Alela Sirah - Fashionably Speak'N

My Korea Trip So Far!

2012-02-26T19:15:00.002-08:00

This past week I have been in Korea visiting my husband who is here on business. That is why I have been MIA. You should know I have been trying to check out the fashion, the food and overall just soak it up! My trip is drawing to a close, so sad... but it has been a blast!
I will probably be doing a few Korea posts just because the fashion, the shopping and the food have all been great! I just named three posts right there alone! I have gotten plenty of inspiration and I can not wait to come home and put it into action!
Here are a few highlights, there are more to come!

Our Cab driver watching t.v. while he was driving.. Oh did I mention he took a few calls too...lol

Scenery (I was told that this is a famous tower but I can't remember the name)

Dinner one night.. $130,000 Won which is a little under $130.00 US. When they say $10,000 Won ($10.00 U.S.)that sounds like a lot according to our standards. lol

The view from our hotel room on the 34th floor at night.

Me eating ramen and watching my shows on Slingbox at 3am because at home it was really 10am and I was wide awake. The time difference is unreal... A whole day ahead so we are eating breakfast when we would normally be eating dinner and eating dinner when we would be eating breakfast if not still sleep! I have gotten up just about everyday between 3am and 5am Korean time, my body clock knows nothing about time zones.

Hope you guys enjoyed this.

Stick A Pin In It!

2012-02-16T21:02:00.000-08:00

My latest love and free time obsession is Pintrest! You guys have probably jumped on it too! A friend introduced me and ever since Pintrest and I have gotten very close! I love that you can do so much. The topics on Pinterest are endless you can get fashion ideas, recipes, DIY's(even mine!), remedies for how to keep your jewelry from tarnishing and even fantasy vacay spots. I can go on and on! Anyway I decided to show you some screen shots of some of my boards. Follow me if you like and REPIN ME FOR SURE!!

This is a shot of some of my favorite boards! I am obsessed with bunnies so I need a bunny board, I have a homes and places board, fashion & trends I love board and a "My Style board"!

This is a closer view of my "Love It" board

One of my favorite things to do is find quotes on Pinterest. I love this one!

HAPPY PINNING!!

Polka Dots and Denim on a Tuesday!

2012-02-14T19:42:00.000-08:00

I am really into roomy blouses and sweaters right now they just feel good and look chic! So you can imagine my excitement to combine the trend of a flowy top and polka dots. Add great Jeans, some jewelry and cute shoes and you have an outfit!

Zara Top, Forever 21 Jeans and accessories, Michael Kors Watch, Steve Madden Shoes and Vintage Clutch

Peek-A-Boo!

2012-02-08T21:24:00.000-08:00

Peek A Boo! by sirah featuring a snakeskin clutch

Military Blooms! Outfit Interpretation

2012-02-02T15:32:00.000-08:00

Spring Trend Alert!
I am a magazine junkie, which I'm sure most of you are! There was a spread in Marie Claire's last issue that paired military staples with floral separates. Very cute combos!

I just so happened to have a few pieces to give my take on this trend!

Vintage Shirt, Forever 21 Skirt & Jewelry, Marco Santi Shoes, Belt (can't remember), Headband Me!! ( I made it)

Purse DIY Fringe Clutch or Cross Body Bag!

2012-01-26T22:24:00.000-08:00

I love to get inspiration when I am out, I will be at a store and see something that will spark my creativity! I was recently at Urban Outfitters and saw a bag they had, it was cute it had fringe but it needed more... From there my wheels started turning!
I decided to do my own fringe bag that is not a direct take on theirs but that bag was the catalyst!
Here are some pictures. If you get inspired to create your own check out my YOUTUBE video below for all the details. This bag was so easy and fun, not to mention there are so many ways to design your own!

This is what the bag looked like at first!

This is the bag now!!

Things That Make Me Happy! (This Week...)

2012-01-18T23:40:00.000-08:00

1.
I recently bought this make-up setting spray by Urban Decay after falling in love with their Primer Potion eye shadow primer! I love this spray it helps my powder to last longer than it normally would. I really like all of the Urban Decay products I have recently tried. There is nothing like a product that works exactly the way it says it does!

2.
I love the Sock Monkey! I think he is the cutest thing ever! Last year my Mom bought me Sock Monkey slippers and they recently conked out. I bought another pair but they were missing the puffs on the top so I took them off the old pair and sewed them on the new ones! I love these they show my quirky side!

3.
Is this not one of the prettiest and freshest looking fruit cups you have ever seen? My husband and I went to a restaurant called EAT this past weekend. I had to take a picture! Not like the lackluster mushy stuff you get at a lot of places.

