2012.03.013 - plain

sweater - mom
shorts - diy cut from childhood jeans
pink tights - mom
earrings - ForLove21
ankle boots - NordstromRack

A really simple outfit this day, but I rather liked changing it up with some minimalism. It was another comfort-over-fashion day. I didn't really pick the most flattering clothes; light tights make legs look larger and sweaters are shapeless. The black shorts, however, slimmed my hips (hopefully). I'm most self-conscious of my hips and upper thighs, so I usually cover up those bits with my skirts and dresses. I've been working on bettering my exercise and eating habits, though. If I can keep it up, I should be able to reach my goal level of "tone-ness" by shorts season.

There isn't really much to say about this outfit, so I'll leave you with a short post. I hope you enjoyed this and come back for more soon!
AprilLily

2012.03.12 - ruffles

I've been gone for quite a while, but I'm finally back! I'll probably have some spotty posting habits until June because of school finals and IB exams. ): I'm trying to keep updating my blog occasionally though so I don't drop it completely. It's always so hard to start blogging again after a break from it. 

ruffle dress - AlleyKat

blue velvet button-down - thrifted originally from The Limited

navy tights - mom

pink camisole - Costco

ring - mom

This outfit was from back when it was a bit colder and I started it out with the shirt because of its warmth. 

This dress is one of those pieces that I reach for when I have no idea what to wear. It seems to match pretty well with many cardigans and jackets that I have, which makes it easy to style. It has interesting details other than the voluminous ruffles such as the pearl buttons and leather straps. I wore this out shopping once and a female cashier told me that she had purchased the same dress in a little boutique in California. I've always wanted to find unique articles of clothing in those boutiques and I thought it was pretty cool that my dress was sold in shops like that even though I didn't purchase it there. 

I just wanted to put up a quick outfit post to make some progress on old outfits I have pictures of. I haven't really taken pictures of outfits recently because I don't want too many to pile up. I also got a new camera and am trying to figure out how best to take pictures of my outfits. Now that it is finally starting to warm up (a tiny bit) here in Washington, I will probably be taking more pictures outside! I can't wait for better quality photos and lighting. 

I hope you all are enjoying the beginning of Spring and better weather! I will post again soon, so check back for new stuff.

AprilLily

Nail Art - Galaxy

So instead of another outfit today, I have a quick nail art post. I love galaxy prints and had seen this tutorial from cutepolish (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EMgt4_jW5U&ob=av3e) on youtube a while ago. I was waiting for my nails to grow out a bit more to try it. I modified the colors a bit to fit my taste more, but the basic idea is the same.

black polish with white sponged on

yellow and pink sponged on top of the white

purple and blue sponged and white spots added

glitter polish added

final result with top coat

polishes in order of used:

Double Duty Strengthening Base & Top Coat - Sally Hansen
Black Creme - Wet'n'Wild Wild Shine
French White Creme - Wet'n'Wild Wild Shine
Auriga - Sinful Colors
pale pink (no name) - Amera
Wing it Wine Creme - NYC
Blue Moon - Wet'n'Wild Wild Shine
Kaleidoscope - Wet'n'Wild Wild Shine
Clear - Revlon

If I were to do this again, I would probably make the nebulae more defined. I would add more of the blue polish to add more cool tones. The dominant feel was warm because of the yellow and  pink.

I was really happy with the way they came out and they were surprisingly easy. They were very quick to do; if I had been working constantly (I worked throughout an afternoon while doing other things) it probably would have only taken 30 minutes or less.

It's also a nice design because it doesn't require many layers. Most of my nail designs end up having so many layers that they want to chip very quickly. I only used one medium layer of black for the base because the Wet'n'Wild black is super opaque. My nails are still in perfect condition after about five days, but I am going to add another layer of top coat to keep them nice longer.

