MalloryMakesThings

Springfield #1

2012-02-12T19:10:00.001-05:00

Let the Roadtrip Begin!

2012-02-11T16:00:00.001-05:00

Outfit: A Beautiful Mess Locket

2012-02-09T22:53:00.001-05:00

Let's talk about Red Velvet for a minute. Within a few weeks time Rachel and Missy will both be relocating much farther away than Missouri, so this weekend Brian and I are visiting Springfield to wish both of them luck in their new adventures. I cannot believe it has been so long since I moved home, and my visit feels overdue! Every time I hear Arcade Fire or Camera Obscura I get all sentimental and miss my Springfield friends and the sewing studio in the back of the shop. Mostly the bubble tea though ;). Kidding. That's all kind of a side-note to this post however.

What this post is about is the A Beautiful Mess Necklace that Elsie sent me for Christmas! I wear it all the time, so I figured last weekend that I needed to document how much I love it. Then Brian's sister, Madison, decided that she wanted to document how much she loves it as well!

I totally love that her 2 front, bottom teeth have fallen out. She even wore the necklace out to dinner that night. So cute! Love, Mallory

Tuesday Tunes- Vacationer

2012-02-07T22:49:00.001-05:00

Vacationer is a band based out Philadelphia. Not much information has been released about who or how many members there are. There is one distinct presence in the band and that's the vocalist, Kenny Vasoli, of the retired pop/punk band, The Starting Line. The band just released a 3 song EP titled Gone at the end of last month. It's a nice transition from Kenny's early years, and I'm excited to see if they'll continue pursuing this dreamy direction.

-Brian

CFDA- day 2

2012-02-03T14:32:00.002-05:00

Yep. This is my day until Brian gets off work.

CFDA update!

2012-02-02T13:11:00.002-05:00

I took today and tomorrow off of work so I could finally get going (again) on my cfda project. I decided after some floundering, my designs just needed an edge not a total scrapping. Mostly for my sanity & time management. Here's where I stand at this very moment!

Back to work I go!

Xo, Mallory

Books- A trio

2012-02-01T19:50:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, for the first time in a long time, I cozied up in bed with some great books. It was exactly what I needed! For Christmas I received Fashion Illustration by Fashion Designers from Lauren, and How to Set Up and Run a Fashion Label from my mom. I've been reading the one about running a fashion label off and on alongside a notebook since Christmas day, and I tend to flip through the illustration book whenever I get a spare moment.

So this story is actually about the Hunger Games. Sunday morning I saw a movie with my sisters and mom and a Hunger Games preview preceded it. They have all read the books and begged me to as well, but I always felt too busy. Now I finally have a bit of free time in life and I thought the preview was awesome enough to start reading this trilogy. Basically the story ends with me staying in bed until I finished the book. I know I'm late on the band wagon but the The Hunger Games Trilogy truly is fantastic. I blew through the pages faster than I have any book other than Harry Potter. Go read it now.

xo (from my cave where I'm about the start the second Hunger Games book), Mallory :)

Tuesday Tunes- Lucy Rose

2012-01-31T22:37:00.000-05:00

Last week I posted my first Tuesday Tunes, but today Brian is taking over for me. He's much better at finding new music than I am. He gave me like 4 possibilities I hadn't heard before deciding on Lucy Rose. So, here is what he has to say...

Lucy Rose is a singer/songwriter from the UK. She made her first appearance on Bombay Bicycle Club's album, Flaws. In November she released her first EP, Scar. Supposedly she's working on a full length, due out later this year. Sometimes there is nothing more beautiful than a girl playing guitar and singing along with beautiful melody. I'm excited to hear what she comes up with in the future.

-Brian

p.s. I totally love her look. xo, Mallory

Today

2012-01-29T17:44:00.003-05:00

Today I'm shooting & cleaning. Then I'm going to spend the rest of the night laying in bed reading! Restful, productive Sundays bring down my stress levels.

Xo, Mallory

Hair: Pigtail buns!

2012-01-26T22:45:00.000-05:00

Sometimes you just need to wear your hair in pigtail buns. Maybe you even need to tie a bow around just one of them! What I'm trying to say is that you should take chances with your look!!! To balance out the statement hair I wore a simple top (this one actually) that you could barely see my black brassiere through, dark blue jeans, a sparkly pendant necklace, and black flats.

As a rule I try to make 1 big and maybe 1 minor statement. Then I go simple with the rest so it's not a shock to the senses.

:) Mallory

Tuesday Tunes- Jeremy Larson

2012-01-24T08:12:00.017-05:00

Descending by Jeremy Larson

I really love music, and I bet you do as well, right? Because we all love music I decided to start a weekly feature all about it, and I've decided to call it Tuesday Tunes. To start off my new feature on the best foot possible I'm going to feature a friend, Jeremy Larson. What do I say about Jeremy... he and Elsie let me live with them for a total of 22 weeks in 2011, he is incredibly encouraging, drinks a ton of Americanos, and is one of the most talented musicians like, ever. I was lucky enough to witness the rehearsals & show he had at the Gillioz last year. It was super magical and inspiring (I took the photo below then).

You can check out his cinematic style music here on his site. You should also buy his Fort Christmas album here, it's only $5! Although it's his and Elsie's love story, the lyrics have a simple, honest quality that takes me back to the early days of beginning to fall in love with Brian. I listen to it at least once a week!

Have fun checking out his beautiful music.

Love, Mallory

A New Blogging Direction

2012-01-22T19:51:00.000-05:00

I haven't been around much lately. Mostly because I was figuring out what direction I wanted to focus on. For a while I thought I would try to become a DIY blog with focus on teaching readers to make stuff that would fit with my own personal style. I started working on my blog makeover and when I tried designing my banner I felt stuck into this pigeonhole of "DIY." Then I thought more and realized that although I enjoy making things, I would rather focus on living a beautiful life and letting you see how I infuse my personal style along the way.

That being said I decided that I'll be posting photos from my world including:

Outfits including the boy, mom, Madison... anyone else I think is awesome.

Weekend adventures

My work including: illustrations, sewn things, school, etc.

Interior decor stuff occasionally. My mom is like a decor God.

DIYs when I really fall in love with an idea

Some beauty stuff, hopefully including makeup with Jill

Music I enjoy.

Lust Lists will also make a roaring return.

Now that I have verbalized my plan I feel invigorated and excited again! I'm going to start focusing like this immediately, but it will make much more sense after I the redesign! Thank you so much for your continuing support and dedicated readership. I can't tell you how much it means to me!

Love, Mallory

Current Endeavors

2012-01-11T21:01:00.001-05:00

Now that the holidays are over, my sister is married, and my bedroom is cleaned I have time to focus on My Winter Goals. The first 2 I'm tackling are Lauren's wedding invites and my CFDA scholarship project. I finished the bicycle for 2 graphic for Lauren on Monday in Illustrator and the next step is to figure out wording and layout! Easy Peasy.

The CFDA project has hit a bump in the road. I've sorta, kinda, maybe decided to start from scratch. Well, maybe not from the very beginning, but I'm redoing all of the garment designs. Never fear. I loved the collection I was working on (you can see that here) but I felt like the designs weren't exactly where they needed to be to win this particular competition. I have a focused idea now and sketches that are on the right track. Hopefully. So, tonight I say goodnight because I'm going to work my booty off on this project :)

Love as Always, Mallory

p.s. Would you be interested if I started selling my original fashion illustration?

What's in My Makeup Bag?

2012-01-10T22:35:00.002-05:00

A bit more than a year ago I didn't know much about makeup. So, I started researching online, trying stuff out, and talking with friends. Here are the things I always carry in my makeup bag, though I add and subtract some special things for weekends and special events.

Here's what I carry:

Moisturizer: Lush Imperialis because no one likes dry flakies.

Foundation: Clinique Acne Solutions I don't feel guilty using it because it has salicylic acid (Thanks Jill!)

For my dark circles: Garnier Skin Renewal concealer to cover purple tones & then Make Up For Ever concealer on top to lighten (in a 1 cuz I'm a paley palerson).

Cheeks: Maybelline Fit Blush, Benefit High Beam

Lips: I only use Nars and Burts Bees on my lips. Niagra is my everyday favorite!

Eyes: as a basic liner I use Cover Girl Perfect Point, for cateyes I use Line Stiletto eyeliner (not pictured), & my favorite Mascara is Maybelline Volum Express One by One. I use dark brown for eyeliners because black is too contrasty on my skin.