4.
We have been trying to keep fresh flowers in the house either weekly or bi-weekly. I came home to this unique pairing yesterday! My husband picked this selection. I have to say he is giving me a run for my money, I may have to step my game up!

5.
This is one of my wonderful Christmas gifts (Michael Kors) and I have to say I love it! I like that it is not to big and not to small, the rose gold it dainty and it works with a number of outfits!

P.S. I can't wait to show you guys my next DIY post! Be on the look out!

Vintage Of The Day!

2012-01-11T16:21:00.001-08:00

It is a new year and I want to expand my blog and start adding "The Outfit Of The Day" and "Vintage Of The Day". I was a little hesitant to start this since so many of us Bloggers do this, but I think it is a missing link to my blog! Plus I don't think you guys fully know my personal fashion sense. So here goes!

Hope You Enjoy!

VINTAGE OF THE DAY!

Vintage Dress, Steve Madden Shoes, Forever 21 Earrings, Gray Belt & Gray Tights, Bow Ring (My Grandmother's)and Michael Kors Rose Gold Watch.

I tried a gray on gray monochromatic look with my tights and shoes. This is a great way to elongate your legs especially if you are short. Doing a monochromatic palette whether with a dress or separates can also help you look a little thinner. My Dress was about 4 inches longer and matronly like. By shortening it, it brought it up to date!

Freak Flag 2012!!!

2012-01-03T02:04:00.001-08:00

Freak Flag 2012 by sirah featuring a floral shawl

Paper Mache Nails! DIY

2011-12-26T23:19:00.000-08:00

I guest December is DIY month for me! I have been thinking of ways to be creative with my nails. Nails are my fun flair so weather it be SH Salon Effects, Gel Polish or the latest trend I am there.
When I was a kid one of my favorite arts and crafts projects was paper mache, the light bulb came on and I thought what if I could do that to my nails. The idea was birthed.
"PAPER MACHE NAILS"

Check out the video tutorial below
Don't worry it is easy to do and easy to remove!

QUICK TIPS

2011-12-20T00:07:00.000-08:00

Quik Tips by sirah featuring gold plated jewelry

Christmas Time!!! Sequin and Feather Ornaments DIY

2011-12-13T03:15:00.000-08:00

Ok so I am doing another DIY I guess December can be my DIY month! lol! Moving right along I have not had a Christmas Tree in 4 years. Actually I had one last year but it was barely a foot tall and I took a necklace apart and a few other things to make ornaments for it!

I purchased some glass ornaments last week not knowing what to do with them but thinking I know I should buy them so I don't regret it. A few days later a friend of mine sent me a photo from Pinterest of a clear glass ornament stuffed with multi colored feathers. That photo was just what I needed to spark my creativity.

I did a few feather stuffed ornaments with pink and purple feathers, but then the light came on and my idea began to flow. I found loose sequins and was going to just pour them in the ornaments but then I started thinking how flat and one dimensional that would look. So I thought I would make them stick to the inside.

The Feather Ornament

How to:
Feather Ornament
1. Glass ornament
2.Feathers of your choice from a craft store

Take the glass ornament remove the top stuff with feathers return the top and you are done!

The Sequin Ornament

How to:
The Sequin Ornament
1. Glass Ornament
2. Loose sequins
3. Glass adhesive

A. Take the glass ornament and remove the top. Rinse the inside with a half vinegar half warm water mixture, rinse again with just water turn upside down on paper towel to drain.

B. Once dry pour a little less than a tea spoon of glass adhesive into the ornament. Make sure that it is not too wet you want just enough to coat the inside of the ornament.

C. Pour the sequins into the ornament, you can use as much or as little as you like. Take a paper towel and cover the opening of the ornament with the paper towel and one finger. Begin to gently shake the ornament so that the sequins start to stick to the sides. Let dry for 15mins, reapply the top of the ornament and then you're done!

The possibilities are endless with what you can create

Sparkly Earring DIY

2011-12-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

I know my last post was a DIY but I can't help but give you guys another. I am in this creative mode. This Sparkly Earring DIY is super simple no sewing involved all you need is a hot glue gun and a few minor tools that you probably already have!

Studded pair:
1. 2 of the same appliques (purchase from local fabric or notions store)
2. Hot glue gun and stick
3. Earring post and earring back (purchase from craft store i.e. Michaels)

Dangling pair:
1. 2 of the same appliques
2. Earring hooks (purchase from craft store i.e. Michaels)
3. O rings (purchase from craft store i.e. Michaels)
4. Seam Ripper, Awl or Ice pick (something with a small sharp tip to make a hole)
5. Jewelry pliers or Tweezers (to open and close O rings)

Here is my YouTube for further instruction! Don't worry it's short :)

Why Pay More, Designer Recreation DIY Sweaters!

