Links a la Mode: December 17

 A huge thank you to Independent Fashion Bloggers for featuring my star ornaments in their weekly round up! Below, you'll find some excellent last-minute holiday ideas and great blog posts!

Links à la Mode, December 17

• Anti Muse: We Love | Star Wars
• Cat Eyes & Skinny Jeans: {Holiday Gift Guide} Under $15
• Cubicle Chic: Holiday Celebration Continues | Don’t Forget Your Furbabies
• Elements of Ellis: Leather Pants
• Fleur d’Elise: DIY | Tasseled Star Ornaments
• From the Soles Up: Dressing the New Bod | Classic Black & White with a mix...
• Hey Just Jei: #AskHJJ | Being 100% Ethical?
• Jennifer Kaya: Winter Fashion Tips | How to Wear a Knitted Cardigan or Sweater
• Life in the Fash Lane: Dressgal Kimono
• Maggie a la Mode: Wednesday Wishlist | Looks for Less
• Modavracha: The Useful Gift Guide for Christmas 2015
• Mornings with Madge: All That Glitters | Sparkling Holiday Style
• Ms. FABulous: Jacqueline de Ribes The Art of Style
• MySelf Expressed: Giving in Color | Neutral
• Musings of a Fashion Designer: Fashion Pakistan Week | Winter Festive 2015 Day 3
• So Versailles: Sunday Riley Review
• Storybook Apothecary: Why the Hell Aren’t You Following Me?
• The Fashion Hour: Holiday Outfit Ideas
• We Are Ready Made: Our Wishful Thinking X-mas Wishlist
• Wish and Wear: Real or Fake?

SPONSOR: Amazon's Shopbop findersKEEPERS, 3x1 Jeans, Vince Sweaters, Stone Fox Swim, SALINAS, OYE Swimwear, Black and White Blouses, Statement Jewelry, Evening Gowns, Men's Belber

DIY: Tasseled Star Ornaments

Man, I am so crazy about the holidays. Just ask my husband, poor guy. We've been listening to Christmas music since like early November. For the most part, Etsy is to blame. I have to get my Christmas items started early or they never get listed! I've finally finished with the stuff to sell and now I get to simply focus on making pretty things for my own tree and for gifts.

This week, I had the idea to make ornaments for my friends. I have way too much Sculpey and embroidery floss left over from other projects, and a lifetime supply of glitter. These supplies all combined perfectly into these fresh and festive little star ornaments!

Here's what you'll need:

Sculpey or Femo Polymer Clay

A small cookie cutter

Embroidery Floss

Fine metallic thread

Small Jumprings

Jewelry Pliers

Jingle Bells

Glue & Glitter or Gold Enamel

Another type of thread for stringing

Step 1: Cut & Bake

Set your oven to 275° (or whatever degree the polymer clay packaging says). While it's heating up, roll out your clay. I rolled mine slightly less than a 1/4" thick. Cut out your shapes with the cookie cutter. Use a toothpick or other pointy tool to make a hole for hanging. Carefully peel them off your work surface and place on a baking sheet. When your oven is ready, follow the directions on the clay package. I baked mine for 15 minutes, which seemed to be perfect.

Step 2: Tie your tassels!

While your shapes are baking, you can make some tassels. They're pretty quick and easy. I got my method from the DIY blog, Maggie Holmes Design. I made my tassels a little smaller than hers by wrapping them 5 or 6 times around a piece of 4bar cardstock.

Step 3: Add some sparkle 

The glitter in the photo above was $1 at Target.

My favorite, though, is Diamond Dust. It's basically crushed glass. Mine is in a vintage paper canister and weighs a pound, but if you want a smaller amount, you can still buy it at JoAnn Fabrics.

I also used gold enamel (mine is called Liquid Leaf) to add dots to a few of the stars. Gold acrylic paint should work just as well and isn't has toxic.

Step 4: Assemble

When everything is dry, string a bit of thread or embroidery floss through the hole you made and tie. Use the jewelry pliers to open your jumpring just enough to add the bell and then close it around the string you just tied onto the star. You're all done!

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

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DIY: European Village Advent Calendar

I've been busy, busy, busy getting my Etsy shop ready for the holidays. I've had so much fun making cards and ornaments, that even if they don't sell, I won't care. The process alone is worth it! 

I just uploaded my very first digital download to the store. It's this adorable European Village Advent Calendar. It was inspired by buildings in Amsterdam and various other European architecture, like this Greek Revival country house somewhere in England or France. The "rough draft" was an advent calendar I hand-drew for my niece. I even made all the envelopes by hand. It went together in about a day, so I thought, why not draw some to reproduce!

 The final product (thanks in large part to my step-mom who's a graphic designer) is a printable PDF file that features envelope templates with 6 different hand-drawn buildings. As a special treat for my readers, I made a coupon for 20% off your purchase of the file! Use coupon code "DIY20" at check out.

