By the By: The Forgotten Top

Summer inspires me to be a bit more causal with my clothing than normal. Often with seasonal change it encourages me to analyse items from my closet that have not received much wear throughout the year.

This printed gathered-neck top was one of those items that I acquired years ago. I'm certain when I purchased it I was contemplating whether or not the top would get plenty of wearing moments. But, no! I only wore the top once and kept it I suppose, because it was different from many other casual tops that I possessed.

So, I decided to go for a pink, grey, and black combination (although at first glance the outfit seemed too dark), however an easy bow adornment was the perfect addition to set a more colourful and playful tone. 

I'm off to several engagements in the next few weeks that will likely need easy fashion fixes or special occasion attire: weddings, visiting family, summer gatherings with friends, and work related events. This outfit was fitting to prepare for the agenda ahead. 

All of this packing and planning had left me exhausted, therefore the only garments that I wanted to wear over the weekend were comfortable ones. And there's nothing like knitwear to give you exactly that!

Do you have any items that you've acquired over the years and haven't worn much at all? Perhaps you love the item more now than you did when it was initially bought? Share!

Wishing you a lovely week!


The goods: Printed top-H&M, Clutch-DIY/Ladyofashion, Knit skirt-Express, Sandals-AE, Bow-Ladyofashion, Leather dull-to-daring cuff-DIY

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A Radiant Glow With The Right Accessories

Other than receiving whole milk instead of the non-fat filled latte that I ordered, I must say, the day started off with a tambourine-shaking of a bang! First off, an excellent and very productive meeting: check! Narrowing down weekend plans: check! New trim orders filled: check!

It was one of those days when you say to yourself, "What a fantastic moment!" as you smile cheerfully to strangers for no apparent reason. But, there was more to come ... just after closing down my workstation, I received a call, informing me that I needed to come down for a parcel pickup. What? It was a day earlier than my usual parcel drop off, so I was intrigued. 

Alas, the mystery was solved, and the parcel in question came filled with several goodies, two being jewellery pieces from April M that I immediately adored: a pair of topaz colour earrings and a lovely tortoise bangle. Oddly enough, I don't possess much tortoise in my jewellery collection, so I was very happy with the selections they sent me.

April M is an online boutique that carries modern jewellery for the fashionable woman. Ran by owner and jewellery appraiser, April Matteini, the April M boutique's mission of bringing diverse jewellery to the wardrobe of any style of woman acts in accordance with its affordable price range. 

The curated collections include items perfect for date night, a wedding, or for your everyday ensemble needing that savvy accessory glow. You may browse some of the new items in their shop here.
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Count Down begins ... GET READY!
Exclusively for YOU, my lovely readers, April M will give each of you 15% off from Sunday, May 27 to Monday, June 4! Not to mention, there's free shipping and gift wrapping that's also included in one mere purchase! Just USE THE CODE: Lady15 at checkout! Limit one use per customer.
This sale has ended.


To help you with your choices here (below) are a few other favourites from the site.

 Click image to enlarge. Images above (Aprilm.com), edited by Ladyofashion
1. Spectrum choker 2. Shell charm necklace 3. Pendant necklace 4. Alchemy bangle 


The goods: Peacock Feather Belt- DIY, Jewellery: Pono-buckle bangle and Deborah Grivas-earrings c/o April M. This is a sponsored post. All opinions expressed are my own.
For more information visit www.aprilm.com 

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Vanity + Vintage #15: Sail Away, Sail Away

Despite a busy week ahead, I've managed to get loads of things checked off my weekly tasks list. For me, creating weekly lists helps to keep things that are top priority in line, and how perfect it was to have that feeling of task completion! A calming disposition would accurately describe the melody that captured the feeling, which could easily echo the soothing tone of Enya's Orinoco Flow. 

Checking off my list felt quite like a [nautical] triumph: the reward being one that would transport me to anywhere that I wanted to go. So, what did I do with my extra time ... a multitude of things including sewing, baking, blog surfing, and randomly finding mega-bargains on airfare (a top-notch skill to have)!


I'd certainly love to sail away at the moment to a beautiful beach. Although I will not complain too much since I've recently had some needed time-off. But, for now it's back to reality and wearing normal attire ... right, well you catch my drift!

Wouldn't it be lovely to have an extended holiday to your favourite location: a free fare pass anywhere at any time. Wherever that is ... it may be a warm beach for you or a tranquil tucked away cottage in a remote location ― perhaps a place without random city street conversations interrupting your thoughts.

~OR~ 

You could just pretend that you're in a nautical setting wearing your inspiration just as I did to work! Here's one of my interpretations of a very casually modern nautical woman. I decided for a not so-typical navy, white and rouge translation this time, instead I added my vintage silk fabric for the wave of colour.

     

 
Have you been inspired by anything nautical lately?  


