DIY (SIN)spiration #1

There are just too many things that are so DIY-able, its sinful. Why use the rent money on a new pair of shoes, when it can be made in a day for $3? Yeah, I thought so....
Here is this week's (SIN)spiration:

 Christian Louboutin Glitter Pumps: 

Now, That bad boy retails at a financially crippling (if you're a college kid like me) $795.
Here's the alternative (Which will cost you less than $40):
.
First you need some pumps shaped similarly to the ones above. Something like these:

Platforms by Aldo

You'll also need:
Loose glitter
Outdoor Mod Podge (for water resistance)
Paint brushes
A disposable container

1. Mix the Glitter with the Modge Podge in the disposable container (This ensures that the glitter stays put when you put it on the shoe. Be sure to mix in a lot of Glitter!!)
2. Use the paintbrush to paint the glitter mixture onto the shoes.
3. Let dry
4. Inspect the shoes. Fill in any missed spots and let dry again.
5. Paint a final thin layer of Modge Podge on the shoes, let dry and WEAR THEM!!

This techinque was developed by Annie Spandex, check her out!!

Bloggers Do IT Better: Prep School

So I've officially joined the Bloggers Do It Better movement on PrettyShinySparkly.
The first challenge: the preppy look.

I was so excited to do this challenge because I have an AFFINITY for preppy clothing. My closet has been overtaken by blazers, and I just got a new one yesterday (Will post a pic I promise). Fortunately for me, I gave all my ties away, except for the one my friend wouldn't take. On my most recent thrift store visit, I saw the prettiest pleated peach skirt, and fell in love. I also saw its black twin and left it (Big Mistake? All the skirts in this store are $2!!!). I realized that it would go really, really well with my favorite (red) blazer, another relatively recent thrift store find. So I had the tie, the blazer, the skirt, and two pairs of shoes (My docs, and my Worthingtons), all I needed was a button-up. After much debate, I went with my pleated off-white button-up. I was curious to see how pleating on a shirt and a skirt would look together. This is how the outfits turned out:

 

My new favorite skirt. Peep the Worthingtons on my feet, I wear them every other day (So darn comfortable)!!

 

Did I mention that sometime during the wicked school year that I finally got my docs?? The vest was in my campus thrift store, THANK YOU, OAKWOOD!!

Well, I was feeling like quite the school girl, so I put on a couple of nerdy glasses to remember the good old school days (Yes, I was a nerd...the one everyone laughed at. Good times!!) 

Oh and there is the matter of the bowtie....I tied it out of a necktie......

And that is all Folks!! Oh and in case you are wondering, everything I wore is thrifted.
( ^-^)

I love Vintage!!! (Still)

Here are my most recent vintage finds! I'm in love with these!! (Maybe I should just photograph my entire closet?) 

The Blazers:

 

The Dresses:

There are plenty more coming!

What I've been up to these days

1. Cutting up sweaters:

Yep I finally got around to that Slit Sleeve project I posted a while back

Note: My room is usually nice and organized, but I'm packin'  for college and so the room looks like the twilight zone, thus the messy backdrop, forgive me.

2. Shopping for school:

Got these for about $22 at Wet Seal

Cost me EXACTLY 1cent(At Wet Seal, mind you!)
BEST DEAL EVAR!!!!

Hmmmm and thaz it!!
^.^

Super Cute PDA pouch DIY

Just thought this was cute! Enjoy!

DIY the Look: American Apparel Edition pt 1 ((RESULTS))

I used a really old Black turtle neck:

I'm currently making another one as I post this........

Tutorial  HERE

Diane Von Furstenberg refashion!!!

So I found this Dianne Von Furstenberg dress while thrifting in NYC (The Goodwill Outlet ^-^):

It was originally missing one button (Dunno where the other one went...), so I got some new ones and put them on:

Mini Make-over successful!!

DIY Fringe scarf (Super Easy!!!)

All you need to make this is a T-shirt and some scissors:

Got 'em?

Great, Peep the instructions:

Tip: Pull each strip so that they can curl up.

Wear your new creation!

DIY the Look: American Apparel Edition pt 1.

American Apparel Acid Wash Scarf

So I saw this scarf while scroll shopping on the American Apparel page.....
Oh American Apparel!
What's a sista to say about you?
That your $40 dresses cost me $3 or less to make?
That I can make most of the stuff in you in less than 1 hour? Alas, the musings are endless!
But seriously, American Apparel was the original inspiration behind the whole DIY the look series. Before I started blogging, my home gurl Roro and I would troll the shop nearby our school and I would marvel at how much stuff I could totally make at home. Then I started noticing the same thing in other stores. Then I found tons of fabric........

The rest is history.

Anyway, on to the DIY:

Heres what you'll need:
1 T-shirt
Bleach in a bowl
Scrub brush
Rubber gloves
Scissors

1. Wet your t-shirt and ring out some water.
2. Dip the brush into the bleach and let any excess drain off
3. In a slashing motion, lightly "scrub" random areas of your shirt, until you have "scrubbed" every section of the shirt.
4. Let it soak, and check for color change until you are satisfied.
5. Wash and dry.
6. Cut the bottom of the shirt using the following instructions:

DONE!!!
Hey, keep the top piece as a cropped top! Layer it with some t-shirts, or wear it just so!

Btw, you will be seeing quite a few more of these American Apparel DIYs, at least until I find somewhere else to pick on.......

Peace!

The Vintage Plan: Executed

Hey ya'll. Ya girl Faith Li is in NYC, and decided to put the vintage plan into action.

