looks inspired by MUSIC ft. Kishi Bashi---look inspirée de la MUSIQUE de Kishi Bashi

English/Français

The straw hat is vintage from the 40's but a similar one can be found here

Striped tee thrifted, similar

Chambray wrap skirt from vinted, similar here, here, here and here

Red flats from vinted, similar here and here

Guyzzz.!..!! Only 36 hours and I will be in the land of the rising sun. *trying to contain excitement*...*FAILING*

In the spirit of my travels, I bring you one of mine and my husband's favorite new artists, Kishi Bashi. The artist behind Kishi Bashi is like Musashi; a half-Japanese, bilingual, musically gifted man. One of my favorite songs by him is Q&A. I also recommend Philosophize with it Chemicalize with it  , Bright Whites, and Song for the Sold.

Kishi Bashi's music makes me think of another one of my favorite Japanese things...GHIBLI MOVIES. I love that they typically feature a strong female lead, which is something the rest of the film and animation world need to get with.

Anyways, I was thinking of the ladies in Totoro, The Wind Rises, Howl's Moving Castle and Kiki's Delivery Service when I came up with this outfit because Kishi Bashi's music transports me to that kind of place...summery, idyllic, whimsical and a little retro.

eeeeh...thanks Houston for the frizzy hair

Today I chose to feature the chambray wrap skirt which I have already worn because, guys, you can do so much with what you already have, I PROMISE. I wore it with a simple striped tee today instead of a blouse. 

I think of denim as neutral and black and white are also neutral, so I felt like I needed a pop of color. To stay true to my Ghibli-lady retro vibe I felt like it should be kind of classic so a pointed cherry red flat did the trick. The vintage straw bowler was my touch of whimsy. I kept hair and makeup very minimal and simple because a) it is summer in Houston...*sweats* b) the ladies in Ghibli are usually young and fresh looking.

Les gens!!! Dans moins de 36 heures je serais en route pour le Japon. *essaie de contenir enthousiasme*...*ECHOUE*

Puisque je vais au Japon j'aimerais aussi vous présenter un nouvel artiste que mon mari et moi aimons beaucoup ces derniers temps. Kishi Bashi est comme mon mari Musashi, il est métissé américain et japonais et il est bilingue, et tous deux chantent bien (mais bon je serai peut-être biasée...) L'une de ces chansons que je préfère est Q&A. J'aime aussi Philosophize with it Chemicalize with it  , Bright Whites, et Song for the Sold.

Chapeau datant des années 40's mais on peut en trouver un semblable ici

T-shirt à rayure d'occasions, similaire

Jupe en jean de vinted, similaire ici , ici, ici et ici

Chaussures rouge de vinted, similaire ici et ici

La musique de Kishi Bashi me fait penser à une autre de mes choses japonaises préférées...les FILMS GHIBLI. J'ai toujours apprécié le fait qu'il y a des personnages principals qui sont féminines et fortes, quelque chose qui mange dans le monde du cinéma...

Bref, donc en faisant mon ensemble je pensais aux filles de Totoro, Le château ambulant, Kiki la petite sorcière et Le vent se lève. Ces films, tout comme la musique de Kishi Bashi ont un air léger d'été. de fantaisie, et un style idyllique et rétro. 

Je porte donc une jupe que j'ai déjà porter et montrer sur le blog, car croyez-moi, vous pouvez porter vos vêtements de différentes manières vous n'êtes pas limités à quelques ensembles qui se ressemblent tous. La dernière fois que j'ai porté la jupe je la portais avec une chemise et des bottes à talons. 

J'ai décidé de completer mon look rétro et léger avec ma jupe et un t-shirt à rayure simple. Puisque je pense que les jeans sont neutres et le noir et blanc le sont aussi il me fallait de la couleur. Je me suis dit que pour Ghibli il n'y a rien de mieux qu'une paire de ballerines rouge cerise comme celles de Kiki. La touche fantaisie ce fait avec mon chapeau de paille. Les cheveux et le maquillage restent simples parce que a) il fait super chaude *transpiration* et b) les filles de Ghibli sont jeunes et pas préoccupé à ce niveau là

embracing the feminine---accepter le féminin

Ever since I was young I had varied interests. I loved the color pink but also turquoise and blue, I loved fairies and dress-up as well as dinosaurs, drawing, playing with animals and mud. I was into sports, both my parents are athletic and were great examples to me and always encouraged me to be active. 

