Saturday, January 23, 2010

D.I.Y. Lady Gaga Bow Hairpiece

Hey Everyone! Here's another D.I.Y. that I've been avidly researching and looking forward to posting! There's a little backstory, here goes:

I was recently contacted by a fashion enthusiast/journalist named Katie. She messaged me about the possibility of writing a feature story on me, and I absolutely flipped at the opportunity! Once her pitch was approved, I had to think of some ways to show why I love fashion and what I do to embrace it. So, we spent the day going on tonnish adventures, including lattes at Karma Cream, a trip to Beauty Max, an impromptu voyage to the Salvation Army (where I scored two Mad Men-esque tops and she found amazing cream booties), a stop at Loop de Loop, and finally, this D.I.Y. project at my humble abode. What I have for you here is a step by step tutorial on how to make the infamous Lady Gaga hair bow out of some cheap extensions.


What You'll Need:


1) Long hair extension ($3.99 at Beauty Max)
2) Straightening iron and damp rag
3) Hot glue gun
4) Paper/cardboard surface (for easy cleanup)
5) Duck-bill clips (.99 at Beauty Max) and bobby pins (.99 at Beauty Max)
6) Small elastic bands

The best part about this project is that the supplies only added up to a budget friendly $6.39!


This is the brand of "weave" that I used for my project. It was super cheap and ended matching perfectly with my hair! (crucial to the execution of the hair bow)

Step 1: Loop Your Weave

What you want to do first, is get an idea of how big you want your bow to be, and play around a bit with your strip of hair until you find the length you need for your bow. Tie off an end with a small elastic band, and cut off the excess. Now you have the foundation for your bow!

Step 2: Tying and Melting


You'll need to tie off the other end of your hair strip, making sure the nub (so to speak) is as short as possible. Next, you'll need to overlap the ends, making sure the extension stays flat, and prepare to melt...


Take your rag, make sure its fairly damp, and fold over the ends of the extension. Now you're going to take your straightening iron and melt the hair together, over the rag to prevent a fire hazard. This sounds horrifying, and you'll experience some sizzling sounds and smoke, but its all for the sake of your future pseudo up-do. The rag keeps both your straightener and weave safe, and at the end, you can use the bare flat iron to secure.

Step 3: The Hard Part


Now that you have a crispy loop, you want to take 2 small elastics and secure the center of what will be your bow. It gets a little tricky to maintain the shape of the bow, but don't get frustrated. I admit, I nearly gave up. If you have a friend help you by holding the bow as you adjust, it's much easier. Next, you'll have to loop a piece of hair around the center in order to finish up the bow.


Get a long piece of your extension (you'll cut of the excess later) and as your buddy holds your bow for you, wrap the hair about 3 times around the center of the bow, and secure with an elastic behind the hairpiece. Bobby pin down a bit of the ponytail behind the bow, and then cut off the excess with scissors, making sure that it doesn't show from the front.


This is what you should end up with!! Cute, right?! You'll probably feel that your bow is a bit disheveled, but use some scissors to cut off stray hairs, and you're finger tips to adjust the shape and it will fall naturally once it's on your head, don't worry!

Step 4: Attachment and Eternal Happines

Now that your bow is pieced together, you want to be able to attach it to your head, don't you? Because I have short hair, I figured using a jumbo duck-bill clip would be the best idea. If you want, you can use a head band or head wrap. Once you choose what best suits your hair, attach it to the bottom of your bow using a hot glue gun.

Congratulations, you now have the most adorable hair accessory imaginable. Hello Kitty, eat your heart out!

Here are a few pictures of me, my bow, and my new friend, Katie!





I hope that this tutorial is useful to all of you! Like I said, it takes a bit of patience but it is totally worthwhile in the end. I can't wait to wear this beauty to class with some bodysuits and tulip skirts. If you have any questions about particular steps or thoughts you'd like to share, leave me a comment and I'll get right back to you! Oh, and if you end up making your own bow, I'd love to see it! I'm sure you'll be seeing mine all over the blog in the near future. Also, just wanted to thank all you for your kind comments on previous posts. I can't stop telling Katie how giddy I get when people appreciate the blog. Good luck with this project and I hope you all look wonderful with your new hair bow. Until next time!

Love,
Flavia

Sunday, January 17, 2010

D.I.Y. Cuffed Prepster Shorts


Here's another DIY!!

