SHOPSOSIE

Blouse: Courtesy of ShopSosie, $29.40

Belt: Forever 21, $6

Skirt: Old Navy, $6

Headband: Vintage

Arm Cuff: Forever 21, $8

Shoes: Cynthia Vincent for Target, $35

Hello everyone! I'm so happy to finally get to post an outfit after recovering from my wisdom teeth surgery :) I had been really frustrated and in much pain because I had to stop taking the Vicodin they gave me since it was giving me nausea. But when I received this blouse in the mail, courtesy of ShopSosie my spirits were instantly lifted! :) I've been in love with their stuff since I saw Aimee Song wearing some pieces from them and I was beyond excited when they emailed me! :D What I love best about ShopSosie is that they have a very clean and edited selection of clothing; there is no sifting through pieces that you don't like; everything they have for sale appeals to me! They have such a wide variety of lovely colors, prints, shapes and textures. The pricing is very reasonable and the sale section is even better, and this blouse is on sale by the way ;) Definitely head on over and look around!

My favorite part about this blouse is the cape like sleeves of chiffon and how the blouse is longer in the back. It was rather windy today but that allowed me to show off the qualities of this top :) I tucked the front of the blouse into a belt to accentuate the sides of the blouse and transition it into the black skirt. Lastly, I threw on an arm cuff over the blouse to accentuate the cape sleeves. Did I mention that the buttons are little pearls?! I just love it! I would feel so confident wearing this blouse to give a speech in class or go to an interview; it's dressy while maintaining a fun and unique twist. Thank you so much Sosie!!

I also wanted to show you some of my other favorite things from ShopSosie:

1. Tri Owl Ring, $16

This double-finger ring is right on trend and the owls would look so cute perched on my fingers!

2. Pocket Frog Wallet, $9

I love the bright colors and texture of this wallet, plus the obvious fact that is adorable!

3. Braided Gladiator Sandal, $16.50

I really need more flat shoes and the muted beige tone of these sandals will allow them to go with practically anything, plus they won't randomly fall off my feet when I'm walking :)

I hope you enjoyed those picks! :) In other news, I won first place in the Hey Beautiful! contest on What I Wear! Thank you to those of you who voted for me, my prize is an iPad 2! I nearly died when I found out I won (it's dangerous flipping out on the top of a bunk bed too...). My mom has been wanting an iPad for some time so I told her she could have it :) But she said she would buy it off of me by buying me the taupe Jeffrey Campbell Lita Spikes!!! All in all, that is a pretty good deal for an iPad 2 though considering the JCs are $190 and an iPad would cost $500. I can't wait to wear those bad boys to school; they also double as a means of self defense ;) 

Over the break, I also managed to finish the basic structure of the gown I'm wearing for our school's fashion show! I'm halfway through the second gown and just started draping the coat. There's still so much work to be done in only a month but I shall just have to lose sleep and fuel my energy with my excitement for the Hunger Games premiere (got my tickets already!). We have a rainstorm coming in now so I'll see you guys again on Friday when the sun is back out. Have a wonderful week! Much love to you all! <3

INTERVIEW: JACKIE C.

For the first interview on my blog, I decided to interview one of my new friends, Jackie, whom I met from Lookbook! :) She's 17 and an aspiring fashion designer, with more than enough talent and achievements to boot! Plus she is such a sweet and genuine person and I hope you all will take the time to follow her future work. She is definitely a creative individual you want to keep your eye on!

Hi, I'm Jackie, and I write for the new blog Sewing in Stilettos (sewinginstilettos.blogspot.com). I love anything fashion-related, but especially sewing and designing. I’m 17 and a senior in high school in Indianapolis, but I’m hoping to head to New York in the fall to study fashion design. 


Q: How did you know you were interested in pursuing a career in fashion design?

I have always been drawn to fashion and creating art, so it was just a matter of merging the two together. I think I really knew that fashion design was what I wanted to do with my life in 7th grade. In 7th grade, I started sewing my own clothes by hand until I finally got a sewing machine, and I also started my own business selling handmade purses and bags.

Q: How did you start sewing?

