OOTD : Rushing Out

As promised, an outfit of the day!  This wasn't part of the photo shoot that is still in the works; it was more "I happened to be free and my BFF was able to take some quick shots."  :)

Since it was a whole 29* out today, here's a pic of my all time favorite faux leather jacket ever, ever, ever!  It fits oh so right, and is oh so comfy!  It's so soft you'd never know it wasn't real.  And the ever classic jeans tucked into brown riding boots.  (Hey, I said I was rushing out.  Think I had time to plan something creative?)

And this is my oh so fuzzy faux fur scarf.  It's wonderful to have the softness of a rabbit around your neck, without having a rabbit around your neck.  (They kick, ya know.)

Ok, and here's what's underneath.  Dove grey tunic top (also seen here), belted up with my "medieval shield" belt.

And my new snake print sequin top underneath the tunic.  It kinda shines like scales, I love it!!  What jewelry to wear when you're on the go?  Your go-to bangles (mine stretch for extra comfort) and fab statement earrings.  Although my hair covers them in these pictures.  Speaking of, I parted my hair IN THE MIDDLE today!  A look that I haven't tried since . . . ever.  I've got an unyielding cowlick, y'all, and have never been able to get to part in the middle.  But it cooperated today, and (ba-da-ba-ba-ba) I'm loving it!  Think it makes my face look slimmer.

That's it for today.  Looking forward to more outfits soon!  

<3, Mandy

New Adjustments : Pant Styles

Hello, lovelies!

Sorry for being MIA for the last few months.  We've had some big changes here lately, and this mama has had to do some adjusting.  I do have a photo shoot being lined up for some new OOTD (outfit of the day) posts, but for now . . .

I've been pant shopping lately (least favorite shopping EVER), and with all the different styles out there, what do they all mean?  So I've been doing some research and figured if I've been wondering these things probably others have been too.  So here's the scoop.  (I won't be getting into which cut for which body type or which styles are "in."  That'll have to be for a different day.)


SKINNY:

Skinny jeans / pants are fitted all the way down.  Waist, hip, thigh, knee, calf and ankle.

CIGARETTE:

Cigarette pants are fitted through the waist, hip, thigh and calf, but then the same width from calf to ankle.  That means that the leg opening is slightly wider than in skinnies.


STRAIGHT:

Straight leg pants are fitted through the waist, hip and thigh, but then the same width from thigh to ankle.  This is also known as a "trouser" cut.


WIDE:

Wide leg pants are fitted through waist and hip, but then the same width or WIDER from hip to ankle.


BOOTCUT:

Bootcut pants are fitted to the knee and then are slightly wider at the ankle.  These jeans are perfect for 

wear (duh) over your boots.  :)


FLARE:

Flared pants (same thing as bellbottoms from what I've researched) are fitted to the knee and then are much wider at the ankle.  The leg opening is typically 21-27."  

Just a note here: be sure your all your pants (with the exception of skinnies and cigarettes) graze the floor.  Otherwise they look awkward.

There ya have it!  Now we all know the terminology.  New posts to come.  Thanks for reading!

<3, Mandy

Where Can You Get My Bling?

I know y'all are wondering where you can get my fabulous bling.  So here it is!!!  YAYAYAYAYAY!!

And to get you ready, here are some pieces you've seen on my blog:

   

Analogousness : Feeling Young

Hi all!  Today my outfit is inspired by the color wheel and is analogous, which basically means three colors that are next to each other on the color wheel.  For more info on the color wheel check out this video.  The three colors that I chose are blue (cardi/wrap), teal (tights), and emerald green (cami).  I used grey and silver as my neutrals.

By belting the cardigan / wrap we're creating a faux peplum look.  The leggings are something new for me.  Still adjusting and experimenting.  

Even my diaper bag matches today!

With the leggings and boots I feel like an elf!  (The Santa's little helper kind, not the Lord of the Rings kind.)

It makes me feel youthful.

LOVE this necklace!  So earthy and feminine.

Happy Autumn, everyone!!

Long Time No See : New Closet Sanctuary

Has it really been over a month since our last post?!  Ah well, it was summer.  Here's one of the many projects I was working on:  MY CLOSET SANCTUARY!!!!

Well, actually it's my "getting ready corner."  I painted my walls a pale pink and the trim white.

My scarves are clothes pinned onto yarn.  Isn't it cute?  Thank you Pinterest :)

Everybody needs a chair for putting on shoes.  I might get a cute stool at some point, but for now the chair works.

New silver paint for the trim of my full-length mirror.  And an accessories organizer for my belts.

AND my new PURPLE shag rug from Big Lots!  So soft, my daughter just loves to lay down on it, and those who know her know that that's a big deal!  :)  (PS see my shoe shelf here)

Also: Outfit of the day!!  You deserve it after waiting for so long!

New necklace!!  Isn't she pretty?

Nothing like a little fringe / ostrich feather combo :)

Happy September, ladies!  

DIY Dyed Tee

After my last post, Tiffany Hendra of Sanctuary of Style asked if I would do a tutorial on dying clothing.  Absolutely, Tiff!!  I pretty much just follow the directions on the dye box.  A note before we get started, you may want to wear gloves as the dye might get on your hands.  Here are the things you'll need:

Your box of dye.  I like the "Wine" color.  It's the color of my tank in my previous post.  For a more intense color use another box of dye.  For my tank top I used 2, for this tee I'll just use one.  :)

The item you want to dye.  This is a plain white tee that I picked up from Goodwill.

Since this tee is cotton, I'm following the directions and adding a cup of salt.

And of course you'll need your washer.

Next thing to do is prep your dye by adding hot water to the dry dye powder (when you use liquid dye you can skip this step).

Add the cup of salt to your washer. 

Now it's time to set your dials.

Smallest amount of water possible for what you're dying.

Hottest water your fabric will allow.

Longest wash time available.

While the washer is filling add the dye.

I use the running water to rinse out the measuring cup (and clean it later with bleach).

Now soak your tee (or whatever) in the hot water.  Be sure to get it completely wet with no dry spots.

Then put it in the washer as stretched out as possible.

Now set your alarm because you'll need to reset the cycle BEFORE the rinse cycle starts!!

Tic-toc, tic-toc.  DON'T miss resetting the cycle!  If you do, your item will be splotchy (and not in a cute tie dye kind of way), and you'll have to start all over.  Tic-toc, tic-toc. 

RESET

Let it run through, then put your tee in the dryer! (Or hang it if you prefer.)

While it's drying, go ahead and clean your washer.  Put it on the highest water level and hottest water.  Add detergent and bleach.  Easy!

Tic-toc, tic-toc.  The hardest part is waiting for the dryer to be done.  Tic-toc, tic-toc.

DING DING DING!!! Done!

"Mandy, did you paint your wall?"  Yes, I did.  Note to self: don't start so many big projects at one time.  Hope this is helpful!