Happy Sunday! I am happy to announce that I am still in my P.J.’s and with the exception of a quick snack this morning I have spend the day thus far, in bed. So this outfit is actually from Friday.

The past two weeks have just seemed so jam packed that I have [...]]]> Happy Sunday! I am happy to announce that I am still in my P.J.’s and with the exception of a quick snack this morning I have spend the day thus far, in bed. So this outfit is actually from Friday.

The past two weeks have just seemed so jam packed that I have fallen behind on some things, but I have been so pleased with how well The GutsGlamGlory Spiked Headband Collection is doing that I haven’t minded committing my free time to filling orders.

1. Rebel Girl Tiara 2. Baby Penteratops 3. Penteratops

4. Little Miss Liberty 5. Lady Liberty  6. Tipsy Tiara

So now that I am fully stocked and prepared I had a chance to get back to the sewing machine for some personal projects, which I decided to wear all at once.

This bustier top is reFind from two thrifted knit shirts, I used the solid black one for some contrast and really like how it turned out. The knit makes it really comfortable, which is something I try not to trade for sexiness.

My pants are yet another pair of vintage mid risers turned skinny, and this time I added some leather patches to the knees. I am a big fan of knee patches and come to think of it, elbow patches too. The important thing to remember to make this project work is to put the patches on BEFORE you narrow the leg otherwise it will be too hard to sew them on. You could even use a patterned fabric for a more standout version.

and last but certainly not least are my newly Studded Oxfords.

I loved these shoes before, but now……mi amour. Here’s the thing about studding shoes though…..if they are coming all the way to the inside, you need a screw backed stud or spike so it’s smooth against your foot. Pronged studs aren’t great for this at they are pokey (learned this the hard way which resulted in a shoe causality this summer).

And I know you know this about me, but I love it when I have had a hand in every piece of my outfit, so from the head to toe this one is a winner.

So now I am headed into my studio to sift through the many projects that have been on hold but  will leave you with a few of my recent favorites from around the web. xo

Freezer Paper Heart Top by Lizzie from Cotton and Curls

DIY Boots on Emma from A Beautiful Mess

And thinking about summer……

 

Hey rebels! I trust you are fantastic on this unbelievably warm (54 degress to be exact) January day. I really couldn’t be happier with the weather this season but I do have one complaint. Lack of sunlight. The sun comes out so rarely in the winter months and when it does it sets so early [...]]]> Hey rebels! I trust you are fantastic on this unbelievably warm (54 degress to be exact) January day. I really couldn’t be happier with the weather this season but I do have one complaint. Lack of sunlight. The sun comes out so rarely in the winter months and when it does it sets so early that I often struggle when it comes to taking photos, which is some of why I have fallen waayyy off this blogging train. So the wonderful Mr. Jones decided to be the ultimate reFind Rebel and cleared a space in our totally unfinished basement, sealed and painted the cinder block and rummaged up some left over wood flooring for a simple and clean studio space. I purchased a few studio lights with daylight bulbs and voila. Now anytime day or night, rain or shine this show can go on.

One thing that struck me as I was arranging the space and thinking about how it could be most functional, is how much I have learned since starting this blog. When The reFind Rebel began I totally expected it to improve my DIY/sewing skills and to connect with other people interested in the same things as I (which it has) but I never would have thought that it would grown into such a love for photography, a successful Etsy Shop, the knowledge I have gained about websites and the infinite resources, inspiration and support that I have discovered through other people via the internet. It’s a pretty rad feeling when you stop, take a step back and realize that you’ve actually arrived at a place even better than you had originally planned. That being said, I’ve am able to set my sights higher now, seeing what’s possible and encourage you to take a minute, with whatever project or creative venture you have your hands in and admire how far you’ve come from it’s beginning. Pretty impressive isn’t it? Alright so now, look at where you can go with it. The possibilities really are endless, especially when anything DIY is involved because that makes you in charge of it. So go on rebel, light up the night. xoxo

‘ello Rebels, the weekend is just around the corner and I am hoping you have some fun and interesting things on your calenders. I decided to get the excitement started early by saying farewell to my blond locks and go for the lavender I’ve wanted for the longest and when I saw

