{ acute angles }

{ forever21 sunnies, self-designed necklace, club monaco dress-turned-top (previously seen HERE, HERE and HERE), vintage belt, h+m leather skirt (similar option on sale HERE), camille zarsky clutch, zara boots }

in order to transition my wardrobe for fall without spending a fortune, i've been reworking pieces that have already had their fair share of wear. for example, this top used to be THIS DRESS. i felt like it was ready for a change! and i'm simply loving the look of interestingly angled layers, though it's hard to find tops that are cropped just right. better to do-it-yourself (or have your dry cleaner do it for you, like i did).

i always like to kick off a season by rethinking what's already in my wardrobe before adding in new duds. this time next year, don't be surprised if this skirt is six inches shorter!!

{ new } kitchen shelves

one thing i've always disliked about my kitchen is its lack of sufficient storage options. it does, however, have a random, empty expanse of wall at the end of the counter ~ and it finally occurred to me to make some use of this space (it previously hosted a lovely, but unhelpful photograph, as seen here). enter in these great lucite shelves from the container store!!

i'm also pretty excited about these brand-new but vintage-looking water glasses. i think they were made for my place.
the vintage spice canisters came from ebay (i found similar sets for you HERE, HERE, and HERE). i put little white labels on the bottom of each of them (which i can easily see through the shelves!), so i know what's inside.

the antique tumblers are part of my dorothy thorpe collection. i've loved her work for such a long time. the porcelain and milkglass bud vases (seen in the top photo) are collected from local thrift shops.

the vintage aluminum and lucite ice bucket (perched on a glass pie plate, above) holds packets of tea, of which i drink far too much!!

{ ch-ch-ch-changes }

i mentioned HERE that i'd recently made some changes to my apartment. nothing major ~ simply subtle adjustments here and there. like i've intimated before, it's always evolving! to follow is a before & after comparison of my living room area. what do you think: better, worse or same old same old?!

{ a second chance } to scarf-tan-ette

remember back in july, when i did a makeover of the forever21 dress below (replacing its original suede straps with shiny gold chain)?!?


if so, you may recall that before i was able to post about the project, the piece had sold out ~ so i followed up with a DIY version of it instead. well, thanks to the helpful tip-offs of several eagle-eyed readers, i'm happy to tell you that the original dress has recently been restocked online. this means you can finally buy it yourself and do your own easy-peasy chain-strap update!

of course, if you'd prefer to spend the day getting crafty, the DO-IT-YOURSELF PROJECT this dress inspired is surprisingly fun and easy to execute ~ and the full instructions are HERE. either way, enjoy!!

{ before + after } bedroom furniture

i've always been a compulsive improver, a serious DIY addict. i can't look at anything without thinking how i can make it better! this trait came in handy while decorating the apartment (on a budget!), as so many things can be transformed with a little patience and a few swathes of paint. here are two of my favorite makeovers:

this bedside stool was a surprise score. i'd been looking for a chic step stool for a while, but they are surprisingly hard to come by. when my guy texted a photo of this one to me (from a yard sale in the hamptons), i knew it had incredible potential. only problem was, the seller didn't want to let it go without the matching (ginormous) bed frame. i insisted that he be persistent, threatening: "don't you dare come home without it!!" in the end, it took four trips to the woman's house over the course of two days, plus a whopping $30 to wear her down. the day he returned home victorious, i set to work painting our prize!

as you may have gathered from this photo, it serves a vital function to my pampered pup. while i'll be the first to admit that pooch is spoiled rotten, installing steps for her to get into bed was more about my convenience than hers ~ i hated being woken up every time she got the urge to cuddle! i also use it as a perch while putting on shoes, and as a way to reach the purses at the tippy-top of my closet.

this dresser came from craigslist. it was pretty banged up (as you can see) ~ but it was cheap, and its architecture (especially the quietly curved lines) reminded me slightly of the step stool above. i really liked that it had lots of little drawers on top to store my sunnies and accessories. luckily, a bit of wood glue (for that taped-together leg), some sanding, and a couple coats of paint went a long way; this project took only a day!
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i hope this inspires you to look at that next yard sale find with a more open mind ~ or even to rethink something already in your own home!!