My super cute makeup bag was made by me when Elsie and I were writing our DIY Dress Up E-Course. You can learn to make one here for yourself!

Thanks for taking a peek into my bag ;)

Mallory

Plans- Makeovers and Flashbacks

2012-01-04T22:04:00.000-05:00

I'm not big into the New Years Resolution thing because I think goals are something you need to make your mind up about and then just go after. However, there is something about that new beginning that makes me want to refresh certain aspects of life. I have a hair appointment Saturday, I want to clean out my closet, I want to shop (to replace the donated items, duh!), and I want to design/sketch more!

Before I get too ahead of myself though, here are my 2011 highlights:

I worked for Red Velvet twice and fully loved the experience! I fully realized that I want to spend every minute of forever with Brian. My best friends got engaged, my nephew Beckett was born, and my sister Brittany got married! Then recently I realized I only have 1 more co-op (during which I'll probably be self employed) so I'll not have to move away from family and my beloved Cincinnati again!

Love, Mallory

Outfit: My Red Vintage Coat

2012-01-02T21:59:00.001-05:00

Today I awoke to a surprise snowfall and it was beautiful. Brian and I thought it would be a perfect day to take some photos of our vintage coats. It hasn't been below 40 F yet so we had high hopes, until we went outside...

Apparently it was below freezing, so after Brian took just a few of my red coat we literally ran inside. I suppose we'll have to save his coat for another day. Then on my usual 40min drive from Brian's to home it surprisingly snowed more and my commute took about 3 hours of slip sliding on the interstate. Super scary!

So, I must say that I hope you all stay very safe (and warm) this winter.

Love, Mallory

Post Christmas Calm

2011-12-29T22:45:00.001-05:00

As a child, when Christmas was over your heart was a little broken, right? Now After Christmas is over I tend to bask in the calmness and happiness of being with loved ones. Those fuzzy feelings aren't very photogenic though, so I'll show you some of the thoughtful gifts I received instead. Above is the Printstagram that Brian made of his Instagram photos of moments we've shared this year.

Brian and I both got snazzy new watches from my parents. I also got a Deathly Hallows ring from Brian's mom & a Copeland record from Brian! LOVE! OH, I also got an Instax wide from my mom, but I need to get some film.

Hope your holiday was also lovely and filled with warm fuzzies! Love, Mallory :)

The Season in Instagrams!

2011-12-22T21:30:00.000-05:00

I warned you here that I was a little Christmas crazy. I realized today that my Instagram feed was living proof. Here are some of the special memories and vignettes from my life this season.

Life is good, and I love you guys!

xoxo, Mallory

Merry Christmas

2011-12-19T22:57:00.000-05:00

What we wore...

Brian: shirt, shoes, and sweatshirt - Target, jeans - Old Navy

Me: sweater - vintage, dress - H&M, boots - Nordstrom Rack

A few weeks ago Brian and I snuck up to Lebanon, Ohio to Antique shop for Christmas. When we parked next to the old railroad station we decided we should take some photos. We also decided that we should count one as our Christmas card to you lovely readers. So, Merry Christmas a few days early from us. We love you!

Also, if we could high five all of you we would do that, too!

:) Mallory & Brian too!

Brittany's Wedding

2011-12-18T23:04:00.000-05:00

Yesterday my big sister Brittany got married to her prince charming, John. I forgot to take the nice camera, so here are some of my personal favorite photos gathered from my phone, John, and my Aunt Helen. The ceremony was at Cincinnati Music Hall and the reception was at The Redmoor, an old theater.

The rehearsal was so much fun. My nephew and cousin carried a banner and decided that during the practice run it should be held in their sweaters... not their hands. So cute!

We had some time to hang out between the salon and "go time," which was very nice and relaxing. We had to keep the kiddies calm with iPhones and iPods. Then the vows were said, the couple was pronounced, and the partying commenced.

I'll share better photos when the professionals arrive. Thanks for bearing with my bad photos to share in my happiness. Love, Mallory

Update

2011-12-14T19:24:00.000-05:00

Hi guys! So this week is a big week. On Monday I started a new free-lance job (love it) at My Habit as a styling assistant. It's a flash sale site of designer goods. I mean really, who doesn't love designer goods at less than half the price?

In even more exciting news my sister Brittany is getting married Saturday! Actually I need to go alter my other sister's bridesmaid dress and hem my own. So, bye for now!

Love you all, Mallory

P.S. My iPhone menu button isn't working. So, my Instagram and Twitter are a little quiet for now.

Winter Goals

2011-12-09T18:49:00.001-05:00

Today, I read Emma's post about turning a rough time into a time to better yourself and fulfill goals. That Emma is a smart girl. Now, I'm not going through a rough time, but I do still have some goals for this winter. She inspired me to make a list of my goals to accomplish in the evenings during co-op this winter. Most have been on the list forever because I tend to think there is 40 hours in the day rather than 24.

1. Draw up a Noah's Ark tattoo for Brian. He's been asking for months, plus I just put him through modeling.

2. Design Lauren's wedding invites, programs, etc.

(also, check out that rock, TJ did good! Stole this photo from her facebook)

3. Draw/Paint more. Sell some?!

4. Design some accessories

5. Spend time with family

6. Blog Makeover!

Well I have more like cleaning my car and room, but that's not exciting. Hey, and thank you for being such incredibly supportive readers.

xoxo, Mallory

Tailoring Project!

2011-12-07T17:50:00.000-05:00

Today was the very last day of this quarter! Everything has been presented and turned in. These pants and this jacket are the crowning glory of this quarter's work. The jacket required more hand stitching than I have cumulatively done my entire life. Brian can vouch for how many hours went into it because he very patiently waited and napped through almost every second. Let's just say, I have a very large amount of respect for tailors now.

So, last Friday was my big critique and I received the score today of 4.68 of 5! WOO HOO! Yesterday I talked Brian into modeling one more time so I could have some photos to share. Then Dexter decided he wanted to join our photoshoot. I obliged and decided to take some of him, too! Two cutie models :)

Tonight I am going to watch a movie without sewing at the same time, and go to bed early. It will be glorious!

:) Mallory

wardrobe Pictures- On the Go!

2011-12-04T19:20:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I wore this outfit to run errands, go to class, and then go to work. Working at a daycare means you need to have lots of mobility in your outfits, and no skirts. Sometimes it means taking your jewelry off too, unless you want it ripped off.

Here are the details:

cardigan- AE supah ancient

necklace- vintage

top- NY & Co.

belt- NY & Co. ancient

pants- H&M

Thanks to my mom for taking these in the backyard before I had to rush off! Best mom ever.

I have a few more assignments to turn in and 1 exam this week. Next Monday I start my new job at Amazon's My Habit photo studio. I must say I am scared straight, but I'm certain I'll love it once acclimated. I'm also very excited that I won't have to move to another state for this job! Yay for fun jobs and family/friend/boyfriend time!

Life is good.

♥ Mallory

Little Things: Maid of Honor?

2011-12-03T00:23:00.000-05:00

My best Friend Lauren asked me to be her maid of honor last week! She and her fiance T.J. ambushed all of the wedding party with heart shaped cookies with tags that said "Will you be my ______?" I love her so much, and can't wait to help plan all of the details that need planning. She already has a dress, and I'm in love with it! Little things like this make life worth while.

xoxo, Mallory

p.s. I had my tailoring critique today. I was really pleased with the outcome! I'm going to photograph it this weekend to share with you!

Hi There!

2011-11-28T21:23:00.000-05:00

Don't worry ladies and gents, I'm still alive. I'll be finished with this quarter of school at the end of next Wednesday. WOOO!!!! Until then I'll pop in as often as possible. My major project, my tailoring outfit is due Friday! I'm really excited. It's looking great!

Love, Mallory

Wonderful Christmastime Playlist!

2011-11-18T09:28:00.002-05:00

So, around my corner of the world Christmas is kinda huge. Don't be surprised if I go a little Christmas crazy. By a little I mean a LOT! I mentioned here that I have already started my shopping and last week I made my first diy Christmas decor of the year. In fact we have 36 days until Christmas, so let's get excited people! To help you get in the spirited mood I've made you a playlist of my favorite Christmas songs.

