Shopping My Own Closet

Well hey there! It's been a while - 6 months, to be exact. I don't have any other excuse other than this: life. So... let's get on with it!

I have a full rack of thrift store finds, ready for refashioning at any given moment. In true Colette fashion, I had no idea what to do with any of them. So I turned to my own closet.

There, I found a pair of dress pants that I've had for a good 5 years. Of those 5, I have definitely not worn them for the last 2. Mainly because they've always been baggy, long and generally ridiculous looking. Naturally, I just hoarded them away instead of fixing them.

Enter: baggy, big, wide legged dress pants -

I've seen a few Pinterest pins and a few YouTube videos on how to fix pant legs of dress pants, so I had a general idea on how to do it. Although, I should mention that I did not pull up any said instructions, and I just went for it from memory. Clearly, some of this is just completely made up.

First, I put on my pants inside out. This is super weird if you don't have a habit of doing this outside of the early morning hours when you just toss on pants with zero give-a-damn because you are not yet fully awake. (We've all been there.) Don't panic that this has potential to be inappropriate - I kept my leggings on underneath the pants because it's not that kind of blog.

Next step is to contort yourself so you keep your pant seams straight, but are still able to pin the seams to thin out the wide legs. I started just above the knee and slowly tapered it in towards my ankle.

It wasn't pretty. 

Next, I took the pants off. Once I cleaned off all the blood from the crazy amount of pin pricks this caused, I put them on the table with the legs hanging off so they had a natural "fall". This is probably unnecessary but made me feel like I was doing something beneficial. 

I then straightened up my pins so it was a gentle taper that made sense instead of a line of a drunken seamstress. For the record, I attained the drunken seamstress line without actually consuming alcohol. (Shocked? Me too! Wine probably would have helped, in all honesty.)

Once I sewed my line, I quickly cut off the excess so I couldn't change my mind. My new mantra at this point was "I haven't worn these in years, I haven't worn these in years..."

Now, I thought I took pictures of this, but apparently I failed at uploading them. So the next step was to shorten them so they didn't go past my toes for a few inches. I went ahead and cut off the entire bottom cuff, then created a half inch seam and sewed it up.

Final result? Not nearly as bad as I was thinking! (How's that for a clear show of positivity!)

They still look pretty rough with just bare feet - meaning flats may look a bit goofy. However, slap on a pair of shoes and VOILA - not so funny looking legs!

I do have quite a few other dress pants that have the wide leg (what exactly was I thinking?!) With my short stature, I definitely can't pull it off these days. Never could, really... So I may continue doing this with my other wide-legged pants. Nothing better than waking up your old wardrobe!

Until next time - see you later!

You Request - I Video

I know, I know - it's been a very, very long time since I've thrown up a blog on here. Usually, I have a really good excuse as to why I haven't produced anything.

This time, I don't. Truthfully, I have really just taken the past few weekends to rest and relax and catch up with family and friends. It was nice. But, I missed a little something-something. Hint: it was this blog.

So, I dove into my e-mails and thought I'd start off with a bang - a video! I had gotten a few requests of more video's from various people, and a few different people requested a video about my life. I found a happy medium - a popular YouTube tag of "50 Things About Me". So off I went - and it was the frustrating damn video I've ever made.

My intention was a cool video on Wednesday. As you may notice, it is Thursday. Believe it or not, that is far from my first fail in terms of this video. My FIRST fail was that my camera was on HD the whole time, which makes the video's bigger. My SECOND fail was that videos in HD form can only be two minutes or shorter to transfer to my iPad, and I did two segments that hit above 2 so they wouldn't transfer. My THIRD fail was maxing out the space on my iPad with the collection of video's. My FOURTH fail was that I tried to upload this on Wednesday and kept on losing my internet. Thus, my FIFTH and final fail was ultimately getting it up on Thursday.

All in all, ya'll are lucky that I still own electronics and they aren't thrown out on my lawn, okay?

So here it is. Don't count them because I'm definitely short of 50 with my missing footage. I wasn't about ready to go back at it though. When this blog gets me paid, that's when I'll start facing my failures. Until then - enjoy my half-assed video!

Remember to keep the requests and suggestions coming!!

My Life on Overdrive

Have you ever had those months/days/weeks that it seems like it just goes by in the blink of an eye, but at the same time last forever?

