The Tiny Closet

I've been unusually excited for Spring these days...

 and while practically everything in my Tiny Closet is fit for all seasons, I do have a few pieces that shine extra bright for specific times of the year.  

Like these coral pants.  Short of florals, they just scream "Spring" don't they?

And in preparation for the spirit of Spring (ahem, Cochella), I gave my pants a simple bohemian styling with a swinging, draped top and bigger curls on my head, with a middle part.

top: Santee Alley / bra top: Free People / pants: Zara / sandals: Santee Alley / rings: Kukuly's 

I also picked up a few Tiny treasures at my new favorite store in downtown, Kukuly's.  I was again, unusually drawn in to this store of fabulous bohemian jewelry and accessories but trying new things seems to be the theme for my lil wardrobe so far this year.  

I'm enjoying tweaking my look with small changes.  While I do have a simplistic signature style, I love all the subtle changes I can make even with the Tiny Closet that I have.

See how I've worn these pants in the past:

with stripes

with leopard

Check out these punchy coral pants!  You'd be surprised how far this color can take you...

With the terrible weather we've had lately, I've been keeping myself inside, bouncing between my sewing machine and my computer.  

While the rain continues to pour, I am getting totally inspired and ramped up for Spring and Summer! 

It's been a full year since I moved to L.A. and after going through all the seasons, I can now predict each (predictable) season going forward.  

It's much easier now as I think up a new arsenal of pieces - plus, I can finally implement a new routine for my Tiny Closet...

I'm reading about it more and more and I thought I'd adopt the concept for myself.  That concept being that with each new item I add to my wardrobe, I will donate an old item that I'm falling out of love with.  So each new article of clothing will replace an older article of clothing.  Anyway, I thought it would be fun to show how collecting a few pieces through each season can still keep my collection small while maintaining endless options for styling!  

Starting with Spring/Summer seasons:

 Pastel Biker Pants

 I love asymmetric tees - especially when they're paired with skin tight pants.  The dropped back tee from Asos goes perfectly with a pair of sky blue biker pants from Zara's Spring line.  The cropped jacket from Zara will go with everything!

Statement Skirt

 This Zara skirt is so versatile!  It can even be worn with just the cropped jacket buttoned up as a cropped top.  Chambray and twill are naturals together so it only seemed right to have them in a Spring/Summer collection.  Since they're also very simple items, they can be put with statement pieces like this skirt.

Dress Shorts

These fancy asymmetric shorts are a refreshing design and again, can be dressed up and dressed down so easily.  To wear the dropped back tee with these shorts is fun and artistic looking.  Lots of drape!  The cropped jacket is again finding its way into another ensemble - as well as those trusty high tops.

So like I mentioned before, the number of ensembles is surprisingly plentiful when it comes to just 9 items to work with.   Having a visual like this helps me maintain simplicity and my minimalist ways while I begin to refresh my closet.  

Hopefully it will give you some ideas as well of just how many ways you can rock the same things.  Especially when you're shopping for new things!

With Winter in full swing (as much as it can be, here in Southern Cal) I reunited with my fancy for jackets during a shopping trip to The Wasteland.

I definitely fell out of touch last year with the "jacket accessory" as I was just so caught up with, well not wearing a lot of clothing.  I've acclimated myself to the constant high temperatures here (at an alarming rate actually), but the recent nippy/freezing weather has had me searching for something chic, warm and layer-able.  

Having a blast with my new letterman jacket the other day, I also found another gem: this silk, batwing, muted dark purple jacket with zipper detailing! 

*sigh*

It's simply perfect, yes?

jacket: Zara / tank: FIDM / necklaces: thrift / harem pants: American Apparel / heels: Deisel

Putting together some jersey-stretch basics (harem pants and an oversize racerback tank top), I threw on this drapey jacket and glossy heels.  Heels will always upgrade a casual look, of course but this jacket really gave the style a more finite direction in my personal style.  My casual basics instantly turned into a chic fashion-forward look just with one piece!

*****************************************
 

Theo and I took a spontaneous trip to Seattle yesterday!  I'll be enjoying friends and family for the next week and excited to share photos of being back in our hometown.  

Have a great weekend and I'll see ya back on Monday!

Off to the movies with two of my favorite guys, I had no time to dress in the outfit I'd intended.  Plus, speed walking, in the sun, in woven strappy sandals so Theo wouldn't miss grabbing the best seat and watching all the previews didn't sound like a blast so I chose a jersey tank dress and some Chucks in order to keep up.  