‘ello Rebels, the weekend is just around the corner and I am hoping you have some fun and interesting things on your calenders. I decided to get the excitement started early by saying farewell to my blond locks and go for the lavender I’ve wanted for the longest and when I saw this polish

the other day at Forever21 I knew the time had come. Purple has always been my go to hair color, I always like the way my skin tone looks with it, but really light lavender is hard to get. In fact this tone was my initial goal when I started with the blonde anyway, during the duration of which I have done lots of photo lurking, youTube watching and product research to make sure I was going to get what I wanted. I’ve used all of the brands of color available at stores like Sally’s Beauty and Hot Topic and still say that Special Effects is the best for lasting bold color (unless you have access to professional colors like Pravana) But when it comes to light tones I chose to use Manic Panic because they have a product called Virgin Snow.

This is a “white” toner/mixer and although it’s not super long lasting it does produce great results and since it is a demi it doesn’t harm your hair at all. Where as a product like Wella’s White Lady Toner requires a developer and so shouldn’t be used as often (it also has more of a silvery finish)

So when it came time to add some color I got a fresh jar of the Virgin Snow and one of Purple Haze (also Manic Panic) I mixed just a little of the purple in, as it is a pure pigment. If I were to guess it was a 4:1 ratio but don’t quote me on that,  essentially you would want a color in the bowl just a shade or two darker than what you’d want for your hair. Mix well, apply to clean, dry hair and watch a movie. You can’t over process this product, but should keep it under a cap while you wait so it doesn’t harden. Rumor has it you can add heat to intensify the effect but I have never noticed if that is true. Rinse with cool water and Voilá. Pastel Hair.

Since this toner really has no color I imagine you can use it to dilute any shade, but I have used conditioners in a similar way and is actually a great way to condition and touch up your color all at once.

P.S. Have you liked GutsGlamGlory’s page on Facebook yet? If not here is the LINK, there are lots of interesting things coming up and I wouldn’t want you to miss any of them.

xo

(DIY Paper Shard Lantern)

Hey Rebels. Hope you’re having a great Holiday Season. So far mine has been pretty much perfect. The weather has been great and Mr. Jones had a couple of days off which we filled with a lot of relaxing, movie watching and food eating. I also received this [...]]]> (DIY Paper Shard Lantern)

Hey Rebels. Hope you’re having a great Holiday Season. So far mine has been pretty much perfect. The weather has been great and Mr. Jones had a couple of days off which we filled with a lot of relaxing, movie watching and food eating. I also received this most lovely gift from him this year.

The Secret Garden Ring from Charlotte Burkhart

I adore this ring. I have been an admirer of Charlotte’s work for sometime now, so to own one of her pieces is very exciting, but for it also to have been a gift from my most treasured Mr. Jones makes it mean so much. You can see more of her brilliant work at her shop on Etsy called LSD (little sister designs)

So with the New Year just around the corner I have been organizing my thoughts about what I would like to have done before the year is up vs. what I can look forward to in the coming months and this DIY Paper Shard Lantern ended up on the NOW list. I originally mentioned it in my Making Space post after having seen it on Design Sponge

I got to work on it yesterday and am delighted with the outcome. For this project you will need.

1. Supplies

• A paper lantern the size of your choosing. I got mine from Pier One during their holiday sale. The one I am using here is of medium size compared to what they had and it was under $10.
• Craft glue. I used Mod Podge as it is my favorite for paper projects. I imagine you could use glue stick or Elmer’s if you needed to.
• Craft glue Brush (don’t forget to rest it in water during breaks and clean it thoroughly when done)
• Paper. I used standard, bright white printer paper for this. I cut my strips the length of the paper (11″), with the wide end about 2″, alternating which end was wider to get the most from the paper. I used a good deal of paper and although I lost count I will say have plenty on hand.
• Scissors, rotary tool, paper cutter. What ever it is make sure you can cut thru a few sheets at a time with it, the cutting takes almost as long as the gluing. That being said……
• Good Music, or Audio Book. This is a little time consuming and repetitive which I don’t have a problem with when there is something great to listen to.

2. Application

• Once you have your strips cut, or at least a good bit of them, start applying them to the lantern with the glue. I began by flipping the lantern upside down and starting at the bottom, hence the paper shards standing straight up. I also found it helpful to fold a bit of the wide end to make a little lip for the glue.
• When the strips won’t stand up anymore, turn the lantern right side up and rest it on one side (careful not to bend your paper shards). I then finished that side all the way to the top working with a brick pattern to cover the edges of the row before. Then I rolled it over to do the same on the other half.