Well, I guess I sort of answered this in the previous question, but I started in 7th grade. I first made a dress and a hooded top with lace on the edges. I did all of the sewing by hand, and it took ages to finish, but when I was done, I showed my dad the garments and he ended up buying me a sewing machine for my birthday. Once I got the sewing machine, I just kept on sewing garments until I eventually saved up enough to buy a Pfaff serger. After I had both machines, I just continued to sew as often as possible.

Q: What is the favorite piece that you have ever made?

My favorite piece is definitely my nude and black ruffled tulle dress. It was inspired by swirled lines on a piece of wood.

Q: Who is your favorite designer and why?

My favorite designer would have to be Alexander McQueen because of his unique and intricate designs. All of his designs seem to have a chillingly beautiful story behind them, and the detail and work put into an Alexander McQueen garment is absolutely amazing. Currently, I also think Sarah Burton is doing a fabulous job designing for Alexander McQueen.

Q: Where do you want to go to college?

I applied to Pratt, Parsons, and FIT, but I haven’t decided where I would like to go yet. I get my admissions decisions back on April 1st, so once I know if I got in and what kind of scholarships and financial aid I will have, I’ll be able to make my decision.

Q: What are your ultimate career goals?

My goal is to eventually have my own brand. I would like to have a cheaper line and a more expensive line, so that although one would obviously not be as high quality as the other, it would be available for a majority of the people who can’t afford high fashion runway pieces. My dream is to one day see my designs on the runway at New York Fashion Week.

Q: Where do you find yourself drawing inspiration from most often?

My portfolio for college was mainly based off of different places and aspects of those places. I think that this portfolio sort of reflected how I normally gather inspiration from almost anything in the world around me. I have designed garments from so many inspirations (from grapefruits to benches to cracks in the ground) that it is hard to narrow my inspirations down to any specific category.

Q: What do you believe sets you apart from other designers?

My designs are very creative and often very intricate, but they are also wearable. Furthermore, I design based on concepts and ideas, not just because I think something would look pretty. I want my designs to be unique and innovative, and I am always looking for and trying out new ways of doing things.

Q: What has been the biggest challenge you have faced thus far?

I think the biggest challenge I have faced is doubts. I have doubted myself before (especially when I first started out and not everything worked out as perfectly as I had planned), but I was able to get past my mistakes and now I know that my mistakes just help me grow as a designer. Other people have also doubted me because they think that I am just another girl who likes fashion and wants to be a designer because of that. However, when those people saw my work, they realized that I am not as untalented as they thought before. I have learned to not let doubts affect me because when you want something bad enough, you will be able to achieve it if you work hard and believe in what you are doing.

Q: And lastly, what has been the most rewarding experience in your fashion career so far?

My most rewarding experience was my classes at FIT and Parsons last summer. I spent the summer in New York, taking Advanced Fashion Drawing and Fashion Design Portfolio at FIT and Portfolio Development at Parsons. It was absolutely the most amazing 5 weeks of my life!

Thank you so much once again, Jackie, for letting me interview you! You will have my support throughout your entire career but I know that with your mindset and work ethic, success is guaranteed. :) Don't forget to fan Jackie on Lookbook here and follow her blog, Sewing in Stilettos here! 

DIY FLOWER HEADDRESS TUTORIAL

Hi guys! This is how you can make your own flower headdress like the one I wore in my last outfit post! I learned how to do this on Renaissance Day in 7th grade but mine fell apart over the years. This project is quick and easy and the combinations are limitless. Plus, they make great accessories for the springtime and would be adorable gifts to give your friends because you could even personalize it to their favorite flowers and colors. :)

MINT MERMAID

Floral Headdress: DIY (Tutorial coming soon)

Sweater: Thrifted, $5

Maxi Skirt: Forever 21, $10

This was the actual outfit I wore on Valentines Day! :) I made this floral headdress a while back but was having difficulty styling it properly. When Valentines Day rolled around it seemed like the perfect accessory; it gives off a romantic yet bohemian vibe. I decided to opt for an outfit of mint colors instead of the traditional red. This look reminds me a lot of a mermaid with all the sea foam tones!