A few weeks ago, I posted a pair of cute, cuffed self-made prepster shorts and a few of you wanted to know how I put those little beauties together. On my thrift adventure yesterday I stumbled upon these lightweight, grey slacks that fit me horrendously and saw the potential they had to be the perfect cuffed shorts. So my dears, here is a tutorial on how to make your dream Prepster shorts out of a pair of these...


What You'll Need:


1) A pair of high-waisted grandpa trousers
2) Needle and matching thread
3) Lots of pins and a pin cushion
4) Measuring tape
5) A cutting mat and rotary wheel (or a simple pair of scissors)
6) An iron

Step 1: Measure

Put your trousers on and measure how long you want your trousers to be. Once you know your desired length, add about 3 inches to the length for you to make you cuff(s). Then cut...

Step 2: Snip snip...

Lay your trousers on your cutting mat and cut at the length that you found with your rotary wheel. If you don't have these cutting supplies then just lay your trousers flat, mark your length, and cut straight across with scissors. Like this...


Throw your scraps to the side. Now you've taken a pair of dinky old pants and have completed the first step towards your new adorable shorts. This is about what they should look like...


Step 3: Pin, iron and sew your first cuff

This step varies a bit depending on the fit of your trousers and how much excess length you left. Mine had a lower crotch so my first cuff is just a teeny fold, but yours may be an inch long or so. Pin down your first cuff, making sure that the length stays even all around the leg, and that both sides are symmetrical. Once you're done pinning, iron down the crease so that the cuff lays flat. Now, sew the cuff down using a blind-hem technique. When you're all done, iron again so that everything is nice and flat.

Step 4: Pin, iron and sew your final cuff

Now that you have your first cuff sewn and ready, take a look at where you want your final cuff to hit by trying on your shorts. When I tried mine on I figured that an inch long cuff would be perfect. Next, pin down your desired cuff and iron flat. Now, flip your shorts inside out. You'll be sewing your cuff using the blind hem again, but this time from the inside. If you've never sewn using a blind hem technique here is what it looks like:

Its actually really simple (and my favorite way to do quick hand-sewing jobs). All you do is make a tiny stitch(as small as you can possibly make it) from the back of the shorts through to the front of the cuff and back. Then you leave some space (.5"-1") and do it over and over until you're finished. As you can see from my photo, theres no need to be perfect, the whole point is to make sure that you're stitches can't be seen from the front. I suggest looking up blind-hem tutorials on YouTube so that you can get a better idea of how exactly to make this stitch. Trust me, you're going to love it!

Once you're done sewing up your cuffs, remove the pins and iron, iron iron! You want your shorts to look sophisticated and pressed, don't you! No one will believe that you made these yourself!

Step 5: Try on your new favorite shorts!

Here is a look at how my new shorts turned out. I love them because the top of my original trousers were very pleated, and now that they're shorts they have a sweet, pouffy bloomer silhouette.




I really hope that this tutorial is helpful! All in all, this project took me about 2 hours. Just pop in a DVD of your favorite TV series and it will all go by in a flash. I watched Gossip Girl while crafting my geek-chic shorties. Just throw on a pair of cute tights and your favorite blouse and these shorts will be your favorite cozy piece of the season. Aren't they so polished?

Please take a moment to leave a comment and tell me how you feel about the tutorial! I want to do many more in the future but first want to make sure that they're up to your tonnish standards. Also, if you make your own pair of sweet shorties, please let me know, and better yet, send me a photo! I love love love to hear from you readers and I hope that this tutorial will inspire you. Hope you've all had a wonderful weekend!

Love,
Flavia

Friday, January 15, 2010

Sheer Beauty:

Happy Friday!

My obsession with sheer layers of mesh, lace, and chiffon is here to stay. Yesterday I put on the most cozy yet romantic outfit consisting of a few of my favorite pieces. My pink lace top is from the lingerie section of the thrift store (the best place to find hidden treasures). Underneath the lacy-layer, I wore a mesh bodysuit from Urban Outfitters with an American Apparel tube bra and paired that with sheer tights, my self-made prepster shorts and ballet flats. If you didn't know, it's freezing here in Gainesville -literally- so I threw on one of my tan faux-fur coats before stepping out for the day.






