10 Minute Flannel Infinity Scarf

I am STRAIGHT UP obsessed with plaid this year.  It's everywhere.  And I love it.  I was lusting over a tartan plaid infinity scarf on Etsy that was going for $35 and of course, like any good crafter/blogger, I reacted by saying, "I can SO make that."  So I hit up the fabric store, found some amazing feeling flannel and raced home.  Within 10 minutes of sitting down I had myself an identical scarf to the one on Etsy for a mere $4 (got the fabric on a wicked awesome sale!)

All you need is a sewing machine and 2 yards of flannel.  I cut mine to be 22" thick and the full 72" long.  

Next, sew a single stitch along the long sides to prevent fraying.  (Although, I like the little bit of fray that resulted up to the stitch line.)  Next, sew your two short ends together.

THAT'S IT.  The best part?  This is even great for a guy. My husband immediately requested one for himself.  He loves scarves, but never seems to know how to wrap/tie his properly.  Problem solved.

   

Check out our link party page to see where we link up each week!

(Shan) WEARs: Leather and Layers

It's fall! Yay!  That means scarves, layers, boots, sweaters and.... LEATHER!  Or, vegan leather as I prefer.  I am a huge fan this season.  I've found that Target has an insane selection of vegan leather styles that are super cute and super affordable.  Perfect combination!

To soak in the perfect fall weather, I spent the day Sunday having fun, indulging in deliciousness and prancing around town.  We had brunch at Park Bruges. (Amazing!  If you're in the Pittsburgh area sometime, you must stop by!)  After brunch my sweet tooth decided to flare up, so we swung by Gaby et Jules... the most amazing, delicious slice of heaven that ever graced Pittsburgh.  Holy macrons.  As you can see from the photo below, I take my sweets shopping very seriously.  

The day concluded with an accidental 3 hour nap.  Whoops.  It was meant to be only 20 minutes.  Oh well.  Fortunately, I had nothing pressing needing to be accomplished, so I felt absolutely no guilt whatsoever about sleeping half of my day away.  

I have also decided that brunch is my favorite thing on Sundays.  I don't know exactly why, I just know it makes me insanely happy.  Maybe it's because mimosa's are always a part of it??

Outfit Details:
Booties: Ecote Mixed Slouch Ankle Boot via Urban Outfitters
Pants: Zella 'Live In' Leggings via Nordstrom
Baseball Tee: HM
Blazer: Mossimo via Target
Scarf: Nordstrom Rack
Crossbody: Kate Spade (2 years ago)
Sunnies: Elizabeth & James via Nordstrom

Fall Felt Series: DIY Needle Felted & Hand Beaded Shoulder Embellishments

It's Day 4 of our Annual Fall Felt Series! Yay!  It's bittersweet, though.  So far, this is my favorite series of ours and I'm sad to see it coming to an end.

I'm super excited about this DIY!  It seems overwhelming, I know... but, trust me, it's worth the patience you'll invest in it!  This DIY Needle Felted and Hand Beaded Shoulder Embellishment is the most amazing addition to any boring, plain sweater you might have laying around.  

What you'll need:

A sweater

Felt

Thread

Seed Beads

Needle felting tool

Needle felting brush

For my felt, I used For this project I used Michael Levine's Classic Navy 100% Wool Felt.

This is the before.. boring, plain... BLAH.  It needs a little something extra, I thought.

I measured the length of the shoulder seam, from collar to sleeve.  I made my triangle exactly that long and half that wide.

Next, pin it in place and then try on your sweater to make sure you like where your embellishment lies.

Once you've settled on placement, starting punching away with your needle felting tool and brush.  Remove pins one at a time as you go along needle felting to make sure the felt stays in place.  When you get both felt pieces needle felted on, you can start your beading!  I just made up my design as I went.  I used tiny little copper colored seed beads and black thread.  There's really no technique to this other than exercising A LOT of patience!!  You just need to keep reminding yourself how amazing the outcome is going to be!

