Crisp Oxford

Top: Gap sz xs / Jeans: Gap 1969 Always Skinny sz 00 / Flats: Target sz 7 / Shades: Target / Bag: BCBG / Necklace: inherited from my grandmother / Hair pin: Banana Republic
 

 I am a habitually casual hair person. Chronically so. I would rather sleep 10 more minutes than figure out what the heck to do with my hair, so usually it is either a) down or b) in a messy bun. Today's variety was putting a little sparkly pin into my messy bun. Classsssyyyy.

You may scoff, but I'll have you know that I got all the validation I needed when she said "Hey, that clip makes your hair look...done." :)

Also: this is possibly my favorite outfit from the past few weeks. It's so easy and yet it makes me feel all kinds of put together. Thank you, classic oxford, thank you.

Cream & Lavender

 Top: Target / Sweater: Gap body / Jeans: Gap 1969 Always Skinny sz 00 / Boots: Urban Outfitters / Bag: BCBG / Necklace: gift / Blue ring: gift from the boyfriend / Green ring: inherited from my Nana

I wore this while Christmas/Hanukkah shopping over the weekend (4 gifts down, 4 to go!), and for a very specific reason. These boots are really hard to take on and off, ever since the pieces of leather that used to make the zippers easy to pull up and down fell off. Now, they're really hard to unzip, and thus (I hoped) would discourage me from trying on clothes for myself. Seriously, this was my thought process.

It kind of worked. I got lots of shopping for other people done, and only bought a shirt for myself because my mother made me. It's her fault. I swear. :)

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Amrita Singh Blowout on Hautelook

Hautelook (referral) is currently having an Amrita Singh blowout with prices up to 80% off. Amrita Singh makes gorgeous costume jewelry, and there are some great selections on the site. Go check it out! My impressions of AS are that the designs are beautiful, but the materials are a bit cheap. Mostly, they are just very lightweight and do feel like costume jewelry. However, at these prices, I think it's well worth it! Here are a few of my picks for the holidays:

Hope you have a great weekend!

DIY Jewelry

As I've been (fruitlessly) trying to find holiday gifts for my friends and family, I've run across a fair amount of jewelry that I'm pretty sure I can DIY for a fraction of the price. Anthropologie, especially, is a great source of inspiration.

If I can manage it, I'm going to try to DIY versions of a few of these pieces for the upcoming holidays. I chose these designs because they seem to me to require very little talent and few materials; usually just wire and/or chain, and charms and/or stones.

 Coiling Branch Hoops ($32.00)                          Rain Remains Hoops ($29.95)

 Frosted Stone Earrings ($19.95)

I unfortunately forgot where I found these earrings--they've been in my inspiration folder for so long!

 Anthropologie is also featuring these "DIY" charm necklaces. To put together a necklace (here) you choose a chain and up to five charms, customizing the design to your liking. The chains are $18.00 and the charms seem to be around $15.00 each. That means the necklace I put together (above) would cost me $93.00 plus tax and shipping! What do you want to bet I could make almost the same thing at a fraction of the cost?

 

And lastly, alas, I don't think I can DIY these earrings, but they really caught my eye as they remind me of one of my favorite artists, Andy Goldsworthy, and his beautiful work with serpentine shapes.

 But, even if I can't make those last earrings, I sure can try to do the rest! Wish me luck!

Will anyone else by DIYing some of their holiday gifts this year?

Gracias, Hermana

 

Dress: H&M (borrowed from my sister) / Cardigan: Forever 21 / Boots: Urban Outfitters / Necklace: from Costa Rica / Sunglasses: Target

 

Thank goodness for sisters. Not only does mine let me borrow her clothes on the regular, but she also offered to take photos for me so y'all didn't have to see my backyard...again. :)

 I thought I'd show you a bit of the wreckage left over from a crazy windstorm that swept through LA a few days ago. Winds were clocked blowing up to 97 miles per hour (!) in parts of LA, and trees and tree branches were down all over the place. This pile of debris was strewn about my street, until some kind soul (or city employee?) piled it up on the side of the road.

I think one of the best ways to stay in budget while constantly craving new clothes is to live with a roommate who has good style and is almost exactly your size. Thank you, mi hermana, for keeping my closet interesting...by providing me with your closet!

