Pinterest Challenge 01

I am a big fan of Young House Love, along with half the universe, it seems. This week Sherry is hosting a Pinterest Challenge: take something you have pinned and actually make it, or your own version of it. This should be a monthly challenge for me because I have so many great ideas pinned on my boards but if I never get around to actually making them myself - what's the point?
I love all the DIY jewelry pins and wanted to post about a project I did lately. When it was my turn to host my monthly craft group, I chose painted bead necklaces. I made one for myself, then one for my sister's birthday and one for my neice for Christmas. I loved this for my craft group because everyone could personalize their necklace how they liked: different lengths, different sized beads, different color schemes: monochromatic, ombre, multi-colored.

I was inspired by Kristina Klarin necklaces, which she sold on Big Cartel and then through Anthropologie. She now has her own site, House of Kami. The necklaces are amazing - hand-crafted, original, fabulous pieces and I would buy several if my budget allowed. Colored bead necklaces are no new thing, but I love Klarin's color mixes and how she makes multi-layer pieces. Click on each piece to go to the best source. (As I said, Klarin no longer sells thru Big Cartel and Anthro.)

Then I found these other pins to add to my inspiration board, and some of these blogs have tutorials too - not that you need much help to paint and string. Click on each image to go to the original source.

So for our craft night we used waxed cotton cording and hand-painted all our beads with craft paint and small brushes. Spray-painting also seems to work well, especially if you are going with all one color. I bought lots of sizes of wooden craft beads, up to 3/4" inch. Most of us with longer necklaces just tied them off so they can slip over the head, but if you have a shorter length you would need some kind of clasp - lots to choose from at craft stores. And most of my craft group chose to spray glossy acrylic over the top to protect and add a nice shine. Here are some of the (mostly) finished products.

Day 21! Woo Hoo

Top: Target
Cardigan: Gap
Skirt: Loft
Belt: Target
Shoes: Easy Spirit
Necklace: Target

I went through a couple outfits in my head for this last day of the 21 Day Challenge, and the one that I thought would be great turned out to be not so much. My husband vetoed the skirt immediately, which was new and apparently unflattering. And I had tried to mix two black and white patterns and it just didn’t work. He also said he hated my shoes but I think he’s crazy – I love them! So I tried something else and I think it’s okay. I love the look of the belt on top of a cardigan and I’ve never done it before. I went for some neutrals with pops of color and I can see that belt getting a lot of use this year.

Thanks to all the people who have encouraged me through this challenge. Quite a few people have told me they were enjoying the outfits and I didn’t even know they read my blog at all. So it’s been slightly embarrassing, but so good for me to get out of a clothing rut. I haven’t worn flip flops or a plain, solid-color tee shirts for three weeks now.

The bad news is that because I have had clothes and dressing on the brain so much for the last month I’ve gone a little overboard on the shopping. My husband has had it. (Plus he wants to know when the lingerie challenge is coming.) Anyway, we’re going for a no-spending month of September. Well, mostly. We do have a trip to Seattle planned for Aaron & I to celebrate our ten year anniversary. But no new clothes! Next week I’m going to challenge myself to 30 for 30 challenge, a la Kendi Everyday, using only clothing I already have. Good thing I have some cute new things to work in. ;) I will certainly not be posting my outfit every day, but am shooting for a weekly post.

Day 20: Fancy Shoes

Top: Gap
Jeans: J. Jill
Heels: Last Chance

Sorry I didn’t get this posted yesterday. I cleaned all day & only managed to get showered and dressed just in time to go out with my sweet husband for his birthday. After I took a few pictures, of course. Since we were going out it was easy to choose Sunday heels to go with a slightly fancier than weekday outfit. I love the look of jeans with heels but never do it, so it really is a new look for me. I’ve had these gold heels for several years & love them!

Day 19: Adorn Your Head

Top: Gap

Crops: Gap

Hat: Target

Flip Flops: Old Navy

If you saw me wearing a hat today and thought I was weird - it's because of the 21 Day Challenge, whose prompt for today was to wear something on your head. Or maybe it's just because I am weird, and I bought this hat at the beginning of the summer because I love it. I've only had the courage to wear it a couple times before so I was a little glad for the push to throw it on today.

Day 18: Make a Statement

The prompt for today was to wear a piece of statement jewelry and I was happy to put on this necklace that I just bought on super clearance. I struggled a little about what top to wear with it and was happy enough with my eventual choice. I went into a clothing shop today to return something and the salesgirl told me she loved the necklace. She went on for a couple minutes and said how nice it looked with my eyes and hair, etc. She finished with, "It is such a statement piece!"  Talk about making my day. I guess I managed to pull off the challenge today.

