Friday 30 November 2012

Craft Time! DIY Comic Book Shoes

1. Amass an obscene amount of comic books. I absolutely loved Archie comics as a child (and still do) so I have a huge collection. Some of them are also my sister's and she did a pair of shoes too.

2. Collect the necessary materials. I used Golden Gel Medium (semi-gloss) and a large paint brush (not pictured). You could also use a matte finish or high gloss finish gel medium.

3. Cut out all of the pieces you want to use for your shoes. I found it best to use large-ish rectangular pieces for the base coat. We also cut out some "statement" pieces for a second layer.

4. Find a pair of shoes to use. It is best to choose ones that have a plastic/poly-vinyl finish. I found that if you use shoes that don't have a thick sole the comics near the base rub a bit. This problem can be avoided by using thick soled shoes, not putting the comics right to the edge, or sealing the base with rubber cement.

5. Apply some of the gel medium to the back of the comic strip.

 6. Line the strip up on the shoe, and then paint another layer of gel medium on top of it. Repeat this process until the entirety of the shoe is covered (or as much of it as you desire is covered).

7. Let the shoes dry for an hour or so. then you can choose to put some statement pieces on top if you like. I chose some standout images like people's faces and the titles from the comics. Let that layer dry for about half an hour, depending on how many you put on.

8. Paint a full layer of gel medium over the shoes and let dry. I put a pretty thick layer on mine so I left them to dry over night. If you so desire you can put another layer on the next day. If you want the comics to be really sealed in I would recommend doing a second layer. Let that dry for a few hours. Now would also be the time to apply the layer of rubber cement as mentioned in step 4. 

9. Ta-Da! You are all done and ready to wear your fabulous shoes out in public. Get ready for some oohs and ahhhs!



Wednesday 28 November 2012

Comic Shoes

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What I Wore:
Shirt: Jacob
Cardi: Thirfted (Talize)
Pants: Zellers
Socks: ??
Shoes: Aredene made-over by me!

Introducing my first DIY item for the blog: my shoes! I am really excited to share these with you. The step by step post for them will be coming along tomorrow is here in case anyone wants to try these puppies out for themselves. I think they turned out really well, but they're definitely not an everyday wear kind of thing (or at least not for lengthy walks). In honour of the comic shoes I decided to wear this polka dot sweater which kind of reminds me of the dots that made up the colour and printing in old comics. It has a bit of a pop art feel too which also makes me happy. Yup, if you weren't aware of it already I'm kind of a nerd. Stay tuned for tomorrow to see how my shoes came to life.  

New Directions

I have been thinking this over for a while and I think it is time to expand this blog a bit. Working up to the new year I am going to start adding in some new features. I feel like I have more than just outfit posts to offer and I wanted to make this blog a bit more entertaining and draw in some new readers.

First of all I am going to be opening up advertising and sponsor options. I have been looking into using Passionfruit ads, I have heard great things from other bloggers who use their services. They have an option for doing ad swaps, which I plan on utilizing, as well as selling advertising spots which I will also do. I am hoping to be able to ad swap with a few of my favourite bloggers in order to get things moving.
     

I have been thinking about adding a weekly/bi-weekly nail feature. I mentioned before that I have been really getting into doing my nails recently and I have been keeping up with that so it seems logical to add some nail posts in.

Design from this post
Sewing is a major part of my life and I want to be able to share that with my blog readers. I think it would be really neat to have a monthly "Sew Along" feature. I will choose a pattern out that anyone could have access too and then work my way through it in the month with some update posts along the way. If people are interested in working on the same pattern with me they can e-mail me and let me know and I will be open to answering questions if they have any problems. I don't always work from patterns so I might also get into some draping tutorials or maybe do a few posts about good sources for learning the basics. Intermingled with this will be some craft oriented posts as well. I have a few in the works and they could be more of a "Craft Along" than sewing. It might be a one month sewing one month craft, we'll see how it pans out.

Here are some sneak peeks of projects:

Dress A is a planned project

I'll be sharing this soon!
I also want to try and do some more photography posts. I have been neglecting that a bit recently and it is sad. There are a lot of nice spots around Hamilton and it would be great to go and capture those and share them with you. I have some pictures from trips and the like that would be nice to put on here too.

