Pretty Broke & Fab!

DIY: Denim Vest with Lace Sleeves

2012-06-27T11:46:00.000-07:00

I have loved the idea of the denim vest; however, I'm not too amped about showing my arms. What mostly concerns me is that if you're not stick thin, that meet and greet area around the underarm is not the best to look at. That's why I decided to add the lace 'sleeve' to camo that area.

Here's what you'll need:

An old denim shirt... or a new one I guess. This one I got in the clearance section of Urban Outfitters for $9.99, I liked it because it was more tailored.
Scissors
Lace trim (at least 4" wide); I found mine on ebay at $2 for 3 yards
Thread that matches the color of the lace
A needle
Pins to pin the lace to the shirt

Step 1:

Cut the sleeves off!

Do it just outside of the seam. Keep the sleeves for scraps to use in other projects.

Step 2:

Pin the Lace

Fold it every now and then to add flounce to the sleeve. Check out by my thumb

for an example. Leave at least the width of the trim plus 1" amount of space unpinned in the front and back. In my case, I left 5" in the front and 5" in the back. Then cut off the trim that isn't pinned to the shirt.

Step 3:

Loop stitch the lace to the shirt

Just go in the same direction along the pinned fabric. Remove the pins as you pass them.

Step 4:

Bring the cut edge of the lace to the cut seam of the shirt and sew for both the front and back

Step 5:

Repeat for other sleeve... unless you like the one sleeve look. :/

Here's some candid shots of me wearing it at my nephew's birthday party. My nimble hands grabbed the camera...

P.S. I got those blossom ceramic earrings from ebay for 1 CENT PLUS FREE SHIPPING!

Oooooh Ebay!

My Orange Crush

2012-06-25T11:36:00.001-07:00

Looking around I realized that I was absolutely loving the tangerine/orange palette. Everything from rings, mirrors, dresses, polish, lanterns, purses, wallets, toothbrushes, cups, sheets... I have a love for orange!
There's so many options. Try it with a pop of blue or accent it with gold. Here are some items I spotted online that I am craving!

Bb dakota dress
$53 - shopruche.com

Chiffon dress
$45 - shopruche.com

Anama romper
$35 - loehmanns.com

Two Lips pointy toe pumps
$50 - loehmanns.com

Elastic shoes
$40 - loehmanns.com

Messenger bag
$39 - fashiontofigure.com

Stephan Co braided jewelry
$20 - loehmanns.com

Earrings
$12 - fashiontofigure.com

Beaded earrings
$14 - shopruche.com

ASOS cocktail ring
$13 - asos.com

Long scarve
$17 - shopruche.com

Hair clip accessory
$8.99 - shopruche.com

ASOS metal waist belt
$9.94 - asos.com

Casio Watch Mq-24cc-4bef With Orange Analogue Dial And Orange Resin...
$25 - asos.com

Tangerine lipstick
$13 - sephora.com

Make Up For Ever makeup
$20 - sephora.com

UrbanOutfitters.com > Atlas Tapestry
$39 - urbanoutfitters.com

Plus Size Layered Open Back Blue Tank, Plus Size Clothing, Club Wear,...
$32 - plussizefix.com

Balloon Animal Bookend
$44 - fredflare.com

Firework Hot on the 4th!

2012-06-24T08:48:00.000-07:00

The Fourth of July is coming up next week, so now is the time to start thinking about how you want to spend it and what you're going to wear. With all of the flag-wear available right now, you may easily go a little overboard. So how do you show your patriotism without looking like your clothes are made by Betsy Ross? What better way to give salute to the freedom of this country than to give nod to some of the icons of America?

The weather's perfect for taking a quick getaway to the beach (if you can). Give props to those pinups who gave support (wink wink*) to all of the troops who have fought for this nation.