Top: Gap

Necklace: Dillards

Trouser Jeans: Gap

Day 17: Mend It!

Top: Gap

Necklace: Fossil

Jeans: Gap

Wedges: Last Chance

I am so thankful for this prompt to mend something & wear it today. I've had this pair of white jeans for almost two years. And they were too long. Which didn't stop me from wearing them a few times with duct taped or safety pinned hems. And recently I have been trying really hard to hem them, but in the process my seldom-used sewing machine broke. And because of this prompt in the 21 Day Challenge, I searched all over online for the instruction manual for my machine, found it for free and downloaded it, fixed my machine in about five minutes, and hemmed those stinkin' jeans! Unfortunately I started all this at 11:30 last night, so I'm a little tired today, but I'm wearing my white jeans finally. I can't believe they still fit. (They are a little more snug.) Next on to the curtains that have been waiting for a year.

ps - have you all tried this tutorial for hemming jeans? i will be using this genius method from now on. so much easier than the regular way too.

Day 16: Menswear

Shirt: Old Navy

Tie: Rountree & York

Shorts: Gap

Loafers: Bass

The prompt for today was to take inspiration from menswear. I have seen women wearing mens' ties before and I really like the look. I mean, how much different is it than a scarf? So today I donned my husband's tie over a pink oxford. Shorts keep me a little cooler & I threw on my loafers, which are also menswear inspired. I have already received quite a few funny looks today for my tie, and one joke about how I didn't need to dress up, and it will be interesting to see the responses I get at my women's church meeting tonight. But I like it anyway. I think I'll revisit a tie when it's cooler and I can layer it under a sweater or vest.

Day 15: Copycat

I finally got to my copycat outfit today. I found some great images of seersucker outfits on Pinterest and was able to wear my new, clearance skirt from Land's End as well as fit in my remix white linen shirt for the 3rd time. Here's the overall look:

It's a little like  ♪ ♫ One of these things is not like the others. One of these things just isn't the same.  ♪ ♫  It's pretty clear which picture is me, but I like that it still feels consistent. Pink seersucker and white linen is always a great summer look, don't you think? Images found from Pinterest here, here, and here. My outfit (bottom left) is a top from J. Jill (my remix item for the 3rd time), pink seersucker skirt from Land's End, belt from Target, sandals from Gap, and vintage scarf as a bracelet. I'm really excited to check out everyone's copycat looks. They are linked up at Freckles in April.

Day 14: Copycat... OR... New Hairstyle

Today the prompt for the 21 Day Challenge is to recreate a favorite outfit from a magazine or blog. But since the prompts just came yesterday I haven't really had time to figure out what I want to do, so I'm switching it up a bit. The prompt for tomorrow is to try something new with your hair so I did that today instead.

Earlier this year I saw a few magazine ads for a fancy new bobby pin type deal from Goody. It's the Spin Pin and it has pretty much saved me during this hot, hot `summer. I have always admired pretty updo's and buns but since I have zero hairstyling ability I have never been able to do that myself. The Spin Pin corkscrews into your hairdo and does the work that ten regular bobby pins do. All of a sudden I can wear an elegant bun everyday! Or you know, my lopsided version of an elegant bun. I've done side buns, low buns, and high buns. But that's kind of the extent of my knowledge. But today I decided to try a french twist. So I worked on it for 30 minutes and came up with this:

It's not pretty and it's not what I imagined, but technically it is a french twist. And at least my Spin Pins held it in place for three hours of church. Now, I just need to get my sister to teach me how to do a french twist for real. And just in case my four readers might go into withdrawals if they don't see my outfit for today... here it is. And despite what it looks like I'm not pregnant. Just well-rounded. :)

Top: Gap

Skirt: Dillards

Heels: Last Chance

Earrings: Dillards

Day 13: Neutral with a Pop

Top: Gap

Trouser Jeans: Gap

Necklace: Made by me here

Belt: Old Navy

Wedges: Calypso St. Barths for Target

I decided to go with accessories for my neutral outfit with a pop of color. I have some bright pieces of clothing, but I didn't want to have too much color. If it was cooler I would have worn a bright top under a cardigan or blazer or something. But this week has been blazing! My kids haven't had recess for most of the week because there was a heat advisory. So accessories it was for me. I wish I had a skinny, orange, patent leather belt instead of my striped belt but whatcha gonna do.