Warm and Cozy

 Dress: from a local boutique / Vest: LOFT Petite faux fur collar sweater vest sz ??? ($79.99 $48.00 buy here) / Coat: Forever 21 (old) / Tights: H&M / Booties: DSW
 
 Finally, I am out of my backyard! I wish I lived in the small central coast town--and more specifically in the garden/bookstore--where I took these photos. Then you could see less of my backyard and more of this pretty staircase and green landscape.

I just got this faux fur collar vest as an early Hannukah present from my mom (review to follow shortly! And the vest is currently on super sale at $79.99 $48.00). I went shopping with mi madre a few weeks ago and convinced her to buy a gorgeous grey knit vest with a detachable collar to replace a slightly decaying old purple one from REI she'd had for years. Major improvement on her part, and major jealously on mine. Lucky for me, my mom is awesome, and returned the favor with this cute vest from LOFT. I've never owned faux fur before, being generally squicked out by the idea of even the suggestion of wearing an animal's fur, but this looks fake enough to make the cut, I think....

Homemade Wrap Bracelet

I've been feeling a bit craftsy lately and figured, since holiday time is tough for those of us with smaller budgets, it might behoove me to find something creative yet inexpensive that I could make for Christmas/Hanukkah presents. Enter, this great little wrap bracelet! They are easily customizable, can be made in any color combination and length that you'd like, and work (in my opinion) equally well for both women and men.

* * * * * * * * * *

For one double-wrap bracelet, you will need:

• 3 feet of leather cord or leather thong (like this or this)
• 1 foot of ball chain (like this)
• 1 ball chain connector (like this)
• 4 feet of hemp cord, waxed linen cord, or embroidery floss (like this)
• A pair of scissors 

Measurements can go up or down, depending on the size of the person's wrist.

All of these materials can be found at a local crafts or beading store. For the bracelet below, I got my materials at Beads by the Bay, my boyfriend's mother's shop, in lovely Morro Bay, CA. Materials for two double-wrap bracelets (6 feet of leather cord, 2 feet of ball chain, 2 connectors, and all the hemp cord seen in the photo below), cost me $8.50. That means one double-wrap bracelet cost $4.25, but all subsequent bracelets will be even cheaper because I have a bunch of hemp cord left over.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Once you have your supplies...

Begin the bracelet by folding the leather cord in half, making a small loop at the top. Lay the end of the hemp cord down the length of the leather for about half an inch. Begin wrapping the hemp around both the leather and the piece that is laid flat:

 
Wrap about 5 times around, very close to the top of the loop, then place the ball chain on top of the wrapped cord. Leave about three ball chain links free at the end, and then wrap the hemp in the joint between the third and fourth balls:

Keep wrapping the hemp cord tightly around the leather, in between the joints of the ball chain. Be sure to keep the two sides of the leather cord even (i.e., not twisty or inside out) as you go. The best technique I found for doing this efficiently was to hold my right thumb over the "stitch" I just completed, and wrap with my left hand. Then, I moved my thumb to the next stitch, and continued (...slowly....) along the length of the bracelet. The bracelet will begin to turn as you go, ending up looking helix-y.

   Continue wrapping while checking for fit around the wrist. Once you've got the desired length, cut the ball chain and the leather (but NOT the hemp cord just yet!) and attach a ball chain connector to the end. Tie a few knots at the end of the ball chain, making sure the hemp is secured, and then trim the dangling end of the hemp.

 When you're done, you'll have a nice stacked bracelet like (half of) the one below! The bracelet shown is actually two double-wrapped bracelets, stacked together. I think when it comes to this style, the more the merrier. The bracelet can be easily removed by unclasping the connector. Here it is, modeled on the boyfriend:

   You can choose multiple color combinations of ball chain, leather, and cord to create unique gifts for the people on your list (...yourself included...). If you want a bit more of a sparkly look, you can use linked crystal chain instead of the slightly industrial-looking ball chain.

(Sorry for the fuzzy iphone photo)
Multiple colors, all stacked up! I think I'm keeping these for myself.... :)
 
Happy beading! And if you have any questions, just let me know in the comments!