It's been like that for me the last two weeks. Mainly because of this:

Our company had a booth at the Great New York State Fair and decided that someone from Human Resources had to be there each and every day of it. Since there are 3 people in HR and one was on vacation and one was the director that had to be in meetings - it came down to me. So I sat at a booth - talking to fair-goers and people watching. For days. In a row. For hours and hours straight. Including weekends - which is why my Sunday posts have been non-existent.

It wasn't all bad though - I certainly had a lot of fun eating a bunch of crap I don't typically allow myself:

Finding a Coke with my hubby's name on it (because you know I'll never find mine.)

And oh yeah... meeting celebrities :)

Why of course I'll take a picture with you, Mr. Alex Baldwin and his mom Carol :)

Mike and I rounded out a long week of work with the season opener football game at Syracuse University.

They never fail to give me a good heart attack. After a lot of overtime, we pulled through and won. After a game like that (especially after 4 hours) you certainly stick around for the playing of the alma mater.

Then I did a bit of hanging out with my brother and his wife on the final Sunday of the fair and caught a free concert of Phillip Phillips. He's the big white spot in between those large heads that were directly in front of me.

I thought I would be back once the fair ended - however now I have quite the cold that is putting me right on my butt. Actually, as I write this, I am on a sick day from work, listening to the Comfort Windows and Doors guys tear up my house to fix their mess up. But that is a whole different story for later days...

See you soon, friends! I promise I have not forgotten about you.

Adult Style Birthday Cake

This weekend is my dad's birthday so, naturally, I had to celebrate!

... three days early...

... with alcohol...

... alone in my house...

Let's call it taste testing! I found this pin on Pinterest and couldn't help myself. Luckily, I had all but one item already in my house. And who needs a better reason than that to buy cake flavored vodka? *Hint: Not me.*

First, get all your stuff together - this includes cake flavored vodka, coffee liqueur (I had Bailey's on hand), half and half and vanilla cake mix.

First, measure out a shot or so (the recipe says one ounce) of cake vodka and pour into a shaker.

Then measure out a teaspoon of vanilla cake mix. I wasn't exact on this, and it ultimately became "a heaping" teaspoon.

Then, it's on to your half an ounce of coffee liqueur. I used Bailey's because that is what I had on hand.

Next, add your half and half to make enough liquid to fill the glass, and throw some ice cubes into the shaker to make it nice and chilly. Then - shake it up!

Then pour it into a glass stolen from your wedding limo by your groom. Or any other fancy drink glass you have on hand.

And, of course, plaster the top with some delicious whipped cream and dress it up with some sprinkles. Because you can, and it's awesome.

Ultimate result? Delicious. I ended up adding a bit more vodka to cut the Bailey's taste a bit (it was strong!) but otherwise I didn't change it up too much. If I were to make it again, I would definitely go with Kahlua - my gut says it would make it phenomenal. Then you could add more alcohol and less half and half, as all drinks should be.

See you Sunday friends!

Painters Frock

Hey friends! This week, I had a very busy Saturday. First thing I did was run to the Salvation Army to pick up some new finds, then it was onto complete this weeks project before jetting off to a girls night! On the agenda for girls night was a "Paint and Sip" where you do just that - get instructed on how to paint a pretty picture whilst sipping (and/or gulping) your choice of beverage.

Now, I am not a neat person when I do arts and crafts, so I knew I needed something cheap that I wouldn't mind at all that I drip drinks or paint on. I found the perfect little frock:

The problem? It was super large. BUT! It was a perfect length for leggings - helping me stay comfortable, cool and covered up the entire time. Win!

Now, I only had about a half hour to get thing ready for wear before I had to head out, so this was a quick and dirty fix. Luckily, the only problem was just the sheer size of it. First, I pinned about an inch and a half into either side of the shirt.

Once pinned, I turned it right side out and put it on with all the pins in it to ensure I didn't take too much or too little in and adjusted as needed. Then, I sewed up my new seams, and trimmed the excess material off.

And that was literally it! I love that just a small thing like a sizing issue is so easily and quickly fixed to take this shirt from super frumpy to totally chic. Of course, I had to take the after in my sunnies to prove how clearly awesome I am.

