adored austin

Back it up

noreply@blogger.com (Indiana Adams) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:53:00 +0000

I'm still recovering from my gum and jaw surgery, so I've been laying low, working on the web app for Texas Style Council and on only dashing out for errands in variations of jeans, tanks, and cardigans. Ever since I saw Krystal wearing a backwards cardigan, I've been meaning to try it, so today I finally did:

The backwards sweater looked awesome from the back. Super flattering. This shaw-front cardigan lent itself very well to the Kris Kross treatment. The front, however? Eh. Needs a little help:

cardigan: courtesy of The Limited* | tank: Target | jeans: AG | boots: courtesy of Wanted (2010)

I think I'll try this sweater normal-style with the classic accordion pleat skirt I picked up from Langford Market today. I'll try the backwards cardigan thing with one of my plain, more fitted cardigans. Then next maybe I'll try baggy backwards jeans and backwards baseball jerseys. Jump! Jump!

*sweater manufactured in China

I'm great at public speaking but not so great at public dressing.

noreply@blogger.com (Indiana Adams) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:10:00 +0000

I am the worst when it comes to dressing myself for high profile events. I always end up leaving it to the very last minute (I'm talking, like, 30 minutes before I have to walk out the door) and because of this, I always feel like I look a little unkempt. During Austin Fashion Week I wore an ill fitting dress that made me look like I was smuggling a pillow underneath and threw my wet hair into a bun. During Texas Style Council's dress-up party last year, I donned a plain black frock with a tank top underneath-- no interesting jewelry, horrible choice of shoes. And although I liked what I wore to my StyleX panel, it wasn't indicative of my own style nor did it photograph well.

Austin Fashion Week | TxSX'11 | StyleX

I am determined to step-up my game this year, but I am also determined not to spend a boat load of money stepping up my game (I'm saving up for an 85mm/ 1.8f camera lens and the iPad 3 when it comes out in the spring). I figured my best bet was to rent, so I turned to (who else?) Rent The Runway. After a lot of thought, here's what I chose:

Mark & James limelight dress | Erin Featherston Running Wild Dress | Jay Godfrey Draped Dress | Shoshanna Basket Weave Dress

March is, once again, going to be a crazy busy month for me, but I am so excited to host The Texas Style Council and be able to speak in public at SXSW and StyleX again. Did I mention I'm going to be on panel with The Man Repeller? This is going to be like when I was on panel with The Glamourai last year. Because so many people will be taking her photo, I'll be stuck in the crossfire. When this happens, I'd like to look good, you know? Anyway, I'm excited to hear her insights on blogging.

I'm also excited that I'm not going to be scrambling the night before (or the hour before?) to figure out what I'm going to wear. My RTR order was placed last night, and now all I have to do is figure out my shoe situation. I even started a new shoe board on Pinterest, and I am going to try really hard to not ruin a perfectly good dress with a bad choice of shoe. Any style suggestions for the above dresses?

Recap: Twitter party, Golden Globes

noreply@blogger.com (Indiana Adams) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 04:58:00 +0000

So, live Tweeting the Golden Globes was a total blast. I am pretty sure I annoyed the heck out of my non-Globe watching followers with my attempts to be witty once a minute for two entire hours, but I had a lot of fun. More importantly, one day that mean robot we all call Joan Rivers will die and famous red carpet events will need a new snarky commentator, and if the asking price of the Go Fug Yourself girls and Melissa Rivers is too high, let history show (via this blog post) that I'll gladly do it for a "Save 1.00 on a Hot Pocket" coupon.

On a note of positivity, I wanted to show you my three favorite dresses:
Paula Patton in Monique Lhuillier | Charlize Theron in Christian Dior | Dianna Agron in Giles
I had to Google you, Paula Patton, but despite my not being at all familiar with your work, you were working that yellow gown.
I also thought these were interesting choices:
Claire Danes in J. Mendel | Sofia Vergara in Vera Wang | Kristen Wiig in Bill Blass (holla for my favorite SNL personality wearing a design by a Hoosier!)
Sofia Vergara, you were a beautiful Columbian mermaid, and Kristen Wiig, wha--?, I thought you were the brunett one from Friends at first glance!
As for me? I wore sweats and a cardigan. Alas, I'm still recovering from gum and jaw surgery. I still managed to get out some prime Tweets, though. Here are my top three:
Can I get a "Word, Indiana. Word." for those? See why I need a gig as a professional live Twitterer? How could you even think about unfollowing me after all this pop-culture commentary comes out of me?
P.S.I'll be back soon with some outfits. Don't mind my swollen face, though, okay? Let's all remember that I took my first outfit post seven days after major jaw surgery.

Live Famously } Sweepstakes and Twitter Party

noreply@blogger.com (Indiana Adams) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:50:00 +0000

My love for Perez Hilton has been blogged here before. I have been reading his blog for years... before it was even called Perez Hilton, actually. He is a really nice guy (is sincerely incredibly thoughtful), and with all his endeavors, I truly believe he is one of the busiest, hardest working bloggers in the country. He has turned the tone of his blog around in the most recent years, and it's still one of my morning haunts and my guilty pleasure for Hollywood news.

Something else that I love is film and tv. I know that it's uncouth to say one loves tv nowadays, but I have mad love for 30 Rock, Parks and Rec, The Office, Once Upon a Time, New Girl, Project Runway, Hart of Dixie, and Glee (well, I have a love/hate thing with Glee; I really just watch it for Emma Pillsbury's clothes and Quinn's hair). It's still my dream to become a television writer and to write and produce screenplays.

That's why I was super excited to be asked to host a Twitter party this Sunday in conjunction with Lean Pocket's "Live Famously" sweepstakes.

As you may know, this Sunday is a big night in film and television, and six other blogger and I are teaming up with Perez Hilton and Lean Pockets to have a live Twitter party from 7pm- 9pm ET. We'll be hilariously live Tweeting the red carpet and the awards show. I hope you'll join us. Simply hastag your commentary with #LiveFamously. What's even cooler is that during our Twitter party we'll be giving away lots and lots of swag bags that include spa gift certificates.

The best part about this whole promotion is that you can win one of literally thousands of prizes with the ultimate prize being a trip to LA that includes a $1000 shopping spree, spa services, dining out, limo transportation, and a concert experience with Perez Hilton himself.

You can enter every day from now until March 30:

The no-purchase necessary way is to enter here.

As for Sunday, I'll be recovering from gum surgery, so while I won't be dressed to the nines, I'll be online offering up my best Joan Rivers impersonation as the stars walk the red carpet. Join me!

disclosure: In accordance with FTC Guidelines, Adored Austin discloses that this is a sponsored post and part of the LEAN POCKETS® ‘Live Famously’ campaign. Some compensation has been received.

It's been delightful

noreply@blogger.com (Indiana Adams) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 04:22:00 +0000

I mentioned this on Friday, but I have decided to leave the Delightful Dozen. I have enjoyed swapping clothes with these ladies for the greater part of two years, and I marvel at the friendships that have been formed between us.

Here's our original line-up as announced in February of 2010:
In two years time, our members (past and present) have hit major life milestones. Mel, Jessica, Julie, and Elizabeth got married. Krystal landed an amazing job with Google and moved. Julie got a job with ModCloth and moved. Jessica moved back to Indiana and published a book. Jessie moved to Pittsburg. Elizabeth drove around the country in her Winnie Brave. Jen and I had our first babies. James had another kiddo and got married. In two years time, some of us have become style blog superstars, others of us have turned into lifestyle bloggers, and a few of us have scaled things back a bit. Kristin stopped blogging.

