So what is Presh?

Where did I come up with the blog title you ask???
Well, it all started when I was just a young senior in high school looking to take an easy elective. So, I chose fashion design~ I loved fashion, and it sounded like an easy A. One of the class projects was to come up with a name for your future fashion line and to design a label for it, thus "Presh" was born~lol.
Presh- a combination of the words Precious and Fresh. Go ahead, you can giggle a little bit~! But, doesn't shortening words make everything cuter? Like "coincidence" for example. Why don't we all save some time and just say, "that's such a co!" instead of saying every syllable of every word? Like would be far less comp.
I also decided to add the word "pocket" to the title. Doesn't the word pocket just make everything cuter also??
So, I would just like to say thank you to Mrs. Penhale, my high school fashion design teacher, without whom I might never of considered a career in fashion, and without whom I might never of been forced to think of this fantastic blog title.
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Side note
Have a bloglovin account? I don't know how I would keep up with all the blogs I follow without it! Here's a link to follow mine!
Follow my blog with bloglovin
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Another side note:
My computer genius husband fixed my blog layout because I realized my pictures were getting cut off/ background was going funky on certain computers with different screen resolutions (thanks for letting me know grandmom!!). Please pardon my lack of html coding skills. ;) I am hoping to figure out a way to bring back my cute background, and keep my pictures huge, and have it look great on all computers. I need a huge "pardon our progress sign" to flash across my blog~lol.

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Channeling Lucy Ricardo

Isn't this vintage 50's pattern so fun? It's so I Love Lucy. I can't wait to sew one up for myself. A friend from work brought in several old patterns and she let me borrow this one. I like the stripe fabric in the picture....a plaid would be cute too...I'm also picturing a more formal version in a navy shantung.

And now to alter this size 14 to fit me.....there lies the challenge.

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Sweet and Rough

One of my favorite fashion bloggers,Jessica from What I Wore, is hosting another style challenge this week. It's called "Sweet and Rough" and its all about mixing opposites like floral dresses with leather biker jackets. So, I decided to take on the challenge.

My style is typically more on the sweet side, but I thought this sounded like a fun way to mix up outfits in a way I never would have thought of. I mixed a feminine chiffon ruffled top with a pair of destroyed jeans.



Matt wanted me to pose in front of this Porsche. Wish it was ours!

I thought Matt did a great job with the photos today! This was his idea to pose in the fish-eye mirror~ turned out really neat!

Can't wait to see how all the other bloggers will do this challenge on Tuesday. Maybe my look will be chosen!

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Outfit Details

Top: Old Navy

Jeans: Forever 21

Shoes: Wal-Mart (I'm not even kidding!!)

Purse: Lotus Boutique

Sunglasses: New York and Co.

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A view from the top....

So we discovered this amazing view from the roof top of our parking garage. We live on the first floor and had never made the venture to the top........until now! See the city skyline in the background? What a great place to go pop out a lawn chair, sip wine, watch the sunset, and clear your head for the day!


I wanted to make this dress a little more work-appropriate, so I added this t-shirt underneath. I am fortunate to have a very casual dress code, but I still wanted to keep conservative.

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Outfit Details:
Dress: Charlotte Russe
T-shirt: Know Style
Shoes: Steve Madden (again!)
Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs
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What to wear to theme parks...

Why do some people think theme parks give them the right to dress so tacky? I'm not saying you gotta look your best. All I'm asking for is a little class people--a little class.
On Sunday I went to Six Flags with Matt and my uncle. My uncle is a roller coaster enthusiast and knows all the facts about them and which seats are best for which rides, which makes Six Flags that much more fun. We had a great day there-- there were no lines!!-- but one thing I did notice is the lack of appropriate fashion. Stacey and Clinton would have a hay day!
So, perhaps we should lay down some ground rules for what to wear? Shall we?
1. Please wear undergarments. A cami with a built in bra is not an undergarment. I'll even take a swimsuit as a substitute for an undergarment as long as it gives the proper support.
2. Please wear shirts. A swimsuit is not a shirt. Please don't wear white shirts unless you plan on skipping all water rides.
3. Please wear shorts. Not dresses, not skirts, not pants (unless you are at a theme park up north in winter). Remember you will be straddling seats on several of the rides-- shorts are your best bet! Athletic shorts are fine! I thought I would share the shorts I wore. They are knit jersey and sooo comfy, but yet the bow makes them more everyday and less work-outy. I also like the length. It is so hard for me to find shorts I like, but these from Forever 21 gained my stamp of approval.

