Crushed Velvet Wrap Dress // Christmas Eve

For my last sewing project of 2017, I sewed up the best for last. I received some lovely crushed velvet in sage from Mily Mae Fabrics. I am so in love with everything velvet, especially in lighter pastel colors. Also, it feels and looks exquisite. I will definitely be sewing more projects with velvet this upcoming year.

Velvet Headwarmer + Boot Cuffs (Freebie Patterns!)

Two days until Christmas! Can you believe how fast the year went by? 

This has been an awesome year so far. I literally just got back from Lake Tahoe, and it was amazing. My husband and I went for our anniversary. Our trip consisted of a fancy dinner, some souvenir shopping, and sledding, which was all perfect. It was my first time going sledding, and it was awesome! I cannot wait until next time. :)

Floral Patch Lace Top with Ruffle Sleeves Refashion

This little lace top with a peter pan collar was one of my absolute favorite tops a couple of years ago. I wore it back in 2014 with my Denim Skirt Lace Refashion. Unfortunately, some of the dye from the top transferred onto the collar and it got put aside in my "to refashion" pile. 

I originally bought these embroidered lace patches for another project, which I will share this upcoming year. I love these patches because they're nice size and they can instantly add a pop of interest to a top, backpack, etc. I had an extra pair and decided it was time to upgrade my once (and currently!) favorite top.  They were also an excellent match to this floral fabric I had in my fabric stash. Honestly, I can't remember where it is from, but it is a super soft double brushed poly. 

Crushed Velvet-y Goodness

This was my first time taking photos in the rain. I actually didn't plan nor want to take photos while it was raining. My husband was the one who said it was a good idea and that the pictures would turn out nice. I got a lot of stares from people who drove by and my hair got ruined (I had curled it, ha!), but it was a fun experience. Would I do it again? Probably with a hat or a bun, haha!

Now, on to the actual post! :)

This season is all about velvet, especially my favorite: crushed velvet. This awesome crushed velvet can be found at Mily Mae Fabric Shop. She has so many other lovely colors available, talk about some serious #hearteyes and #swoon. It is absolutely stunning and more specifically, it is crushed velvet-y goodness.

Fall 2017 Capsule Collection

Today I'm introducing my Fall 2017 Capsule Collection! I talked about it on Instagram since last month, and I finally got around to posting it on the blog. This time of the year always seems to get super busy, and personally for me, time seems to slip away faster during these last months of the year. 

Anyway, you may have noticed a new header on the blog (yay!), and even though it's not the final one, my blog is slowly starting to come together. I posted about my blog "refash" here. I'm working hard everyday that I can to get my blog "refash" done by the end of the year. :)

Now...on to the capsule collection!

Blog "Refash"

I have some news! I haven't posted much on my blog lately. I feel like I have abandoned it for a bit. But, I promise you I haven't! If anything, I've been doing the opposite. I've been busy working on a blog "refash." 

"re·fash": short for "refashion." I'm trying to be cool and creative here by saying "refash" instead of revamp or renovate.  

Craft Challenge: October 2017 "Distressed Denim Jacket"

It's time for October's Craft Challenge! For this month, I decided to use a denim jacket. I loved this jacket and I didn't want to part with it. The problem was that it got a tad bit too small, the sleeves were too tight, and I wanted to make it trendier. At first, I really didn't know what to do with it. I started by cutting off those sleeves, because I really wanted to get rid of them. As I sat there in my sewing room, staring into space, and thinking about what to do with the jacket; I glanced over at my fabric stash and saw some distressed denim from Mily Mae Fabrics. 

7 Fall Must Haves for 2017

In just two short days, fall arrives! Even though spring and summer are my favorite seasons, I have a special kind of love for fall. It's the season of all things cozy: hot tea/coffee, sweaters, big blankets, fireplaces, yummy desserts, family gatherings...

I could go on and on about all the wonderfully cozy things about fall, but you get the idea right? :)

But, for now I will go on and list some fall must haves for this season. 

To show you my fall must haves and to celebrate the beginning of fall, I chose three outfits to show you today.

//

Fall Must Have #1:  Camo Anorak

Camo print is huge this season. I remember when I was in middle school it was also trendy, and I was obsessed with it. Ten years later, I'm still obsessing over camo. Literally, this is the perfect lightweight anorak for layering. Layer it over your favorite summer top that you're just not ready to let go of yet, and when it gets chillier, layer it over any sweater.

Fall Must Have #2:  Lace Up Top

Another huge trend we've been seeing is the lace up top. There are many variations and styles, but this particular one from  tobi is one of my favorites. It's super soft, comfortable, and extremely versatile. Dress it down with your favorite pair of jeans and sneakers, or dress it up with a blazer, skirt, and some glamorous heels.

