strong arm

I love pieces that add diversity to my wardrobe. My closet is full of collared shirts, blazers and feminine skirts, sometimes I need some more casual, masculine pieces to break up the girliness. A good muscle tee does just that.

Over the past few weeks I've picked up some great cutoff t-shirts that give me some much more edgier outfit options. The obvious choice to wear with these tops is jean cutoffs or boyfriend jeans. I mean, these are pretty much hipster's uniforms. They'd look great with a fringe bag and bell bottom jeans, but I prefer to juxtaposition of a sophisticated look with a grungier piece thrown in. I'm looking forward to pairing them with a cute pencil skirt, or dark skinnies with pointy toe heels.

A lot of these tops have open armholes and sheer fabric, so they also look great with pretty underpinnings like lace or neon. In fact, I thought the armholes on one of the shirts I bought were a little high, so I just cut a little more off. It was so easy, I'm considering going to the thrift store and buying some old t-shirts and making some cutoff tanks of my own!

a. Chaser Slash Vintage Muscle Tee // b. Truly Madly Deeply Studded Bolt Tank // c. Doe Knicks Muscle Tee // d. Chaser LA Life & Death Iron Maiden Destroyed Muscle Tee // e. Lauren Moshi Effie Color Rasta Lion Muscle Tee // f. Nasty Gal Galaxy Tee // g. Daydreamer LA Drop-Arm Tank // h. Daydreamer LA Strange Paradise Slashed Muscle Tee // i. Daydreamer LA Hypnotic Gaze Muscle Tee // j. Billabong Freedom Tee // k. Chaser Anthrax Skater Muscle Tee // l. Wildfox Couture Live Fast Cut Off Trailer Tank

Check out some of the different ways to style this look.

christmas countdown

I went to Catholic school for 14 years, so I'm a firm supporter of an Advent calender that doesn't involve cardboard and old chocolate. Etsy store EcoMonster's DIY Advent calender kits are the perfect, modern alternative.

Every day leading up to Christmas, open an envelope filled with little craft supplies, like beads, glitter, stickers and stamps. The insides aren't the only treats, as the clothespins and envelopes give Christmas decor a nostalgic twist.

For those that aren't as religious (or are just behind the ball!) there's even a "12 Days Till Christmas" version.

petite pumpkins

So, apparently I've got a thing for sparkly pumpkins. That's sort of weird, but this idea certainly isn't.

I fell in love when I saw these silver pumpkin place cards on Everyday Occasions. My dear mama has upwards of 25 guests at our house each Thanksgiving. Every year, she struggles with how to make the place cards. Recruiting my little sisters works, but the construction paper turkeys stick out like a sore thumb against her beautiful dishes and tablescape.

These little pumpkins are the perfect idea. They're cheap, insanely simple, and absolutely adorable. You just buy mini pumpkins, wrap painter's tape around the stems and spray paint. Then you make simple name cards, remove the painter's tape from the stem, make a small cut and slide the name cards in. Very easy, very fun and very pretty.

tired of the same old thing

 

Did anyone catch my "The Nightmare Before Christmas" reference in this post's title?

I'm not one for themes, so Halloween isn't my favorite holiday. I usually put on a cute outfit I would normally think was too flamboyant and call it a costume. I can't remember the last time I didn't end up as a hippie or a celebrity.

I also hate scary things. Like, really, really hate. I'm currently traumatized from seeing a commercial for Paranormal Activity 3. I won't go into details. Just more of a reason for me to not get all uppity about Oct. 31.

Because of my reservations about the holiday, I don't normally decorate or throw myself into things surrounding Halloween. This Martha Stewart project, however, has convinced me to change my ways. I am heading out right now to get supplies and make some of these adorable glitter pumpkins. I'm feeling two oranges, and a pink... and maybe a purple. I'll let you know how it goes and maybe post some pictures.

P.S. This picture was snapped by someone and posted to Apartment Therapy and the comments on the page suggest that it's Sarah Jessica Parker's stoop! Even more incentive to get my craft on. I'm doing it in my parents' garage though. You know what they say about glitter...