Fashionable Friday: Flower Child

I'm wearing my new jeans in honor of my tribe of flower children. Nothing like reducing a social protest movement to a simple fashion statement, eh?

 

Along those lines, I made the bracelet in the summer of '08 at a store called Yucandu (think Color Me Mine, but not just for pottery). It's decoupaged with pictures of the Kent State Massacre, and Vietnam protesters standing in the Reflecting Pool in Washington. I wear it as a reminder to care, deeply, about the world around me. 

shirt: Marshall's /  jeans: Thrifted (Free People) /  sandals: Target /  earrings: Forever 21
bracelet: DIY

Attack of the five-foot hippie!

Fashionable Friday: Remixing my Sheer Dress

I wore last week's sheer dress to another event - opening night of Zorro at the Alliance Theatre.

dress: Marshall's /  blazer: Thrifted /  heels: Some store at the mall, like, 5 years ago /
  necklace: Temptations (another mall store) /  purse: Thrifted /  sunglasses: Thrifted

I love those shoes, but I walk incredibly slowly in them. They're a touch higher than I'm used to. Does that get easier? Tell me it does - even if it's not true. I feel like a failure of a woman when I have trouble with heels.

Luckily, we spent most of our night sitting.

It's a really fun show - I encourage all my Atlanta friends to see it. You'll love it if you're into silly comedies, melodramas, or catchy songs.

Very Excellent Boyfriend and I have seen a lot of theatre lately. Zorro, The Drowsy Chaperone at the Aurora, I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change at Stagedoor Players, Assistance at Pinch n' Ouch, ans Petite Rouge at Synchronicity. When I was in high school, I didn't think Atlanta had a strong theatre community - I thought the only place an actor could work was New York. Maaaaybe LA (but who moves to LA to do theatre?). I'm really glad I was wrong; returning back to my hometown has been a blessing on all fronts.

Fashionable Friday: Still Chill

IT IS MARCH 22ND, WHY AM I STILL WEARING COATS IT IS RIDICULOUS.

I took the coat off for the photo shoot, because I'm classy

Are y'all as pissed as I am? This is exactly the kind of madness that drove me from the north. I know it's comparatively warm here, but I'm still mightily displeased; I should be in flip-flops by now.

Brr, now no sweater

Make-it-Monday: Homemade Jewelry

Last week, I told you that I occasionally turn single earrings into pendant necklaces. It's pretty much the easiest thing in the world, and I'm going to show you how you can do it, too. All you need is:

• A McDonald's tray your boyfriend stole in high school (it's your crafting surface)

• Jump rings

• A clasp of some kind (I like lobster clasps)

• Matching chain

• A charm or pendant

• Jewelry pliers (You can really use any kind of pliers - or your fingers, if they're strong. Or your teeth, if you hate your dentist.)

All of these materials are available at Wal-Mart, Michael's, JoAnn's, and Hancock Fabrics. They're pretty cheap, and come in packs of multiples, so you can make more than one piece when you buy the supplies. 

Make-it-Monday: One Earring

Is there anything sadder than losing just one earring?

Um, yes.

But losing an earring is a special kind of frustration. It leaves you with one perfectly functional, yes useless, piece of jewelry. I have a graveyard section on my jewelry tree devoted to earrings who lost their mate. But thanks to some creative thinking (and clever suggestions from the Internet) I'm slowly repurposing them.

My favorite way to use an old earring is to turn it into a necklace. It's ridiculously easy to do this with hook earrings. Go to Wal-Mart, Michaels, or JoAnn's, picked-up some silver chain, jump rings, clasps, and a pair of jewelry pliers. It took me all of five minutes to turn my pretty earring into a pretty charm. Voila, new life for an old earring!

IT'S ALIVE!

Got a solitary post earring? Try using it as a thumbtack for your corkboard.

(Photo by Cup + Penny)

You can also attach a brooch back to an old earring - wear it on your lapel like a champ. Or glue it onto a headband for a little extra sparkle.

Really, just about anything can be bedazzled it with old jewelry. I took a spin through Pinterest, and found some really great ideas. For most of these, all you need are pliers, wire cutters, and metal adhesive.

(Photo by georgiapeachez)

(Photo by georgiapeachez)

(Photo by theresamariejewelry)

(Photo by Ryoan)

(Photo by Ruffles & Stuff)

(Photo by Ruffles & Stuff)

(Photo by Ruffles & Stuff)

"All this is great, Galen, but what if I just don't want to lose my stuff in the first place?" Well, if your earring comes off while you're at home, you can try to find it using the hose attachment on your vacuum cleaner. Put a pair of pantyhose over the nozzle and run it over the floor. When you get to the earring, the pantyhose will trap the sucker for you (this also works for contact lenses). Thank the lovely Gillian for this tip - she's the one who taught it to me!

I once heard someone say that for post earrings, you can put a dab of eyelash glue on the backing. It'll give you a boost of holding power. You'll have to clean your earrings every time you wear them, though - be sanitary, ladies!

UPDATE: Tune-in next week when I show you how to make your own necklace in less than ten minutes. I guarantee you'll spend more time assembling your lunch than your jewelry.

Fashionable Friday: Pink Lady

The weather in Atlanta has been ridiculous the past few weeks. Rainy, then sunny, unusually warm and then unusually cold - and then the next day it happens all over again. I've taken to carrying a light jacket and a winter coat in my truck, just in case. Last week, while running errands with my Very Excellent Boyfriend, my foresight came in handy.

This was my base outfit - a nautical shirt, my favorite flared jeans, and my most comfortable boots.

Shirt: Thrifted (Old Navy)  Jeans: Plato's Closet (Seven for All Mankind)  Boots: Rag-O-Rama  Scarf: Bought from a show  Ring: Souvenir  

The scarf is an old favorite - one of many items that I bought from a show.My friend Katie wore it during Anton in Show Business in college. When the play closed, our designer let us purchase costume pieces, and I just jumped at this lovely scarf. I also got a leather jacket from that production - you might catch it some other time.

The ring is from Arrow Rock, Missouri. I did summer stock there after my junior year of college, and I bought this ring at an antique shop in town. My friend Liz was with me that summer, and she told me that she likes to buy jewelry and clothing in lieu of typical "souvenirs." Snowglobes, magnets, and postcards are nice, but it's extra fun to wear a memento. Now when I travel, I keep an eye out for pretty things to add to my wardrobe.

When the sun started to fall and things got chilly, I whipped-out a recent purchase...

The Pepto Bismal Blazer! Had you forgotten it? I hope not!

Always Captain Morgan when you have the chance.

I really love this jacket - it's such a cheerful color. And I love how it clashmatches the scarf - they're not a normal combo, but somehow I love them together.

Top it all off with a Belle hairstyle, and I felt like a princess all over town - even at the post office.

Have a lovely weekend, everyone! It's the last weekend of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, and I'm pretty depressed. I'm gonna miss stomping my foot and belting my face with this crazy group. Wish us broken legs and full houses!