As I grew older and wanted to play sports I quickly realized none of the boys I played with would ever pass me the ball or want me on their team. This made me more angry than anything had up to that point in my young life. Consequently it made me want to reject the feminine because it was seen by others as weaker or less than. 

Unfortunately we do live in a world where some of those attitudes are still upheld by many. Women might not be physically as strong as men (able to lift as much or run as fast etc), but I believe they are more enduring and tougher both physically and mentally in a lot of regards. This is not to say women are better than men. Men are not better than women. We are DIFFERENT, and that is ok, in fact it should be acknowledged and celebrated. 

However, we should also all be free to love what we love without shame and pursue any interests we like without fear of judgment. Women can be incredible athletes, scientists, construction workers, etc...Men can be caring nurturers and wonderful artists and homemakers. The attitude that the feminine is "less than" is incredibly damaging to both men and women and should no longer be a part of our belief system.

 It took me awhile to wrap my head around this idea, but I have since come to understand that the only way we can show that the feminine is powerful is by openly embracing it and showing it proudly in our daily lives. So here I am openly embracing the feminine through my outfit, but showing I can still be tough with coral lace, gold glitter, and bruises to boot ;)

Downeast dress/ Modcloth heels/ World Market jewelry (it is a few years old, no links for it)

Depuis mon enfance je m’intéresse à beaucoup de choses différentes. J’aimais le rose ainsi que le turquoise et le bleu, j’aimais dessiner, les fées et me déguiser, et j’adorais les dinosaures, les animaux et jouer dans la boue. J’ai toujours aimé le sport, mes parents sont athlètes et ils m’ont encouragé à continuer de rester active.

Quand j’ai grandi un peu je voulais faire du sport d’équipe, je me suis vite rendu compte qu’aucun garçon ne voulait me faire la passe ou me voulait même dans leurs matchs. Cela m’a blessé et m’a contrarié plus que tout autre chose que j’avais vécu jusque-là. Par conséquent je ne voulais plus être féminine car je voyais que les autres percevais le féminin comme étant faible ou « moins que ».  

Malheureusement nous vivons dans un monde où ces attitudes existent. Les femmes ne sont pas aussi fortes que les hommes (dans le sens où ils peuvent courir plus vite, et leurs muscles sont plus développés etc.) mais elles ont plus d’endurance et elles sont plus robustes au niveau physique et mental. Tout ceci n’est pas pour dire que les femmes sont meilleures que les hommes ni que les hommes sont meilleurs que les femmes. Les sexes sont DIFFERENTS, et c’est bien, ça devrait être reconnue et même célébré.

Nous devrions tous être libres d’aimer ce que l’on aime sans honte, de faire ce que l’on veut sans craindre les avis négatifs des autres. Les femmes peuvent être des athlètes formidables, des scientifiques, des ouvrières, etc…Les hommes peuvent être de merveilleux artistes, montrer des émotions tendres, et être hommes au foyer. L’attitude négative envers le féminin est néfaste pour tous, et ne devrait plus faire partie de nos normes sociales.

Cette idée m’a pris un certain temps à comprendre, mais le seul moyen de redonner du pouvoir au féminin c’est de l’accepter et de le montrer fièrement. Me voici en train d’accepter le féminin en portant de la dentelle rose et des talons à paillettes dorées ainsi que des bleus aux jambes ;) ce qui prouve que les femmes peuvent être jolies et aventureuses. 

DIY shibori dyed t-shirt dress---bricolage robe t-shirt teinte shibori

I am getting super antsy for a trip my husband and I have planned for Japan. This Japan fire ignited the DIY I did a few days ago. 

I had this gray shirt dress in my closet that had been chilling there for a while and it was just a little too plain for my liking. I had acquired it at a local thrift store for a few dollars and had been itching for a way to make it my own because I loved the loose, flowy shape and drape (perfect for Houston summers to just throw on). 

I decided to dye it, shibori style, which is essentially Japanese tie-dye. Shibori uses a dark blue dye and knots and wooded boards and sticks to create a resistance pattern (the lighter sections). 

Je m' impatiente pour un voyage au Japon que mon mari et moi avons prévu. Cette impatience m'a inspiré et j'ai fait ce bricolage de shibori il y a quelque jours.

J'avais une robe-chemise grise qui était un peu trop ordinaire à mon goût. Je l'ai trouvé dans un magasin d'occasions et j'ai tout de suite apprécié sa forme détendue et sa souplesse (parfait pour la chaleur éttoufante de Houston en été). 

