HautePinkPretty

Shopping

Retail Therapy: ShopLately + TopShop + SoleSociety + Zara + Jessica Simpson + H&M

So sorry for disappearing the past couple of days! This past weekend was pretty hectic (and I was in Vegas again last week – a domino effect of madness).

Zara Studded Silk Shirt
Glint & Gleam Shredded Faux Suede Stud Wrap Bracelet c/o ShopLately
Jessica Simpson Dany in Coffee Summer Haze (also available here and on Endless)
Glint & Gleam Simply Textured Cable Bracelet c/o ShopLately
H&M Light Grey Peplum Dress (in store or similar here, here and here)
TopShop Gold Soft Leather Biker Jacket
Jessica Simpson Terrii Navy Sailer Stripe (also here, here or here)
Glint & Gleam Dangling Cross Pin c/o ShopLately
SoleSociety Val in Dark Neutral Black
Zara TRF Waxed Effect Trousers
Glint & Gleam Pyramid Studded Faux Leather Wrap Bracelet c/o ShopLately
Jessica Simpson Dany in Brown Petes Shirt (also available here and on Endless)
Glint & Gleam Modern Texture Cutout Cable Bracelet c/o ShopLately
SoleSociety Tamara in Black Mojave
Zara V-Back Dress
Bebe Asymmetrical Leatherette Jacket

I’m obsessed with #1, the silk floral blouse from Zara; you can’t really tell from this picture, but there are spikes all over the shoulders!! I love me some spikes!! 🙂 Outfit post coming tomorrow…though, be careful if you plan on buying it. I went to two different stores and examined 5 size smalls to only find ONE without any spikes missing. Many of them looked like a couple of the spikes never made it onto the shirt at all with no holes, others had gaping holes from the spike being ripped out (I imagine it got caught on something when being tried on). The spikes that are on it seem pretty secure though so I think it was a production issue for the most part. Just something to be aware of if you’re going to drop a hundred dollars on a shirt!

Oh, and do you see a familiar shoe (or two) up there? My beloved Dany’s who were in heavy rotation the past year, are back and more fun than ever! I couldn’t help but get 2 more pairs – they are SO comfy and the perfect WTF height. LOVE THEM! I’m tempted to get the floral or leopard version, too… 😀 we’ll see. If you plan on buying them today, Endless has them for 20% off with purchases over $100. Also, Jessica Simpson’s website is have a 40% off sale that ends today on all shoes but most sizes are gone 🙁 . I was able to snatch up #7 on sale though. When I saw a facebook picture that a friend posted wearing the Jessica Simpson Terrii’s, I was in love. I’m a sucker for anothing with bows on it and these nauticul platforms were adorable!

If you follow me on twitter or instagram, you probably saw me post this pretty awesome gold leather jacket from TopShop (#6). It was my little splurge while in Vegas last weekend – since I don’t really gamble, I spent a lot of time at the Fashion Show Mall where TopShop recently opened and figured it was the perfect souvenir 😉 … oh and for us West-Coast’ers, word is, TopShop is opening at The Grove in Hollywood on Valentine’s Day!!! Yeah, I was excited and bummed at the same time. Valentine’s Day – as in 2013… not this year. Boo! …but I can’t wait, either way! Some of their products are H&M/Forever 21 quality so it’s really not worth the high prices… but others are gorgeous quality and well worth it so I’m a big fan of TopShop but particularly in person. It’s hit or miss ordering online because you can’t see the quality of the items.

I was also super excited about #10, these Zara pants! I’ve been hunting down leather looking pants forever. Though I’m fairly small, I have bigger thighs/legs (runs in the family) so finding leather or faux leather pants that fit nicely (and don’t cost almost a thousand dollars), has always been difficult. These have the perfect look of leather and I love its moto/edgy style! I wore them with the floral spike blouse but I did notice that they loosen up quite a bit throughout a day of wearing them… might have to get myself a backup pair in a size smaller lol.

I mentioned the SoleSociety Val’s being super comfy in my last outfit post – well, I caved and ordered the other color, too! I’m hoping they’ll be duplicated in the upcoming months in more colors because they are pretty awesome. I wore them to my husband’s graduation for an entire day! Walking around a Convention Center, standing in line, out to dinner later that night… I was perfectly fine the entire day. Amazing, right? Not a single blister or soreness. Win!