Garden Eel at Kew Gardens
That's about it for right now. This list is kind of a motivational prompt for me to get out and do things too. If it is on here that means I have to actually try and accomplish it right?


Monday 26 November 2012

Squares Just Wanna Have Fun




What I Wore:
Dress: Thrifted (Talize)
Tights: Clothing swapped
Cardi: Smart Set
Shoes: Spring

This dress was one of my Talize finds from last week. I loved the print, it is really unique and black and white, my favourite haha. I was trying to come up with a clever title involving squares because of the print, but all I could come up with was "Squares Just Want To Have Fun" which is pretty sad. The dress also has a perter pan collar which is awesome because I have been looking for a dress with one for a while. It is kind of hard to see that in the pictures because of the print, but there is a collar I swear. I was also wearing a broach on my sweater, but it kind of got hidden near my arm and didn't show up in the pictures either. There were some comments made about my paring these tights with this dress but I think it works well. It needed a little pop of colour in my opinion. I should direct the person who made the comment towards Rachele's latest post, which pretty mcuh sums up my thoughts today.  

I don't have much to say because I have some super secret fun projects in the works right now. I am not quite ready to update just yet, but stay tuned for a post sometime this week, yay!  

Friday 23 November 2012

Giddy Up! Cowpunk Style










What I Wore:
Dress: Made par moi (Simplicity Pattern 2403)
Cardi: Thrifted
Belt: Ardene

I am so excited because yesterday my boots arrived in the mail!!! I was so giddy I practically raced down the stairs and bowled over my family when the package arrived last night. It was perfect timing really that they came the day before a blog post so I could test them out and then wear them today. I was a little worried that they wouldn't fit (for numerous reasons which I discussed here) but they do, so yay! They are a tad big, I could have gone maybe a half size down, but they will be perfect with warm socks for late fall/early winter weather. I got a ton of compliments on the boots today at work and overall I am very happy with my purchase, another ModCloth win.

Another reason I was excited for them to arrive is because I had the perfect outfit picked out as soon as I ordered them. Is that weird? I like to plan outfits around new clothing items, I am kind of odd that way.  I have to credit the "cowpunk" in my title to my friend Madeline, she coined the term. I think it describes these boots really well (a mix between riding boots and steampunk style) and it fits with my dress which has little horse heads with red bridles on it. It is really hard to tell in these pictures because the print is pretty small, but you can see a close up shot from when I was working on the dress here

I really wanted to put this post up earlier today but I was having some technical difficulties. Apparently there is a photo storage limit on blogger that I was not aware of. I reached that limit today and was attempting to figure out how I was going to continue posting if I couldn't upload images anymore. There was a momentary panic when I thought that I would have to a. delete old posts, b. move to a different platform, or c. stop blogging. Luckily I discovered that if I re-size the images I can still post them. I was uploading the files the same size that they are on my camera, which means they are huge because my Canon T1i is 15.1 megapixels. Colin is a techy an was able to find a program that will allow me to re-size my pictures quickly and that lets me keep the originals.I select all the ones I want re-sized and then it does them all at once, so I can do it a post at a time woot! This basically saved my blog, I have arisen triumphant. There will be no heart attacks in my small but loyal fanbase, haha.          

Wednesday 21 November 2012

Pop of Yellow






Tights detail

Nails

What I Wore:
Shirt: Fairweather
Cardi: Clothing Swapped
Skirt: Smart Set
Tights: Walmart
Shoes: Blowfish
Belt: Ardene

I am trying to incorporate more colour into my wardrobe and it seems to be going well so far. I have been adding something to pretty much every outfit, even if it is just an accessory here or there. I got a couple belts at Ardene the other day, this yellow one being one of them. I have been looking for a yellow belt for a while and this one fit the bill. I am not sure why I was looking for yellow specifically, I guess it just seemed like it would match the other items in my wardrobe. I really like this purple and yellow combination, it is fun without being too obnoxious. I am glad I was able to incorporate these tights into this outfit too. I bought them a while ago and they didn't seem to fit with the things I was trying to pair them with. I am still having problems mixing prints and I don't always feel confident in my combinations so that could be part of the problem. I have never been a big print mixer but I feel like I could make so many more outfits if I start to do that. I own a lot of stripes and polka dots and it would be nice to be able to pair them with more than just solids, that can get so boring (and you end up wearing the same combinations over and over again). It definitely has to be something subtle if I do end up mixing them though. 

