According to Thomasnet.com “grommets, also commonly called eyelets, are found in everyday places, from shoes to shower curtains, electrical wires to surgical devices. Made of metal, plastic, or rubber, grommets are typically inserted into a fabric hole, such as leather, where they serve to reinforce and protect the hole.”

A small grommet may also be called an eyelet, and is mostly used on shoes and clothing items (like corsets) for lacing purposes. Lately I’ve been spotting eyelets and grommets on fashion items not for lacing purposes but just for decoration. This is a super easy way to update an old item of clothing you have. You can add a twist to a regular trench coat by adding grommets to the lower part of the sleeves, or lower part of the jacket close to the hem. Grommets and eyelets come in a variety of sizes, they are inexpensive, and they can be found at your local fabric store. You will need a few tools if you plan on applying grommets or eyelets to an item but you can find them at the fabric store also. If you need help applying grommets here is a great tutorial. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uslIa0Ddtc  Scroll down for some grommet/eyelet inspiration and ideas, a great D.I.Y project for this fall/winter season!

RED Valentino

One of my favorite items to buy from the thrift store is skirts! I just love how easily they can be altered. Most of the time all I have to do is one line of stitching. Lately I’ve been spotting straight midi skirts around and I’m liking the look of it. Straight midi skirts have such a cool, effortless vibe, opposed to a super tight one. It is convenient but summertime is over and I am an adult, so I have to give midi skirts and crop tops a break. lol I’m replacing stretchy midi skirts with their older more refined sister, the straight midi skirt. lol. Straight midi skirts go with almost anything. They look chic paired with a chunky sweaters, ankle boots, strappy heels, or button down shirts.

It only cost me $4 and took about 10-15 minutes to take my skirt from a size 14 to a 4. I do this OFTEN with thrifted skirts. As long as you have a ruler with a hip curve, some tailors chalk, and your sewing machine you can do this too! Normally hunter/forest green is not my color, but I’ve been into colors lately and I must say I loved the deep purple, nude, forest green color palette. My nails and lip were deep purple, skirt and sweater were nude, and the skirt was forest green. Scroll down below to see more straight midi inspiration and how I wore my thrifted straight midi.

Cocktails with Claire is an event held by fashionbombdaily.com CEO, Claire Sulmers. If you aren’t familiar with fashionbombdaily.com I suggest you stop reading and go visit now! lol The event took place Saturday, Nov 14, at Mal Maison in Georgetown D.C. I have been following Fashionbombdaily for years now. When “Cocktails with Claire” came 2 years ago I did not go, I admire Claire, her hustle, and her whole brand so this event was something I was NOT going to miss this year! According to Claire “the event was created so that Claire could step out from behind her computer and begin to foster a network of trendsetters, tastemakers, and influencers in the real world.” This year she decided to add shopping to the event making it more of a “sip, shop, see, network” kind of thing.  There were about 6 vendors there with their clothing and jewelry, which really I think added to the event. All the attendees are obsessed with style and fashion so why not add stuff for us to buy!

Overall the event was amazing! I loved every second of being in the presence of so many nice, fashion forward girls, all there to make connections and compliment each other on their hair and outfits. The venue Mal Maison was super chic and modern, as was the black and white decor. Tables were covered with black sequin fabric and white throw pillows had the FashionBombDaily logo printed on them. Super cute! The finger foods consisted of pulled duck sliders, tomato shrimp soup, and mini lamb shanks just to name a few. All amazing! I bought a ticket where I was able to drink free all night, so I felt pretty good by the end of the night. lol The drink selections featured white and red wine and cute mixed drinks like the “Splash of Fashion’ and the “Claire-tini.” They also had a beauty bar which gave makeup consulting and hair styling tips. The music which was provided by DJ Kitty Kash had me jamming all night to a mix of hip hop, reggae, & r&b.

During the event Claire was extremely personable. She walked around, shook hands, took pictures, introduced herself, and thanked people for coming throughout the night. The highlight of  this event for me was meeting and taking a picture with Claire. I’m not the kind of person who freaks out over celebrities, or runs up and begs for a picture. lol So even when Claire was arms distance away from me, I just played it cool, until the right time came. After giving a short speech, Claire was chatting and taking pictures with guests. So I waited around behind a few other people who were in line to get their one-on-one with Claire until my turn came! When it did, it was kind of like finally talking to your crush after admiring him from afar for years. lol She’s just soo pretty and tall and well dressed! So I introduced myself to her, we snapped a pic, we chatted for 2 seconds, I told her how much I admire her and her work, and she thanked me for coming. It was perfect.

Sometimes you follow or look up to a person for years, and you never think you’ll get a chance to meet them. So you admire from your computer screen, you follow their lives from your phone, and you support them even though they don’t know you. Some people never get the chance to meet the person they are aspiring to be. Some people do, only to find out they aren’t who you thought they were. In my case meeting Claire was overly inspiring and heart warming. If I had met Claire at her event and she was standoffish or mean I probably would have never looked at her the same. Her spirit is genuine and she really is a cool ass person. This night couldn’t have been more fun! I’m looking forward to next year already!