Throwback Thursday: DIY Natural Fiber Chokers

Hey there “home-skillets!” So according to my excess following of red carpet events (via Grace Helbig of course), it appears that chokers are back in style and I think that is “slammin.”  I can honestly say that I recently purchased jelly shoes and one particular top that is very much the Rachel Green aesthetic, and am officially feeling pretty damn “fly.” Ooh ooh, and all the 90’s inspired patches and pins I’m seeing lately? “Off the heezy” if I do say so myself.

Okay, enough at my lame attempts at slang (I can’t handle it from my generation or the last one). I really am here to talk about chokers. I feel like right now fashion is trying to take it back to the 90’s but only pull out the good stuff this time, and I couldn't be happier. Since learning they were a legit accessory once again, I have been dying to add a few chokers to my jewelry collection (which, ironically, consists of mostly really long necklaces). And in typical DIY-er fashion, I decided the best route for me was to make a few! I thought it would be super fun to share the techniques I used, so you can be as trendy as I pretend to be.

For each of the chokers, you will need:

Macramé rope, ribbon, or string-like material

Ribbon clamps

Industrial strength glue (I’m partial to E6000)

Some spare chain (to make an extender)

A lobster clasp

A couple of jump rings

Pliers

The process is also pretty similar for each necklace! Cut your material to a length slightly shorter than the circumference of your neck (about 12 1/2" for me). Drop a bit of glue onto the inside of the ribbon clamp, add the end of your material, & clamp down hard with the pliers, then repeat with the other end and let dry. With the help of your jump rings, attach a 1-3” extender chain to one ribbon clamp, and a lobster clasp to other. Then rock your necklace like the 90's babe you are!

For the first choker, I used some macramé trim purchased in the fabric section of my local craft store. I had to use a good amount glue and a large clamp because of the thickness of this material, but I love the subtle, earthy vibe this one give off. Also them front teeth, am I right?

Next, I thought it would be fun to channel the obsession with friendship bracelets that was my childhood and make a friendship bracelet-inspired choker--it's like 90's on 90's! Patience is definitely required for this style (and maybe a You-Tube tutorial), but I love how nostalgic it is. 

And lastly, I purchased some very fuchsia suede cording to make the last choker have an excellent color pop! Since I combined 3 individual pieces of cord, I glued it down side by side on the clamp and allowed it to dry before closing the clamp. I also took care to make sure the individual pieces of cord didn't end up twisted, so that the choker could lay flat when I was wearing it. You could also string some little gold beads onto the cord to make this style of choker even more fun!

Overall, I’d say the expansion of my choker collection was a huge success, and for very little effort. And fun fact, my wrist is about half the circumference of my neck, so these chokers double as wrapped bracelets for me! Now I just need some overalls and a scrunchie and we are good to go!

Are you as in love with chokers as I am? Actually, are you as in love with this revival of 90’s fashion as I am?

Stay lovely,

No Pants November: Final Wrap Up of 2015!

 Hello friends! The final week of No Pants November has passed, and I have to say that I had so much fun with this little fashion challenge this year! It was a little more intense than usual, because unlike in high school I was actually outside throughout the day, so layering got even more fun!

I'm sure you've heard of the famous Thanksgiving pants of Joey from Friends, and this was my version! This babydoll is dress had basically no constraints on my tummy, allowing for all the savory goodies and pie I wanted. Including my little sister's request of Thanksgiving queso. I think that totally needs to be a tradition now.

Also, I'm not sure if you can see from the photo, but I added these super sparkly, gold tights when I went back to take pictures! (I didn't leave the house on Thanksgiving, so the cute tights were passed over for turkey!) I saw them at Target and my heart was set on adding them to my holiday looks! Because gold, guys. GOLD. How can you even be more festive than that?!

Dress/Forever 21 // tights / The Red Dot Boutique ;) // booties / Charlotte Russe

A couple more favorite items this week were my shark shirt and mustard skirt! Both these pieces get so much use during fall and winter! I love the cute shark pattern, and the skirt color just screams vintage and autumn, don't you think? Also, a shark shirt calls for a shark pose. Just in case you were wondering what the heck I was doing...

Top/H&M // skirt/Cotton On // boots/Costco // socks/Target // necklace/Charming Charlie

Apparently I am aggressive and sleepy these days--thanks college!

I definitely got more acquainted with leggings this past month, because some days it was too cold not to! And they are so comfy. And finals coming up, and naps all day... I think that about explains it.

