Lace Cutout Skirt

I'm composing this via the mobile Blogger app...so we'll see how it goes ;).

For one, I can't figure out how to change the alignment from centered to the left...maybe I'll figure that out by the end.

Anywho, I found this lace pencil skirt months ago and had planned on doing a simple alteration to the size. Well, I do address the size issue but I also decided to do something I've seen others DIY and have been planning on trying.

I started by cutting away the lining at the bottom of the skirt as close to the seams as possible. I removed about 4 inches from the bottom hem up and finished off the raw edges with a simple zigzag stitch for now. My son was pulling me out the door to the park, so I'll hem the bottom edge with a cleaner finish later on.

I followed by sewing a straight stitch up each side about 3/4 inch in from the original seam. I trimmed off the excess and zigzagged the edge to finish.

And that's it! I achieved the cutout look I desired, which adds a little extra sexy to a fitted lace pencil skirt, without losing the length.

What do you think? Is this a 'trend' that still translates as 'classic' in this piece? 

Here's one last look at the before and after:

Peace, 

Andrea

P.S. Did you notice the change in paragraph alignment? I didn't actually figure out how to change it...that happened on its own ;).

Thrifted OOTD: Going Green

I've been down with a stomach bug since my shoe refashion and am on the mend today, breathing fresh air and eating lots of chicken soup and crackers :). Perfect day for an outfit post, since I just don't have the energy for a new refashion.

The secondary brick on our building is gorgeous, I think. And it provides a great backdrop for photos! You'll see the front of the building in a later pic and its just not as appealing as the sides and back where all of these lovely rusty brown shades come together. Without further ado, here is my outfit of the day...

Awkward pic of me trying to get a shot of my braid & bun (good thing I cleaned my ears!)...love doing my hair
like this and there are lots of variations to try!

I went with a thrifted pair of Gap jeans that fit like a boyfriend jean, I guess, and have patches that I sewed in using gray thread and straight stitching back and forth in a random crisscross pattern. They aren't very visible at any distance, so I may use different blue shades to make them stand out a bit more. Why not make a repair a feature? I paid $5 max. My top is a refashion from a couple of months back: the green granny silk. Not sure what I paid for the original blouse, though my local thrift normally marks silk tops at $4 or $5...just depends on if I grabbed it during a half-off sale. My earrings are actually a gift from my sister in law and are sterling silver with a smooth mint/aqua stone and I love them...they are just my style. The shoes are also thrifted! duh ;) and cost me $4. I found them at a thrift store in MI when I was home visiting a couple of years ago (love thrifting with my sis whenever I get a chance to go home!).

There you have it! This is what I wore today out to the store to buy my chicken soup and crackers, then later to the library with my son once I'd regained a bit of strength, and as I write this cuddled up on the couch eating my toast with almond butter. Easy, comfy, and still pretty darn stylish!

Peace,
Andrea

Fool's Gold

I've been wanting a pair of cute oxfords or saddle shoes for a while now. It's a look I'm a fan of because I like the bit of masculinity they can lend to an outfit. And there are so many possibilities with colors, prints, metallics, fabrics, etc.

Originally $88 on the G.H. Bass website, these Enfield Saddle Cognac shoes are now on sale for $59.99. I paid $4 at the thrift store for a brand new pair.

I wanted to change these up, because in my opinion, they were pretty ugly. The suede fronts and sides immediately made me think of either paint or fabric as a means of making these more 'me'. I opted for paint, and metallic, at that! I grabbed both gold and silver acrylic craft paint and a small stiff bristled straight edge paint brush. I tested a small area to see how the paint would go on, then painted the entire side.

I'd thought to go the route of mixing metallics, so I painted the front of the shoe silver...but the gold was too yellow and the silver too gray! They just weren't working out the way I'd envisioned. So, I mixed my silver and gold together (more gold than silver...about a 4:1 ratio) to get the perfect shade. The picture on the right shows the paler shade of gold on the top shoe while the bottom shoe has the much yellower gold.

I had to paint over the silver and gold I'd already painted, so in total, each shoe got 3 coats so as to have the same finish and to cover the 'wrong' colors completely. Much better!!!

Now I've got a still neutral pair of shoes that will go with lots of different outfits. I couldn't wait for them to dry the full 24 hours before trying them on to see how they'd look. So pleased with the outcome and excited to style these this spring :). Once I've let the paint dry a full day, I'll seal them with mod podge and allow them to dry another full day.

Love that I saw potential in these not-so-cute shoes and now have a pair that I absolutely love! It took me a few months to get up the courage to dive into this one, but they are well worth the wait...and the $4 ;).

What do you think? Have you ever refashioned a pair of shoes? This is not my first shoe refashion, and certainly will not be my last!

And just because it was so nice today...an outdoor OOTD pic!

Scarf and leggings: Target, old  Jacket: Express, old  Chambray shirt: thrifted  Converse: Marshall's, old  Coach wristlet: gift

On an April Fool's note, my son has been playing 'tricks' on me all afternoon...mostly hiding things from me that I need ;). Love that they're still such innocent tricks!

Peace,
Andrea