June 2014 archive
Patriotic Hairbows
Happy birthday America! (Well, not quite, but I’m posting this a little early so you’ll have time to make and wear these.) This holiday calls for something decorative, preppy and Red, White & Blue. I searched everywhere last 4th for a patriotic hairbow and could not find one. I was forced to take matters into my own crafty hands and teach myself how to make them. I learned that it’s very easy, as long as you find adorable ribbon and have access to hot glue. I’ve noticed more patriotic bows for sale this year, but making them yourself is a fun, inexpensive option. All you need is ribbon, hot glue, scissors and a hair clip. Here are some very basic instructions for making a hairbow.
1. Cut a length of ribbon twice as long as the length you want your bow. Where do you find stars and stripes ribbon, you may ask? I found mine at my local fabric store-they’re sure to have some this time of year. Ribbon two or three inches wide is best. I used wired ribbon, but that’s optional.
2. Fold the length of ribbon in half by holding the ends together to make a circle and flattening the circle so the ends are in the middle and in the back. Now wrap a smaller piece of ribbon around the center to make the “knot.” Hot glue the center piece down. So you can see there is no tying happening with this bow-you’re faking it with two pieces of ribbon and some well-placed hot glue.
3. Glue the hair clip to the back. I use a plain bobby pin for mine, but depending on your hair’s density and texture you might need a different kind of clip.
You can also make these bows for your furry friends too. I slid the bow onto the pup’s collar and he looked positively dapper.
Dogs want to be patriotic too!
Always supervise your pet when he has a bow on, just in case. Perry recommends bows for special occasions only, not everyday wear.
Pressing Matters: Modern Letterpress Art
Angel Bomb Letterpress Travel Coasters
A New Take on an Old Art
When I attended Art-a-Whirl last month, I visited the letterpress studio of Angel Bomb.
Letterpress has always fascinated me. It’s an old art dating back to the 1400s, but Angel Bomb makes it fresh and modern with their trend-forward designs.
Heidelberg Printing press
You’ve likely seen letter pressed stationary before-it’s usually on a thick paper with printing that’s indented for a lush, rich feel. It’s commonly used for fancy wedding invitations or poster prints. But you likely haven’t seen letter pressing being done. I hadn’t, before I saw Angel Bomb’s two genuine Heidelberg presses which they use for all their letter pressing. These gigantic old machines automate the printing and die-cutting process.
Letterpress History
Letter pressing itself was invented by Johannes Gutenberg, the father of printing, who created the first moveable type. In the 19th century technology progressed and printing presses began to be automated. In the 1930s, the German Heidelberg Company introduced a fully automated high-speed machine and became the leader in letterpress technology. That’s the kind of machine still used by many Letterpress artists today.
Modern Letterpress Designs
After visiting Angel Bomb they were nice enough to send me some letter pressed swag. Here’s a closer look at one of my favorites, their “Wish We Were Here” postcard.
If you love letterpress too, let me know in the comments!
Fashion for All
Everyone deserves fashion, in all sizes!
**The links in this post are affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link.
ModCloth is celebrating a very exciting milestone this week — the one-year anniversary of officially launching their plus size clothing line. During the past year, the company has expanded their product catalog with more items that fit all body types. And the plus size line is CUTE. I’m totally in love with this beautiful dress:
Check out the full-range fashion page in their Style Gallery, which showcases community-uploaded photos featuring ModCloth items that are available in a full size range. I also found a great collection of plus size graphic tees. This one is my favorite since it reminds me of vintage travel posters (and I’m a sucker for anything branded with Pan Am).
Everyone deserves to look and feel their best! Props to Modcloth for making stylish choices available for every body.
Interview with Callie from Southern Crowd
Entrepreneur Callie Willeford took her 2013 University of Texas Business at Dallas Administration degree and combined her love of her alma mater and her passion for Greek life to create her own t-shirt company. Southern Crowd launched just three months ago, but it’s already gaining immense popularity (probably because her designs are irresistibly cute!). I interviewed Callie to find out more about her start-up.
Pink Paperdoll Blog: When did you start your company? What was the inspiration behind it?
Callie: I have been designing t-shirts and apparel for UT Dallas and my chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta for about two years now and I found that I absolutely loved designing t-shirts. There are a ton of companies out there catering to college and Greek life students, but not many that can cater to the average college student budget. My partner in crime, Rachel, is the manager of Off Campus Books in Dallas, a textbook store serving UT Dallas. We work together on everything from design ideas to marketing to inventory. Rachel and I make a great team because we can bounce ideas off each other and make avalanches happen out of snowflakes.We wanted to create a company that could have great quality t shirts, with awesome designs at a reasonable price. We started the company about three months ago, 
sitting around brainstorming the perfect name for what we wanted to portray through our clothing. Both born and raised in Texas, we have deep southern roots. That combined with our passion for knowing everyone belongs somewhere, Southern Crowd was born.
Pink Paperdoll Blog: Do you plan to have a brick-and-mortar location or continue as an online retailer?
Callie: Eventually I would love to have a brick-and-mortar location or have retailers sell our products, but for now we are trying to build up business and become a prominent online retailer.
Pink Paperdoll Blog: What’s the best part, so far, about running an apparel company?
Callie: I absolutely love hearing from people that they love my designs and are so excited to wear new shirts. It’s a fantastic sense of pride knowing that people want to own something you’ve created.
Pink Paperdoll Blog: What have you learned so far?
I’ve learned that marketing is a lot harder than I thought it would be. You have to be persistent, especially with social media sites. Repetition is key!
Pink Paperdoll Blog: What would you tell others who are interested in launching a company?
Do it and commit!! I was hesitant at first to jump into this huge project, but I am so glad I did. Take a leap of faith and trust yourself, you never know what could come of your plan so make it happen!!
Best of luck, Callie! I’m sure we’ll be seeing big things from Southern Crowd and I can’t wait to see your newest designs.
Accessorize in Preppy Pink
Obviously I’m a fan of pink, even though I’m a little wary of too much hot pink. But I love the way the color pops with these fun, preppy accessories. If you’re unsure about a color, just adding a “dab,” so speak, to your outfit with a bright accessory can be a low-risk way to experiment.
-A monogrammed necklace is a fun, personalized addition.
-Subtle monogrammed studs won’t overwhelm your face or your outfit.
-This belt would be adorable over a nautical striped sun dress.
-These neon wedges are trendy and summery but still adhere to closed-toe dress codes!
What are your favorite colors to accessorize with?