Colin and I took a trip out to Talize today. I haven't been there in a while and I have to say they have really stepped up their game. There was a much larger selection than I remember from last time, and it was organised much better too. The prices are about the same as Value Village (so a bit more than other thrift stores like Frenchys), but a lot of the proceeds go to the Children's Wish Foundation which is nice. According to the website there are only five locations in Ontario and one in B.C. I made some great finds (some more cardigans and a few dresses) which I am excited to share with you soon. I am really happy to be getting back into thrifting. I am not sure if I mentioned it before but I used to only shop at thrift stores when I was in high school but for some reason that kind of stopped when I started university. I prefer buying second hand for a number of reasons e.g. cheaper, the profits go to a good cause and not a major corporation, unique finds etc. I have been going a little thrifting crazy recently and it is time to reel it in a bit. I think I am going to make a rule that I will only buy things for the next while if they are a. a necessity, b.  on sale and c. something that I can't make myself. I need to stop buying so much fabric too, but that is harder to do since I am surrounded by it all week. There is a sale this week and I have been eyeing a few things for that, but once that I is over I should probably cut back on fabric too. I don't want to turn into a crazy consumer/hoarder haha. Usually I am pretty good about watching my consumption levels and I think that thrifting and making my own clothes is helpful too.   


Monday 19 November 2012

Buttoned Up



This picture makes me happy




What I Wore:
Shirt: H&M
Skirt: Made par moi
Cardi: Smart Set
Tights: H&M
Shoes: Spring
Head scarf: Thrifted ??? (I honestly don't know) 

I have still been been slowly working through cleaning out my room and the other day I found a stash of scarves that I apparently had hoarded together during a previous tidying session and then left in a bag. I was super excited because I have been looking for some cute headscarves and haven't had much success. This one is my favourite, and matched my nails (oh dear) so I decided to incorporate it into my outfit today. I am really pleased with how the colours all tied in together.

I finished this skirt last week and I wasn't very happy with it at first. I think when you have worked on something for a while you just get sick of it and can't look at it in a positive light anymore. It didn't take me a long time to do it from start to finish, but I had been thinking about making it for a least two weeks prior to starting it and I guess it just got old by the time I was done. For some reason the button placement looked off even though I had measured it out evenly. Anyway, I put it away in my closet over the weekend and when I pulled it out this morning it looked a lot better than I had thought it did last week. Lately I seem to be dreaming up new projects before I can finish the ones I  have started. I am really trying to work on one at a time but it is hard to focus with so much inspiration surrounding me. It's so hard working in a fabric store, haha!

Saturday 17 November 2012

Black Mary Jane's








What I Wore:
Shirt: Zellers
Jeans: Zellers
Cardi: Smart Set
Belt: Fairweather
Shoes: Thrifted

I am really happy with these shoes that I found while thrifting last week. I was debating buying them because they are a bit snug just over my toes, but so far they aren't uncomfortable. I like the little wedge that they have, it gives them a little extra something. I intended to buy some boots on that trip but I ended up coming back with these puppies and some cardigans, funny how that works. I really like this outfit and I think it another favourite. It's comfy and practical but still stylish (in my opinion haha).

I re-did my nails again today. the other polish lasted for about three days before it started chipping which is pretty good. It's too bad the other colours didn't last a little longer because they would have matched this shirt pretty well. I bought this colour today while I was out shipping and I really wanted to try it out. I was going to do polka dots all over but my sister suggested just doing them on the tips and I think it turned out really nicely. I have been considering doing a weekly nail feature since I seem to be doing them at least once a week lately, so stay tuned for that. 

I have been sewing up a storm recently and have been finally been getting some sewing projects done. I plan on posting some of my creations on here over the next few weeks so keep your eyes peeled. That's all for now folks.