Some of my Delightful Dozen clothing swaps (#8 is one of my all-time favorite outfits)1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10I was able to work with some great brands including JessLC and 80's Purple

I've met Jen, Julie, James, Elizabeth, Jessie, and Katy and will be meeting Andrea, Tieka, and Veronika this March. I count Jen as one of my closest blogger confidants. She's the one I go to when I'm questioning myself or when I just need a listening ear of someone who has seen the good, bad, and ugly side of blogging.

I have loved being a part of the Delightful Dozen, and I'm excited that there are now five open spots in our lovely group. They're looking to fill some big 'ole empty shoes over there (Jen, Julie, Veronika, and Coury and I are leaving), so be sure to apply. It doesn't matter how big your blog is or what size you wear, they're looking to mix things up a bit and get back to the basics of swapping.

As for me? I'd love to do some swapping, too, but something that's more amenable to my schedule and things I won't feel required to blog. I'm considering adding a whole slew of stuff to Swap.com. Anyone else want to join me over there? I'm game if you're game.

A look back and a look forward

noreply@blogger.com (Indiana Adams) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:17:00 +0000

Oh, hi, 2012. You got here fast, didn't you?

I feel like the new year kind of snuck up on me. One day it was Thanksgiving, then I woke up and it was Christmas, then I blinked my eyes and the New Year was already here. This time flying thing must mean I'm getting old.

It's crazy, but 2012 will be Adored Austin's fourth year. I had some decent outfits in 2011:

But I also had some pretty terrible ones:
If you were here for any of the above outfits, man, I'm sorry, and wow. I thank you for sticking around despite my propensity to make myself look pregnant or wear a scarlet letter-like t-shirt in public.

My favorite posts to do were my Halloween video, my Jane By Design DIY's, and the blurb I wrote recently on American Apparel vs. GILT. I don't think I was as funny as I was in 2010, but I hope to regain some of my humor in 2012.

My good friend Jen has recently decided to make some blog changes, and while I'm not making the same exact changes regarding Adored Austin, through my conversations with her I have been able to evaluate what I like doing vs. what I do not like doing in order to change up how I do things here. I like being funny (or at least trying to be funny). I like making videos. I like attempting DIY's. I do not like turning Adored Austin into a giant advertisement with little to no creativity. To that end, my brand partnerships in 2012 will hopefully be a little more interesting. More videos! More diy's! More creativity! More silly! Less "buy this; it's cute". Because I don't post my outfits every day (or even three times/ week) I'm stepping away from the Delightful Dozen. I'll be using my sidebar for more local advertisers because I adore Austin and want to promote my friends in town.

I'll still be doing the occasional outfit post because for some strange reason, even though I can barely dress myself half the time (see above photo), it has become a part of my blog's identity. I'll try to figure out how to dress better or at least have more fun when trying new things. Perhaps this is the year for experiments.

Thank you for a great year, y'all. Here's to 2012 being even better!

Jane By Design Style Challenge: Task seven

noreply@blogger.com (Indiana Adams) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 04:36:00 +0000

Whew! I did it! I completed all seven of my Jane By Design Style Challenges. What a relief! This last one is due by midnight tonight and because I love living on the edge I decided to get it done in the last hour. Hey, I work best under pressure, okay? This is good because Gray puts on a lot of pressure, as you can tell by her most recent email:
I’m astonished we’re still communicating, but don’t be fooled. Just because you’ve made it this far doesn’t mean you’ve gotten the job. There is one final phase of the interview process. I have a very important premiere tonight and I need you there with me. You must take careful notes on what everyone is wearing because, at the end of the day, what people are wearing is our business. If you want to work for Donovan Decker, you must prove that you have keen powers of observation. And remember, you can’t be everywhere, but I must know everything, so you must ask your readers to help you if you hope to succeed.

Then show me that you can become a trusted fashion source for masses of people who have less style than I do. Choose one person you have observed and write a “get the look” entry on your blog. Tell your readers to share their “get the look” tips here and mention the name of your blog.

And remember, don’t be late. If you miss the premiere, you miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime. If all of your assignments are not completed by tomorrow, January 4 at 11:59pm PST, you will be out of the running.

Watch this video for additional inspiration into this phase of the interview process, and make sure your readers get a chance to watch as well.

Gray
I watched the premiere (psst... it's on Hulu if you missed it on ABCFamily), and I thought the show was adorable. Jane wore a lot of Betsey Johnson and Anthropologie (they don't call me "Keen Eye Adams" for nothing. Okay, no one calls me "Keen Eye Adams", but maybe they should!), and she definitely has her signature style:

Puffy skirts, high heels, and belted cardigans. Are those pigeon toes I spy in the third photo? If I didn't know any better, I'd think that Jane had a personal style blog herself... or at least a Chictopia account.

To get Jane's go-to look, grab a short, tiered skirt, a bright top or two, some interesting heels, and an eye catching belt:

To do a more muted version of Jane's look, stick with all neutrals but keep the basic silhouette the same:

If you watched the premiere, you'll know that animal (and bug) brooches are going to be hot this year. This look was inspired by the one Jane wears to her job interview.

Get my look inspired by Jane's look:

skirt: F21 | blouse: thrifted, Savers | pin: surprise Christmas gift from Accessorize (they know I love animal jewelry!) | blazer: Langford Market | loafers: c/o Francesca's | tights: Target | belt: Hey, Meg, is this your belt? I think I borrowed it from you in college and never gave it back because I wore it all the time. Five years later... I still wear it all the time.

Dear Gray,
Thank you so much for the opportunity to interview with Donovan Decker. Seven interviews! Wow! Surely that's some sort of record for (fictional) job interviews, right?

I think by now you have a good idea of who I am and how I work, and you have a well rounded view of my style aesthetic. You say you're looking for a blogger who has a "sparkling personality, impressive creativity, and the ability to influence the masses". I hope I've shown you that I have those traits, but most of all, I hope you can see that I took on all of these challenges and did them to my fullest ability. You helped me create better content for my own blog over the holidays, you've given me an ego boost regarding my own DIY skills, and you gave me a dress form. I hope I don't have to mail that back because I've kind of fallen in love with her and like having her around, plus I imagine that the shipping on that thing is extraordinary.

Congrats on a great premiere!
Most sincerely,
Indiana

Jane By Design Style Challenge: Task six

noreply@blogger.com (Indiana Adams) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 04:19:00 +0000

Tonight was the premiere of Jane By Design and tomorrow is my final deadline and interview for the (fictional) blogger position at Donovan Decker. Our sixth challenge came in on Friday from Jane:

Hi Again! You did it! Gray said my assignment was not entirely ridiculous and that your day-to-night styles were not horrific. So we’re both still here! Still, I made sure I did not misplace your next assignment! This is one that will really make you think. Here’s what Gray wants you to do next.

"2012 is almost upon us. What does the future hold for the world of fashion? That will depend on people like you. It’s time to take a long hard look at yourself and the world around you. What do you see & how does it make you feel? The ability to be inspired by everyday life is an essential skill. The ability to translate your inspiration into something fresh and unexpected that takes the fashion world by storm is a rare gift. Rumor has it that one of the most coveted designer bags of all time was inspired by a roll of tape.

