Hudson's Birthday Bash: Part One

I have tons of amazing pictures from Hudson's big birthday party so I have decided to break it up into two posts and this is the clothes post!

Dress; JCPenney's, Leggings; Torrid, Shoes; Steve Madden (years ago)

I'm pretty much done with the estimated cost per wear bit. Although I do it while I am shopping, to decide if something is worth it's price, it's just to tedious to do every post. Also, I don't know if it's fully getting my point across. I'm going to simplify it from now with an easy splurge or save concept.

Dress: SAVE! This dress, with it's gorgeous criss-cross detail and faux leather sleeves, was only $35! I call it my Project Runway dress because it feels similar to the dresses I have seen walk the runway this season. Specifically, the group/outerwear challenge. And the va-va-voom factor! I was shopping with my friend, to help her pick out work clothes, and I wasn't supposed to spend any money because I had spent quite a bit recently (I have a real problem). But, I spotted this dress, grabbed it, hugged it, and skipped around the store like a little kid until we got to the dressing rooms. I sent Husband a picture of the dress on the hanger and asked if I could buy it. He said no. Then I sent him a picture of the dress on me and asked again. Clearly, that worked. (Honestly, I would have bought the dress no matter what he said, but I helps me if he thinks he has a say in these things)

On a side note, I love JCPenney's. They don't always have amazing things, but if you are prepared to hunt down your prey, you will definitely walk away with something great. Plus, Grandma loved JCPenney's and that makes me all fuzzy wuzzy inside. Most of the time people shouldn't shop at the same stores as their grandmas but my grandma had it going on! She was style and class from head to toe!

Leggings: Save. I bought them on Black Friday so I saved a bundle on a pile of clothes at Torrid. They are my only pair of leggings so they have really gotten the beat down as I probably wore them twice a week for a whole year. But, they actually died this day. That night, I discovered two huge holes in them...Goodbye my dear friend.

Shoes: Save. I got them at an outlet mall quit a few years ago. They are my only pair of black heels and have taken quite a beating too but, they just keep going!

I secretly snapped a few photos of my sister taking pictures of the party. I love how into it she is and dang, does she look gorgeous. Her whole outfit is from Forever 21, except the red belt. Which, I know you can't see it well, but to prove my earlier point, it was my grandma's.

Birthday boy and his brother! Hudson's adorable shirt is from etsy and Sawyer is rocking Gap and Old Navy. Most of these items were bought on sale. I can't afford Gap usually but I love it, so I stalk them like a crazy person waiting for sales. I bought Sawyer's outfit at 30% off. SAVE!

Here's a little tip with online shopping. Some stores have a minimum order for free shipping, say $50. If I get to the end of my purchase and it all totals up to $48 with shipping, and I absolutely cannot find a free shipping coupon, I add little things that I need, like socks, onsies, or clearance sale items, to hit that $50 dollar mark. Essentially, I'm paying two dollars more to get $10-$15 worth of stuff. But, that's only if I am close to the minimum and I have to pay shipping. (That's how I got Hudson's red star socks in the picture.)

Photo fun!

That was a big one! But loaded with good content (I hope)!

Cozy Outfit

Last week, I went to my sister's powder puff game for homecoming week. Thinking about my homecoming football games in high school  I remember cold, clear nights, huddling close together on the bleachers, and warming our hands on cups of hot cocoa. I really wanted to put together a look that reflected that similar cozy armor against the chilly night.

Shirt; OneStopPlus.com, Sweater; Kohls; Pants; Forever 21 +, Flatss; Steve Madden, Necklace; DIY, Bracelet; Forever 21

Shirt - $14.00 - Estimated Current Cost Per Wear - $7.00

Sweater - approx $30 - eccpw - $3.00

Pants -  $20 - eccpw - $6.67

Flats - $48.93 - eccpw - $2.45

Necklace - $9.00 - eccppw - $2.25

Bracelet - $5.80 - eccpw - $5.80

Outfil Total - $27.17

Of course, it turned out to be hot that night. Go figure.