4. Shoes: most people would recommend wearing tennis shoes since you are walking a lot. Personally, I don't like how hot my feet get when I have to wear socks, so I opt for some comfy sandals. The best kind are the ones that strap to your feet. If you wear flip flops, you have to take them off for most of the rides and walk barefoot as you board. That kinda grosses me out so I like to wear sandals that strap on.
5. Purses: do NOT take them. I left mine at a loading dock once (everyone else was doing it) hoping the ride attendants would watch it for me. When I got off the ride it was gone-- so was my phone, wallet, license, debit card....etc. It's not really a great idea in hindsight. Now, for most of the coasters they make you rent a locker and leave your purse there before you get in line. This is a waste of time and money. I would recommend bringing a small coin purse with a key ring on it. Make sure it is attached securely!! Mine was strung on my double-knotted belt. If you have anything too big for the coin purse you can leave it in your car and get your hand stamped and go back out there if you need it.

And there you have it- my guide to proper theme park attire. Please abide by these 5 simple rules and we'll all enjoy ourselves. KThanks.

P.S. You may be wondering why I didn't have a photo shoot of myself this time. I know you are all very disappointed. ;) Well there's a little reason for that:

Bangs+roller coasters+sweatiness=hot mess.

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Outfit Details:

Top: Old Navy

Shorts: Forever 21

Shoes: TJ Max

Coin purse: Vera Bradley

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What to wear to a high-end salon when your wallet is not so high-end.

We had a nice little weekend here in Atlanta. I went to get my hair cut at the fabulous Van Micheal's salon in Buckhead. Some of you who know me well are probably gasping to hear that I would go to a fancy salon, but don't be fooled friends. At Van Michaels, you can choose to have "New Talent" cut your hair and it is half price!!! I have been there twice and the New Talent never disappoints me. Aaaannd did I mention they offer you a cold beverage while you wait, offer plastic bags for your purses (so they don't get hair all up on them), give you shoulder and scalp massages, and offer tips and lessons on what products are best for your hair and how to blow dry properly!! I was sold. You may find similar deals at fancy salons where you live!

After that, we took a little trip outside the city to Zpizza. It is an all-organic pizza place and it was yum!

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Outfit Details:

Top and Sweater: Forever21

Skirt: Know Style

Shoes: Steve Madden

Necklace: My favorite necklace of all time-- once belonged to my great grandmother.

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How to Make a Necklace out of a T-shirt!

This literally took me 5 minutes!! It is so easy! I got the idea from a trendy co-worker who was wearing one of these cute necklaces. She told me how it was made, and being the craft-aholic that I am, I just had to try it!
1. Take an old T-shirt. I don't know about you, but I have drawers full of old t-shirts. I just might be making dozens of these necklaces!
2. Cut off the bottom hem part.


3. Now cut strips about 1" wide. Cut along the width of the T-shirt. The strips will be complete loops when you cut them off. You don't need to be too precise about this. You can get creative and make some strips wider if you want.
4. Stretch your strips apart until they curl up.


Annnnnd you're done.......
I doubled up the loops on this one:

This one I decided to double up some loops and leave some long. Use your own creativity!

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Make your wardrobe a little more gleeful!!

So, it is May and it is rainy and just a little too chilly for May if you ask me. The other day, I looked down at my outfit and I guess I had subconsciously dressed for my mood--dark and dreary. I was wearing all gray!! I needed to snap out of it! It is Spring, you know? It may not look or feel like it, but it is!! I just needed that one little spark of inspiration to help me kick off the summer time spirit! And then I watched....

I guess those Cheerios can really brighten my day! I sort-of secretly wish this show was my real life--that I could be walking down the halls at work, passionately singing a Beetles medley as other co-workers pop their heads up from their cubicles and harmonize with me and dance. But since this is reality, I have decided that I don't have to sing like the Glee cast to make my day cheery, I can just dress like them!! So I put together a few inspiration boards.You may not run out and buy the unicorn sweater dress (lol-- I just had to put that in there), but hopefully they will inspire your wardrobe as much as it has mine!

My first inspiration board comes from Rachel Berry played by Lea Michele. Rachel's style is sort of nerdy-school-girl chic! She really makes me wanna rock some knee high socks~!



The 2nd set of inspiration boards come from Emma Pilsbury, played by Jayma Mays. Emma's style is feminine and professional. The most inspiring part is the COLOR! I mean WOW! I would never think to put together a monochromatic gold outfit, or bright pink with bright teal, but I will definitely have to try these looks--as soon as that J.Crew skirt goes on sale. ;)

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Totes Jelly

Here's a really easy sewing project for a summer tote bag. I decided to make both my mom and mother-in-law one for a mothers day gift. Its a great gift because they can use for a beach bag, grocery bag, book bag, or whatever they want.

