Make it Monday // Inspirational Charm Bracelet

When fall rolls around not only do I bust out the knitting needles and crochet hooks, I suddenly become an arm candy queen.  I don't know why - maybe it's the boots and the scarves - but I will stack up the bracelets like to tomorrow.  My favorite are charm bracelets with lots of dangly things.  I found some cool little charms in my stash and at the craft store the other day, so I knew I needed another 

Supplies :: charm bracelet base (like these, found mine in the Joanne's clearance section), tassel charms, inspirational charms, pilers, assorted jump rings.

If you're unsure of where to find inspirational charms, check all your craft stores in the jewelry aisles.  I found these a bit ago and find any excused to use them.  This DIY is also about how to properly open a jump ring.  If I have one creative pet peeve it is the improper opening of a jump ring.  Instead of pulling the two edges apart, twist the jump ring apart.

Using the pliers in one and and your thumb and forefinger (or second pair of pliers) center the opening between the two.  The edge in the pliers twist toward you and the edge between your two fingers twist away from you.  You don't want to stretch the ring out as you want it to be able to go back to it's original shape.  Twisting it like this should do the trick.

Attach the charms to the loop on the bracelet so that the charms don't fall off.  You could also use a bracelet that is in a continuous circle for this DIY as well.

I love the sentiment of these charms - Be Here Now - is something that I'm really trying to work on.  When Zach is here I try to take the time to enjoy us together.  But of course I get wrapped up everyday things.  I need to try to enjoy the time we have more.

How do you remind yourself to enjoy the moment?

xoxo, Moe

Trend Tuesday // Art School Chic

The other day I threw on something that was so me when I was in college.  I was getting ready for work and decided to try something different - which happened to be a throw back to my college days - I threw on a triangle silk scarf.  I was also wearing a patterned shirt.  Back in college I was all about pattern mixing and there was no shame in my game.  Pattern mixing is still one of my favorite ways to play with fashion. I thought it would be super fun to share two ways to wear this Art School Chic look for work and for play

Art School Chic by fivesixteenthsblog featuring round sunglasses

Pattern & Color Mixing
The easiest way to pattern mix is to keep it simple - black & white + a colored pattern is a great way to start.  In this set this is done two ways.  A more fitted black and white striped shirt paired with a classy floral scarf in a neutral makes a classy look.  Switch the jeans for a dark fitted trouser for work.  My office is pretty casual, so both of these outfits would work.  For a casual day out look try a baggier shirt tucked in with a light floral infinity scarf and flat booties.  I am also in love with mixing neutrals.  it might be frowned upon to mix brown, black, and navy but if you have a sprinkling of all colors your outfit looks pulled together.

The Essential Bag
Any bag of mine has to hold a lot.  I've currently been loving Steve Madden bags, but when making this little set the bag featured above started it all.  It is a classy upgrade from a well worn thrift store bag I would have carried in college but still big enough to hold everything.  It is big enough to hold a laptop and some notebooks.  Great to stuff my planner in and get to work at a Starbucks.  The dark brown color is a great neutral to pair with a brown or a black outfit.

Upgraded Accessories
Tattered old boots don't really cut it in real life any more so I've been sticking to a nice pair of booties for fall.  A pair in a low heel and a pair in a raised heel give you options for casual or more dressy looks.  I find that brown boots work better for my style and wardrobe than black boots so that is what I look out for the most.  TJ Maxx and Marshall's are great places to find affordable, on trend styles.  Stackable jewelry can also give a classy vibe with simple golds and blacks or a bohemian vibe with more natural tones and wooden bangles.

Hope this little outfit set was inspiring!  I know that I felt a little bit more me when I threw on something I used to wear all the time!

What is an old fashion staple of yours?  Anything you always feel yourself in?

xoxo, Moe

ps. If you want to see some throwback outfits - check out my Let's Talk Fall series from a few years ago!

Make it Monday // Classy Coral & Cream Knit Hat

If you haven't been down the crafty aisle at your local Target you need to run there!  If you haven't seen it, there is an aisle (or sometimes 2) with some really fun crafty and creative stuff.  I've seen yarn, washi tape, scrapbooking paper, and other little creative kits.  While this aisle may be aimed at crafty kids - I think it's great for the crafty kid at heart.  The majority of the creative products are under the brand Handmade Modern.

I picked up some fun yarn in a variegated coral and cream & a cream with a little bit of gold because I just knew I needed to have it in my life.  If you haven't noticed, around this time each year I pick back up my knitting and crocheting habit.  It is much easier to make yarny things when it's getting cooler out.  I've never been one to create any summer crochet projects...I just can't get behind them.

Anyway, this past week I sat down and made the easiest knit hat ever.  I shared 2 easy knit hats with out circular needles around this time last year....and this year I going to create the same thing.

