DIY: Bow tie necklace

I've been coming across a lot of bow tie style necklaces lately while browsing stores online. I am loving them. Bow ties are huge right now. Headbands are adorned with them, shoes are bedecked with them, and the pussybow blouse is having a moment. It was decided. I, too, would take on the bow.

The inspiration:

1. Asos 2.Max and Chloe 3. Modcloth

What you'll need:

1 Bow (I found this at JoAnne's)

Chain (to the length you want)

Clasp

4 small open jump rings (I used 3.5mm)

2 slightly larger open jump rings (I used 4mm)

1 closed jump ring (I used 5mm)

Pliers

Bead reamer (or pin/needle)
I happen to have jewelry making supplies on hand, but Michael's and other craft stores sell these supplies.
Be aware most craft stores won't have sterling silver, which is my preference. You'll most likely need to go to a beading store for sterling, or order online. 

Pierce hole on the side of your bow (for the connections).

Repeat on other side.

Open your larger jump ring. 

Using both pairs of pliers, find the seam and push/pull in opposite directions.

Place smaller jump ring on the open one.

Attach through the hole you made, close jump ring.

To close, repeat how you opened it, be sure to make sure there's no gap.

Repeat Step 2 and 3 for other side.

Measure your bow.

Based on the size of your bow, determine the amount of chain needed.

I wanted my necklace to be about 16 inches, so I cut 13 inches of chain.

Be sure to keep in mind the clasp will add some slight length as well.

Cut the chain into 2 equal lengths.

Open smaller jump ring and attach a piece of chain, then close tightly.

Repeat for other side.

On one side, attach another smaller jump ring and your clasp.

Close tightly.

On the other side, attach the smaller jump ring and the closed one.

Close tightly.

Voila!

And on. 

Please pardon my no makeup'd Sunday crafty self.

If you do this for yourself, I'd love for you to share it with me! What's your stance? To bow or not to bow? I'm excited to wear this with tees, button ups and dresses. I mean everything is classier when you're wearing a sparkling bow tie necklace, right?

Dress this way

I've said it a few times here, I've said it a lot of times on twitter, and so much more to my friends and family.

Purr

I love Steven Tyler. Love. Love. Love. Love may even be an understatement. My husband knows and accepts that the other man in our marriage is Steven. He may have nixed naming any future son we have Steven Tyler, but that's about all he can control. He may not understand it, but he accepts it.

You could only imagine my excitement when I heard that Steven Tyler was teaming up with Andrew Hilfiger (Yes, Tommy's brother) to create an Impulse for Macy's clothing line, Andrew Charles. (Just recently Karl Lagerfeld had an Impulse line with them as well.)

This joint venture meant one thing. I could dress like Steven Tyler. Steven Tyler could dress me. This is exciting!

A lot has already sold out online, and I'm praying that my Macy's is one of the 100 stores carrying the line. For those of you in the NYC area, Steven will be posing with his daughters Chelsea and Mia in the window of the Herald Square store so check it out. (I will ask you to take pictures, I won't ask you to lick the glass for me.)

Here are 2 of my picks based solely on what I've seen online.

$89

$79

The prices are reasonable, but the material is polyester, so prepare to get warm if you're rocking these at an Aerosmith concert. (Aside: Please come back to Boston soon!).

If you're interested, WWD has a fun little interview with my man Steven and it's certainly worth the read.

Boston Fashion Week Sip and Swap

Picture from Betsy

Last Thursday, my friend Betsy and I attended Boston Fashion Week Sip and Swap hosted by the Swapaholics. We met before the event to grab a snack at Meadhall before heading over to the Microsoft NERD center for the event. The weather that day was tricky. Much like fall in New England, it was predicted to be warm(ish), rainy during the late afternoon, and then either humid, or cold afterwards. Planning the outfit and where to eat was a task. As I walked to Meadhall, it was bright. When we left, it was raining. Then, it was pouring. We had umbrellas, but thanks to the wind...we were soaked. The NERD center was filling with fashionistas soaked to the bone. You would have thought the drowned rat look was "in".  We dropped off our swap items, registered and headed for the bathroom to try to save the hair.

