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    D.I.Y Jeweled Mule (Inspired by Gucci and @missenocha)

    This is a super easy craft project to spice up some old mules/shoes you may have in your closet. This project is inspired my @missenocha on Instagram, she also has a blog called locksandtrickets.com! She is a D.I.Y blogger, but her thing is shoes, and I’m totally here for it! I never knew there were so many D.I.Y shoe options until I followed her blog! So to make this mule is super easy craft math. lol Mule shoes, plus glue, plus jewels, equals a new jeweled mule! I got my jewels from Michael’s and paid about $7 for them. It was actually pretty funny when I saw this project because I had the same exact mules from Forever 21 as @missenocha but I had never worn them! I’ve had them for at least 6-8 months now. I just always felt they were missing something. I thought to paint on them but I was scared I would mess it up so this was PERFECT! I love the bling it gives the shoe. She also has a video if you need to watch how she did hers you can check it out here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8v0k_lRWIk

    Check out my version below!!

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    You will only need glue, your shoes, and some jewels.

     

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    Nichelle B. Tube Top Dress

    I love accidental outfits! The result of being in the zone, letting your imagination be free, and just creating what makes you feel good. This dress is a prime example of that, an accidental outfit. I’ve had this fabric for about a while but, obviously, I’m just now using it. I tend to do that a lot, store fabrics until I get inspired to use them! lol I started playing around with the fabric and got the idea to do this simple yet “different” kind of dress. The front is not pleated but the back is, the hem is uneven, and the belt only goes around the front. This fabric is colorful, playful, and I love the mix of polka dots and stripes. I don’t know if I like the dress or the fabric more! lol

    I got this fabric from Hancock Fabrics last year and I just have to take a moment to say I’m really sad they are going out of business! I recall Hancock fabrics being one of the first fabric stores I ever visited, I worked at a Hancock Fabrics in Georgia throughout college and I learned so much about sewing working there. I don’t think I would love sewing as much as I do had I not worked there and been around so many other talented, creative, people always willing to share their sewing knowledge.  On the bright side that just means now I’ll have to take regular trips to New York to go fabric shopping!

    Scroll down below to check out the accidental dress!

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    Off Shoulder Top D.I.Y

    I am loving this “off-shoulder” trend when it comes to tops and dresses. I normally don’t wear tops that are off shoulder because most of the time they just end up looking sad on me. lol but I love this off shoulder silhouette because its so subtly sexy and doesn’t look sloppy! I thought this top would be kind of difficult to make until I came across this tutorial on Youtube and found out this is the easiest top ever to make!!! Even a beginner could make this! The directions in the video are pretty clear, I followed the exact directions and made 2 versions of this top. I used about 2 yards of  lightweight denim from Joanns fabric to make both of these tops. If you make this, be sure to get lightweight denim so it will be breathable and have some shape!

    There are several different ways you could alter this silhouette too. This off shoulder top can be made into a dress by lengthening the fabric for the middle, you could also crop the middle and make the sleeves long, or you could use another fabric, like an ankara print to really make it pop, or you could crop the middle and add elastic at the bottom for a totally different look, like I did. LOL! The possibilities are endless!!!

    Visit the link to see the video on how to make this top and scroll down below to see how I wore mines!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s6-0OgHWiQ

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    I had extra fabric leftover so I made a cropped version of the top! I also paired this top with a white midi skirt and wore it on a night out with friends!
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    You could also pair this top with blue denim jeans, instead of white for a cute “denim on denim” look!

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    Formation World Tour “Hold Up” Inspired Dress D.I.Y

    This post is about what I wore to the Beyonce concert in Baltimore on 6/10/2016. First, let me say that concert was EVERYTHING! My sister and I had so much fun!! I knew I wanted to make a Beyonce, Formation, Lemonade type of inspired dress for the concert but I didn’t know exactly what I was going to make, until I watched the “Hold Up” video again and it hit me! Make a yellow dress with ruffles. lol That’s all I had in mind, when I went to Joanns to look for a yellow fabric. At Joanns the only fabric in the right shade of yellow I could find was linen. I have never sewn with linen because I hardly ever wear it. lol  I just hate how it wrinkles! However, I bought 4 yards of this yellow linen fabric and figured I would make it work.

    Originally I was just going to do a skirt and wear a regular top. So I made this skirt using Vogue Pattern 8908 but when it was halfway completed I decided to scrap it because I hated how the fabric never looked crisp and ironed! Wrinkled clothing is a pet peeve of mines lol. So I went on vacation and I never thought about what I was going to wear to the concert again until the day of it. On the day of the concert, I literally woke up inspired and excited and just decided to finish the skirt. I also thought about my $35 that would have went to waste if I didn’t use that fabric and used that as motivation! lol In the middle of my creating process I decided to make a top to go with the skirt, after I made the top, I decided to attach the two and just have a dress! So this dress concept was a total accident that turned out great.