J'ai décidé de teindre la robe façon shibori, c'est à dire le teint est d'une couleur bleu foncé et l'imprimé est fait en formant des noeuds dans le tissu et en le nouant avec des cordes, des élastiques, et des morceaux de bois. 

you will need---vous aurez besoin de

• an item you would like to dye, dye takes best to natural fabrics like cotton, silk, bamboo, rayon--- un article que vous aimeriez teindre, la teinture tiens mieux aux fibres naturelles comme le coton, la bamboo, le rayon, la soie etc

• permanent fabric dye (I used the whole pack of blue and about 1/3 of the black, the blue I found was too bright for the look I was going for)---teinture de tissu permanente (je me suis servi d'un sachet entier de tienture bleu et 1/3 du sachet de teinture noir pour avoir la couleur bleu foncée que je voulais)

• binding materials (rubber bands, wooden boards, craft sticks, rope, twine, you can get creative with this)---materiaux pour le nouage (élastiques, morceaux de bois, bâtonnets, corde, etc...vous pouvez vous servir de plein de choses pour votre imprimé)

• 1/4 cup salt, 1 gallon of water---1/4 d'une tasse de sel, et 1 gallon d'eau

• a container to stir the dye and your item in, possibly a stirring apparatus (a lot of people are able to use their kitchen sink, mine had dishes in it, lol, so I used a plastic tub)--- un récipient pour mélanger la teinture et l'article que vous allez teindre, il vous faudra aussi quelque chose pour remuer le tout (souvent les gens se servent de leur evier, le mien était remplie de vaisselle sale hihi, donc j'ai du utilisé une cuvette en plastique)

the steps---les étapes

• get your water and salt cooking on the stove---chauffez votre eau et votre sel

• to get the pattern I wanted I decided to make large knots in the corners and edges of the dress---pour faire l'imprimé que je voulais j'ai décidé de faire de gros noeuds dans les coins et les bords de la robe

• I bunched up the middle part of the dress and bound it with some rubber bands, shibori makes use of accordion pleating and wooden boards and sticks too, you can research more patterns online---j'ai retroussé le milieu de la robe et je l'ai noué avec des élastiques, le shibori peut se faire avec des morceaux de bois et d'autres materiaux pour réaliser l'imprimé, ainsi que certain plis spéciaux

• once water is steaming hot (not quite boiling) mix in the dye---une fois que l'eau émet de la vapeur melangez la teinture

• stir in the tied up fabric you are dying, let it soak about 8-10 minutes before flipping the whole item over---trempez l'article que vous allez teindre et laissez le absorbez  la teinture en remuant au moins 8-10 minutes avant de le retourner sur lui même 

• wait another 8-10 minutes while stirring around and making sure the dye reaches all visible parts of the fabric---attendez 8-10 minutes de plus en continuant de remuer 

• at this point I actually took my dress out of the dye, but you can wait longer (about 40 more minutes) and the color will come out deeper and richer, I wanted mine to have a faded look---c'est à ce moment-ci que j'ai sorti la robe, vous pouvez laissez tremper l'article jusqu'à 40 minutes de plus si vous voulez une couleur plus riche et vive, je voulais un look un peu délavé 

• take your item to another sink area or a bathtub/shower area (this gets a little messy and you may want to wear gloves)---transportez l'article à un autre evier ou bien une baignoire ou le sol d'une douche (cette étape peut être salissante, il serait judicieux de porter des gants) 
• rinse and wring your item out with cold water for 10-15 minutes, do not unbind it yet---rincez et essorez l'article encore noué avec de l'eau froide pendant 10-15 minutes
• once very little to no dye is coming out of the item you can unbind it and set it to dry---une fois que très peu de teinture coule du garment vous pouvez le dénouer et le mettre à sécher

Enjoy! Profitez!

If you want to see more DIY tutorials please let me know in the comments section, or if they are not your thing also let me know ;)

Si vous voulez voir plus de tutos bricolages faites-moi savoir dans les commentaires, si ce n'est pas votre truc préféré laissez-moi savoir aussi ;) 

3 surefire steps to get you out of a fashion rut

They say the first step to overcoming a problem is to admit and acknowledge that there is one.

So...I have a confession to make, and that is that I have been in a bit of a styling rut as of late. Maxi skirts and button up shirts, you have been so good to me, but I think it's time we see other people, errr, outfits.

Now if you are in a similar boat you have come to a safe place where you can find out ways to get yourself out of this rut. 

1. find out why you are in the rut

Discovering the "why" behind a phenomenon leads you to solutions. There are usually several factors at play when you find yourself in a rut, I am going to tell you some of the most common ones.

