast all day. It actually shined brightly enough to give me a good dosage of color after laying out on my terrace when we got home.

I had no idea until writing this blog post that Buffalo Exchange had furnished 70% of my outfit! I am obsessed with this store filled with fashionable goodies from vintage to designer (and so much fun for those into the thrill of the hunt)!

After a fun filled day, I attended a wonderful and moving Easter Sunday service at my church. Then explored different areas of New York after, from Union Square to my neighborhood, the Upper West Side! I love that I live in a city where the day can take me any and everywhere!

I hope your Easter Sunday, as well as your Easter Sunday fashion was inspired and phenomenal...

What did you wear mes cheris?

Clothing DIY: Upcycle Your Tshirt

After waiting far too long for Spring to arrive, I had a clothing DIY weekend! Over the years I have acquired a large amount of fitted tees and rather than throw things away I was inspired to upcycle my tshirt. Fun as well as reducing my need to spend money shopping...win, win!

Here is a casual baseball long sleeve tee that was a gift of love...but it is just not my style. Here are some simple step by step rules for a clothing DIY overhaul for you:

1. Cut

Being scissor happy is Clothing DIY Guideline numero uno! Cut off the sleeves and sew the hem back (I decided to lave a trim of the navy blue along edge). From the sleeves, cut out as many ping pong ball sized circles as possible, then slit the circles all the way around. When you upcycle your tshirt you always want to try and use as much of the fabric as possible...hello? free fabric!

2. Embellish

Stack 3-4 circles at a time and hand sew them onto the shirt, place them close together so they gather. I placed mine strategically over the insignia branding the shirt, and then went from there.

Once all pieces are in place, ruffle them up by finger-combing them. Get them to stand up and look messy, this will create the wild flourish effect.

Et voila! Upcycle that tshirt into a clothing DIY dream! For either a casual look paired with these Anthropologie pants I've had waiting in my closet for Spring to arrive, or a flirty look like this Leifsdotter maxi skirt from Neiman Marcus.

Have you ever Clothing DIYed 

your wardrobe mes cheris?

Bloggy Love: 33 Stitches

33 stitches is a sweet little blog, full of color, fabric and lots of little stories. Julia loves her pets, 

owls, and vintage goodies, and sews little pouches, fabric sleeves, bags, mini quilts and such for her 

etsy shops,  simbiosis and petite maison.

You will adore her book cover tutorial and sewing cover tutorial as well.

Fabric embroidery hoops make for such a wonderful impact, don't they?
And isn't that sewing machine cover adorable?

I truly adore her craft room. Such warmth and happiness here.

DIY Fever Giveaway!

It isn't hard to guess that I love making things. Heck, I run a business off of it. I love being creative, and I love finding ways to add my own flair to things, especially when it allows me to live fabulously but still on a budget! Well darlings, do I have fantastic surprise for you!

New York Design Shop is a DIY shop strictly dedicated to all things fashion! I was thrilled upon discovering it, and all the many things it offers for the crafty fashionista. I caught up with Jenna Columbini for a bit, to learn more about her fabulous venture...and she surprised me with a wonderful gift for you guys... an NYDS TOTE OVERFLOWING with DIY GOODIES!!

1. When/How did NYDS get started?
NYDS launched in November 2009, however it was about a year in the making before that. I was working as a merchandiser for a trimmings company in the fashion district, and I couldn't stop DIY'ing with all the trim! It took about a year for me to fully develop the idea, lots of market research, design and help from interns/assistants and web designers. Once I got funding we hit the studio and crafted our hearts out. We have now been live for about 4 months and already the response is amazing.

2. Introduce yourself to your new customers!

NYDS is owned of Jacobson Capital Services, a corporation that has been around for almost 70 years. JCS dips in many areas of the fashion industry and real estate markets. We are located only online, but hopefully after this year we'll be able to begin planning the early stages of our first retail store...imagine a "build a bear" for DIY fashion!! Our mission is to help fashionistas to create and stand out of the crowd. We at NYDS are fashion obsessed, but are also very aware of the price that is often paid for high fashion. At NYDS we help you to put together the same looks you see on the runway, but for much less!

3. What sets you apart from other DIY stores?

We haven't seen any other Fashion DIY stores, which we think is what makes us different. There are the big crafting stores, the home DIY stores, but at NYDS, we put fashion in your hands.

4. What is in the works for the future?

There is so much in the works for the future. We currently are adding new products every week, and at least 5 new How To projects every week. We've got some new DIY designers coming on board which is exciting a well. Also now that we are almost at 100 projects, we will begin separating them into collections based on different trends. That should be super fun! Also, I am hoping to add a DIY Home section and a DIY weddings section within the next year.