Day 12: Fancy Jeans

Top: Kohl's

Jeans: J. Jill

Shoes: Easy Spirit

The fact that I don't have on anything from Gap is amazing to me. As much as I love that store I need to branch out in my shopping. I am happy to get back to jeans, as it's been a week or so. And per the prompt, I added a nicer blouse rather than a plain tee. I love that jeans can be dressed up or down and a dark wash, skinny pair certainly dresses up well - much more than I did today. But I am going to a baseball game tonight so I didn't want to go too fancy (or change). My arms look pretty bare though so I'm off to add a bracelet or two.

Day 11: Skirts or Dresses

Top: Gap

Skirt: J.C. Penney

Shoes: Easy Spirit

I'm sure everyone noticed that I didn't post my outfit yesterday. I did follow the prompt and pulled an oft-unworn item from my closet and built an outfit around it. But I wasn't very happy with my look & decided not to post it here; I just added it to the flickr group.

But on to today! The challenge was to wear a skirt or dress, which was so easy for me because I love to wear skirts all summer long. They are the coolest thing in sunny Arizona. I pulled on one of my favorites, added a girly top with ruffles and ties, some great heels and bright lipstick. I feel pretty today. And even taking pictures didn't ruin that. I already know I am well-rounded - but I can still feel pretty.

Day 9: Monochromatic

Tee: Gap

Cropped Skinny Cargo Pants: Gap

Earrings: Jewel Mint

Belt: too old to remember

Shoes: Easy Spirit

I like monochromatic outfits, but generally good ones involve more than a top and a bottom. I would have loved to top off this outfit with a military vest so that it was totally clear that I meant to wear all one color today. Maybe this one from Old Navy.

 But I'm okay with what I have on. I love these pants and they always make me feel a little skinnier... until I see pictures of myself. But really it's my top half that needs to lose some bulk. I suck in my middle so much for these pictures! That's one good thing to come of this 21 Day Challenge: I have more motivation to get exercising again.

Day 7: Layer Accessories

Top: J. Jill (remix item)

Belt: Target
Dress: J.C. Penney

Sandals: Gap

Loads of bracelets: everywhere

I threw my remix white linen camp shirt over a dress, added a belt and called it good for church in the mountains today. For my layering accessories prompt I decided to go with wristfuls of bracelets. I always feel crazy with so much jewelry, but when other people do it I think it looks good. So I'm trying to get over my reservations. I had a few more planned, but it turns out I've, ah... outgrown some of my old ones & couldn't get them on anymore. One more reason to take the stairs.

Day 3: Mixing Patterns

Day 3 of the 21 Day Challenge: Mix Patterns

I always like the look of mixing patterns, but have a hard time doing it for two reasons. 1- I'm a little scared. 2- I don't have many patterned pieces of clothing. I lean strongly toward solids, although that's a habit I'm trying to break. Today I'm mixing a maxi skirt from Forever 21 with a white tee and a blue striped, lace-edged overshirt/cardigan thing from Gap. It's not super gutsy mixing, but it's a start. Yesterday's outfit mixed a blue/white stripe with a floral pattern too. Hopefully I can come up with a bolder mix before these 3 weeks are up.

Day 2: The Tuck

Once I started taking pictures I remembered why I don't tuck my shirts in generally - it's my tummy that I'm always trying to hide. But I do like the look of the half tuck, with a belt peeking through, and it's good for me to mix it up. Sometimes I like to tuck in my shirt when I wear a high waisted skirt. In case you have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm taking on Kayla's 21 Day Challenge.

Day 1: 21 Day Challenge

I am going to try the 21 Day Challenge at Freckles in April. With the start of school & a little more free time to myself I want to try to actually get dressed & put together every day. Hopefully this challenge will give me some motivation. There are little prompts for each day, remixing is encouraged, and Kayla is a fellow Arizona girl - so hopefully I'll get some inspiration on how to wear more than a skirt and tee without melting into a puddle. I know I'm no fashion model, but I do love to shop, read fashion mags, and lately a bunch of fashion blogs & websites. I will try not to be embarrased and hopefully I can cover my well-rounded shape with some decent outfits.

Day 1: Remix (choose 1 item that will get thrown in at least three times in 21 days)

These jeans & white linen shirt are the J.Jill ones I blogged about in my last post. The white shirt is so versatile & you'll be seeing more of it in the next 3 weeks. I found the Bass loafers at Savers for $5 and they will get a lot of wear this fall & winter.

Accidental Purchases

Have you ever accidentally bought something? You know, you don't intend to shop, and you weren't planning to buy something, but somehow you come home with new things anyway. Last weekend I was on my own, as my sweet husband took our three boys out of town (you're the best, honey!) and I was indeed shopping. Hard to believe, right? But I was only looking for a wallet, as mine is falling apart and I keep losing important things like pennies and receipts. I was only looking for a wallet and managed to get in and out of several stores quickly without finding a wallet and certainly without buying something extraneous.