2011-12-02T00:56:00.000-08:00

Recently I was shopping and saw an adorable sweater! The problem is that it didn't have an adorable price!! It was a sweater by BCBG and it was $158.00, I don't mind paying for the things I like as long as it makes sense... A purse, yes spend a pretty penny. A good pair of shoes, yes go all out! A sweater that is in today and out tomorrow maybe (HEAVY emphasis on MAYBE) returning 30yrs later but probably not.

I decided to do a recreation of this sweater and another that I found by Alice and Olivia which is a Tutu sweater. Again a beautiful piece but quite pricey $297! Check out my recreations.

If you would like to my your own you will need:

Alice and Olivia Recreation- Needle and Thread, 1 yd of tulle (52 inches in width to cut and fold into 4 equal pieces) and a sweater!

BCBG Sweater- Needle and Thread, 1/4 of a yd of the fur of your choice, a sharp pair of scissors.

My Recreations cost me $31 for the Alice and Olivia Recreation and $27 for the BCBG Recreation! Not bad at all!

Here are my sweaters and the originals

Visit my youtube for further instruction if needed

How To Wear Patterned Leggings and Not Look ________! (fill in the blank lol)

2011-11-27T15:13:00.000-08:00

Recently I have been seeing people wear patterned leggings and some are hits and some are very much misses... I have thought to myself that I want to get a pair but I don't want to look trashy, sloppy, like a teenie bopper or like I'm selling something. So I came up with some ways to style patterned leggings and look chic, fun, classic and stylish. Hope you get some great ideas.
P.S. What do you think of the new look of the my blog???

How to wear patterned leggings and NOT LOOK ______! (fill in the blank lol) by sirah featuring long leggings

Sometimes Good Things Come in 3's

2011-11-16T22:42:00.000-08:00

So this week my laptop decided to take a vacay and I had to take my beloved Mac Book to be repaired...
The crazy thing is I just bought a desk to really have a work space of my own. I was so excited to have the desk and sit at it and then dun, dun, dun...
Anyway I am here now.
I usually do my favorite things in 5's but today we are gonna do 3's

1. Polka Dots have been a big trend this year so why stop at clothing... I like that this is a subtle way to incorporate this trend.

2. I have been wanting a pair of pink suede flats. I had my eye on the Steve Madden ones but the sides were to shallow so that was a fail. I almost gave up till I found these pretty little numbers at Nine West!! Yaaaay!!

3. Coconut Water from a real coconut!!! YUMMY! I wrote about my new love for Zico coconut water a few posts back and my husband told me that, that was cool but it did not compare to the real thing. Boy was he right!!! We went to a Caribbean restaurant a few weeks back and they had the real thing so I had to try it! I ended up finding fresh coconuts at the grocery store and bought a few. I think I may have a problem...

Tablescape/Sewing project!

2011-11-09T17:15:00.000-08:00

So after weeks of searching for the perfect look/procrastinating I have finished our Tablescape/ Barscape (since we lack a table! lol). Here's what I came up with.

P.s. Not sure if you guys remember but I bought a new sewing machine a few weeks back, I have been working with it here and there. The portion that is the sewing project are the placemats and the napkins, I had the hardest time finding fuschia accents(though they look purple in these pictures). My next project will be throw pillows for the couch. Will keep you guys posted! I know I am generally a fashion blogger but fashion and life style go hand in hand!

Bowls, Plates, Napkin Rings and Chargers Z Gallery, Glasses and Flatware Costplus World Market, Placemats and Napkins ALELA SIRAH! YAAAY ME! lol

Gel Perfect Nail Polish by Nutra Nail Review!

2011-10-31T17:06:00.000-07:00

As you may have noticed a theme that I like to try new nail trends. My latest sample is Gel Perfect Nail Polish by Nutra Nail. I love the new technology for nail polish. We have so many options now from a faster dry time, no wait dry time, longer wear and now at home gel polish the list goes on and on! The Nutra Nail Gel comes in a good range of colors and dries in 5 minutes. Check out my full video review and photo below.

My Cape Adventures!!

2011-10-24T20:39:00.000-07:00

I recently did a video on YouTube for how to wear a Cape! I decided to share it here also! I love the sophistication a Cape gives. It can be the Leading Actress (main staple in your outfit) or Supporting Actress (meaning a piece that makes another look even better) (this is my special lingo!!)
I decided to play around with different ways to wear a Cape.
I did a dressy or going out look with a pleather dress super CUTE!! I also did a look with jeans and a blouse and one other! Take a peek!

5 Favorite things!

2011-10-20T22:04:00.000-07:00

Here are my current Fav 5!