Thursday 15 November 2012

Grey and Green






What I Wore:
Dress: clothing  swapped
Cardi: Thrifted
Tights Value Village (new)
Shoes: Spring
Belt: Made par moi

My collection of colourful cardigans is slowly growing. I hope to own a rainbow set so that I can pair them prints. If you haven't noticed I own a lot of stripes and polka dots and it is so much more exciting to pair those with colour than to wear a black cardi with them all the time. I picked up this green one last week at Value Village and am gad that I did because it is comfortable and warm. It will also pair nicely with a large range of my clothes, so I win all around really. I am pleased to say that I made the belt. Is it the first time I have done something like that and it turned out pretty well. I wish the metal part was a little bit smaller because the elastic slips around bit on it (and I sewed it as close to the edges as possible), but the smaller size would have been too small. I wanted to make a red one too but there wasn't enough left, I hope they get some more in soon.

I have been on a bit of a nail painting kick lately, since the end of the summer actually. My nails have never been very healthy and I find working in the store makes them break even more. I have started using some nail strengthening polish and it seems to be working so far. I also find painting them and using a good top coat prevents them breaking as frequently too, so I have been going a little overboard with the designs. I should have used that line in the post with the nautical nails, haha! I discovered that we have some Sally Hanson manicure nail stickers, and they work really well for making line designs like this one. It's a little hard to tell from the picture (which is sadly the best one, it is hard to take nail pictures well) but there are actually three colours in there. I am amazed that this design has lasted two days without getting chipped (it's a record), the Revlon top coat I bought is doing a good job. Usually as soon as it chips I start to pick it off which is really bad. I have been thinking about ordering some Seche Vite top coat since I have heard good things about it. I wouldn't pick off my polish so quickly if it didn't chip so easily. 

Monday 12 November 2012

Shades of Blue








What I Wore:
Shirt: Thrifted
Skirt: Smart Set
Cardi: Smart Set
Tights: Value Village (new)
Shoes: Ardene

I am making an attempt at adding more colour to my wardrobe. All of my clothes seem to be black and white, usually stripes or polka dots. It was becoming a bit of a problem, especially since I couldn't mix and match too many things so I am trying to break out of that comfort zone and go for more colour and different patterns. I also used to only wear black shoes (except for special occasion shoes) and I have been working on getting some different coloured shoes as well.  I just need a more varied wardrobe in general. Over the last few years I have been stuck in a clothing rut for some reason. I have wanted to dress a certain way for a long time, but for some reason I always ended up buying the same jeans and t-shirts. It's weird how you can have a taste for a certain style but get stuck wearing the same old thing all the time. Reading other blogs and starting my own blog have really helped me push my style into what I want it to be. 

I got this shirt on my thrifting trip last week and I really love it, the tie on the front is so cute. I also got these tights on that trip and I am really happy with them so far, I will have to go back and get some other colours. Value Village has a huge selection of new tights for a pretty good price. This whole outfit kind of has a 60's vibe that I am really digging. I think it is the print on the shirt and the colour of the tights that really give it that feeling. I was obsessed with the 60's when I was a teen and my love for their style has always stuck with me. I love the bright colours and bold prints that they wore, especially paisley which I used to wear a lot. Maybe I should work on building up my wardrobe with some more 60's inspired prints.

Friday 9 November 2012

Lest We Forget

Remembrance day is this Sunday and it has me thinking about the exhibit that I worked on (with my classmates) for school last year. Our focus was on Peterborough's military history and the final product is a permanent exhibit in Peterborough's City Hall. I find myself wondering if they will be doing anything that incorporates our exhibit into the Remembrance day ceremonies. I am not from Peterborough, but it was such a fascinating project to work on. I love doing research and I learned so much about what it was like for Canadians living during times of war (mainly pre-WWI, WWI, and WWII). For the first part of the project my group and I worked on researching Peterborough's involvement during WWII. For the second half we focused on finding the media for the exhibit. We found so much information and sadly it was impossible to incorporate it all into the final product, but now that there is some distance between me and it I am really pleased with how it turned out. Here are some images from the final product. 
















I have been wearing the poppy my friends' made for the exhibit opening and I plan on going to the ceremony here on Sunday. My grandfather in the navy during WWII, so this subject hits close to home for me. Also as a student of history I feel it is really important for me to honour our veterans, and carry the information on to the younger generations. Lest we forget.