It's finally break for me! I just got my wisdom teeth out on Friday morning and I'm not liking this numbing feeling, plus I can't even eat anything. I don't like ice cream, smoothies, yogurt etc. because my teeth are very sensitive to the cold and I've always had more salty taste buds. At least now that it is break for me, I'm going to start my AP English research project and I'm going to somehow find a way to incorporate fashion into that ;) I also am going to attempt to do half of my collection for the school fashion show, so I'll keep you all updated with each garment I complete. I only have 5 weeks to do all of it :( My goal is to do one long gown, two dresses (one may end up being a top and skirt), one top and shorts combo, one top and pants combo, and also one coat to go over one of the dresses. I hope I can successfully translate what I picture in my mind, into the actual garments!

Since I won't be able to take outfit photos for a few days, I'm planning on doing some interviews of other bloggers this coming week so look out for those! :) Have a great weekend!

PS: If any of you have a WhatIWear account, I would appreciate it so much if you could Wow some of my looks to help me win the competition which ends tomorrow night! <3 Here's my profile if you'd like to help me out! xx

DRIFTWOOD

Hat: H&M, $15

Faux Fur Vest: Forever 21, $21

Crochet Top: Vintage from my Mom

Floral Skirt: Vintage from my Mom

Shoes: Wt. Mountain

A very earthy look for Wednesday! The skirt used to belong to my Mom, as did the crochet top, and as usual, I had to satisfy my need for combining prints and textures. The outfit felt like it needed a little extra so I threw on the fur vest! And to top it all off, I added my sun hat from H&M. Either my head is small, or the hat is too big, because it fits on the looser side. Regardless, I think it's still a great piece to own, especially when you want to shield your eyes from the sun but don't feel like wearing sunglasses! 

As I am writing this, I know I am going to be up very late tonight, but the way I think of it, I might as well stay up late now where I only have to deal with the horrid feeling of waking up exhausted for one more day but with my work completed, and then for Friday and the couple days after that, I can just sleep and sleep all day until I recover from my wisdom teeth surgery. Because I won't be physically possible of doing much, I'm really excited about being able to sit back and relax, without feeling guilty for once :)

Hope all of you had a wonderful day and see you all tomorrow! 

CHILI PEPPERS

Velvet Dress: Metropark, $17

Tights: Ripped by my dog...

Shoes: Wt. Mountain

Happy Valentines Day everyone! I actually wore this outfit a few days ago but wanted to keep it to post until Valentines Day :) I got this dress over a year or so ago at Metropark, before it closed down :( Granted, their clothing was expensive but sometimes you would find really great deals on their sale racks-- this dress being one of them! It was only $17 and I adore the cut-out on the back; I personally find that revealing your back is much more eye-catching and classy than showing a lot of cleavage, stomach, or leg.

The tights I got from Target but because my dog, Dolly, forces me to shake hands with her whenever I come back from school, sometimes she gets really excited and ends up scratching my tights! (She's a Old English Sheepdog by the way so she's pretty large.) So that is how these tights began to rip more and more each day. I plan on just wearing them until they fall apart because I actually like the intricate detailing that is created from ripped tights!

Before I leave, I just want to say thank you to all my readers, especially the ones that always take the time out of their day to comment on my posts; I haven't been able to return the favor for you all recently because of school but I will try my best to during my week off from school next week! :) (Though technically I get to start break a day early because of my wisdom teeth extraction on Friday) Until tomorrow, I hope you had a wonderful Tuesday!

SUGARLIPS APPAREL

Headpiece: DIY (Tutorial here)

Cross Necklace: Forever 21

Lace Top: Gift from friend

AMAZING PANTS: Courtesy of SUGARLIPS APPAREL (Buy here)

I recently received these absolutely stunning and gorgeous chiffon pants courtesy of Sugarlips Apparel! I can't get over them; I rarely freak out about an article of clothing this much. Let me begin by saying that they are extremely well made and the movement of these pants when you walk is absolutely beautiful. They make me feel like a princess and I could even picture myself wearing these over any typical ball gown because they are so unique and the way the fabric flows is like nothing else I've ever seen! These pants are not your typical bell bottoms, they are gathered all the way around the leg so if you were to actually measure out the yardage of the hem, each leg would be a bit over 8 feet long in circumference, so you definitely get what you pay for! Thank you so so so much Sugarlips! :)

Lots of pictures for you guys today; it was too hard to pick only the usual 3! The second outfit shot is my favorite capture, it was honestly a miracle that my sister was able to snap the shot at that moment in time. Don't forget to check out her Lookbook page here too! :)