O

M

Gosh

Remember that Goodwill Outlet I mentioned? It is now my favorite Store. I've spent about $43 in that shop and am now scheming ways to carry 3 big bags of stuff back to GA! I am really psyched about the place, I mean I've gone twice and each time just gets better. However, I'd only go for clothing and bags, the shoes leave alot to be desired.....I do love the vintage suit cases I've seen there, most costing a whopping $4 (Yeah, I know, expensive right?) Have I mentioned my Coach, Louis Vuitton , Burberry (which I now OWN), and Christian Dior sightings? I saw some other big brands too but I can't remember them all. I also saw some  dope Gap, Old Navy and H&M stuff. Any way, reserve an hour (Or two) and look for an outlet near you!!!

Some of my proudest finds:

100% Italian Leather Bag 

(The Cousin is now the proud owner)

Vintage Giorgio Sant Angelo

(MINE!!)

Alice and Olivia 

(The cousin recieved this one gladly)

Lark & Wolff by Steven Alan

(I love this!!)

My New school bag about $4

(Thought I'd have to go to a vintage shop for one of these!!)

I stopped by No Relation and Buffalo Exchange just to cover my bases and heres my report:

No Relation: Three cheers for $10 Vintage dresses!!! And you WILL find at least five dress you like, I saw like twenty, but that Goodwill outlet spoiled me, I dare not buy another dress unless it is from there.....But If you aren't cheap like me, give the place a holler whenever you hit NYC.

Buffalo Exchange: Before I give my personal verdict, I must tell you a story. While shopping at the Goodwill Outlet I saw this pretty tank dress and picked it up, but I eventually put it back because I figured I wouldn't wear it, (Though it was really light and would probably cost  like 10 cents). Well, after looking through some stuff at Buffalo Exchange I see a girl with the same dress which would cost upwards of  $11 there. Moral: if you like it, pick the dang thing up. Now, back to my five second review. After my knowledge of the existence of the Goodwill Outlet, this place would be my go to for jewelry, shoes, and hair stuff. Imagine getting a $50 pair of sneakers for $21 or a $150 pair of Boots for $40. That is what Buffalo exchange can do for you.

But seriously, your vintage-thrift-store-loving life will NOT be complete without finding a Goodwill Outlet.

Now to troll the streets of Atlanta to find an equivalent...........

The Vintage plan: Pt. 2

Okay, so I've found two more stores that you may want to hear about:

1. Buffalo Exchange:
I'm planning to visit NYC one of these days and sadly, Plato's Closet does not exist there (Yet?). So when my buddy told me about Buffalo Exchange, which does exactly what Plato's does, while throwing vintage into the mix, I was over-joyed. Buffalo Exchange is also located in a couple of other cities so peep the webbie to see if there is a store near you.

http://www.buffaloexchange.com/

2. Goodwill Outlet:
Not to be confused with regular Goodwill Stores, the items in these stores come from various nearby Goodwill Locations in the area, usually stuff that didn't sell in 6 weeks. Why is this section in bold? Because here clothes, shoes, and accessories sell for $0.99 a piece, or less than $2 a lb! Now of course, as part of the vintage plan don't be surprised if you run into a brand name piece or two, just be prepared to dig around to find the goodies. Also you should find out when your local outlet brings in new stuff, so that you'll be one step closer to getting some super sweet deals. Remember, some damaged items can be fixed or made into something else, and for less than $2? SWEEEEEEEEEET!!!

Locations

If you don't see your city on the list try the Goodwill locator, I found one in NYC, but it wasn't listed on the list above!

Goodwill Locator

3. This is not a store, but if you are looking for flea markets here are a couple of resources, to help you find what you are looking for.

Peace,
 

The Vintage Plan

The Plan is this: this summer, I am going to start shopping vintage. Thrift stores, Vintage shops, eBay, Etsy, iOffer, you name it, I'm there.

Here are a couple of reasons why you should shop vintage too(Scroll down if you want more recent options):

1. Recycle!- The average family gets rid of twenty bags of clothing every year! Why not send it on over to the thrift shop, get some new duds and DIY to your heart's content? If you feel weird about wearing used clothing, steam clean it!(The cheapest way is to throw a wet towel and the items into a dryer and allow the steam to get to work)

2. Save Money!- Its true that many vintage items are quite expensive, but there are many places online (eBay!!! Etsy!) and offline (Thrift shops, Consignment shops, Flea markets, Swap meets, etc.) that sell cheap items. Also many shops allow you to trade your clothes for "new" clothes. Where else will you get a pair of perfectly worn cowboy boots? H&M? NOT!

3. Uniqueness!- You read that right, the chance of bumping into someone else wearing that cute 1970's sundress are next to nothing. Also many vintage items were handmade, so it'd be impossible to find someone else wearing the exact same dress!

4. DIY!- Nothing says "DIY me" like a Evening gown that can become a fabulous day dress with a couple of snips and tucks. Hey, you can even sell your refashioned creations!

Okay for the ladies who aren't really into the vintage thing, there is a store you MUST check out, its called Platos closet and they sell only recent brand name products for severely discounted prices. They also do these big events where you pay one flat price for as many items you can fit into oneshopping bag (Down here it's $20). While the store is aimed at the teen to young adult category, many adults find things they like in the shop as well. Did I mention that it's a thrift shop? See if there are any stores near you:

Plato's Closet

Peace!!

DIY the look: 30 minute necklace

Sorry for the absense! My laptop is SHOT, and until I get a new one, things might be a lil shaky, so I'll just go ahead and apologize ahead of time =). On to the post:

You can make that in 30 minutes!!! Click Here for a tutorial!
Now I know the tutorial calls for some sewing machine, but if you want, you can make the "chain" longer, knot the ends and a bow at the back to wear it a different way!