5.
My husband and I have been doing some decorating and we decided to do our tablescape or in our case BARSCAPE! lol These are the glasses I picked. We bought a set of wine glasses from Bloomingdales then I saw these that are more our style at World Market! They have a purple hue to them, I was really looking for pink/fuschia but no one has fuschia so I figured I can curb the color with other fuschia accents.

4.
So these are my flowers I bought from the Farmers Market. I loved the flowers but hated the vase. I didn't have the right one to display them properly, so I promptly bought a few new vases to display different types of floral arrangements!

3.
I have been killing the Creamy Tomato Soup with french bread from Panera Bread. The funny thing is I use to be scared of Tomato soup now I am in love! It is funny to me how my taste buds have changed.. I think I had this soup like 5 times in the last 3 weeks, just writing about it makes me want some!

2.
Coconut Water yet another thing that I was unsure about and now I want to drink it all day everyday, I have been trying to stay away from the empty calories in juice. My husband asked me if I thought I was Rhianna!

1.
This is especially near and dear to me. I bought a new sewing machine this past Sunday and I can not wait to use it! I have not sewn anything in a while and when we moved a few months ago I left my machine behind it was on its last leg. Can't wait!!!!

Sephora Nail Bling.... Ummmm

2011-10-17T15:52:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back when I was traveling and left all of my make-up back in Cali boo whoo... My 1st stop was to Sephora where I decided to temporarily re-up... While in Sephora I discovered Nail Bling By Sephora, so I decided to give it a try.. Who doesn't like sparkles.... Well after this I am not sure that I do. The Salon Affects "like" mani barely lasted two days. Crazy! Check out my YouTube Review Nail Bling
Check Out My Photos

The After....

Pretty In Pink!!

2011-10-12T21:20:00.000-07:00

So a few months back I found out about the Pasadena City College Flea Market! I found the flea market by shear accident I wanted to go to the Rosebowl but I had the wrong weekend and found the PCC flea market! I was going to find unique knick knacks but as obsessed as I am with clothes I got side tracked and found a vintage booth! I LOVED second of it, I came home with 4 dresses all in a hue of pink... crazy I know and NO house hold knick knacks.... What can I say. This outfit consists of one of the dresses I stumbled upon. I decided to toss it on and make up the rest as I went along. I got major compliments I couldn't believe it, my husband text me during the day just to say how great he thought I looked in this dress WOW!! lol I love a dress that feels effortless but makes you feel pretty, girlie and is timeless! This was indeed a great find!

Vintage dress, Jefferey Campbell Platforms, F21 jewelry and belt! Hoops c/o my sister not sure where they came from..

Colored Skinny Jeans!!

2011-10-06T23:09:00.000-07:00

Check out my take on Skinny Jeans!!! I have been wanting to try colored skinny jeans but didn't want to look like a preteen so I decided to put a little glam to the trend! Check out the video and tell me what you think I got three pairs!

This is where I was last Sunday... Sunset Perfection

2011-10-02T19:01:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday was like a dream I had a lovely day in Honolulu. Walked on the beach, Dinner and dessert...
Here was my outfit of the day!

H & M Swim Suit, F21 Skirt, DT La Sandals

Michael Kors Bag

Vintage Chain Belt

F21 bracelet

Looks like Instagram but it's not! Just a beautiful sunset!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2011-09-29T23:08:00.000-07:00

So yesterday was my birthday (day before yesterday probably by the time I post this) and I had it all planned out to wear this vintage dress I bought a few months back. It was perfect in every way you know that vintage find that makes your dreams come true, that makes you say to yourself how did you (the item) manage to stay perfect with little damage all these years it was fate to have this find! Well the day didn't turn out for me to wear my dream dress but it was an awesome day. I just didn't want to look like I was going to the prom while the rest of my family were casual. So I opted for jeans and a cute blouse you can never go wrong with that combo!

style tip: I think Rust is gonna be a big color this Fall, along with bow blouses like the one I'm wearing!

F21 blouse, Pale Blue Jeggings, Steve Madden Pumps and Jewelry: Aldo, F21 and H&M

These lovely flowers are from my Hubby he is the sweetest....
Also quick note preserve your flowers by adding a little bleach to the water it works!

These are from my Sister in-law and Brother in-law. I feel like I may have butchered them, they were long stemmed but I was trying to make them look cool in my round vase... eek! Also check out my cool gold feather! Yaaaay!

All in all it was a good birthday went on a cool trip to Hawaii with my Hub, wonderful dinner with fam, shopping with a friend and no Birthday blues (yes I beat them this year!) Pictures from my trip/ outfit of the day to come.