Find the bag of pretzels in your trunk. Get inspired and create something that will amaze me. Post a photo to your blog and write an entry explaining your design. Ask your readers to share ways in which they were inspired to make fashion out of unexpected items here and mention the name of your blog."

Yes, she did say “bag of pretzels.” I double-checked that. I don’t envy you, but you’ve made it this far, so just give it everything you’ve got and hope for the best! That usually works for me.

Watch this video for additional inspiration into this phase of the interview process, and make sure your readers get a chance to watch as well.

Pretzels. Yes, pretzels. For pete's sake, this challenge made me feel like one of those flummoxed designers on Project Runway. You want me to make something inspired by that?

Because I've been so busy launching the TxSC'12 website, I considered phoning it in. String + pretzels= alternative to a candy necklace. I'd totally wear this during SXSW and nibble on it as the day went on.
But I figured since I have given my all for the other challenges that I owed it to Jane and Gray and you and ABC Family and me to actually do this challenge. So, off to Home Depot I went for rope. I got some white rope and some yellow mason twine. I needed tape, scissors, and a lighter to complete this challenge.

Simple instructions (first part per Love Meagan):

1. Cut two lengths of rope about 3.5 feet long. Tape the ends to prevent fraying while you work. | 2. loop the middle of the ropes together | 3. tie them in a pretzel shaped knot | 4. flank them with other knots

You can stop here because it's pretty cute as is, but I did not stop here. Inspired by my mustard (what? I can't eat pretzels without yellow mustard, okay?) I added some mason twine as an accent color and tied off the back with the same twine (you can use white dental floss for this part if you can't find any mason twine- -mmm, minty!):

I know the back doesn't look the greatest, but it does stop the fraying. Next you can snip off the frayed white part from the ends and burn them to make sure no more fraying occurs. Add more twine or floss to cover up the burnt ends.

Ta-da! Now you have a simple to make, completely adorable, pretzel inspired rope necklace. So much better than a string with pretzels on it, right?

Dear Jane,
Wow! I am thrilled to have made it this far in the interview process. This was the toughest challenge, yet. It was important to me to not go too literal with the this pretzel inspiration, so I took the iconic twist of a pretzel and built on that for a nautical rope necklace. This is an easy DIY and I hope you and Gray like it. Thanks for the snack and congrats on the big premiere tonight!
Most sincerely,
Indiana

I have one more challenge left in this Jane By Design Style Challenge. This has been so much fun for me, and I really appreciate all the love and support you've shown me here on Adored Austin and on Instagram, Twitter, and the Jane By Design Facebook page.

See my other Jane By Design Style Challenges: one | two | three | four | five

Next Tuesday: Food, Fashion, Fitness, and Faith?

noreply@blogger.com (Indiana Adams) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 22:21:00 +0000

If your New Year's resolutions involved anything having to do with food, getting in shape, or bettering your relationship with God (I know mine did), my friend Sarah and I are going to be giving talks at the North Lamar Central Market at starting at 7pm this Tuesday that covers these things.

Sarah is the owner of Whole Heath Approach, and she's a holistic health coach here in Austin. She is a dear friend of mine and one of the funniest and sweetest women I know. Her talk is "Five Diet Myths, Busted" from 7-8 pm.

My talk is from 8-9 pm, and it's a Christian faith-based talk called "Well Woman". It tackles our perceptions of body image and how that relates to how you think God views you. I'll be sharing my own struggles with consumerism and body image and discussing how the unique struggles of a being a young, American woman butt up against the life Christian women are called to lead.

Definitely come to Sarah's talk. Since mine is a talk geared toward Christians, my part is really only for women who are Christians or are open to Christian theology (I won't be offended if you don't stay for my part).

Here's an ugly graphic that I made for it. (Never trust me with web graphics. I will let you down every time.)
Don't judge this talk by the above graphic. Come out for dinner at 6pm and stay for our discussions. It should be casual, informative (Sarah's part, at least), and encouraging. It's the first time in over ten years that I've spoken in public about my faith, but I'm excited to share my story with you.

Update: We gave in and made a Facebook invite. >>>

Texas Style Council 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Indiana Adams) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:15:00 +0000

I am getting ready to enter into the busiest three months of my year if last year is any indication. Yesterday I launched and opened up registration for the 2012 Texas Style Council, and I am incredibly excited to be organizing this meet-up for the third year now. I can't believe how it's grown! We have some great bloggers coming in from all over the country as well as some amazing speakers.
The Texas Style Council differs from other blog conferences in that we focus on creating genuine connections between the attendees and we encourage our participating bloggers and brands to be the best version of of themselves, no matter how big or how small. Two days are dedicated to networking and meeting new people and brands, while one entire day is devoted to a fully staged social media symposium where bloggers and brands can learn from top tier professionals new ways to connect with each other, their readers, companies, and customers.

Our 2011 conference was praised for being "relatable, comfortable, and approachable" and it is our goal that our 2012 conference retains its "girl next door" vibe to it. We have decided not to cover topics like how to monetize and implement ads or how to approach sponsors because these topics are very well represented at other blog conferences and in online communities specific for style bloggers. Our social media symposium will be focused on creating community, using blogs as a launching pad for greater goals, increasing inspiration and creativity, using social media in innovative ways, and being the best blogger or business you can be-- no matter how big or small. We want our 2012 conference to be a place where each blogger and shop owner is inspired to create fresh online content and given new tools and connections to reach goals beyond a simple online presence. Our main focus this year is THINKING BEYOND THE BLOG (i.e. how can we use our blogs to create community, grow a brand, and achieve dreams bigger than what's on our page?).

I'm proud to announce that Kendi Skeen from Kendi Everyday will be delivering the keynote. On the wave of her giant blog success she has opened Bloom, a brick and mortar shop in McKinney, Texas. Kendi was a Texas Social Media Winner last year, was the face of Fossil's Holiday campaign using her own 30x30 meme, and topped the list of feedback for whom bloggers and brands wanted to hear more from last year.

Won't you join us? >>>

American Apparel on GILT, and man, oh, man does it look good!

noreply@blogger.com (Indiana Adams) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 05:23:00 +0000

It's been well documented over here that I love American Apparel (1, 2, 3). I know, I know... I've heard it all in your comments before: the CEO has a spotty reputation, their models sometimes look scary, their ads often objectify young women and men... sigh, but I can't help it! It's my go-to place for new, American made basics. Their cardigans are always a perfect fit, I'm crazy for their chiffon stuff, and their t-shirts last and last.

When I tell people that I'm kind of an American Apparel fan girl, I often get the side-eye. "American Apparel? Really? You? You usually seem so sensible." Yes! Me! And don't call me sensible again!

I have a theory that I get the side-eye over my America Apparel love because of the reputation the brand may have incurred due to the model styling on their website. Case in point: For two more days, American Apparel is on GILT. Instead of using the typical American Apparel models styled starkly with "I just walked through the wind" hair and no makeup, GILT styled up American Apparel in a way that made me ooh and ahh over American Apparel like I never have before. Let's compare, shall we?
[unisex thin striped sweater]Switch out those summer camp counselor shorts for some leggings, untuck the shirt, and -whoa!- how did this end up in my online shopping cart that fast?
[cotton spandex double-u long sleeved mini dress]They both do the "nonchalant/bored model" thing well, but adding those black tights makes this go from sleazy to "Yes, please! Me!"
[cotton spandex jersey turtleneck dress]A little pose adjustment (and perhaps some shapewear and a cup of coffee?) made this turtleneck dress seem almost office appropriate.
[cotton spandex jersey turtleneck dress]I prefer the dress without the cutout for my super long armpit hair. Oh? That's her hair hair? My bad.
[baby rib cap sleeve t]Cap sleeves are not a good look on anyone over the age of two (except for GILT models, apparently). Mom jeans with a tucked in cap sleeved t-shirt that's so tight I can see your triangle bra underneath is also not a good look on anyone over the age of two. Or even those under the age of two. Eep.
[cotton jersey spandex leggings]No shirt, no shoes? Then no red leggings. Yes, I do prefer my red leggings with shirts and shoes, instead of invisible shirts and invisible high heels.
[sheer jersey chemise]

Prepubescent ballerina post dance rehearsal vs. hot bombshell meeting friends for karaoke and cocktails? I'm buying that shirt from the second girl, for sure. Wait. Is this the girl from Once Upon a Time? Oh my gosh! Emma! Are you sad about the huntsman and what is up with slutty red riding hood and who is Henry's father and ... oh. Not her? Sorry, Jennifer Morrison.

[riding pant]You know your pants are high when you're tucking your bra into them. GILT covers up the guilt... and also where can I get those wedges?!

Jane By Design Style Challenge: Task five

noreply@blogger.com (Indiana Adams) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 04:49:00 +0000

Whew! Let's go ahead and knock my fifth Jane By Design Style Challenge out, shall we? Five down, two more to go! I found this email from Jane in my inbox tonight, and I am absolutely thrilled to still be in the running for this thing:

Your next assignment is inspired by my life. I’m actually a very busy person. My life is a constant juggling act and I’m just hoping I don’t blow it. Sometimes I don’t even have time to change my clothes, so I have to figure out how to change my look in a flash. If you want to work at Donovan Decker, you’ll need this skill in order to survive. Let’s see if you can do it!

Take the white shirt out of your trunk and put it on your dress form. Using accessories from your own collection (or anything else you can think of), show how you would style the shirt for a day at the office. Then, change the look entirely and show me how you would style the same shirt for a dressy cocktail party. Post photos of both styles to your blog, and write an entry explaining what you did to create each look. Ask your readers to share their day-to-night styling tips here and mention the name of your blog. I can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with!

Watch this video for additional inspiration into this phase of the interview process, and make sure your readers get a chance to watch as well.

Good luck!
Happy New Year!

Jane

I wanted to dye the shirt a different color or to cut it up, but I do think the point of this challenge was to incorporate a basic white shirt into two different looks vs. turning the basic white shirt into a funky black shirt or a fur shirt. I do want to take the back out of this and replace it with lace, but alas, that's a whole different blog post, my friends. Without further ado, here's my attempt at styling:

blazer: vintage Christian Dior via Andrea & D12 | skirt: F21 | necklace: InPink | shoes: found on the "free stuff" table at my Grandma's assisted living facility (yes, really!)
dress: work in progress/ DIY via A Pair and A Spare | necklace: Buffalo Exchange (new merch) | bag: prize from Grace's Birdcage | shoes: DSW
Hi, Jane.
I hope you were able to get at least a little time off from Gray during the holidays. I've created two fun looks for you. The day look is a take on the classic skirt/ blazer combo, but I've switched the expected pencil skirt out for a soft tulle skirt. The gold chain necklace tucked under the collar and chunky navy and gold belt add visual interest and keeps the vintage blazer current. As for the night look, since it's for a "dressy cocktail party", I had to choose something with lots and lots of shine. I'm in the middle of making Geneva's wrap mini dress in this crazy gold jersey knit that I have, but I thought that the white shirt underneath was the perfect way to winterize it. Who says a white button down has to be boring?
Excited to still be in the running,
Indiana

Again, I really appreciate everyone's patience and support with these Jane By Design blog posts. Only two more to go! If I win, they'll mention my blog on the show (and also, I got a dress form! Woot!) but better than that is the fact that I get to choose an Adored Austin reader to be featured on ABCFamily.com as the "trendsetter of the week".

See my other Jane By Design Style Challenges: one | two | three | four

Jane By Design Style Challenge: Task four

noreply@blogger.com (Indiana Adams) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 02:56:00 +0000

I left my laptop at home during my quick Christmas vacation, but the minute my plane landed, my mind was off and running with regards to this blog. We grabbed our luggage, Bee came and picked us up from the airport, and then I immediately went to Jo-Ann to get some supplies for the fourth Jane By Design Style Challenge that landed in my inbox last Friday:

The holidays are upon us. Your gift? You’ve made it to the next phase of the interview process. And while you may be in the mood to take some time off, there’s one thing you need to remember—fashion never takes a vacation.

Fashion happens when reinvention is combined with exceptional vision. Look inside your trunk and take out the holiday sweater. You must use every ounce of creativity you have to turn the holiday sweater into something special. Turn that sweater into something fresh & exciting that could be the next big trend for Holiday 2012.

When you think you’ve created something innovative and amazing, whether it’s a bracelet or a mini skirt, post before and after photos to your blog. Ask your readers to share their own inspired creations here and mention the name of your blog.

If you truly want to have a happy holiday season, you must hope against hope that you have the vision it takes to impress me. Otherwise, it’s quite possible that this will be our last correspondence.

Gray

This is the sweater Gray was referring to. Behold my canvas:

I had no idea what to do with this sweater vest. The only thing I liked about it was the fact that it was a vest. Hunter green may be my least favorite color on the planet and there was no way I could turn this into a Christmas skirt and call it a day, so in the end, I decided to scrap everything about it... except the fact that it was a vest.

For the last two years, I've had a brown fur vest near the top of my winter wardrobe wants list. I had thought about making this shrug into a vest, but it was too short. I even contemplated turning my Halloween costume into a vest, but it wasn't the color I wanted. I decided to check out Jo-Ann to see what they had in stock, and I was happy to find a very soft, fake mink in a rich, chocolate brown. While I was waiting at the cut counter, I installed the Jo-Ann iPhone app and snagged a 50% off mobile coupon and got the yard of faux mink for $7.99. High five!

Using the original vest as a pattern and adding 1/4'' all the way around, I cut out a back and an identical front from the fabric:

The Christmas vest would now be serving as the foundation of the fur vest. I snipped off all the beads to make sure the fur would lay flat against the knit vest:

Then using my sewing machine, I sewed up the shoulders and the sides to make a shapeless fur tank:

I then layered the Christmas vest (right side out) inside the fur tank (also right side out) and sewed along the shoulder seams and armpit holes, turning the extra fabric to the inside of the seams. Next I followed the lines of the original vest and made a cut up the front of the fur tank to mimic the front of the original vest. Then I flipped the extra fabric (remember that extra 1/4''?) and sewed all around the hem, front flap openings, and neck. That sounds complicated, but these next two photos explain it a little better:

I started to put buttons up the front of the sweater but after I tacked on the first one, I immediately regretted it.

I snipped it off and opted for (what else?) a simple grosgrain ribbon belt, instead. This will be held in place with simple belt loops fashioned from brown embroidery thread:

And those beads that I removed? I strung 'em together to make a simple, understated necklace:

There it is! A pretty fur vest in under an hour. Because the original vest is now acting as the liner, it's quite a bit sturdier and much warmer than it would be had I made it without the Christmas canvas. Best of all? I can check the brown fur vest off my winter wants list now.

Happy holidays, Gray. That was the tackiest Christmas sweater vest I have ever seen, and there was no way I could have worn that without a heavy dose of hipster irony and perhaps even a shot of tequila and a dare from a friend. Because fur vests are a much better cool weather alternative to hunter green sweater vests bedazzled and bedecked with embroidered presents, rather than toss this gem of yours into my Goodwill bin, I transformed it into a darling fur vest that would work with classics like jeans and ankle boots just as well as with this season's military inspired button down dresses. What's your size? Extra small? I'll whip one up for you tomorrow if you'd like. If I can do this to a vest in an hour, imagine what I could do for Donovan Decker for the duration of my career.
-Indiana

See my other Jane By Design Style Challenges: one | two | three

Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Indiana Adams) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 14:00:00 +0000

My family and I are wishing you a stress-free holiday season.

I've decided (for the first time in three years) to leave my laptop at home during my Christmas break. No guests posts, no content queued up, no posting from Atlanta. I plan to spend this break on a true break, ready to be refreshed for the new year. I have some big plans to change things up around here in 2012. I'll see you when I get back. Merry Christmas!

Jane By Design Style Challenge: Task three

noreply@blogger.com (Indiana Adams) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 02:51:00 +0000

I've made it to the next round in the Jane By Design Style Challenge. Holla! The new emails come in on Tuesdays and Fridays, and this little gem from (the Miranda Priestly-like) Gray Chandler Murray was in my inbox yesterday:

You are moving on to round three of the interview process. You haven’t quit yet, nor have you embarrassed yourself beyond repair, so that says something. What exactly does it say? It says you still have a lot to prove before I’m ready to make a decision.

I often say you can judge a person based on the purse they carry. A sloppy bag shows the world that you are a disheveled mess, very likely in need of group therapy. A matronly purse says you are uptight, humorless and quite possibly spending your nights alone, with only your cat for company. But the right bag represents you better than any other accessory can. The right bag reveals the best aspects of your personality, winning you affection and admiration wherever you go.

Post a photo on your blog of the bag that best represents you and tell your readers why this purse conveys the very essence of who you are. Then ask your readers to share the bags that best represent them here and mention the name of your blog.

And remember—choose carefully. An expensive purse might reveal that you are really just a shallow tart. A cheap purse might reveal that you are a miserly malcontent. To make it to the next phase of the interview process, you will need to convince me that you are an interesting person with a unique point of view. If you’re just another sheep following the masses, you’ll stay in the barnyard where you belong.

Watch this video for additional inspiration into this phase of the interview process, and make sure your readers get a chance to watch as well.

It may sound easy to simply choose a bag and photograph it and post it on the blog, but I hemmed and hawed over this for quite some time. My mom's Gucci bag has a lot of sentimental value to me, but it is falling apart and I only use it when I need a large bag and I don't care if it gets scuffed up. My little Louis Vuitton pouchette means a lot to me, too. It was a graduation gift from my mom and her best friend and was my first (and only) new-to-me, "grown up" bag. Also, I recently bought a rubber chicken purse on South Congress that I think is hilarious, and I have a great collection of tiny, vintage clutches that I've scoured from estate sales and resale shops, and I really like those, too.

Although some of these bags are nice and some are funny and some were excellent thrifting finds, none of these bags "convey the essence of who I am". So after really, really thinking about it, I came to realize that the bag that best conveys who I am (especially my shopping philosophies) right now is the Purse and Clutch charming chevron clutch.
Chervon is so on-trend right now. Don't believe me? Just ask Pinterest. I wear a fair amount of chevron prints,
and even did Jude's room in yellow chevron a while back. That's why I was so excited to see that Purse and Clutch added a chevron line to their offerings yesterday. I emailed Jen, the owner of Purse and Clutch, invited myself over to her house (meeting her for the first time!) and promptly bought myself one of these beauties:
I got the chocolate brown one today but only because the gray was all sold out (the one I photographed had just been ordered).

I chose this bag for this Jane By Design Style Challenge because 1) I am still digging chevrons, 2) I appreciate the tiny, handmade imperfections of the print, and 3) I couldn't think of a better product that falls perfectly into my "I Shop With Heart" guidelines. Purse and Clutch offers bags exclusively made by the Joyn India project. From the JOYN website:

In June of 2010 Mel Murray and her family packed up and moved to a little town in the mountains of northern India to assess business needs and opportunities in the community. It was there that JOYN was born, a company with a vision to connect the poor with Western markets. You get beautiful handmade home furnishings and accessories, and the people of northern India have the joy of working in a great environment and providing for their families. It’s a relationship where the joy flows both ways.

Our passion is for people. One of our favorite things to do is to spend time daily with the artisans who make our products. In the summer of 2010, Mel began working with local cooperatives, training them in developing products for Western Markets. [The JOYN teams builds] relationships with local entrepreneurs and artisans. An amazing local woman has started a vocational training center for battered and abused women – these women stitch all of our bags and make our jewelry. A local cooperative was formed for those affected by leprosy, they hand weave all of our incredible cotton fabric. A beautiful 70 year old artisan who has a passion for helping people and keeping traditional Indian art alive, has allowed us to build up her block print shop and create more jobs. Each day we get to give a hug, a smile, a word, a job. That’s why we do what we do.

[photos from the JOYN facebook]

While it's no orange ostrich Birkin (like the one Gray Chandler Murray gives Jane) Mel Murray at JOYN and Jen Ardill at Purse and Clutch have introduced me to a bag that packs a whole lotta heart and one that I'm proud to carry daily.

If you have a favorite bag and you want to share that with Jane By Design, please go to their Facebook page and tell 'em all about it and mention that Adored Austin sent you. One reader from the winning blog will be featured on the ABC Family page, so if you want in on that action, FB away.

Three challenges down, four to go! After the series premiere on Tuesday, January 3rd, we'll be back to our regular content. I don't know about you guys, but I'm really appreciating this challenge during this busy holiday season. It's helping me come up with fun and fresh blog content, and it's encouraging me to think outside the box. Thanks for supporting me so far.

Hi, Gray.
I am so excited to still be in the running for a blogger position at Donovan Decker. I agree that a person's bag says a lot about them. I hope that by choosing a Purse and Clutch charming chevron bag to represent me, you'll see that I'm a blogger who isn't (in your words) "just another sheep following the masses". Since you travel a lot, I'm sure you've witnessed, first-hand, the impoverished conditions of northern India. By purchasing a Purse and Clutch bag, I'm helping to lessen the hold that poverty has on a group of local artisans and women there. Plus, isn't it the cutest thing, ever? If I get the job, you can borrow it whenever you'd like.
-Indiana

See my other Jane By Design Style Challenges: one | two

Jane By Design Style Challenge: Task two

noreply@blogger.com (Indiana Adams) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 08:23:00 +0000

My second task for the Jane By Design Style Challenge arrived in my inbox last Friday:

Hi There!

My name is Jane Quimby and I’m Gray’s assistant. Nice to meet you by e-mail! Gray is out of the office and asked me to tell you that you’ve made it to the next phase of the interview process. Barely. Umm, that was her word, not mine. I think you’re doing great so far!

Gray asked me to brief you on your next challenge. Style icons can be an important source of inspiration. Who is your style icon? Is it your mother or a favorite aunt? A celebrity or an athlete? A world leader or rock star?

Find the plain white t-shirt in your trunk. Using items around your house or your office, create a design on the t-shirt inspired by your fashion icon. Then, put the shirt on your dress form and post a photo of it to your blog, along with an entry that talks about how your design was inspired by your fashion icon. Ask your readers to tell you about their style icons here and mention the name of your blog.

If Gray can tolerate your writing style & appreciates your ingenuity, you will proceed to the next phase of the interview process.

Good luck with the assignment!
Jane

Since the shirt came with a pack of fabric markers, I thought for sure I'd be forced to draw. Thank goodness that wasn't the case. I am the worst at drawing! I used my fabric markers to make templates for this project, instead.

Initially, I planned to turn my t-shirt into a lacy, feathery bohemian dream inspired by Nicole Richie and Grechen Jones but when I really stopped to think about it, the person who has had the most influence on my style is my grandmother.
After my dad died when I was three, his parents raised me. My grandmother is full-blooded Native American and is the one I credit for my thrift store love and my desire to do DIY's. She used to own a resale shop in our small town and was a maven at amping up boring clothing. When I begged and pleaded to do my first pageant (it was in a mall, okay?), she took me to Goodwill and had me pick out any dress I wanted. She then took it home and embellished it by tacking on strands of beads to the skirt and making matching hair bows and jewelry for me. She wasn't the best seamstress (I can't recall her ever using a sewing machine) but she did have a talent for taking something plain, adding a little bit to it, and making it into something fresh. She still does this! The next time I see her, I'll have to snap some photos of her creations for you guys.

This task was precisely that: take something plain and turn it into a fresh creation. Since I had been meaning to try Geneva's leather collar tutorial, right off the bat I knew that I wanted to dye the t-shirt and add a collar.
Needs: 15- 18 inches of faux leather, scissors, a pack of gunmetal gray iDye, and some hook and eye closures or long ribbon.
I got the water and salt going for the dye, traced a collar and a pocket onto some heavy duty felt (for templates), put the shirt in the water, and cut out the collar and the pocket from the faux leather.
Dying cotton only takes about 30 minutes. Then you have to wash and dry it which takes around another hour.

After my shirt was dry, I used my sewing machine and sewed on the pocked and fashioned a collar. I ended up disregarding the hook and eye closures and opted to do a thick ribbon tie closure, instead. I added the same ribbon to the top of the pocket to cover up a seaming mistake I had made:

Since I had such a hard time with the pocket in the sewing machine, I decided to put the collar together using only fabric glue. (BTW- I found that covering the presser foot with Scotch Tape and sewing a layer of tissue paper on the bottom is the best way to get leather through your sewing machine. The tissue paper tears right out. You can pick stubborn pieces of tissue out from the threads with a needle if need be... or you can just use fabric glue). The end result: basic black t-shirt with pebbled "leather" collar and pocket and ribbon details:

I thought about cutting the sleeves off or making this a halter-top, but I think I'll get more wear out of it as is.

It's super cute with a skirt, but I would totally wear this with boyfriend jeans and oxfords, too. I don't think my Grandma would ever wear anything like this, but I think she'd approve of my DIY'ing.

Now I'd like to know: who is your style icon? Jaunt on over to the Jane By Design Facebook page and declare your love for someone who has influenced your style and tell them that Adored Austin sent you. If I happen to win this thing, they're going to mention Adored Austin on the show and I get to choose one Adored Austin reader to be the "Trend Setter of the Week" on ABCFamily.com. Pretty cool, huh?

Dear Jane,
Whew! So glad Gray is still considering me for the blogger position at Donovan Decker. I hope she digs this DIY. I love what you did with your prom dress, and I hope we'll be able to work together one day. In the meantime, keep me posted about the next round of interviews. I'm ready to be sent through the ringer! -Indiana

My Style Evolution

noreply@blogger.com (Indiana Adams) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 23:09:00 +0000

Free People: We'd love for you to come in and style people during our holiday party, Indiana.
Me: Me?
Uh...--
True story: When I started Adored Austin two and a half years ago, I never intended to make outfit posts the main focus. I originally planned to write about fashion news and fashion related events in Austin and to do product reviews. I posted some outfit photos as filler and joined some outfit of the day communities for fun. Honestly, I usually don't think that my style is particularly special, but I do like shopping and writing and the personal style of others, so at the time, starting a style blog made sense to me. People never commented on my event posts (yawn!), but they did comment on my outfits, so now it's kind of become a thing I feel I'm supposed to do.

So because I post what I'm wearing from time to time, over the course of the last two years, I've been asked to style people at stores. I have turned every single one of these opportunities down because there are some days that I can barely dress myself (examples: 2009, 2010, 2011), but when Free People asked me to do this, I reconsidered because their line is so great-- almost everything works together and you can go as little bohemian or as much bohemian as you'd like.

For my styling session today, I went full-on bohemian. Nothing matched: lace, leopard, denim, black, gray, a colorful kimono, tons of jewelry... but that's the thing. I don't think there are any hard and fast "rules" to personal style, and I think that's how my style has evolved since 2009. I think two and a half years ago, I would have loved all of these pieces individually but I never would have paired them up together.

date: 17 Dec 2011 | occasion: Free People holiday party
vintage dress: Thrift Town | kimono jacket: Thrift Town | shoes: ShoeMint | wool hat: c/o American Apparel | bangles: Ten Thousand Villages & c/o In Pink | watch: Michael Kors via Goodwill | necklaces: c/o JewelMint | bag: Map Tote | tights: Target

I feel very me in this crazy get-up. I'd wear this to church or the grocery store or anywhere, really, and I don't think I could have said this in 2009.

What about you? Have you felt your style evolving in the last couple of years? I'm curious if you're breaking traditional fashion rules or if your style is becoming a little more refined.

By the way, if you dig my necklaces and if you're a first time JewelMint customer, you can enjoy 50% off your first order with code "austin886" courtesy of the Austin MBA team. Get it!

Jane By Design Style Challenge: Task one

noreply@blogger.com (Indiana Adams) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 05:24:00 +0000

Have you heard of the show Jane By Design, yet? It's going to premiere on ABC Family on January 3rd, and I've been invited to participate in the Jane By Design blogger challenges in the weeks leading up to the series premiere.

"Jane By Design follows Jane Quimby (Erica Dasher), a quirky teen with an eclectic chic fashion sense, who lands a job at a hip design studio when they mistake her for an adult. Torn between her love of fashion and the need to finish high school, Jane conceals her true age to assist the demanding, but talented Gray Chandler Murray (Andie MacDowell), who travels the world in search of the next big style trend. Jane quickly learns that working for a successful executive in the cutthroat world of fashion is not as glamorous as she once thought. But with help from her best friend Billy Nutter (Nicholas Roux), Jane tries to keep up appearances as she toggles between two lives and guard her secret. Even with Billy’s support, will Jane’s ruse be a passing fad, or will she be able to fashion a career in the design business?" -official site

Sounds like The Devil Wears Prada mixed with Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead. In other words: sounds adorable and I can't wait to tune in. (Psst... here's a clip to pique your interest).

ABC Family reached out to a large number of bloggers (including my friends Tieka and Katy) last week asking if we'd be interested in competing in seven challenges for the chance for our blog to be mentioned on the new show. Regardless of the prize, I'm usually up for a challenge, and I read the fine print and saw that I don't have to go beg for Facebook votes or eat anything weird or sign people up for an email list or anything super annoying like that, so I thought this could be a fun thing.

A few days later the largest, heaviest package I have ever received showed up at my house:
Inside the box was a trunk. Inside the trunk was another box. Inside that box was a bunch of random items with challenge number tags on them, and (yay!) a really great, legit dress form (which, coincidentally, was at the top of this year's Christmas list):
The day after my package arrived, we all got our first email from Jane's boss Gray:

By now you should have received the trunk I sent you and you should be ready to begin the interview process.

The blogger we are looking for at Donovan Decker must have a sparkling personality, impressive creativity and the ability to influence the masses. You must also be an expert shopper with a trained eye for what’s new & unique.

For this phase of the interview process, take the $50 gift card I sent you and go shopping. When you return, shoot a video of your shopping haul and post it to your own blog. Then show me that you can engage your readers. Tell them to share their own haul videos here and mention the name of your blog.

Impress me with your originality. A video of what you bought at the most fabulous boutique could bore me to tears. A video of what you bought at the grocery store could fascinate me. Or bore me to tears. I shop around the world from Mumbai to Tokyo to Sydney looking for inspiration, and sometimes I don’t know what I’m looking for until I see it. -Gray

So I'm the idiot (and ex-actress) who thought we were supposed to do our challenge video as if we really were applying for a blog position at this fictitious company Donovan Decker. This means I did this whole video "in character". And according to my research (i.e. 25 minutes spent on YouTube and Twitter), I'm the only idiot who addressed her video to Gray... as if she really wrote me that email and I'm really up for a blog position.

Kicking myself a little. Anyway... we got a $50 gift card with instructions to shop and I immediately considered buying shoes. I have a well documented problem, people. But then I thought that in order to truly, for real, for real showcase my own personal style and to find unique items that I'd have to thrift. So, off to Buffalo Exchange I went:

[music credit: Dream City by Free Energy]

And, holy smokes, did I clean up. I did do a return and had a bit of store credit, so in a full disclosure I had a little more than $50 to spend, but nonetheless, be prepared to be impressed with my haul. Folks, this video is for you, not just "Gray":
Can you believe that coat? And that gown? I'm kinda of still on a shopping high from those finds!

Okay, now I say we show Jane By Design that Adored Austin readers and blog friends are thrifty to the max. If you want to shoot and upload a video or photo of your own shopping haul to the Jane By Design Facebook page, please do so. It could be great exposure for your own blog. You can even mention Adored Austin if you want to throw me a bone in this contest (no obligations, though!). I just thought it'd be neat to show that just because we have a budget, we can still find amazing things and fully stretch our dollars by shopping second-hand. Would someone like Gray Chandler Murray ever shop at a place like Buffalo Exchange? I doubt it. But I do think that someone like Jane would.

Stay tuned for the next challenge. I get to test my absurdly terrible drawing skills (Heidi, you're going to love this). It's going to be an unintentional laugh riot, so be sure to check back in with me on Tuesday for part two of the Jane By Design Style Challenge.

So many shoes and only two feet

noreply@blogger.com (Indiana Adams) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 06:36:00 +0000

I have never been a shoe person. Belts? Yes. Jewelry? Yes. And, yes, even a brief time in middle school, Blossom Hats. But shoes? No, not really. But lately, I've felt that changing. I think I'm going a little shoe crazy because I'm perfectly satisfied with my wardrobe at this point (--insert collective gasp--) but my shoe collection is in a sorry state thanks to my feet still being a half size larger than they were pre-Jude.

Since Saturday, I've become the proud owner of three new pairs of shoes:

Kate Spade wedge ankle booties found at Buffalo Exchange (similar) |The ShoeMint Leopard Jolly wedges (scored at 50% off) | MIA stacked loafers c/o Francesca's Collection

I wore the ShoeMint boots for the third day in a row today because they are that comfortable. I even did an HEB run in leggings and an oversized sweater and threw on those boots.

I'm starting to think shoe shopping is like smoking crack. It's whack! I mean, I pretty much increased my shoe collection by 25% this weekend and I STILL found myself shoe shopping in these wee hours after midnight tonight. I blame Julie. She introduced me to SoleSociety and I keep putting things in my cart there and then shutting my laptop and reminding myself to get a grip on my (barely dormant) online shopping addiction. Oh, *sigh*, but aren't these cute?

Maggie | Talitha | Esme

Whatever you do, do not go to SoleSociety (or ShoeMint or anything like them) prior to Christmas. You're liable to spend all of the money you've allotted for presents for others there. Step away from the computer. Log out of PayPal. Put your debit card down and RUN!

I made it out with some intervention from some friends. Did you?

By the way, I have been getting dressed...
I just haven't had time to do the photographs properly with the tripod and the nice outdoor lighting and whatnot. Here's an extremely Instagrammed photograph of what I wore thrifting today:

dress: c/o Francesca's (USA made) | shoes: ShoeMint

And this post just won an award for fewest listed items! Go, post!

Saturday: Free People Holiday Party

noreply@blogger.com (Indiana Adams) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 23:55:00 +0000

This Saturday is Chris' birthday! We'll be celebrating by him watching me style folks at the Free People store on Lamar. And you're invited!
I'm just kidding. I mean, you are invited, but Chris will probably be staying home with Jude that afternoon. Happy birthday to him...

Anyway... see you on Saturday? There's going to be a hot cocoa bar, free sweets, drawings for $40 gift cards, and free gifts with $50+ purchases. And The Lovely Brigade is going to be providing the tunes. I'll be there from noon- 2. Please come. It'll be a nice break in your day. Did you see the part about the HOT COCOA BAR?! Facebook RSVP here >>>

I can see why Tyra is so crazy about Vaseline now...

noreply@blogger.com (Indiana Adams) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:14:00 +0000

Have you guys seen this video, yet? This really happened!
Obviously, Tyra Banks has long been a fan of Vaseline, but all of her insanity aside, legendary beauties such as Marilyn Monroe and my own mother tout Vaseline as the MVP of their beauty arsenal.

Some back story: my husband Chris is a little chemist. He's always mixing up lotions and making his own toner and face wash (instead of just buying some from the Clinique counter like I do). Me? Not so much. I buy what I need and don't usually get all DIY-y in my make-up or beauty routine, but that all changed last week because 1- I saw the above video, and 2- Vaseline sent me a nifty little package to try some dabbling of my own. While Jude was sleeping, I made a sugar scrub, created smokey eyes, made a travel lipgloss and contouring cream, and found a secret way to use less perfume! Just call me the vanity MacGyver. Wait. Don't. Calling me "Awesome" will do just fine.

Here's everything you need to get started: contact lens case, pressed eye shadow (dark for contouring cream, light for highlighting cream. I used Radiant's Sand Dollar), dark eyeliner (I used Radiant's Gravity), matte lipstick (I used Radiant's Matte Red), raw sugar, Precision Tip Q-Tips, Crystal Light powder, a toothbrush, Vaseline, Vaseline Lip Therapy (optional), my favorite perfume (Michael Kors Island Hawaii).

1. Lip Sugar Scrub:
Kiss your chapped, winter lips goodbye. Place a half pea sized dollop of Vaseline on an old toothbrush, dust with raw sugar, and move the toothbrush around in a circle motion on your dry lips. Wipe off with a dry washcloth. Apply Vaseline Lip Therapy or your new gloss from trick #3 (see below).

2. Smokey Eyes:
Line your upper lids as close to the lash line as possible with a dark liner (gray is the optimal choice). Put a tiny amount of Vaseline on the end of a Precision Tip Q-Tip. Smudge lightly, moving the Q-Tip from the inside corner of your eye, outward in small dabs.

