skirt: thrifted, t-shirt: tresics, jacket: lc lauren conrad, shoes: tamaris, watch: michael kors, earrings: love stitched
just an outfit post today including my new favorite skirt. don't you just love that cobalt blue?
lately, next to being mama, i've been busy exploring ideas, designing and creating. i feel so much happier and balanced when i have a creative outlet. some ideas have worked out great and i'll be sharing them here soon, others not so much but that's ok too.
i am also excited to say that i have a great giveaway coming up very soon :) there are just so many amazing, talented women out there and I am so happy to be able to share some of this talent with you guys. i'll also be part of the big 1000 follower giveaway over at modern modest beauty, where you'll be able to win a month of ad space on my blog and I'm sure a ton of other great stuff.
and lastly, i am taking new and hopefully some returning sponsors for september so make sure to check out the sponsor page for more information!
you can save 20% on all ad space sizes with code september20off right now :)
i am blogging over at love stitched today but i am also sharing a similar post here because you should really be introduced to brittany, her blog and most of all her fabulous etsy shop.
i've been a contributer for brittany's blog since the spring and love the wide range of topics on her blog. you are likely to find something interesting there every time you return. not only is she a successful blogger but she also runs her etsy shop love stitched. each item is handmade with great care and love. a few weeks ago we came up with a little collaboration in order to showcase some of brittany's shop items in a different way, so that customers could get a better idea of how versatile her line of accessories truly is.
since we are sure you will fall in love with her items by the time you've read this post and looked at her shop (go, look now!) ;) there is also a generous 20% discount code at the bottom of this post you may use on your entire order!
after brittany sent me a lovely package i came up with a few transitional outfits that will help me adjust to the cooler temperatures of fall, my favorite season.
i'd been eying up this wonderful sophia shabby rose trio headband for a while so I was happy to incorporate it into a few different outfits.
isn't the headband gorgeous? i love the muted gray color because i can pair it with just about anything and the black elastic is super comfortable to wear. i am always worried when headband elastic is very tight because it ends up giving me a headache. not with this one. it is nice and soft and has just the right amount of stretch. i like to wear headbands across my forehead so that's another reason i can't stand when they're too tight. who likes to walk around with an indentation on their forehead all day long?
brittany also sent me the gold branch dangle earrings which i love and wear almost every day. you can see me wearing them here. to top it all off i got one of the limited edition anthropologie inspired ruffle flower rings. isn't it so cute?
check out her packaging too. it's so pretty and perfect for gifting.
so thank you so much brittany, i love it all :)
and this is how i'll be wearing my shabby rose headband this fall...
... with my favorite pleated skirt, a light sweater and a jean jacket.
... with muted pastels and rain boots.
... with a little bohemian inspired outfit because headbands somehow make me feel like a flower child ;)
... with one of my most favorite combos: plaid shirts and boyfriend jeans.
which outfit is your favorite? and what are your must-have items for fall?
brittany is graciously offering a 20% discount on all orders from her store with code: CREATIVE
let me introduce you to my newest obsession everlane
say $15 luxury t-shirts and i'm likely to be intrigued. i'm always on the lookout for a great t-shirt so I definitely had to check these out.
but go read what they say about their company first:
It's an industry fact: Your typical designer shirt sells for 8 times what it cost to make. But it doesn't have to be this way. We've set out to challenge conventions and build a new retail model.
We have no physical stores, no middlemen taking their cut and no crazy brand markups. Instead, we create our own luxury basics and sell them exclusively at Everlane.com. New designs each month, never over $100.
Online only.
By operating entirely online we save on all the costs associated with physical stores and gain tremendous flexibility in production.
Smart manufacturing.
We seek out the best factories in the business—the very same ones that produce your favorite designer labels—to create the shortest path from our hands to yours.
Edited design.
We never compromise on quality. Our collections are intentionally pared down so that we can design with the closest attention to detail.
i think it's a really interesting concept and what they're offering looks absolutely fabulous. i couldn't resist ;) go check them out right hereand have a happy weekend :)
skinny cords: jcrew, white tank: zara, chambray shirt: jcrew (similar), boots: thrifted (similar), watch: michael kors (similar), bracelet: gift, branch earrings: c/o love stitched
the weather here in pa has momentarily cooled down just a little bit. we are back in the 80's now but had a pretty cool day on saturday. it was honestly fine by me since i'd been dreading the outfit posts a little bit lately... i am mostly a shorts and t-shirt kind of girl when it's super hot outside and that's not necessarily anything to brag about on here. wink wink...
so instead of the heat we got a nice little glimpse at what fall is going to be like and i started outfit planning in my head. can't wait to get my scarf collection out again!
the chambray shirt that has seen lots of wear through spring and summer is also going to be a go-to piece in my fall wardrobe and so are jcrew's toothpick cords. here i paired them with some nicely worn-in boots and a simple white tank. i stayed comfy and warm all day but was able to shed a layer when the sun peeked through in the afternoon.
i will definitely be wearing lots of different variations of this outfit in the fall.
what items from your summer wardrobe will help you transition into fall?
