Copycat: Sequined Pocket Sandro Blouse

There was the coolest top that Ana Ortiz wore on Devious Maids that I became obsessed with...

...when I saw it online! Let's be honest - I don't watch the show,however I love me some Lifetime movies every once in a while. (Um, anytime A Friend to Die For, otherwise known as Death of a Cheerleader is on, I will literally drop everything to watch it. Old school Tori Spelling?? IN!!)

Plus, they're doing the upcoming Unauthorized Saved By the Bell movie too! Lifetime is totally bringin' it :) This top was something that could be remade super easy, so I got the crafty wheels turning on the road to Copycat City, USA!

Here’s a rundown of the supplies you’ll need for the shirt:

1. Blouse – (I couldn't find an olive green one to match, so I went with an LC Lauren Conrad blouse (it's on sale now too!) from Kohl's and dyed it! Feel free to keep it white, or go with any other shade that you're into or have in your closet!)

2. Fabric dye (optional - but I used a mix of iDye Poly's green and blue to create my shade. The shirt was polyester so I went with a polyester-specific dye.)

3. Sequined fabric (just a square will do - enough for a pocket! This was from fabric.com, but you can grab a swatch from your local craft store.)

I started off the project by dyeing the blouse - this step may or may not be necessary if you've got the right color for your piece! I created a dye bath with hot water, added the dye packets and let them dissolve, the added the blouse, and let it soak.

When the shirt has become the color of your choosing, remove it from the dye bath, and rinse it in cold water until the dye has run clear. Toss the top into the dryer to dry it out.

Next, trim a patch of sequined material in a square-ish shape to create your pocket.

Once you have your material trimmed, add it to the shirt! I hand stitched the edges down to the top, however use fabric glue if it's easier.

After those two major steps, I had my own version of the Sandro top completed.

My top turned out more of an emerald shade and I'm obsessed with that color!

This is just an easy and chic way to update a top in your collection. A little bit of flair to chic it up!

This Sandro piece that retails for over $300 is something that you can make for just a fraction of that price. That makes me SO happy!

I'm having serious love for my new pocket.

Thanks for the inspiration, Ana!

Copycat: Anthropologie Pompom Sandals Hack

I showed you guys last week a pair of Anthropologie sandals that I was obsessed with:

Inspired by these sandals, I wanted to make a version of my own! I loved the red color, so I snagged some raffia at Joann's along with a pair of Old Navy sandals (this Old Navy pair could totally work as well) to get the project going!

The key to matching the Anthropologie sandal is getting a pair with a strap down the center, so T-strap sandals would work wonders. But, any other strappy version would work as well as long as you've got spots to put down your raffia pompoms in whatever design you'd like.

I started off with the raffia, wrapping it around my pointer finger and my pinky, and then tying a knot in the center to hold the pieces together. I made an assorted batch of pompoms in all different sizes because I couldn't quite decide how big I wanted them.

I trimmed the edges, added a little glue in the center just to hold everything in place, and then began stitching them to the sandal. I took some matching red quilters thread and started to stitch the pompom to the shoe. I didn't actually sew the sandal, just looped the thread around the straps, into the pompom center and the raffia strands.

I wanted my pompoms to be a bit larger after testing out sizing on the shoe, so I picked three similarly shaped raffia balls and stitched them all down to the top of the sandal.

They looked like little fireworks on my feet, making them fun footwear for this weekend!!

Sandals for the 4th?? You betcha!

Super comfortable and full of flair - the perfect combo for a pair of statement flats!

My Free People dress felt like a contemporary costume that I wore in high school, so I jumped. Not so easy to point my feet in this, but I still got some decent air :)

Adrienne's NDAD Creation

Adrienne's piece for today is one of my faves! She used one of my go-to methods for when a vintage dress is just a little too bold or the pattern is super overwhelming. You can simplify and make it rock with just one easy step. Check out Adrienne's piece...

I have been reading your blog for some time now, after I discovered (and bought) the book! I have always been an aspiring DIYer, but didn't really know how to get started. Your book and blog have given me a lot of inspiration and ideas, so when some friends and I decided to go out thrifting, I dared them to find me something awful so I could make it into something wearable. This dress is the one we all agreed on.

It was a silk faux wrap dress, and was about 5 sizes too large! I actually loved the fact that it was silk, and the pattern, though, a bit VIVID, was too much for me for a whole dress.

One of my friends didn't think I could do anything with it, and my husband, when he took my before picture at home, started singing the "Three's Company" theme song at me (He said I looked like Mrs. Roper!). 

I got it at a Goodwill store in Louisville, KY, and it cost 5 dollars.

By cutting it in half and adding a snap...

...new fabulous skirt!! The best Goodwill find in Kentucky!!

Love this look, Adrienne! Way to pull off the bold print - you simplified the look to make it something wearable! Way to take that Goodwill find that your friends thought you couldn't tackle, and turn it into the most fabulous skirt! You showed them, lady!! Way to go!