Wearing: Alary

"All the beautiful sentiments in the world 

weigh less than a single lovely action."

                                                                                  --James Russell Lowell

Dress:: Anthro Alary

Belt:: Anthro

Bag:: Fossil Vintage Re-Issue

Pumps:: UO

Watch:: AE

There's nothing so amazing as a beautiful friend.

It's not often a girl feels safe enough with another person to shed her defenses and risk being completely herself. The greatest friends know how to read between the lines of our bad days and respond with random acts of kindness. With those few special people, a girl never has to laugh when she feels like crying, or be quiet when she needs to talk or stay calm when she's upset. 

A good friend comes in when all the world has gone out bringing with her a comforting hug and the brilliant flash of a reassuring smile...she gives much more than is expected and expects much less than she deserves.

It's never here today...gone tomorrow.

It's a consistent, steady presence.

Because the best friendships do not flash. They glow.

                                                         

A Weekend in Snapshots

"It is always surprising how small a part of life is taken up by meaningful moments.

Most often they are over before they even start, though they cast light on the future,

and make the person who originated them unforgettable."

                                                                                              --Anna and the King         

                                                        

How To Make A Color-Block Tee

As you know (if you've stepped out into the stores at all) color blocking and neon are everywhere this spring...dresses, shirts, skirts and even ballet flats are featuring the trends. For this week's tutorial, I asked Merrick from Merrick's Art to share her DIY color-block tee, which conveniently features a combination of both trends.

A few weeks ago, I saw Molly, from Urban Nester, wear a neon color-block top from Gap and I instantly loved it. I've been itching to pull out my fabric paints for a while, so this was a good opportunity.

I used a long sleeved plain white t-shirt that I almost never wore, and altered the sleeves (using this tutorial) to 3/4 length. Then here's what I did:

Materials:

• light plain colored t-shirt
• fabric paint
• tape
• sponge brush

Step 1: mark the location where your fabric paint will end (mine was about 8 inches from the shoulder seam), and tape it off. I made the mistake of not taping on both the inside and outside of my shirt, so my paint bled a little bit, so make sure you tape off the front and the back, on the inside and outside.

**if it was summer and I was able to hang dry my shirt outside, I would have used RIT dye and dip dyed the shirt. I think this would have worked a little bit better. I'll definitely be trying this again when it warms up a bit more...

Step 2: Lay your shirt out on a board (or something that can get stained), and using watered down fabric paint, sponge your paint lightly on to the lower half of your shirt.

Sponge the entire front of the shirt, then flip the shirt and sponge the back.

Step 3: Hang dry for several hours.

Step 4: (optional) because mine bled a little bit, I painted a white stripe across the top to camouflage the mistake, and I love how it turned out. 

Wait at least three days to wash, and then wash inside out. 

the green is much more vibrant and neon than it appears in this photo. The actual color is much more similar to the hang-dry photo above.

Next time I think I'm going to style it with my new leopard belt, just like Molly did.

Happy painting!

Wearing: Watercolor + Cinnamon

Dress: Anthro Artist Rendering

Cardi: J.Crew 

Oxfords:  Crown Vintage

Watch: AE

Bag: Fossil

 

You either are or you aren't. 

Touchy-feely, that is. 

Maybe it's a severe personality flaw. Maybe it's just my love language, but I never quite feel like I'm effectively communicating with someone unless I'm touching them. It's a huge joke among my friends that I'm a hugger.  My friend, Emilie, tells me,"I'm just not a hug person." And I always say, "Well, that's ok...but you're gonna get a hug from me anyway."

The thing is, I've learned that I don't really have to be touching someone to communicate with them.  I read somewhere that true friends don't need to hold hands because they know the other hand will always be there.

Sometimes, the dialogue shared with a person far surpasses a lifetime of small hugs. 

Sometimes, it's the little things that mean the most. A smile. A kind word. A gift.

And sometimes, I can sit on a porch swing with a friend just sharing the sunshine, never saying a word, and then go away feeling like that was the best conversation I'd had all day.

I don't really think the method matters as much as being aware of the countless opportunities there are to share myself...to make some connection, however brief, with others, so that in my own way, I can shine the light of friendship in my corner of the world. 

                                                         

Anaheim Dress Winner

Thanks to all the ladies who participated in the dress giveaway.

The winner is

Donna!

How To Make A Sequin Sash Belt

 

These embellished sashes are popping up everywhere.  BHLDN, LOFT and J.Crew all have their version, so thought it high time we featured our own version over here, no? 

The best fabrics for this project would be silk, crepe or satin. You'll want to use something that has a bit of structure to it, but not a fabric so bulky that you can't tie it in a bow.

My trim was an inch wide, so I cut the fabric strips two inches wide to give me a half-inch seam allowance on each side. The length will vary. You can use a length of cheap ribbon to determine how long you want your sash to be. I wanted enough length to make a pretty bow in the back, so I made it 55 inches long. I also used one strip of press-on interfacing to the inside for extra stability.

I attached the trim about two inches left of center. That way, the ties on the bow in the back would be even.

                                                        

Wearing: Coral + Gold

Dress: Anthropologie In a Twinkling

Cardi + Belt: J.Crew

Pumps: UO

Watch: AE

 

The evening was filled with a million happy moments. 

My parents and Nathaniel, along with my boyfriend, Scott, and I, had just eaten out at a family-style restaurant and were headed home. The brilliant rays of the late evening sun were intense, white-washing the colors as they poured through the window into the back seat of my father's car. The smell of boxed fried chicken lingered in the air and the conversation assumed the lazy tempo that often accompanies a satisfying meal. In a moment that seems suspended in time, my brother looked at me with eyes as wide and clear as the Texas sky--that oh, so familiar grin cutting a crooked line across his face.

"All I know, Kristina, is that I'd better die before you do, 'cuz I could never live without you," he said, matter-of-factly.

Some moments take your breath away, while others are so pure and beautiful in their simplicity, you don't recognize their significance until later. I will never know if my strong, strapping eighteen-year-old brother felt any insecurity in saying those words to me.

What matters most now, is that he said them.

Excerpt from my book, After Nathaniel 

                                                        

Making It Work: The Power of the Cardi

Never underestimate the power of a cardigan to transform a wardrobe. 
Without a doubt, I feel my cardigans are the most versatile pieces I own. I have short ones, long ones, embellished ones and plain ones. They offer infinite, year-round possibilities to all the other clothes I own. It's not quite a sweater, not quite a vest and it's perfect for days when it's just not cold enough to wear a jacket, but still a bit chilly. Functional without being frumpy, you can wear them
1. Open
2. Buttoned and belted
3. Over t-shirts and camis
4. As a layering piece under blazers
5. Buttoned and tucked like a blouse
(Don't trust me on that last one? Just check out some pictures of the ever classy Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn...)


Depending on ruffles and embellishment, a cardigan can be dressed up or dressed down and the right cardi can pull an outfit together without it looking like you just threw something on to stay warm. There is nothing in my closet that offers more diversity when building outfits and even the most basic cardigan can make a large impact on an otherwise bland outfit.

What's your favorite type of cardigan and how do you wear it?