And how did the painting go? Although the purple paint did a number on my white leggings, I got 0 drops of paint on my shirt, so it will live another day. I think it may end up being a fall staple with black leggings and a cardigan.

And the painting itself? I did not see it going so well, but I am in love with it and once I find a good place to hang it, it will be a permanent fixture soon.

Just makes you want to jump in and relax, doesn't it?

Enjoy your Sunday, friends, and I will see you on Wednesday (spoiler alert!) with a little mid-week cocktail. Because every week needs a work-day cocktail night.

Testing YouTube - Two Toned Manicure

I should probably not go as far to call this a "manicure" - it's more of just strictly nail polishing. I'm not one to shape, file or do anything fancy to my nails. They usually break too easily to do anything too exotic. However, I recently saw a YouTube video posted by PopSugar that claimed "easiest nails" and I felt the need to test their definition of "easiest".  Here's what you need:

Pretty flowers (shameless gardening plug) and delicious smelling candle are optional, but certainly set a fancy mood.

Basically, you need two colored polishes (or more, go crazy), a top and base coat, tape (stay with me here) and nail polish remover. I could be lying about the polish remover - it says to use "clean" nails, so I did some soap and water and some remover. Do whatever your definition of "clean" would be. 

First, lay down your base coat. Then paint two coats of your choice bottom color. I chose myself a bright blue from China Glaze.

Let it dry completely before you move on. Once dry, place tape on your nails to cover certain portions of the nail. The exposed parts will end up being the other color - for me, this is a dark glittery purple, also by China Glaze.

 

*Handy Tip* Place the tape on the back of your hand and tear it off a couple times before placing on your nail to make it less sticky. If you put it straight on your nail from the roll, it will rip off your polish instead of peeling nicely. Took me a few goes to get this one.

 

Paint over the tape with the second color. 

It's not gonna look pretty yet. Settle down. 

Next, let the top color dry for a few minutes until it is tacky but not completely dry and pull the tape slowly off from the bottom of your nail to top. 

Let dry, and then add your top coat for some staying power. 

Don't judge on the angles of these pictures - it's super hard to get pictures of your own nails!

So - was it easy? Meh. The idea is easy to follow and the steps themselves do not take an art degree. Keeping the tape flat on my nail without bumps, creases or air bubbles was hard, and polish certainly leaked into anywhere I didn't have perfect. My lines weren't exactly clear. 

 

Also, sitting on my couch for so long waiting for all my layers to dry was hard, but it's mainly because I think of everything I have to do with my hands when I can't use them. Every. Time. For this, have a nice movie going to keep you interested.

All in all, it's a fun look and I'll certainly try it again and attempt some clearer lines. For now, these pictures are the closest anyone will see them!

See ya Sunday, friends!

Didn't Forget About You!

Hey friends. Just a quick check in to explain my absence on Sunday. The problem?

I didn't have anything to refashion! *Gasp!*

Here's the deal: mama needed clothes for work. And I love making clothes - but summer clothes! Not too many things I make are work appropriate, and that is mainly what keeps this fun. 

So, I recently went out to the local outlets and blew this weeks refashion budget on work clothes. 

Yes, I feel bad. But not so bad, because I looked fantastic today in my new dress :)

Payday is this week, so my budget resets and posts will continue as planned. Don't fret! 

Until then, keep an eye out for the Wednesday post - who knows what I'll be testing next!

Testing Pinterest - Organizing Plastic Bags

I know... riveting title, isn't it? I wasn't entirely sure how to put into words the mess that is my hall closet. Observe:

Yes - this closet it fully loaded with plastic bags. And, since I'm pretty sure everyone has a spot like this in their house or car (I'm talking to you, Mom) I thought I might test a popular Pinterest idea on how to take care of such a thing. The solution? Fold that shit up as tight as you can.

Here's how:

Step 1) Begin a Netflix TV series and have alcohol at the ready.

Step 2) Flatten out bag (and ignore the kittybomb)

Step 3) Fold bag in half

Step 4) Fold in half again.

Step 5) Fold the bottom left corner up until it is even with the opposite side, creating a triangle. Then fold up on the long edge you just created. Next, fold up on the flat side that you created from that. Continue and repeat.