The goods: Kerchief-Vintage silk fabric made into kerchief-Ladyofashion, Handbag-Ambience, Vintage Massimo Italian loafers, Cardigan-Express, Denim-Mavi, Beaded chain-Ladyofashion, Shirt/Tassel necklace-H&M

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DIY: Bows and Dots

I have been in a bow wearing mood recently, but then again I always love a great bow or bow tie. I wore one today actually! Therefore, this was the perfect time to provide you with a quick DIY.

With having a few more leftover pieces of leather, (and before I delved into new yardages acquired) here's a bow belt that I made a week or so ago. Having my waste not want not mentality, I decided to do something with those extra strips, and also wanted to use the sequins beads that I bought. Mission: To finish off most/all of the recycled leather pieces to make them into an accessory.

Materials:
Elastic- Waist measurement L x 5cm W
Bow approx. 31cm L
Sequins beads-10 pcs.
Closures-metal hook & eye)-2  
Heavy duty magnet (optional)-1 pair
Cement Glue- If using magnet
Trim-(Button)-1
Scissors
Tailor's chalk
Sewing machine
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Start by cutting wide elastic to the measurement of how you want your belt to fit. Using chalk or a pin, mark where you want the belt to close (for magnet placement), leaving room at the elastic edge for hook and eyes or any other closure placement. I created my own version of a bow by cutting my leather at desired width/length. Then, cut the leather ends at an angle so that the belt could still remain flat instead of having a bulky result when wearing.

I used an antique colour spray paint to make the bow area aged copper, then let dry. Laying the leather flat mark the center back of the leather with a pin or chalk to align one side edge of elastic up with the back of the bow. Make two straight stitches sewing that edge of elastic to the center back of the leather (painted side-up).  Secure and cut excess threads. You should have the one side of elastic edge free and the other sewn to the leather.

Next, I folded the leather into desired bow shape and pinned the front closed temporarily. I glued an embellished button to the center of the bow, closing the top edge of the leather, leaving a small triangular space between each side of leather on the bottom. Afterward, I carefully added flat sequins beads to act as my "polka dots" on the belt, then left aside to dry.

Lastly, adding a hook and eye with a magnet closure closure completed the belt! Just use your marking placement done in the beginning to glue one magnet at the center back side of the bow onto the elastic, then add one magnet the opposite edge of the elastic leaving room for hook & eye placement. You may finish elastic edge with a stitch or a high heat stick (which will burn the edges).

Mission: Complete. Aged Bow Belt!
Well, there's still at least one more good piece of leather left, but I will save that one for a rainy day handbag!

*Here's a sneak peak of unusual hand dyed fabric that I received. I am working on something special at the moment .... stay tuned.

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Resort Ready

I had to work a bit over the weekend, but I did have temporary relief by a slight diversion of resort hunting, which involved attending appointments at various places and researching loads of other potential locations ― all planned to be a special surprise for my parents later this year.

It will be for their wedding anniversary, hence extensive planning is required because my siblings and I all reside in such vastly diverse locations. All I can say at the moment is thank goodness for Skype and similarly related programmes that help tremendously for such occasions as these.

Who doesn't love a beautiful resort? Selecting the proper type of resort for them is essential, however all of this talk of resorts influenced me to finally bring out my white trousers. So, I decided to fully enjoy my brunch and do business in a different resort style: comfortable, yet slightly structured, and sophisticated, but with a very simple colour palette.

    Image (source)

Have you ever given a gift to a family member that required a substantial amount of planning?

The goods: Printed jacket-Banana Republic, Heels-BCBG, Trousers-La Redoute, Necklaces-Nordstroms and Express, Bracelets-gifted, Tee-H&M

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Lady of Fashion's Link Seasoning

Hello ladies and gents! I hope that your weekend has started off with a wondrous beginning. Blogging is all about community, and sharing, therefore I wanted to give you a few links that may aid you in the areas of blog tech, provide you with summer shopping inspiration, and other links simply for your weekend reading bliss.

Enjoy these fashion seasonings sprinkled with love from me to you ...
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A Dash of V & E:
Here's an interesting read about acquiring vintage. Is Vintage Fashion an Ethical Epidemic?

Blog-love:
In case you're not familiar with my friend Faye of Girl Does Geek check out her blog here! If you're seeking help with your blog's design, SEO, or even have layout questions she's one to bookmark! You may inbox her for rates or find her on Twitter.

Social Impact:
Here's a campaign by Water.org, co-founded by Matt Damon that's making a difference by honouring mother's around the world. Read here for more literature on how their impact is changing lives and how you can too!

Loving at the moment:
In addition to the infamous solid comfort styles and artfully patterned versions of shoes, TOMS has new summer hues and styles in eyewear! Still having the same mission, TOMS new frame flavours are filled with fun selections for the season.