The ensemble for that outing will be in another post perhaps, but for Monday, I was still stuck to the idea of coral, yellow, orange and pink.  All together...  Like a candy wrapper!

Hope you are having a wonderful week so far!

Thanks so much for visiting :)

There's something about a crisp white tee with jeans on a woman.  So American.  Classic American.  Jeans and a white tee is one of the few American fashions I favor and feel great wearing.  There's an effortless, rugged, natural beauty about this style.  So I guess it's no surprise that I love it.

I snatched up these Dr. Suess-like sandals instantly while in Zara last Summer.  I don't think I'll ever let them go.  These sandals are such a nice surprise to any ensemble and I also wore them with a denim dress here.

And a side note...

I've been getting a lot of questions on how I style my hair.  Some of you already know my thoughts on natural hair: 

I wash it, I dry it, I go.  Nothing more really.  It's hair, you know?  I let it do its thing.  I don't twist, braid, set or do anything to my hair other than wash it.  But I do make sure to detangle it every other day while washing.   

On that note, I do want to say, my hair had recently become near to impossible to detangle and felt overall, rough and stiff.  Yikes!  As I scrambled to figure out the problem, I quickly realized my Tangle Teezer brush that I'd been using for months was wreaking major havoc on my curls.  I stopped using it immediately, picked a restructuring conditioner by Dove at Target and literally, in a day, my hair was back to normal.

So, while I don't have the most involved hair routine, I have discovered some pretty cool secrets:

1.    Do not use the Tangle Teezer 

I guarantee it works for no kind of curly hair

&
2.    Dove Hair Therapy: Intensive Repair Conditioner works.like.magic.
on the bottle it says "95% fewer split ends" and "hair renewal within first use".... they are frickin right.  All the heaping damage my Tangle Teezer caused (as well as my neglect) was practically reversed within one wash.  Now my hair is shinier and more curly than it was originally.



So now that my hair is healthy and back to it usual tricks, I can get back to what really matters... clothes!  Ahhhhhhh.

Monochrome.... I have a tendency to do this if I'm not paying attention while dressing.  I don't know what it is but, I automatically choose the same colors subconsciously when putting things together (specifically when in a hurry) and it comes out kind of amusing.  

This four-shades-of-grey number was what I came up with yesterday morning when nothing but a pale blanket of clouds covered the sky and I had no good plans.  Ah, wait!  I totally know what it is now, I realize I tend to go monochrome when I'm bored or uninspired - yes, that's it.  

But that's the bad kind of monochrome.  That's the inevitable end result of dressing while bored.  What's the good kind?  I guess I'll have to show you this all again later.  I can't let this be my only say on monochrome because when deliberate, it can be dramatic and regal!  It can be posh and eccentric.  I'll have to work on this and return here with a better example of monochrome.  

A better example than this:

sweater: All Saints Mens / top: Tiny Closet Collection / pants: Zara / wedges: Castaner / necklace: thrifted

There's this quirky little trolley, Angel's Landing that ascends you in kind of a jif to the next block up.  It's such a cute little small town cart in the middle of downtown that, instead of just walking a block, I pay the 50 cents to sit pretty and watch the scenery as I rise... kind of like the stair assist chairs for seniors.

And of course I am also living in my drop crotch All Saints jeans.  It's a phase I'm going through.  Or is it?  Whatever, please bear with me.

Sooo I am loving this outfit for dog walks, trolley rides, fabric trips and everything else in between.  I feel like the love child of All Saints and Eileen Fisher.  Omg, that's exactly what this is!  Sigh :)

scarf: Zara Man / maxi top: Tiny Closet Collection / denim: All Saints / shoes: Converse Chucks

Thank you for visiting!!

What a pleasant match I came across this morning as I prepared to step out for an early appointment.

One of my favorite finds from Driftwood, my Ralph Lauren striped sailor top.  And my skin tight coral pants from Zara.  Because this particular coral has a nude undertone, it goes well with the cream and navy stripes in my top.

 top: Ralph Lauren / pants: Zara / heels: Aldo

I wear glasses when I don't feel like putting on concealer or mascara.  I find glasses lessen the pain of looking at me in the face when I've skipped my beauty routine, ha!

If you're like me and can't leave the house without eye makeup, try wearing glasses (real or fake) on those lazy days.  It works!