Here's how it's done:
Step 1: Choose a good sturdy fabric. I chose a canvas print from Ikea. You will need about a 1/2 yard of fabric and 1/2 yard lining fabric. For the lining I chose a contrasting stripe pattern for an element of surprise when you open the bag! That way it's cute from the inside out. You will also need a 9ft. spool of a sturdy grosgrain ribbon./div>

Step 2: Fold the fabric in half. Measure and mark a rectangle the size you would like your bag to be. Here are my dimensions:

20" wide (fold side)

17 3/4" high (this is the folded height. Unfolded it will be 35 1/2" high)

Step 3: Do the same for the lining except make it 1" shorter. The dimensions will be 20" X 16 3/4"

Step 4: Cut it out!

Step 5: Flip your fabric inside out so that "face" sides touch together. Pin fabric together along sides of rectangle. The top side of the rectangle should be left open.

Step 6: Sew 2 sides of rectangle together. I like to use a 1/2" margin.

Step 7: Starting from the fold side of rectangle, measure up the 2 sides along the seam you just sewed, and make a mark 1 1/2" up.

Step 8: The easiest way to do the next part is to slip your hand into the bag between the 2 layers. Go down to the corner and spread your sides apart with your fingers. Touch your "mark" to the fold side of rectangle. You will form a mini triangle.

Make sure the base of the triangle measures 3" and that your seam is exactly in the middle. Mark a line along the base of the triangle.

Step 9: Sew along the your line. Do the same for the other corner.

Step 10. Follow steps 4-9 for the lining also.

Step 11: Press open all your seams. Finish edges with serger or zig zag stitch.

Step 12: Turn your bag "right" side out. Leave your lining inside out. Place your bag inside the lining.

Step 13: Pin and sew lining to bag along top edge of rectangle (where opening of your bag will be), but don't sew around entire top--leave a little opening!

See that little opening? Pull the whole bag through the hole so your bag is right side out.

It will look like this when it is all pulled out. Now, stuff the lining in the bag.

Step 14: Remember how we made the lining 1" shorter? Fold down outside bag (the heart fabric) 1" and press. This just makes it look neater. Pull your bottom corners apart (where you made the little triangles) and press a crisp line on both sides.

Step 15: Pin on ribbon and sew~!

Step 16: Remember that little hole you pulled the whole bag through? You can now finish that by hand by making little pick stitches from fold of lining to bag.

Tada!

Well, that's it! I think they will "tote"ally like them.

Ok, its getting late, and I'm getting way too cheesy.

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Honey, there are Asians in our Bathroom.

And now for a little tour of my apartment........

Just kidding. This is Ikea. I took my wonderful husband Matt there hoping to have a 500 Days of Summer moment, but instead he never even looked up from his iphone except when I made him be my photographer. :)

We can only dream of a closet like this..... aaaah one day...

Today's outfit!

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My outfit details:
top: H&M. stripes are everywhere this season. I mean, they are literally everywhere. I couldn't resist jumping on this trend bandwagon with a price like $19.99.
skirt: Old Navy.
shoes and necklace: Forever21
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We went to Ikea so I could look for some fabric for an upcoming sewing project-- a mother's day tote! They have wonderfully fun prints (you'll learn I am obsessed with prints) at Ikea and it took me a long time to decide which one I wanted, but I finally went with this fun patriotic-ish print. I think my moms will like it. That's right, "moms" is plural because for the first Mother's Day ever I have 2 moms: a real mommy and a mother-in-law. I thought I would mark the occasion by sewing them both matching summer tote bags- would that be so presh? I'll post the how-to-make-a-tote tutorial tomorrow in case you have been a mother's day gift procrastinator. ;)

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Every day I am so inspired by blogs like this , this , and this, and many more (see on right), that I decided it was time to start my own! I'm excited to get back into the blog world, and I hope to make this blog as interesting and exciting my old one (see here)!

So if you're wondering whether or not you should add me to your daily blog reel, I'll let you know what this blog is all about. I'll be sharing my outfit ideas, great places to shop for bargains, how to make your own clothes and accessories, and a little bit of my everyday life in the ATL! I'm definitely no fashion expert, and certainly no model, but I do tend to get a lot of people who ask me where I get my clothes. Well, here's your answers!

So, let's begin! Here's what I wore to work today!

Skirt: I got from Target a couple of weeks ago. I love the pleating and huge bow detail.

Top: An oldy (probably high school) from Abercrombie I pulled from the back of my closet. It's too short to wear with jeans, but it was perfect for this high waisted skirt. It also provides a touch of sparkle and has really great embroidery detail.

Sweater: Old Navy. I love grandpa sweaters! They are perfect for a freezing theater or restaurant. They can also turn a strapless dress into an work-appropriate outfit! I own 4! Ha!

Shoes: Old Navy. Why I chose to wear suede shoes during the torrential downpours today, I'm not too sure. I like how they sort of fade away so the rest of my outfit can speak for itself.

Earrings: Bridesmaid gift courtesy of Melissa.

Purse: Lotus Boutique- my favorite boutique in Birmingham! My sister gave me this for Christmas.

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