Fashion & Florals, Edition II

Hi everyone! How is your Tuesday going? Today I'm bringing you a second edition of Fashion & Florals, where I pair together some of my favorite floral and clothing inspiration. For me, finding new clothing brands that really speak to me and capture my style is not always an easy task. My tastes have gotten more discerning as I've gotten older. I buy a lot of things from Anthropologie because I work there but at times they can even miss the mark for me. Lately the brand Madewell has sparked my interest. Everything feels very simple and classic which I like. I love the styling and the attitude and all the pops of color. Take a look at their latest catalog to get a better feel for their brand. They have some pastel neutrals now that feel so fresh for spring. So for today, I chose one of their dresses to highlight.

dress { Madewell } Colorband Slipdress via Madewell Tumblr

florals { picture by Fieldguided } flowers styled by Coriander Girl

I paired the Madewell dress with this bouquet I found on Fieldguided. The blushy, muted tones compliment each other and the hint of blue-gray color in both the dress and the flowers make a nice match. The flowers were arranged and styled by the talented Alison Westlake of Coriander Girl. Browse her beautiful portfolio of arrangements for more inspiration. I just discovered her lovely work and I'm so glad I did. 

Enjoy the rest of your day friends!

My Week Through Instagram: Week Thirteen

Happy weekend everyone! Are you having a nice few days? My weekend is mostly full of working but that's ok since next weekend should be fun and more relaxing for me. My brother and his girlfriend have a few days off school so they'll be visiting the family and spending time with me then. It will be a nice long weekend and I'm looking forward to it but I have plenty to accomplish between now and then. Last week was week thirteen of 2012. Here is my recap through my Instagram feed.

Sunday: I spent Sunday working on a few watercolor projects in the studio. One project is place cards for a wedding which I  wrote a recap on here.

Monday: I got this awesome {and super cheap!} red coat at work and it goes perfectly with my vintage and thrifted polka dot skirt from Paris. It's my most French outfit and I love it for that very reason!

Tuesday: On a walk I spotted this gigantic bougainvillea plant. It was all in bloom and the most beautiful thing to see on the side of the road. It was like bougainvillea on steroids.

Wednesday: I started putting together this tutorial on dying muslin fabric using watercolor paints. I used the fabric to make ombré pennant party flags and I shared the DIY with you all on Friday.

Thursday: Loads of oranges. We always have bunches of citrus at our home. We participate in this co-op thing where we get two bundles of local oranges each week. It's supporting local and the oranges are always super yummy.

Friday: Friday was a less-than inspiring day and this snapshot of my mini scissors was all I could muster.

Saturday: Yesterday I finally got to wear this beautiful blue and yellow floral dress again. I wore it to work and paired it with my favorite blazer. Some snaps on the dress had fallen off and it took me forever to finally sew them back on and make it wearable again. The color is just so vibrant!

So that was my week thirteen. What did yours look like?

Follow me on instagram if you like. My username is laurenelisecrafted. Or see all of my pictures on the computer through Followgram.

My Week Through Instagram: Week Twelve

Before I nod off to bed on this Saturday night, I thought I would share my Instagram pictures from the last week, week twelve of 2012. When I do these weekly recaps I'm reminded of how many visually interesting things I encounter each day. There really is beauty all around and I am so glad I've challenged myself to this 'picture a day' project so that I can document all that is lovely.

Sunday: My big goal last weekend was to make some major headway on my crocheting. I have been struggling for awhile but I finally started to get comfortable with it and on Sunday I was able to make up a few little squares of single stitches. It is quite small but I am quite proud of it!  

Monday: This is just a sneak peek of a custom pennant I'll be making for an upcoming wedding. Just pink + muslin + a little jute twine...a great combination.

Tuesday: I was doing more work for a wedding on Tuesday, this time cutting burlap strips. I love using burlap and it really does look great when finished but while cutting and working, it's just a mess! Fuzzy burlap pieces were everywhere and it made me feel itchy.

Wednesday: For lack of a blog post, I shared a few Instax pictures of my brother and me. These snapshots make me happy and remind me of all the crazy hopes and dreams that we, as young, creative entrepreneurs, have right now.