For the record, I am totally digging black and navy together right now!

Total outfit details: Sweater and Pants - HM, Shoes - Kenneth Cole New York, Necklace - Rosewood

Don't forget to check out LowPriceFabrics.com and grab the discount code from our sidebar!  We are so incredibly excited to have them sponsoring this series.  Seriously, their deals are to die for!

Check out our Link Party Page to see where we link up each week!

(Shan) WEARs: LBD with a Flash of Neon

This LBD (long black dress) is one of those things that's been sitting in my closet for years, and I decided to finally put it to use again.  It's so comfy that I felt like I was wearing a nightgown to work.  Most maxi dresses are too long for me to feel comfortable in... this one just happens to be the perfect length.  I bought this dress so long ago, though, that I don't even think dresses this length are sold anymore.  (Perhaps Jen could muster up a sweet little calf-length maxi pattern for us...?  **wink wink**)   

Details:
Dress - Kenneth Cole
Denim Jacket - Charlotte Russe (about 12 years ago!)
Peep Toes - Tahari
Belt - Ann Taylor
Timepiece - Vince Camuto via Nordstrom
Bracelets - No idea!
Necklace - Freedom by Topshop via Nordstrom
Lipstick - Party Proof Matte Lipstick by Model Co in Peony
Nails - Ciate Corrupted Neon Manicure in Electronica

(Shan) WEARs: Purple & Black

 

I've been wanting to do more style posts lately, so I figured now was as good a time to start as any!  Doing posts like this really help challenge my creativity with my wardrobe.  I have a lot of clothes.  A LOT.  But, I tend to wear the same things over and over again.  I'm really trying to break that habit!  Once a week I try to wear something I haven't worn in more than 6 months.  

Today, it was these shoes.  I love these shoes!  Why don't I wear them more? I have no idea.

I love the intricacy of the back of this top.  It was what drew me to it.  It's so fun and different!

 

Detes:
Top:  ASTR via Nordstrom
Tank: Marshalls
Skirt: H&M
Scarf: American Apparel
Shoes: ShoeDazzle (a few years ago)
Bracelets: No idea!!

It's going to take some getting used to taking and posting photos of myself when it comes to outfits.  It makes me feel narcissistic and I don't like that very much.  I'm not doing this to show myself off, but to help inspire some fun and creativity in your own outfits!  It's not hard to mix things up with what you already have... this can be an adventure we have together!  xoxo

We Are Loving Right Now - Volume 5 (The Run For Your Life Edition)

As I'm sure all of you know, Jen and I ran the 5K in the Pittsburgh Marathon last weekend. I decided to do this round up of stuff that are my running & workout essentials. 


1 - Penny Black by Further Seems Forever * This band was my absolute favorite and broke up in 2006.  I just recently discovered they reunited with the original group and released this album in late 2012.  It does not disappoint!
2 - Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner * This stuff is seriously invincible.  If you are like me and can't stand to be without makeup even when you are dripping with sweat on the treadmill, this is the eyeliner for you.  I've slept in it before, too and woke up looking as if I just applied it. Amazeballs.
3 - Under Armour Shatter Duffel Bag * The price is a little steep, but for practicality, I was more than willing to pay.  The strap is comfortable, it comes complete with a plastic lined toiletry pouch, a removable drawstring sack labeled "Stinky Stuff" for your shoes, and a heat resistant pocket for your flat iron!
4 - Nike Free Run Shoes * Choose between 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0.  The lower the number, the more flexible the sole.  I prefer the 3.0.
5 - The Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist * Such a refreshing blast of hydration if you aren't showering before leaving the gym. 
6 - Urbanears Bagis Earphones * These are so comfortable!  They actually stay in my ears when running and have awesome bass to keep your pace kicking.
7 - Broken Arrow Sweaty Band * These headbands are designed to stay put on your noggin and not pop-off mid run.  The best part?  They come in a gazillion different patters (you can even get it customized!)
8 - Nike Icon 2-in-1 Mesh Shorts * BY FAR my most absolutely favorite running shorts.  They don't ride up in undesirable places, they keep you cool and they keep you covered. Plus, they come in tons of awesome color combinations!  (I have 4 pairs!)