✰ MILKYWAY ✰

Star Top: Forever 21, $13

Marbled Dress: H&M, $8

Studded Cuff: Forever 21, $8

Sunglasses: eBay, $10

Today I paired my new sheer, star top from Forever 21, with my H&M marbled dress! Mixing prints is one of the easiest ways to rework your wardrobe; an easy rule to follow is to mix prints with the same color palette, or to pair a loud print with a more subdued one (think bold stripes with thin stripes etc). The stars combined with the splotchy marbled print remind me of the Milky Way, which is how the name of this look came about! I added on my new studded cuff also from Forever 21 too! You also may not have noticed but I'm wearing nude tights in this look and the last one too; I think they are one of the best inventions, especially for those days when you don't want to throw on black tights but it's a bit too cold outside to go bare-legged.

I'm also wearing my new sunglasses which I ordered off of eBay here. While looking for some Lennon sunglasses, I stumbled across these ones and the even cooler part is that the black lenses flip up to reveal clear lenses beneath! I'm going through a sunglasses phase at the moment :D

STUDS & ROSETTES

Studded Collar: DIY

Rosette Necklace: Forever 21, $6

Lace Top: Forever 21, $16

Cheetah Skirt: H&M

Shoes: Wt. Mountain

I'm in love with my new collar! I've been seeing them around but they are a bit pricey so I asked my dad if I could have one of his old shirts and I cut the collar off and studded it :) I also purchased this necklace recently and thought it would look cute peeking out underneath the collar and I love the way they look paired together!

I'm pleased with the lace top too; it doesn't keep you that warm but at least when it gets to Spring, it will make a great layering piece without causing you to overheat. I threw on my "Sherlock" inspired coat, last minute as I ran out the door for school; did you know the one Benedict Cumberbatch wears in Sherlock is over $2100?! Who knew?

Anyways, this weekend I have so many things to do. I'm taking the ACT on Saturday morning and I need to get up at 6:30 AM! :( I would have loved to have been able to sleep in. I've been staying up so late this week. It's not even that I have a lot more homework, it's the fact that I've realized I work most efficiently when I have complete silence (everyone else is asleep and it's quiet outside too). In addition, I have to finish The Great Gatsby in English and I feel so much more inclined to get into the book now that I've found out Tom Hiddleston played F. Scott Fitzgerald in Mignight in Paris! Hehe :) Then on Sunday, I'm studying for APUSH with a friend in the afternoon and going to a birthday party in the evening. By the way, I'm getting my wisdom teeth out next Friday so you won't be seeing me for a few days after that... but I'm sure none of you will want to see what I look like anyways so it works out! ;D

I also think it's rather hilarious that in these past few days, I've had two people come up and ask me if they could have one of my Sherlock Holmes 2 ticket stubs... (the English 12 Film & Literature class gets extra credit for seeing it because they do a SH unit). I'm flattered that people understand my obsession but I actually only saw it twice... hahaha plus I will guard these ticket stubs with my life. I didn't wait 6 hours outside the theater for the midnight premiere for nothing!

This specific look also had the honor of being Chictopia's homepage feature so I took a photo when I saw it on my phone! :)

WALKING ON A DREAM

Kimono: Target, $10

Corset: Forever 21, $13

Shorts: Handmade

Shoes: Wt. Mountain

Today I am wearing the new kimono I purchased at Target last week! I always find the best things on sale at Target; this kimono is actually an XXL but I think it looks better if it is oversized on me. The corset is from Forever 21 and I'd love to find more tops like this because the sweetheart neckline is really flattering if you have a small bust and frames your neck really well. The shorts, I made myself using the McCall's M6238 Pattern if you'd like to make your own. I also decided to wear my long black socks (Kendall taught me the trick of cutting your old tights into thigh high socks instead of buying them), with my black booties and I like the way they make my legs look super long! :)

Smashion.com did an interview on me recently, so thank you to Vanessa for asking me to partake in it! I also received THE MOST ADORABLE PANTS courtesy of Sugarlips Apparel and I'll have the outfit post for you all this weekend. I knew the pants might end up being a little long on me since I'm on the shorter side, but I had to have them, so I altered the hem the other day at school and now they fit perfectly! These pants look like they walked out of one of my dreams; I've never seen anything like them.