Then I walked into J. Jill. I've been there once or twice before, but never bought anything. I loved some of the looks up front which included linen items - I'm a sucker for linen. And as I headed to the back where they keep accessories like wallets, I naturally ran my eyes over the clearance racks. And since I liked what I saw I looked closer, rummaging through my own size. Since I am... curvy... and short, I often have problems finding things in my size and that are flattering on me. And there were several things on that J. Jill clearance rack and they accidentally came home to live with me. And I love them. It helped that all clearance items were an additional 40% off. If only they had wallets. But here are the new items in my closet:

J. Jill Authentic Fit Skinny Jeans    Skinny jeans are a bit hard for me, but I like them and my previous pair just wore through into holes in unseemly spots. These new ones are very dark & look nice - no distressing, whiskering, or holes. And they were about $20!

J. Jill Shimmer Linen Skirt    I completely fell in love with this soft grey, linen skirt when I pulled it off the rack. But it was a size too small. The sales person said they didn't have my size and that I should try it because they ran a little big. And she was right! On me it falls all the way to the tops of my shoes - a true maxi skirt. And the little, gold, metallic weave through it dresses it up a little and I noticed it helps to hide spills and stains. Of which I have many. Totally my kids fault.

J. Jill Linen Camp Shirt    They had quite a few linen shirts on sale and I tried on several and decided on this one. I love how they are crisp and soft at the same time and I favor cuffed and tabbed sleeves lately. Linen shirts are so classic - especially white.

April Outfit of the Month

I explained the concept of the Outfit of the Month series already, but to sum up: each month I will feature an outfit that I wish I was wearing, either from a magazine or somewhere online. Then I will create a look with a similar feel, with pieces that would fit into the budget of a Well-Rounded Woman. 

April's outfit comes from Lucky magazine and I listed each piece, including price. They add up to a whopping $3,868. And I don't know about you, but that's about six or seven years worth of clothing for me.

Below are the pieces I found, at significant discounts. In fact, at a total of $226 for the entire outfit, that comes to less than 6% of the price of the Lucky outfit. And naturally I don't have $226 to spend each month, but I can usually pick up a piece or two. I already have the pin and I made the necklace recently, and I think I'd like to get a pair of light-weight jeans like this for the summer. I spent a lot of time learning how to make an image map, so please click on specific pieces for the links to where you can get them.

DIY Bead Necklace

As I searched for a suitable necklace for my April Outfit, I couldn't find anything that was what I wanted, but my mind kept going back to a post from the Martha Stewart craft blog. They highlighted a project of dyeing unfinished, wooden beads and stringing them together to make long necklaces. I love this picture:

I had wanted to try this project and this week seemed the perfect time, so I could add the necklace to my April Outfit. I ran to Joanne's to buy beads, dye, and cord to string the beads. The instructions were easy, and by the end of the day I was wearing my necklace. See full directions on the Martha Stewart site here.

Here are some shots of my process, along with details of what I did. I used the following beads:
14    1/2"
24    9/16"
14    5/8"
22    3/4"

You string them on floral wire first to get the length you want and them dye them on the wire. The beads cost me about $10 total and the Rit dye was $2.50. (A sweet woman offered me an extra coupon for 25% off my purchase, which I was glad for because none of my items were on sale.) The MS website recommends using leather cord, which you can dye to match the beads, but I am cheap and bought a waxed cotton cord. I'm sure that would have dyed well also, but I didn't bother. The total cost was around $13 without coupons or sales. (Love my sweet neice as a model!)

I used Rit dye in Teal and was happy with the color, although the tutorial used mostly teal, with a little taupe or grey mixed in. I can see that would give them a more muted look, but I skipped this too. I used my large, non-stick, dutch oven pot and was worried about ruining it, but it was no problem at all. The beads stay in the dye 5-10 minutes, depending on how dark you want them - just agitate throughout and check them often. Dry the beads on an old towel. They took much longer to dry than I thought, and the color lightened as they dried. It would have gone much faster outside. I was worried about the dye rubbing off on my clothing without some kind of rinse or finish. I wore my necklace the next day with an already stained shirt and didn't have any transfer of color. I've worn my beads several times since and I think they look great!

In the end, I couldn't dump out 8 cups of beautiful blue dye, so I ended up dipping a bunch of paper coffee filters. I've seen a lot of amazing crafts made from these and had previously grabbed some at the grocery store so I dyed a few dozen, let them dry upside down to keep their shape, and stashed them away for the next project.