I am so in love with how it turned out. It looks so spikey, but it moves so softly like a jelly fish. Oh and the way it looks at night, such a perfect glow. 

I hadn’t even finished this one before I started planning the next. Bigger and with a variety of paper style. What variations would you use for this project?

You already know one of my favorite reFind Projects is the pencil skirt. And with a good knit, it really is one of the easiest and most flattering items of clothing you can make. This project was inspired when I found this great gray and black stripped turtle neck at the thrift store. [...]]]>

You already know one of my favorite reFind Projects is the pencil skirt. And with a good knit, it really is one of the easiest and most flattering items of clothing you can make. This project was inspired when I found this great gray and black stripped turtle neck at the thrift store. The softness and stretch of it is so unbelievably comfortable I wanted to use everything that I could. So I decided on a super high waisted design using the neck…..of the turtle? How ever the best way to say it is, here is what it looked like after I removed the sleeves, but before I made any other changes.

As you can see it was more of a tunic style already, but wasn’t very exciting. For this design, the first thing I check is if there is enough room for my hips between the sleeves. This is ideal as then you can use the entire length of the shirt, other wise you will be working with just under the armpits, which can make for cute minis. In this case there was room, so then I checked if there was stretch enough to leave the neck intact and use it as the waist. If you have either a top that’s too small to stretch like that, or it doesn’t have much of a neck you can make your waist band from the sleeves.  But like I said this shirt was the ideal so I just laid it all out flat, right sides together and stitched the side seams, starting at the neck, rounding slightly for the hips while closing the armholes and tapering into the already existing seam towards the bottom. I used an over locking stitch specific for stretch fabric, but a zig zag is great too, setting it at a wide width and mid range length should leave plenty of give. I’d love to see yours.

‘ello Rebels. I trust you have been well and shame on me for not staying in touch lately as I have been taking a bit of a break from the internet, none the less I am back on line full time now and doing my best to embrace the weather. Thus today’s snow princess outfit.

With the last few days having been so nice I was away from my computer a bit, so I have a few Daily Outfits to catch up on. It’s been very interesting to get a feel for where my style fits with blonde hair. I am really enjoying feeling inspired.

The above outfit [...]]]> With the last few days having been so nice I was away from my computer a bit, so I have a few Daily Outfits to catch up on. It’s been very interesting to get a feel for where my style fits with blonde hair. I am really enjoying feeling inspired.

The above outfit I wore to work, the suede flats and tunnel neck jacket are thrifted and the tunic and turban were reFind from an oversized t-shirt. I felt so sporty, especially with those vintage shades I picked up in Seattle.

We recently got an Urban Outfitters in this small town, I’ve been to many of their stores over the years, but have done less shopping there since I’ve started to sew. None the less, I always enjoy perusing and gathering inspirations. but when I found this UNIF shirt for under 15 bucks I 1. Found it funny, but no coincidence as the store is located very near to the campus of a very “important” and conservative Catholic University, that most of these shirts still remained in quantity. 2. I purchased it. I layered it with a cardigan I reFind by hand sewing a heart shape doily on the back and floral leggings.

Mini skirt, flannel and boots makes for very comfortable day off attire. I switched the laces in the K-2 boots with black sneaker laces and like them a lot. and red is a color I haven’t worn in a long while and still am not convinced that I wear it well.

So there, now you’re all caught up. xoxo Happy Wednesday

I have finally taken the time to pay some much needed attention to my studio/sewing room. Things had really gotten out of control with half done projects and extra supplies. Fact of the matter is, it was starting to have the opposite effect that a creative space should and I was starting to [...]]]>

I have finally taken the time to pay some much needed attention to my studio/sewing room. Things had really gotten out of control with half done projects and extra supplies. Fact of the matter is, it was starting to have the opposite effect that a creative space should and I was starting to avoid it. So I made the time to create some space. Clean. Open. and full of things I really really want.  I  can’t exactly explain how good it feels to be in there now. Except to say that now I don’t want to leave it.

The rug is new “to me”. I had an idea in my mind about what I wanted, and searched and searched EVERYWHERE, until I finally discovered it in a back booth at my favorite antique mall. Here are some of my other,  most favorite details.

