Fashion post {1/21/13}

• Shirt: dElia*s (July 2012)
• Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters (Fall 2011)
• Boots: DSW (December 2012)
• Headband: Goody (Gift from my mom-January 2013)
• Neckalce: Handmade by yours truly! <3 (January 2012)
• Bracelet: Handmade by yours truly! <3 (Summer 2011)
• Nail Polish: Nina Ultra Pro (Can be bought at Sally Beauty Supply)
• Earrings: Forever 21 (Sorry that y'all can't really see them! June 2012)

     I'll start off by saying I'm not usually a fan of stripes. It's not that I think they're ugly, I'd just rather wear something with a floral design or wild print. Stripes are just a little refined for my taste. But this past July my aunt had taken me shopping for college clothes, and I fell in love with this shirt. I don't own a lot in pale pink, and I thought that the color of the shirt mixed in with navy stripes, sheer lace sleeves and the feminine cut was adorable! It's very versitile, and I could see myself pairing it with a black bodycon skirt, or jean shorts in the summertime. A black scarf might also look very classy with it! However, I will say that I only bought this shirt because it was on clearance- dElia*s tends to be pretty expensive for what you get. I like their clothes but can often find much better deals at Forever 21 or Charlotte Russe.

     My jeans and boots have been featured in previous fashion posts on this blog, and you'll probably be seeing them again soon. They're definitely staples of my closet! My mom came down to visit me at school last weekend as I mentioned in a recent post, and she brought some new headbands for me in her suitcase. The simple black one that I'm wearing here is one of them. I rarely wear my hair in a bun like this because a.) I have a ton of hair and it takes time getting it to stay up and b.) I think I look better with my hair down, but I wanted to mix it up a little on this Monday. :-)

     Now for my favorite part of this post- my handmade jewelry! My high school offered metalsmithing classes, which were about 95% jewelry making. I was blessed to be able to be in 2 semesters of this, one my junior year and one senior year. While we got to experiement with some cool stuff as a class like making glass beads over a torch and sautering metal, my favorite projects involved beading. I actually made both of these projects at home using skills that I learned in class! The necklace idea came from this project book that was a Christmas gift from a cousin of mine a couple years ago. The beads and wire supplies used in both of these items were purchased at A.C. Moore, Michael's and Walmart.

     Do any of you like to make jewelry? I wish that I'd had room to bring all of my supplies to school, but sadly I didn't. Maybe I can make some more wire beading projects this summer! I think handmade jewelry is the best, because every piece is unique. 

     xoxo Miss ALK