Black lace

This fall, v-neck sweaters are everywhere. Over-sized v-neck sweaters, fitted v-neck sweaters, plunging v-neck sweaters, and high v-neck sweaters, and I LOVE THEM. Another great look this season is off-the-shoulder tops. I love the look of an off-shoulder or low back top, anything that reveals a little bit of shoulders or back. But, let's talk about strapless bras for a second. They're so uncomfortable. And sticky bras freak me out, I won't try it, I just won't! Bra straps under an off-the-shoulder tops though, totally ruin the look. To solve this problem, I figured it would be easy to find a cheap lace strapped bralette to put on underneath the sweater. I was so wrong. The ones I found were either super expensive, or the straps weren't lacey. So I got some lace scalloped fabric shipped from fabric.com, grabbed an old black bra, and got to work...

What you'll need -

Scalloped lace (here is the one I had shipped to me)
Fabric scissors
Sewing machine (or supplies to hand sew)
Fabric pencil or something to mark with (I used pins)
An old bra (same color as your lace)

1. The supplies

First thing's first, find a lace fabric that you like! I wanted black floral with a scalloped edge. And Fitz was very helpful, as per usual...

Grab an old bra. Put it on and adjust the straps until they are comfortable. Mark the spot that hits the top of your shoulders on the straps. I used bobby pins around each strap to mark this spot.

2. The prep

Cut out a strip of the lace in a rough shape of how you'll lay it on your bra. I avoided measurements for this part and figured I would wing it along the way. My piece of lace looked sort of like a triangle.

After you have this rough piece of fabric, lay it on top of your bra, aligning the very top, narrowest piece, to the top of the pin marking your bra strap. The widest piece of the scallop should hit along the top of the bra cup. You will use this like a stencil, cutting your fabric to the shape of the bra. The only place you should need to cut is the outside, where your line of cut is already rough (the left of the photo in my case).

3. Sewing

One your fabric is cut to size, start sewing! Start with the bra strap, working downward.

Once you've covered this side of the fabric, remove the bra from the sewing machine, and cut your thread.

Now, sew where the strap meets the bra cup, down the line of the cup. You will have a little triangle of lace sewn here.

4. The finished product

Sew the last portion of lace down, from the inside of the bra cup to the outside. Your sewing lines should look like this...

Try on your refurbished bra/bralette and make sure everything fits as it was supposed to. Yay, so cute!

How to wear it - 

The look

Wear under a v-neck or over-sized sweater, off-shoulder, or sheer tops where the lace can be shown off! I put mine on under a burgundy v-neck sweater from H&M, I paired it with cuffed dark skinny jeans, black suede heels, and a black tote bag.

The hair & makeup

To pair with my burgundy v-neck, I put on a deep purple lipstick (Rebel by MAC). I did thick winged liquid liner on my eyes, and I lined the insides of my eyes with pencil liner to make them extra dark and bold.

What do you think of this seasons's trends of v-neck sweaters? Are you going to try your own DIY bralette?

Xoxo

Pink on pink

I love blogging so much, but my favorite fashion bloggers have wardrobes that will never be justifiable for me. They post links with excitement when their shirts go on sale for $100. That's half of my grocery bill, no way jose.

Since I started blogging and paying more attention to fashion and Pinterest, blogs and fashion designers, I'm more of a "girly-girl" than I've ever been. I love lipstick and heels more than Jason will ever understand. And PINK! Oh I love pink. One thing that's been on my list of things-to-buy for months has been hot pink heels, but I haven't been able to find the right ones, for under $600 that is. Until I can find something affordable, I think I'll stick to fuschia lipstick and blush colored accessories, things I can buy with a single $20 bill or less...

The look

Blush is one of my favorite colors. It pairs well with anything, goes well with any complexion, and is mute enough that you can still add a pop of color to your look without being overpowering. I was shopping at H&M, looking through tops and accessories, when I found this scarf. I'm weird about shopping, I shop more by feel at first than by appearance. Because if something isn't soft and comfortable against my skin, why would I wear it? I like fuzzy, fleecy, silky, and smooth. I was feeling around the wool products (oh so soft and wintery), looked up to see the necklaces, while mindlessly reaching down to feel more hats, and felt this AMAZING fabric. It felt like cashmere, and of course, my immediate thought was "ugh, can't afford cashmere, but man I want this in my closet". I looked down, found one of my favorite colors, blush, and saw the price tag - $17.99 - DAY MADE. I couldn't wait to wear this soft fabric around my neck! I thought the blush would go really well with a neutral color, so I paired it with a light grey v-neck tee, and dark skinny jeans.

V-neck tee: H&M

Jeans: H&M

The accessories

I wanted to keep this casual look sleek with a pair of pointed toe heels, and a neutral, so I went with black suede. These heels are the same as the light grey ones that I blogged about yesterday from H&M, and good news, these ones are on sale right now too! They're the perfect must-have for a professional interview look, a girls night out, or a date night. 

I've been looking for a tote bag like this for ages. They're in right now, especially in bright colors, but I love dark and neutrals for the darker seasons and because neutrals look good with everything! I found this one at H&M for under $25. This is the first tote bag I've found for under $40, so I was giddy about it! The inside is nude, and it has a little clutch strung into it to put your wallet and keys into! It isn't a ginormous elephant bag, so it doesn't look ridiculous, but it can still hold a decent amount of stuff. 

