PFM Obsession: J. Crew Love

i have always had a love for J.Crew clothing.  while i am far from the average J.Crew client, they have such great, timeless separates that can be incorporated into any wardrobe! 

they recently sent me their latest "Style Guide" (Becca and i love that name) and it had me drooling all the way through!! it was total eye candy from start to finish.  above are some of my favorite picks from the new season's arrivals:

1. you know how much i love bags! a little purse in this fab color would make the perfect accent for a night out.

2. belts, belts, belts! these simple accents are a great way to add a pop of color, especially neon, to an otherwise drab outfit! the problem is choosing only one!

3. *gasp, i looooooove this skirt!!  mixing sequins with colorblocking - totally hard to go wrong!

4. this is a great blazer - perfect for chilly nights or another layer at work.  i would wear this with a white tee and some printed denim.

5. how exciting that it's the time of year to think about being at the beach!! i adore the color and shape of this maillot but is this a swimsuit or a leotard?!  either way, look fabulous on the beach then throw on some shorts and sandals for dinner with friends!

6. the utility pant is so comfortable and the perfect staple in any wardrobe.  make it hot pink and you've just stepped up the game!

7. i love this pair of bright colored skinnies! i have so many ideas for how to wear these...

8. sigh, yes, another bag, but, it's the color that makes this bag droolable (is that a word?? lol).

9. i've been having so much fun wearing shorts.  paired with tights or leggings or bare-legged, this printed pair would be the starting point for great outfits.

10. this is a super cute maxi skirt.  i would want to add both this pretty deep blue or the turquoise version to my collection.

alas, my list could have gone on forever!! this is just a taste of some of my faves.  Becca and i drool over J. Crew items all the time.  if only we could have them all!! hey, a girl could dream! :)

Have a great holiday weekend!!

PFMs Do it Better: DIY Studded Denim Vest

soo... i know the denim vest has been done... many, many, many times before.  you may even have seen a DIY on how to make a denim vest.  either way, i thought it would be fun to show, yet again, how this classic staple can be done at a really low cost to your pocket.  sure you could buy one already made, but where's the fun in that??  this is an easy project that only requires a little bit of time and a bit more creativity.

the first step is to gather your materials.  i hit my local thrift stores to find this denim jacket. i had to consider size, color and styling of the jacket.  i turned down a few because they just didn't fit or look right.  next,  i got some studs, i chose silver, which you can just about purchase in any craft store or order online.  then i got my trusty scissors.  it's really important to keep special scissors for cutting fabric.  it truly makes cutting straight as well as smoothly easier.

the next step is super easy - just cut off the sleeves.  if you have nice sharp scissors, this can be done in five minutes.  you can also choose how close to the seam you go for a more frayed look.  before i moved to the next step, i washed the vest as is - so that it would be fresh and clean for me to wear and also to help start the fraying at the edges.

now comes the final step- studding!! i totally forgot that i had one more tool; i also used my long needle nose pliers to assist me with making sure the studs closed nice and tight.  most people have these in your average tool kit.  (be sure they are clean so as not to mark your clothing.)  though this part can be tedious, especially depending on how much studding you plan on doing, it can be fun to design how to attach your studs.  i suggest thinking it out a bit first before committing.  it can be challenging to remove studs once securely attached - i learned that the hard way lol. 

...and done!!!  as you can see, i chose a simple studding pattern.  i like the subtlety of just a touch of studs.  besides, since we know these vests only get better with time, i can always add more studs later!  i can't wait to wear this with my summer maxi dresses and skirts or with my Docs and skinnies!! yay!!  :)

Daily Outfit: Purple Princess

i had a co-worker tell me that i looked like a princess in my outfit.  i laughed in response because i don't think i thought "princess" as i got dressed but, hey, i can roll with it! :)  that is how i was dubbed "purple princess".  it might have been this long, flow-y skirt that got her feeling a royal vibe (not to mention the royal color), but i was inspired by comfort, as usual, and this outfit did the trick!  don't be fooled by the maxi skirt or the tulle bow, this princess has edge!  under my trusty Northface is my leather motorcycle jacket that i added for this exact reason - for edge as well as office warmth.  i completed the look with a Wheels & Dollbaby tank, my bamboo hoops and studded cuff (not shown) and this princess was ready to go! :)

btw -if you remember, i believe it's absolutely mandatory that every skirt and dress get the twirl test (refresh on the twirl test here).  i also had fun doing the can-can ( my boots and skirt made me feel straight out of the saloon lol).  though i've had this skirt for ages (it's a vintage find from long ago), i'm not sure if i was aware that it had such great spinnage (i think i've coined a new word lol)!  actually, i've had it for so long that it's more likely that i forgot just how well it passed the test!  

(TNF Arctic parka - Northface, Leather Moto jacket - Rachel Rachel Roy, Dollbaby tank - Wheels & Dollbaby, Vintage Purple Maxi Skirt - unknown, Gold Bamboo Earrings, Knee-High Charcoal Gray boots - Fergie, Studded cuff - Matt Bernson, Purple Tulle Bow - MavenFresh)

Daily Outfit: Anthro-Klepto

Let me explain, I didn't actually steal anything from my beloved store. I only stole a look.

This maxi skirt has always done right by me in warm weather. The real challenge was if it could be styled up for these cooler days and still look fresh. So I'll admit it, I was very inspired by the look that Anthropologie put together...and then I copied it! My personal touch was brought in with my much-loved Frye boots. Their warm butterscotch leather just screams autumn, and they play well with my chambray shirt. It's kind of a western-boho medley. I finished off the look with bright pink lipstick to set off the saturated pinks in the skirt and in my Elliptical Earrings...fun, yay!

Happy Friday everyone!

(Ancient Myths Skirt- Anthropologie, Essential Tunic- Anthropologie, Frye Boots- Shopbop, Canvas Army Belt- Thrifted, Elliptical Earrings- MavenFresh, Lips- Makeup Forever #37)