By making this space the most comfortable and dreamy space I can, I anticipate great things to come of these next winter months. I think I will get started with a final piece for my room and use one of these DIY Lighting Tutorials to make a hanging light  for over my machine. Which one do you like?

DIY Lighting Tutorials

Paper Scrape Chandelier via design sponge

Hemp Pendant Lamps via Crafty Nest

Fabric Garland Chandelier via A Beautiful Mess

I was playing around with some new ways to style my recently shortened hair, and ended up with a Betty Draper do. Which, when pair with a Baby Penteratops Headband from the shop, I liked it VERY much. So today’s project is a the Betty “rebel” Draper Sweater Vest.

It began [...]]]>

I was playing around with some new ways to style my recently shortened hair, and ended up with a Betty Draper do. Which, when pair with a Baby Penteratops Headband from the shop, I liked it VERY much. So today’s project is a the Betty “rebel” Draper Sweater Vest.

It began as a thrifted XL Sweater….Which I chopped up before I thought to take a picture of it, but pieced it back for you to get the basic idea

Then using my preferred shoulder seam line as a guide I cut a wide bell from the shoulders to just above the bottom band making a gradual swoop at the bottom edge. next I cut the sleeves away at the shoulder seams and removed the cuffs…..Then turned them counterclockwise so the wrists were at the shoulders and the longest edge ran along the body. I just kind of eye balled to make the curve continue thru them.

Next I cut open the long edge of the sleeve (where it will attach to the body) and straight stitched the two front seams and two back seams right sides together. But was left with these square shoulders, so using a straight edge I created a new angle and got rid of the excess, but if you would want puffy shoulders you could gather this fabric instead.

There was a small space left open at the top that I just stitched over to close. So now you basically have a poncho. and could do many different things with from here, but I choose to add armholes up high. and just reopened a portion of the center seam I just stitched.

and although I like it open like this, I would prefer it a bit for fitted. So I found the place on both sides that would mark an empire waist line. Opened up a small bit of the front most seam and wove a studded belt through, buckling it under the sweater in the back….much better.

I really like the vintage style to it, and will probably make a few in black to work in, but I REALLY like this blue color. Which I think is a direct result of having a neutral hair color. I have been feeling so inspired to try so many different styles lately, especially with the new cut. But there was a detail in my costume that I’ve kind of fallen for, and that is the idea of getting my septum pierced. It’s never really been something I’ve thought to do. I always felt like if I got any facial piercings it would be a Marilyn. So anyway, I am trying it out. I found a ring smaller than the one I wore for my costume to wear around. It’s bigger than I would probably really wear, but figured it would help me decide. Do you have your septum pierced? Do yo like it?

Happy Halloween everybody! I hope your weekend is jam packed with fun. This year Mr. Jones and I broke down and did the “couple costume” thing, which we have been resistant of in previous years. I think for me I was permanently scared by a salt and pepper shaker duo I saw one [...]]]>

Happy Halloween everybody! I hope your weekend is jam packed with fun. This year Mr. Jones and I broke down and did the “couple costume” thing, which we have been resistant of in previous years. I think for me I was permanently scared by a salt and pepper shaker duo I saw one year and vowed never to be so lame. But when Jones mentioned being Paul Bunyan, I knew I had to be Babe the Blue Ox. And I couldn’t be happier with how our costumes turned out.

I am most impressed with Jones’ axe making skills. Using an actual axe handle he cut and attached a GIANT blade from 1/4″ wood board and spray painted it with red and silver. It’s brilliant.

I wish I had gotten a full body shot on this one though, as he was also wearing the most perfect calf height work boots, with his pants rolled to the top of them like in the looks from the reFind Man Post I did a while back. He looked so great.

For my babe costume I used a thrifted t-shirt and pencil skirt to play up the retro Betty Page feel of the wig, I wore knee high socks on my hands (hahaha) to imply hooves and black leggings tucked into all black 99 wedges. But the horns are my favorite.

I cut them from felt, and stuffed them with batting until they were firm, closed the ends and attached them to a strip of t-shirt that I made into a headband…..which I realize as I am typing this should have been made from my blue shirt but ah well.

What costume choice did you make this weekend? I would love to see it.