I'm sure that helped you get in the cheery mood ;)

xo, Mallory

Top 5 Tips for Designing

2011-11-16T11:58:00.000-05:00

I’ve been attending a renowned design school for 4 years now. The University of Cincinnati is in the top 60 design schools in the world ranked by Businessweek. I’ve learned so much that I can’t even begin to explain it all but I can sum up my top tips for any designer creating a collection, no matter their field of expertise. I wish I had heard all of these tips a few years ago, because everyone has potential for groundbreaking ideas if they just start to think outside of the box! First you need to learn where the box is, and that's what most of these tips will help you with!

1. Research! This sounds daunting, but if you love design, research is simply window shopping and reading about companies you are interested in! Fun right? This also includes reading blogs. Pick a target customer, find their interests, and uncover unmet needs. If you research enough you can begin to have a feel for trends. You see what has over-flooded the market and what is just on the horizon. Keep in mind trends are overarching gradual changes. Fads are what we consider “trendy” like how cats are a fad right now, but in a years time a new motif will be popular. Fads are generally to be avoided when designing.

2. Inspiration is a fickle thing. Here is my advice on how to narrow it down and find something you can really design from. I’ve found that too much stimulation causes confusion and prevents cohesion. Look outside of your focus or into the past for inspiration. I often look at musicians, art, furniture, or interior designs to inspire my clothing. Once you find one or two heart moving images, people, or objects stop looking!!!! Sometimes aesthetics of your inspiration isn’t what inspired you. If this is the case intellectualize your inspiration and your ideas will be endless!

3. SKETCH, SKETCH, SKETCH! My first few ideas are usually total rubbish and don’t make sense together, but then as I progress I come across some great ideas. I also begin to put together the not quite successful ideas to find great ones. When sketching, over do it! Draw at least triple the amount of ideas you need! When I jump into a project set on an idea, I then sketch and quickly find I will have much better ideas near the end! Next I cut out my strongest designs and shuffle them around until I’ve come up with the best combination possible.

4. Simplify. Beauty is in the details. Unless you’re Betsey Johnson, then you can pull off more is more.

5. After you have your designs and begin to source materials and make prototypes, keep in mind that craftsmanship is everything. You can have a fabulous design but if you make it from shoddy materials and rush through the production it will no longer be successful. If handmade seems “crafty” consumers will think, I can make that myself, rather than I need to buy that. Having exceptional quality should be your #1 goal.

I hope this has inspired you to make your projects and products even better. If you see the box you can toe the line and really push yourself to be an innovator! ♥ Mallory

Wardrobe Pictures- Mom joined my Birthday Outfit!

2011-11-14T21:53:00.000-05:00

Before my birthday dinner last weekend my mom joined me for some outfit photos. It only took a few Pretty Pretty Pleases! I think she ended up having much more fun than she expected! Plus the remote shutter is pretty fun to use!

Mom wore: sweater- O.co, pants- TJ Maxx, necklace- vintage

I wore: shirt- Old Navy, jumper- Red Velvet (made by me), leggings- Under Armour, flats- Nordstrom Rack, necklace- vintage

Thanks to my super awesome mom for joining my b-day shoot! Cutest mom ever right?!

Love, Mallory

Projects Progress- CFDA Update

2011-11-10T12:44:00.000-05:00

The Council of Fashion Designers of America, or CFDA, has a few scholarship competitions that certain fashion schools are invited to take part in. There is the CFDA general scholarship, the Liz Claiborne, and the Geoffrey Beene. I chose Geoffrey Beene because he was quirky, believed in independent business, art, and loved black and white patterns.

Above is all of my brainstorming. I found inspiration in the Jonathan Adler pillows and Pedro Friedeberg gold hand chair. From there I sketched 50+ looks to choose 10 from, collected fabric swatches, made mock-up samples, and finished re-doing my croquis that I started here.

After doing all of my planning I did a LOT of full renderings to continue developing my illustration style. In the end this one was my favorite and decided to go from there. I had to get my mom's approval first though!

Now I'm here. My flat sketches are all finished, I'm working on my bag to contain all of the finished project, I need to finish my full color illustrations (above), and my black and white full 360 sketches. It's a lot of work, but I'm having a blast!! I feel like this is the most true to myself that my designs have ever been!

xo, Mallory

p.s. Thanks for all of the birthday wishes! A special thanks to my super sweet boyfriend for his post :)

Happy Birthday To A Sweet Lady

2011-11-08T00:07:00.004-05:00

Hi there friends. It's Brian, and I recently told Mallory I wanted to takeover her blog on her birthday. So Happy Birthday, Mallory/girlfriend/best friend/total babe!

Before reading this post, please press play on the video, and read while it plays. This was the first song I ever told Mallory to listen to.

This is the 4th birthday of hers that I have gotten to be a part of. Each year together has become more special. I think what is most amazing about our relationship is that we started out dating, and not long after actually starting a relationship, we also became really good friends, which I think is genuinely important to both of us. It's very nice knowing that I can completely be myself around her, because that's exactly what she wants me to be. Sometimes I make terrible jokes, and she gives me a look that says "That wasn't funny, but I still love you anyway". I enjoy that look, and see it often. I also know that before her, there was a side of me that I didn't know was there. I'm so inspired by her creativity, that it makes me want to step out of my boundary lines, and try my hand at creative things.

Now let's take a quick second to tell the story of how we met...

Here's how we first met: I was supposed to go on a blind date with a mutual friends cousin, and the day of the supposed date, the cousin backed out. So instead of this date that was supposed to happen, Lauren (mutual friend) her boyfriend, TJ (also, mutual friend), and I all decided to go buy fireworks and blow stuff up since it was close to July 4th. While blowing these fireworks up, some of Laurens friends came over, and Mallory, being one of them, was caught on my "Babe Radar". Lauren had previously told Mallory before she came over that she was not allowed to flirt with me or anything like that. I guess Lauren was looking out for me. Neither Mallory nor I took Laurens advice, and we went on a date a little less than a week later. We saw one of our all time favorite movies, Wall-E.

A month later, we kissed for the first, and that same night, she officially became my girlfriend. To this day, we both still thank Laurens cousin for backing out of that blind date. I really feel as if I should send her a thank you card or give her a high five if I ever see her.

Anyways, it's been a little over 3 years since we've been together now, and I honestly couldn't imagine that time being spent without her. She is one of the most amazing, hard working people I have ever met. I have every intention of spending the rest of my life growing old with her. I love her more than I could ever imagine.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MALLORY. I LOVE YOU!

New Arrival

2011-11-07T21:15:00.000-05:00

Today my family welcomed it's newest arrival! My sister (and my b-i-l) brought into this world an angelic little boy named Beckett. I'm so excited to have two very sweet little nephews! Tomorrow morning Brian will get to hold him for the first time. My whole family and I are over the moon, especially big brother Dashiell!!!!

Thanks for all of the love we've gotten so far on Twitter & Instagram.

Love, Mallory (& Beck too!)

Adventures with Brian- Christmas Shopping

2011-11-06T14:23:00.001-05:00

Today Brian and I started our Christmas shopping at our favorite Antique Mall. They have more vintage than antiques and the BEST furniture. We bought presents for 2 of my family members, so I'd say it was a successful trip.

Then we listened to Christmas music on the way home. Perfection. By the way he gave me the She & Him Christmas album as an early birthday present. It's amazing!

Love, Mallory

Wardrobe Pictures- Park Adventure

2011-11-05T22:06:00.000-04:00

Things have been super crazy in my neck of the woods. I've had lots(!!!) of homework, my sister's having her baby Monday, and I've been trying to help plan my other sister's December nuptials. However, I've been getting to hang out with Brian even more than usual since he's modeling my tailoring project for me. He just loves watching me do my homework all the time ;)

My mom and I snuck in these photos in the park on Halloween when one of my classes ended early. Here's what I wore:

scarf- vintage

shirt- Etsy, shop now closed

cardigan- American Eagle, had since 8th grade!

skirt- thrifted

shoes- Aldo

I think my homework schedule should slow down a little bit soon. I'll be sure to share pictures of my new niece or nephew as soon as she or she arrives!

Love, Mallory

(Thanks to my mom for taking these beautiful photos! They're always best when she takes them!)

Wardrobe Pictures- Wackadoodle

2011-10-28T19:43:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I feel too normal. When this happens I do wackadoodle poses like these ones and wear a shirt exposing my stomach. I'm a weirdo I suppose. I took these photos two weeks ago, before my computer crashed and before the cold came. Now that my computer is back it would be insane to go outside without a coat!