I got another round out of my trusty mustard cardigan that was also in No Pants November Week 2! As excited as I was about this lazy outfit though, I wonder why on earth I didn't think of complementing this with burgundy lipstick! (Oh yeah, I was probably asleep..)

Cardigan/thrifted // tank/Old Navy // leggings/Costco // necklace/made with a tutorial from Sincerely Kinsey

Last but not least, this is the only shorts with tights outfit I wore all month! I mean, that's practically a crime for me! Luckily though, my brain put together 2 patterns, a pop of color, and an excuse to wear red lipstick just in the nick of time! (Literally on the last day of the month!)

Top/H&M // scarf/stolen from seester // shorts/thrifted // tights/Gap // booties/gifted

So that is it for today! I'm so glad I finally got motivated to do some outfit posts, because they were just so fun for me! Hopefully, I will be adding more posts to #WonderlandCheshireStyle and this blog in the future! I already have some holiday outfits in mind!

Oh and just for giggles, did you happen to have a favorite No Pants November outfit of mine?

Stay lovely,

PS: No Pants November weeks 1, 2, and 3!

Monday in Wonderland: My Style Philosophy

Happy Monday in Wonderland!

As you know, No Pants November has been up and running, and so this Wonderland will be a little different. I wanted to chat this morning about personal style and about why I bother putting together “cute” outfits at all! To me, it’s an important part of my day and I want to express why that is And let’s start this all with the weekly doodle and quote to keep in mind, because it’s kinda my style philosophy:

Download here

Pretty deep, right? Let me elaborate.

For me, getting ready in the morning is like playing dress up. I mean, only for like 5 minutes (because I like to sleep), but regardless, Kate Spade was pretty en pointe saying, ““Playing dress-up begins at age five and never truly ends.” For me, putting together a cute outfit is part of my morning routine. It honestly makes me feel more awake and human at 6:30 in the morning (thanks, 8 AM’s) to start with a little creativity and color mixing.

And that’s exactly what style is for me—an outlet for creativity and personality. I was watching a video with one of my favorite makeup YouTubers JKissa (because I like pretty makeup, okay?!) on personal style and she commented how color is her method to express internal traits because of her shyness. For me, it’s much the same. I’m an introvert by nature—as I’ve seen more and more in my first college semester—and for me, style is my way of opening up to people a little. While I love meeting new people, I prefer one-on-one conversations, and if people in a group are talking, I prefer to listen rather than interject. This means that maybe you won’t “get to know me” very quickly at a large social event, but I think my style reveals a lot about the person I am without words.

At some point in my childhood I turned from a “tom-boy” to a “girly-girl,” hence all the dresses and even a fuzzy sweater or two. But my girly-ness isn’t exclusively part of my appearance. That girly, feminine side reflects my personality, because I am sensitive and tend to be vulnerable and caring, maybe even a little too much. But I love that part of me. I love “momming” people and caring about them.

I also feel like a lot of times I really am a little naive and childish. I won’t always outright act like a kid because I do get shy and fearful of judgement, but a lot of the time I feel like I think like one. I like to look on the bright side and ignore the bad stuff and, for better or worse, that is who I am.

I also love mixing colors and patterns, and for me that’s a portrayal of my desire to be bright and happy. Even if I seem like the girl who doesn’t say much at first, in a way, my style expresses that side of me that has a whole lot to say and be joyful about. I express my fun-loving side through possibly senseless outfits even if I’m not the girl out partying on a Friday night.

Most importantly though, style is a form of courage and self-love for me. Like most teenage girls, I went through a lot of years trying to be like every other girl, and being unhappy when I couldn’t pull it off. It just wasn’t me. And when I stepped out of my comfort zone at first, wearing dresses and vintage accessories and even my naturally curly hair, I was scared. I was worried of judgement until I learned that my friends honestly didn’t care if I experimented a little unconventionally with my clothes. The joy I felt in being myself this way was addicting, and even though some of those 9^th and 10^th grade outfits were not quite all together, I loved that I got to keep experimenting with clothes until I could find something that was all my own. I was even nominated for the “Miss Teen Vogue” band superlative a few times and it really surprised me. Honestly I was only dressing for myself, as you should, and people liked my weird style anyway!

