expensive shit you can actually just make yourself, vol. 1

this edition of "expensive shit you can actually just make yourself" is all about our favorite piece: the scarf. while perusing the free people website one day we came across the plaid scarf pictured below. its a decent scarf. plaid is pretty awesome most of the time and these colors are interesting. but in the end, the truth is that this is a tiny scrap of flannel that you will be paying $32 to own when you can easily DIY. we thought we could do better! turns out, we did...

the free people menswear stripe skinny scarf

step 1. we found an xl men's flannel at a thrift store for $2.99. note: it has to be flannel! any synthetic fabrics won't rip the right way.

step 2: make a tiny cut at the bottom and rip straight up the grain of the fabric. we made three equal-length sections to put together, and even included a pocket on one.

step 3: sew pieces together with contrast zig-zag stitching to complete the well-worn/rough edges effect. we used a bright turquoise thread.

the end result is a soft, funky, hip plaid scarf that cost $2.99 and took a total of fifteen minutes to make. the best part is that by DingIY you can choose the fabric, width and length you like. 

all-in-all, making this was literally easier than going to the store and paying money for the free people scarf, even if we would've been okay with spending the $32 (which we wouldn't have been). happy sewing!

cheers!

rockin' the suburbs

although at valentine on the side we love to be thrifty, we recognize that sometimes you need to spend money on quality products. we also know that, as much as you may dislike it, you may sometimes need to go to the suburbs (like, maybe that's where your dentist is or something). if these two events happen to collide, the best place to go is compostion at belmar. belmar is a city within a city type of weird alien shopping complex located in lakewood, about a 15 minute drive from downtown denver.

composition is a design heavy boutique, with books, paper products, organizational supplies, bags, laptop accessories and jewelry. they also carry the more kooky items on the high style spectrum like baby sea turtle onesies and earrings made from recycled skateboards. they try to carry as many green products as possible which is why it's a pricer store. it's the type of store you wouldn't blink at to find in new york or berlin or london but it's shocking to find such a place located in denver. composition is also very travel friendly so they have an amazing selection of travel books (including the incredible color-blocked phadon travel series) and books about foreign cities, inciting your travel lust even further while visting this oasis of high style.

it was a delight to visit and here are our favorite bits:

walls and tables abound filled with everything from graphic design and archetecture books, super cool smart magazines for creative thinkers, travel guides, crafting and general hip hilarity. 

composition is maybe best known for having the coolest bags in the denver area. they run pretty pricy but they're high quality and the staff is super helpful when it comes to finding the right one for you.

el's favorite bag is a sleek japaneese design, the allen foldover by RO. ken's favorite bag is an oversized felt number by Carga.

and here we are, at the baby gorilla pillow at last. how amazing is that? we also have featured above the incredible not quite edible egg pants (don't you just have to have them?) and the two thing el couldn't leave behind at the store, a lovely deer card and a new toothbrush holder.

if you dare venture into the suburbs, you have to stop by composition. we love it so much here is all their contact info (they have an online store for those of you not in colorado):

composition 

7180 w. alaska drive

lakewood, co 80226

www.shopcomposition.com

cheers!

fashionista of the month: miss carrie lindberg

every month we ask the same 5 questions of our fellow fashion-loving coloradoans who have enough style and sass to stand out against the sea of northface jackets, beanies, and ratty tshirts we so commonly encounter. now, that being said, carrie b. lindberg doesn't live here in denver and never has. but seeing how this blog is so new and she's been mentioned twice in it already, we thought it fine to break the rules we set for ourselves and interview miss CB lindberg for the march edition. when was CB lindberg mentioned in the blog you ask? remember when elinor referenced huge glasses, saying she only knew one girl who could pull off that look? that girl is carrie lindberg (yes, she IS very special). and the blog previous to this one when el talked about how going to a co-worker's fabulously decorated home inspired her to color-block her bookshelf? that co-worker was none other than carrie lindberg. carrie currently lives, shops, and organizes things by color in seoul, korea. hailing from the wonderous city of minneapolis, she will surely bring the heat this week to valentine on the side. give it to us carrie!

1. why do you think you're so fashionable?

CBL: i think i'm fashionable because, well, to be honest, i don't think i'm fashionable. i like clothes and i like looking nice, but for the most part, i toss on jeans and a tshirt, and possibly a sweater vest and cardigan. i tend to wear standard pieces and add some flair with scarves. prints and patterns are really appealing to me, and that could very well be something that makes me seem more fashionable and put-together than i actually am. i can pick out a great scarf from a mile away.

2. what's the LEAST fashionable thing about you?

CBL: i'm a sucker for irony. i buy clothing that is funny more often than i buy clothing that will work for me or last for a long time. for example, i am sitting here typing in a peach shirt that says "lovers" in cooper black (the font). i also have a navy blue sweater with an intarsia ghost. i also love giant, stupid glasses like no one else you will ever meet.

3. what current trend or trends do you hate the most right now?

CBL: brand names. logos emblazoned on any and every item that someone is sporting is such a huge visual turn-off to me. there are definitely things that a lot of people i know are into (chuck taylors, vans, chrome bags---mostly shoes and bags now that i think of it) that are obvious whether the tag is clear and easy to see or not. there is something about paying an insane amount of money to advertise a brand to the world that is so counter-intuitive to me. being brand-loyal because of durability and ease: that's a whole different animal.

4. what is your secret fashion vice?

CBL: its not really a secret, and i'm totally jumping on the bandwagon with this one, but as i've mentioned i'm really into scarves. in fact i fear this vice may bankrupt me. i bought three scarves yesterday alone!

5. who or what is a fashion inspiration to you?

CBL: colors are what really get me going. i find a color or color combination i love and will follow it hard. i went through a serious yellow and gray stage that i'm just now coming out of, and am transitioning to red oranges and corals with ashy blacks and slate blue grays. color combos that kill me usually involve something citrusy and something very neutral. oddly, i am also really into grey and khaki together. it is delicious in the most boring way possible, i guess. cannot get enough.

undercover fashion correspondent cb lindberg

as a BONUS, we asked carrie to give us a little dirt on what the scene is like over there in seoul, a.k.a. to be our VOTS asian fashion correspondent. here's what she noted....

CBL: fashion in seoul is conservative in a really strange way. everyone here wears tops that cover pretty much everything. turtlenecks, scoop-necks, layers, scarves, etc. its a big deal, even in the summer, to keep covered in that way. buuuuuuuuttttt, they also wear really insanely short shorts and skirts. even in the winter you'll see girls tromping around in barely-there skirts with either nylons or colored tights (adorable). high high heels are another thing that i can't seem to wrap my head around, because in korea you are forever walking and/or climbing flights of stairs. but girls here are like robots when it comes to this. they will rock 4 or 5-inch heels every day of the week, no matter what.

fashion for guys is pretty typical and similar to what's popular in the west i think. men here are generally quite thin, tall, and gorgeous. the majority of men wear thick-framed glasses, have shaggy haircuts, wear skinny jeans, blazers, scarves, and man purses. in fact i have seen a few really spectacular man purses which are much more feminine than anything the girls i know would have. but that, i presume, has more to do with culture and gender roles/gender identity than anything else.

thanks carrie!

until next time...

cheers!

DESIGN TIP OF THE MONTH: COLOR-BLOCKING!!!!

turns out that arranging your books by author is so 2008. one way to really jazz up your living space (and what's more stylish than having a cool pad?) without spending a dime is to color-block...well, everything....but let's start with your bookshelf. below is an example of a non-color-blocked bookshelf: messy, disorganized (perhaps a little familiar looking??) but with lots of potential.

does your bookshelf look like this? gross. its a good thing we came along.

so how much of a difference can one color-blocked bookshelf make? check out kendall's color-blocked books below. it cost $0 and took about ten minutes......

much better!!! as you can see, color-blocking adds a certain je ne sais quoi. you not only look semi-organized, but design-savvy as well. and once you start color-blocking books, the obsession only grows... it eventually expands to include cd's, movies (which is really hard), clothes, trinkets, picture frames...oh my god...it goes on and on...

el became a fan of color-blocking back in her early days of boutique retail in fort collins, she then honed this admiration during her time at paper source in mpls--the chapel of color-blocking (check it for yourself www.paper-source.com). after visiting the home of a paper source co-worker who had everything on her walls not only situated in little old fashioned type writer boxes (adorable) but also color blocked, she knew she needed to apply color organization to her home. her book shelf (hard to photo as it is over 6') remains her favorite color-blocked home addition and the one that gets the most attention from visitors. el likes it when she sees other's color-blocked book shelves as she enjoys seeing what color of books people buy the most of. el has more red books than any other color, ken has more black. how about you?