Halter swimwear
$48 - unique-vintage.com

Harajuku Lovers high heel
$23 - karmaloop.com

Floppy straw hat
$15 - windsorstore.com

Vintage shawl
$13 - windsorstore.com

Cat eye sunglasses
$9.99 - amazon.com

Dresses
$75 - unique-vintage.com

If your taking a trip to the Nation's Capital of Washington, DC to see the fireworks on the National Mall, you'll see no shortage of flag-wear. There are ways to rock the flag, without being tacky.

Racer back tank top
$25 - tillys.com

Black shorts
$31 - pacsun.com

Wet Seal slingback sandals
$13 - wetseal.com

Orelia star stud earrings
$17 - asos.com

Orelia leather bangle
$13 - asos.com

Cotton t shirt
$27 - yoursclothing.co.uk

Forever 21 shorts
$20 - forever21.com

Viva La diva
$35 - simplybe.com

Cuff bracelet
$17 - lulus.com

Planning on spending the evening with a date, dancing the night away, or maybe picking up a date at the bar? Then it's time to get dressy! All hail the queen of drapey dresses... Lady Liberty!

ASOS metallic cocktail dress
$37 - asos.com

Poetic Licence black heels
$35 - dsw.com

Forever 21 jewelry
$4.80 - forever21.com

Lipsy floral hair accessory
$20 - asos.com

Dress
$40 - plussizefix.com

High heels
$40 - dsw.com

Sephora Collection nail care
$7 - sephora.com

VerDandi Arti Lady Envelope Handbag
$11 - amazon.com

No matter what you choose to do, do it in style. Remember: It's only one day in the year, so there's no need to splurge. Just have fun!

2-Minute DIY: Back Slit Maxi Dress

2012-06-20T09:38:00.000-07:00

This Dress now sold out at ASOS.com was so simple and cute, but it was $38.98.

IT CAN BE... CHEAPER!!!

So I found a similar dress at H&M for $17.95 (that's still available) and grabbed some scissors.

Here's the dress:

TURNED TO THIS!!!

Find the center of the back of the dress (if you line the side seams up with each other and lay it flat, it's a lot easier). Then use the scissors to cut the back slit. I cut mine the length of my arm from the longest finger tip to the elbow. Magically, it's the same length of my leg from heel to knee. Play with the trends of the double front slit or single side slit. The choice is yours!

The H&M tank maxi is so simple and easy to revamp that I went back to buy two more to redo my way, one in turquoise and the other in a heather gray. Look for those changes soon... Happy revamping!

Rain, Rain...Time to Play!

2012-06-12T09:36:00.000-07:00

So it's raining today, and it got me thinking...

What's so unique about rain in the Spring/Summer season is not only is it raining, but it's pretty warm out. Being prepared for the rain in the colder seasons seems to be pretty simple: coat/jacket/trench and whatever underneath with whatever waterproof boots you have. For the warm Spring & Summer, there is so much opportunity to have fun with your warm, rain look.

Here are a few looks, ALL outfits totaling $100 or under!

$95-Groovy Baby

Mod Rain - $95 by jesie-patillo featuring daisy jewelry

Forever 21 retro style dress
$25 - forever21.com

Shoes
$25 - bakersshoes.com

H M magnetic clutch
£13 - hm.com

Forever 21 daisy jewelry
$4.80 - forever21.com

See through umbrella
$20 - modcloth.com

$100-Pastel Bright

Rain - $100 by jesie-patillo featuring a fulton umbrella

Top
$20 - forever21.com

Aso
$30 - asos.com

Shoes
$20 - bakersshoes.com

Forever 21 ring
$4.80 - forever21.com

Necklace
$7.90 - loveculture.com

Fulton umbrella
$17 - asos.com

$98- Edge of Rain

$98- Edge or Rain by jesie-patillo featuring diamond tops

Forever 21 diamond top

$7.99 - forever21.com

Hat
$15 - hottopic.com

Dark Wash Denim Shorty Shorts
$20 - aeropostale.com

Aussie Dogs Women's Med Boot - designer shoes, handbags, jewelry,...
$49 - endless.com

cross thread bracelet $5.80 in BROWNGOLD WHITEGOLD - Bracelets |...
$5.80 - gojane.com