This is a bit delayed on my part but the 2nd issue of Te Au was published recently and I have a few pieces in there if you'd like to see:

I have 100 followers on my blog now :) Thank you so much everyone! My blog is truly my retreat from school stresses and you support makes the experience so much more worthwhile! <3

MAKING BANK ;)

Hi everyone! :) So if you have been keeping up with me recently, you will know that I shot a photoshoot for a group of teenage girls for a birthday party, and earned $200! I felt that my wardrobe needed a little boost so I used almost all the money (sadly haha) and went shopping, but for once, I don't feel guilty about it because I earned the money myself! This is what I got:

Starting from top left:

1. Star print chiffon top, Forever 21, $12.80 (Buy here)

2. High-waisted acid wash skinny jeans, H&M, $20

3. Studded cuff, Forever 21, $7.80 (Buy here)

Wing cuff, Forever 21, $6.80 (Buy here)

Beaded Navajo bracelet, a gift from a best friend :)

4. Furry hat, $6, Target

5. Rosette necklace, Forever 21, $7.80 (Buy here)

Cross necklace, Forever 21, $6.80 (Buy here)

Pearly stone necklace, Forever 21, $5.80

6. Chiffon floral kimono, Target, $10

7. Deer t-shirt dress, H&M, $7

8. Cheetah print ribbon flats, Payless, $20

9. Lace long-sleeve top, Forever 21, $16

I'm really loving the items I picked out :) especially the jeans because they will also make adorable high-waisted jean shorts if I decide to cut them up. I've been looking for a pair of those vintage Levi shorts forever but it's hard to find a pair that fit well without it costing a lot of money. For only $20, I'm quite happy with these! They also come in an acid grey.

I also don't normally like flats because I feel like they make me feet look odd, but I needed another pair of flat-heeled shoes. I've been seeing flats like these around and tried these on and much to my surprise, the ribbon tie helps to divide up your foot so it doesn't look too lengthy.

You may have also noticed I went on a huge jewelry binge :D I'm not usually a person who buys jewelry that often but it felt like at every single corner I turned at Forever 21, there was another cute piece of jewelry shouting my name!! Seriously, all of you need to run over there right now because their jewelry selection is phenomenal right now.

And lastly, although I don't have pictures since these items have not arrived in the mail yet, I ordered the Motel Blake dress in Cherry Blossom for $18 online and I'm really adoring the bold floral print, plus it has that cute mesh detailing! I also ordered from eBay, a pair of Steampunk-inspired sunglasses for $10, a pair of hot pink Lennons for $7, and a tulle tutu skirt for $16. I'm the most excited about the tulle skirt, I was stalking this one online at Forever 21 but was really sad when it went out of stalk in my size so I searched all over eBay and found a suitable alternative.

In other news, Daria from Fashion Surf featured me as her January, Blogger of the Month, and you can read the interview she did on me here! Please check out her blog, she always has lovely photography and she is very kind :) Thanks again Daria! <3

UPPER ARM CUFFS

A problem I've always dealt with in having small wrists is being unable to wear most bracelets or bangles. :( To fix this obstacle, when I did decide to wear bangles, I would push them up to my forearm or up to my upper arm. Now I've just gotten into the habit of doing this and have learned to love the upper arm cuff a lot! Here are some of my picks! Keep in mind though that you will need to look for either bracelets that have a lot of stretch, or bangles that have an opening like the ones below, that can wrap around your arm, and not constrict blood flow.

Clockwise from top left:

1. Winged Cuff Bracelet - $8.80 at Forever 21

2. Cobra Arm Band - $24 at Urban Outfitters

3. Mesh Clamp Bracelet - $28 at Topshop

4. Cutout Rose Cuff - $4.80 at Forever 21

5. Double Band Armcuff - $30 at Topshop 

6. Etched Leaves Hinge Bracelet - $5.80 at Forever 21

My favorite one is the cuffed wing bracelet from Forever 21 :) It looks like a pair of wings is hugging your arm! My second favorite is the leaf bracelet because it looks like it's really stuck on to your arm. I hope you enjoy these and feel inspired to try out an upper arm cuff yourself! Sadly, please forgive me, but I made this post a few weeks ago and never got around to posting it and now some of them are out of stock :( They are still pretty to look at though!

I know I haven't posted in a week but I recently went shopping with all the photoshoot money I earned so expect a haul post soon :)