Outfit Post: DIY Cutoff Shorts

Top: Aaron Ashe via The Stylist LA

Shorts: DIY Denim Cutoffs

Neon Satchel: Target (last seen here)

Shoes: Sole Society "Heather" Booties

Belt: H&M ; Sunnies: Vintage (similar here)

Lips: Revlon "Fuchsia Fusion"

After posting about ways to wear denim cutoffs, I was really inspired to get started on my DIY projects I vlogged about a few weeks ago. So I ran out to Goodwill and picked up a pair of denim jeans 2 sizes bigger than my normal.  

I must admit that this didn't go as smoothly as I originally anticipated - these were supposed to be longer boyfriend shorts. But after cutting and distressing, I wasn't in love with the fit so I just cut them shorter to make shorts. I haven't washed them yet so they'll get more frayed (which is what I actually like) but I think that since they're a bit bigger, I could go even shorter... what do you think? I'm still on the fence on whether I heart them or not..

We met our friends for Happy Hour and ended up walking around downtown Santa Monica well into the evening. So I was thrilled my outfit was so easy going. A pop of neon, twisted bun & pink lips were perfect accessories with these shorts. I think I'm definitely going shorter.... Happy Monday everyone!! xoxo

{this post is linking up with Real Girl Glam, The Pleated Poppy, & Transatlantic Blonde}

Halloween 2010: Lady Gaga Costume [DIY]

I'm completely obsessed with Halloween. It's by far my favorite time of the year [well.. it runs a close second to Christmas...] I love when the weather starts to change, the leaves turn colors and everything gets that "crisp" feeling. October means scary movies for the entire month and by the time the 1st rolls around, I am usually waist deep in our costume plan. This year is no different. I can't wait to share this year's selections with you guys but I normally never tell so that it won't ruin the element of surprise. So I thought I would share with you our 2010 outfits.

I started working on them around mid-August which may seem extreme, but allowed me to slowly get a fabulous finished product. I find that DIY Halloween costumes are always so much more fun than buying that generic one in a plastic bag. And I couldn't be more proud of what I created. Let's take a look:

DIY Lady Gaga Costume

I love dressing with the hubs in a matching or relating costume and this brilliant idea of Lady Gaga & Justin Bieber hit me in the middle of summer. My favorite part about wearing this costume is that I created half of it! Those crazy glittered crystals are actually 10+ mini crystals glued together. They took a bit of time and perfecting but the final product was amazing and I probably spent a total of $3.00 on them. The crystallized sunglasses were another DIY project. The glasses cost $2.00 on eBay and the crystals probably $3.00.

Lady Gaga Crystal Sunglasses

The only thing I actually did purchase specifically for the costume was the glitter bodysuit and the wig. Each were $14.00. I had just planned on wearing a plain dancer's leotard but I came across this bodysuit while shopping in Forever 21 one day and thought it was perfect. The rest of the items were straight from my closet. The bottoms were from another DIY Playboy Bunny costume as were the tights. Those shoes are one of my favorite pairs I have! Lastly I borrowed the bow from the amazing Pursuit Of Shoes who was Lady Gaga the year before that. Billy's costume is all completely borrowed with the exception of the sunglasses ($3.00), t-shirt & necklace (his own) and the wig ($8.00 on Amazon)

So all in all I saved so much money by completing these projects and scrounging around my closet. The total bill for me $36.00 (Just as an example the Lady Gaga costume at the store is $50.00 for the dress not including the $20 wig, $15 bow, $10 sunglasses, $10 accessories, shoes or whatever else you want to add) If you haven't thought of a costume yet - don't worry! You still have time and I'll give you some tips.

1. Hit up your local thrift stores and Goodwill. That's where we found a good amount of Bill's costume for this year and so many of my past costumes.

2. Ask friends! Chances are they might have that one item you've been looking for {a la Lady Gaga Hair Bow} that can save you some extra $$ and they'll feel good about their pieces being used more than once

3. Be creative! Do a bit of research. Check out blogs. I discovered how to create those glitter crystals by watching a 15 year old make them on YouTube!

