shopping green & local

hi everyone!

i love etsy. i love shopping it and supporting all the small businesses. when i had seen elsie sport her star wars dress, i knew i had to own a dress from rustycuts. i am a proud owner of the zigzag dress which you can view here and just love it.

the owner of this shop, judith, is really awesome! i know she uses old sheets for most of her dresses and while thrifting one day i found this really awesome mountain range pillow set....it got me thinking...it would look so cute as a dress! i emailed judith and she was totally happy to make a dress for me.

i sent her a package with my pillowcase and she made me this amazing dress! what is more awesome then a custom dress and having a bit of a hand in designing it! i am a HUGE sucker for scoop backs, i love showing off my back and peeks of my tattoos. to add to this awesome mix she is a local sf designer <3 we tried to meet up so we could both save on postage but our schedules never worked so i never got to meet her :( i always keep an out for sheets when thrifting so i can send her more orders in the future. i love upcycling just as much as i love supporting small business :)

remember when shopping etsy you can always search for local designers in your home town! by shopping local you are supporting your community and if they upcycle, even better! a great way to stay green and fashionable!

xo,
cb

a green post: upcycled legwarmers with ashley!

Hey everybody! My name is Ashley and I share little tidbits of my life, crafts, photography and my story of navigating the inevitable Quarter Life Crisis over at A Bird Out of Water. I love Cristie's blog and was so excited when she asked me if I would be interested in sharing a 'green' diy! Today I am going to show you how to upcycle an old, well-loved sweater into a cute pair of leg warmers!

Perfect for Fall, these look super cute on their own, but my favorite look is peeking out from your favorite pair of boots. The best part is, in addition to using items we all probably have on hand, this project seriously will take you under an hour and maybe even less if you are using a sewing machine!

Supplies:

• Old Sweater
• Trim 
• Scissors
• Pins
• Thread
• Sewing Machine (or needle if sewing by hand)

Above are a few examples of some cute trim I considered. I opted for the lace for a girly and slightly folksy feel, but the possibilities are endless!

1. Start by cutting off the sleeves of your sweater. I would recommend giving yourself as much fabric as possible to work with. Once I cut both my sleeves off I layered one on top of the other and cut across the top making sure they were even.

2. Once you have your sleeves cut to your desired length, turn them inside out and fold over about a half inch seam. Pin your trim to the outside along this folded edge (which will be inside the leg warmer once finished, giving you a nice clean look). You should wind up with two pieces that look like this below...

3. Now you are ready to sew! I chose to use my sewing machine which really sped things up but you could totally sew these by hand. Sew along the edge of the lace, staying fairly close to the outer edge. You'll also want to start and finish with several back stitches to secure your seam if you are using a machine.

4. The last step is to simply turn right side out, slide 'em on and look super cute!

Don't mind my funny looking toes! ;)

This fun and super easy diy is a great green craft to add a little pizazz to your Fall wardrobe or even as a homemade Christmas gift! Plus you are saving a piece of clothing from winding up in the landfill which is always a great thing. Hope you guys have fun, and please stop over to say hi and share your leg warmers over at A Bird Out of Water! Thanks again Cristie!


thanks soooo much ashley for sharing this really awesome and super cute green diy! these are gonna be so much fun to make!
xo,
cb

a little lace and a pop of color

well hello and happy frisnesday AND dia de los muertos day!!

i fell like i haven't done a bike chic outfit in some time. the weather here has been really awesome. our indian summer is really giving the fall season a run for its money. cold mornings but by 11 it is nice and warm out. since my tattoo is still healing and tights clothes around my arms isn't an option, tank tops and shirts have been working out really nicely.

the top i am wearing is one of the tops i was telling you about. here is its original state:

i am not a fan of puffy shoulders, i just don't feel me in them so i seam ripped the sleeves off and hemmed up the sides and i am very very happy with my new shirt! the lace collar is just way too cute that i couldn't pass it up and i am glad i didn't.

this skirt is one of my favorites. it may not be the best skirt to ride in but i figured it out. good thing it is long cause hiking it up was very necessary but with tights on underneath it didn't really matter. great thing about fall is tight season and getting away with wearing shorting dresses and skirts while biking!

**check out the giveaway i am hosting on the near sighted owl, it's rachele's birthday today and she is having a birthday bash blog party!! go and wish her the best birthday ever! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET PEA!!

hope you all have a fantastic day!!
xo,
cb

a green diy: stamping

hey everyone! today is my first post for the green series that a few ladies are adventuring in. i am super excited to show you this diy because it is soooo simple! i was inspired by the OH SO AMAZING andrea from papersparrow!

she has re-introduced stamping to me as a fast, fun & green way to update your wardrobe with trendy styles! if you are not aware of papersparrow then i suggest you head on over there asap! one thing i will point out is that the fabric paint isn't "green" but neither is dumping your unwanted shirts in the trash, sometimes it is hard to be 100% but it is in the right direction that is important.

source

source

okay now to the fun! i am a HUGE fan of collars, i think it was my many years wearing a uniform that has prompted this but i can't get enough of them. plus around this time i want to wear them all the time because it reminds of wednesday from the addams family.

first off i drew out a pattern. i wanted to create something that resembled lace and my idea went through many phases before i finally picked this design:

look their dentures! oh wait no thats my rubber stamp, hehe

(from left to right) fabric paint, rubber stamp, carving tools.

then i drew my design on my rubber stamp and cut it out using block cutting tools. all of these tools and supplies you can get at any craft store. once you are done cutting out your design test it out to be sure it works. i did it a couple of times and even practiced on a black piece of fabric.

i put a piece of heavy paper in between my shirt so that the paint didn't seep through to the other side. since i was using white on black it needed two coats. let dry for about 4 hours and then you are totally ready to sport your new lacy faux collar shirt! and hey no sewing involved for all you non sewers out there!

i am totally in love with the look and wont be throwing this sucker away EVER!

also check out shannon's cute green diy: welcome sign

have a great weekend everyone! can't wait to be back on a normal schedule!

xo,
cb