This is what I wore:

crop top- Red Velvet fall '11 (I made it!)

shorts- vintage

belt- NY & Co. --high school years

Chuck Taylors- they're a staple in my wardrobe

Rebecca of Manzanita sent me this cute crocheted cocktail hat (try saying that 5x fast). She has some super adorable things in her shop for fall. This one is my favorite!

These last two were outtakes, but sometimes I love the outtakes and mistakes better than the good photos!

I hope you have a super wacky & awesome Halloween weekend! If you have any awesome diy costumes I would LOVE to see photos!

xo, Mallory

DIY! Dip-Dye Jeans

2011-10-26T16:43:00.001-04:00

Sweet Rae Veda posted my instructions on how I made these boring white skinnies fun dip-dyed pants over on her blog An Eclectic Heap today. Go check it out & make your own!!! It only took me an hour and I was cooking the whole time!

♥ Mallory

Wardrobe Pictures- Dip-Dyed Jeans!

2011-10-23T15:12:00.002-04:00

On Thursday I worked on a diy for a guest post on another blog. The outcome was this pair of dip-dyed pants! So, on Friday I HAD to wear them! Once the post on how to do the diy goes up I'll let you know :)

Here's everything else I wore:

sweater- Christmas gift from mom

belt- vintage

pants- originally Target, dyed by me!

mocassins- Darlingtonia

lipstick- NARS Carthage

It was also the first time I used my new Wireless Remote Shutter Release for my Canon 20d. Let me tell you, it was possibly best $7 I have ever spent. No need to set a timer and press the shoot button a million times! Yay!

xoxo, Mallory

p.s. I should be able to get my computer back from repairs sometime this week, so I'm hoping to start posting like normal ASAP. Photoshop Elements takes quite a bit longer than CS3.

Lust List 11

2011-10-17T20:49:00.000-04:00

This Lust List is for a sweet reader who asked for me to suggest some things that would be perfect for fall! Of course if my family or Brian got me any of this for my birthday next month I'd be a happy camper (hint hint guys)!

Club Monaco Pea Coat, beaded necklace, Stormy Sweater, yellow infinity scarf, Alternative Canyon Rock Bag, skinny jeans, amazing frye boots, & handmade gloves.

Hope you found some gems here as well!
xoxo, Mallory

Burlington Antique Show: Visit me!

2011-10-13T15:15:00.001-04:00

Remember how I LOVE the Burlington Antique Show? Well, this upcoming Sunday the 16th I'll be selling vintage clothing & home decor there! So, if you live in Greater Cincinnati look up the sale and pay me a visit between 6am and 3pm!

Xo, Mallory

p.s. my computer is going in for repairs, so I'll try to borrow my mom & Brian's computers often until it returns so I can continue blogging.

Help Fight Childhood Cancer

2011-10-11T14:40:00.001-04:00

(Lauren and Zach at Zach's last Walk for Kids)

Every year I walk in the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Walk for Kids in memory of Zachary Heringer, my best friend's cousin. He lost his fight in 2008 at the age of 14 after battling cancer for 4 years. All of the money my team raises benefits Dr. Cripe's lab, where Zach's type of cancer is specifically researched.

So, if you have a few dollars you can spare sponsor me and my team here to help beat childhood cancer.

Thanks for any penny you can spare, Mallory

Fancy Napkin Folding & Halloween Tablescape

2011-10-10T19:24:00.003-04:00

I have a really cool mom with really awesome taste, so I recently asked her to collaborate with me on more projects for 'zis here blog. Don't worry fashion is still my major focus, but I thought we could start sharing a bit more style in all aspects of life. So, buckle up kids and check out our first collaboration!

Here is how you fold cheap fabric napkins into fancy clovers. Ours aren't even perfect squares!

1-3 Fold your corners in to meet in the middle and form a square.

4 Fold in your new corners in the same way

5 Flip the napkin over

6 Fold the corners in again

7 This is what your clover should look like now

8 Reach underneath and pull out the last corners your tucked under

9 TA-DA! A clover made from a napkin!

We used our napkins on top of silver chargers to help the cute halloween plates make a bigger statement! Add your nice silverware, a holiday runner, a few candles, some shiny things, and a plaster skull under a glass dome for an understatedly creepy tablescape!

Xoxo, Mallory

P.S. Don't forget to welcome my mom, Darlene, to the team!

Most if not all accessories were bought at Home Goods, TJ Maxx, and Old Time Pottery

Projects Progress- Sketching Amongst the Leaves

2011-10-06T21:18:00.001-04:00

I love fall weather. The breeze, the sun, the falling leaves, and the bustling about on campus. The other day I had time between class and work. As I was walking to my car I passed a bench and thought, why sketch at work when I can sketch here, outside?

It's possibly the best decision I've made all week. I was able to people watch (for fashion purposes), have a large leaf fall on my head (and stay there), and actually feel a bit more inspired about my project!

I LOVE FALL!

xoxo, Mallory

Adventures with Brian & Madison too!

2011-10-03T21:28:00.000-04:00

Last weekend Brian and I took his little sister Madison to see a morning airing of The Lion King in 3-d. It was wonderful and so was our day! Hanging out with Brian's family is always a joy.

Brian took our outfit photos for us :)

Here is what I wore:

shirt- thrifted vintage

dress- H&M

leggings- Under Armour (the best I've had)

flats- Payless

Fall weekends are the best weekends.

Love, Mallory & Madison too!

Projects!

2011-09-30T18:18:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned the other day I have 2 major projects to finish for school this quarter. I'm also working on an outfit for the Project Runway scholarship competition. For the bottom half of my outfit I'm making some bell bottom jeans. Tonight I am going to adjust my sloper (basic) pattern to add the details and fit I'm really wanting.

Here are the tools I am using:

Apparel Making in Fashion Design by Injoo Kim & Mkyung Uh

French Curve Rule

clear ruler, package paper, & my phone for a calculator :)

Getting to work now! xoxo, Mallory

Wardrobe Pictures- Watercolor Tank & Herringbone

2011-09-28T22:29:00.001-04:00

Have I told you how much I love my school? This quarter my biggest projects are designing/illustrating a collection and making a jacket and coordinating outfit for tailoring.

This I what I wore to school today!

watercolor floral tank top- old Navy

cardigan- stolen from Brian

shorts- old

tights- Asos

shoes- Ash from Avalon Exchange

Okay, so I've been avoiding outfit photos because my hair isn't a perfect color. The last time I got it done the girl wasn't very good. My mom had to rescue my bangs, and I already dyed it to lighten the red. Anyway, I'm on the way to getting a golden blonde, next time.

For now I have fancy vintage horse hair clips to keep me hair happy.

xoxo, Mallory

My Muses

2011-09-26T11:58:00.000-04:00

For my tailoring class we chose a decade between the 1860s and the 1980s to use as our inspiration. Naturally I chose the 1960s. When searching I realized that all of my favorite style icons were famous in the 60s! Another obvious, but I had never thought about it!

My favorites: Twiggy, Goldie Hawn, Jackie O, Edie Sedgewick, Audrey Hepburn, Jean Shrimpton, The Beatles, and Marilyn Monroe.

New iPhone Cases!

2011-09-24T15:24:00.002-04:00

Last week I bought Brian and I new iPhone cases. That is genuine excitement on his part, he's been excited all week! I got them from Society6 where you can get a bunch of people's artwork printed on anything, like iPhone cases! The artists got commission, and we got sweet cases! Win, win, win everywhere!

Since my phone is now pink Brian's sister, Madison, won't put it down :)

Love, Mallory

Wardrobe Pictures- Ivory All Over

2011-09-21T00:09:00.000-04:00

I took these photos in Red Velvet a few days before leaving Springfield.

I totally forgot to post them in the rush up to the launch and then Chicago.

Here's what I wore:

headband- made by me for my E-Course (that you can buy here)

top- Urban Outfitters

shorts- Target

moccasins- Darlingtonia

necklace- vintage from my sister

lipstick- NARS Niagara

I start school again in the morning! EEK! I can't even believe it

xo, Mallory

Hometown Glory- Burlington Antique Show

2011-09-19T22:40:00.000-04:00

I live in the greater Cincinnati area, and I absolutely love living here. One of my favorite things to do in the warmer months is go to the outdoor Burlington Antique Show. I always go with my mom, but sometimes more people tag along. This Sunday was Brian's first trip and he loved it! These were some of my favorite things there.