On another note, the Base & Top Coat from Sally Hansen is an amazing base coat, but is pretty weak as a top coat. It is not glossy at all and doesn't seem to offer much protection on top. I like for my top coats to be really shiny and leave a smooth, glass-like surface. I love using Revlon's clear polish for a top coat. Revlon has great quality polishes that always seem to have the perfect finish.

If you have any questions on how to do this tutorial that aren't answered here or in cutepolish's video, leave a comment below! Thanks for checking out my post and follow for more nail art posts.
AprilLily

2012.03.09 - spring

I think I'm trying to bring a more summery feel to my life with the clothes I wear. The weather has been awfully cold for March; we've had random snow storms, but of course not enough for school to be cancelled...

white cardi w/ gold chain - thrift
reddish coral top - Costco
floral skirt - diy by me
dot tights - Nordstrom Rack
brown oxfords - Steve Madden from Marshall's
fish necklace - thrift

I didn't feel like wearing a dress again, so I pulled out another skirt. I made this one by revamping an old skirt that I had when I was little. Basically, I just used the fabric to make a new skirt. My sewing machine was broken, so I had to hand-sew all the hems and the elastic in at the top. I was too excited to wait for my sewing machine to get fixed, but I'm glad I just went ahead and finished it up by hand. I'm really happy with the way it turned out; I love how flowy it is.

I wanted to emphasize one of the colors in the skirt and I chose the brighter, reddish flowers. My mom got me this thin sweater around Christmastime and the color was a really close match. I love this cheery tone; it's somewhere between red and coral in my mind.

I wanted to keep this outfit a bit more casual, so I opted for a cardigan over a blazer or jacket. This is one of the only ones I have that is long enough for me to like the way it looks paired with dresses or skirts. I stuck to gold jewelry to match the chain. This necklace had been sitting on my dresser unnoticed for a while, so I wore it even though the cool, pink tones might clash with the warmer color of my shirt.

To ground my outfit, I went for darker colors on bottom. It was pretty warm in the morning, so I thought it would be okay to wear these tights. They're thinner than a lot of the other ones I have, which was probably a mistake because this Friday was one of those days that gets colder and colder throughout the day. Then I just put on my trusty, brown oxfords and was out the door!

I'll be back soon with a little nail tutorial. It's pretty simple, so I'll just post a couple pictures of the process and results. Check back soon for that and more outfits! Thanks for reading.
AprilLily

2012.03.08 - pleats

I hadn't felt very inspired by my dresses recently, so I've gravitated toward the skirt section of my closet. This silver, pleated skirt was in the back and had basically been forgotten since last year. I've only worn it once before, so I pulled it out again.

obligatory twirling photo

black boyfriend blazer - H&M
grey rose shirt - Forever21 (sister's)
silver pleated skirt - given to me by my mom
taupe lace tights - Ross
two-tone oxfords - Nordstrom Rack

This outfit was pretty basic and I didn't accessorize because I ran out of time. I only wore the diamond studs that I wear everyday.

I started out knowing that I wanted to wear this skirt, but I couldn't figure out what to wear on top, so I borrowed my sister's shirt. I found the colors in this outfit to be a bit matchy-matchy, but I was fine with that for one day. I try not to match so much on a regular basis though. It felt a little too cool-toned with all the black, grey and silver, so I wore more warm-toned browns on the bottom. These tights are an interesting mushroom-y color and I honestly just threw these oxfords on as I ran out the door.

It took me quite a while to figure out how to wear this skirt because of its length. It's around knee-length, and really doesn't look flattering on my. I thought it made me look much shorter. I wanted to pull it up closer to mid-thigh, but it was difficult to hold in that position. I ended up belting it tightly around my waist under the shirt. The silky material of the skirt made it want to slip out from under the belt.

Also, this shirt is actually a tunic, I believe. It covers my hips if I pull it down all the way. I just folded the bottom hem under several inches to show more of the skirt. I like the fit of this top, but the length and cap-sleeves aren't my favorite. I'm impartial to the cut-out in the back because I think the shape is a bit strange. This definitely looks like something my sister would like, though. We have super different styles...

