Voting Widget + Video for America's Most Stylish Blogger Challenge #3

Another week, another miserable ranking for me.:-( (*shakes self and becomes perky again*)
(My photo is on the far right if you're not sure!;-)

It's time to vote on our outfits again! Watch the video below to see what designer Nicole Miller has to say about the outfits:

And then vote below!


I'm dead LAST and I definitely need some help!

(Don't forget you get an entry in that $1000 Bluefly.com sweepstakes just by voting!) And you can vote once every day...open to anyone, 18 yrs. and older. (Shopping spree sweepstakes only open to U.S. residents; not sure why that is.:-(

Thank you so much for your support!
xoxo
Carly

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America's Most Stylish Blogger Competition: Challenge #3 Entry: The Mini Skirt

Something this pink deserves to be paired with pieces that allow it to shine. As an anchor to this outfit, it's teeny and tight, so legs need to be matte, black, and look super-long with black lace-up booties. Topping things off with a DIY altered band jacket to add some kooky-sexy, this is the perfect outfit for that urban excursion or first date.

(DIY band jacket, white t-shirt, silver hammered bangles, silver and rhinestone wave rings, stretch elastic studded belt, Necessary Objects Pink Stretch Poly Mini Skirt, patent clutch handbag, tights, suede oxford booties)

Styling Tip: If you want to embrace a current trend, you don't need to go out and buy a brand new wardrobe. By looking at what you already have in your closet - and taking a trip to the sewing store - you can give many of your pieces a new life. Using funky trims, different buttons, padding, and safety pins, you can add or take away elements from your clothing...none of which need to be permanent alterations! For example, I wanted a structured marching band jacket but didn't want to buy it. Instead, I took a mandarin-collar cropped jacket I already had, and folded the hemline under, safety-pinning it to create that cutaway line. I pinned shoulder pads inside, and then stitched on some trim from the fabric store in a curlicue pattern. For all of $9, I had myself a brand-new jacket - one that I can convert back to the cropped collared jacket anytime the trend dies.

Thank you for looking and I'd love to have your vote on Bluefly.com or StyleList.com!
xoxox
Carly J. Cais

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Win a $4000 Gift Card from Singer22.com! Yes, THAT'S FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS!

Who doesn't love fashion-forward designer shopping?

And if you can win a shopping spree...even better!

Singer22 and WhoWhatWear.com are offering the opportunity to win a

$4,000 Singer22.com Gift Card

just in time for a fall shopping splurge!

Starting TODAY (11/09/09) to 11/16/09, visit this link http://tinyurl.com/ycskcte for a chance to enter this fabulous contest!

So what are you waiting for? ENTER NOW!

-Carly J. Cais

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Dressbarn 20% Off Coupon!

Ooh! I was able to find you guys a 20% off coupon for dressbarn!

Just print out, bring into your local dressbarn store to use! (Maybe pick up one of their cute sweaters while you're there?) I know you've probably already seen the one I found:Hurry - this coupon expires November 30...so grab it and pay them a visit soon!

Find your local dressbarn here

-Carly J. Cais

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A Couple of Fashion Illustrations...and Other Uselessness

Okay, yes, I draw. The jig is up. I haven't wanted to put my stuff out there for fear of...well, I don't know. Criticism? Getting ripped off? I'm not exactly sure. Anyway, here's some recent pieces.

I loved how when I scanned this the scanned caught the edge of the drawing pad so the face looks like it's falling off the paper.

Perhaps I should make a series? Maybe it looks a little too close to those silly Harajuku Lovers fragrance bottles. It certainly wasn't intentional.

Fashion design. I'm loving the background less the more I see it.

all copyright Carly J. Cais, 2009

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Don't Buy, DIY: Hardware Necklace

A little DIY project for your Sunday!:-)

I wore my version of the hardware necklace in the latest styling challenge for America's Most Stylish Blogger Competition.

(And if you may remember, in the video intro'ing the look for this week Tibi designer Amy Smilovic said I should have worn tights with my look. Funny thing...

I brought TWO pairs of tights to the studio one the night we shot: one gray, and one brown. For almost 20 minutes I debated the tights, and then finally decided against them, because:

1. I wanted the shoes to pop. If the legs were almost the same color, the shoes got drowned out.
2. Bare legs evoke far more sensuality and romance than covered legs...since almost everything else on me is covered.
3. Wearing tights took away the "glam" factor and downgraded it to a casual day look. Not what I was going for.

