Ketchup and mustard nails

Today I have ketchup and mustard finger and toe nails.

(Toes are red glossy, fingers are yellow matte.)

Enter your email address:

Obsessed with matte nails

I'm a bit obsessed with matte nails and the "Matte About You" topcoat by Essie magically turns all my standard glossy shades into soft velvet and silk. I highly recommend it, but make sure to use enough layers of color, as thin spots are more noticeable in matte than in gloss. Also, go for the richest shades you have for a true wow factor.

Enter your email address:

Ordering spring clothes from Ruche

My new favorite online source for clothes is Ruche, and I put in a big order with them today for some lovely spring clothes. Here's what I got...

Enter your email address:

Making Paris-inspired aprons and yummy yum yums

As promised, I've made two Paris-themed aprons to contribute to the awesome themed-apron collective projects started by Amy Karol of Angry Chicken.

I also recently ate the following deliciousness that I wanted to share with you...

Inspired by Pushing Daisies, pear pie with gruyère baked into the crust

Baguette with spiced garlic olive oil and red wine vinegar

* * *

Okay, now, here's how I made the aprons...

First, I created the patterns by drawing freehand and holding bits up to my body.

For the red and blue apron, I basically just cut a curve into the corner of a rectangle of fabric that was about the right size.

For the red and blue apron, I sewed the waistband and turned it.

I sewed the patterned piece to the red lining and sandwiched red piping in between.

Then I sewed the waistband to the apron skirt. Easy peasy, eh?

On to the map apron. I made two pieces for the mock collar and ironed them flat.

I sandwiched them across the top of the apron bib piece and its black lining.

Then, I stitched bias tape to both sides and extended it to form neck ties.

I ironed down a double fold on the edges of the heart-shaped pocket pieces.

I stitched the top curved parts of the heart-shaped pockets...

...and topstitched the V-shaped bottoms to the front piece of the bib skirt.

After stitching the front skirt to the black lining I turned it and ironed everything so it would lay flat.

I wanted to sandwich black piping into the edge of the skirt like I did on the red and blue skirt but I didn't have enough, and, as my car is still in the shop, I couldn't run out to get more. As a substitution, I ironed the skirt so that a bit of black showed all around the edge. I think it looks quite nice.

Well, here're the finished products.

Enter your email address:

I'm featured again in the Independent Fashion Bloggers' Links à la Mode.

I'm incredibly honored to have a post featured in IFB's Links à la Mode for the second week in a row in a row. Last time it was my post on making a masculine sleep mask, and this week it's my post on the ups and downs in my fashion history. Make sure you check out the other featured posts below, and if you're a fashion blogger and not a member of IFB, check them out and consider joining; it's a great community.

As the World Turns

Edited by Fajr of StylishThought.com

With so much going on in the world, the Japan earthquake, the upheaval in Libya, the aftermath of John Galliano’s actions and the social phenomenon that is Charlie Sheen, it’s great to see the fashion blogging community talking about the issues and bringing a little light with the fancy of fashion! Included in this week’s amazing links: Shopping to Aid Japan Relief, an outfit post for Charlie Sheen, exploring the new neon trend and behind the scenes of how Hermes scarves are made!

Links à la Mode: March 24th

Arash Mazinai- Bling Bang: Exploring the Blood Diamond Trade

Cheap & Chic Living- For Japan with Love

Dress with Courage- Do you dress older or younger than you really are?

Fashion Evolution- Ups and Downs in my Fashion History

Fumiko Kawa- Two Patterns of Minimalism

FOTW- When did Fashion become porn?

Juliette Maxwell- How to Take Runway Pictures

La Rouge- How to Live in Two Places at Once

Missemmamm- An Ode to Charlie Sheen

Miss Viki- Chat with Russian Art Illustrator Lena Ker

My Heart Blogged- Blogs from the Heart: Citizen Rosebud

Obsessive Coolness- Should Talent be Boycotted in Favor of Morality?

Snappy and Snazzy- Rules of Flattery

Style Bizarre- Beware of what you Wear

Sugar Coated Style- Cherry Blossoms in the Breeze

Tres Awesome- Hermes Festival of Craft

Try It On Me- The Bright Stuff~ A neon color palette brings back memories of 1990's fashion and fun!

The Button Owl- DIY Fishtail Braid Tutorial

The View from 5 ft 2- Aldo x Julian Louie x Spring/Summer

Stylish Thought- 5 Fanciful Frocks for a Swinging Spring

SPONSOR:

Shopbop Sale: Jen Kao, Maison Scotch, Free People, Tibi, Jil Sander, Herve Leger, Tory Burch, & Alexander Wang

Enter your email address:

Why I love silk pajamas

I'm home again and so happy to be, but getting here was a nightmare.

My plane was delayed about four hours, which meant that I landed after 2 a.m. eastern time and hadn't eaten since 1 p.m. mountain (I couldn't go find dinner since I had to wait at my gate in Salt Lake as the plane got delayed more and more incrementally, they didn't feed us on the plane, since it wasn't originally going to straddle dinner time, and by the time I landed in Chicago for my layover at around 11, everything was closed.) Needless to say I was fussy.

Things got worse.

I will spare you the details, but basically my car broke down and after having it towed to the shop, my mom dropped me off at home at 7 in the morning. Ryan had already left for work. I had been awake for 24 hours and hadn't eaten in 16. I crashed. After sleeping for six hours, I got up, ate finally, showered, and realized that I needed to put on some kind of clothes.

It's warm here now. It had been cold when I left, but spring sprang apparently all at once while I was gone. I wanted to wear something light but comfortable. I needed something that I could lounge about it, tending to my exhausted and quite bruised body (from that day of snowboarding between days of skiing), but I couldn't wear sweats. I wanted to be comfortable, yes, but I also wanted to look to Ryan when he got home like the beautiful girl he hadn't seen in over a week, not like a total miserable slob, though I was quite miserable (that is until he came home and we went for a long hike in the woods, my body apparently forgetting how tired it was when I saw how everything was blooming).

What could I wear that would be light and comfortable, but chic and even a little sexy? Silk pajamas of course.

(In case you don't recognize it, the sleep mask is the one I made for Ryan.)

I love how silk pajamas are just as comfy as sweats (more so in warm weather) but have a sexy sophistication that can't be matched by any other loungewear. If you don't own any, go get some immediately. Victoria Secret makes great ones (they made mine) and you will be surprised by how many times they will be your saving grace after a night of delayed flights, starvation, and roadside assistance calls.

Enter your email address: