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25 Most Stylish Awards
Photo Apr 13, 7 34 46 PM
Saturday night I had the opportunity to get dressed up and go to Charlotte STYLES "25 Most Stylish Awards" (you know, since I write for them for free). It was hosted at Suite, which has a really great outdoor area with a decent view of the city around you. Perfect for a warmer spring night.
I wore my awesome. sequined Tracy Reese for Target and Neiman Marcus shirt and these heels that matched perfectly, but were a hazard to the well-being of my feet.After a snafu at the front door/desk, where I was not on any list I was told I would be on, it was decided I looked trustworthy enough and knew all the right names so I could go on in.
Not actually knowing anyone there, since I do all my interacting with the editors online and through email, I sat down and made friends with some people for the hour we had to wait for anything to happen. One pair of girls were social workers who knew one of the past members of the 25 Most Stylish and another pair were aspiring jewelry designers that I suspect made their way through the door because their friend was manning it. Totally acceptable in my book. This falls under Faking It Till You Make It. I totally would flaunt their work, but I think their card actually fell out of my butt pocket and off a balcony...
While we waited, we had different foods from around the Epicentre. Lots of them were not finger foods, but were disguised as such. It's hard to daintily eat a "Roast Beef Bruschetta" when the roast beef is trailing more roast beef after you bite into it. Or ribs (enough said about that). The food was pretty delicious though, if largely not vegetarian. I was 'forced' to drink a beer by the waiting around and about halfway through it a group of very talented girls from the EleKtriK Dance Company started performing to a mashup. They even customized their own white button down shirts for the performance, giving them leopard print cuffs and collars.
Sorry, I failed on pics and video. I had a sneaking suspicion that my camera and my deeply uncomfortable heels would not get along.
After the dancing we were allowed to mosey on into Suite and stand about for another 10 minutes before the real show started. I literally mean stand, my feet were so unhappy.
Photo Apr 13, 6 29 06 PMedit
The show was certainly fun, with people cheering on their friends (You guys should totally nominate me for next years 25 Most Stylish). I would like to know the process after nomination though. Is it a popularity contest or do you actually get evaluated on style and what you're bringing to the community?
One of the makeup artists that works with me got chosen. YAY JAIME! She's adorable and incredibly nice, so go her! She told me today that she doesn't actually remember walking down the catwalk. She got off and was wondering if she tripped or smiled enough.
After the showing of the 25, there was a couple of fashion shows. The Impeccable Pig and Mae Vivid (which I wrote about here). The Impeccable Pigs show was definitely something every preppy southern girl wants to know about and something every other girl needs to know about so they can mix and match. Mae Vivid was much more "out there" with his show.
Photo Apr 13, 8 16 01 PM
It featured a legless bodysuit with large sculptural shoulder pads and a sheath dress that went straight down to the floor, forcing the model to do a nice little geisha walk down the runway. Then they had a Junior League of Charlotte fashion show with things one can find at their store. Some of the proceeds of the night went to support the organization.
After the shows, my feet made me peace out. So it certainly goes to show you shouldn't always go with fashion over comfort when going to supremely stylish events.
Too Mod to Handle
Flower Power
Trends: Black, White, and No Need To Skin Pups
Patchwork Blocking
Cutout and Classy
Prancing in Peplum
Photo Jul 22, 6 16 17 PM
The Fall-Back Outfit
I got this chambray shirt form Nordstroms and I've been wearing it whenever I don't want to think too hard about my outfit. It can be styled with pretty much anything (although I do have a tendency to style it with red) and look fantastic and the button is perfectly placed for no gaping by the boobs (something I have infinite problems with). So I of course bought it despite its (not too) ridiculous price. No boob gaping is worth it.
Photo Aug 13, 8 32 19 PM
Photo Aug 13, 2 45 47 PM
New Year's Styling Excursion
Anita came to visit me for New Year's and wanted me to take her out shopping and style her. Apparently, she has not gone shopping for four years and she threw out most of her clothes... Then realized she had nothing to wear. We went on a quick adventure and came up with a few different options before our adventure was cut short and we had to go fix my car. She got an AWESOME vintage sequined shirt (which she left here along with her shoes), some Free People black jeans (a staple) along with a shirt and sweater from them, two dresses, and a cream-colored silk shirt that buttons up the back. Not too shabby for a couple of hours of thrifting and shopping.
White on White
Embellished and Eyecatching
Suits From Sun to Stars
Sweater Weather
Digital Printastic
DIY #2: Jewelry Display Frame
in DIY
Well I came back from NYC with a whole bunch of jewelry and nowhere to put it (although, let's face it, this is not a new problem).
Ever since college, after I saw the idea at my friend Kelly's apartment, I have wanted to incorporate a screen into storing my jewelry.
I did want it to be a little more aesthetically pleasing than just a window screen placed on a wall. So I decided to take matters into my own hands.
First, I went thrift store antique shopping. Where, with the help from my mum, I found an awesome wire bird-cage as well as this "primitive ladder." 
No lie, that is what it was called on the tag.<a
Then I went to Home Depot and picked up some chicken wire with the appropriate size mesh (whatever you personally think will work best for your purposes).
I then took the wire home and cut it (with wire cutters) to the dimensions of the insides of the primitive ladder so the wire doesn't interfere with hanging it up later.
Then I laid the wire out over two pieces of wood in the back parking lot so it would not touch the ground. You might have to hold down the wire with something heavy (like a brick). 
If you want both sides to be evenly painted, then cut the wire after you spray paint. I learned this in retrospect. Having a little extra wire around the edges lets you hold it down without compromising the space you want to spray paint.
While the wire was drying, I took the ladder outside and drilled two holes into the bottom rung of the ladder (two were already drilled) for some cabinet knobs which I picked out at World Market. 
The knobs definitely match my room and my personal aesthetic. The knobs and whatever color you paint the wire, as well as what you use to hold up the wire is what personalizes the project for you.
After the wire is dry, either staple or screw it into the wood. I had to use screws as the wood was too dense for staples. I screwed the wire into each run of the ladder to keep it secure. The rungs also allowed me to hide the screws, and keep them away from the back where they would get in the way of hanging the ladder on the wall.
After attaching the wire, I then attached the knobs. 
Extra washers were needed to keep the knobs in place and farther from the wood of the ladder so that bracelets would hang on them properly. This is something to think about when buying the frame. Is it too thick for attaching knobs, or can you make it work.
I ended up with this! I honestly probably still need more room for all my jewelry, but at least i have a way to display the pieces I wear most in a pretty and organized way.
I used small S-Hooks to hang necklaces, a few rings, and bracelets. Larger S-Hooks were used for the big-mama necklaces and bracelets. I placed teal little bowls of varying sizes inside the birdcage to hold rings and other smaller types of jewelry such as watches. This had the added benefit of balancing out the earrings that were hung from the wire on the front of the birdcage.
Paint it Red (DIY #1)
in DIY, Fashion, Things I Learned
Being at home and mostly unemployed has afforded me the chance to do a bunch of DIY projects I've been thinking about for a while now. The first being the lovely (and easy) project of taking some old red jeans and turning them into new red shorts!I went about this in a pretty devil-may-care way. Laying them out and measuring at the outside seam about how long I thought I would want them. And then I added an inch. The extra inch was so I could roll the bottoms up twice instead of doing a proper hem. So far it seems to have worked out nicely, though I will say I haven't washed the shortened version yet.
How do they look? What are some DIY projects you've meant to try and just haven't figured out how to do yet?
The Devil's on Your Back
Well. Today has been ridiculous. Got locked out of the apartment an hour before I needed to leave. Waited in suspense while my superintendent tried to open the door with a BJ's card. He actually did succeed (Scary but awesome).
Got into a cab, and then was let out on the side of Amsterdam (WHERE THERE ARE NO YELLOW CABS) because he did not take a credit card (and he wanted $73 to get to JFK).
The security guard at the church I was dropped off in front of came out and asked me if I was alright. She apparently saw the white SUV just deposit me on the side of the street. When I said i just needed a cab, she had pity on me and called for one. It was still $68, $13 more than a Yellow cCab would have ended up being, but at that point I was fed up and more than a bit antsy. The cab driver did not speak English and seemed a bit confused about where he was going.
Got stuck in traffic for 30 minutes.
Finally made it to the airport. The flight in front of me had "mechanical issues" and had to be moved, so mine got moved too. Made friends with a nice gentleman while I was waiting around. And he even went and found what gate my flight was leaving from, which was nice of him and in my eyes redeemed human kind a bit..
And now my flight is delayed for an hour....
I'd say the devil is trying to keep me down today, but God is definitely winning. I'll let you know how the rest of the day goes.
Things I Will and Won't Miss About NYC: An Ongoing Project
So today is the day I leave NYC to go back to NC. I definitely have mixed feelings about everything, but I think I am making the right decision for now even if it ends up that I move back in a couple of years. So, I've made a list (lists are wonderful, and very calming, and something great to do when you're bored).
Things I'll Miss About NYC
- The few good friends I did make in the city
- Opportunities at every corner
- Creativity right beside those opportunities on each corner
- Not worrying about going out and then driving because public transportation is always, at most, a 20 minute walk away
- The thrill of living, and being, and meeting in the city
- Parties every weekend. On rooftops. Sometimes even during the week. 
- Getting cat-called by nice looking men
- Little Town NYC
- My proximity to my cousin and to Boston (we had some really great times together and I'm going to miss seeing her almost every month)
- Being largely autonomous - making my own decisions, which only affect me, whether they turn out good or bad.
- Divas
- The ridiculous amount of awesome shopping that can be done (although it's probably good that I will be far away from that) 
- Walking home and finding that the kids on the street have broken open a fire hydrant for their own water park fun 
- Being so close to the beach and not even having to drive there 
Things I Will Not Miss About NYC - Having dirt kick up on the back of your legs (or formerly pristine white jeans) when it rains - Gross smells - Lack of A/C - Angry People - My small bedroom with not enough room between my head and the ceiling to turn on the fan (Given, I did have a loft bed) - Being so far away from family - Divas - 80 year old men leering at me on the way to my apartment - Divas looking at you like you are a ridiculously stupid person having no idea what you could have done to get that look (I'm sitting minding my own business, how could I possibly have offended you?) - The stress of keeping up (must go out, must succeed, must not sleep, must join groups, must join gym, must run for the subway, must not awkwardly make eye contact) - The stifling heat and humidity pushing down on you from hundreds of A/C units spitting out their lava onto the streets - Getting yelled at by random people on the subway (although that totally makes for some good stories)
Leather and Lace
in Fashion
