cross my heart, and soon to buy

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t totally obsessed with the new trend of crosses that has been cropping up this spring and summer  – cross earings, bracelets, and necklaces galore.

Traditionally, the cross has been most commonly seen as a symbol strictly worn by those of Catholic or Christian faith.  And while it does still hold religious connotations and great value to many, the fashion industry has morphed this centuries old symbol  into an image so versatile that it can be worn by anyone, anywhere.  And, by doing so, the wearer will automatically look chicer and a tad edgier.  Count me in.

After scouring the many pages of Pinterest, here are my favorite cross pieces (look for the “how to” below):

• necklaces

if  Kourtney is wearing it, you know it has to be fabulous

a bold turquoise version

an oversized pendant

• rings

small and delicate

the multi-finger statement piece

• earrings

go big or go home

toughen up with chains

How to wear:

• DO use to accessorize anything leather, denim or otherwise bad ass looking material
• DON’T use as an accessory to an outfit consisting of only leather, denim or other bad ass material unless you want to look gothic or like you are about to join a cult (fyi: this is not the look you are going for)
• DO use to toughen up lace or sheer fabrics
• DON’T buy a cross that is a crucifix as a fashion statement –  save this for religious purposes
• DO wear crosses with confidence and a “fuck yeah betches” kind of attitude

What do you think? Would you wear a cross or is it too religious? Comment below and let us know!

-kelsey-

a shot of awkward, straight up

So who spiked everyone’s drinks with a little dose of awkward at this years MTV Movie Awards?

The MTV Movie Awards should be a night of relaxed fun for the stars who are looking more at Oscar nods than for a shout out from the channel that provides quality television like Teen Mom and Jersey Shore.  Instead, it was a night filled with overly-punchy jokes, self-concious presenters, and stars in ridiculously high heels.

The event started out a little rough with British comedian and recently divorced Russel Brand’s opening monologue.  After seeing Brand live at an event at Northeastern, I became a fan.  Sadly, this was not his shining moment.  Not so surprisingly, this year’s bad boy Charlie Sheen was the celebrity that received the most attention from the host.  Brand made the obvious drug and alcohol references and like any self respecting middle aged addict, Sheen seemed unfazed and even excited at times to be called on.  However, Sheen wasn’t really the one being made fun of.  Many of Brand’s jokes were targeted at democracy and American government… a little heavy for an award show I’d say.

Besides those jabs, Brand truly went too far with the one-liner about his failed marriage to pop princess Katy Perry.  Don’t ya think thats a little too soon Rus?  At least when his pool of celeb criticism grew dry, he always had his oh so clever punchline of the night to fall back on: “Twilight! Hunger Games!”

Russel Brand at the MTV Movie Awards

Luckily, a little heat was taken off Brand with the first presenters of the night: Ted co-stars Mila Kunis and Mark Wahlberg.  Disastrous.  First, an audience member yelled something at Kunis which upset her and Wahlberg.  At home viewers were left in total confusion as the original comment was inaudible, and then Wahlberg’s response was bleeped out.  All of this took place in the middle of an already awkward presentation in which the stars had to read from a script that threw Mother Teresa and Bono under the bus as huge dirtbags.  If these are the unfortunate lines given to you, just go with it.  Don’t apologize Mila and blame it on the teleprompter.  At this point, I was thoroughly tempted to change the channel.  Good thing I didn’t.

“Mother Teresa. Famous for her charity work. Huge, huge dirtbag.”

By continuing to watch this rapidly unraveling awards show, I was able to get a good laugh out of watching girl after girl cautiously stride out onto the stage while putting all of her body weight on her male co-presenter because her shoes were too damn high!  Ladies, do us all a favor and opt for the 9 inch stilettos instead of the 10 inch ones.  It really is impressive when you can walk on your own.

That’s it, baby steps Leighton.

After all of this, I breathed a deep sigh of relief at the always hilarious Emma Stone.  Emma saved the night.  She was the steady rock of hilarity, beauty and inspiration in this storm of awkward.  Her award presentation for break through performance had the audience roaring after she revitalized us with her signature style of… less than wholesome family fun language .  The now blonde actress barely even looked at a teleprompter and instead chose to gaze at her adorable boyfriend and Spider Man costar, Andrew Garfield.

Later in the evening, Stone was honored with the MTV Trailblazer award and accepted it with incredible poise and grace.  Through watery eyes, Emma sent this message to fans:

“Continue to harness your own originality and what makes you unique… because sometimes what sets you apart can feel like a burden, and it’s not.  And a lot of the time it’s what makes you great.”

In one night she brought both laughter and tears to the audience and rocked a chic color block peplum dress while doing it.  That’s my kind of girl.

