Instagram Updates III

This past week, while certainly busy and productive, was slightly calmer than usual. I had time to actually enjoy my work (a rarity lately), catch up with friends, and receive some happy news. Continue reading for more detail if you'd like for Monday's Instagram Updates.

1. For our final sketch project in draping we are focusing on resort wear for the 1950's. I decided to do swimwear, something I haven't done before, for a change. This was the starting part of the illustrations on Saturday night. Keep following up with me on Instagram (leshkoln) to see the final product.

2. I'm writing an analysis on Lucky magazine for my magazine class, so this purchase-along with the new pens and caffeine- were a necessary and  certainly enjoyable buy.

3. Studying abroad has been something that I have heard about for forever, and on Friday I finally got the exciting news that I will be spending this January through April in London studying at the London College of Fashion. Everything from getting to travel around Europe, finally visiting Paris (a dream for as long as I can remember), and just getting to learn in a different environment is thrilling. If you have any recommendations for me on places to go / see / shop / stay...let me know!

4. I went to visit my close friends on Friday night and we engaged in a Pinterest-worthy fall themed night in. Picking up fabulous orange skull glasses for a dollar at Target, we filled them with a special Pumpkin milkshake with pumpkin whoopie pies and sat down to catch up and watch a classic Disney movie, Halloweentown. 

I hope everyone had a great weekend and now a good start to the week!

Thanks for reading.

Home Improvement

Finding new ways to decorate and style spaces is always exciting to me. It's so easy to change the look and feel of a room with a simple DIY. While these purple chairs may or may not be a DIY project, it is a fun thought to realize that with a touch of spray paint and basically any piece of furniture, you can fairly quickly and inexpensively alter your home to match whatever is suiting your style at the moment. If you're anything like me, committing to something as seemingly permanent as home furnishings can be difficult. With a purple color as unique as the one featured in the image above, it would be interesting to test it out for a time period and when the color is no longer inspiring, change it up with a few sprays of a different shade and watch the space transform.

Aren't these purple chairs amazing? Not too pastel and not too deep of a purple, they provide a happy medium for a decorating color that is often not explored

Home Improvement

left photo via

Do you find yourself doubting your projects when you're at work? I know this is something that I am definitely guilty of. When working on a project for a while, similar to staring at a paper you're trying to put together, it is hard to appreciate it for the spark from where the initial idea came from that caused you to act on it. This week's Home Improvement feature is a fun take on a bit of self-encouragement for an office setting (or wherever you see fits). Though at first it came across as a bit overwhelming, I love how when doing a double take, the words can come across as almost like a graphic wallpaper print. If these walls could talk they would definitely keep inspiration flowing and get ideas back on track to where they were. Also, how cute is that little orange polka dot desk organizer? I love how the sea-foam scissors holder and desk organizer pop against the other-wise only black and white desk. 

Would you ever try a wall like this one?

DIY: Bedazzled Earrings

//Forever 21 Make-up bag//Rhinestones and earring backs from Toho Shoji and M&J Trimming//

If you're anything like me, you save endless how-to's on crafts and DIY projects in a folder on your desktop. Even though the whole concept of DIY is to show that seemingly difficult projects can actually be managed by ordinary people with an ordinary skill-set, I always was wary that my projects wouldn't turn out as stellar as the original. This past weekend, I came across this post on a favorite blog, and couldn't help but actually attempting to re-create these statement earrings like hers. And, lucky for me, these are clip-ons--yes, I still don't have my ears pierced. Below you can find the steps to make your own pair of dazzlers. Enjoy!

Step 1: Gather all of the materials that you need: Scissors, Rhinestones of your choice, Clip-on earring backs, Superglue (E6000), and some PVC sheets. I couldn't find any PVC sheets near me, but I found this cute make-up bag from Forever 21 and cut the plastic out from around it, and still can use the bag later.

Step 2: Once you have gathered all of your materials together, choose the size that you want your earrings to be (I went with about a 1" by 2" rectangle) and cut that size from the PVC sheet. Play with the rhinestones to see how you want them to lay out and how they fit best together before you glue them down.

Step 3: Once you have chosen the placement of your rhinestones, glue them down while making sure to press firmly so that they are secured into place.

Step 4: After your rhinestones have been glued down, flip the rectangle of PVC (now with the rhinestones on it) over and glue down the clip-on earring back. Again, remember to press it securely and make sure that it is the correct way so that you can clip it onto your ear. Place an object with a bit of weight to it, I used a book, on the top of your upside down finished pieces to help the rhinestones to hold in place while they dry overnight.

Voila! You've made your very own pair of bedazzled statement earrings! I've already experimented with pairing them with simple jeans and a tank to dress them down and swanky cocktail dresses for a special night out on the town.

I hope you enjoyed my first DIY post. I certainly had a lot of fun making these if you can't tell. If you attempt these, or any other DIY of your own, I'd love for you to share.