DIY | chalkboard coffee table

Meet Ryan.  He likes to draw (a lot).
Last weekend I made the suggestion that he modify his coffee table into a drawing surface with chalkboard paint.  Earlier this week he did just that and it turned out fantastic. 

What you need to create this DIY of your own are Chalkboard Paint, and a surface of your choosing.   Chalkboard paint can be found at any hardware, craft, or paint store.  Make sure the surface is clean before applying the paint.  If you are painting a wall or just a small area of any surface use painters tape to maintain a clean line.  Apply two coats in a well ventilated area and allow to dry.

I recently learned about Dry Erase Board Paint so I will definitely be creating drawing surfaces with these two paints for my place soon.

OUTFITS | Hookless No. 2

blazer: Thrifted DIY
skirt: Thrifted DIY


"The pulpit decried, 'The Hookless Fastener' as 'the Devils fingers.' [because it made it easier] to remove clothing with autonomy" Fashion historian Ronald Knoth.

Thanks to Gideon Sunbacks' invention the "Hookless No.2 " gave birth to one of my favorite structural device.  Gideon would of been 132yrs young Monday of this week, today I honor his foresight and my two favorite DIY thus far this year.  It  is funny how something so mundane as a zipper [today] stirred up so much backlash during its inception.  I personally am glad that the days of corsets, boning, hooks, and clasps are over what torture clothing was for women before zippers.

Hip hip hurray for zippers.



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LIFE | arts festival

1| finally cut my hair after nearly a year    2| attended a mini symphony concert   3| people watching at the Water Gardens   4| more people watching at the gardens on top of a man made mountain
5| view looking up at the oldest local court house

This weekend I went to a local arts festival that spans over 4 days.  Nearly 7 hours of nonstop walking, a packed train ride, a fun conversation with a local drunkard, live music, and hours of performance art, made for a great weekend.  I prepared my bank account for a serious massacre several weeks in advance, but thankfully all of the art pieces were too outrageously expensive.  I managed to only spend $20 dollars that day... I count that as a major win.

Oh by the way! Sunday 12 April was T E X T U R E S  1 year birthday.  Thanks to all of the people who follow/comment on this here my mini corner of the interwebs, I appreciate all of your support and mini words of encouragement.  Here's to many more years to come of personal growth and learning more about each one of you.

P.S. Special thanks to my dear friends Perri and Chris for the support.

DIY | asymmetrical zipper skirt

You might remember this skirt from this post, well I really liked the material but I was not too crazy about the hem line.
A simple cut, 20 minutes worth of hand stitching while watching NetFlix and there you have it, a new asymmetrical zipper skirt.  This is a pretty straight forward DIY but if you have any specific questions feel free to ask.

DIY | all purpose metallic bag

This bag was a 'accidentally on purpose' sort of DIY.  The original intention for this material was going to be a very structural boxy top but due to the cut and double layering the shape did not flatter me as I envisioned (insert complete lack of knowledge/skills as it relates to fabric construction/tailoring).  I wanted to salvage the material, so as it sat around for several weeks it dawned on me that I could simply sew the bottom and turn it into a tote/ clutch.  What I particularly like about this material is that it sits up freely holding its shape even when nothing is in it.  I tend to fold it over and use it more as a clutch for carrying small items and as a grocery tote.

I am currently working with a new material for the structural top.  DIY to come if it turns out well (fingers crossed).

OUTFITS | spring festivals

lace dress: Vintage 
blouse: Papaya
jacket/ boots: Thrifted 

I have to say that my favorite thing about no longer being at university is that I finally get an opportunity to go to concerts and festivals.  Usually around this time I would be cramming for finals, writing papers, and just basically having a nervous breakdown every two hours NO MORE!  This Spring I am looking forward to attending as many concerts as my legs can bare.

Any who, if you noticed my hair is dark again. This was a complete accident meh, oh well!  This weekend I will be adding a bit of 'unexpected' colour.  If you are following me on Tumblr you already know what colour I will be adding.

Tell me what are some of your Spring plans?  Any concerts or festivals you are looking forward to this year?

OUTFITS | vintage maven

scarve: Vintage Italian 
blouse/ skirt: Thrifted
blazer: Vintage 1960s
hat: Vintage
 
If you have not already heard,  Mad Men is back on the air.  After a long awaited extended hiatus it is back!  As a result I have found myself in the mood to celebrate its return with a vintage inspired look, but of course with a slanted twist.  I believe that the most successful way to give a hefty nod to a particular era is to always inject your own style/personality otherwise you might end up looking like a costumed character from Pleasantville.

P.S... Is my obsession with blazers becoming overwhelmingly apparent now?

OUTFITS | winter white

jacket: Thrifted/DIY
blouse:  Thrifted
jeans: Vintage 1960s

Sweeping on a bit of winter white on a spring day.  There is something about spring that makes me enjoy the look and feel of a crisp fresh white ensemble.  What colours are you are gravitating towards this spring?

BEAUTY | hair colour

jacket: Thrifted/DIY

Last weekend I dyed my hair and I absolutely love how it turned out.  I still want it to be a couple of shades lighter but for now I am happy with how it looks.  Special thanks to Sunnie for the great product review.

OUTFITS | green all over

jumper/skirt:  Thrifted
hat: Gifted 
blazer: Vintage

On Saint Patty's Day I like to go against my Scottish lineage by dressing up in green and and singing old Irish drinking songs.  Yep, Scottish blood you read that correctly, don't let this brown skin fool you.
  
Tomorrow I will be changing my hair colour; this will be the last blog post of me with dark hair, good riddance I say.