The Wild Side of Fall

Leopard Prints are back this Fall and although it can be a bit intimidating to add to your wardrobe, an easy way to live on the "wild side" is through layering a leopard print cardigan over a basic white v-neck tee.  Leave it open for a more casual look or button it up for a more formal occasion.  As you already know, I'm big on Black, White, and Gold wardrobe staples - but I thought this outfit could be great with another pop of unexpected color - Pink!  It adds a feminine touch to this edgy outfit.

Leopard Print Cardigan | White Tee | Black Skinny Pant 

Chain Belt | Necklace | Watch | Tory Burch Tote | Pink Pumps

The September Issues

This year is just flying by! Yes, it's already September and this month the magazines are extra large! Here's to September and the start of Fall Fashion! Although, I love the pastel and neon frenzy from Spring/Summer - this Fall, pops of color will still be making it's appearance and Cobalt Blue is definitely going to be one of them.  However, judging from the covers of the September Issues released, I noticed that each of the covers have some shade of PINK on them.  I'm loving it because pink has become one of my favorite colors, especially with black and gold (you'll notice that a lot in my artwork).

The September issues of some of my favorite magazines + one of my own paintings coming soon to Velvet Throne

Have you guys watched The September Issue movie yet? If not, it's a great documentary following Vogue's Editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, as she and her team put together the September Fashion Issue.  It's like watching The Devil Wears Prada only it's reality. 

Cheers to falling leaves and boots galore! :)

Closet Cleanse

As I said, this is the month of getting things done and my list keeps getting longer and longer and it's staring to feel really good to cross things off as I go.  My lower rack on my closet decided to come crashing down so it was a good time for me to filter through my closet and decide what to keep and what to part ways with.  Erik already setup a shoe rack in our garage for all the shoes I "outgrew" after giving birth to two kids (yes, I went up a 1/2 size for each child)!  Our plan is to have a garage sale by the end of September to clear up some space at home.  There will be a ton of clothes and shoes there, so if you're interested in coming please don't forget to subscribe to my blog above to hear about the sale first.

Erik looked exhausted just looking at the pile!

...and of course the little munchkin found a new hiding spot!

I'll post more pics of some goodies you'll see for sale soon!  Happy Friday Everyone!

-Kathy

DIY - How to Make $13 Sunglasses Look Like $130 Sunglasses

I bought a pair of Jessica Simpson rose gold framed sunglasses from TJ Maxx a couple months ago for only $13!  I love the style, but wanted to add some "bling" to it with my Swarovski Elements flatback baguette crystals.  You can also just use some crystals sold at your craft store for a less expensive alternative to the Swarovski ones. All you need are the supplies below:

- Inexpensive sunglasses or an old pair of sunglasses that needs some revamping (you want to look for flat areas to apply the crystals to)
- Flatback crystals (Swarovski Crystals are the best quality, but I also found some flatback acrylic crystals from Michaels that could work also)
- Jewelry Rhinestone Glue (you can also try to use Super Glue, depending on the surface you're working with)
- I used jewelry tweezers to help grip and apply my crystals to my sunglasses (you can use regular tweezers or flat nose pliers)

BEFORE...

AFTER...

Not bad for a pair of $13 sunglasses!  No one could believe it only cost that much!  Have fun with it...the more bling, the better! ;)

I hope you have a great week everyone!

-Kathy

Life Shift: From collecting Christian Louboutins'... to caring for little ones...

It feels like a moment ago I was debating over what could possibly be the most justifiable reason for me to spend $1000 on another new pair of Christian Louboutin heels… and the next moment I’m trying to figure out what the best pre-school would be in our area that wouldn’t completely exceed our monthly budget!  Along with that, I have now noticed that my email inbox which was once filled with Net-a-Porter, Nordies, and Neiman emails informing me of "Insider" SALE events have now been replaced with Baby Center, Circle of Moms, The Daily Kick, and Martha Stewart Living emails with "Insider" TIPS on how to balance work and family life.  Could it possibly be that if you met me today and didn’t know me at all 3 years ago, you might not have even believed that I am the same person! Okay, well some things haven’t changed that much. I still love fashion and shopping, but now I’ve just found ways to do it logically where I wouldn’t need to justify it to my husband - especially now that there are 3 (and soon to be 4) of us.  Just because those single, selfish, extra income, no rent days are over - doesn't mean that my style has to suffer ;)

I’ve found better ways to shop and came up with some DIY projects that are chic and budget friendly!  Along with that - I’ve taken on a few new interests that I’m very excited to share with everyone, like my Velvet Throne Accessory Line and newly opened ETSY shop.  This has become my new way of living in style without having to break the bank!  These days, I get as much joy just watching my little "fashionista" daughter try on all my shoes (oh does she love the heels)! Check her out here doing this “photo shoot” in our backyard. She was loving it!

I know it’s a bit scary to think that in a few years she may already be wanting to actually wear these out, but for now…hey, at least someone in the house gets to wear the Louboutin’s! ;)

The moral of the story is.... 
Save your money!  The best justification for NOT spending $1000 on a pair of new designer heels is to realize that after you carry a baby for 10 months and want to get back into those gorgeous shoes…most likely they’ll just end up being too tight to even wear!

Lesson Learned!  Cheers to that! ;)

Have a great day everyone!
Kathy

*Photo Credits: Me