{ glamourai DIY } instantly stately

{ above: reworked antique/estate jewels from my private collection }

i love the look of estate jewelry, especially articulated rhinestone pieces that have developed a smokey patina over time (like the yummy stuff above!). unfortunately, such gems can be either hard to find or stunningly expensive. on the other hand, modern replicas may be more affordable, but they often lack a certain depth ~ to my mind, new, too-shiny jewels always look cheap. good thing i've got a trick for faking the estate look!

here's what you do: start with a rhinestone necklace (or earrings, bracelet, etc...). recently, i fell in love with this 3D floral stunner while culling pieces for my f21 store. although it's undoubtedly a pretty piece as is, i imagined it might be a bit too glitzy ~ even for my taste! however, i knew it would be perfect for this project.

other than that, you'll need:
- paper towels to protect your work surface
- a black AND a brown sharpie pen (fine point is preferred)
- a handful of Q-tips
- nail polish remover (optional)

first and foremost, cover your workspace with paper towels; permanent marker does NOT come off tabletops! next, start smudging brown sharpie over the stones; to get that naturally aged look, occasionally skip a stone or two. you want it to look a bit random (as organic aging tends to be). blot the ink up with a moistened Q-tip (dipped in water!) as you go:

next, trace back over the stones with the black sharpie (continuing to blot with damp Q-tips as you move along). layering black over the brown adds dimension, making the stones look more naturally smokey:

for the sake of this tutorial, i completed the right side first, so that you'd be able to compare the desired finish with the original starting place (ie, the left side):

after continuing the same work on said left side, i realized i'd gone a bit too dark overall. that's easy to do ~ but just as easy to fix! simply dip one of your Q-tips in a bit of nail polish remover, and sweep it over the top surface of the stones. use a light touch on this step ~ that will help bring the shine back to the tips of the piece, while maintaining the shading around the sides of the stones. and voila! that's all it takes:

see the difference?! this transformation is definitely (intentionally) subtle; because, as we all know, chic is in the details!

let me know in the comments if you have any questions, and send me pictures if you decide to test this out for yourself!! as always, please keep in mind that you don't have to buy anything new to do this project ~ just dig around in your jewelry box for anything a bit too blingy and try giving it the antique treatment!

{ can't get enough } DIY ideas for the home

because i've long since grown out of dollhouses, i'm dreaming of new ways to use all the miniature chairs i still love...
{ speacking of, have you seen this genius jewelry stand?! }

...as well as the full-size chairs i also adore, but have no place for (their storage becomes storage (becomes storage)):

can anyone else envision the football atop this task lamp being replaced with a handbag, or dashing hat? seems completely feasible to me:

and now that i've repainted all my old furniture and frames, how about adding some subtle, unexpected stenciling:

or, for a far less understated effect, perhaps i could cover a mirror (or table top or toilet seat cover!) with an iced topping of beautiful bijoux:

{ image credits: 1/ unknown 2/ apartment therapy 3/ wary myers 4/ design sponge 5/ moodboard }

{ glamourai diy } the scarf-tan-ette

as promised in yesterday's post, i've got a fun DIY project for you today: how to make your own summery (caftan-esque) scarf dress!

like me, many of you probably have hoards of vintage scarves buried away in your closet, but you can't figure out ways to wear them. if not, they are super cheap and easy to find at your favorite vintage store/thrift shop/flea market. this is a great way to put them to new use!

you'll need:
- 2 silk scarves
- straight pins, sewing machine, thread
- 4 grommets
- approximately 20-22" chain (use old thrift store jewelry!)
- jewelry pliers to manipulate chain

the combination possibilities for this project are endless, but i decided to start with two scarves that were fairly similar in size (approximately 31" square), and in pattern (horse bit/bridle motifs). i also liked the neapolitan-ice-cream-esque palette they evoked together:

i chose to use the pink scarf on the top (front of dress) and the brown scarf on the bottom (back of dress). i began by pinning the two together...

... to create an hourglass shape:

please note two important things:
(1) you want to keep this shape a little over-sized (in relation to your body). this is a no-zip dress, so you must make sure it can slip on & off easily. laid flat, the measurements i used were: 17" at the top opening, 15" at the waist, and 22" at the bottom opening. consider this a size small, and add more or less room according to your own perfect proportions.
(2) the hourglass shape is not sewn in straight (vertical) alignment with the sides of the scarves ~ instead, it is placed at a slight (left-hand) bias. this is important to establishing the asymmetric effect of the finished product.