If you know how to knit stitch, then you'll know how to make this hat.  You'll be making hat one from the post from last year using the garter stitch.  One of my favorite ways to change up the texture of the project I'm making when I knit is to use two different sized needles.  For this hat I held the two yarns together - both the variegated yarn and the cream/gold yarn - and used one size 10.5 needle and one size 13 needle.  This technique works better sometimes with really crazy yarn to enhance the fun texture but this technique gave a cool bubbly look to the yard from the bigger needle.

Pretty much you just knit a long rectangle - long enough to wrap around your head - then cast off and use the tail to sew it into a tube.  Use the tail to weave around the circumference of one end of the tube then cinch it up.  I also used the leftover yarn to make a huge pom pom.  If you make your hat long enough you can have a super slouchy beanie style or flip the brim up for a more traditional style!

If you're a beginner knitter, this project is super easy to whip up.  And the more fun yarn you use the better it will look.

I hope you pop by your Target to see if you can find this fun yarn!

Hope your fall is shaping up well!

xoxo, Moe

Favorite Fall/Winter Lipsticks

First off, it is cold as crap here in Indiana......I just turned the heat on this weekend. Secondly, one of my favorite parts of fall are all the deep lipsticks you can bust out. Of course you can wear whatever you want, whenever you want...but I like to wear darker lips in the Fall. Here are my favorite colors:

The Nudes/Pinks

from left to right:  Model Co. Dusk Til Dawn, Wet n Wild LE Coming in Latte, Revlon Matte Mauve it Over, Hikari Cabernet, Maybelline Matte Lust for Blush, Wet n Wild LE Rose to Fame.

For the Fall, deeper nudes a pinky-nudes are what I'm into.  I'm really digging the brownish colored lip trend as well!  I pulled out some oldie but goodie lip colors from my collection like the Model Co lipstick I got in a Birchbox or Ipsy bag last year.  It is a wonderful sheer, shiny nude.  It smells a little fruity, too.  Coming in Latte is something you need to go grab up if you can find the Wet n Wild Halloween collection!! It is a beautiful deep, brown nude that looks beautiful on the lips.  It has just the right amount of glossiness to it but it will stick around all day.  The lasting power of the Wet n WIld lipsticks is amazing.  I have worn this color a lot to work!  Revlon's Mauve it over is a lighter nude that be a staple in Summer to transition into Fall.  And it is matte so that gives you a different texture to work with, too.

If I'm looking to go the pink route I've found that berry-pink-mauve route is the way to go.  FIrst is a lip color I could have sworn was red when I pulled it out of my Ipsy bag this month.  Additionally, when I wore it I thought it was red.  Clearly, I was wrong!  It is more of a berry-mauve color and depending on the pigmentation of your lips could come off a bit darker.  I've also fallen for the Maybelline matte line and this color Lust for Blush is a nice dusty pink for fall.  Finally, Rose to Fame - another Limited Editon color - is a part of the Halloween collection from Wet n Wild as well.  It comes off semi-matte and is very comfortable to wear on the lip.  It is a nice brown-rose color that is on trend as well.

The Reds

from left to right Wet n Wild LE BalmStain in Senorita, Wet n Wild Cinnamon Spice, Wet n Wild Cherry Bomb, Revlon Fifth Avenue Red, Revlon Really Red

Deeper red lip colors are also something I look forward to in the fall.  Of course, as we move into Winter, they become a holiday outfit staple.  Who doesn't love a festive red lip?  When I first saw this LE BalmStain from Wet n Wild (also in their Halloween display) I knew instantly it would be great to create that blood-red-lip for halloween.  It looks a bit more berry here, but it totally creeps me out for Halloween.

As for deeper, brick reds, I'm in love with Cinnamon Spice and Cherry Bomb from Wet n Wild.  Each have a semi-matte finish and as you can tell, each is just a teeny bit different.  Cinnamon Spice is more brick red and Cherry Bomb is a little bit more of a purple red.  If you have a darker complexion you will be surprised how flattering these would be.  (Another shade in this range would be Urban Nights or Urban Night)

Going for a traditonal red that would be beautiful for the Holiday season I have pulled out two options.  If you were able to pick up Fifth Avenue Red from Revlon back in the Summer, pull it out again because it is a wonderful red color for Fall.  Slightly shiny and a little more blue toned means your teeth will look whiter.  If you're looking for a more orange-red, this matte color Really Red by Revlon.  It is a bright red that would be great for any holiday party.