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    This pattern is actually old, but I believe Vogue still sells it. I’ve made it before in pink and I’ve had it for about a year! For this project I used View A.

     

    There are a few tweaks that would definitely have to be made if I were to ever make this again. Like I said connecting the top and bottom to make a dress was kind of an afterthought so the dress has 2 zippers in the back. In the future I would just do 1 zipper down the back. I would also play with other fabric types, although I must say this linen was super cool and breathable, I didn’t feel constricted or uncomfortable at the concert in this dress at all! I ironed it with starch to eliminate wrinkles and it held pretty good.

    To create the top of this dress I measured around my bust and added about 3 inches on each side, then I cut a piece of rectangular shaped fabric to that measurement (bust + 6 inches=X), hemmed the top and bottom of it, and secured it with a separating zipper in the back. I know it turns out to be like a plain shapeless piece of rectangular fabric, but it is the underlining to the top, so don’t worry if it isn’t perfect because it wont be seen. Once you have that piece completed you can sew on the flounce. I took the flounce that came with the skirt and used that for my top also. The flounce is what gives the top that flowy type of effect. I like flounces better than ruffles for some projects because they lay really flat while still adding shape. The last thing to do is hem the flounce and then attach it to the top. Depending on how big or small your bust is you will have to adjust the flounce so that it can go all the way around. Also, if you were making this top and not attaching it to anything you could do multiple flounces to add to some drama to the top!

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    At the concert!!
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    These pictures were taken BEFORE I ironed the dress with starch. My zipper is a tiny bit crooked because I was rushing to finish and I installed an invisible zipper without marking or cutting a straight line first. Big mistake! lol
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    Looks great with wind!
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    Paired this dress with one of my favorite necklaces, I also made myself!

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    Vintage Floral Suit/Set

    As you may or may not know I love vintage suits and sets. You can alter them in so many different ways, and sometimes you don’t have to do any machine sewing, like this time! If you haven’t seen my post on “Ways To Wear Vintage Suits” check it out! This is one of my FAVORITE vintage sets, I’ve had it for a while, but I just recently wore it. I paid about $15 for it, and the ONLY thing I did to alter it was change the buttons and this set was ready to rock! When I saw this suit I immediately thought about Rihanna! lol She’s worn a couple outfits similar to this before and I just adored them! I love the loose, laid back feel of this set. Scroll below for some Spring/Summer suit inspo and to see how I wore my vintage floral suit!

     

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    Before I changed the buttons.

     

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    After! Sometimes vintage clothing just needs a little update! Changing the buttons did just that!

     

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    I didn’t take this pic on my camera so it isn’t as clear as I’d like.

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    11 Muhammed Ali Quotes for Every Life Situation

    Muhammad Ali, widely regarded as the greatest heavyweight boxer, passed away at 74 at June 3 at a Phoenix-area hospital where he was receiving care for respiratory complications. The athlete, who was formerly known as Cassius Clay, had battled Parkinson’s for 32 years, which slowly took away not just his physical strength but also his ability to throw shade at opponents and talk himself up to be the champ he was. (In a little bit of a Kanye moment, Ali once said, “I am the greatest; I said that even before I knew I was.”).

    His quotes are legendary, but they’re also perfect to keep in your pocket (or, you know, on the bathroom mirror) for those times when you just need that extra boost to keep on taking over the world.

    1. For your lunch date with a potential future employer: “It’s not bragging if you can back it up.”

    2. A little motivation for your after-work volunteering commitment: “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.”

    3. Some solid general life advice: “Don’t count the days; make the days count.”

    4. A reminder of what to focus on (and what to get off your plate) when life has you a little crazy. “It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.”

    5. For a bad day at work—because you’re going to come out on top next time: “Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even.”

    6. For when you know you’re stuck in a rut: “A man who has no imagination has no wings.”

    7. Facing a big decision? “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”

    8. For the first day back at the gym: “If they can make penicillin out of moldy bread, they can sure make something out of you.”

    9. For when you’re in that starter job/internship that will only lead to better things: “I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’”

    10. Like 2014’s YOLO, but a little more thoughtful: “Live everyday as if it were your last because someday you’re going to be right.”

    11. And finally, a little wake-up call for those big dreams: “Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”

    This article was taken from glamour.com.

    Muhammad Ali was a huge inspiration to people all over the world young and old, he was such a profound, esoteric man. I especially loved him for using his voice and power to impact people. He was truly a one-of-a-kind, and even though I’m not a big boxing watcher, I still respect his confidence, talent, and him always standing up for what he believed in. Rest In Paradise Champ.

     

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