Well, I hope you enjoyed this little outfit post. I took pictures of the outfit I wore the day before this, but I seem to have misplaced them. It's alright though, because it definitely wasn't one of my favorites. I'll be back soon with more outfits, so check back!
AprilLily

2012.03.06 - over-sized

I borrowed a school camera to take some pictures for yearbook stuff, but snapped some pictures of my outfit with it as well. For some reason, they came out slanted when I set the camera down on a rail, so that's why the full body pictures are off. 

blue sweater - Macy's
black&grey zig zag dress - Nordstrom Rack
black ribbed tights - mom's closet
turquoise necklace - thrift
cream crochet booties - Nordstrom Rack
white gold ring - mom (bought in China)
burnished octopus ring - Icing

nail polishes:
Revlon - Blue Lagoon
OPI - Lincoln Park After Dark Matte

It had snowed the day before, so I wanted to wear something really warm. I don't particularly like the look of thick coats or unflattering layers, so I opted for an over-sized sweater instead. The good thing about these sweaters is that you can pile on thinner layers underneath, and they won't show. Sweaters tend to drape more nicely on bare skin, but they still look fine on top of other fabrics. I try to wear layers under my sweaters that aren't very clingy so the sweater will still have the same drape.

Under this blue sweater, I wore a body-con dress with half-length sleeves. I also wore a camisole under the dress to add more warmth. This sweater has varying shades of blue mottled within it and slight dolman sleeves. I realized when I got home that this outfit actually matched quite well with my nails. The different shades of blue and the zig-zag pattern of both fit together.

Even though it felt like the middle of winter, I wanted to bring more of a springy feel to my outfit because it's already March! I did this by wearing my new turquoise pendant and cream, crochet ankle boots. Turquoise is synonymous to summer when it comes to jewelry. The shoes gave more of an airy feel to this outfit because of the crochet and light color.

The burnished silver in the pendant inspired me to break out my octopus ring again. I hadn't worn it in quite a while and it hadn't crossed my mind to wear it. It makes just enough of a statement for me. I also wore a simple white gold band that I wear everyday.

Oh, and that's my puppy, Josh, running through the background in my pictures! He's part bishon frise.

I hope you enjoyed this quick outfit and check in soon for more! Thanks for reading and follow if you want to see more.
AprilLily

2012.03.05 - embroidery

This is my outfit from yesterday. It wasn't super appropriate for the weather considering that it snowed, however. 

embroidered dress - thrift
grey sweater - thrift
white v-neck - Hollister
white leather belt - mom's closet
black tights - Walmart
black oxfords (not pictured) - Ross

I found this dress at my local thrift store. One of the store employees was stocking the new arrivals rack and this dress was one of the pieces that was brought out. I picked it up immediately because I was drawn to the  embroidery down the front of it. It was clearly too large for me, but I decided to get it anyway and try to come up with a way to wear it. I belted it with a white leather belt and pulled it up to make it shorter and change the shape. It is sort of a chambray material and the embroidery around the bottom hem goes all the way around. I threw this grey sweater, which is quite a bit warmer than it looks, on top of it. It actually has a single button, but I wore it open. The button is on the inside, so when it is closed, the button is not visible.

I also wore my black oxfords this day. I tend to throw on a pair of plain oxfords when I'm lazy, which is almost always. I wore my black ones on this day because my outfit didn't have any brown-toned items. Under my dress, I wore a white v-neck to add another layer for warmth. It also helped act as a camisole, which was good because I didn't realize the neckline of my dress was as low as it was.

I hope you enjoyed this quick, outfit post. I will be back tomorrow with the outfit I wore today. Remember to check back and follow to see more!
AprilLily

Nail Art - simple, graphic zig-zag

After having some pink Sharpie flowers drawn on my nails from being bored in class yesterday, I decided to do my nail a bit more nicely with polish.