Lace Leggings! by newyorkdesignshop featuring Stella McCartney tights

5. What is your favorite thing about NYC?

Well, I love Manhattan, but I have to say that all of the Brooklyn artisan flea markets are super fun. I also love being able to get anywhere by train so that I can read my books and fashion mags every day! Last but not least, my office is located 2 blocks from Bryant Park so I am totally emersed in fashion, just the way I like it!

6. Anything else fun you'd like to add?
I would just like to say thanks to everyone who's been giving such amazing feedback, and who has emailed me with letters of thanks for providing fashionista crafters with a go-to spot!

"Also, please let your readers know that we take requests!"

For instance, if you saw something in a fashion week collection that you MUST have, you can email me a pic, and I'll have one of the designers create a DIY How TO Guide! We'll also make sure we offer the materials to create the design :)

Studs to DIY for... by newyorkdesignshop featuring Burberry accessories

A crafty shop that actually listens to my needs? Consider me SOLD! To think, anything I see on the runway I can instantly have the knowledge of reproduction techniques at my fingertips is wonderful. I personally can't wait to see all that's in store for NYDS. Now let's see who this awesome tote will be in store for...

This will be a 1 week contest closing Monday March 15th, Midnight NYC time.

LISTEN UP, the entry options are slightly different this time.

Entries 1-3 are REQUIRED

These will count as ONE entry, so leave ONE comment for all.

1. Visit NYDS and leave your email in the "Stay in Touch" box in the bottom left corner

(Its not spammy I promise, just some DIY Goodness every so often)!

2. Comment below with your favorite materials

3. Follow NYDS on Twitter AND Facebook

Entries 4-6 are optional for better odds.

You need to leave a separate comment for 4-6!

4. Be a follower of The Embellished Life

5. Tweet this giveaway and/or follow Embellished (@fashiondiva304)

leave the URL below

6. Become a fan of Embellished on Facebook

Recap for clarity:

To be applicable you should have ONE comment below stating:

-You've entered your email, picked your favs, and followed NYDS on the net-

And if you choose, up to THREE additional comments stating:

-I follow Embellished on the net, and I've tweeted this, etc-

for better odds

Mahna Mahna and the Snowths

This is the all consuming project I was in the midst of during our move and during the holidays. It was a pain and a joy all at the same time, kind of like giving birth, without the tearing and diapers. Our family has always been a fan of the Snowths and Mahna Mahna trio, so when the opportunity arose to make them, I decided to take it. I've been asked to do it before, but always turned it down, so I wanted to challenge myself this time.

It was one of those things that I miss dearly, but will never do it again unless I got paid millions of dollars to do it. Actually, maybe not, I learned tricks so a second round would go easier, but the execution and planning in the beginning is quite stressful. Though if I ever did attempt these guys again, I would do puppets, not dolls.

My sister came the last night to help me do some machine sewing for the bodies, since sewing machines terrify the crap out of me, and another friend helped me sew up the arms and legs in the beginning, b/c the thought of hand sewing 6 arms and 6 legs gave me an anxiety attack. So thanks for helping me keep my sanity!!

 

Getting very tired, very very sore, very... covered in fur...

My husband found a sign of life in the small crack of a smile through my hair. He's goofy and sweet.

In any case, I was quite sad to see these dolls go. My husband and I made a quick little video so we could always remember their awesomeness. If only we had more time to play with them before I shipped, but they needed to go asap as they were for a birthday present. I  hope you enjoyed my process, the creation of the Jim Henson sensational Muppets inspired Mahna Mahna and his two Snowths!!

*don't let the song get stuck in your head ;)

"Mahna Mahna, Do doo be-do-do, Mahna Mahna, Do do-do do, Mahna Mahna,
Do doo be-do-do be-do-do be-do-do be-do-do-doodle do do do-doo do!"

Do doo be-do-do,

Escape Yourself for a Night!

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays for one sole reason: COSTUMES! Since I was little, I have always made my costume (with Mom's help). Then as I got older I got really into it, and the last couple years I have actually made my whole costume from the pattern to the final product!

Since Halloween is coming up, I wanted to recap some costumes for you, in case you're still in search of an idea. I'm not telling you what I'm going to be this year, you'll have to wait until after its unveiled! * I am going to put these in order of ease, so if you're not an expert sewer you can still make a costume for Halloween!

Old School Madonna. This one is comfortable and so much fun. Fishnet gloves, some kind of huge sheer bow in your hair (I added a side pony), rough layered 80s tops, tutu, leggings, High Top Chucks and LOTS of bangles. Don't forget to add your Madonna Rock Star attitude to complete the look!

