crocheted hooded scarf

the hooded scarf. there's something strangely satisfying about putting a hood on different pieces of clothing, even though you could easily just drape and wrap a regular scarf around your head to make a hood.
i wanted one that was a bit chunkier, and wool, perfect as a huge bundle to hide your head and neck in. here's a semi-tutorial on how to make one --although the photos really aren't that great/non-existent since most of the time i crocheted while watching movies in the dark.
i'm sure you could totally knit this too. i just forgot how to =(

what you'll need: hook and yarn
obviously the size hook depends on what yarn you end up choosing. and how much yarn depends on how long/wide you want your scarf (and how big your head is too i suppose). mine ended up being a mix of 3 different yarns (random ones i had lying around). i'd say starting off w/ two skeins would be a safe bet.

1. crochet a single chain stitch as long (high) as your want your hood to be
2. go back around and double stitch the length on both sides, doubling up (per stitch) at the end in order to round out the top.

3. continue crocheting - keep doubling up at the ends in order to get hood effect. keep doing this until you're satisfied w/ the width of the hood.
(i sort of just winged this part... trying it on as i went)

4. after you've finished crocheting the hood cut the yarn. determine how wide you want the scarf portion to be and then start on the two ends of the hood...

one side done.

(i was originally going to just make an attachable hood and crochet the scarf separately, with the option of buttoning the two together if desired. but my hood accidentally turned out to be too long so i just included it as part of the scarf. in hindsight, i also think it probably would have been too bulky had i done as an attachable... but it's an idea worth playing around with)




(tell me if this makes no sense at all... i suck at explaining these things)

food baby

hope everybody (in america) had a lovely thanksgiving yesterday and ended the day stuffed!
our family wasn't eating until ~4:30ish so i deliberately ate very little throughout the day to save up for my gluttony-fest later in the afternoon. mistake. pretty sure my stomach shrunk throughout the day so that by the time 5:15 hit i was already pretty full from just salad and stuffing =/
(don't worry guys - i preserved till the end through dessert)


my little sisters and i yesterday, pre-food babies

oh yea, and you guys remember those pointless Victoria's Secret Pink dogs from a few years back? i needed a pincushion the other day and (i guess it can look slightly macabre, but) i finally found a use for it...

by default

i know... another one! this miniskirt + tights + oversized shirt is quickly becoming my default outfit when i'm too lazytiredcrankystillhalfasleepbitchingthatthere'snothinginmycloset. i wasn't originally going to post this outfit -i was actually gonna show you guys this project/DIY that i've been working on.. but yesterday i decided it wasn't done well enough so i impulsively took apart a lot of it and am slowly reworking it together again.


and since you can't see the lovely details in the above photos --

F21 skirt and tights, thrifted velvet sheer shirt, Jeffrey Campbell starburst booties

little hipster girl

flannel plaid - mom's, random tank, homemade lace + chiffon skirt, studded belt from Taiwan, F21 tights, Penny Loves Kenny oxfords

i was at FIDM - LA yesterday and stopped by their mini museum where they were showing Betsy Bloomingdale's personal Haute Couture collection (most of which was Marc Bohan for Dior). apparently for a lot of her ensembles, she would write little tags as to when she wore each piece and the accessories she wore it with as a ministyle diary i guess (pre- style blogs! haha). it was all sooo beautiful and glamorous - photos, of course, weren't allowed, but all i really wanted to do was wrap myself in all her beautiful satins, velvets, and silks, mmmyes.

i didn't stay that long in an attempt to hit the 101 before friday rush hour traffic hit. then i got on the freeway and remembered that in Los Angeles, all of friday is basically rush hour. gross.


hope everyone is having a great weekend!!

that universal mind control

Jessica Simpson riding boots, DIY zipper fringe necklace, top from Urban Outfitters, F21 floral skirt and fence tights, fur-trimmed coat from my ancient wardrobe

forgot where i found these editorial pics (i think they're from L'Officiel?) anyways, great inspiration for adding pattern and color to the standard black+grey winter outfits...

heartbreak warfare

the boy brought me to this gorgeous beach park in san francisco. we made it juuuuust in time to catch this beautiful sunset
(before that?? i had dragged him to this independent fabric store in east bay and he was dragging me away from caressing some amazingggg faux mink fur that was unfortunately also amazingly expensive)






sorry this post is so devoid of any fashion (or even food, psh). besides these, the majority of my other photos from the weekend are all really classy drunk clubbing pics. we did have many delicious eats -but unfortunately the photos were either too dark or the food wasn't visually photo-worthy. womp womp.

the perfect trenchcoat

for me anyways. found it at an impromptu H&M stop earlier this week. it's light enough, long enough, lined in leopard print, and has got great buckles on the sleeves.

gray jeans from Old Navy, H&M trench, old Urban Outfitters sweater, Jessica Simpson riding boots, silver necklace from a temple in Taiwan

i know it's not raining or even too chilly here in these photos. but this'll be a good jacket to transition me into freezing Bay Area weather while i'm up there this weekend. speaking of which... i should leave for the airport now.


p.s. three is too many of me huh?

camouflage

a souvenir mask from New Orleans, a new thrifted shirt, and a new form of photobooth as entertainment

my sewing machine jammed a few days back while i was working on something, so i started poking around and opening different compartments. and then, being the dork i am (i did human dissection in high school and loved it), left it open as i continued to sew - watching those little machinery cogs with fascination that should have been spent on carefully watching the fabric i was sewing.
silly me.