The Purples/Plums

from left to right Wet n Wild Viscious Varnish in Throwing Shade, Wet n Wild LE BalmStain in 2AM Call Time, Maybelline Vivid in Brazen Berry, Wet n Wild Ravin Raisin, Wet n Wild LE Matte Bordeaux Boulevard, Wet n Wild Fergie Collection Ferguson Crest Cabernet

The purples and the plums are my favorite part of Fall so I saved the best for last!  First off I want to mention the Wet n Wild Viscious Varnish High Shine Lip Stain.  Not only are nearly all the shades in this line wonderfully pigmented, glossy, and long lasting but they are comfortable to wear and they are the affordable alternative to the Revlon Moisture Stains. (I'll have a comparison up on the blog shortly!)  The color I love for fall is Throwing Shade.  It's a nice berry color with a lot of gloss.  Another glossy shade, that lasts long, that is also a deep purple is another LE BalmStain called 2AM Call Time.  Pick this up in the Halloween 2014 collection as well!  I loooooove the smoothness of this lip color and the ease of which it applies.  The final purple shade is something that I keep out nearly all year round - it is a Maybelline Vivid lipstick in Brazen Berry and it is a true light purple shade.  It has an opaque color and depending on the pigment of your lips it may come off darker.

For a rich plum look I chose one permanent color - Ravin Raisin - and one LE color - Bordeaux Boulevard - to compare.  I love each of them for different reasons.  Ravin Raisin is a part of the permanent line of Wet n WIld lipsticks but it is less purple.  Bourdeaux Boulevard is part of the LE Fall Matte Collection and is a little more purple.  I actually find that these matte lipsticks have a nice, creamy application and applies better than the permanent line.  They are more comfortable to wear and are semi-matte.  The creaminess gives them a slight gloss and I find that they are less matte than some of the permanent shades.  Finally, a deep berry-purple is Fergie's Ferguson Crest Cabernet.  This was one of the first dark lip colors I'd ever purchased and I loved it.  It might have been the catalyst for this whole post!

As you can see there are a lot of Wet n Wild lipsticks in this post.  They are so affordable & so pigmented you can try as many colors as you like with out breaking the bank!  And when they come out with LE collections...you should totally go crazy!

What are your favorite lip colors for this time of year?

xoxo, Moe

Trend Tuesday // 3 Ways to Tie a Scarf

It's getting chilly here - I mean we had snow this past week!  So it's officially scarf weather.  I love wearing scarves & since my office is cold during the day I can wear scarves all the day long.  Currently I've been wearing a lot of infinity scarves because you loop them & go - so simple!  But I've been neglecting my other scarves so I thought I'd play around with them to see how I can create simple looks as easy as wrap & go like my infinity scarves.  So here's how to style both light weight & thicker scarves for the winter:

This first one is how I wear my thicker scarves all the time.  This works great for those pashmina style scarves & also works with light weight scarves.  First you'll need to wrap the scarf around your neck with one side significantly longer.  Bring the longer part around your neck, leaving a bit of a loop.  Then bring the long part to the front & under the shorter part.  Next reach through the loop (to the left side of the shorter part) and pull the longer part through the loop.  This style is super simple once you practice & I literally loop this around running out the door.

This one is a little more complicated to set up but once you have the braid in, you don't have to do it again to the scarf (unless you take it out!).  This style works better with lighter weight scarves since you'll be weaving the scarf through itself.  First start off with the scarf around your neck with one side longer than the other.  Grab the longer part & create a loop at about armpit level.  If you're familiar with crochet, you're sort of using your hand to create a small chain stitch.  But anyway, once you have that loop, reach through it & grab another section of scarf pulling it through the loop. Now reach through the loop you just created & grab another section of scarf.  Keep doing this about two more times to create this little braid.  Pull the rest of the scarf, you should only have a little bit, through the last loop.  Now the scarf should be about equal lengths on each side.  Grab the end of the scarf with out the braid & pull it through the last loop.

This is the simplest of them all - Start by wrapping the scarf around you neck like the first picture, leaving one side a bit longer.  Bring the longer side under the shorter side & push it through the top loop.  Fluff & go!

Scarf weather is here & I can't wait to get more wear out of some of my favorite scarves!

xoxo, Moe

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Trend Tuesday // Current Make up Faves

So, I hope you don't mind...but I've been on a filming myself kick.  It's fun, a bit easier, and just a new way to be me here on my blog!  I also hope you don't mind that I talk a bit about beauty/makeup/etc here either.  This week I wanted to share with you some things I'm loving for Fall & to give you some ideas of things you can look for this fall:

Hope you enjoyed!  I'm also going to share a Fall look book video too.  How weird right? Let me know if you enjoy these videos.  Have a great Tuesday!

xoxo, Moe

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Trend Tuesday // Fall Fashion Staples

I am so glad Fall is here!  I know that it's going to get super cold here shortly & I'm dreading it, but right now I'm loving the 60 degree weather, the sun, & the changing leaves.  I've said it before but I really think September is my favorite month!  Today I want to share with you a post on Fall staples for your wardrobe featuring pieces that I've had for quite a while.  These are the sorts of things that can last you for many Falls to come.

What are your Fall staples? Are there any pieces you keep going back to?

xoxo, Moe

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