 

Slight improvement.

 Then we went right to the bar! The event was being sponsored by Magners, along with other local women-run businesses (Open Runway, Spreedia, and a few others).

Hard Cider Saves. (or causes you to forget the hair woes)

 After some chatting, and a few hard ciders, the crowd started to flock towards the clothes. Having previously been to a swap, I knew what to expect, although this crowd was much larger. There was still about 10 minutes until we were let loose, and this is the crowd we were behind.

Lots of ladies ready to book it.

 From previous experience, I knew to avoid shoes, dresses, and jewelry/accessories. Clothes were flying off hangers, and minimal elbows were thrown. In comparison, this is a slightly mild version of the running of the brides. I say slightly, because these ladies probably didn't have a bridezilla factor working with them. As the crowds broke up to check out their stash and start trying to trade, Betsy made a last ditch effort to find an item that's near the top of her Fall shopping wish list.

Any tweets with #bfwswap made it to a board, so cool and techy.

She still had no luck. If you have a blazer you're looking to get rid of for 3 pennies, be sure to hit her up on her blog. She'll appreciate it.

As for the outfits, Betsy and I have very similar items in our closets so we decided we'd share what we were wearing with each other beforehand. They sounded (and looked) very different, but when I share the deets...well...you'll see why we're such good friends.

From the Swapaholics Facebook

On me (the left, obvi) Sam Edelman Caper flats, Gap Skinnies, Anthro top, JCrew Jackie Cardigan, Petal &  Pink necklace and earrings, glasses no-name brand from the eye doctor (yes, my glasses serve an optometric(is that a word?) purpose).

On Betsy (the right, duh) Tory Burch Reva flats, Gap Skinnies, JCrew Camisole, Anthro Cardigan, Petal & Pink earrings and bracelets. 

I managed to get some pretty good items from the swap. I knew that if it looked interesting to just throw it in my bag and worry later about size/condition. I think my best finds were a DVF top and a striped sweater from the now defunct Martin & Osa. I also got a few tops that are brands from Target, but in awesome condition and will be great. I'd share pictures of my loot but to be honest, they're still sitting in the trunk of my car waiting to get done with my laundry.  

After my first swap, I'd said I wouldn't do one again, but I'm glad I came to this one. It was much better than the one I went to over the summer, I met some great people and have some new items to add (and most likely keep for a while) to my closet.

Missoni for Target

I have to say, Target gets some mean designer collaborations. Rodarte, Liberty of London, Tucker, Cynthia Vincent, McQueen...just to name a few of them and they are always well received. The latest collaboration announced was Missoni for Target, scheduled to hit stores September 13th. I'm going to be stalking my local Target (and Target.com) like mad. Here's a preview of what's to come:

Sweater coat- $80, tights- $16

Scarf- $20, Cardigan- $45, Shell- $30, Skirt- $40

Dress- $55, Boots- $35

Ballet flats- $30

Previously, with the collaborations, my Target has released them earlier than the official release date, so it can't hurt to check your store out the few days leading up to it if there's something you want. The Cynthia Vincent collaboration was practically sold out at my store before it was even officially released! Me? I'll be keeping an eye out for the flats, tights, and that skirt! I dream of owning Missoni, and this may be the closest thing I can get.

Burnt Sienna

Next to pink, my other favorite crayon as a kid was Crayola's "Burnt Sienna" , this orange-brown color was constantly one of the most worn looking crayons on my desk. Every fall, this color creeps back into my life. It's everywhere! Not only found in nature, this shade is popular in fall fashion.

Here are some examples the fall 2011 RTW collections (all photos from Elle):

Michael Kors

Proenza Schouler (color detail in the pant)

3.1 Phillip Lim

Alice + Olivia

Here's how I'll be accessorizing with this color:

Anthropologie Triple Strap Tank

Halogen Ponte Knit Pencil Skirt

J.Crew Skinny Belt with Bow

Lulu's Burnt Orange Blazer (check out that lining!)