Lastly, my close friends might be a little shocked with #16. I’ve been looking for a white/cream color jacket forever, but Bebe?! Really? I don’t have anything particularly against Bebe, it’s just never really been a store I’m interested in. Quality has always been a miss for the particular items I did try out there and, I don’t know, it’s just not me. Maybe because we don’t really go clubbing like that for me to wear the things they sell (hey, they had some awesome Vegas/club dresses!)… but anyway, while in Vegas, I was shopping with a girlfriend and she confessed to me that she (who also wasn’t a Bebe fan) recently started shopping there, again. I’m not going to lie, I teased her about it, but then we walked in and she spotted this jacket and I was sold. Bebe, you’ve redeemed yourself. I might stop by and check you out again next time I’m at the mall lol!

Anyway, thanks so much for stopping by & especially bearing with me for being MIA for a few days!

Xox,
An

P.s. for those of you who liked the TopShop Chain Link Peter Pan Necklace from this haul, Forever 21 has an awesome lookalike for only $10.80, a THIRD of the cost 🙁 which makes me sad since I forked over $30 for mine but eh, I don’t feel like dealing with TopShop returns. Enjoy!

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DIY

DIY Studded Fanny Pack

🙂 I love the awesome response I got on my last outfit post wearing this Studded Fanny Pack. I know a lot of people were surprised that I wore a fanny pack at all… well, I must confess, I’m actually a fan of them. Don’t worry, I mean in a fun, chic way 😉 lol I promise! I actually have a couple cute designer ones, too (a Louis Vuitton Pouchette Florentine and an old Gucci a la Carrie Bradshaw SATC). Where do I wear them to? Well, aside from just whenever it looks cute with a particular outfit I happen to be wearing, I love them for fairs, amusement parks and flea markets. Anywhere you want to go and not have to worry so much about your purse getting in the way. Disneyland? Definitely. What’s better than being able to run around Main Street USA waving your arms in the air like you just don’t care? No? Is that just me? 😛 kidding. The best part is not having to worry about forgetting your bag on a ride. Anyway, I think it’s super convenient and looks cute! Instead of having a purse weighing down your shoulder, wearing a cute edgy and comfy outfit while having fun and still looking chic is a win/win in my opinion. Okay, back to business… here we go…

What you need:

Fanny Pack (or check ebay like I did!)
Studs from StudsAndSpikes.com
Exacto Knife

The awesome team at StudsAndSpikes.com sent me these Standard English77 Silver Studs that were the closest size to the original studded fanny pack I bought from Urban Outfitters and they were perfect! I bought the fanny pack off ebay for about $8 shipped! There are tons on there so just do a search or check your local thrift store and flea markets.

First, arrange the studs where you want them on your fanny pack and take a picture! This way you can remember how many go in each section to get it to look more even and organized.

Now, start studding. For the first few, I pressed the stud’s prongs into the leather to mark where I want it and to make it easier to gauge where to cut.

Using the exacto knife, carefully cut the leather where the marks are. Be very careful not to cut yourself in the process! There are tools you can use instead of an exacto knife called an Awl like this one.

Insert the stud’s prong into the wholes you just cut.

Bend the prongs inward like so.

They should both be bent inwards and secure like a staple 🙂 .

Voila! You’ve just added your first stud!

Now… keep going!

One thing to be careful of, as I learned, is how big of a cut you make. See here? Too big 🙁 and now I have a gapping whole next to one of my studs. Obviously a better idea is using the aforementioned Awl tool. It wasn’t a big deal to me since the fanny pack was so cheap to begin with but if you’re studding a bag that’s pricier, I highly recommend investing in the tool!

Yay!!! We’re done! Now you have an awesome studded fanny pack to show off 😉 Enjoy!

Missed how I wore it? Check out my outfit here.

Special thanks to StudsAndSpikes.com for the awesome studs! They actually sent me other ones, too, so stay tuned for more DIY tutorials 😀 .

Xox,
An

P.s. Don’t want to do all this (easy) work? Buy one here (They restocked!)