• weather and weather changes it has been humid with a capital H here in Houston, on top of being hotter than Hades with the occasional torrential downpour; since people are creatures of comfort and habit it is hard when you have been dressing for a certain type of weather and it changes or when you are trying to survive extremes in climate.

• health conditions sometimes people lose or gain weight, or are pregnant/post-partum and their bodies change and they struggle to adapt to those changes. Sometimes you get surgery or a condition which requires certain amounts of movement and breath-ability in your outfit or certain types of fabric, sometimes you get a skin condition that requires you to cover up (I had a bad bout of stress-related eczema on my legs and I didn't like showing them, so I wore a lot of maxi skirts). 

• stress when your mind is on other things (whether it be work like me, family or other situations) you tend not to care as much about the things you are wearing and you start reaching for combinations which all kind of look the same or suit an immediate need.

• work dress codes because I have to wear professional dress a lot, most of my outfits gravitate to that end of the spectrum and I miss having a great casual style, so that is something I am working on. I still really like dressing up though, which is why the majority of my featured looks are a little more on the formal side. My husband has the opposite problem where he wants to transition to more "adult" style but his workplace is very casual. 

• limited wardrobe this is not the case for me but I hear a LOT of people talk about this. I think that to an extent this can be a real problem, but I also don't believe you should have to do an expensive and complete overhaul. People do so much with minimalist and capsule wardrobes these days and I find that usually people who complain of this usually have ill-fitting clothes or clothes that don't truly reflect their personality and style.  See my thoughts on this here, here, and here. 

2. creative remedies to the problem

• so the weather is awful or it has changed...if it is very cold, layer or invest in some more insulating fabrics. If it is hot, DON'T layer. Find classic pieces in lighter fabrics and flattering but looser cuts. Find a variety of seasonal items so you are not stuck only wearing linen pants or bermuda shorts in the summer. Try on something different that is in season at your local thrift store so you can visualize yourself in it and try it out without investing a lot of money. There are SO many kinds of clothes out there and sometimes you won't know you love summer dresses until you just try one on that really rocks your world. 

• your body requires a little extra care... there are ways to find different things to flatter a changing body, it just requires patience and a positive outlook. Again, I think the key is to try different things. Right now looser fit tops are in style which tend to be forgiving and can work well for a variety of needs. Just keep in mind if you wear something loose on top you've got to balance it out with something a little more fitted on the bottom. And vice versa, if you wear something tighter on top, it just tends to look more balanced with something less fitted on the bottom. 

• stressed out...remember that you can't function at your best if you don't take care of yourself. Try to set small goals if you are feeling like looking good isn't priority number one, maybe you can set aside one day a week or per month (depending on your circumstances) where you dress up. I promise that when you set this goal and make a special effort and take that extra time you will be able to go about your day with that much more vigor and confidence.

• work dress code...I plan on doing a whole other post about infusing your personal style into a professional wardrobe. This is more for those people who find themselves wearing the same skirt set or slacks and blazer to work every day. Easy and quick ways to add variety to your work clothes is to incorporate different colors, cuts and accessories. There are now many different styles of slacks for women; high-waisted, paper bag waist, tapered leg, wide leg, I could go on and on. There are also a variety of prints and colors out there, not just your classic neutrals. If you are typically a pants person try some dresses and skirts, if you are typically a dresses and skirts kinda gal try some pants. Spice it up! Just trying things on never did hurt anyone, and just remember that most changing room lighting is evil so don't get depressed in there ;) 

• limited wardrobe...as I mentioned prior to this post and in many others, there are ways to be flexible with a small wardrobe and cheap ways to improve on a wardrobe that you feel is lacking or doesn't reflect your personal style. Two good resources for revamping your look can be found here and here. 

3. be gentle with yourself and have FUN with clothes

• try small tweaks on what you already do, I still wore a button-up shirt in this outfit but I wore a different kind of bottom and shoes. I also went for a completely different silhouette and color scheme than I have in the past few months. I wore a necklace which I hadn't done in a very long time; accessories are a small but powerful way to change your "uniform". A necklace, a statement scarf, some earrings or bangles, a hat, a headband, the possibilities are endless.

• take it slow, make sure to pamper yourself in other ways. I am a firm believer in the healing powers of doing your hair and make-up, or taking a day to do something you really enjoy, or painting your nails and listening to some good music. You will feel more inspired when you are taken care of in other ways.