Anthropologie Sun Shaped Bangle (on sale!)

I am a huge fan of neutrals and brown tones, but add a bit of a burnt orange hue to it, and I'm just obsessed. My closet is kind of like a grown-up box of crayons, except instead of hanging my work on my bedroom wall, it's around my neck, on my wrist, and on my body.

Oscars Red Carpet Recap

And so, as of last night, Awards season has come to a close. Oscar night is my Superbowl. I have my "teams" that I cheer for, and sometimes still make my picks based on what they're wearing, much like when I make picks for football teams. (Which, honestly I don't do often at all, only when I'm helping someone else make their decision). I have to say there was a lot of glamour on the red (did it look faded to anyone else?) carpet. And there was also a lot of misses. I was expecting to see a lot more Sapphire jewelery thanks to all the Royal Wedding hoopla, but it seems that bright emerald greens have continued through all of the ceremonies this year.

So lets discuss!

The Good:

Mila Kunis in Elie Saab. Lovely color and I wish I had a picture from the front because over her girls were pale lavender lace insets. She just wouldn't quit. Sexy and elegant, people should learn from this. Lace and chiffon are eternally ladylike. Great color for spring too.

Hailee Steinfeld in Marchesa. This little fashionista is always age appropriate from the hair to the shoes, Hailee is always spot on. She also mentioned this is a OOAK dress that she helped design. Shouldn't come as a surprise, her generation did grow up with the Olson twins!

Sandra Bullock in Vera Wang. This is Sandra's color, and I'm so glad to see her bangs are gone. Those were bad! Her dress really stood out in a sea of muted tones, and I think she did a fantastic job!

The Bad:

Amy Adams in L'Wren Scott. This aged her big time. I don't know if it was the dress alone though that sells her for worst dressed for me...her necklace also does nothing for this look. Which is a shame, she's wearing over a million dollars worth of Cartier. What a waste...

Melissa Leo in Marc Bouwer. Mirrored gold and lace and popped collar. No thanks. The dress was just too much and not flattering. And honestly looked like a grandma's table covering if grandma also had a closeted obsession with gold foiled fabrics.

Cate Blanchette in Givenchy Haute Couture. When I first saw this, I wasn't sold on the "sleeves" but then I saw it all, and it just got worse. It looks like an old Victorian frame. It also appeared that it was two pieces layered together, and I feel without all the framing/armor it could have been a lovely gown.

The Trends:

I noticed, as I'm sure you all did, a lot of recurring themes on the Oscar red carpet...

Blush-y nudes

Hale Berry in Marchesa, Michelle Williams in Chanel Haute Couture, Mandy Moore in Monique Lhuillier, and Florence Welch in Valentino.

While we're here, holy cats did Mandy Moore grow up! I didn't recognize her at first! She's come a long way from her Walk to Remember days. I think she looked gorgeous in that dress, and the bright red lip is perfect.

Next up, bed head.

Florence Welch again, and Scarlett Johansson in Dolce and Gabbana. It's the "I just rolled out of bed" look. There's nothing about ScarJo's look that I liked, and the hair only helped bring everything down, instead of trying to recover for anything. Florence looks great though.

Last trend worthy of discussion-What the? bottoms.

Nicole Kidman in Dior Haute Couture, Hilary Swank in Gucci Premiere and Marisa Tomei in vintage Charles James Couture. All 3 of these dresses I loved the top half and then when they showed the entire gown I was left disappointed. Nicole Kidman has a pop of color with those shoes, but as much as I love a bright pop of color, this was not happening.

Best Recovery:

Helena Bonham Carter in Colleen Atwood. Her hair and matching shoes are an instant redemption from the Golden Globes catastrophe. While she is always true to herself, and I love her for that, the GG's were not her strongest moment, but she had fun with it. Then, Colleen Atwood won the Oscar for costume, so it was a good night for the both of them. I also die for her fan clutch she was carrying. That was perfect.

And finally, some eye candy. The one true Mr. Darcy. Even more dreamy in a tux.