I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of the loyal Tonnish Touch readers! Yesterday I got the chance to meet one of you and I was so touched that I couldn't help but post twice today! It really means so much to know that you all enjoy the blog. I have a lot of plans for the new year and want to update much more frequently. Again, if you have any suggestions for material for the blog or if you want to see more of anything in particular, leave me a comment with your thoughts! Be prepared for a few sewing project posts and much more. Thanks again, dearies!

Love,
Flavia

rouge à lèvres

Bonjour!
I was feeling very festive the other day because I just got accepted to do a Spring Break study-abroad program in Paris!! I can't wait to spend the week exploring museums, twirling through gardens, and eating adorable macaroons. While I was studying in Italy, I took a long weekend to explore Paris with my friend Rob and we had an amazing time. We managed to cover a lot of ground, but I knew all along that I'd have to go back.

I decided to celebrate by wearing bright red lipstick and a striped skirt that I thrifted in Paris over summer. J'adore themed outfits! Here is my Parisian-inspired look:



My Adrienne Landau fur neck-warmer is one my few "fancy" treasures. I splurged on it over winter break with the fantasy of one day passing it along to my stylish, vintage-obsessed adopted daughter. It is absolutely precious and keeps me so warm during these chilly winter days.



What I'm Wearing: Adrienne Landau fur neck-warmer, Delias coat, Vintage skirt , clutch, and reptile belt, Juicy Couture maillot worn as a top, Target cardigan, Frye riding boots, Forever21 headband, Urban Outfitters butterfly ring, bangles from Italy, bow necklace.


Au revior, lovelies!

-Flavia



Monday, January 11, 2010

Fare Una Bella Figura:


As some of you may know, I studied in Italy last summer. I took away so much from that experience and it really influenced my love for fashion. Italians have a beautiful sense of confidence with the way they wear clothes, and perhaps the most significant thing I learned from Italian style is "fare una bella figura". The people around me lived by this romantic theory of sorts. The "bella figura" is the impression you give off with your personal style. You want to look naturally beautiful and confident, but with ease. I remember just falling for men and women I saw on the streets checking their watches or putting on their sunglasses, every move they made seemed so graceful. Every "Ciao" melted my heart. The bella figura doesn't really have an exact definition, but more of an emotion associated with it, and it has everything to do with fashion and a sense of self.

I had to put my study of the "bella figura" to work on the day of my Urban Outfitters interview! I put together an outfit that I felt represented my style: a love of new and old, gentle femininity, and gioielli (jewels). Here are a few fuzzy pictures of what I wore to my UO interview:




What I'm Wearing: Urban Outfitters lace dress and doll shoes, American Apparel blush backseam tights, Forever21 bow headband, Betsey Johnson bow watch and love ring, bangles from Italy, pink pearl bracelet, "Flavia" name necklace.

I had an amazing experience in Philadelphia and at the URBN complex. Let's hope that they loved me! Now it's back to school, so much to do already! Look forward to more outfit posts, street style, and vintage finds!

Bacci (kisses),

Flavia


Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Skipping Through The Streets of Philly:


I suppose I should fill you in on the big news before diving into this post...

I'm in Philadelphia right now because I have an interview with Urban Outfitters tomorrow for a buying internship!!!!

When I got the email saying that I'd been chosen for an interview my heart started racing so fast! This really is my dream come true!! I've always fantasized about being a buyer for a company that I love, and this is my chance! Tomorrow is the big day, I'll let you all know how it goes. (I have the perfect outfit picked out)

Anyways, I flew to Philly a day early because I've never been here and I was longing to explore. In conclusion, I am madly in love with this place. I spent most of my day on South Street, a cute stretch of town packed with vintage shops and restaurants and a magical garden. I'm so smitten with the spots I visited today that I'm putting together a little shopping guide of South Street for a future post. Here are some shots of my wonderful day:

My Adventure Outfit: AA bodysuit, Forever21 belt & tights, my favorite necklace, and a vintage ruffle skirt that I altered to my liking (it used to be floor length).


Me jumping on my big bed, getting bundled up for the long chilly day.
Wearing: Urban Outfitters beret, Betsey Johnson cashmere scarf, Vintage ruffle purse and faux-fur coat.

Now the sights (be jealous):










Oh Philadelphia, my heart belongs to you!
Urban Outfitters, please love me too!!

Wish me luck tomorrow! I think I'm so excited that I won't be able to sleep!

Love,
Flavia