      Photos: (source)

Other than my classic cloche hat and leopard patterned luxe umbrella that's probably the extent of my savvy threads for a rainy day. So, I could definitely use one of these chic and sleek cleverly designed 100% waterproof rainwear jackets by Terra New York. 

                                                                         

Photos: (source)
Shakes of Inspiration:

Glam sparkles anyone? I still adore these images from the March shoot with Katy Perry for Interview magazine. The eye makeup steals the show alongside the drips of dazzling jewellery. You may see the video styled by Jonathan Templer and directed by Mikael Jansson here. 

 
                

Spicy Specials that I love:

Surprisingly I do not have any hunter green or many pale pink coloured soles. However, I am in the market to acquire more of these hues soon! Here's a few selections of shoes that I liked, which are also on sale at the moment and available at Shopbop!

          

From left to right: Pour la Victoire, Boutique 9, and Juicy Couture.
Photo: (source)     

I hope you enjoyed this blend of link seasonings. 

I am actually heading out to do some work over the weekend, and I'll be having breakfast for dinner (devouring delicious Belgian waffles) as well as for breakfast, because I love them that much!

  image: (source)


Wishing you a very happy weekend!

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See and Be Seen: A Bold Brow Business

Let's face it creative packaging and marketing is everything when it comes to any type of business, particularly beauty related. Whether it be a sleek shape, intense colour choice, or minimalism in the typography, these may be additional deciding factors that are involved before the buy now verdict is deliberated.

When a specific item is admired, we dash out of the house chiming to our friends with praises of the newfound beauty loves, which occasionally may even resound of higher octaves than our normal speaking tones. Well, I had one of those days, but it started with a playful double feature film, only the technicolour was in the palm of my hand.

Anastasia, the same folks who created the Lash Genius sent over their new See and Be Seen beauty set, which included tinted brow gel, an eye shadow duo set, and two candied colour glosses. Before I attempted to open the items, I proceeded to do what I normally do ... inspect the exterior packaging. From a designing perspective, I tend to pay attention to why a company does certain things, i.e., placement of their icon or mere image selections.

Other than the splashes of pink and the vintage Hollywood glam-themed enticement, it was the '60s nostalgia of the 3D Viewmaster that struck me! Remember these? Oh my, how cleverly put together! The Viewmaster that was included in the parcel basically sold me ― it was the gift of beauty brain food providing a thorough rendition of their campaign's must-have items.

It also came with two slideshow cartridges that featured ladies with bold brows, including the one and only Audrey Hepburn and Lily Collins from the new film Mirror Mirror. Hat's off to them for brilliantly putting this marketing together. And, I had not even opened the main parcel at this juncture ... hence the entire point right?

The Beauty Scoop:
*Pros: It's an easy to carry feminine coloured glam set that works good on-the-go! The benefits of the entire set is that you may use each item separately if you so choose; none of them are completely dependent on the other. Certainly, they also work well when used as a beauty team.

ILLUMIN8-Eye Shadow Duo-"On Set:" This was a winner for me because I adore golden eye shadow hues. This had tints of pink as well. I used it on my lids and right in the corner of my eye for an illuminating effect.


Tinted Brow Gel: Initially, I was put off by this brow gel, as many brow gels are always too dark or way too light for me. But, this one is surprisingly great and it sets the brows nicely! *Tip: works wonders with your favourite brow pencil for those in-between times, when there's no time to make an appointment with your regular "brow lady."


Hydrafull Glosses: "Heiress," the warmer tone of pink was my favourite colour gloss in the box, it's also very easy to mix with other lipsticks if preferred, so I was quite the fan of this one. However, "Plastic" was a bit too pale of pink for me, and even by mixing it I found that I much preferred "Heiress."

Both glosses glided on smooth, gave me great lip hydration throughout hours, and came with a flat applicator as opposed to the traditional brush style. I like flat applicators (for this), as I feel it allows you to use less gloss, yet still being entirely effective. Of course, like any makeup, you just have to try it out!

*Cons: At the moment, I don't have any! Therefore, I give this a 9.5 out of 10 from me, because I am able to use 3 out of 4 items, so I'd say it's worth it in my book.

When to grab this glam box of goodies? It will be available this month!


All opinions expressed are my own. 
Product: See and Be Seen-Courtesy of Anastasia.

Photo (above left): Anastasia Beverly Hills, all other images by Ladyofashion

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Light Linen Dips: Orange Sherbet

Linen is one of the most loved fabrics in my wardrobe for this time of season. Despite linen's wrinkling characteristics or other reasons people may not admire its qualities it's still truly one of my favourite fabrics to work with amongst others. The coarseness, yet soft hand of the material exudes natural strength to me.

The flax bast fibre is quite versatile and lends itself to be very casual or as elegant as one wants it to be. Think about those art or home interior items you've seen, i.e., pillows, lamp shades, canvases, tablecloths, etc.

