D.I.Y. Shoe Bag Tutorial

Stumbled upon this LOVELY shoe bag tutorial from Betz White! And the amazing retro fabric she uses? Thrifted sheets!!

These are not hard to find! The background of this photo? A vintage pillowcase I bought for $0.29!

The American Fashion Cookbook

Don't expect a concoction of smokes, diet soda, and or laxatives in this collection of recipes...

The upcoming American Fashion Cookbook is compiled of top designer culinary submissions from Isaac Mizrahis Mushroom Truffle Spaghetti to Catherine Malandrino's Le Panier de Crudites.

Not only is it chock full of delectable dishes, but also lovely illustrations throughout the book.

I'm not good for much in the kitchen, but I'd be willing to take a stab at any of these recipes!

Best of the Week Vol.XXVII

1. Thriftwares specializes in "hard to find youth cult clothing". Be sure to check out the incredible selection of goods in their eBay shop!

2. Julia Galdo elegantly captures the age of Gatsby in this 1920's photo collection.

3. La Vie Photographyfashion photos are simply darling. Now, where to get those outfits?!

4. More favorite things from Sea of Shoes.

5. Millinery lovelies & neck fancies from Vinny and Vernelle on Etsy! Modeled by Johanna Ost.

6. Style Bubble features Danish Design school fashion graduate Anne Sofie's fabulous collection & illustrations.

Thought on a Friday // 08.14.09

Not just a thought, but an actual book by Filmmaker/ Artist/ Writer Miranda July.

If you ever get a chance, check out Learning to Love You More that she co-wrote with Harrell Fletcher. Stemming from an online community with the same name, it's a collection of assignments that users can complete and submit to the site.

Projects include photographing a significant outfit, drawing a scene from a movie that made you cry, & writing the phone call that you wish you had (to name a few).

If I ever end up doing any of the assignments, maybe you'll see a few of them here...

Stella McCartney Winter '09 Collection

I'd be fine with year-round winter if this was what my wardrobe would look like...





The 2009 Winter Collection by Stella McCartney is now available in stores. So, if you're lucky enough to live near either one of her New York or Los Angeles boutiques, Happy Shopping!

The Bank Dance

Loving this adorable video to compliment 500 Days of Summer starring Joseph Gordon Levitt & Zooey Deschanel.

Song: "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?" by She & Him.

Best of the Week Vol.XXVI

1. The imaginative illustrations of Jules Julien. I'm a sucker for all that pink & black!

2. Kenneth Cappello's stunning photography portfolio features everything from fashion, music, sketches, and celebrity pics. This one of Zooey Deschanel was one of my favorites!

3. Marie Claire's "Queen of Cool" starring Alexa Chung. Thanks to Knight Cat for the link.

4. Haberdash is a mobile vintage clothing boutique that's available for festivals, parties, or private bookings. Be sure to look through their Flickr stream or follow them on Twitter!

5. Many pieces of my dream Fall wardrobe can be found here.

6. Vogue Paris pays homage to 64 Brands with this 64 Looks editorial, which is quite stunning.

Thought on a Friday // 08.07.09

My favorite scene from one of my favorite movies.

Paradise Lost: Don & Betty Draper Edition

Just a few of the delicious new photos featured in a spread by Annie Leibovitz for September '09 Vanity Fair.

Only days away from the August 16th Mad Men Season 3 premiere...Until then, I'll be catching up on Season Two courtesy of Netflix!

Swap-O-Rama-Rama Recap

Swap-O-Rama-Rama took place today at the Des Moines Social Club and it was a blast! The idea behind it is "a clothing swap and series of do-it-yourself workshops in which a community explores creative reuse through the recycling of used clothing".

Upon choosing from other people's gently loved clothes, there were workshops on screen-printing, altering, and embellishing your "new" threads to make them a little more personal.

In addition to the new threads, attendees also received the latest copy of ReadyMade & a swag bag filled with all kinds of goodies from local craftsters.

My reconstructed tee shirt bag included a zine from Craft Leftovers, a featherband from Whiskerpaws, a pin from Monster Fashion, earrings from JustAddColor, a juicy candle from Jadewicks, and a couple extra things. What a score!

Major props to organizers Kelsey Blessman & Stephanie Renee for making this event such a success. Hope to see more things like this in Des Moines in the future!