I think that’s all why now, in a sea of comfy t-shirts and tennis shoes, I decide to wear a dress and heeled booties. Style gives me confidence. I am actually more likely to be comfortable wearing what I want to rather than what’s conventional. I’m not gonna lie, college has been a little challenging at times being an introvert, but wearing what I want and not caring what anyone thinks is my form of bravery. It’s my way of expressing myself even if you’ve never heard me say a word.

Not to say that if you do dress in conventional or comfy ways you are unoriginal! You may have the hilarious personality, some crazy talents, intelligence, kindness, classiness, strange quirks, glorious imperfections, and any number of ways to express those things unique to you! And I think that’s amazing! Self-expression is so powerful, and for me style is so much more than putting on clothes. It’s part of those things that make me individual that I may not tell you right off the bat. It’s my way of saying “this is me” without saying a word, because maybe, sometimes, I’m too shy to do so.

See, you do you, babe. My boy and older sis tell me it all the time, and I think it’s wonderful. It’s honestly some of the best advice I’ve ever gotten when I start worrying about what I “should do” or what people will think. For me, “doing me” starts with how I get up and get dressed every day, and ends with the big (and possibly foolish) future I sometimes daydream about. But I’m happy to be a dress-wearing, pattern-loving, color-coordinating, day-dreaming fool. You should be too. Wear what you want, be crazy if you want to, and let your personality, interests, and bravery shine!

Stay lovely,

No Pants November Week 3

Oh hi there. Doesn't that face say I'm happy to see you? Let’s just get into this, k?

Quinceañeras are fantastic, even if my outfit-photo skills are not.

And ever since my Merida costume, super messy curls and formal hairstyles are synonymous to me. It’s kind of that wild beauty, don’t you think? ;) (Actually just laziness, but you gotta own it. And make it sound cool.)

Dress (as skirt) / discontinued boutique in San Antonio :,( // top/ Charlotte Russe // shoes / not shown because I wasn’t wearing them anymore…

Classic tough girl photo, colorful tights and all

Colored tights are also muy bueno!

Tights / Sam Moon // top and skirt/ H&M //scarf / thrifted // booties / DSW

"It's so fluffy, I'm gonna die!"

I have a love affair with fuzzy sweaters (and apparently scarves).

Sweater and skirt / Target // tights / Gap // scarf (gifted) / J. Jill // boots // Rack Room Shoes

Am I trying to take a cute photo, or does my scarf smell good?

Top / Walmart // cardi / Target // leggings / Costco // boots and scarf / gifts

(I shop at the most expensive, classy places, don’t I?)

And there are all the one-liners that I would’ve give you on Instagram, had I planned enough time to take outfit photos before this morning. (It was like playing dress up. Good stuff!)

So how’s your No Pants November going? Remember to use #NoPantsNovember and #WonderlandCheshireStyle so I can see your stylish style! (I’m not redundantly redundant.) *Kiss emoji*

Stay lovely,

PS: I'm secretly a super hero in my photo outtakes: 

No Pants November Week 2

Happy Saturday!

I had a lot of fun putting together No Pants November outfits this last week--enough fun that I felt I could give them their own post! Although it's not as chilly as it would like to be yet, (I want to wear all the tights!) the warm weather in Texas made shorts totally acceptable for the week. I do try to compromise with fall by wearing cardigans and other accents, and this really works because it is substantially colder in the morning than in the afternoons. Light layers and fun colors were perfect for me this week!

This outfit was definitely my favorite in terms of color mixing! And I basically lived in slouchy berets like this fall of freshman year in high school, so the mini throwback was nice! Oooh and a leaf matched my outfit!! It's the little things :)

Tank and hat/ Forever 21 // cardigan, necklace, and shorts/thrifted // moccasins/Minnetonka

This was my classy safari guide outfit, as you might have seen on Instagram! A little unconventional, sure, but I seriously loved it. High-waisted shorts and red lipstick forever, babes.

Top, shorts, and scarf/thrifted // boots/Charlotte Russe

Last but not least, here's an outfit with an actual skirt and my favorite elephant scarf! I felt a little fancier in this one (my campus is so casual) but that's okay! It's fun to dress up a little!Top/Forever 21 // skirt and belt/Target // scarf/Charlotte Russe // shoes/Mia's MirrorI hope y'all have an amazing weekend! I'll be attending a quinceanera that my baby sis is on court for, so more pretty dresses! How's your no pants November going? Remember to join me with #NoPantsNovember and #WonderlandCheshireStyle.Stay lovely,