what amazing heights can you reach with color-blocking you ask? we will leave you with a photo we found on the web that made us both gasp with delight, and not just because there is a small dog in the picture. who is the amazing princess who took the time to organize this precious bookshelf? we may never know. but we are in awe.

the holy grail of color-blocking

until next time, cheers!

something you can have an opinion on no matter where you are: oscar fashion

kendall and el could not be together this week (single tear) to bring you the best in local and worldwide fashion so they are doing their posts separately about fashion's biggest show pony night: the oscars! ms. ken will post first followed by ms. el. enjoy!

kendall's 2009 FAVES!:::

first up, and most controversal (at least between el and i: exciting!!), is amy adams. el hates this dress but i think its Fabulous --and i even gave it a capital F-- i love the dress but more so i love the dress paired with the bold, colorful (but mainly turquoise) necklace. she looks like a saucy cleopatra.

you know how i love sequins, so i had to put miss anne hathaway on my faves list. the dress is stunning and eye-catching against her darker coloring. i love that this number is classy and sexy without being over-the-top poofy like an enormous, crazy wedding dress (see p. cruz, at the bottom). the PERFECT oscar dress, i'd say. well done.

there is nothing better than the tried but true sexy black dress, diane lane. it hugs in all the right places. an honorable mention goes to angelina jolie, who paired her LBD with green earrings (see el's post).

el and i tried to pick different do's and don't's for this post, but we both just had to mention evan rachel wood. evan rachel, i heard you are dating mickey rourke, which is confusing and kind of gross, but you couldn't look more sensible and fashionable right now in this greek goddessesque cream-colored number. just when america thinks you're all innocent, you slap on the naughty black nail polish to remind us that not only are you dating mickey rourke, who played your father in the wrestler, but you also once dated marilyn mansion. i'm beyond impressed.

guilina rancic has the right idea with the jewel-toned burgundy that goes so well with her complexion, the one-shoulder thing that i love and el hates, and the sexy sweetheart neckline. so precious.

gray dresses can be hit or miss (ahem, kate winslet) but this is a fabulous gray that maria menousnous is sporting. i am loving the sheer, curve-hugging bodice with the full, flowy skirt. very unique and fabulous.

this is another double both el and i just had to post. marisa tomei, could you look any more amazing? she is 45 years old, people, 45!! i used to be scared of getting older, but now i am not. marisa tomei's fabulousness have given me supreme hope.

SJP, one of my all-time favorite fashion icons, made me appreciate the poofy fairy dress this year with her modern belt and casual flowing hair additions. also, she wanders the red carpet apparently unafraid that her boobs will pop out, which is the most impressive part. well done!

NON-FAVES!

so...i love tilda swinton, but we have here a classic example of dressing for you body type and coloring being a huge factor... taupes are great, but on her pale complexion i think it washes her out in a big way, and that bright orangey-red lipstick and slicked-back hair doesn't help. also this super skinny skirt and loose, flowing top doesn't look so great on her tall, lean figure. better luck next year tilda.



amanda seyfried is just so precious you have to love her, but i do not love her in this dress. what's going on with this draping at the bottom? had the dress been long and flowing, it may have merely made it to my "on the fence" category, but this weird hem makes her look like a tiny little person (what's the correct term?).



bridgit fonda, some people tell me i look like you, and right now i'm kind of hoping its not true. everything about this outfit is a throwback to the early 90's, which is a time that's not exactly in again yet...sorry.. the shapeless dress, the shiny fabric, the sash (worst part!!!) and the chunky gold necklace?? ugh. wait... i just noticed the tiny purse!! what is going on?! is this photo from the archives of oscars past?



on anybody else: maybe. but on heidi klum? the model? she is just wasting the gloriousness that is her perfect figure by throwing this hideous, neon thing on top of it.