My mom always falls for the dishes, pottery, and furniture. I love the mod home goods, sewing supplies, and fashion. Brian dug the war memorabilia, music stuff, and old photos.

At the end of the day Brian took home a record stand and a WWII navy pea coat. My mom and I took a chair and table to restyle and a bunch of smaller things.

Thanks for peeking into my weekend!

Love, Mallory

Red Velvet: Fall Lookbook Video

2011-09-15T15:07:00.002-04:00

Have you seen the fall lookbook video yet?! Well why not?! Do it now :)

I hope you loved it! If you still haven't snagged a dress we still have stock in most of the styles on the RV site, but hurry!

♥ Mallory

Renegade Snapshots

2011-09-14T22:53:00.000-04:00

Car troubles hung their black cloud over us, and I didn't get to squeeze in photos and booth time Sunday with Red Velvet. We still shopped the whole fair and I got to say my bittersweet goodbyes to Elsie, Emma, Rachel, Jeremy, and Chris. I'll make a goodbye post in a few days, but for now thanks for reading!

Love, Mallory

Home Studio

2011-09-13T23:22:00.002-04:00

So, Renegade was eventful, or should I say the ride there was? Basically my car is busted. YIKES! Luckily I have amazing parents who are giving me their spare car. Rachel documented the whole thing in photos, so you will probably see them soon!

Back to the good things, I'm home and going to blog like normal!!! Today I spent some time in our art room and did some sketching for a top I'm making. Sometime you need to get a lot of bad out before you can get to a good idea.

xoxo, Mallory

Packing

2011-09-07T22:38:00.000-04:00

I really dislike packing. Especially when I need to pack up a mess the size of a summer. The past few days I've been finishing up a few more dresses to take with us to Renegade, and have barely begun packing. Renegade is going to be a blast! From there I am driving home, so I need all of it packed up in my little Corolla by Friday morning! I hope there will still be enough room for Rachel.

At least I have pretty luggage!

Love, Mallory

Camera- Sitacon

2011-09-04T23:46:00.000-04:00

I've been picking up cameras at thrift stores for a long time now. This week I started this little guy's maiden 35mm roll. Well, I'm just calling it maiden since the tag inside says 1984, older than me! I hope some of the film turns out.

I should use it this upcoming weekend in Chicago, at Renegade Craft Fair. Come say hi, and maybe we'll get a photo together! Film or digital ;)

Love, Mallory

p.s. thanks for all of your Bloggers' Wardrobe votes. Ya'll are sweet (my Kentucky is coming out since I'll be home soon).

Love Letter from Krust

2011-09-04T00:48:00.001-04:00

In case you haven't looked yet, Krust has a new banner, and I made it! I watercolor painted some of her bags for her. It was so much fun to get out my watercolors here in Springfield. She just came out with some new designs a few days ago (shop here). We wanted to include them in the banner, so I felt pretty privileged to see her sketches before she made the actual bags!

In exchange she sent me a custom clutch bag. I requested one of her envelope bags with a heart like a little love letter, but she went above and BEYOND! She stitched the little lines that an envelope would have. The lining is even striped like notebook paper, such a thoughtful touch!

Krust is so incredibly sweet! Go check out her style, her bags, and her new banner! I'm really impressed with how high quality my bag is. It's amazing who you can meet through the blogosphere!

xoxo, Mallory

Pretty Pretty Please

2011-09-03T14:36:00.000-04:00

If you get a moment go to this facebook page, and like it.

Then go to the album "Competition 4 the last place" and like my photo.

Ask your friends to do the same? Pushing my luck?

Well, it's as easy as that. If I win a place it could mean some great things for my blog.

Thank you amazing friends,

Mallory

AHHHHH!

2011-09-01T19:45:00.001-04:00

We've been refreshing this since 6:00pm :)

YAY!

Red Velvet: Today is the Day!

2011-09-01T02:56:00.000-04:00

Things have been busy around the Red Velvet store and studio. So busy in fact that I have only gotten out my real camera once this week, WHOA! Tomorrow is the big launch day and we've worked so hard, while having so much fun that I thought you'd like to see all of the process via my Instagram photos.

The girls who go to Missouri State started back to school last week, so we had to call in some emergency helping hands. I took on an extra dress (I'm sewing 6 of the 10 styles now, I'm crazy), and Missy our super awesome amazing friend jumped in and is helping save the day (more about her at a later date).

So, this and last week has been filled with sewing, playing dress up, a few extra hours, lots of sugar, lots of slap happy giggling, silly dancing, LOTS of tea and coffee, and some REALLY positive attitudes. I've loved every minute!

xoxo, Mallory

Interview on Tea Talk

2011-08-30T11:43:00.000-04:00

Today Chelsea over at Tea Talk posted an interview she did of me! So, if you want to know my favorite part of working at RV, my advice for aspiring designers, etc. go read it here.

Either way, go check out Chelsea's golden locks, cool style, and deep deep love for coffee.

Love, Mallory

Hair Flashback

2011-08-30T00:07:00.000-04:00

Remember a year ago, when I was a blondie? I kinda miss that. I need a change and I'm trying to grow it out so color is my best bet. When Holly was in town I asked her opinion, and I think blonde was her final suggestion. Hmmm...

Thoughts?

Love, Mallory

These Days

2011-08-28T00:59:00.001-04:00

I've been counting down the days until I see Brian for a while. In the morning it will be only 11 days until I see him in Chicago! Have I mentioned that we're going to Renegade with the Red Velvet team (+ our boys) in a few weeks? I'm hoping to meet a few of you there!

However, the countdown to the collection launch is much closer! There are 4 more work days until the 1st! EEEK!!!! We're so close and I'm so excited. I can't even wait to update my portfolio with the RV collections. Kinsey modeled my swimwear project tonight (& looked awesome) so I can add those photos, too. I'm such a nerd.

xoxo, Mallory

p.s. Thanks for all of your launch excitement! You guys make all the hard work worthwhile :)

Red Velvet: The Entire Thing

2011-08-24T23:15:00.001-04:00

I can't believe it's that time of the fashion season again! The launch date is a week away! I kept staring at this over at Elsie's blog thinking how proud of our team I am. I can't believe that we have accomplished so much since June! We still have more sewing to complete, but we're all overjoyed and can't wait to share the fruits of our labor with you sweet, supportive readers/shoppers.

Now I just have to decide which I'll keep... maybe the triangle because designing the print with Elsie was so much fun! We'll see!

xo, Mallory

p.s. the blue pencil skirt is vintage, not part of the collection

Lust List 11-- Fall Must Haves

2011-08-24T01:27:00.003-04:00

Like it or not fall is on the horizon! Fall is my favorite season, but I absolutely LOATHE winter, so I try and think of the positives of the oncoming cold. For me the biggest positive is a wardrobe refresh! I've been looking for the perfect new pair of boots since March. The ones I wore at least twice a week last winter have basically died.

Most of these are out of my price range, but all of these items are fall '11 necessities:

a beautifully worn leather belt-- vintage on Etsy

bold jewelry-- Rocks Paper Metal earrings

an amazing sweater-- this one from Anthropologie has birds. I'm a sucker.

perfect high waist jeans-- Lover Wide Leg Jeans

a leather bag-- this Rag & Bone Mountain Pack is insanely amazing

as every year, a great scarf-- Sea Cliff Scarf

neutral color boots- Via Spiga

I also want a really great planner for this fall. This Kate Spade one is gorgeous, and I may actually use it! We'll see, steep price for organization. Thanks for lusting along with me!

Love, Mallory

Wardrobe Pictures- Comfy and dotty

2011-08-22T00:37:00.000-04:00

Today I had some errands to run and I wanted to do a little thrifting before working for a few hours. So, what to wear on a day where I'd be out and about doing lots of things? I wanted something comfy, but I didn't want to look like I just rolled out of bed and threw on whatever was on top of my clean clothes pile. I chose this bold oversized tee and picked up a few accessories on the way out the door.

What is from where?

Fakie glasses- Amazon

necklace, bracelet- thrifted

tee- H&M

shorts- TJ Maxx, high school

belt- vintage, Etsy

sneakers- PacSun

I hope your Sunday was as equally comfy, but still containing some personality :)

xoxo, Mallory

Shake Your Sillies Out!

2011-08-19T02:17:00.002-04:00

Sometimes my faces in my outfit photos get too serious. I guess that's okay, excepts my serious face is a bit mean. So I try and be my normal silly self in some and just take a bunch in hopes for some fashionable ones.

