Crop It Like Its Hot

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Rochas RTW Spring 2013

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Rachel Comey RTW Spring 2013

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Rolando Santana RTW Fall 2013

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Mara Hoffman RTW Spring 2013

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Alexandre Herchcovitch Fall 2013

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Francesco Scognamiglio RTW Fall 2013

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Spring/Summer Trend  ||  Crop Tops

Seen repetitively on the runways during fashion week, cropped tops, can be worn in a variety of ways but tend to be seen accenting the waist rather than the naval....which, I think is much more flattering and allows the trend to be pulled off more easily.  Seen above are some of my favorite crop looks found on the runway this year.  Below are crop tops perfect for spring....ready to purchase now....these tops would look great paired with pencil skirts...high waisted pants...or a flowy maxi skirt.

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Lorry Newhouse silk chiffon crop top available here

floral zip front crop corset available here

rib panel mesh crop top available here

river island lime turtle neck crop top available here

varigated long sleeve crop top available here

embroidered lace crop top available here

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Golden Easter Eggs DIY

What You Need:

+  a dozen white eggs, blown or hard boiled ( I recommend blown, once you make
    these beautiful eggs you wont want to throw them away )

+  food coloring of your choice ( I used McCormick's food color )

+  white vinegar

+  heat proof jars ( I used old mason jars )

+  metal spoon

+  metallic gold leafing kit ( I used a Mona Lisa Gold Leaf kit )

+  a foam craft brush

+ 2 old paint brushes

How To:

• Begin by making your dyes. I used McCormick's neon food color.  I doubled the directions on the box for each color dye. 

• Gently place the egg on the spoon and slowly lower the egg into the jar of dye.  Be careful how long you keep your egg submerged in the dye...the longer you keep the egg in the dye the darker and more saturated the color will be.  I like the color to be more pale so I kept each egg in the dye for less than a minute.  Prepare a dozen eggs so you can play around with the color until you find your favorites!

• While the eggs are drying begin to set up your leafing supplies.  I used a leaf kit from Michael's craft store.  This kit includes 6 sheets of gold leaf, adhesive and sealer.  

• Carefully tear a sheet of gold leaf into quarters (it is very thin, be extremely gentle). 

To Create Gold Marbled Egg:

• Hold the egg and using a small paint brush apply a thin layer of adhesive to one half.  Apply randomly leaving some parts of the egg free of adhesive.  Using a dabbing and dotting method is best. 

• When applying adhesive be very careful not to get it on your fingers as it is very sticky.  Once you have allowed the adhesive to dry for a few seconds pick up a quartered sheet of golden leaf and lay it on the part of the egg you applied the adhesive.  A toothpick can help with placing the gold leaf.  Use the foam brush to rub down the sheet.  The metal leaf that doesn't stick will just fall off.  

• Continue to gently rub the leaf to create a smooth and natural marbled look.  Repeat this process for the other half of the egg.  The excess metal leaf will be difficult to clean up....I used a piece of masking tape to pick up the fallen pieces. 

• Once the gold leaf and adhesive is completely dry use a brush to apply a sealant to prevent the gold leaf from rubbing off or oxidizing. 

For Gold Dipped Egg:

• Using a small brush apply the adhesive to the entire area of the egg you wish to be gold.  I wanted it to look as if I dipped the egg into gold, half the egg either up/down or side to side.  

•  Gently tear a sheet in half.  Applying one half first, then putting the second sheet over the parts you  missed.  

• Carefully use a razor to remove any excess leaf off the part of the egg you want bare. 

• Once the gold is dry use the sealant to finalize your eggs. 

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More Egg Decorating Ideas

Masking with Rubber Bands:

• Start with a hard boiled or blown white or brown egg, or start by dying the egg one pale shade.  

• Twist a few rubber bands around the egg.  Carefully make sure the rubber bands are wrapped snugly around the egg. Submerge the egg into dye until desired color is achieved.  

• Wait at least 10 minutes for dye to dry before removing rubber bands.

• You can repeat this process with more rubber bands and colors till you reach a desired look. 

Speckled and Marbled:

• Dye an egg a pale shade of your chosen color. 

• In a small shallow bowl add 3 cups of warm water, a tsp. of white vinegar, 15-20 drops of food coloring

• Add a tsp. of oil.

• Use a folk to combine mixture

• Put egg into mixture, turn and swirl egg until you have achieved desired look.

You can experiment with all kinds of color combinations: by varying the base color and the swirls in the oil dye bath to achieve different kinds of contrasts and shading and different multi tint patterns. 