Step 6 - When you get to the last little part of handle, stuff the ends into the pocket that your last fold creates. If you don't see a pocket, you went one fold too far - go back one.

Step 7) Throw completed, folded bag into a pile. Continue to sip alcohol while repeating steps with the hundreds of bags you may own.

Personally, I had 53 in our closet.

I'm not going to lie though - it was quite interesting to get to the bottom of the bags that we haven't used in a while. I found lots of old receipts. The oldest I found? This one.

WalMart, October 29, 2012. I'm sure I had older, but the ink was all smudged off.

So there you are! It's a bit time consuming and tedious, but I now have all 53 bags in one purse on a hook and they are no longer taking up the entire right side of my closet.

Glamorous? No. Super handy? Hell yes.

As a bonus Pinterest test... using a straw to remove a strawberry stem also works. Like a dream. I felt like a freaking genius at work today while doing this.

Dying to be Different

Happy Sunday! I just gotta start this by saying - I totally freaking love this dress! I was super excited how it came out. I also want to let you know beforehand that I totally failed at taking pictures of the process. So... you win, you lose, right?

I started out with this:

This dress may or may not have been homemade. There was a tag but it literally said nothing but a word that I couldn't read. I had no idea what the fabric was, how to wash, etc. It was also a very nasty color, stained in a few places, and just generally ugly. It's been hanging on my refashion "to do" rack for quite a while- until this weekend when I had an "AHA!" moment. What a perfect job for these guys:

I got a few of these on sale at Joann's, so I brought home some colors I thought may work for this dress. Once I got everything home I decided that red was the way to go.

Once I had the hot water and red dye in the bucket, I thought "well hey, let's get dye crazy" and added in a bit of the tangerine as well.

And this is where the pictures stop, friends. Here's the short checklist of items:

1) Dye in a bucket for a few hours, rinse and spin in the wash and toss in the dryer

2) This dress was way too small in the arms and a tad too small in the bust. To fix, I got rid of the arms altogether - they had holes anyway - and I made more a V-neck in the bust to let those babies breathe a bit more.

3) Chop chop! I cut off the bottom so it no longer stopped at my calves. Why is that a thing, anyway?

And that's it! Super simple changes to make a boring brown dress into something that totally stands out!

Hope you guys are having a great weekend. Stay tuned for Wednesday - we're testing Pinterest!

Back with a... Fail

So, I always tell you guys that I will always let you know when I fail. Well... I wasn't lying, and I'm back to blogging and starting off with one. I've had this piece for quite a while now, but was totally stuck as to what to do with it. I am a huge fan of orange so this screamed my name this past spring as soon as I saw it.

The problem? I had no idea what to do with it. Every time I put it on, I hated how it looked but didn't know how to make it better. Finally - today -  I thought I would come back with a bang and conquer my personal challenge. I adored the orange ombre-look, but those horrible flowers on top of my rack needed to go. away. So, I got to chopping and (looking back, thankfully) chopped only the flower front from the plain arm strap of the back.

So then, as with all of my projects, I went ahead and played with different ways to change it up. I figured now that the first cut was made I would automatically find myself a solution.

But this didn't look right.

And this didn't quite work either...

Umm... nope. Not that either.

So this is where I got frustrated. When this happens, I try to start myself back at square one. So, I put the dress back up where it was supposed to be. Since I had already cut the straps, I just pinned the flower straps to my shirt to see if I could get an idea of what direction to go with this son of a bitchin' dress.

Suddenly, it dawned on me: the only thing I didn't like was that the flowers were on top of my chest. How did I never think "just move them down"? So I played around with pinning the straps and once I simply shifted everything down a bit, I liked it a lot more. Also, without the front connected to the back it created a gorgeous hi-low hem with the see through fabric that I immediately loved.

So the solution? It was actually super easy, but I couldn't complete it - here comes the fail! The solution is to cut and sew the back straps into an open back and add a ribbon to create a halter. The problem with this plan? I don't own orange ribbon and since we just resealed our driveway and were stuck at home not being able to drive on it, I couldn't go buy some.

Here's the look with just simple pins and a simple plan.

Happy Sunday, friends! Enjoy the rest of your weekend and, as always, sound off in the comments or my e-mail thriftysew@blogspot.com.

Look out this week (around Wednesday) for some new and exciting !