Today however is a celebration of the sillies!

These are all outtakes from my outfit photos last week.

Chrissy took them for me in the 3rd floor of the Red Velvet building. There were some feathers left from that one wedding (that I'm sure you haven't seen any photos from) and we decided to play some.

Isn't she sweet for being so patient with me? I think yes.

♥ Mallory

Bloglovin'

2011-08-19T01:09:00.000-04:00

There are lots of platforms that you can use to make sure you read all the blogs you love, but my personal favorite is Bloglovin' because it has the best interface. I enjoy the previews for each post in chronological order. I often get behind, then I can click Mark all as read. My favorite feature is in the left sidebar of each blog's page there are suggestions of other blogs followed by the same people.

It's lovely. Check it out and if you prefer it you can follow me here!
No pressure though :)

xoxo, Mallory

Red Velvet: Light at the End of the Tunnel!

2011-08-18T22:42:00.000-04:00

We are quickly approaching September 1st, affectionately termed Launch Day by the RV team. I've tagged and hung up over half of my dresses last and this week! I am personally sewing the floral stretch dresses, crop top, orange velvet, blue velvet, and blue silk dresses. Halfway there!

Everyone is starting to feel comfortable and getting ready to make their finishing touches as well! I'm really proud of all the work everyone has put in to developing their garments. We have an explosion of patterns, collars, scraps, and thread spools in the studio. It's a whirlwind of work and creativity.

I'm so excited for you all to see each dress as it is unveiled on Elsie's blog (if we find the time I may even be in a 3 Ways to Wear It). We have been planning out the designs for this fall since the day after the spring launch, and I feel like it's incredibly cohesive and really represents the Red Velvet brand to a T.

Who is planning on refreshing their browser a million times in anticipation for the launch? I know our team will be refreshing millions of times to see the stock fly into shopping carts :)

Love, Mallory

Red Velvet- FAQ

2011-08-18T00:54:00.000-04:00

I've had a few concerned comments about if I was being taken advantage of at Red Velvet. You don't have to worry about me at all. First let me explain a few things... my school has a mandatory 6 internships built into the fashion design program. My first was production sewing in Cincinnati. My second was at Red Velvet this winter, and now I'm doing my third at RV this summer (I'm hoping for my fourth to be at Anthropologie). Most of my classmates go and work at companies like Aeropostale, Abercrombie, and JC Penney, doing classic "intern" work in NYC getting paid minimum wage and living with 3 other girls. Though some do some really cool things like my friend Rachel.

Yes, I work REALLY hard, and often up to 48 hours a week, but my experiences at Red Velvet couldn't be more beneficial! An internship is all about learning, networking, pushing yourself, and building your resume/portfolio experience. Here is why I'm not being taken advantage of:

The biggest pro is that I get to work with Elsie and Emma. A million girls (and boys?) would kill to even meet them. It's undeniable how much power Elsie has in the handmade market, but she has never said anything to me that sounded egostistical or self centered. She's just a talented designer like any other but happens to have a large fan base. These girls have imparted so much knowledge about business, marketing, blogging, sales, etc. If I ever ask any question about business or money you wouldn't expect a boss to answer, they answer honestly because they want to teach me all that they can!

I couldn't have dreamt of a better way to network with the quirky, vintage, handmade, blogging, and fashion worlds. I bet most of you wouldn't have found my blog without Elsie, which is awesome. I have also made lots of great friends working/living here like Rachel, Holly, Katie, and Sarah. I've read and loved their blogs for a long time! Not to mention I met Stacy of Eisley, who I've listened to for a long time. I absolutely adore Stacy and was so excited to play dress up with her and Elsie one night. I've heard snippets from her, Jeremy, and Darren's album and know it will be an instant favorite of mine.

Free cupcakes, cake pops, and bubble tea. Every day.

My resume will now have on it that I produced a 100+ piece spring collection by myself! In a few weeks I'll be able to add that I oversaw 4 other interns and the production of a 400+ piece fall collection including mens accessories. Over 200 pieces will be made by me personally (with Chrissy's cutting talents)!

The big question was do they do compensate me? Yes, I moved 9 hours away from home so they pay me, often times feed me, and pay for my housing. I won't discuss numbers, but I am comfortable. Most of my monetary compensation comes from the DIY Dress Up e-course (part also paid for the fabric for the collection). So, if you want to help me pay for my school loans AND have me teach you how to sew, go buy it! Oh, and after the first launch they bought me a Marc Jacobs bag!!!

I'm sure I could keep gushing about how amazing Red Velvet, Elsie, and Emma are. If you're one of Elsie's followers this won't by any means be the last you'll see of me, but I need to have some different experiences before I graduate and settle into a real job. For now I'll sum up my internship with this quote from Elsie's last dress line story "Mallory was sewing up a storm! She really put in a lot of hours... she really deserves the credit for the production of absolutely the entire line... over 100 dresses. She had a new pattern for every single size, collars, buttons, zippers and so much more to think about. It was a crazy list, to say the least. Mallory had an incredible attitude. We are so proud of the hard work she did and have grown to consider her a part of our team. She's wonderful and took a lot of pride in her work for Red Velvet."

See, they love me. I love them. I love you all for being so supportive.

xo, Mallory

Wardrobe Pictures- Prep School

2011-08-13T23:46:00.003-04:00

Details:

shirt- Target mens :)

bow tie- Forage borrowed from Elsie

shorts- Target summer '09

belt- vintage

tights- Claire's (I may have been in search of Harry Potter swag)

Shoes- Seychelles Clue Bootie, borrowed from RV styling wall (lucky for me Sarah and I wear the same size)

It is very possible that I bought this shirt just to wear bowties with. My shoulders are too big to wear most womens button-ups. So, I call this a success. Do you have a hard time finding any certain garments because of fit? Other than jeans of course.

Love, Mallory

DIY: Guest Post for Kara

2011-08-12T22:28:00.001-04:00

Hat and necklace borrowed from Elsie: Necklace, Sholmit Ofir

I meant to post this the other day, but blogger was down. I have a DIY to make a cute top like this from a big dress over at I Just Might Explode! It was so much fun, and Kara is a doll. Go check it out!

Love, Mallory

DIY: 3 Velvet Bow Accessories

2011-08-11T23:58:00.002-04:00

Here is what you need to make any of the 3 projects I've shown! Hand needles, velvet ribbon, pin backs, thread, and corded elastic. I also used a cheap hat from a mall store. Use the pictures as a guide for how you can take these ideas and personalize them into your own designs!

This first one is a simple bow tie that I plan to wear as a brooch or "clip-on" bow tie.

For this second, I just doubled the body of the first bow to make 2 layers. I bought this hat at a mall store because it was on sale and the ugly bow was just glued on. I pulled it off and using another pin back pinned the bow onto the hat.

Using a long strip that almost touched in the back of my head I sewed one of the simple bows on. Then I hand-stitched the ends down making two tunnels through. Loop corded elastic through both tunnels and tie a few knots. Feed the knot into one of the tunnels and tack it in place with a few more stitches.

There you go. Three simple and cheap accessories in under an hour! You can make something cute or menswear inspired; it's up to you! If you make any of these leave me a link in the comments.

Love, Mallory

Blog Crush!! Folk & Feather

2011-08-09T22:14:00.000-04:00

Not too long ago my friend Betsy (on the left) informed me that she was ready to start a fashion blog! She's super gorgeous, loves vintage, and has great style, so I was really excited! Remember that vintage mint color dress I altered a few months ago? It was for her!

You can see her outfit posts and a few other photos over on her blog Folk & Feather. She's planning on sharing some other stylish Cincinnati/Northern KY girls looks soon as well. I'm glad she's trying to put our area on the fashion map too!

Love, Mallory

Weekend Adventures: Coffee with my parents

2011-08-08T22:12:00.001-04:00

Last weekend my parents drove the whole 9 hours from Northern Kentucky to Springfield. We did so much treasure hunting and good eating I thought I'd burst of happiness! Here are a few photos from breakfast at Coffee Ethic!

Just 31 days till I return home!

Love, Mallory

What's in my Sewing Box?

2011-08-07T19:51:00.001-04:00

The other day I realized that I have never shared what tools I use! You can see my machines in the post. I'm amazed that I can fit all of this in that small box!