quite a pointless post... unless sharing these pointless photos will you all is a legitimate enough purpose.

vote wonder woman

(sorry the right pic is kind of blurry) bf's old 'vote' tee, homemade wonderwoman skirt, target sweater tights, Shiek shoes, F21 belt
oh, and that silver heart is part of my keys... not a fancy ring or anything, unfortunately

my closet door is stuck. completely stuck. i've banged and wiggled and kicked and cursed and it's still freaking stuck! so now i can't access the mountains of crap i've got inside unless i send my little sister in.
oh yea, and i made this skirt w/ this great tutorial from girl with the bow tie (seriously, some tutorials use too much fancy tailor vocab and it just confuses me). but this one makes sense!! =) (thanks lexy!)

old man tiger

thrifted sweater, sass&bide jeans, penny loves kenny oxfords, F21 body suit

a couple recent acquisitions: 1. this amazingly soft chenille old man's sweater that i have basically been living in. and 2. my tiger bodysuit - i've been wanting a bodysuit forever now -they just are always so pricey. luckily, this one not only was inexpensive, it also indirectly satisfies the need for some animal print in my wardrobe, but best of all... it has snap buttons in the crotch!!! finally! such an intelligent choice.
(although i definitely sort of felt like a baby when i needed to use the bathroom but it beats having to strip down butt naked)
okay. TMI.
(but these are important things to consider, no?)

what else was i going to say. oh yea, so the gym i am "trying out" for a month free right now decided to throw in a free session with a personal trainer as another way of trying to earn my permanent loyalty and monthly dues. (psh, won't happen, too expensive) anyways, i met with him for an hour yesterday. i know i'm by no means athletic but boy, did he kick my ass. and i felt like he was going easy on me too.
phew, i gotta get my crap together.



p.s. i know it's supposed to be helpful but i find it just plain awkward when someone is watching me work out...

reworked wool cape

first off - thank you all so much for leaving such supportive comments on my last post. i really appreciate it and love that this blogger community offers more than great fashion and outfit posts.

speaking of which ---- i am so excited to show you guys my newest project! my black and blue wool cape. i thrifted a grey/blue wool knee-length skirt that cut up and made into a cape. being a complete dufus, i forgot to take a proper photo of the skirt pre-destruction. in fact i forgot to take any photos at all of the process. all i've got to offer you is this one:


and you can't even tell what i'm doing. psh, sorry guys, i fail at documenting. oh well. i'll try to describe in words.

i basically cut the skirt down the middle (i left the front part w/ its button and zipper so that you can still sort of tell it came from a skirt). i added two panels of some black wool i had on the two sides of the skirt so it would be a fuller cape, leaving the top waistband/neckline intact. i also added two arm holes to allow for movement and dexterity.
(does that make any sense???)

the project was inspired by outsapop trashion, and would have been much easier if i had started off with an A-line skirt. but i really wanted it to be wool, couldn't find a cheap enough wool A-line, and didn't feel like waiting anymore.


frontview

side to side

from behind

worn with an old, reworked GAP dress

more bounce to the ounce

during my impromptu salvation army stop yesterday i dug up this baby pink 80's sweatshirt that sort of reminds me of an old pair of H&M pumps I used to have. i usually hate baby pink but i am definitely a sucker for all things quirky and shiny (i'm like a freaking raccoon!). in the end i didn't buy it because- even at salvation army prices, even after removing the shoulder pads, i would have probably worn that sweatshirt once and then forgotten about it. trying to stick to the whole 'buy quality pieces, classic items that you'll wear over and over again' mentality. i know, wise words, but it rarely goes along with the raccoon part of me.

excuse the crappy phone picture and my sexy gym shorts -- it was a spontaneous trip


lately i've been worrying a lot about my goals and dreams and when the time is to just suck it up and be practical. i think compared to a lot of my past classmates i've always been stubbornly idealistic -for the most part i've always held on to something because i loved studying it, whether or not it was a practical career move (sort of explains my situation now hmm). also, making money has never really been a goal for me; while i am usually really anal and meticulous about my money and spending habits, i've never really wanted to be rich -just make enough to comfortably get by, you know?
anyways, recently it's seemed even harder to stick to my dumb, perhaps naive, ideals. i've become more frustrated and jaded and ready to just settle for a whatever-but-steady career. hopefully this is just one of those rough patches and i'll be in a new phase soon where i can be all starry-eyed and dream big again. hopefully.

(wow i just read that over and it sounds pretty depressing. sorry for being debbie downer, and i'm not trying to be emo. just wanted to spew some thoughts)

whatcha say

mom's old dress, vintage belts from my aunt, Jeffery Campbell booties, Charlotte Russe blazer, bracelet from NOLA boutique, random sunnies

an heirloom outfit, family effort, whatever, something like that. this dress was my mom's that i rescued from our pile of clothing to donate. i love its heavy material and it's satisfying my maxi dress craving for now. the belts are my aunt's that i received years and years ago. they are so ancient (aka the leather is completely stiff and useless) and i'm pretty sure the A and R are completely random, but i love their sort of oldman/professor feel.

hope everyone had a fun and safe halloween! i've never been the biggest fan of the holiday, not to mention i hate scary things, so i had a more or less normal saturday. (actually... my grad school app was due nov 1st so my halloween ended up being a lot of last minute essay editing)

mm, not much to say -- btw, don't these tights remind you of these loub boots? ...okay, i'm done now.


do a little dance