Jessica Rabbit. You won't believe how many people didn't know who I was, what on Earth did they watch on TV growing up...did they miss the Roger Rabbit movie? Slinky, sexy red dress with a slit all the way up to your hip (I cut a slit up my repurposed dress). Purple satin gloves, heels, red long wig. And pucker your lips, sip martinis and be sultry all night.

The classic Marilyn. Super easy: pretty dress, pin curl hair, gloves and heels! The hairstyle makes this outfit a little harder, but if you just buy the blonde wig, it is easy. Plus you can justify buying a gorgeous dress because it can double as you costume and wedding/soiree ensemble later! Don't forget dramatic false lashes (mine have a diamond eyeliner), red lipstick, and a beauty mark!Cleopatra. This was fun because not many people do this costume! I made the skirt out of a simple McCall's pattern. Folded my cami in half and added gold around the straps. Draped gold fabric around my waist. I bought copper from a home improvement store and bent it into two armbands. Ebay provided the Egyptian necklace. Put on wig, go crazy with make-up (the Egyptian cat eye is fun), I also put on lots of bronzer and gold shimmer, since I'm not blessed with olive skin.
Flapper. This is soo much fun to be. I made a sheath dress and added each layer of fringe. Also, you can't see it, but the back is plunging with 2 horizontal sequin bands going across it. Add fishnet stockings, beaded headband, fingerwave wig, LONG pearls, heels, bright red lipstick etc. My two favorite accessories for this outfit were a long skinny cigarette holder (not shown), and a garter belt...that holds a mini gun!
Wonder Woman. This is pretty close competition for my favorite costume ever! I made blue high waisted undie bottoms and joined them with the corset top (I had to create all the patterns on this one, Warning: there are no decent Wonder Woman costumes or patterns to buy). Appliqued the gold belt on and added a loop to hold the lasso. Created patent leather boot covers tailored for a pair of my knee high boots, and then created a gold headband and cuffs. Don't forget to applique on all the stars, and sew on the gold ric-rac WW symbol. *I added sheer tights for warmth and a little extra coverage for comfort* I had to add brown extensions since my hair was a little past chin length at this point. So I felt like someone completely different, it was awesome.

Remember, always make costumes with friends. Just like you don't carve pumpkins alone because it is a fun group activity so can costuming! Go shopping for fabrics together, bounce ideas off each other, and then if you get stuck mid-way two heads are better than one!

So, what will you be for halloween? What has your favorite costume been in the past (handmade I hope)!

Bustle Shuffle

Welcome to my heart.


zimka

I Love bustles. I don't know if this comes from my love of all things romantic, victorian, edgy, and just a little bit of {wholesome} burlesque, but I love them.


artlab

Maybe it is because I have always loved dressing up and feeling pretty.


elliott elephant

Could be in part to having no fanny and loving that I could have one.


gaia conceptions

Or maybe the thought of it balancing out my little childbearing gut is comforting. Not at all like situps, and sweating for said excersizes.


sisters rose and ruby

Or maybe because what's her name in The King and I didn't care (or know) that the children thought she was fat due to her gigantor skirt (how they missed her teeny waist is beyond me.)


gaudy couture

I think though, it is the tattered lace, the modest disguise of hiding a figure.


bustle

Feeling demure and a little bit saucy at the same time.


stacy leigh atelier

So, I decided to make a very very VERY watered down bustle skirt for everyday wear (and also b/c I love the skirt and was trying to figure out a way to make it fit). Even though I do not machine sew, I did just a quick little stitching while I had foils (color) in my hair. (yes, I do foil my own hair late at night when the kids are sleeping so as not to frighten the sweet little beasts.)



I found this great tiered gyspy skirt (you all know the one) in a gorgeous nude color. It was about 10 sizes too big, but I couldn't pass it up. So, I took it home, gathered 2 folds in the very back and created a single back panel over the tag and pinned it.





Then, I simply hand stitched the waistband across the panel and about 3 inches down the back on each side of the fold.





Truly, it was so easy it took about 15 minutes. Now, I have a skirt that fits with a hint of a bustle on the back, but not too crazy like. You may not be able to even tell that a bustle exists.



But I can. And I like it.



If you try this project, you can get some matching tulle, snip the back panel at the top and insert pieces of tulle and lace into your slits in a descending fashion, all bustle like to really poof it out. (Just follow the inspirations of the gorgeous bustle pics I showed above!) I am actually considering doing this to my skirt, or maybe trying it on another one. I have no shame to walk into a grocery store with flip-fops, fitted tshirt and maxxed out bustle skirt.

What do you think, do I dare?