3. Handy Dandy Travel Lipgloss:
Using a Q-Tip, place a generous pat of Vaseline in a (clean) contact case. Using the stick part of the Q-Tip, chisel a bit of your favorite matte lipstick off and add it to the Vaseline with a tiny sprinkle of Crystal Light (for flavoring). Mix well. Do a different shade in the other side or make...

4. Cream Contour:
Using a Q-Tip, place a generous pat of Vaseline in a (clean) contact case. Using the stick part of the Q-Tip (broken in half), scrape out a bit of tan eyeshadow and add it to the Vaseline. Mix well. Using your ring finger, apply to the crease above your eyes or under your cheek bones. Note: Use a light beige eyeshadow (instead of dark tan) to make a cream highlighter, instead.

5. Perfume Extender:
I read that perfume doesn't last as long on dry skin. This trick has made my perfume scent last until I shower! Put a pea sized amount of Vaseline in your palm and rub your palms together to emulsify it. Now treat this like lotion apply to your inner wrists, décolleté, and behind your ears. Add a dab of perfume to the same areas.

I love tricks #3 & #4 for traveling. I plan to make a contact case with two DIY lip glosses (red and pink) and one with the contour and the highlighter when Chris and I go to Atlanta next week for the holidays.

I've also been using Vaseline as a nighttime moisturizer (much to Chris' chagrin) and I've been slathering it on my heels and sleeping in socks to keep my feet soft. So far, so good! I have extremely acne prone skin and was more than a little trepidatious to use Vaseline as my nighttime moisturizer, but my mom does it and she looks amazing for her age! So far, no breakouts!

What about you guys? Any other beauty DIY's you want to share with me?

Comment of the Day: I "read in an interview with Evangeline Lily that she travels so much and never gets sick on planes because she rubs Vaseline inside her nose (yes, inside). It prevents her nose from drying out and getting teeny cracks in it where the germs can get in. I've tried this a few times and it works. Though, make sure to apply it when you are alone lest you be mistaken for a nose picker." -Julie

Winner extravaganza

noreply@blogger.com (Indiana Adams) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:09:00 +0000

Remember when we did seven days of giveaways on Adored Austin? They weren't exactly consecutive as planned, but we did do seven great giveaways on seven separate days. All of the winners have been announced now. These were the last four giveaway winners:
Purse & Clutch giveaway winner: Stephanie P. | StyleMint giveaway winner: Emily H. | Rebecca $45 giveaway winner: Brittany K. | Boon Inc. Flair Chair giveaway winner: Allyson C.
It was pretty much like the Oprah show over here, wasn't it? Congrats to all the winners and a huge thanks to Purse & Clutch, StyleMint, Rebecca, and Boon.

Your slacker gift guide featuring Adored Austin December partners

noreply@blogger.com (Indiana Adams) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 18:28:00 +0000

Did you know that Christmas is only ten shopping days away? This image of Jude with Santa shows how I feel about that:I haven't bought a single present. No, not one. Who else is a big time slacker? I see you there with your hand meekly raised, AND I know your heart quickened when you realized that there isn't much shopping time left. Don't worry. I knew there'd be a lot of you last minute shoppers (we like to live life on the edge!) so that's why I put together this mega gift list compete with some last minute shipping times for you. You are welcome.

InPink: affordable, fashion jewelry*1. rose gold stretch bracelet | 2. rose gold bling bracelet | 3. arm party stackShip times: Order by this Wednesday, December 15th to guarantee Christmas delivery.Discount code: 30% off with ADORED30 until 12/31
Rebecca: whimsical, handmade jewelry4. mustache ring | 5. crystal bib necklace (perfect for NYE) | 6. owl ringDiscount code: 10% off with HOLIDAY
Manic Trout: fashion forward and fun jewelry handmade in Austin, Texas7. Stegosaurus bracelet | 8. wire bling ring | 9. seahorse statement necklaceDiscount code: 15% off with adoredaustin until 12/31Ship times: Order by Monday, December 19th to guarantee Christmas delivery.
Wild Gems: rare gem jewelry, elegantly designed10. peridot pear earrings | 11. stackable rings | 12. citrine studs (my all time favorite)Ship times: Order by Wednesday, December 21st to guarantee Christmas delivery.
Radiant Cosmetics: make-up with a heart to end human trafficking. 13. kabuki brush | 14. matte red lipstick (my personal favorite) | 15. matte eyeshadow
Purse and Clutch: fair-trade, organic bags that sustain female villagers in India16. signature bag | 17. button clutch | 18. wood handle bagDiscount code: 10% off with ADOREDAUSTIN
Wanted Shoes: affordable fashion for feet*19. heeled lace up oxfords (dreamy with tights!) | 20. glitter brogues | 21. must-have leopard smoking loafersSale: buy two, get one free with free shipping
Miskabelle Vintage22. checked circle skirt (pair with a turtleneck) | 23. sparkly sweater dress (holiday party) | 24. kimono jacket (pair with jeans and heels)
Electric Frenchie*25. lavender tunic | 26. sparkly gold party dress (perfect for NYE) | 27. color block skirtDiscount: Dec. 15-19, 15% off with ADOREDFRENCHIEShip times: Order by next Monday, December 19th to guarantee Christmas delivery.
Francesca's Collection28. world's best cardigan | 29. bold pink bag* | 30. adorable crystal collar dressDiscount code: Get 30% off one regularly priced item with code AUSTIN until 12/31
*denotes imported products that may not necessarily fit into my ISWH guidelines.

The image is now clickable so get your shop on!

Order your Crave Austin book today

noreply@blogger.com (Indiana Adams) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:05:00 +0000

I was looking through the back of my Crave Austin book this morning and I realized that these would be excellent Christmas gifts! I have a few more left, so you should buy them. And I'm not just saying that because they're taking up room in my office. I swear!

To order your own Crave Austin book, fill out this form, and I'll be sure to ship yours within 48 hours of your payment clearing. I only have a few left, and I think they'd be so cute paired up with a card promising the recipient a day of shopping or pampering or Austin exploring.
&amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="https://adoredaustin.wufoo.com/forms/z7x1z5/" title="Yes, I'd like to buy Austin's Crave Guide"&amp;amp;amp;gt;Fill out my Wufoo form!&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;

Save the date: Texas Style Council 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Indiana Adams) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:49:00 +0000

Just a quick little note to let y'all know that I'm hard at work on organizing the Texas Style Council conference, which is the third annual style blogger meet-up during SXSW this year. (Don't go to the website, though. It's a hot mess while we try to move everything from last year to a 2011 subdomain and start from scratch on a fresh, more simple redesign for the 2012 conference).

If you're a style blogger or a lifestyle blogger, you've got to come to Austin for the Texas Style Council conference. We're doing it March 9, 10, and 11th, and we're hard at work getting things under way. Those dates happen to coincide with Austin's famous SXSW, so it's an amazing time to be in town. Last year we played host to over 150 bloggers and shop owners including Jen from Jen Loves Kev, Kendi from Kendi Everyday, and James from Bleubird Vintage and tons more.

It felt a little like summer camp where we made fast friends and were sad to part ways at the end of the long weekend. This year is going to be some more of the same fun, so start planning your trip and carpools now. Registration and sponsorship opportunities will be available after January 1st, and we sold out of both in less than six weeks last year. I hope you'll make it. It's going to be great fun!

If you don't believe me, you've got to check out Nathan Russell's photos from last year.

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