What To Wear

Striped Maxi Dress + Distressed Denim Vest + SoleSociety Val Platform Sandals + Studded Fanny Pack

Forever 21 Camel Black Striped Maxi Dress, Spiked Ring and Distressed Denim Crop Vest | Alex & Chloe for Forever 21 Rhinestone Geo Necklace | SoleSociety Val Colorblock Platform Sandal | California Raw Steel by Roger Hayes Leather Cuff | DIY Studded Leather Fanny Pack (similar) | Black Rosary Bracelet | Silver Spiked Bracelet

I didn’t expect these shoes to go so perfectly with my new maxi dress! I love the pop of neon orange that makes it not overly matchy matchy. The height was perfect for me, too. Tall enough so my dress isn’t sweeping up all the nastiness on the ground lol but still comfortable (it also helps that these shoes have descent padding for the balls of your feet – note to self, order the other color, too!)

By the way, how awesome is my studded fanny pack? Did you think it was this one? It’s not! I returned that Urban Outfitters fanny pack because I kept thinking to myself, I could so make this… so… DIY how-to post coming soon. Like, real soon. As in, ~~tomorrow~~ 🙂 make sure you check back! ***Update – so obviously, it’s “tomorrow” already and my DIY post isn’t here 🙁 sorry dolls! It’s going to have to wait for Thursday but stay tuned! <3 ***Another Update! The DIY post is live 🙂 Enjoy!***

Also, please excuse that wrinkled mess at the bottom of my dress. I promise I steamed the h*ll out of it but a short car ride later and the steaming was pointless. *sigh*

Thank you so much for stopping by, reading and leaving comments! I hope you all had a great weekend & happy Monday 🙂 !

Xox,
An

Shop:

Forever 21 Camel Black Striped Maxi Dress (2011408292)
Forever 21 Spiked Stack Rings (1000043651)
Forever 21 Distressed Denim Crop Vest (2062097705)
Alex & Chloe for Forever 21 Rhinestone Geo Necklace (1087533519)
SoleSociety Val Colorblock Platform Sandal in Black Mohogany Neon Orange
California Raw Steel by Roger Hayes Leather Cuff (via Melrose Trading Post flea market)
DIY Studded Leather Fanny Pack (how-to post coming tomorrow! Similar available at ShopLately here)
Black Rosary Bracelet
Silver Spiked Bracelet (I also got one off of eBay but you can find it here)

Shopping

B. Artise – Born Again Vintage

I recently had the pleasure of connecting with B. Artise on LinkedIn. I was so excited to learn about her vision and her beautiful clothing line called Born Again Vintage. We discussed collaborating and she was sending me a couple of her gorgeous dresses to style and blog about. Unfortunately, the package never arrived and hasn’t been redirected back to her 🙁 so now, somewhere out there in the USPS shipping world, someone has a few fabulous pieces. SUCH A BUMMER!! I was so excited to style them, too! Anyway, everyone, please keep your fingers crossed and pray that package gets back to her safely!

B. Artise has also written a book called “Born Again Vintage: 25 Ways to Deconstruct, Reinvent and Recycle Your Wardrobe” which has been in magazines like Nylon and Teen Vogue and luckily for me, I had a fun opportunity to interview her!

HautePinkPretty – You’ve been designing for a while now, what is your educational and professional background and how do you feel it prepared you for a career in design?
B. Artise – I am a graduate of the Fashion Institute of technology however my emphasis was on buying. Upon graduating I held jobs as a buyer at Claire’s and Bloomingdale’s, an allocator at Strawberry’s and Manager for the Junior Dept. at Macy’s, so I held almost a job at every retail level before taking a hiatus to raise my kids. Having that experience before jumping in the designing pool allowed me to know what buyers wanted, what areas liked what even though all that gets thrown out the window when dealing with vintage.

HautePinkPretty – What attracted you to the fashion industry and specifically to design your own line?
B. Artise – I was always that girl in school that stood out and did things a little different whether it was my hairstyle or the way I wore something else everyone else wore so fashion was something I was attracted to as a teen but becoming a designer and having my own line was nothing something I can honestly say I sought after.

HautePinkPretty – You’ve been featured in amazing publications such as Vogue; how did it feel when you first saw your own designs in print?
B. Artise – Actually my book was featured in Teen Vogue. Born Again Vintage the book has really broken the mold as far as craft books go which really validated my clothing line for me.

HautePinkPretty – What was the most difficult aspect in launching your own label?
B. Artise – Ugh, finding my market. I assumed it would be vintage lovers but couldn’t have been more wrong. So it took a lot of hits and misses to finally find out who my customer was.

HautePinkPretty – What has inspired you for your most recent collection? And your personal style in general?
B. Artise – I am entirely inspired by vintage and the past eras. I love everything about the over the topness of the past eras. So I try to incorporate a little of that elegance from the yesteryear’s into my everyday wardrobe.

