Style Inspiration: Pencil Skirts And Graphic Tops

Pencil skirts and casual/graphic tees/sweaters are absolutely going to start happening this season for me. It's the perfect combination of classy and quirky, and I love it. I think the first time I saw this combination was on Kate Bosworth and fell in love immediately with the little owl peeking out of her peplum-ed tweed pencil skirt. And that velvet bow - I die.

Images via: The Budget Babe, Stripes&Sequins, January Lace, Pinterest, Bought by Birdette, Refinery29

Fall Style Report: Cozy, With A Chance Of Sequins

In line with my recent obsession with all things soft and warm and cozy (cue Sheldon's infamous kitty song), I've found that most fall fashions I've been seeing have a bit of something extra - sparkle! Whether it's sequined patches on a chunky knit sweater, an ultra-glittery tank dress worn underneath an oversized cardigan, or just some sparkly accessories paired with an otherwise warm fall look, I'm obsessed.

And WhoWhatWear agrees with me, according to their Fall 2012 Trend Guide!

not technically fallwear - more like a transition outfit, but still!

Images via: whowhatwear, becauseimaddicted (here and here), studded hearts (fellt) (here and here), chictopia, net-a-porter, bentrovatoblog tumblr, Oh So Glam, APAAS, and Pinterest (couldn't find links to original photos)

Style/DIY Inspiration: From The Most Unlikely Source

I'm already in the mood for crisp fall nights, sweaters, tall boots, and cozy scarves. Never thought I'd be drawing style inspiration from the infamous Miley Cyrus, but here we are with this just perfect fall sweater with embellished shoulders. Some chains, some studs, and maybe a patch and you've got yourself some celeb-inspired fall-wear!

Photo source

Blue Valentine Series: Embroidered Sweater

The inspiration:

via ???

The outcome:

Today's been super busy, so this is about as good of an "outfit picture" as we're gonna get for now!

What you need:

A sweater
Embroidery floss
Chalk or pencil
A darning needle (essentially a large sewing needle)

What you do:
1) Trace out the word or picture you want in chalk on your sweater. I chose the french word "bleuissant" meaning, "to make blue" or "to turn blue". Appropriate right? I printed it out just to give myself an idea of what it would look like, then sketched out the letters by hand.

2) Stitch along the lines using your embroidery floss and needle. Here's a good explanation of a couple basic embroidery stitches - backstitching or a stemstitch would probably be your best bet for letters.

3) Flaunt headless