Going to a block party in my new neighborhood tonight!

I'm excited :)

So!  Last week, I made a wool poncho and debuted it a couple days ago.  It was cool.  You know.  It was very plaid.  Anyway, I tried again :)  

This time, I used a stiffer fabric.  I wanted something more dramatic like dupioni or tulle - but warmer: 

I went with felted wool...  In cobalt!

 poncho: Tiny Closet / belt: Zara Man / denim: Benetton / heels: Aldo

accessories - cuff: Nordstrom / cage ring: H&M

As much as I love black, the original ensemble I had in mind was leather pants and black booties, but I wasn't in the mood to be predictable.  So I chose cognac, nude and sandblasted denim colors to coordinate with this blue!

I really like the croc print on this Zara Man belt.  Ooo, that texture with this felted poncho!  And of course, gold really was the only accessory choice in my mind for this.  Maybe because I'm obsessed with gold jewelry :)

So I am much happier with poncho #2!  

What do you think??

Aaaand, a few ladies wanted to know how this super simple poncho was made.  I felt a quirky iPhone-staged tutorial was in order!

I didn't have enough wool to show you how I made this in full size so I made a miniature version of the poncho but also used my mannequin in parts to show you how to measure the poncho for length and width.  I am not P.S. I  Made This nor a pair and a spare (I'm obsessed with both though!) so bear with me!

This is my first tutorial.  Shall we begin?  Okay:

Step 1.  You Will Need...

2 yards of material / scissors / measuring tape / needle and matching colored thread

Step 2.  Measurements For Your Poncho

The poncho itself is one piece of material.  So since it's one piece, hang your measuring tape over your shoulder, placing the start of your measuring tape where you wish the front of the poncho to hit you.  Note the inches where you want your poncho to end in the back and voile, you've got the length of your poncho.

Next, hold the start of your measuring tape from elbow to elbow, going up over your shoulders.  Now you've got the width of your poncho!

With the length and width of your poncho, you are now ready to cut your material.  And yes, it's just a big square.

Step 3.  Cut Your Material

Now we get into the miniature part of the tutorial.  I like the edges of my poncho to be rounded so that it doesn't look like a blanket and it drapes better.

This is a model of the poncho laid out flat.

Step 4.  Create Neck Opening

You may have chosen the front of your poncho to be a different length than the back.  I made my front shorter than the back.  So cutting your neck opening on the poncho depends on those two lengths.

Step 5.  Measure & Cut Neckline

In order to make that huge collar that you see on both ponchos I've shown, the neckline can't just be a slit.  You will need to measure how wide your neck hole will be.  

If you're not sure, you can easily measure the neck hole of a sweater or top that you own.

 

Step 6.  Create Collar

Time to sew!  You may sew by hand or use a sewing a machine.  The collar I've made is 14 inches (2') and then I crunch and fold it over.  Of course, you can make your collar as long or as short as you wish.  

Step 7.  Finishing Up!  Attaching Neckline

If you do want to have a large folded over collar, you will need to sew it onto the poncho inside out.  This is so that when you fold it, the folded side will be the correct side of the material, hiding the seam.

Lastly, you will then attach the collar onto the neckline of the poncho!  

You can hand sew this or use a machine.

If you haven't seen the first poncho, click here

Back from a quick lil honeymoon, I'm settling back into life.  No more wedding plans, registry updates, venue correspondence, or endless string of errands.  Whew!  

And whoohoo, I'm married!

But more on that later.

On top of being excited to celebrate something beside Halloween for the next 60 Octobers, after Theo and I returned home, we decided to gather up the rest of our registry items that hadn't been bought.  Over the week, I added some denims to my Tiny Closet, as well as some basics, so yesterday when I delighted in a t-shirt and jeans ensemble for our shopping trip, I couldn't think of any other pair of shoes to wear but theeeeese onnnnnze :)

My new denim is from Zara and very stretchy.  With curvier legs, that's all a girl like me can entertain: denim with spandex.  Hugs those curves tight because its got nothin but love for 'em :)  I have two pairs of denim.  A light, worn pair for Summer and a super dark pair for A/W.  What can I say, I keep it simple.

I am back at the sewing machine so I'm excited to show my new items.  It will also give me something to do rather than pacing back and forth waiting for my wedding photos...  Which I will show as soon as  it is physically possible :)

Thank you for all the congrats and keep visiting for more Tiny Closet Fall wear!!