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sew the scarves together along the lines you marked with straight pins (again, reference the picture above). a sewing machine is preferred for this step (i use a kenmore elite), but if you don't have one, it could certainly be done by hand.

next, mark on both sides of the dress (either with thread or tailor's chalk) where your straps will go. plan on placing them approximately 10" apart:

you can either hand-stitch your chain straps directly to these points, or install grommets to loop them through. in most cities, you can have grommets done at your local upholstery store. however, if you happen live in new york, take your dress to steinlauf & stoller on 39th street, where nancy will hammer them in for you at $2 a pop!

using either your grommets or a needle & thread, attach 2 chain straps (it's up to you whether these match or not). the shorter strap (to be worn on the right) should measure about 8.5" long; the longer strap (to be worn on the left) should measure about 12-13" long.

laid flat, the finished piece should look like this:
i used a light colored thread, so that you'd be able to make out the lines of stitching (look closely!). also, pay attention to how off-center the straps are ~ this placement is paramount to achieving the correct drape.

here's what it looks like in 3D:



{ my DIY dress is worn with: vintage YSL sunnies, rachel rachel roy ear cuff & blazer, earrings from etsy, vintage belt & bracelets, LAMB shoes }

have fun and let me know if you have any questions!

{ costume of the day } the scarf dress

shortly after i posted about craving caftans with which to beat the heat, i ordered this fantastic, filmy little scarf dress from forever21:
it seemed like a sweet summer solution. but when it arrived, i realized i wasn't crazy about its sort of scratchy, faux-boho braided leather straps...

...so i swapped them out for my own mixed chains:

et voila!
obviously, i was inspired a bit by this project. i enjoy clothes, i adore jewelry ~ and i especially love the two (even better) when melded together!


{ zanzan sunnies, the glamourai earrings, rachel rachel roy jacket, customized forever21 dress, vintage belt, poppy crystal cuff (courtesy of coach), vintage chain bangles, alberta ferretti shoes }

i wanted to give you the link to buy & redo this dress for yourself, but unfortunately it's already sold out online. so, i'll do you one better: check back tomorrow for a long-overdue DIY ~ turns out it's insanely easy to make one of your own! stay tuned, and i'll show you how! WAIT NO LONGER! the complete DIY is HERE!!

{ sneakery peekery } inside my closet

many of you have asked to see the inside of my closet. truth be told, i've been a bit shy to share ~ it's not exactly the walk-in wardrobe of my dreams. in new york, those are few and far between!

at any given time, i have only just enough room to showcase a tightly-edited selection of the current season's clothes. even then, i've had to make clever use of every inch. anything that can't be worn today is in storage in my studio.

in a way, my lack of space is a good thing. it forces me to constantly rotate and reevaluate what's in my closet ~ thus ensuring that everything in there is: (a) truly loved; and (b) immediately wearable. inevitably, i'm sure this saves me tons of time on deciding what to wear.

on the top shelf, i used desk dividers from ikea (intended to separate magazines or office files, they clip to the front of the shelf) to create partitions between handbags and hats. this keeps things from falling into a jumbled mess, and makes it much easier for me to peruse my options everyday:


below that are expandable shoe racks from bed bath & beyond. i was careful to make this shelf tall enough to comfortably accommodate boots when winter rolls around:

to get as many clothes as possible into such a small space, i use real simple slimline hangers. thanks to their genius, built-in hooks, for every one hanger you see on the top pole, 2 or 3 more are linked and tiered below. they are amazing ~ a city girl's savior! they easily triple my potential capacity:

small trinkets, scarves and belts are stored and displayed on a variety of convenient carriers from the container store:

hanging shelves (unseen below, but visible in the 1st pic) are wedged into an awkward, otherwise unusable, inner-closet alcove on the far left. in these, i keep lingerie, gym clothes, pajamas, and extra bedding. on the floor to their right are separate bins for clothes awaiting either dry cleaning or hand washing. next to these, another shoe rack holds everyday errand-running slides and a bin of belts that can't be hung up above:

just outside the closet's double doors, a mannequin wears my current favorite jewels, jacket and vest ~ the better to throw over any ensemble on my way out the door!

finally, i'm working on repurposing the drawers of a nearby dresser to store my extensive collections of statement necklaces and sunnies. i'll post a follow-up when that project is finished!