I've always adored linen because of its absorbent qualities, and certainly because its one natural fibre that doesn't bother any of my allergies by wearing. It's stronger than cotton and has a wearable comfort that's so unique and unlike any other material.

I remember when I was younger watching many females in my extended family wearing linen dresses, and suits in the humid climate. As a child, it all just seemed very cool to me ― touches of gold jewellery or worldly family heirlooms would become the special dressings to the outfits. But, in actuality the linen was initially worn because of its resilient attributes, as the heat is able to escape and provide a nice cooling breeze when worn.

I had a favourite pair of tan linen wide-legged trousers that I lost in a move when I was a teenager. But, I found this great linen blazer a few years ago at a secondhand shop in Sweden that I've only worn once to replace those beloved trousers. This caught my eye immediately ... it needed that special something! So, given the fact that I have several white blazers and jackets I decided to spice this one up with a dash of orange.

It's very easy to transform a garment and make it your style. For this, I simply did an acid (composite) dye job by dipping my blazer lying in a pool of colour. Of course, like any other dye you'll need to remove excess dye prior to wearing the garment. I wanted/needed a tangerine jacket, so I'm quite happy with the outcome. I even had time to dip some kerchiefs, but that's another story.

If you're a novice with dyeing I'd suggest using small remnants of fabric to start. Your clothing will definitely thank you later, otherwise give it a go and let your lively hues bring you joy!

Are you implementing colour into your wardrobe lately, or perhaps you're like me and love many hues!

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Garment Graffiti: A Friendly Bunch

Occasionally there's a moment when I channel my inner youth for influence, of course it's generally an outfit for leisure time spent with friends on a much needed day off, or even a rapid excursion to the art supply store!  But, this was not exactly one of those days, instead it was simply a day when I took off work a few hours early to meet my Lars (who was in town) for a late lunch.

Our plans were discussed prior to the playful activities that would follow our semi-gourmet early evening treats, which also included playing board games, and intense Wii interludes. Afterward, we caught up with a mutual artist friend who also had extra time that day and wanted to join in the fun.

The Energy: Complete bliss, an overall carefree mood ... and stress-free! The attitude of our styles were bold in colour and somewhat abstract. Walking down the street together almost felt as if we were in a live art installation. I decided to go for a graffiti inspired print with easy separates to soften the sting of its saturation.

It is very rare for me to have days like this, however when it does happen it's quite a luxury ― enjoying time with old friends with playing games as a pastime, and pretending that we literally had all of the time in the world. The best part about my day (other than the obvious precious time spent with them) was that between the three of us none of our mobiles rung at all ... or if one did nobody answered the call on our end. And, that is what I call a very special day.

The goods: Leather Jacket-Thrifted, Tank-H&M, Printed legwear-eBay, Glitter heels-DIY, Earrings-Target, Denim mini-skirt-Refuge/SF thrifted, *Random products that made this shoot amazing includes: FHI flat iron, Lash Genius, and new gifted on-the-go sweet gloss by Hello Kitty!

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DIY: Neons: Adjustable Chain Necklace

There are a variety of simple ways to make your outfit stand out by accessories alone! Especially, when you have loose chain and gradated thread within reach. Today's DIY is inspired by my appreciation for [neon] colours. Yes, that's it! 

Remember this fun colourful thread that I used for my spool earrings? I had a small amount left over and decided that it was the perfect moment to create a necklace. Since then, I've been working on other projects for a couple of my friends (may show at later date), and I wanted to add a few chain styled pieces in my accessories trunk. I was struck by this thread because of its intense and gradual colour change. 


Here's the quick and fab how-to!


Materials:
Linking flat chain
Solid colour thread-thick (length of chain + /8"
Scissors
Cord ends or metal tab ends (2)
Needle-nose pliers

I took flat chain and cut it to my preferred length (you may use a measuring tape to see where you want your necklace to drop). Then, with the coloured thread I started to insert thread in every two chain links ... over and under the chain, weaving the the thread through the chain (see images).  Next, two knots were made on each end of the chain to secure the thread.  You should use thicker thread than your chain width ... depending on your chain width.

To make the adjustable loops/straps I tied a double knot at one chain end (side A) first, allowing the loop end to be extended on the thread's outside edge. Then, on the opposite chain end (side B), I interlocked its thread end with the extended loop of side A, creating another double knot with an extended loop. 


To check your straps, you should now be able to pull on both sides to make the necklace tighter or looser. Pull each chain end tightly on the double knots to secure. Use scissors to cut excess from loop ends, but leaving at least .25" on the ends to add cord ends/tabs to finish the edges. Use pliers to attach metal tabs. Secure each tab closed and you're finished!

*More DIYs coming up for you soon.

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