HautePinkPretty – What are you excited about for style and trends for the upcoming seasons?
B. Artise – Everything is vintage inspired nowadays so I like to see what era the designers decide to pull from and how they interpret it.

HautePinkPretty – What are your plans for the future?
B. Artise – The plan is to infiltrate the mind of the average consumer so that they do not automatically go to the mall for something new. I want them to think they have options, smarter options and if they go to the mall, oh well but at least they had a choice.

HautePinkPretty – How often do you incorporate your own designs into your outfits, do you still shop at other stores and buy other brands?
B. Artise – I have not step foot in a mall in years nor do I buy from boutiques, I wear my items, or colleagues or buy from thrift shops/vintage stores. I wear something vintage everyday, whether it’s just my shoes, or my glasses or my scarf, you won’t catch me vintage-less.

HautePinkPretty – What do you wish you had known before joining the fashion industry?
B. Artise – There were really no surprises when joining the industry but I did not know that people were so much a slave to labels and trends as I thought which is definitely an obstacle for emerging designers.

HautePinkPretty – Any fun facts about yourself you’re willing to share?
B. Artise – Ummmm, I am addicted to Hot Tamales (the candy) and Pepsi Max, lol. I am diligently working on trying to be more “green” with my eating, keyword “trying”.

Thanks so much, B. Artise! It was so much fun learning more about you, your book and your gorgeous clothing line!

Make sure you visit her site, book and Etsy shop!

Xox,
An

P.s. Thank you everyone for your super sweet birthday wishes on my previous blog posts!! <3

Foodie Lifestyle What To Wear

My Birthday Dinner

An Dyer wearing TopShop Gold Mesh Collar Necklace | Zara Peplum Dress | Gold Double Cuffs | Jimmy Choo Corsica Sandals circa FW'09 | Jeffrey Lazaro White Pebbled Leather Foldover Clutch | Decree Ring

After quite an eventful birthday brunch, my husband completed my special day with reservations at Petrossian’s in West Hollywood. I’ve mentioned Petrossian before, here. And since then, we’ve been back a total of 4 times. I can now confidently say, it’s my absolute favorite restaurant (beating Mastro’s by just a hair lol). There’s also a location at The Bellagio in Las Vegas, and for my East Coast friends, there’s a location in New York, as well!

I was so excited to dine here again and since we had dinner reservations (and had dined there multiple times before), I wasn’t too surprised that they recognized us upon arriving. It’s a small boutique restaurant and the staff was the same, after all. However, as we followed the hostess around the corner to our table, I was greeted by this gorgeous bouquet of dendrobium orchids (my all-time favorite flowers!). My husband had them delivered to the restaurant for me. So romantic! I had no idea you could even do that lol! We’ve been together for 6 years and he still never ceases to amaze me :).

Caviar Martini

Transmontanous White Sturgeon Caviar

Caviar Accoutrements

Petrossian West Hollywood - Egg Royale, Blinis and Dungeness Crab Corn Soup

Egg Royale | Blinis - Caviar, Trout Roe, Salmon Roe | Dungeness Crab Corn Soup

Prime Beef Burger

Sorbet Trio

I could not have asked for a better birthday this year and I feel so incredibly blessed. This year is going to be an amazing one, I already know it ;).

Thank you all so much for visiting, reading and of course, your wonderful comments!

Xox,
An

P.s. I’ve been featured on Audrey Magazine’s website as an Audrey Style Gal!!! Check it out! 😀

Shop:

TopShop Mesh Bib Collar Necklace
Zara Peplum Dress (similar dresses here and here)
Gold Double Cuffs (eBay, similar here and here)
Jimmy Choo Corsica Sandals circa FW’09
Jeffrey Lazaro White Pebbled Leather Foldover Clutch (by special order at Hauskrft)
Decree Metallic Stone Ring (similar here or here)

Fashion

beauty

lifestyle

Retail Therapy: ShopLately + TopShop + SoleSociety + Zara + Jessica Simpson + H&M

DIY Studded Fanny Pack

Striped Maxi Dress + Distressed Denim Vest + SoleSociety Val Platform Sandals + Studded Fanny Pack

B. Artise – Born Again Vintage

My Birthday Dinner

P.s. I’ve been featured on Audrey Magazine’s website as an Audrey Style Gal!!! Check it out! 😀