4. Lastly, have fun!! Go crazy and enjoy yourself. It's the one time of the year you can dress up so take advantage!

What DIY costumes have you done? I want to know. Send me some photos and you could be featured! bedazzlesafterdark[at]gmail[dot]com. Happy weekend everyone!!

p.s. if you want to know how to make the above just comment below or email me and I can tell you!

Pom Yourself! Rachel Bilson in Lanvin Pom Sandals

I've been obsessing over these Lanvin Flower Pom sandals ever since I spotted them on Rachel Bilson last week. She's wearing one of my favorite spring trends - the colored shoe. I became even more obsessed when one of my lucky co-workers walked in yesterday sporting the black ones! Jealous! Check out the close up of these happy shoes:

I love the playfulness of the flower and the color! So Fabulous. They definitely brighten up any outfit and Rachel definitely provides a burst of refreshment wearing them instead of sky high stilettos for a night out on the town. So after seeing them up close and in person I had to figure out a way to get them. The original price tag of $585 is a little too steep for my budget right now and I was able to find them for a bit cheaper but not in my size. So after careful researching - I found another budget fashionista who MADE her own Lanvin Flower Pom Sandals. Yes that's right gals - Made them! Check out her final product below

Not too bad! Find out exactly how she did it here. (And check out her amazing DIY Louboutin petal sandals - She might be my new favorite DIY fashion blogger!) Of course every girl would love to own the real thing - but making your own for way less is pretty fantastic! And you could pick any color your heart desires. I just might be tempted to invite some girlfriends over, drink some wine and create some Flower Pom sandals of our own! Happy Tuesday!!

images via Cool Spotters, Celebrity Gossip, Shoe Spotlight, Emancipation of Mandy

I have nothing to wear....

I read about this amazing project in Glamour a few months ago and I thought about it yesterday as I was putting my outfit for work together. Sheena Matheiken is wearing the same dress every single day for one year (I know.. you're thinking whhhhaaat?) and calling it The Uniform Project. This is from her website: "Starting May 2009, I have pledged to wear one dress for one year as an exercise in sustainable fashion. Here’s how it works: There are 7 identical dresses, one for each day of the week. Every day I will reinvent the dress with layers, accessories and all kinds of accouterments, the majority of which will be vintage, hand-made, or hand-me-down goodies." Wow! Sheena also explains her motivation for doing the Uniform Project stemmed from her experience growing up in India where she had to wear a mandatory school uniform. She was inspired and impressed by her fellow peers who made each uniform their own with scarves, hats, shoes, jewelry, belts even altering the look of the uniform itself. So she wanted to see if she could prove the same in everyday life. And if that wasn't amazing enough... This project accepts donations for the Akanksha Foundation which will take all the contributions and will help fund items like uniforms and any other educational needs for children in India. So far, as of this post right now, $32,001 has been donated and counting! (If you want to be part of this and contribute click here.)  Sheena also has said that many stores and people have donated accessories to help her change her look from day to day. (score!) Here are a few of my favorite looks she has worn so far:

Sheena wore this look on October 6th. I love the striped shorts and that she has actually worn the dress more like a jacket. The gloves are fantastic and donated by GloveLove, a group that finds single gloves around London, cleans them, and then pairs them with another glove for a creative look. (How cool is that!?)

I'm fascinated by this pairing she did a few days ago on November 24th. The knit sweater with the mismatched tights are pure genius. And the shoes are pretty funky too. It's a great way to add bursts of color to the black dress.

This look she put together for a June wedding. Here she is wearing one of my new obsessions, The Collar. (I recently bought one similar to this with snickers coming from Billy and my Dad....) I love everything about this look from the lace doily slip to the chunky gold earrings. Plus the collar is just so ridiculous that it's awesome.

I've really enjoyed following Sheena's style diary. She continually impresses me with her smart ideas using many many many different accessories to change it up. It really proves her thought that all these items can be simply added to a dress to create a totally different and unique look. But this also got me thinking about how much I have in my closet. I absolutely LOVE going shopping but I think I am going to make a conscious effort over the next few weeks to seriously look at all the pieces in my wardrobe, pull new outfits together, and rediscover a few long lost pieces I have. Thanks Sheena for the inspiration! :) xoxo

photos courtesy of: Small Sight & The Uniform Project