Thursday: I scored these new citron-colored denim from Anthro and I am in love with the brightness. It is the perfect infusion of color into my wardrobe this spring. I might just have to do a fashion post soon highlighting them.

Friday: I pass this arrow all the time in the parking lot but for whatever reason it caught my eye on Friday in particular. I like the bold, graphic statement.

Saturday: Much of my day was spent watercoloring which included about 100 of these pink-washed place cards (also for a wedding)(also I'm only half-way done). The pink is very light and hard to notice in the picture but the subtle hue is so feminine. Even I can be a sucker for pink!

So that was week twelve for me. What did your week look like?

Follow me on instagram if you like. My username is laurenelisecrafted. Or see all of my pictures on the computer through Followgram.

Fashion & Florals

Happy Monday blog friends! How was everyone's weekend? Mine involved working mostly and then some lazy downtime. On Saturday I was putting together Valentine's cards for a client. I am really happy with how they turned out, very cute. Pink and feminine, perfect for Valentines. I'll be able to share them here soon. On Sunday I went to work at Anthropologie. After my shift I stayed to try on a bunch of our new arrivals. We have a lot of new stuff in the store and it is starting to feel like spring in there with all the pops of color. Today I want to highlight a favorite piece, the Carolinae Top.

carolinae top // the nouveau romantics 

I am not inspired by green too often in fashion. There are some lovely green hues but I don't always gravitate towards them at first. This silky top is definitely an exception. The color is perfect for spring. I love the few unexpected pops of coral that appear on the print too. Definitely follow the link to see the back detail because it is so flattering and romantic. The cut and drape are pretty perfect if you ask me. It is a boxier, cropped style but Anthro has been seeing a lot of that lately. I am rather fond of them. Has anyone else tried this on? What did you think?  

I wanted to pair this top with some floral inspiration. Like the top, this arrangement is mostly greens and creams with a tiny splash of peach. Beautiful isn't it? Elizabeth Lewis, the creative director behind The Nouveau Romantics, is one of my favorite floral stylists. She has such amazing style. Her arrangements are so natural and organic. Visit her beautiful portfolio if you're looking for a Monday pick-me-up. 

Crafted Fashion: Pink Pleated Skirt

Hi friends! It's a fashionable Tuesday here on the blog because today I am highlighting the pleated skirt.

Pleats are back! How do I know this? Because they keep popping up all over Pinterest that's how. I've been seeing so many cute pleated skirts there lately. Pleats can look heavy depending on the fabric but what I've been seeing is a lot of light, airy, moveable pleats which feel like the perfect modern take on a classic style. And they have that vintage quality to them too, don't they? You don't even need to scrounge through countless second-hand stores in order to pull off that vintage chic look. Marvelous! Because vintage shopping can be a challenge, especially when you aren't size tiny and petite.

I found my skirt a few months ago in the fall. I had been wanting to add some pleats to my wardrobe and was lucky to find this one. Not only does it have the pleats but also the ruffle edges which are the perfect feminine detail. But I don't feel too overly girly in it either...which definitely isn't my style. I usually pair it with more casual pieces, like this striped top or a blazer so I think those elements help to tone down the girly and make it feel more 'me.' Pink isn't necessarily my color either (this might be the only pink thing I have in my closet) but instead of pink, I like to think of it as antique rose so it's acceptable. I guess a girl has to give in and have one pink thing.

pleated skirt: Anthropologie (that's the actual link to the skirt with the style number - it's not online but you could possibly search stores to find it)

stripe top: H&M (they still have the shirt but not in the brown stripe)

belt: Anthropologie

shoes: Target (I guess Target still has them? Crazy, I bought these awhile ago)

gold bracelets: vintage, from my family

brown woven clutch: vintage that I got from my friend Rachel (thanks Rachel!!)

So what do you think of pleats? Do you have any in your closet? I am quite in love with this skirt. It is so flowy and fun. How do you style yours? Any tips? The length of this skirt probably isn't the best for me and I actually think it looks best when paired with heels but sadly, I never wear heels. Usually I wear my oxfords with this skirt and I like that combo because the shoes add to the vintage vibe. Maybe one day I'll find a true vintage pleat for me.

Happy Tuesday friends!