Chanel Inspired Belt Tutorial

Kylie Minogue, I want your Chanel belt.  Somehow I doubt you're going to give it to me so I'm going to make my own version.

Yes, the pregnancy has gotten to my brain and I now think I'm witty :P

Left:  Kylie Minogue in Chanel Pearl & Chain Belt

Right:  My DIY version

I don't know why my mannequin looks crooked after I told her repeatedly to stand up straight.  Ok, seriously, I need to lay off the sugar and just calm down.  Breathe...

See tutorial after the jump!

Preggy Chronicles Vol. 2: The "Push" Present

Another one bites the dust...

Let me first start off by saying that hubby is a very considerate and thoughtful man, but he is not one to ever bear gifts.  He firmly believes that money should be spent on experiences like vacations / eating at fancy restaurants / encouraging me to take extended maternity leaves (a year per child).  He hemmed and hawed like crazy when I told him I wanted a bracelet for V-day.

BUT, he couldn't say no this time...  After all, I am delivering a total of 2 children for him in this lifetime (the first being a boy - he told me half-jokingly that I was "a good Chinese wife") sans Epidural (although this is my idea).  So when he brought up a "push" present, I didn't hesitate to request a handbag.

• Do I NEED this handbag?  No, but who really "needs" one :)
• Have I wanted this for years and years?  YES.  (I'm also blaming you bloggers for a push in this direction - you know who you are.  I hope you know I'm kidding ladies!  :D)
• Am I planning to keep this for a lifetime and give it to my daughter or daughter-in-law?  YES.  
• And do they keep raising their darn prices all the time?  YES - so now is the time to buy!

See, ultimately I can rationalize this LOL.

I really wanted a flap of some sort in Black Caviar leather with cross-body carrying capability.  To my knowledge, current models worn cross-body are WOCs and Jumbos.  A WOC is a tad too small (8 x 5 x 1") while a Jumbo is too big (12 x 8 x 3") so I did some research on vintage styles.  Lo and behold I found a series 3 Messenger (9.75 x 8 x 3.5") and absolutely fell in love.  Though an older style, the caviar leather has held up very well throughout the years (no scuffing / stains / scratches / discolorations) which makes me think it will continue to do so for me and perhaps future generations.  I don't typically name my bags but this one is so special to me!  Her name is Charlotte and I can't wait to to do an OOTD with her :)

What would you request as a "push" present?

Another Nautical Dress DIY

As the weather gets warmer (it was 87 degrees today!!!) and I progress along the pregnancy, my favorite go-to items are dresses.  They allow your belly room without constriction and also allow your legs some air :)

This one is made from a blue striped jersey from Joann's featuring a tie-waist and has a below-the-knee hem (so that when belly grows, the length won't be obscenely short).  I used the same pattern as I did for this dress but took out the cowl for the warmer weather.

 

Dress: DIY

Necklace: Banana Republic with DIY fabric flowers

Jacket: LOFT Twill Cropped Military Jacket

Shoes: Frye Joy Vintage slide (buy here)

Belly progress - I think it actually shrunk a tiny bit because my appetite has finally gone from hyperdrive to normal :)

Cameo + Pearls = My Newest DIY Obsession

Another quickie post.  I found a bunch of cameo pendants this past weekend and went a little crazy making different pearl combo (cause you know I can't help myself with the pearls!) necklaces.  Here are a few:

Periwinkle and Cream Cameos with Cream Pearl and Bronze Chain

(buy here in my Etsy store)

Black and White Cameo + Lavender Pearls + Amethyst Ribbon

(Buy here in Etsy store and customize your colors!)

This one I think I need to re-work a little.  I think I need shorter strands of pearls so that the ribbon can be highlighted a little more.

What are your current obsessions?  :)

Wear Your Scarf As a Shirt Tutorial

By now, this scarf (a fabulous Cee discovery) has taken the blogger world by storm.  Cee has done a wonderful job of showing all the versatile ways to wear this and I wanted to show how I plan to wear it as a top.  Note - tie your knots securely and wear a tank underneath to prevent any wardrobe malfunctions!

Top Option #1 Knotted Halter:

 

How to:

 About 6-8 inches down from the center of the top, tie a small knot.

Using the top 2 corners, tie a small knot behind your neck.  Tie another small knot at your waist/hips with the bottom 2 corners.  (Please excuse the visible bra straps!)

DONE!

Top Option #2 Asymmetrical Halter:

Blazer:  Banana Republic

Scarf: eBay (seller here)

Equestrian Pin: eBay (buy here)

Bottoms: Banana Republic, Khaki Trousers

Shoes:  Clarks Book Pump (SUPER COMFY!!!)

How to:

You'll need some kind of scarf ring.  I got this equestrian-inspired pin to echo the scarf pattern - yes, I know I'm matchy-matchy :)

Pull one of the top corners through your scarf ring.

Tie a small knot with the top 2 corners.

Slip the top over your head and one arm for the asymmetrical look.  Tie a small knot with the 2 bottom corners.

Don't have a scarf ring?  No problem!  Use a pretty, decorative fashion ring and it will also do the trick:

DONE!

What do you think?  Would you try this?  For most, I think this would look really cute tucked into a pencil skirt.  For me, this does a nice job of hiding the baby bump :)

For more ideas, visit the Hermes.com website for a how-to on scarf tying download:

http://usa.hermes.com/PlayTimeView?storeId=10202&catalogId=10052&langId=-1#