The tools: thread snips (I call them nippers), Gingher scissors, seam gauge, exacto, seam ripper (this one is better)...

Gutermann thread is the BEST thread (huge set)...
various closures such as random buttons, hooks and eyes, and snaps!

Assorted home and industrial sewing accessories like bobbins, feet, and a screwdriver I stole from my dad, washers for cutting weights, a point turner...

writing utensils for making a million kind of marks on patterns and fabrics...

pins, pins, pins...

Chrissy, another RV intern, took photos of what's in her toolbelt, too. She just started a blog, so go say hi, and keep an eye out for her post!

Thanks for seeing what's in my box of tools!

xo, Mallory

Wardrobe Pictures- Rose Tinted

2011-08-06T01:12:00.001-04:00

Details:

Top- NY & Co. (crazy right?)

Bow brooch- Vintage thrifted

Bandeau bra- Victoria's Secret

Jeans- thrifted

Heels- Aldo

Lipstick: NARS Carthage

Thanks to Elsie for taking these photos! I'm glad we finally figured out the back lighting we talked about weeks ago :)

I may or may not have worn this outfit into Walmart. Which means I may or may not have gotten some crazy looks from the stereotypical patrons especially the old people. Lesson learned :). Oh, and I LOVE that you can finally see my freckles! It's hard to get them to show up in photos unless I get a poolside tan, which will not happen this summer.

Love, Mallory

Suggestions?

2011-08-04T00:02:00.001-04:00

I've started a list a few weeks ago of diy ideas to do for you all. I really enjoyed showing you how to make and wear lace shorts. Before I jump the gun though and get to making and writing some more, do you have any certain projects or things you'd love for me to teach you? Any one trend you need help with? Are you wanting simple restyling ideas, jewelry, full garments, embellishment details... give me your thoughts!

Keep in mind if you want to learn how to sew from the basics you can buy my DIY Dress Up E-Course (It's basically 17 diy style projects that I developed with Elsie then wrote the instructions for).

Sewing makes me so happy, and I want you to be able to learn something worthwhile from my expertise!

xo, Mallory

Bloggers Wardrobe- Click the Link!

2011-08-02T20:58:00.000-04:00

I’ve been contacted about competing to join Bloggers Wardrobe. I am a perfect match with my unique perspective; being a fashion design student who has a playful, vintage style.

You can click this link to show your support!

Bloggers Wardrobe Website

xo, Mallory

Wardrobe Pictures- Simple and Sparkly

2011-08-02T01:21:00.001-04:00

Oh, man I had SUCH a fun-filled weekend with my parents! My mom took two sets of outfit photos for me, so here is the first one!

Outfit Details:

Starlette Crown -- Giant Dwarf c/o Red Velvet :)

button-up -- NY & co. (randomly went in last week & got 2 tops)

patterned shorts -- thrifted

moccasins -- Darlingtonia

folk(ish?) necklace -- gift from Lauren

simple chain -- thrifted

Family makes everything happier :)

xo, Mallory

Week in the Life...

2011-07-31T02:27:00.000-04:00

The big task for this week was preparing and troubleshooting samples for the video and photo shoots. Since I'm the senior intern I needed to worry about my 4 dresses and 1 top as well as making sure everyone else was in tip-top shape. Everyone ended up really pulling together and helping each other out. I also took on my first pair of jeans (ever) last minute to complete a look! I took so many photos with my iPhone to document the process! Here are a few of my favorites!

(a million pairs of) scissors, orders of buttons and fabric we picked up, fittings with Sarah, Laurel & Morgan, flowers from Brian, organizing with Chrissy...

Prepping, shooting, then cleaning!

An absolutely lovely week. Now I'm onto a lovely weekend that began with the arrival of my visiting parents! We went to my favorite flea markets and Funtiques, got cupcakes, let them try bubble tea (Dad is a fan while Mom is unsure), saw Harry Potter, and got Gelato. Tomorrow we are venturing to the outlet mall!

I hope your weekend is just as lovely. Thanks for popping in. XO, Mallory

Lust List 10

2011-07-27T22:00:00.002-04:00

So here is what I've been bookmarking and wish-listing this week.

1. 2. FRED PERRY Gingham shoes 3.

4. Super Pretty handmade backpack 5. Escher Birds iPhone 4 Case 6. Illustration of Mae

7. to-die-for Marc Jacobs Shoes

8. Old Navy Chiffon Dress 9. Vintage Folk Dress

10. Nishika 35MM 3-D Camera $9.85!

The bag in the next image is so amazing I thought it deserved its own full-size image.

Orla Kiely Rosemary Satchel

Have a love filled day :)

-Mallory

Red Velvet- Organization is Happiness

2011-07-27T00:00:00.001-04:00

Red Velvet dress line launch date is quickly approaching us. AHHH!!

Just kidding, we're very on schedule. To make sure we stay that way we decided today that we needed a firm schedule, so that no one would need the same machine or workspace at the same time. We also needed personal goals to keep us all on track with production. Chrissy volunteered to make us a full schedule that's color coded and everything.

Then Elsie and I got some stickers while running errands. Chrissy and I also decided a paper chain was most DEFINITELY needed! I should make one as a count down to seeing Brian and my family again too!

Yay for organization, right?

Love, Mallory

Wardrobe Pictures- Adventures with Brian

2011-07-24T20:18:00.002-04:00

The other night Brian and I went on a date to get burgers.

I was a little overdressed in this:

dress: Asos, Emma bought the wrong size and is very sweet

shoes: Seychelles - Hawk

necklace: vintage

2011-07-22T19:26:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited to announce the launch of the E-Course I've been working on, D.I.Y. Dress Up. Elsie, and I developed this class for women who want to learn to sew their own clothes. We created seventeen projects that vary in skill level from simple bows and belts to more complex dresses and purses! If you want to learn to sew from a beginners level or build confidence to make your own patterns and dresses, this course if for you!

Sessions Include:

Sewing Basics and Supplies

Session 1: Make Your Own Topstitched Bow. Learn how to topstitch while stitching up pretty bows for your hair or belts.

Session 2: Make Your Own Magazine Tote. Get comfortable with your tools and basic stitching technique as you make the perfect bag for magazines.

Session 3: Make Your Own Makeup Bag. Figure out that putting in zippers isn't scary in the least while making a mess proof makeup bag.

Session 4: Make Your Own Jersey Headband. Have your first experience with sewing stretchy material to make the perfect hair accessory.

Session 5: Make Your Own Belt. Learn how to design a really unique belt and perfectly fit it to you.

Session 6: How To Draft A Pattern That Fits Your Body. Fear patterns no more! This session will arm you with the tips and skills you need to begin pattern drafting and customizing store bought patterns.

Session 7: Make Your Own Paper Bag Skirt. Find out that hems aren't a scary as you thought they were.

Session 8: Make Your Own Chevron Top. Tackle the chevron trend and match stripes like a pro.

Session 9: Make Your Own Fringe Laptop Case. Insert padding and make perfect fringe with this lesson that will protect your computer.

Session 10: Make Your Own Ruffled Skirt. Learn how to make perfect ruffles. Every girl loves a ruffle or two.

Session 11: Turn A Tank Into A Pretty Dress. Find out the quickest way to make a perfect little dress from materials you probably have already.

Session 12: Make Your Own Jersey Tank Top. Make a cool breezy tank while learning to cleanly finish a stretchy edge.

Session 13: Make Your Own Lace Dress. Find some tips on how to deal with tricky fabrics the right way.

Session 14: Alteration Basics. Three quick mini lessons to fix up unflattering or damaged garments.

Session 15: Make Your Own Maxi Dress. This session will show you how to use elastic to keep up an extremely wearable maxi dress.

Session 16: Make Your Own Cardigan- Sewing sleeves is really tricky. This lesson will break down how to set them with ease.

Session 17: Make Your Own Statement Bag. Apply a bunch of your new skills to make an advanced handbag with hardware.

BONUSES:

Fashion Dictionary Learn- to talk like a designer and read patterns like a pro!

Think Like a Designer with Mallory- Using inspiration without being a copycat! Learn to translate things that inspire you into your own design.

Hand Printing- Learn hand printing techniques with Elsie. Get the look of screen printing without any special equipment.

Also included, Sewing Basics and Supplies.

The course is priced at only $29 US. We wanted it to be super afforable so that even our college student readers, like myself, could enjoy it. I hope that this course will inspire many of you to sew your first dress and become friends with your sewing machine! Buy the course here!