 P.S. A little secret: that code will work on anything in my shop over $5 ;)

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Look of the Day: Wool Sweater Dress & Booties

 As usual, the entire outfit is thrifted. I wish I could walk in heels because I just love these booties!

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In Photos: Autumn in Seattle 2015

The Pumpkin Cardamom cupcake from Cupcake Royale. I'll eat anything with cream cheese frosting.

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Look of the Day: Duck Tails & Camel Plaid

Happy November! It's one of my favorite times of the year. The holidays are just getting started and Seattle is so pretty! Today was foggy and chilly, so Trevor and I took Otto for a walk around Greenwood. Later this week, I'll post a new set of photos for my Autumn in Seattle series. I missed out on the series last year. There was just too many other (not fun) things to focus on. I'm doing so much better this year, though, so stay tuned for some lovely Fall photos!

 I'm in love with this 1960s reversible wool coat. It's a little big on me, so I've decided to list it on Etsy. If it doesn't sell, I won't be too upset ;)

 The duck sweater is also for sale. It's one of those dorky ultra-WASPy ones from the early 90s. It fits so perfectly, especially considering how chunky the knit is.

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Look of the Day: Plaid Shirt Dress

 I fell in love with this dress at Value Village, despite all the repairs it needed. It's from the 1960s, possibly late 50s, and a few of the seams were just falling apart. I overcame my dislike of sewing and repaired them as best I could. We'll see how long they hold up!

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Look of the Day: Fall Basics

A cozy sweater and vintage denim are all I need. Luckily, I have a lot of both, so the items I'm wearing in this look are up for grabs in my Etsy shop.

The jeans are vintage Levi's 501s and the sweater is made from lambswool and angora. It's so soft!

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Look of the Day: Debbie Downer & a Feather Vest

 Ugh. I'm grumpy. I'm mad at my hair. I'm mad at myself for eating crappy food. And I'm mad that this vest isn't as flattering in photos. It's so flufffffyyy.

It's kinda been one of those weeks where you pick out things about your body to rag on and then, when you say them out loud, you realize how ridiculous it is. For instance, my knees have muffin tops. How dumb does that sound? That's not even a thing. Thanks a lot, sub-conscious insecurities. 

Thank goodness for amazing bloggers like Dana Suchow of Do The Hot Pants. She's a huge inspiration and voice of reason, especially when it comes to body image and body love. She calls out societal bullshit but isn't afraid to discuss her own instances of low self-confidence and negative body image. It's just so comforting and reassuring to know that someone this gorgeous struggles with the same things that I do. Not that I want her to be miserable or that I think that it makes the negative thoughts okay, but it's nice to feel like you have a comrade. The solution? Love thy self and do things that make you happy and fulfilled!

Everything is thrifted from Value Village!

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Lately: Autumn 2015

Autumn in Seattle is usually as perfect as our Springs, but this year has been odd (not unlike the rest of the year). It's been unseasonably warm (in the 60s to 70s) and the leaves are too tired to do much. I can see the color changing a bit but most trees seem to have lost their leaves overnight. Like the rest of Seattle, they've had more than enough sun for one year. Today is cooler and the rainy skies are a welcomed sight. My plan for the day: coffee and a late breakfast, a bit of cleaning, and then, later, I'll meet my sister-in-law at the bins for some thrift shopping. We're going to bingo this weekend and shoulder pads and sequins are required.

If you have instagram, you're probably already tired of pumpkin pictures.

My love affair with malachite continues with my newest handcarved stamp. I was happy when my dad identified it as malachite, but he said it was mostly because he knew me. I think I might try incorporating it into my Christmas cards.

Singles are available on Etsy right now, and come with a shibori-lined envelope in Paper Source's limited edition color, Spruce.

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Look of the Day: Wool Loden Coat & Madewell Tunic

Man, I cannot think of anything to write. Not that I ever have tons to say! I'll just keep it short today. Three out of five of the items I'm wearing are thrifted. The jeans, the shawl collar coat, and the Madewell shirt! My coat closet is exploding.

Wool Loden Coat - Madewell Tunic (similar) - Madewell glasses (similar) - vintage Levi's (similar)

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Look of the Day: Black Vintage Wiggle Dress

Happy Labor Day! I hope, like me, you're sitting in your pajamas, blogging, while your beloved yells at a video game. Ahhh, so nice to have him home.

My plan for the day was to take more photos for Etsy, list stuff, get organized, etc. But is that really what holidays are for? No. We have dinner with the in-laws later, so I'll probably just sit around until the last minute, then rush to get ready.

About the dress: it's from the early 1960s and in impeccable condition. Beautiful black damask is sewn in panels, which, back in the days of tailoring, made it easier to adjust. It's so classy and it's for sale in my Etsy store!

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