 I wanted to try out the pale blue polish, Blue Lagoon, that I recently purchased. I didn't feel like having a solid manicure; I had just had one of the dark green (Jaded Night). I decided to do a simple, bold design with a matte, dark purple. OPI's Lincoln Park After Dark is a beautiful eggplant color in the bottle, but looks almost black on the nails. It does, however, have a wonderful matte finish. 

I used tape to get the zig-zags. I painted my nails with Blue Lagoon first; it took one thin coat of white and two coats of Blue Lagoon to get the bottle color. I then place a strip of tape, which I had cut with zig-zag craft scissors, down the center of each nail. Last, I painted the sides with Lincoln Park After Dark. After it was completely dry, I peeled off the tape. I find that the tape method leaves cleaner edges if the tape is removed quickly as opposed to slow, careful removal. 

Hope you liked this simple nail design! Leave comments if you have any requests for nail art and I'll try them out.

AprilLily

2012.03.02 - daisies

Yes, this is long overdue. I haven't photographed my outfits in a while because I've been staying out after school most days and when I get home, either my outfit isn't in its best shape anymore or I'm too tired to snap pictures. But, enough with the excuses! Here's my outfit from yesterday.

daisy dress - my closet from when I was little
black faux leather moto jacket - Burlington Coat Factory
brown leather belt - mom's closet
grey thigh highs - Forever21
rose&pearl earrings - Forever21
black oxfords (not pictured) - Ross
cream lace romper (worn as lining) - AlleyKat

Sorry for the poor photo quality in the overall outfit pictures. I used my phone, whose camera is supposed to be pretty good, but I don't think it had the ability to compensate for the bad lighting.

This dress is actually from a super long time ago. I don't mean that it's from a few seasons back; it's from when I was a little girl. It's one of those somewhat fancy, frilly dresses with layers of tulle poofing out the skirt. It had been in the back of my closet for maybe a decade (!) and I tried it on one day just to see if it fit. I actually liked the way it looked, so I decided to try to modernize it and make it wearable for someone my age.

I believe the waistline was supposed to be around the hips, but now it fits nicely around my natural waist. There was a white, satin bow in the center at the waist, but I cut it off and might use it for something else. The skirt part of the dress had a strange, stiff lining that I also cut out. The remaining skirt is only the outermost layer, which is a fine tulle with daisies. The centers of the daisies are metallic gold. I like the bit of shine that they add to the dress. I shortened the daisy layer a bit, to make it about mid-thigh length. Now you may have realized that the bottom layer of this dress is just a thin layer of tulle. It has no lining anymore, so I had to figure out something to wear under it. The top of the dress is also pretty sheer, so I thought about wearing a white dress underneath it, to act as a lining for the top and bottom. When I walked to my closet to try my white dresses, I saw my cream, lace romper. I hadn't worn it yet, even though I bought it quite a while ago. It was the perfect length and the strapless top acted as the perfect lining for the top of the dress. This was a good alternative because I had been looking for ways to wear this romper as it is also a bit sheer.

This dress feels really summery and because it was so girly, I decided to balance it out with my motorcycle jacket. I also covered the divide between the top and skirt with a brown, leather belt. It has gold hardware, which matched the daisies. In the morning, it was fairly warm, so I wanted to go without tights. I wore my thigh-highs instead, but this was a bit of a mistake as it kept getting colder and colder throughout the day. My shoes were my plain, black oxfords.

The girly feeling of this dress inspired me to wear my new earrings. They can be found in my last haul, which is here: http://lilyinlace.blogspot.com/2012/02/haul-thrift-forever21-nordstromrack.html. I kept my jewelry minimal because of the gold on the skirt and belt. I tend to skip necklaces when I wear belts around my natural waist.

I hope you enjoyed this outfit. Thanks for checking out my blog and check back for more (and more frequent) posts!
AprilLily