Love, Mallory

Special Project Reveal!

2011-07-21T22:36:00.001-04:00

Remember I said I was working on a special project? Well, I'm currently finishing up a fashion sewing e-course with Elsie! We've had so much fun working on, and we're releasing it within the next few days!

I can't wait for it to launch and for you to see all of the fun sewing projects we've put together!

xoxo, Mallory

Wardrobe Pictures- Gelato with Brian

2011-07-21T01:05:00.000-04:00

Outfit details:

dress- Lilly Pullitzer from Vintage Vice

flats- Payless

bag- Pedal to the Metal Marc by Marc Jacobs ♥

The other night and Brian and I got Japanese food then gelato. We have been eating really awful the whole time he's been here. We've enjoyed every second. Tonight we had bacon and eggs for dinner. YUM!

xoxo, Mallory

Weekend in Instagram

2011-07-18T23:05:00.000-04:00

This weekend has been CRAZY busy! Saturday I picked up Brian in St. Louis, and then we drove back to Springfield, got dinner, and saw HP 7 pt. 2

Sunday we got crepes at Aviary and treasure hunted pretty much all day long!

Today we sat at a coffee shop while I worked on the E-Course I'm teaching with Elsie. We're releasing it later this week! YAY! We took a few breaks to get lunch, check out 1 vintage store, and then get fondue and cocktails.

I'm so glad he's here, and I'm be crazy excited once this course has launched.

Love, Mallory :)

Big Day!

2011-07-16T12:42:00.000-04:00

I love this boy

Today I'm going to pick up Sir Brian from Saint Louis Airport and then drive back to Springfield. I get to spend a whole week with him before he flies back home. I am going to cherish every single second!

♥ Mallory

Sewing Day- Special Project

2011-07-14T02:02:00.001-04:00

Today I spent the day sewing for a special project with a special lady. I love that we get to use scraps and fabrics we've been saving up for a reason just like this. I also love that she volunteers to sew on all the buttons :)

I'll get to share more details next week. Hopefully.

Love, Mallory

DIY: Lace hem shorts tutorial

2011-07-12T21:32:00.002-04:00

Okay seamstresses, time to add some lace to any pair of shorts!

I've been wanting to make some shorts I could wear like a slip for a long time now. Much cuter than wearing jersey shorts under skirts! I made mine from scratch, but I'll teach you how I added the eyelet lace trim to the hem. You can do this to any pair of shorts. It's really easy!

For my supplies I got flower buttons, skin color quilting cotton, and 2 yards of the prettiest eyelet trim I could find. I spent $15 and 2 hours to make mine. I also saw eyelet and lace trims for $1.99, so it could be a $4 project if you already have shorts!

1. trim the excess cotton on the trim. Even the nicest eyelet needs this.

2. measure around the leg opening of the shorts you have. Add 1/2" to this measurement and cut your lace to that size. Join the two ends of your trim with a 1/4" seam to make a circle.

3-4. I wanted my lace to be the whole hem of my shorts. So, I matched the edge with the crotch seam and I stitched the center 1/4" from the hem. If you're using shorts you already have you may want to shorten them or just have the lace farther down on the leg. You may want to pin before sewing this step.

5. Topstitch all the way around another time at the top if your trim is really wide like mine. Then trim your threads and think of all the ways you can wear these!

Here are the 3 ways I've already tried mine:

If you make something similar drop me a line here or in email!

Thanks for making things with me! Mallory

Wardrobe Pictures- lace shorts

2011-07-11T20:38:00.000-04:00

Outfit details:

dress- H&M

shoes- 2nd hand from Avalon Exchange in STL

Thanks Elsie for taking these photos :)

I also wore these lace shorts underneath. I made them the other day. Tomorrow I'll show you how I made them and how you can get a similar look with less work!

I love simple and versatile projects like these!

Xo, Mallory

Watercolors

2011-07-10T20:59:00.001-04:00

I've been working on re-doing my croquis, or fashion figure templates. Some people free hand each time, but most trace their outlines from croquis. I do this because I really like consistency!

I'm wearing my red lizard Nars lipstick today. Fancy! My Harry Potter Lego necklace was a Christmas gift from my sister Brittany. She got it from this Etsy shop.

Have I told you that I'm picking Brian up in Saint Louis Saturday? He's going to spend a whole week here with me! I'm beyond excited!!!

Love, Mallory

Teal+fringe+leather=happiness

2011-07-09T23:01:00.001-04:00

I am in deep love with my Darlingtonia Moccasins. They are my favorite color and the padded bottom is unbelievably comfortable. It was SUPER hard to choose between those and the RV heart ones! You can read the craftsman Katie's blog here. It's one of my favorites. I love getting to support artists who have such amazing craft and defined style!

I may have to get the heart ones later this summer...
For now teal will do. I'm sure I'll wear them in an outfit post soon!

Love, Mallory

Official Meet-n-Greet

2011-07-07T20:34:00.001-04:00

So, here is the team:

Jamie, Mallory, Chrissy, and Renee

They are beautiful, wonderful, talented, and many other amazing words. I always thought I worked better alone, but they have proven me wrong! I'm so thankful to have a team this season!

After the group photo we all had to have cake pops. I mean, they're chocolate starting this week. We had to right?

Love Mallory

Wardrobe Pictures- polka dots

2011-07-07T18:22:00.001-04:00

This is what I wore to work at RV today!

shirt- H&M

belt- super old, can't remember

cropped jeans- Old Navy

moccassins- found in Red Velvet.

headband- Forever 21

(sidenote: I don't shop at f21 anymore, but I got it the day they gave 100% of their sales to Japan.)

Have a lovely day!

xoxo, Mallory

Lust List 9

2011-07-06T20:04:00.003-04:00

Here are some things I've been virtually window shopping for as of late. More like I've been lusting over them for a while.

1. Eyelet jumper from Fancy Treehouse 2. Pretty bag from Fossil 3. recycled wood bracelet

4. Feather print vintage dress 5. Across the Pond Dress 6. Floppy hat from Asos

7. Ray Bans! 8. Pintuck blouse from Asos! 9. Geo print vintage skirt

10. Ruffly vintage dress 11. Pretty pink blazer from Zara

Do you have any pieces that you'd REALLY love to be in your closet right now?
xo, Mallory

Big Day!

2011-07-05T18:46:00.000-04:00

Today was a big day for the Red Velvet interns! The brand spankin new Juki computerized industrial sewing machine arrived. It is glorious. Thanks to Jeremy for helping me put it together, which took a while... Also, thanks to the people who donated to the RV Kickstarter!

The other interns haven't used industrials before, so I was insanely excited to show them the ropes. Here they are trying it out. From left to right we have: Renee, Chrissy, and Jamie! They all go to school for fashion design at Missouri State University, here in town. They're awesome.

Love, Mallory

Wardrobe Pictures- Curly Hair!

2011-07-04T23:16:00.002-04:00

Outfit details:
blouse- vintage from Elsie. She's sweet right?
belt- NY & Co (from high school)
shorts- Mom's 90s hand-me-downs
boots: Urban Outfitters
crochet flower bobbies: Miss Indie

I very rarely curl my hair, but I unusually had this Saturday off. So, I curled my hair, went shopping, and then went to a photoshoot at Rachel's house for a new Red Velvet project! Thanks Emma for taking these photos! To see peeks from the real photoshoot pop over to Elsie or Rachel's blog :)

Love, Mallory

SHOP GRAND OPENING!

2011-07-03T20:48:00.000-04:00

Tonight is the official launch of Nona!

I've decided to open an independent store where I could sell whatever products I want. For now I have a lot of vintage clothing and accessories that I've been hoarding and in a few cases wearing for a long time. I'm finally ready to share with you! I have a lot more that I'll be adding as things sell!

Okay, time to SHOP!

Thanks for being a very encouraging bunch!

Love, Mallory

New Obsession

2011-07-03T18:05:00.000-04:00

I think having Jill do my makeup has made me feel more inspired to do my makeup better on a day to day basis. Yesterday I added to my "nice lipstick collection" and got NARS in Carthage. I also got Benefit's Finding Mr. Bright kit, a Sephora peachy shadow, and white Sephora eyeliner.

I put on most of it today!

I also wore this awesome thrifted unicorn bracelet, my Michael Kors sunnies, and a blue bird pin from Avalon Exchange in St. Louis.

Love you, love your show!

Mallory