DIY: Alice and Olivia Leather Skirt

*NOTE* I have a giveaway going on! check out the sidebar!


Alice and Olivia skirts usually cost 100+ dollars, but I made this for about 15 (pleather, needles, thread). What a steal!


<-- Alice and Olivia


Instructions:


1. Buy your crap. It costs 14 dollars a yard or so for pleather at Mood Fabrics. I bought about 3/4 a yard of chocolate brown. It looks black in pictures. 3/4 a yard is really generous (I'm a US size 0 or 2 ish, 6 at H&M, children size 14 in jeans at Old Navy if it helps). Then I got the leather needles and matching thread. For the presser foot, I went the super ghetto way and put some tape on the underside of the foot. The zipper I got from an old pair of high waisted pants. 


2.  Cut out your crap. Cut out a 2 rectangles for the skirt and one for the waistband. It's better to have one really long rectangle but sometimes you can't cut out 1 really long rectangle. It needs to be like.. your waist*1.5 by length of skirt. The waistband is like.. 4 inches by your waist size+ 2 inches. 


3. Sew that shit together. First sew the 2 rectangles into 1 long rectangle. Then start pleating it. Make a seam that holds the pleats together. 

I swear, it's not spandex shiny leather. It's the lighting. 


4. I heard that you need a waistband. Sew the waistband onto the skirt. Don't fold the waistband down yet. I mean if you want, go ahead. It was just difficult for me lol. 

5. Add dem zippers and stuff. Add a zipper and sew it up. Then finish up the waistband. Add a eye and hook. 

6. Hemming the skirt. I just chopped it off. Leather doesn't fray. 


Finished Product: 

DIY: Old Jeans into a miniskirt without the "DIY" look

If there is one thing I really don't like, it's the whole "DIY" look. I don't like having people look at my clothing and saying "she for sure definitely made that herself. Of course professionals would know if something is home-sewn but I don't want regular people on the street to know. Why? Because "home-sewn" stuff don't match my wardrobe. Some people like that look but it's not for me. 


Step 0: Cut off the legs. You don't want to cut too short. Cut off at around the knee. 
Step 1: Take out the crotch seams. You want to take out the leg seams (inner thigh part) and up to the zipper and up to the waistband in the back. 

Step 2: Then fold the top flap under and sew it down. You want the seam to be straight. 

Step 3: You can make some decorative top stitching if you want. Hem the bottom and trim the seams on the inside. 

Remember that i have a giveaway going on! Click on the link in the sidebar!

Lunch of the Day: French Onion Soup

I made some french onion soup with this recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/rich-and-simple-french-onion-soup/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=french%20onion%20soup&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Recipe

I used just swiss cheese, 3 small onions, 2 cans of broth, 1/2 cup of merlot, and 1/4 cup of butter. yum!! Bread is just toast :)

SO DELICIOUS!

DIY: Babydoll Top

My sister was in the mood for a new baby doll top so she gave me this toddler dress and told me to make some magic. She was thinking of something that's really loose that looked like a skirt with straps on it. It reminds me of a crop top mixed with a baby doll top. 


All you have to do to make it is to find some old dress, chop off the skirt part, insert a zipper and voila, new shirt!

Promotion Giveaway: Yu-Be, Mineral Mate and more!

Hey everyone! This is my very awesome giveaway with awesome prizes! There will be 2 winners and here's a picture of all the prizes! All you have to do for a chance to win is fill out the rafflecopter! Winners will be able to choose from a package here!


INTERNATIONAL ENTRANTS WELCOME!


Prize Package 1:

Prize Package 2:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Brand Introductions: Mineral Mate and Yu-Be

Hey everyone! I finally came home from college. I actually have 2 companies to introduce so let's get started. 


1. Mineral Mate


First off, I have a code for ALL my readers! This is until 5/30/12. Then for the month of June, I have a different code for everyone! This is for 25% off. 


So, Mineral Mate is a new mineral makeup *storage* company. They sell a bunch of palettes to mix mineral makeup in and also some 30 gram containers to hold powder and other misc. makeup items. I received two of them. One in black (Double Platinum) and one in red (Red at Play). Here are some pics: 

They're lightweight and they cost 20 dollars each. If you're a HUGE mineral makeup fan, then you'll love this! Since I got a bunch, I will be giving away two of them tomorrow! Stay tuned for the official giveaway post. 


2. Yu-Be


I recently got a bunch of stuff from Yu-Be to try out. It's a Japanese skin care company. The first product I got was the moisturizing Skin Cream. It costs 16.00$ for 1.25 oz. The cream itself is yellow, but it's because of the vitamin B or something. It smells kinda minty and camphor-ey. Personally, I like it because it's good for the bottom of my feet. They aren't so gross anymore! 




I also got the Yu-Be lip therapy. It retails for 5.00$ for a chapstick sized tube. Again, it's yellowish and smells like herbs. I don't like this as much. This is a little over-priced for a chapstick and it's not like it works any better. 




I got a ton of samples to give away and this will be included in my give away tomorrow. Again, stay tuned for the give away! 

Guest Post: Empowering Women With the Power of Style

Hey everyone! Sorry I've been MIA for the last couple days. I finally came home. Up next will be a couple of giveaways and reviews so stay tuned. Until then, here's a short essay written by Jackie :)

Illness can be stressful, painful, and it can seriously wear anyone down. Whether facing
treatment from mesothelioma doctors or going through chemotherapy for breast cancer, it
can be easy for women to lose their feeling of self when facing such a serious disease.
However, there are ways that women can always feel strong and beautiful, no matter
what hardships they are facing.

Fashion is one way to make women feel confident and empowered, even on their worst
days. Every woman feels better about herself when she is wearing a favorite outfit,
whether that favorite outfit is a pair of comfortable jeans and a T-shirt or a dress with
high heels and all of the accessories. Nobody can tell a woman what her personal style is
or what it should be -- it is something that a woman has to figure out all on her own, and
exploring and discovering different styles is an exciting and fun process. She can start by
flipping through her favorite fashion magazines and taking note of each outfit that
catches her eye. She can also compare these outfits with outfits that she admires on other
women and with outfits that catch her eye in stores. What do each of these outfits have in
common -- are they similarly styled or do they perhaps come in similar colors? Once a
woman has determined what she likes, she can look for outfits that suit her personal style.

Even if a woman is nervous about trying a particularly trendy style, she might find out
that this over-the-top look makes her feel better than she has in years. Combining old
favorites, such as a favorite pair of jeans or a cute pair of basic heels, with new and
stylish favorites can create a stunning combination. Once a woman sees just how great
she feels in her new style, she will be ready to branch out into even trendier style
combinations. Over time, she will feel confident in her style, putting a smile on her face
and giving her a feeling of empowerment that no one or nothing can take away from her.

Anyone who knows a woman who is battling a terminal illness should encourage this
woman to seek out and pursue her favorite style. If she is sick herself, she should never
underestimate the power of fashion in making a woman feel stronger than ever. Even
when sick from chemotherapy treatments or depressed about a poor prognosis, a woman
will instantly feel better about herself and her situation if she puts on a favorite outfit. It's
a well-known fact that women feel stronger when they are dressed to impress. In these
situations, she is impressing the most important person in the world -- herself.

Check out the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance blog for more information on creativity and
wellness: http://mesothelioma.com/blog