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ALL PHOTOS CREDIT KELLEY FRANCES HIGGINS 
© COLOUR MY LIFE BLOG

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Prabal Gurung for Target

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Lace Front Blouse in White, $34.99; Shorts in Floral Crush Print, $26.99; 

Crystal Teardrop Earrings, $16.99; Lace-up Pumps, $39.99, available at Target

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Dress with full skirt in Floral Crush print, $49.99; 

ankle-strap pumps in Sulfur Spring, $39.99, available at Target

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Sweatshirt in First Date Print, $29.99; Dresden Pencil Skirt, $29.99; 

Tote in Nolita Print, $39.99; Bangles, $16.99 each; 

Wedge Sandals, $29.99, available at Target

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Peplum Top in Floral Crush Print, $29.99; 

Ankle-strap Pumps in Sulfur Spring, $39.99, available at Target

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Blue and Coral Cardigan, $32.99; Sweater in Dresden/Atlantis Blue, $29.99; 

Tank Top, $19.99; Miniaudiere in Nolita Print, $34.99; 

Ankle-strap Pumps in Apple Red, $39.99, Available at Target

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Dress With Full Skirt in Apple Red and Black, $49.00; Crystal Stone Cutout Bangle, $24.99; 

Crystal Stone Tassel Earrings, $16.99; Lace-up Pumps in Meet The Parents Print, $39.99, 

available at Target

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Pointy-toe Flats in Blazing Yellow, Nolita Print, 

and Black, $29.99 each, available at Target

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Ankle-strap Pumps in Blazing Yellow and 

Dresden Blue, $39.99 each, available at Target

Not that I ever need an excuse to go to Target but the new Prabal Gurung Collection is a pretty good reason to visit my favorite one stop shop.  Famed designer, Prabal Gurung, has created a gorgeous spring line, Love, currently available at most target stores around the country.  Shown are my favorites from the lookbook which is available for viewing in its entirety here.  I love how each piece is so feminine....the floral prints and the vibrant colors are so perfect for spring and summer... Love is a need to own collection that , luckily, is very affordable.  Way to go Target, Prabal Gurung, and all the people who made this stunning collection accessible to everyone!

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Most Wanted Trends Spring 2013: Stripes

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Marc Jacobs Spring 2013

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Dolce & Gabbana Spring 2013

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Oscar De La Renta Spring 2013

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Jason Wu Fall 2013

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Prada Fall 2013

Horizontal, vertical, and geometric lines were seen throughout the Spring/Summer 2013 collections and again in the Fall 2013 shows.  Stripes are a classic trend and easy to pull off.  Below are some very accessible pieces that can be integrated into your wardrobe.  Pair stripes with solids or with with a bright floral pattern. Play around with different textures and patterns to create a unique look.  More amazing stripe pieces available here + here + here

Topshop Stripe Ponte Blazer; topshop.com

J.Crew Sequin Stripe Pencil Skirt; jcrew.com

River Island Striped Skinny Jeans; riverisland.com

Moyna Metallic Stripe Clutch; shopbop.com

Saint Laurent Palomo Sandal; barneys.com

MSGM Mini Skirt; thecorner.com

Topshop Stripe Band Dress; topshop.com

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Most Wanted Trends Spring 2013: Peplum

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John Richmond RTW Spring 2013

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John Richmond RTW Spring 2013

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Akris Spring 2013

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Rachel Comey RTW Fall 2013

I am obsessed with the peplum trend and I was so excited to still see it on the runway.  It is so flattering on a woman's body...especially for women with pear shape or boy shape bodies, it gives the illusion of a waist...for curvy girls it extenuates the waist and flatters curves even more.  Now that the peplum style has been a trend on the runway for a few seasons the availability and variety is really great.  Below are some of my favorite peplum choices for everyday wearability. 

Sea Engineered Ruffled Peplum; modaoperandi.com

Fair + True Batik Peplum Skirt; fairandtrue.com

Valencia Peplum Top; frenchconnection.com

Alice + Olivia Structured Peplum Dress; aliceandolivia.com

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more great peplum styles here + here + here

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Spring Trend: ID Plated Necklaces and Bracelets

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While shopping at a lovely boutique jewelry shop, Domaine Designs, a military-esque inspired jewelry trend was brought to my attention.  I was chatting with the shop owner as she unpacked a big box of cool vintage ID bracelets and they really caught my eye.  She said that the ID bracelets/necklaces are going to be a big jewelry trend in the upcoming season.  I told her about my blog and she was nice enough to give us a couple bracelets in silver and gold for free.  Since then I have been seeing the ID plate style popping up on all my favorite fashion sites. Below are some great shops to get your ID bracelet or necklace and be apart of this trend.

Rose Gold Nasty Gal ID Bracelet available here

Ginette NY 14k Gold ID Bar Necklace available here

Noir Industrial ID Necklace available here

Marc by Marc Jacobs ID Bracelet available here

Nicholas Accessories ID Plate Necklace available here

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