While the rest of the world was obsessed with cute and dainty ballet flats, the hipsters zeroed in on a great, but overlooked type of footwear: the lace up oxford. More practical in the winter than a ballet flat since it protects the top of your foot from slush and it has decent support. Plus it looks way more polished with your denim than a pair of running shoes. I am especially fond of these silver shoes but there are plenty of options in neutrals for those looking for a more versatile option. If you are ambivalent about ballet flats, you should thank a hipster for bringing the lace up shoe back into the limelight.

You may not listen to obscure music and ride a fixed gear bike, but you can still enjoy the practical and versatile pieces that hipsters love. Let me know in the comments what your favorite piece of hipster fashion is!

Today kicks off another round of cold weather and I am thinking wistfully about colorful spring fashion. Warm weather styles are already hitting the stores but it will still be awhile before I can wear them in Chicago. However, it is not too early to start thinking about what seasonal trends I want to embrace in the spring. 

Another easy way to add a print to your outfit is with stripes! What I love about the striped sweater (shown below) is that there are only a few pops of neon so it doesn't feel like you are being overwhelmed with color. Pastels always seem to be popular once the warm weather hits, but since they have a tendency to wash people out, I think they can be harder to wear than the brighter neons. If you prefer something more neutral, navy and white are a stellar springtime combination.

What spring pieces are you most excited to pull out of your closet when the weather warms up? Let me know in the comments. I can't wait to wear my nautical inspired navy and citrine skirt!

The only things that we did differently had to do with the quantity we were making. Since there were three of us and we all wanted samples of the same colors, we decided to make large batches of each color. To get three (mostly) full jars of each color, we combined two whole crayons with apx. 2 tsps of coconut oil. Also, since my only Pyrex measuring cup holds 4 cups, we decided that we needed a smaller container to melt and mix in. We used a shot glass and a mini glass gravy boat, both of which worked well.

If you've ever ventured onto Pinterest or Etsy, then you have most likely seen a photo of a picture frame jewelry organizer. I have always loved the idea because I have tons of jewelry and am not terribly organized, but most of the options had a huge mesh section for earrings with only a couple knobs for necklaces and bracelets. Although I do have quite a few earrings, only styles with "fish hook" backs work well with a mesh screen. So to make sure that my jewelry collection could be properly displayed, I decided to make a completely customized version.

The reason that most jewelry organizers have a huge area for earrings is that they use a wood picture frame as a base. Most of the organizers that I saw used an 8x10 frame which made the earring section the main focus. My organizer is 18 inches wide by 14 inches high with the mesh earring section measuring 13 inches by 6 inches. This gives nearly the same area for earrings as 8x10 frame (albeit in a different shape), but can fit many more knobs on the bottom section.

Even with the extra room for necklaces and bracelets, I still had 3-5 pieces of jewelry on each knob. There is more than enough room in the mesh area for my earrings as well as a brooch and my sorority pin.

After the wood glue dried, I got to move onto the fun parts: painting the frame a bold red (this color is Deep Garnet by Glidden) and adding on all of the knobs. I wanted a variety of fixtures so I mixed metal knobs with wooden knobs that I painted. Finally, I attached the mesh screen with a staple gun and added hooks so that the organizer could be hung on the wall.

I hung my bracelets from the knobs at the tops of the organizer and my necklaces from the bottom knobs because most of my necklaces are fairly long. I forgot how much jewelry I actually have, so if I were to do this again, I would probably add even more knobs. However, I just layered multiple pieces on each knob and it works quite well. The one downside to this style of organizer is that you can't easily put post earrings on it so I do have to keep a small jewelry box for that purpose.

I am lucky enough to have a large, walk-in closet so I hung my jewelry organizer on a closet wall to make it easy to add a great accessory to my outfit. It is much easier to see what I have when it is hanging up, rather than stuffed in jewelry boxes and in drawers around my apartment. (I am pretty sure that this is not my entire jewelry collection, but I am having trouble trying to remember where I had stashed everything.) Hopefully this organizer will also help me achieve my goal of wearing more jewelry. 

How do you organize your jewelry so that it is easy to grab and does not get damaged? Let me know your tips and tricks in the comments and if anyone tries this project, please send me a picture of your final result!

Those of you who follow me on Polyvore or Twitter may recognize this outfit (which I created last month), but I wanted to repost it because it is a great example of a January outfit. The holidays are full of sparkle and fancy dress occasions and the dreary cold of the new year can be a bit of a let down. This look combines a bit of fun and whimsy with practical warmth and comfort.

First off, the practical part of this outfit. It combines (nearly) flat ankle boots so you can maneuver through the slush, two warm layers (the leather jacket and the sweater), and denim (which is always a weekend essential). 

However, this outfit is more interesting than your run-of-the-mill sweater and jeans combo. The bold graphic on the sweater works well because there are not bright colors battling for attention. This makes it feel clean and modern and lets you bring in a great hue in the jacket. The clean lines of the jacket add a dash of polish, without making you look overdressed for your weekend activities. An asymmetrical jacket works well because it gives the structure of a blazer without feeling like work clothes.

What are your go-to weekend pieces when you want to feel casually chic? Let me know in the comments!