Fall Must Have #3:  Ankle Booties

What's fall without some boots? Usually I gravitate towards riding boots, but this season I decided to get myself some ankle booties. I got these at Rue 21 during a sale, and I love that they have a little bit of a heel, since I am so short. I got mine in taupe, but currently only black is available. I also love these Toms ankle booties. I wore them in my last outfit of this blog post. 

Fall Must Have #4: Cardigans, cardigans, cardigans

Did I forget to mention cardigans??? Seriously though, fall isn't fall without a cardigan or two, or three...

I personally feel like cardigans never go out of style, especially during fall. Can you believe mine is thrifted? I got it at  Saver's. Let me tell you, if you have a Saver's near you, please go get some cardigans! There are so many, I'm sure you will find one you like. The one I found is from Lush. It is actually two sizes bigger than me, because I love big and cozy cardigans. :)

Fall Must Have #5:  Faux Suede Dress

Oh. My. Gosh. This faux suede dress is everything that is soft and cozy in this world. It's so cozy and comfortable that you'll probably forget you're dressed up and go to sleep with it. :) Plus, the soft blush color is amazing.

Fall Must Have #6: Floppy Hats

I love my maroon floppy hat. It adds an instant pop to any outfit. My favorite floppy hat colors that go great with anything are black, taupe, olive, and of course maroon.

And finally we have...

Fall Must Have #7:  Swing Dress

The best part about this  tobi dress is that it has pockets! It is a lovely mauve color that is perfect for welcoming fall. This is a fall must have that will be worn year round. Layered for fall and winter and worn alone with some sandals for spring and summer, so this is definitely worth the purchase. PLUS, it is just really soft too. 

These are my fall must haves for this year, and I hope you found something that you liked. :)

Now go on and create your own outfits with your fall must haves. I'd love to see them!

-

And be sure to check out  Tobi this fall for your own fall must haves. There's so many to choose from!

2017 Scrap Busting Craft Challenge: August "DIY Keychain Using Old Jewelry"

It's the end of August, which means fall is near! Haha, just kidding. In California it's definitely not fall yet. It is going to be a mere 109 degrees today. Not bad right? LOL. Anyway, for this month's craft challenge I decided to use old jewelry. I've been seeing cute little keychains everywhere and I decided to make my own. This is a super easy, yet cute craft. So let's "refashion" some old jewelry into new and improved keychains. :)

STEPS:

1. I gathered all the ribbons and trims that I wanted to use. 

(P.S. I ended up not using the daisy trim. Definitely using it next time!)

2. I chose which ribbons I wanted and I laid them out as shown.

3. Then, I folded the ribbons in half and put them though the loop of the keychain.

4. I added some little lace trim pieces to the side and I tied them off really tightly with a thin piece of ribbon.

5. Next, I went to my stash and I picked out an old necklace. 

6. With some pliers, I opened up two loops (circled in pink) and separated off the part of the necklace that I wanted to use.

7. Lastly, I folded the necklace in half and put it in the loop of the keychain (circled in pink). I closed off the keychain loop with pliers.

TA DA!

Want more craft inspiration? Check out what the other crafters created this August:

A Pop of Red

Make Something Mondays

Eclectic Soapbox

Shift Mama

The Art in Martha

Social Stampers

Thimble & Twig

Lumina Spirit

Lace Cold Shoulder Dress Refashion // How To Add Cold Shoulder "Sleeves" To a Sleeveless Dress or Top

With the cold shoulder trend staying and not leaving anytime soon, I decided to make my own cold shoulder dress refashion. I absolutely love the cold shoulder trend. I feel it's modest, trendy, and adds an interesting touch to garments.

This is an easy way to add cold shoulder "sleeves" to any sleeveless dress or top. I am planning on trying more variations and refashions with cold shoulder "sleeves," so be on the lookout. :)

I got this beautiful lace about a year ago, and when I was planning my next refashion, I realized that this lace was the perfect match for this sleeveless lace dress. Can you believe that I bought it at the Nordstrom Anniversary sale last year and hadn't worn it until I refashioned it? LOL.

STEPS:

1. I cut two pieces as shown below. 

On the teal dots, I hemmed the top of the lace (you can zig zag or serge this part), and sewed in some elastic.

On the pink dots, I hemmed the edges. (You can also serge this part).

2. Then I took those pieces and sewed them to the dress. (The pink dots).

Afterwards, I sewed the new "sleeve" together down the teal dots, as you would close any other sleeve.

3. As a finishing touch and to add some length, I added some matching lace to the hem.

TA DA!