summer closet raids

these days, vintage fashion is all the rage. peter pan collars, high waistlines, and the like all bring us back to the days of our parents and grandparents. so here's an idea to embrace the vintage: raid your parents' and maybe even grandparents' closets. the dress in this shoot came from the model's mother's closet. so give it a try and see what you can dig up!

[model: olivia despard]

Billabong European Road Trip

Hey dolls!  So in my aimless summer blog browsing I stumbled upon this gorgeous documentation of the Spring 2012 Billabong Summer Road Trip, by the photographer.  So far I've only read about her and looked at the campaign, but she is very interesting and certainly talented.  Take a look through all five parts of the road trip- it's worth it, trust me.  It's the sort of thing I can only dream of doing!

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

Here's a little sample...







Happy daydreaming,  xx

Summer 2012: a countdown to my top 5 clothing obsessions.

2.Nail Polish

 This Summer funky and colorful nail polish is so popular! This makes me so excited since painting nails is so easy and you can stay up with the summer trend for almost no cost at all! Here are some cool styles that have been popping up everywhere:

sail on sailor.

neon.

glitter blocking.

favorite.

owls.

stripes.

normality.

Good nail polish brands:Essie, OPI, and Sally Hansen

polishingly,

cat

chambray creations

hello!

reading about all the creativity chloe's been feeling, i decided to post a little something i did over the weekend~ 

ombre bleaching!

start with a denim or chambray shirt; really, anything works but i find the effect on denim to be absolutely charming. i found a shirt at forever21 for $15, and also an old denim vest at a thrift store for under ten dollars. you can also use this effect to spice up old cutoff shorts or tanks that need a new take!

before: ordinary

now, dilute a few cups of bleach in a bucket of water. i didn't use any specific ratio, but i'd start with not much bleach, because if it's too concentrated it'll eat holes in your shirt! you can always add more bleach or just be patient.

now here's where you get to be creative. dip the sleeves, dip the collar, dip the torso, do whatever! i decided to create a gradient from dark to light-they call it an ombre, and you can do it with your hair too! but anyways.

this one went for $39-you can do it at home for a fraction of that!

those shorts might have been a bore once, but not anymore!

ombre hair

i let the bottom half of the shirt and cuffs soak until they were significantly lighter, then slowly pulled more and more of the shirt out of the bleach, leaving the shirt alone for fifteen to twenty minutes each time to let the bleach do its work. 

when you're satisfied with your shirt, put it straight in the washing machine! be careful not to drip on anything, and wash it by itself so you don't bleach out the rest of your clothes. hang to dry and enjoy! here's how mine turned out:

bonus pic: cat and kelly! 

look what I did!

It seems to be a reoccurring pattern that every summer I get the itch to be creative.  As far as I see it, that's not too bad of a way to get rid of my summer boredom!  You see, though, the itch usually doesn't happen till late June, early July.

It came early this year.

So after deciding on like SIX or so diy jewelry projects, I grabbed the car keys and headed over to Michaels to purchase the supplies.  (They almost all required polymer clay, so it was pretty easy).

After that, I set to work on my first one!  My inspiration was:

from Dismount Creative (a Houston blogger, in fact!).

And although the end product isn't the spitting image of the inspiration, I kinda like it!

I positively love doing this kinda stuff, so I'll keep posting my creations.  Maybe we can get together and make some as a group, Birds!  

here, here, here, here, here, and here are the other polymer clay projects I have in mind, if you want to
take a look.

Xoxo, Chloe

just a quick note

Happy Summer, lovelies!  

Take me there: Italy's Amalfi Coast

Picture this:   Brilliant bougainvillea and foliage covered cliffs plunging steeply into shimmering bays to create charming coves, deep fjords, cliffs, caverns, bays, natural arches and small pebble beaches.  The azure sea is enhanced by the pastel homes that dot the cliff sides.  Scents of the lemon groves, the vineyards, the broom, the bougainvillea, and the salt air combine to produce an unforgettable sensory experience.

You don't have to LOVE travel like I do to now be begging the question: Where is this magical place you speak of??  Well, it is the breathtaking Amalfi Coast that stretches along the southern side of Italy's Sorrentine Peninsula.

For those busybodies who love to tour around their vacation spots, here are some sights I would recommend:

1:

Villa Cimbrone Gardens

“Incomparable... rising above the roses and oleanders on a plateau whence the gaze sweeps to the sea.” This was the description of Villa Cimbrone given in summer 1835 by the German traveller Gregorovius, who was in no doubt about the charms and magic of this place.

Overlooking the Bay of Salerno, The Villa dates back to the eleventh century and is teeming with history.  

2:

A map of Sul Sentiero Degli Dei

Sul sentiero degli dei is excellent for hiking and REALLY seeing the area.  According to sulsentierodeglidei.it, 

"The best known one of these paths is called the “Path of the of the Gods” because of its fantastic position half way between the sky and the sea. It rises on average at around 500 metres above sea level. The view is incomparable when seen from Praiano and Positano. The vista spans to one side, as far as the island of Capri, and the Cilento region on the other. It is because of our deep love and passion for these mountains and the hope of preserving their existing natural treasures that we desire to share their beauty with our visitors. For an unforgettable day, all you need is: comfortable shoes suitable for bushwalking, a camera and love for walks in the open air!"

Sounds spellbinding, huh?  

3:

Make sure to include a drive along the Coastal road.  It is characterized by its hairpin bends and fantastic views.  The busy artery winds along the cliffs, affording glimpses of blue sea below.  The characteristic towns are easily accessed from the Coastal road, although they are all built at a very steep angle, so streets zigzag backwards and forwards.  The views are undeniably breathtaking, and just a jump from the main road and the tourist hot-spots you can still discover the peace that charmed early visitors!  

So whether you would like to trek your way along the coast, just relax and drink in the areas spectacular beauty, or both, the Amalfi Coast has something for everyone. 

For more on the area, heres a helpful sight.  

Happy travels!  ~Chloe

oh, and P.S. 

DID YOU KNOW that this area is known as the land of the Sirens, in the Homer's epic poem "Odysseus"?  No kidding...!