grab an old sweater and yarn to create a fun update for your fall wardrobe

loop, tie and cut! bows and more bows...and a little added crumpledness. sweater love!

My inspiration is a sweater from Jcrew that I've been eyeing. It's gorgeous and of course holds a pricy tag. To be honest, I'd rather spend that money on other things (like 3 sweaters). So I of course had to try a DIY.

First off I love the vintagey feel of these cutesy mini yarn bows...to play that up I used a chestnut brown color. The Jcrew sweater has the bows placed in structured lines. I chose to just place them randomly, covering the front of the sweater. This sweater has a looser knit which made it easier to pull the yarn through the holes...(I used small jewelry pliers I had laying around to have a hold of the yarn strands...so helpful!) From there, I just made a simple knot and cut the yarn strand...instant bow.

I'm a big fan of chalkboard walls...that's why I have one on every floor of my house...3! This might seem a little overboard but I think unity throughout a home is important and this was a simple and inexpensive way to add in a common element. I love being able to personalize my walls with my terrible handwritting...but more importantly typography that has meaning.

(The top quote is from Lucky Ones by Lecrae)

It's fun to bring old jeans to life again! These were a pair of medium wash jeans that I haven't been digging for a bit. The zipper detail at the bottom was the only reason I've been keeping them...but now it was time for an extreme makeover. Just like a lot of the denim I've seen out right now, I wanted to give these character with paint. I brushed on navy by the seams to add depth and darken them up. I also splattered and dabbed different shades of blue and metallic gold to create interest and a focal point. (Why not right?...splatter is killer right now...keep it coming!) I'll probably still add a little more navy and possibly black to make them a little darker. 

Pair of outdated denim, consider yourself rescued!

Original Photos found here: 1 /// 2 /// 3 /// 4

I'm very excited about this Shag look for Fall. This Muppet-esque-ness screams awesome. 

If you are wanting this style you have to act fast...these jackets are moving quick! The ones I've been eyeing are now sold out...heartbroken! Some DIY scarf action will have to do until I can get my hands on a jacket.

Ahhhh! The (original) Letter People! I grew up with these guys in the late 80's. I have mad love for these 1968 illustrations. The photo is of my vintage Miss A poster print that I've had since kindergarten. I gotta frame this thing. The collection of the original Letter People illustrations are just crazy cool designs. They use vibrant colors and play with shapes, lines and patterns. I can't wait to incorporate this look into a future project!

Can you tell I'm super jazzed about these Sam Edelman leopard boots? Maybe I should ask myself, how many pairs of leopard shoes are too many?...I don't know. I'll save that to be discussed in a separate post...for now I'm going to enjoy my habit. I might have been excitedly skipping around in these the past few days. How can you not love that crazy pattern?

Here is a simple outfit with some bold details. Bright color top with ruffle collar is from jcrew. The black leggings with gold zipper detail is from Zara...you can always find great basics with a twist there! Jewelry is a bunch of layered pieces from my line, AC Design. For the Sam Edelman boots, I got an amazing deal from 6pm.com. Their prices are constantly changing so you have to keep your eyes out so you can snag the best deal.

Sesame is another one of my new obsessions. I've been looking for the perfect recipe, tried a few that weren't so great, but ended up with this one...and of course slightly adapted it to suit my tastes. I marinated the shrimp and then covered them with the sesame seeds. Instead of a grill, I used a large frying pan. I also added in peppers and pineapple. Since the shrimp were pre-cooked it didn't take long at all...(this also left a nice crunch to the peppers) Sesame success!