For these photos, I knew I wanted a cup of tea. I like to throw them in every once and awhile 1. because of the name of the blog (no s**t, sherlock), 2. because I'm obsessed with tea, and 3. for this look, because the scarf made me feel all cozy and snuggly, so a cup of warm tea sounded perfect. I just love the last photo because of the viny plant creeping up towards my heels. It makes me look more artsy than I actually am ;)

Scarf: H&M / Alternative

Heels: H&M

Tote bag: H&M / Alternative

The hair & makeup

Since the blush color was a nice muted touch of an accessory, I wanted to add a pop of color, and imagine this...it's on my lips! I know, I'm obsessed with bold lips, it's an issue. That's why I freaked out about this bright fuchsia lipstick from Forever 21. I don't honestly shop there very much, but I ran in one day a few months ago to find a cheap necklace that I saw on my friend and had to have for myself. I ran into a wall of lipstick (not literally, though it wouldn't be surprising with my gracefulness), and it stopped me in my tracks. I saw this color and absolutely had to leave with it, especially for $3. The only thing I ever splurge on is lipstick (MAC), so I figured a cheap one in my collection would be harmless. This stuff works surprisingly well for the price. It stays on pretty well throughout the day, and has really bold color. It definitely dries my lips out more than I'm used to, and goes kind of funky and chunky if you're talking or eating a lot while wearing it for long periods of time (I will never wear it work again, my mistake), but for $3, it's pretty solid. I'm not a huge Forever 21 fan, H&M is my jam, and they just came out with a new beauty collection after not having one for awhile, so I'm STOKED about that!

I put light shimmery blush and cream shadows on the inside corners and center of my eyelid, with a little shimmery plum on the outside corners of my eyelid, working my way in. I then traced my lash line with liquid liner, and winged it out at the end. Lastly, I applied light mascara.

For my hair in this look, I took a small section on the front side of my hair and braided it, I pulled this piece back with all of my other hair and twisted everything into a small bun at the base of my neck, securing it with bobby pins. I thought this hairdo would look sleek and feminine!

Lipstick:  Forever 21 / Alternative

Shadow palette: Clinique

Liquid liner: Aristry

What do you think of this simple, feminine look? How do you like to wear pink?

Xo

Hunter green

Last season up until now, my favorite fall (okay, basically every season) color has been army green. Army green on brunettes, blondes, dark skin, fair skin, paired with blush, paired with burgundy, etc. My favorite piece since last fall has been my H&M army green utility jacket. It's a light jacket and it goes with everything! But...now everyone has one. PNW has trends - they tend to revolve around white converse, black North Face vests, Hunter boots, and army green utility jackets (I'll admit to owning 3/4 of those things). I decided I need a new color obsession this fall.

The newbie - HUNTER GREEN. Oh yeah. Deep green, the kind that makes you think of acres and acres of evergreen forests, the kind that makes you think of Christmas tree shopping and the fresh scent of pine, the kind that makes you think of thistles, pinecones, and winter.

The look

Last week I found a hunter green sweater at H&M and I'm kind of freaking out about it. It's super soft, not super heavy, the sleeves are long enough (that's rare with my orangutan length arms), and I got a size up so it's nice and slouchy. 

These jeans from H&M are awesome because they come in 32 length (WOOHOO - it's the little things in life, like not looking like Urkel from Family Matters in every pair of pants you own) and they're only $19.99! 

Sweater: H&M

Jeans: H&M

The accessories

As you already know about me, I'm totally obsessed with heels. And every girl needs neutrals in her closet. I love the real suede heels from H&M (I might have a few pair...), they are usually pretty spendy, around $60, but they have different colors year round from black to hot pink, depending on the season, and they go on sale every once and awhile, so I've gotten all of mine pretty cheap. These adorable light grey ones are on sale right now, I put the link below! They're true to size, pretty comfortable for heels, and I love the classic pointed toe. They aren't super tall, so they are easy to walk in and practical. A neutral heel like grey, black, or nude, is necessary to have in your closet whether it's for a hot date or a job interview!

I also love the classic black-and-white palette right now, which is why I'm loving this simple clutch! P.S. If you're ever looking for cute clutches - Express is one of my faves for accessories (at sale time of course).

I found this linked gold and black statement necklace on clearance at Old Navy awhile back. I'm not a big spender on jewelry, $10 or less has always been my rule of thumb (I'll be honest, I break stuff and I lose stuff, that's my excuse). A statement necklace was the perfect thing to pair with this sweater!

Heels: H&M

Clutch: H&M

Necklace: Old Navy / Alternative

The hair & makeup

When fall comes around, I love sleek, dark makeup with bold lips. Anything in a deep color like burgundy, berry, or eggplant. I love winged liner and darker shadows (I'll be honest, I need to learn my way around an eye-shadow palette, I always default to winged liner because I don't know how the heck to put eye-shadow on without ending up looking like a glittery mermaid). 

Black winged liner paired with the sleekness of the pointed heels and the black and white clutch. The red lip stood out as a contrast to my green sweater, and was my "pop" of color in my makeup look!

I pulled back a section on each side of my hair and pinned with several criss-crossed bobby pins in the center back of my head.

Lipstick: Salon Rouge by MAC

Liquid Liner: Artistry

What are your fall favorite colors? Do you have any fall fashion faves? It's just around the corner!

What would you like to see from me this coming season? I would absolutely love your input! Recipes, more fashion, a 2015 fall haul, makeup tutorials? My wish is your command ;)

Xoxo