ON THE FENCE.......................

penelope cruz, i love you and you always look amazing, but big poofy white dresses look a little too much like wedding dresses for my tastes.

what is the appeal in this weird, satiny, shapeless, china-doll look? lose the ugly oversized bow, j. biel, and it might be okay.

kate winslet, i love you sooo much that i really really wanted you to end up in the best of category, but i just cant get down this this bland, gray metallic dress. i usually am a fan of gray, but this somehow is about the most boring color you could pick for an oscar dress. it does nothing for you.

people have been giving Beyonce a lot of shit about this dress, but what is really so bad about it? yes, she looks a little like she needed some baby oil to squeeze into it, but i think the black and gold is keepin it pretty classy. when i think back to some of the crazy shit she's worn, i kinda like it.. but i am on the fence about the mermaid thing.

i would have LOVED this dress when i was about nine. but i'm all grown up, and a little confused about it.

ONWARD AND UPWARD!!! ELINOR'S PICKS........
(el also added a special category: hot men of the oscars)

elinor's FAVES!:::

why not start with angie jo? hottest of the hot. i think her brilliant emerald earrings really made the outfit pop and i love the sheer overlay showing a bit of leg. sexy and elegant. well played, angie, you've come a long way from that girl, interrupted outfit (shutter). this outfit also showcases one of my favorite trends of the night, the sweetheart neckline. splendid example.

viola davis was totally stunning in this gown. god, who on earth can pull off that color? it made her skin look delicious. the draping was beautiful and stood out among the nights creams and topes. i liked the funk of the color with the classic cut of the dress.

i read a funny thing in the onion that was like "meryl streep spends 260 days of the year being honored"...well, hate to add another day of meryl revelry to your repertoire but seriously! i don't even know how old this lady is, i just know that she wears her age like a classy god damn dame in this flattering,feminine dress that doesn't try to be too showy, matronly or immature--three blocks that older ladies sometimes stumble over (did you see sophia loren?).

though i think evan rachel wood (despite being really talented, but that's not what this blog is about) usually looks like a bad dita von tesse knock off...tonight she really pulled off something unique. the neck is to die for, i love the little black nails reminding us that it is 2009, because with the milky skin and art deco gown ERW could be strait from a 1930 movie premiere. and vintage looks on the red carpet always score high points with me.

natalie portman and alycia keys are my two pretty ladies in lilac of the night. what an awesome color, first of all and i like that they are showcased on two totally different figures and skin tones and it still looks rad. i hope lilac sticks around. natalie is as per usual cute as a stinkin' button and alycia is sexy and glam in a way beyonce could never touch in 1,000 years (addressed later)

oh darling, p. cruz. it's like the sweetheart neckline was made for you. i don't know how you went from vicky christina barcelona super siren sex pot hotness to looking like the debutante that everyone envies at the ball, but good job.

dear marisa tomei,

in your incredible gown with detailing that makes me want to cry, worn confidently with beautiful hair and emphasising your spun sugar like delicacy means you are the ONLY PERSON who escapes my fashion gavel of doom when it comes to my most hated trend, the single shoulder sling.

congrats,

el

save the best for last...

anne hathaway, holy moly! she could not have looked more beautiful, everything from the hair to the beading on the gown are just perfect for her face and frame.

NON-FAVES!!

reece witherspoon. damn, girl. what happened to you? you were all sexy post ryan hotness and then....blue black patchy plaid with some weird shoulder drapery? i don't like this dress because if it makes a hollywood lady who is paid to be sexy look frumpy and figureless, it ain't gonna work for the average gal.

vanessa hudgens, one of the many, many casualties of mermaid dress. this disease had a horrible outbreak among hollywood this award season, is there no cure? and ps, what the fuck is growing off your chest?

yes, she's 40 and a naked GQ cover girl. does that mean she can wear a clingy dress with lines going in 1,000 directions and have it not look weird and unflattering? no, no it doesn't. sorry jen aniston.

i don't want to say anything bad about melissa leo being that she is so new on scene and got an oscar nod for a movie no one even heard of...but she's made that impossible. what would possess you to wear a dress that's the same color as your hair, one. and two, did no stylist talk to her, none? not a single stylist? the length, draping and neckline on that dress would give a 1950's vintage thrift store pause. they'd be like "this dress is really wrinkled and shapeless...i'll give you $5."

beyonce. why did you do it, beyonce?