And it doesn't need a pop of color since I was going for monochromatism (I know that's not a word, just bear with me) and I wanted the gold, silver, and shoe studs to be gleaming out from a sea of textures of brown and gray.

Just sayin.')

Here's the whole photo again, just to refresh:
Ah, the fickleness of fashion!

Okay, back to the necklace. Here's a closeup from my photo:We all saw last season's Lanvin runway collection and those chunky, statement necklaces made from what looked like bits and bobs from the hardware store.

(Photos: FirstLook.com)

Queen Michelle over at Kingdom of Style did her own DIY tutorial on the trend for Vogue Girl Korea - so there's really no reason for me to rehash it in step-by-step detail. It's pretty straightforward.

(photo: Kingdom of Style)

Basically, in order to make this necklace, I purchased from the Home Depot plumbing section:

*1 pack of 3/4 x 3/4 straight couplings (5 to a pk)
*2 packs of 1/2" compression nuts (3 to a pk)
*1 pack of 5/8" compression nuts (3 to a pk)
And strung them on a dark gray satin ribbon. I folded the ends of the ribbon over 2 gold split rings I had banging around in my findings box (D-rings would have been better, but whatever); machine-stitched to reinforce the ends, and attached a heavy-duty lobster claw clasp and jumpring to one side.

Presto! In less time than it's taken me to write this post, I had a gorgeous, shiny chunky statement necklace - for about $8 from the hardware store. (You may want to wipe your findings with alcohol to clean off any machinery grease/hardware store/raging testosterone smell from them.)
And...funny story...while I was in line at the register to pay for my findings, a sort of a roughneck-looking man with a little Jack terrier in tow lined up behind me. (Though why the dog was allowed inside the Home Depot I'm not quite sure - he definitely was too tiny to be a seeing-eye dog LOL) The guy goggled at all the findings I had plunked on the register conveyer belt and said "I see someone gave you a list" in that condescending 'what'rya doin' here, li'l lady?' sort of tone. (This is my imagined scene from some Dirty Harry movie, none of which, I hate to admit, I've ever seen.)

It took me a moment to figure out what he was talking about. "Oh no," said I. "No list."

His eyebrows shot up almost into his thinning hairline. "You mean you picked all that out yourself?"

"Yup," I said.

"Got a job to do, eh?"

I laughed and then said (which I ended up mentally kicking myself for later), "It's not like I was looking for anything specific."

He started to chortle. (I'm sure ladies don't know s*** about plumbing was going through his mind about then.) "What did you need them for then? You making some sort of art piece?"

"No, jewelry," I said.

"Ah. Jewelry." Everything clicked in Mr. Females Don't Know Hardware's brain, and all was right with the world.:-)
Hope you all are having a great weekend!

Happy DIY'ing!
xoxo
Carly

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Singin' in the Rain...In Plaid

(handmade dress from a men's shirt, Claire's ball-chain necklaces, studded leather bracelet from Buffalo Exchange, Forever21 vinyl leggings, Newport-News lace pumps, DIY leather half-scoop gloves)

This was one of the main reasons I chose to shoot in a studio for my America's Most Stylish Blogger entries: Portland weather has been like this pretty much every day for 3 weeks. (It has mysteriously cleared up for the weekends...but timing-wise I was only ready to shoot my outfits during the week...I put a lot of thought into each one, and since I don't get the item from Bluefly until Friday, it didn't give me enough time to formulate something in time for the rare and unexpected good weather.) Blah. So it's been cold and wet consistently, but I wanted to post this outfit while it's still Fall for goodness' sakes.

Inspired by a reader's version of the Cute Summer ShirtDress from a Men's Shirt I made back in August, I chose a plaid shirt for my newest men's shirt makeover...and created a bustier top with a zip-back, bust-darts, folded front detail, faux belt, peplum, and tulip skirt. (Too much? Customize at will!:-) It took awhile, but it's done! Tutorial coming soon soon soon once I sit down and write the silly thing.
DIY half-scoop gloves tutorial here. I love them to death! To death I say! (And in this photo, you can see the band-aid on my flu shot that I got that very morning; how very chic.)
The lace pumps really don't match but I felt like pairing something lacy with the outfit to offset the vinyl leggings.I am totally feeling plaid for Fall. (By now it's a little cold, so it will go over a black mesh long-sleeved top, and maybe on its own for parties.)

xoxo
Carly

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