Amen for Emma

What other MTV Movie Award moments made you cringe or made you laugh?  Let us know!

the sunday skinny

It’s Sunday again and you know what that means: time to dish out the skinny on what we loved the most from this week. From the MTV Movie Awards to the Miss USA Pageant, I spent a good part of my time oo-ing, ahh-ing and eww-ing at the TV (I think its time to send some of the Miss USA contestants a round of burgers). Here are the fabulous favorites for this week.

favorite red carpet outfit:

Charlize Theron wows in this red dress. Classy from head to toe, this gorgeous actress turns heads with ease. If only the rest of us could be so lucky!

favorite way to avoid boredom:

DIY-ing! You end up with totally unique and awesome items, it’s actually really fun! And it’s way better than sitting in front of the TV all day watching re-runs. Check out Kelsey’s post on DIY shorts for more information about our DIY day.

new favorite gossip:

Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth are ENGAGED. Lucky bitch. But I can’t help but wonder if Kim Kardashian is rooting for the possibility of the marriage failing faster than hers.

favorite random celebrity appearance:

Joe Jonas. Why you were a judge for Miss USA 2012 is beyond me. But he must have felt very confident next to fellow random celebrity judge Rob Kardashian.

favorite quote:

Let’s be real. Retail therapy is therapy for a reason. Nothing beats slipping on a brand new pair of spiky stilettos or sparkly flats after a terrible week. The best part? Shoes are the one aspect of fashion always guaranteed to fit.

~shannon~

DIY: lace shorts

If you are like me and are obsessed with Pinterest, you have probably been bombarded with images of run of the mill jean shorts made over with lace and transformed into an ultra-trendy version of the classic original.  The best part about these DIY bottoms is that they are totally unique to the owner.  I personally love the lace versions, but have also seen super cute shorts done up with patterned fabric as well.

Today I decided that my denim threads needed a little makeover and thus began my journey as a DIY-er {a summer goal of mine}.  Thankfully, my project was a success and I’m pumped to wear my new shorts.  Here is a step-by-step guide to lace-ifying jean shorts so you can make yours just as chic!  The whole process took about an hour.

1. Materials: pencils or sharpie, scissors, needle, thread {I recommend white for lace}, sewing pins, jean shorts, and lace.  To go the cheaper route, look around your house for any lace fabric that you can cut into.  I was on my way to the craft store when I remember this heinous bride’s maid dress my mom once wore sitting in the garage just waiting to be torn up.

2. Measure: Cut a piece of lace slightly larger than the area of the short you want to cover.  Line up the lace with the jeans and use the sewing pins to attach the corners of the shorts to the lace.  Dot the outline with pencil or sharpie, and then take off the lace and cut out the outline.

3. Sew: After you cut the fabric, realign the lace to the shorts and pin it again.  Begin sewing, being careful to not sew the pocket together, or to interfere with the belt loops or the zipper.  I recommend decorating the left side of the shorts so that it will be on the underside of the zipper {aka not what I did}.

4. Refine: Cut any excess lace from the seams and then you’re done!

This also looks great on the back pockets of jeans!  Let me know what you think and how yours turn out by commenting below!

-kelsey-

all hail the long tail

A skirt that is as much business in the back as it is party in the front, this super-chic style takes on the mullet look with a new twist. The light and airy fabric is sexy at mid-thigh and gradually gets longer at the sides and back, hitting just around the calf line. Boys will be drooling over sky-high legs and girls will be envious of the fashion-forward purchase. Case and point, I must get one of these.

Another plus: accessorizing. Whether dressing up for a fancy evening out or playing it casual with friends, accessories are a big part of the versatility of this look. Flats or heels, chunky or dainty jewelry, tank top or blouse–playing the skirt up or down is simple and allows for personalization, making the look as unique and chic as you are.

The problem comes into choosing exactly which type of long tail skirt to get. They come in a variety of colors, fabrics, waistlines and hem lengths. How can a girl choose? I personally am a fan of the pastel colored chiffon skirts, but the more I look the more I like! Here are a few to get your wish list started:

 

 

 

 

~shannon~

the sunday skinny

It’s officially Sunday, our favorite day to hang out, veg out, and dish it out… our best of the week that is!  The Sunday skinny is our weekly post confessing what made us happiest over the past six days.  A lá style of “Friday Favorites” written by everyone’s favorite Cali-girl, Lauren Conrad, here is the skinny on this week!

• favorite nails

Bring the party to your fingers with blue hue’d tips & one glitter nail {Kiko 389 + Milani Silver polish)

• favorite quote

Why shouldn’t everyday be exciting?

• favorite beach hair

The bandana look is not only easy and perfect for hot weather, but is also making a huge comeback since Rosie the Riveter last rocked it.

• favorite scent

Grass. No, I’m not talking about eu de parfum grass edition. I’m talking about straight up fresh cut grass. Nothing smells like the start of summer quite like the outdoorsy aroma lingering in the air after the lawn mower has done its job.

• favorite fun exercise

Lately I’ve been totally bike crazed. After I had enough of the gym during the winter months and switched to running, it quickly became mundane. Pulling out the two wheeler and hitting the streets turned out to be a great way to mix up work outs.

• favorite app

To go along with my new cycling obsession, I downloaded this app – Map My Tracks – the app that for .99 cents will track your distance, speed, elevation, and burned calories, as well as keep track of where you went on your ride! Even if you don’t take up my biking challenge, this app has a setting for just about every mobile workout from running to hot air ballooning and paddle boarding.

 

-kelsey-