PopBetty

A Love Letter to Pop Culture

D.I.Y. Inspiration: Trompe-l’œil Clothing

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D.I.Y.-Inspiration-Trompe-lœil-Clothing

Some awesome trompe-l’œil pieces to inspire your own projects:

  1. Vika Gazinskaya’s Spring 2012 Scribble Jewels.
  2. Flower Boy Ramyun Shop promo pics (not sure who the designer is–anybody know?).
  3. Vintage leather patchwork skirt (sold), from Lethilogica aka I’m Revolting.
  4. From the Moschino Cheap & Chic Pre-Fall 2012 collection.
  5. Hermes tie dress, photo by Gordon Parks.
  6. Mark Stevens-Ellis button bow shirt, first seen on Style Bubble.
  7. Big Bow Canvas tote bag, $24, from Soraam on Etsy.
  8. Milly Trompe l’Oeil Bow Sweater Dress (sold out), from ShopBop.
  9. Crewcuts sequin sweater (sold out), from J. Crew.
  10. Bonjour Bag by Jump From Paper.

WordPress, Polka Dots, & a Bialetti Moka Pot

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Wordpress, Polka Dots and Bialetti Moka Pot

Above: WordPress.org; Old Navy polka dot sweater; Bialetti 3-cup moka pot.

Hi everyone! Hope 2012 is treating you well (or at least better than 2011, my goodness). Here are some things I’m liking right now, and think you might too:

  • First, I broke down & bought the Old Navy polka dot sweater that’s been featured all over blogs & Pinterest. I haven’t received it yet, but I’ll post a mini-review when it arrives. So cute.

UPDATE: I returned the sweater. It’s cute in person, and good quality for Old Navy, but the print makes you look significantly wider/bigger up top. I’m short & curvy, so this just wasn’t the look for me. Two bloggers who make it look good, though: Mix & Match Fashion & Petite Little Girl.

  • Finally, I’m currently setting up self-hosted WordPress sites for several clients. In doing so, I’ve realized that I’m ready to transfer my blogs to WordPress. Typepad has been great all these years, but I need something more customizable & functional. I want jQuery slideshows and responsive site design like everybody else!

What are you guys currently enjoying?

Christmas 2011 Recap

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PopBetty - Christmas Collage

A Christmas that started off inauspiciously, with stress and empty pockets, ended up being one of the best ones in recent memory. This was the first Christmas in four years where I didn’t have to work Christmas Eve, or the week after; everyone was in a good mood and liked their presents. Here’s how we celebrated (clockwise from top left):

  • Watched holiday movies while working on this Thomas Kinkade Christmas Wreath puzzle (50 cents at the thrift store).
  • Ate gingerbread (made with Betty Crocker mix and Target cookie cutters).
  • Rented Bachelor Mother, which was even better than I remembered {film still via Livin’ Vintage; rent it for $2.99 On Demand}. David Niven and Ginger Rogers are just magic together, and the script’s so clever. In my opinion, it’s aged better than many so-called “classic” screwball comedies.
  • Saw Arthur Christmas, the latest movie by Aardman Studios (Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep). My teen brother & I saw it in mid-December, and had the theater to ourselves. We don’t always find the same things funny, but we both laughed ourselves silly, especially at naughty Grandpa.
  • Drank Crispin Honey Crisp Hard Apple Cider, another good & cheap holiday tipple.
  • Also: Bought a bunch of snacks (chips, crackers, cookies, things we normally try to restrict), and made a giant batch of paella on Friday, and nibbled on both through the weekend. Watched the first episode of Rosemary & Thyme, a cozy British mystery series with a gardening theme (Season 1 is available for streaming on Netflix).

How about you guys? What made your holiday break special (or at least bearable)?