This was my contributer post for July over at Love Stitched, in case you missed it here it is:
I thought I would share a few of my all time favorite European brands with you.
I always like to find new brands and the following ones can be shopped via the ASOS website which (lucky for us) ships to the US :))
First on the list is a danish accessories label called PIECES. They make the most gorgeous scarfs, jewelry and leather belts. You'll find wardrobe staples as well as on-trend accessories for a fair price and once items go on sale they are a steal. I just returned from Germany with a new scarf (and one to giveaway on my blog) as well as a great new belt. I really love how they use different patterns in their pieces which can add so much interest to a plain outfit. I am also very much into scarfs with a collection that mostly replaces necklaces for me - super comfortable and multi functional.
Second is another danish fashion house called Vero Moda.
Vero Moda, in my book, is a more affordable alternative to Zara. Their pieces are trendy and well made but remain practical for everyday wear. They also have a line of intimates which is super pretty and feminine. The brand has used models such as Kate Moss and Gisele Bündchen in their campaigns.
I am in love with that coral rain coat!
Lastly, spanish fashion brand Mango is a go-to for basic pieces with an edge.
The tailoring on their coats is great and my most favorite leather jacket is from there. I've had it for years and it still looks amazing. Best of all - it only cost about $120!
I definitely have my eye on that amazing mustard and striped sweater next.
You can also shop their online store on their website.
So there you have it. 3 wonderful new fashion brands for you to explore and hopefully fall in love with :) I would love to hear your opinion and maybe you'd like to share a few of your own not-so-well-known brands?
Disclaimer: Neither Brittany nor I have been paid to advertise for any of the above mentioned brands or ASOS.com. All opinions are my own and your experiences may vary. All images were taken from ASOS.com via Polyvore.
oh, i am so behind on everything blog related. we got back home around 9 pm on wednesday after being delayed for hours and yesterday was spent unpacking, cleaning the house and weeding my overgrown vegetable garden. buuuut, i promised this giveaway and so here it is :)
i brought you back this lovely scarf by danish fashion and accessories brand "pieces". it is yellow with a pretty floral pattern and made of a light cotton. it's an infinity style scarf and drapes nicely.
to see more pictures of how i am wearing my scarf go here and here.
pieces make lovely scarfs and i am also a fan of their leather belts. everything is affordable and you lucky US ladies can even shop a selection of their items on ASOS now :))
this giveaway has ended. please check for a new giveaway in the upper right corner of the blog.
so, to win this beaut all you have to do is this:
to enter you must be a gfc follower of the forge and chose one other way to subscribe. Leave me a comment saying how you follow and also leave your email. (if you don't have gfc just choose two of the other options to follow along)
today, let me introduce you to my handsome husband and his new glasses ;)
for guys (girls too I guess), glasses can be a little bit like watches, there are tons of styles to choose from and it's easy to start a collection. i personally don't need prescription glasses but once in a while I am highly tempted to buy myself a pair of nerdy looking frames just for fun.
jason on the other hand has had to rely on his glasses for years, switched to contacts and then back to glasses because it's better for his eyes when he travels (dry air on planes and such).
so when i was contacted by the wonderful folks at GlassesUSA.com to try out their online shop and write a review I thought who better to try this out than my man?
we checked out their website to see what they had to offer, browsed the selection and started wondering how on earth we could find a suitable pair of glasses without trying them on in person. until now we had always taken the usual route of visiting a local eyeglas store to buy glasses and picking out a pair in person. well, here is what GlassesUSA.com has come up with to make it easier to try on a selection of frames right from the comfort of your home:
the virtual mirror
here's the hubby trying on the frames he ended up choosing
this tool lets you select several frames, take a picture right on your computer or upload an image you like and try them on to see what the glasses will look like. it is super easy to use and you can even scale the proportions or rotate the image. this handy tool also lets you compare your favorites right in one spot. the only downside to this that we noticed was that not all the frames were available to be tried on in the virtual mirror.