Jen definitely put me to shame as far as time is concerned, but I'm still proud of myself for doing it and finishing without being picked up by the lagger collection golf cart and dumped at the finish line. So yay for me!  My friend, Cailtin, from work, joined us. The three of us, plus some family celebrated by binging on breakfast afterwards.  Item #1 checked off of our new year's resolution list! 

Being at the starting line was definitely the most exhilerating.  Jen has a funny story about my false start (which consisted of me yelping, jumping up in the air and taking off running while everyone stood still.)  I was a little anxious... 

I'm glad I did it.  I did learn, however, that I just do not enjoy distance running.  I like going fast.. and I can't do that if I have to pace myself.  I'd rather go all-out for a short period of time and then collapse.  I wonder what that says about my psyche?  Interesting.

Anyone else running any 5Ks or marathons this summer?  We'd love to hear about it!

Made It for Me: Jess of Me Sew Crazy

Today's guest is Jess from Me Sew Crazy! Jess is incredibly talented and one of the nicest people you could talk to (plus she lives in Virginia, which is where I (Jen) am from, so bonus cool points there.) We've been long time followers of her blog, and now of the beautiful patterns she sells in her shop.

Me Sew Crazy is a constant source of inspiration. Jess is always coming up with a new project for her adorable kids or herself.

Here's Jess with her beautiful clutch tutorial!

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Hi there. My name is Jess the Sewing Rabbit, and I blog over at Me Sew Crazy. I am so happy to be here today as a part of Jen & Shannon's Made it for Me Series.

When I first started sewing, I was primarily focused on children's clothing. There is just something about dressing my little ones in handmade clothing sewn with love that fills me with joy. And as I continue to stretch and grow with my talent, I have started to take on bigger challenges such as trying new techniques, and sewing for myself.

I love upcycling thrift store finds, finding a way to turn something old into something modern and fresh. Finding my own style among piles of fabric and a pattern, and figuring out just what I can do with a piece of ribbon that I fall in love with. Which is exactly how this clutch came about. I was shopping our local fabric store when I came across this woven black and white geometric ribbon. It was love at first site. I just knew I could do something fabulous with it.

I thought I would share with you a mini-tutorial today, how you can turn your ribbon into workable fabric. This works best with cotton or woven ribbon, as the firmer, starchier types are not going to have much movement to it.

I used just over 3 yards of fabric to make the clutch pictured above.

You may consider adding a stabilizer at this point to the wrong side of your ribbon to really firm it up. I personally wanted a loose look and feel to this clutch - with strong zig zag stitches that showed when looking at it. If you do not want the stitches to show, another option would be to closely whipstitch the edges together using a handheld needle and thread.  And that's it!

For instructions on how to make the clutch pictured above, there are two tutorials to visit. With leather bottom - the Leather accent fold-over clutch tutorial at You and Mie, without leather - Fold-over Doily Clutch by Skirt as Top.

They are both great tutorials, and will get you on your way to a great looking purse in no time.

Just some of the supplies you will need to make it.  And to give you an idea on timing, I was able to finish this in one nap-time sitting. Not bad if I do say so myself!

The leather tassel, that was probably the hardest part. And I am not kidding.

Thanks so much for having me here today Jen & Shannon. I love your blog and am so thankful that you would want for me to be a part of it!

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I've never thought to turn ribbon into fabric - brilliant! And the pattern and colors are perfect. Thank you for sharing such an awesome clutch that we are totally making for ourselves.

Make sure to head over to Me Sew Crazy and follow Jess to see more of her projects and patterns.

1. Burlap and Metallic Tote 2. Women's Breezy Tunic
3. Pleated Knot Tunic 4. Arrow Skirt