Go Sammi!

How to Rock a Band Tee 101

There are three items of clothing that I simply do not believe should be worn in public; sweatpants, sweatshirts, and graphic tees. That being said, I believe there is always a place for a good rock tee. Many of the tees have great designs and you went to the concert, got the shirt, why not show it off? But, there are right and wrong ways to do it. Now, none of what I am saying has any more weight then my own meandering experience, but, this is how I rock a band tee.

I have a pretty large chest so generally, crew necks look terrible on me. The first thing I do to my band tees is to cut the collars off. Normally, I wouldn't support this, but the raw edge just goes with the aesthetic of a band tee and the end result looks something like a scoop neck or boat neck.

(Halestorm is awesome, by the way)

Blazer; JCP, T-Shirt; Halestorm Concert, Jeans; Torrid, Shoes, Hand-me-down, Bag; Target, Necklace; Modcloth

Blazer - Approx $30 - Estimated Current Cost Per Wear - $3.75

T-Shirt - $25 - eccpw - $2.50

Jeans - $60 - eccpw - $0.31

Shoes - Free (thanks Carrie)

Necklace - $15 - eccpw - $1.87

Bag - $15 - eccpw - $0.04 

Total - $4.72...nice...

I like to think of the band tee as a replacement for a shirt or tank top that I would typically layer under a sweater, jacket, or blazer. I went for a casual look with my Halestorm shirt. I paired it with my worn in skinny jeans and a pair of vintage converse tennis shoes to keep with the dressed down look. Then, I added the purple blazer and my octopus necklace to add just a touch of polish. Each piece has a hint of edge to it, which makes the band tee appropriate and the whole outfit looks put together because all the colors coordinate well with the colors in the design.

Sweater; Shopko, Shirt; Regina Spektor Concert, Skirt; Lane Bryant, Tights; We Love Colors, Shoes; JCPenney's,  Bag; Vintage, was my grandmother's

Sweater - Approx $15 - Estimated Current Cost Per Wear - $1

T-Shirt - $20 - eccpw - $2.86

Skirt - $35 - eccpw - $2.33

Tights - $15 - eccpw - $15

Shoes - Appox $15 - eccpw - $3.75

Bag - Free

Total - $24.94...meh

I added this as another alternative to the harder look. Again, I just used my Regina Spektor t-shirt as a layering piece and coordinated it with appropriately colored pieces (you can't see in the picture but there are little blue stars coming off her name). This is a play on vintage silhouettes and the band tee makes it a little edgier.

Style Imitating Art Time!

This is my second entry in the Style Imitating Art blog collaboration. The art this week is Watson and the Shark by John Singleton.

When I first saw the photo I was a little apprehensive because it's not really my aesthetic but the point is to push myself! So, I studied the picture and researched a little bit about it and by the end I grew to love the painting. I'm really proud of my turn around and the outfit I put together.

Sweater; Target, Shirt; Target, Skirt; JCP, Belt; Torrid, Boots; Payless, Necklace; Modcloth 

DIY Skirt

I am so please with this one guys! Months ago I found this skirt tutorial and I fell in love with it. I was itching to try it recently and was going to propose to Husband that we go to the Joann Fabrics to get some material. But then, I ventured to the basement to get out some old material for Hudson's birthday and I stumbled across a plethora of material I bought for my portfolio show at school. I bought three different kinds of fabric for the table and then stashed them away. I hit the fabric gold mine!

I loved the playfulness of this fabric, and I can't turn down anything mustard yellow. So, I know this was the perfect fabric to use for this skirt. 

I pieced all the other supplies together using leftover materials from other projects. I used a bright neon yellow fabric for the liner and just used the wrong side to hide the color. For the waistband, I used a patterned brown ribbon I found and the only thing I actually had to buy was the zipper. All the materials were bought from Michaels and Joann Fabrics.

