Friday, July 29, 2011

Fashion Friday: Accordian Pleats!

I happened upon East Grand Forks, MN for work this week...and stopped by Glamorous Reruns during lunch.  So sweet!  It's a little clothing consignment shop that the owner also purchases some new brand clothes from LA (just 6 pieces of each new item is purchased to sell in the store).  I've been trying to find a photo of the dress that inspired this Fashion Friday, but, alas, no photo online is to be found - it was an Ugg brand, light pink accordion pleated dress with navy blue ruffling underneath - adorable!  ($49...not bad, but I couldn't commit!)

Have you tried any accordion pleats lately?



Sneaky Peek's fashion blog writes, "The accordion pleat (otherwise known as the sunray pleat) is audaciously in fashion. By that we mean that every designer and his dog is featuring the 50s-inspired style, including the ready-to-wear collections of  Karen Walker and Sharon Wauchob. Not to mention US design house J Mendell, whose  Autumn 2011 collection was riddled with this fanciful fold."



"Accordion pleats are light and breezy and when worn correctly, can really make an outfit look effortless. What’s great is that they’re worn maxi, midi and mini length so depending on your height or style, you can wear them however you want" reports Non Stop Style blog.


I would have looooved to bought the dress...I don't have anything really remotely close to accordion pleats and they are just so light and airy...romantic and feminine.  Accessorizing these sorts of outfits also just seems like one good time!  A plain tee, high heels, cardigans, vintage and modern accessories...



And from one of the blogs I regularly follow, she not so long ago took photos of this sweet H & M dress!

{LOVE Pretty Zoo's blog where these 2 photos came from!}

Love it?  Hate it?

Plan an awesome weekend getaway!  Go do some awesome thriftings...garage sales...beaches...kites...maybe run up to Grand Forks to check out this store and True Colors - another new consignment shop find I didn't notice before!

xoxo

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Inspiration Workshop Installment #9: The Beach

 So once upon an amazing idea...we went with a sweet group of our friends on a cruise.  I still can't believe it actually happened!  {you know how easy it is to talk about doing crazy things...but then never doing them??}

 Desperate to get the heck out of dodge (ie. Fargo), we lived it up for a weekend.  By far, the highlight, and still one of my favorite days yet, was playing beach volleyball while sharing unlimited Passion Beach drinks...

Chillin' on the blob...

 Fallin' on the blob...

 Relaxin' in our chairs...

 Playin' in the sun...

Fallin' in the sun...

 Swingin' at the bar (on a different island...I just really love this whole concept...and it was on a beach)...

Ridin' in the speed boat...

And making completely and totally unforgettable memories together. (I'm in the white skirt;).  

 I really hope...that we don't become too mature and responsible that we don't allow ourselves moments like these.  Let's just all plan to hire like 3 babysitters in 5 years to watch our kids as we fly back down and zip line through rain forests! 

Who's with me?!

{and...p.s....anyone continue to meet up with friends who've moved away or after having kids that's made it like an "annual event" of sorts?  curious what you did/do!}

Gussy Sews Inspiration Workshop!

xoxo

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

inspire me on hump day: 3 doors down.


"When one door closes another opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us." ~Alexander Graham Bell
 
What is tripping you up from seeing the very opportunity or adventure that is awaiting you ahead...if you just would let go and move along?
 xoxo

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Try it Tuesday!: Felt rosette (wicked easy)...multi-purpose!

My good friend, Deb, asked the other day if I had heard of the craftings blog How About Orange...  Feeling inspired, I actually was able to try some simple projects I found on that site and also on a linked site that same night!  I love when that happens...instead of just pinteresting as I usually do...I DID it;)  (PS...I loooove pinterest.  Wholly perfect inspiration board-ness!)

The 2 tutorials I tried were:

Felted Rosettes from Mrs. Priss blog:

And the How to Make Boxes From Paint Swatches from How About Orange:
The rosettes themselves just took craft glue (or any), felt, and scissors...

I tried 3 different sizes - 4x4, 3.5x3.5, and 3x3...


3.5x3.5 to me turned out to be the best size...

The instead of drawing a swirl on my felt, I just starting cutting circular from the outside to the inside of the square...


Trimming off the outside end that was square-ish.

And started rolling the flower from the outside to the inside...


The perfect little middle piece got a dab of glue...and fit perfectly to finish the bottom of the rosette...

4x4, 3.5x3.5, 3x3...


The bottom...

And then I tried the paint swatch box using what I had at home to try!  



They go so well together;)!


But then I thought, hey, I kind of really like all this fabric rosette jewelry I've been seeing on etsy and such!  So I found my piece of doily lace stuff...

Figured out where it would fit best to have a little "leaf" left on a side...

Cut it down and hot glued it to the back...and found twine that I also hot glued to the back...

And thus a rosette necklace was born!  Not sure if I really like the twine or not with it...might be a little too Mary Jane's farm...but for now I'll take it...or make the rosettes into a brooch later!  

Any of your pinterests craftings you've been trying out lately?  Let me know your link if I'm not already following you!  I love sharing these great tutorials (and then doing them!)...

Also...did you ever try the July craft challenge fun?  I could yell loud curse words at my shirt currently, but I'll finish it up by Aug 1 and share it with you next Tuesday!  Here's the link - you've still got time to try it out (shirts like these are usually $4 or less when thrifting!) and send me a photo if you do it so we can share our craft winnings and failings together:) 
{click photo or here for link to tutorial at Grey Luster Girl}


xoxo