$97- Plus Color

Plus Size Rain- $97 by jesie-patillo featuring striped tops

Forever 21 striped top
$16 - forever21.com

Forever 21 zipper jeans
$25 - forever21.com

Shoes
$20 - bakersshoes.com

Wallet
$15 - pinkice.com

Stripe Umbrella
$20 - accessorize.com

In the end, remember this: Have fun! The Spring and Summer is all about having fun with styles and colors. Choose what you love. Rainy days can feel a bit gloomy, so why not be the quirky bit of sunshine to brighten the day?!

DIY: The Ankle-lace

2012-06-11T09:34:00.000-07:00

Why can't your ankle get a little fancy for your night out?

This is a variation on the anklet, a little more jazzy, that's meant to be worn specifically with heels. I first got inspiration for this DIY from my fave site, Fab.com. It was priced at $30, is no longer there, and unfortunately I can't tell you the designer (but great work mystery perp!).

Cute right?!

But again, the $30 price tag did not work for me. So like many of my other craft DIY projects, I took to eBay. I knew I would need jumprings, some sort of clasp (in this case a lobster clasp), and chain. AND I FOUND THEM ALL!!!

: 3ft for $1.04, free shipping

: 50 for $1.99, free shipping

: 400 for $1.50, free shipping

Which brought the total cost of this DIY to $5. Less if you considered how much/many of the items were actually used.

Other tools used:

-Strong pair of scissors

-2 tweezers (not really, but if you have delicate fingers you may want them to twist the jumprings

1. Loosely wrap chain around your ankle

: Make sure to flex your foot. This will simulate the space needed when walking so that the chain won't be too taught.

2. Cut where needed with the scissors.

3. Connect Jumprings to both ends of the chain. Then on one end, connect the lobster clasp to the jumpring.

Jumprings are twisted open and close. Mine were easy to do with my fingers, but if it's hard for you, pinch one side of the opening with the tweezer and twist the other side with the other tweezer.

4. Lay flat and eyeball where you want your center chain to be and connect a jumpring. Then count 5 links from that and add another. This is hard to type out, the pics should help.

Nothing is connected but the jumprings. I laid the chain out to get an idea of how it would look and exactly how long I wanted the hanging chains.

Here were MY measurements. You can change them to suit you however you'd like.

-Ankle chain: 9"

-center chain: 4"

-middle chain: 6"

-outside chain: 8"

Believe it or not, I didn't plan that. I measured only after I cut them. MAGIC! lol

5. Put on the ankle chain (it's easier, at least for me, to connect the chains) and connect the chains.

Twist the jumprings close as you attach so that the chain won't keep falling off.

6. Look cute, put on heels, and take pictures!!!

You can change this however you like! Experiment! Add beads, other chains, pieces of old necklaces you have laying around and don't wear anymore. I was thinking of adding a portion of a locket necklace I don't wear anymore and keeping the locket on. Why someone would look at a locket on my foot, idk... but the locket is cute.

Here's the finished (basic) product:

Pardon my dirty floor, I had just gotten finished distressing some vintage flare jeans.

DIY: Gold-Leaf Top Coat

2012-06-07T09:33:00.000-07:00

It seems like the nail trend for the summer is more focused on texture than all of the patterns we saw in the spring. While perusing Sephora online, I saw just a few of what I am sure to be big nail hits (like a hammer, haha). One that I felt was supper cool was the gold leaf nail.

: Sephora by OPI, It's Real 18K Gold Top Coat, $30

I don't know if you noticed, but that certainly does say $30 for that top coat. If you have that kind of money to spend, then great. But I don't. What I do have is a budget of $10 to recreate the look.