if you'd like to try it out yourself you can go ahead right here:
once we decided on a pair of black bolle brand frames all we needed to do was get his prescription from the doctor, put it in the order form and select lens material and coatings. super easy as well. we put in the order and recieved a confirmation email right away. glassesUSA kept us informed on the whole production process and status of our order by email while we waited. we ordered on June 9th and received the glasses on the 15th. everything went super fast but the email with the tracking information actually came on the 17th, two days after we had already received them. this is not really a complaint because we were already happy the eyeglasses arrived so quickly.
here are a few more pictured of what came in the package
glasses, case, cleaning cloth and prescription certification card
a few more things we liked about purchasing eyeglasses from glassesUSA.com
shipping is free :)
100% satisfaction guarantee (if you're not happy just send your frames back to exchange them)
turnaround time was super quick
we didn't have to leave the house
the frames are comfortable and great quality
if you purchase eyeglasses frequently you may be interested in their refer-a-friend program
they also offer prescription sunglasses
Jason chose the Bolle Neuilly frames.
overall, we would definitely order from glassesUSA.com again. the whole process was super easy and we were truly surprised at the great fit, selection and of course the look of them as well.
if you're in the market for a new pair of glasses and would like to give glassesusa.com a try you can save an extra 10% on your order with the code BLOG10
you can also find all other current dicounts and offers here
disclaimer: this post is a sponsored post. i was provided with a gift code to the above mentioned business in exchange for my opinion in a review post. these opinions are my own and an honest reflection on the products and services provided to my family. your experience may vary.
i recently got a request to make these lovely flowers for a wedding and throught i'd share a quicktutorial because they are so easy to make.
you'll need:
satin and organza fabrics
pearls
needle and thread
a little bit of felt for the backing
a glue gun
hair pins
a candle
cut out several circles in various sizes from your materials
hold the edges close to the candle flame but be careful not to get too close. conistently move the circles around to finish off your edges and let the fabric curl up in the places you like. arrange the circles to form a flower and stitch one or more pearls into the middle. finish by tying the thread on the back of each flower. use the glue gun to attach a small circle of felt to each back and then again to attach the hair pins to the felt.
done! super cute and easy. a little bit addictive as well ;)
can't wait to see pictures of the bride wearing these.
this giveaway has ended and winner has been notified.
in order to make your monday mood a little better and because my last giveaway just ended, let's jump right into another giveaway, shall we?
if you haven't heard of shabby apple yet, go visit their website and be blown away by all their wonderful vintage inspired dresses. they even offer vintage inspired swim suits now.
here are a few of my favorites
to enter the giveaway here is what you need to do:
(mandatory entry)
like shabby apple on facebook visit their website and leave me a comment telling me what item you would spend the $50 on be a gfc follower of the forge (if you already are please follow another way) leave your email in your comment
follow the forge on pinterest tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link in your comment
post this giveaway to your facebook page and leave me the link in your comment
you must leave a separate comment for each one you do!
and for all of you who just can't wait to order some awesomeness from shabby apple you can click on this lovely button right here and use discount code theforgestyle10offto receive 10% off your entire purchase (good until June 22nd). So what are you waiting for??
This giveaway is sponsored by shabby apple and the winner will receive their gift card directly from Shabby Apple. No purchase necessary. Must have a US shipping address in order to enter. Must be over 18. Giveaway will end on June 1st 2012 at 12am EST. One winner with a valid entry will be selected at random using random.org. Winner will be emailed and will have 48 hours to claim their prize or another winner will be selected. The Forge and Shabby Apple are not responsible for lost or undelivered emails.
good luck :)
winner of the clutch giveaway is Janelle at Photography4TheCreator. congrats and thanks for entering everyone!
yup, another diy today. i am seriously dragging this week with the hubs gone and having to do everything myself. at the end of the day all i want to do is curl up in bed, have some tea and watch tv. you know what that's like, right?
so anyway... while i went through my stash to make the earrings last week, I found some left-over gold chain and neon pink mason line that I had bought for a completely different project (haven't gotten to that one yet).
so I decided to make a bracelet...
you'll need:
larger size gold chain
neon mason line from your local home store (about $2-$3)
a lobster clasp
some hot glue
any tool that will help you open the chain links
measure the chain around your wrist take at least three times that length in doubled up mason line (so 6 times the length of your chain).
loop the string through one end of the chain as you can see in the picture.
slide the loop to one side and start threading it through the chain links from underneath. i eventually added a tiny bit of hot glue to the end of my string so it would stop unravelling. that helped tremendously and also finishes off the string nicely.
you want to go through each chain link from underneath and then stick your string back down through the loop you created. It's really easy to do just hard to explain ;)
at the end of the chain I just tied a double knot and left some extra string. you can of course also cut it all off. Attach a lobster clasp to the other side and you are done. this seriously only takes about 15-20 minutes. super easy and super cute :)