kate winslet. this is hard for me because i love katie w. and want to support everything she does, i even watched the holiday. yeah, you heard me, the holiday. and it's weird because every best dressed list i look at she's on there and i'm like "does no one see what i see????". it's the dreaded, hated shoulder strap of doom. what is that? it makes her look like her dress has been critically wounded on the battlefield and patched up for quick repair. also, i hate her hair. i think if it weren't for the shoulder strap i could over look the hair and weird lace and just ignore this dress but all together...trainwreck.

i like amy adams, she's so beautiful. she's the true return to the hollywood red head that lindsay lohan failed to nail. so, i like amy adams. and i also like comic books. but that doesn't mean i want to see amy adams going to the oscars as spiderman.

virginia madsen. i don't know, i'm not crazy about the red on the red carpet and also doesn't this dress look like it would be in like a showtime movie about someone who went to the oscars? like "what's a cheap dress we can slap on this actress for this next oscar scene? can someone run to jessica mclintock and grab something in a primary color please?"

i want to make some kind of "you're either in or your out" project runway joke. but heidi klum, there is nothing funny about this dress. it makes me wonder if she kept an orphan project runway kid from a past season slaving away making shitty gowns in her basement, thinking they're unique and failing miserably.

worst for last!

jessica biel, a fellow colorado girl. sorry, sister. you look like you're wearing a table cloth with your hair thrown back in a quick half pony tail. is that dress easy to transform into a snow suit? you going to hit the slopes later? did anyone tell you that look wasn't going to make it outside of veil? where's justin? where o where is justin? is he mad at you? why didn't he help you?

ON THE FENCE......

yes, it's a mermaid gown. but it's a little more subtle and it's halle berry. i don't know. i'm confused.

i really like this combo, but i understand why other people hate it. i think tilda swinton can take huge fashion risks and i applaud her for her, but is it the prettiest thing i've ever seen? no. and i think for the oscars we expect pretty.

this dress has one sleeve and a shoulder strap, so by my own rules i should hate it. but like halle berry, i think freida pinto is super georgous, so i'm confused about what looks good and what doesn't. i also am a sucker for blue. this oscar was so white and nutral, i was happy when i saw punchy, brave colors. i also thought it was very nuvo bollywood.

sjp. it's a little boring, it's not un-pretty. i couldn't quite ignore it nor could i hate it. something was amiss with the boobs and it's a shade too prom...but it's also very prima ballerina and i can't decide if the ballerina shit is sjp's staple and i love her for it or if i'm sick of looking at it.

miley cyrus is catching a lot of shit for this dress. but how old is she, 16? if you were 16 and going to the oscars and probably didn't have a lot of normal things in your future like senior prom, you might pick this dress. it's very, very girly princess dress but i'm ok with that. not crazy about, but ok with.

amada seyfried is just such a doll...seriously, look at her, she is a living doll! i love her to bits and think the orangish hints of this dress were very pretty and love the big bow and hollywood hair, she's like a pin-up girl. but then there's something about the cut that's not quite making it happen. i can't decide. maybe i just watch too much veronica mars.

THE HOT MEN OF THE OSCARS

mickey rourke's sloppy cool white jeans with old timey black vest combo looked casual but still respectful of the event. he stayed really true to himself and looked handsome and fun. where was his date? he could have taken me!

i have no idea who john legend is. who is he? well, i do know he is a man who wears bomb ass chocolate colored 1960's throw back suits with tie tacks. HOT STUFF. also the "peach" on his arm speaks pretty well of him.

how does RDJ manage to still look like a spry 25 year old hottie? how old is he for real? it's like he took all of the tony stark charisma and just applied it to his life. his suit is so classy, love the lapels.

sean penn looking very elegant for his oscar win (and you never know with sean penn homo loving commie that he is) with some equally elegant arm candy in black (giving the angie/brad combo a decent run for their money, i think)

josh brolin just looked like the hot cowboy all scrubbed up. and i am always a fan of that. and can i pretty please just age like diane lane? please?

i close my post with the woman who would have been my winner for "fave dress" (in her stunning, stunning, everything an oscar dress should be, christian dior gown) marion cotillard but who couldn't win because i have to blame her for the 2009 mermaid dress outbreak as her 2008 mermaid dress looked so god damn amazing on her it made beyonce knowles think she could pull it off too. below are both gowns 2008/2009. 

we hope you enjoyed our ruthless jugementalness as much as we did! see you next week!

cheers,
k and el