Did you watch? What did you think of the Red Carpet?

Orange you glad?

So apparently there's something about this time of year. I did a similar post last year to what you're about to see. (Just without the Polyvore, as it seems to be in a fight with my computer today).

As a refresher, this time of year leaves me utterly bored with my winter clothes, and I start longing for my Spring and Summer wardrobe. I've been working hard over the past few years to have a real working closet that doesn't require total revamping every time I hit a new year/season.  It's been a lot of investing but it's hitting the point where I feel uniform and I've gotten rid of a lot of cheap quality items. I have seen the ways in the quality vs. quantity debate. Sure, I'll still buy things at Target, Forever 21 and similar stores, however, they're either trends that aren't sticking around, or items that I go through so quickly (white tanks, for example) that paying a lot doesn't make sense.

Last years colors I was craving were yellow and purple with a spattering of greys. This year, I'm feeling orange. I will still fight anyone who says orange is the new pink. Because pink is always the new pink. Specifically, oranges with turquoise and pink accents and paired with crisp bright whites. Doesn't it sound so tropical and sunny? I agree.

Here's what I'm lusting for:

Boldly Brushed Peasant (Anthropologie)

Sleeveless Cowl (Old Navy)

Silk Driving Scarf (J Crew)
(I love orange and navy together!)

Twist Handle Wristlet (Express)

Okay, and while looking up orange goodies, I came across these Tory Burch Reva flats. Seriously? I love! Where were they when I was searching high and low for bright pink ballet flats?! The only ones I could find back then were Lanvin, and I was a bride on a budget at the time. I love these!

What colors are on your radar for Spring/Summer 11? I'm excited to make some more brightly colored jewelry for my Etsy shop and for my own personal collection.

Grammys Red Carpet Recap

So, lets talk Grammy's.


Typically, the Grammy awards are when people get to be a little more artistic and daring in their choice of gown. They can make big statements, have drama and have fun with it.

Last night's awards show had the fashion but it was mild and left me expecting (wanting) more. There were a few looks that I really did enjoy, so lets take a look, shall we?

Hands down the best dressed goes to:

Cee Lo. Flamboyant feathers, chest plate, and chain maille head piece FTW!

Just kidding. He looked like what would happen if Elton John and Big Bird produced La Cage. (For the record, I'm a big fan of all three, just not really this look). Also, I didn't get the muppets...or Gwenyth.

Lea Michelle is actually my best dressed pick. Her Emilio Pucci gown is gorgeous. Of course, as of late, I'm a big fan of anything lace and ruffled.

Next is J.Lo. I may be one of the few but her head-to-toe Pucci look was perfect for her. I liked the Chevron detailing in the metallic, and the shoes...love love love.

Diana Aragon in Vivienne Westwood. Another big hit in my book. These Glee girls are bringin' it. You can't quite see it, but her earrings were really structural looking, and kind of pointed dagger looking. Loved.

The not so pretty?
Miley Cyrus. Her Roberto Cavali was just too...something. People keep talking about how she's gained weight, but whatever, she's still such a cutie in my book. My issues, dress aside, is the accessories. Coco Chanel once said "Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and remove one accessory." Take note, Miley. Take note. Still love you. Just take note.

And this. My friends know I have the trifecta of John's on my "list" (you know the kind of list I'm talking about). It has John Cusack, Johnny Depp and John Mayer. I was so confused when I saw this at the Grammys.

Meet Johnny Mayer. Holy confusion. I did a double and triple take before I fully registered him as John Mayer. Wowzah, be still my heart. John Cusack, you're next. Then you'll form one "super John" and I'll have a few new openings on that list.

The performances were decent, although I felt Lady Gaga's performance last year was better (mostly in part for the Elton John bit). And if you follow me on twitter, you'll have seen this already, but it's great that my smaller bands that I enjoy are going to become household names overnight (Muse, Mumford & Sons, Arcade Fire) and while that's exciting and they rocked it (Even if Arcade Fire was trying to bring out seizures from everyone) and I'm glad their getting their kudos.

What say you all?