• you don't have to dress up every day, but do plan and organize yourself so that you can set aside a dress-up day where you take the time to consider it and let yourself feel awesome.

• try something super out of your comfort zone just to change things up. For me that would probably be wearing high-waisted wide leg pants. I bought them awhile ago because they looked awesome on a friend of mine but I tend to shy away from them since they are so different from what I usually wear. My challenge to myself will be to find different ways to wear them and just wear them more often. Remember, this is all supposed to be FUN so go out there and have an awesome time trying new things and being brave with your fashion choices.

I want to take a minute to thank you for showing your support by reading this blog post, please share it with your friends if your found it helpful or comment below if you still have questions about this topic. I am interested in hearing from my readers and in engaging with them all on a deeper level.

Merci!

online consign like a pro: the vinted special

This is the second in a series of blog posts about online consignment (here is the one on ThredUp). This is featuring my favorite of the apps I use to sell and buy clothes, shoes and accessories...VINTED

Oh and also featuring the bright pink wall I have been dying to take pictures in front of.

Pink wall was slightly disappointing, the ground sinks and then there was a faint smell of dumpster or dog doodoo and the color was NOT doing anything for my complexion

How it Works (Seller Side):

• Vinted has both an application for smartphones/tablets and a website for computer use, it is free to sign up, all you need is an email address and bank/paypal information

• The website and app are both extremely user friendly, when you want to sell you begin by taking good pictures of the item you want to sell (this is the key to selling in my opinion, great pictures)

• Once you have your pictures uploaded you can describe your item, categorize it by size, type, color, etc and give it a title, and use hashtags to try and identify your items in a search as many ways as possible

• Your post will be confirmed and then you wait! Sometimes if your pictures are really good and your item is in season and trendy it will get featured on the main page, this is great because it will be viewed by more people 

• Each item you upload makes up your closet, other users can choose to follow your closet and favorite your items 

• Once an item has sold you are responsible for sending it in a timely manner but Vinted provides the shipping label so all you need to do is package it and drop it off at a designated pick up location for USPS

• As a seller you receive 81% of the profit (on higher priced items they cap the selling fees at $5)

• You can receive feedback on your purchases and sales (kind of like eBay)

• Vinted accepts many things, women's clothes, shoes, accessories, and even beauty supplies now. Men's and children's apparel is also accepted which is great because not all platforms have that option

• There is a forum where you can reach out to other users and a section where you can see what people are looking for, which if you are motivated and engaged will help you make more sales

• If you get tired of the app but want to return at some point, or if you legitimately go out of town there is a "vacation" mode which will hide your items and prevent you from getting in trouble if someone buys your item while you are unavailable to send it 

• Swapping/trading is always a safe and basically free option to get rid of items in exchange for something you love if the other party agrees, this feature is another one that puts Vinted a cut above the rest in my opinion

 

The Shopper Pros and Cons:

Pros:

• A HUGE selection on everything you could possibly think of, though the children and men's sections are still growing (they were recently added features) there are a variety of styles, price ranges, and sizes available 

• There is a way to personalize and filter based on sizes and brands in your "feed" (which is the home page so to speak)

• Searching for specific items is easy and you can use filters much like your feed, and then you can easily add them to your favorites list by clicking on a small heart icon

• There is a messaging feature for each item to contact the seller to try and ask questions about it, make an offer, try to swap or simply buy the item

• You can make offers on an item which you want at a cheaper price, create bundles of several items from a single closet 

Cons:

• The only con I have found is that you do have to pay for shipping as a buyer which can sometimes be high, and as a seller you are at the mercy of others to purchase your items. I can say with experience that you pretty much get out of it what you put in, if you put work into your closet you will be rewarded with increased interest in your items.

All parts of the outfit except accessories are from Vinted and cost well under $5 each. I often tie my button up shirts with tight high waisted items to give it a laid back and retro look.

Final Recommendations:

I cannot recommend this app enough, it has honestly changed the way I shop and try to recycle my wardrobe. About 2/3 of my current wardrobe was either swapped through there or bought off of there and I have gotten rid of over 200 of my own items. I love that I am not only getting a great deal or giving someone a great deal on something I don't love anymore but that I am saving the planet by doing so. The community on Vinted is great too, it does make a difference if you enjoy interacting with awesome people.

 I hardly ever buy anything new anymore, typically I only do so if I have received a gift card, and I try not to ever throw anything out because the clothing industry is a major pollutant. 

Today is Vinted Day! Get out there and make your account and go buy, sell, and trade to your heart's content :)