I had some trouble with the pattern because she doesn't tell you clearly how to figure out what each piece should be for your measurements. I just sat down and figured it out using a store bought skirt as a model and myself as a dress form.

I was nervous about the fit and the hem. I didn't know if I had enough experience to do either one properly but it turned out great. It drives me crazy that I can see the ribbon from the waistband poking out and I will be hand sewing that down all the way around when I have some free time.

All in all, the skirt cost me a whopping $1.50. But, Husband pointed out that I should estimate the cost of all the materials because I won't always have a treasure trove of fabrics at my fingertips. So, in that case, I used two yard of fabric, a spool of thread, a spool of fabric ribbon, and one zipper. A total estimated cost of  $28.50. Still, not to bad.

DIY Statement Necklace

 Alrighty people! Here is a DIY quickie for you!

DIY is not foreign to me. My house is full of DIY projects. I have repurposed furniture, picture frames, curtains, etc. You name any household item, I have torn it apart and put it back together in a new way. I have made loads and loads of toys, both for school and my kids. My best friends are spray paint, hot glue, fabric, and scrap booking paper. I can do miracles with those thing.

I have discovered that I have no fear of DIY projects. If it looks hard, if I've never done it before, if people look at me like I'm crazy for attempting it, I don't care. I do it anyway. Unless, it requires power tools, then I direct Husband while he does it. But, I have always had enough extra money laying around that I haven't had to think about DIY clothes and accessories. Now, that I'm a stay-at-home mom, things they are a changin'.

So, here is my very first DIY jewelry project.

I fell in love with this necklace on Etsy but, I just didn't have the money for it. Nor, could I convince Husband that it was a worthwhile purchase with a $35 dollar price tag. I looked at it for a bit and decided I could definitely make it. I carted the kids to Michael's and picked up yarn and a thick velvet cord necklace. The whole thing cost less than ten dollars with a coupon.

I really wanted mustard yellow yarn but they didn't have it so I settled for this yarn.

All I did was put a little hot glue on the end of the velvet cord and started wrapping the yarn around. I wrapped all the way to the other end and glued the yarn there too. Then, I just wrapped back and forth until it was as thick as I wanted it to be. You have to gradually wrap more around the middle to get the graduated thickness. I didn't pay attention to how it looked at this point, I just concentrated on getting the appropriate thickness throughout. When I liked it, I focused on getting the colors in the places I wanted them to be. This got tricky and would have been much easier with a single color yarn. But, I figured it out and voila!

I love the results and I am thrilled that I was able to make myself the statement necklace I have been lusting after.

...and just a little teaser for the DIY project I will be making as Christmas presents.

DIY and Birthday Fun

Wow, this was a crazy weekend! I wanted my next post to be about all the great DIY projects I have going on but this weekend was my cousin's sons' birthday and also my lovely little sister's 21st birthday!! So of course I have great pictures from both that I just have to post! (21st birthday pictures I don't have yet but they are coming)

This is one of my new DIY projects and there will be a more thorough post explaining how I made this.

Shirt (Old Navy) - $17.50 - Estimated Current Cost Per Wear - $17.50

Skirt (Old Navy) - $29.94 - ECCPW - $29.94

Leggings (Torrid) - $19.99 - ECCPW - $5.20

Belt (JCPenney's, Similiar) - Came with sweater, approx $10.00 - ECCPW - $0.83

Shoes (Walmart, Similar) - $5.00 - ECCPW - $0.31

Bracelet (Walmart, Similar) - $5.00 - ECCPW - $2.50

Necklace (Handmade) - $10.00 - ECCPW - $10.00

(THIS IS GONNA BE A PRICEY OUTFIT)

Outfit Total - $66.28

Overall...not great.

On to birthday fun!

Adorable right? The boys in the photo booth. (both in Gymboree Sweaters)

This is my lovely little sister. Isn't she unbelievable adorable?

Rachel, my fabulous cousin, in her handcrafted circus costume!