So here's what I used:

: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Cleary Quick, $4; Gold/Silver Leaf bought on eBay, $6 at most for both; Revlon tweezers (1 of 2 minis) $3

I used Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Clearyly Quick and some gold leaf I bought on eBay for $1.29 (the silver I got for $1.05). You can use whichever you prefer, they'll work the same. You should pay no more than $3 for an ounce, especially on eBay. Otherwise you can just buy it from a craft store. I also found that I needed to use a small piece of paper rolled into a funnel and the end of a paintbrush (you can really use any pokey thing, stick like lol) to push in the gold leaf and mix it into the polish.

1. Open polish, roll piece of paper into funnel, and use tweezers to pinch gold leaf into the funnel.

Obviously I don't care about my floor lol. Depending on how large you want the leaf to be on your nails, you may want to pull it into smaller pieces in the funnel using two tweezers. The leaf gets everywhere so avoid fans, I wasn't thinking too much about it because this was an impromptu crafting and now it's everywhere. You want to get quite a large amount in there in order to have an adequate amount come out on the brush when you're painting your nails.

2. Push in gold leaf using your chosen stick thing.

You can use old carry-out chopsticks or the end of a paintbrush like I did. Just make sure that it can fit into the bottle and can move around in there because the next step is to

3. Leave the stick in, but remove the funnel, and stir the polish.

Once you're done, put the top back on the polish.

4. Paint your nails with your base lacquer.

I chose the 'Making Waves' color from the Sonia Kashuk 'A Powerful Punch/Mini Colour Set' that I picked up from Target for $10. I love this set because it had a lot of on-trend colors like a nude, a turquoise ^, a poppy pink, and a neon-ish orange. I love turquoise and gold together, it's very earthy and reminds me a bit of the tribal trend. Did I mention that that bold color was only from ONE COAT?!

5. Use your new gold-leaf top coat!

Oh my chubby little digis... *le sigh.* I let some pretty large pieces get into the polish as something of a surprise for when I used it. The other hand had more of the smaller size pieces.

Out of a bit of nervousness of losing this amazingly new mani, I decided to put another coat of plain clear polish. This lasted about a week. Hope you like it!

Sites to See: Tobi

2012-05-31T09:31:00.000-07:00

tobi.com

Why?

With new arrivals coming in with a deal of 30% off, classic pieces (always with some edge), and their amazing selection... how can I not? Tobi has been my secret addiction (well not so secret anymore) for quite some time. It's an online boutique with something for every one.

Ratings:

Median Prices - Sale Items range between $5-$40, and everydays a sale!

Shipping - $7.50

Quality - Much of the clothing is really well made and there are a lot of brands you may be familiar with.

Sizing - I'm a size 14 (36DD, and a bit of a booty) and can fit their Large rather comfortably. Therefore, I deem this SWFGF: Somewhat Fat Girl Friendly. I say somewhat because anything above a large is less than seldom found and I couldn't fathom trying any of their jeans. Their leggings fit fine.

What I've Recently Bought:

Besides the skirt worn in my 'About Me' Section...

Dress- $33, Ring- $8, Leggings- $15, Top- $32

Deal or Spiel? Fab.com

2012-05-23T00:23:00.002-07:00

By now I'm sure you're familiar with the way flash sale sites work; however, I'm going to give you a brief run through.

Flash sale sites like livingsocial and GILT (and Fab) offer things for a discount price (usually anywhere between 20-70% off original value) for a limited amount of time until all of the products (and even activity and vacation packages) are sold out.

Fab.com is another flash sale site, but focuses on lifestyle, fashion, and home products. They showcase some of the lesser known designers (so don't expect to see bow-down brands you're familiar with).

Here are just a few of the things I spied during today's check in:

Sooooo... Deal or Spiel?

I've ordered from Fab, sometimes they can take some time to deliver. On the bright side, there are many good savings to be had. The surprises keep coming. Top hats as lighting fixtures? Who really saw that one coming? Shipping is usually around $5, depending on the size of what's being shipped. Fab has proven to offer the new and edgy of just about everything. I would say this site is the real DEAL.