black and white and pink all over

I had so much fun drawing this outfit, I think I'm definitely going to do this more often! I included a few items from my current "I want this SO badly!" list. I'm obsessed with all of the spring shoes from Bait Footwear. And do you see this scalloped pinafore? It exists in real life, I didn't make it up. I know it seems like something that would have been hatched from my scalloped-obsessed mind but it's a real live actual non-imaginary item available from Dahlia. eep!

Speaking of Dahlia, they are having a sweepstakes at the moment where you can win a season's wardrobe (which, if you're anything like me, would definitely include this pinafore) You can enter here!

dress - dahlia | lady tie - flapper girl | bag - asos | shoes - bait footwear

DIY cat toe shoes

I have a DIY guest post on Kittenhood today! Click here to go check it out!





Materials needed: Shoes (preferably plain with a round-toe and enough room at the front for a cap-toe effect), black paint, brushes, masking tape, white paint and a white marker pen if you don't have a very steady hand with a brush.



First, tape off the tops of the shoes. Really press hard on the tape so that none of your paint will seep through.



Paint the tops of the shoes black. I did three coats to get a really opaque color but I also wasn't using the best acrylic paint lol. If you're using a quality brand name paint one coat should do the trick!



When the paint is dry, peel off the tape and add little triangles for ears. You can use painters tape for this too if you aren't good with freehand.



For the eyes, I put a straight-pin in the eraser of a pencil to make a little dotting tool! Dip this lightly in the white paint, and add your eyes. If you mess up, you can always paint over it with black and try again :) To make my cats have some more character, I went back and added a second little black dot in the corner of the white to give the illusion that the cats are looking off to the side.



Using an opaque white paint marker -- or a fine brush and white paint -- add whiskers and a nose!



And voila! Pretty little cat toe shoes. If you want a more subtle cat look, you can always skip the face and just have the ears, which would be cute too! You can also play around with the colors and maybe even paint a tail on the back of the shoe!

massive sweet and lovely update - part two

Part two of my massive sweet and lovely update is design work! I have some pre-made blogger templates available, as well as custom work like blog overhauls, blog headers, custom illustrations and custom paper dolls! I'll only be working on a limited number of projects at once so I have a low quantity in stock on each custom design item.

I stopped doing custom work about a year ago and have had some of emails about it since then, so I hope some of you guys are still out there and interested lol ;) I'm really excited about the custom paper dolls! I think they'd be perfect for marketing a little boutique or even maybe for a super customized bridesmaid invitation?

I have four pre-made blogger templates in the shop ready to go and I'm hoping to be adding more constantly! My idea is to make designs that look like you had custom work done, even though it's actually a template. I feel like so many prefab templates seem to lack little details that make a blog look special and I want to change that :)

Please note: coupons are not eligible on custom design work or blog templates.

massive sweet and lovely update - part one

I've been adding heaps of new products to sweet and lovely lately so I think it's about time for a little shop update! This is actually just a small sampling of the new additions, there are oodles more on the New Arrivals page, including St. Patrick's Day jewelry, a few Pi Day items and lots of new sweater clips! Also all of my new ice cream products are available as sweater clips and brooches in mint chocolate chip, vanilla, sprinkles and strawberry. If your favorite flavor isn't available, drop me an email.. maybe I can whip up a special batch just for you! ;)

ps. Enter code "unicorn" at checkout and receive 10% off plus some unicorn freebies in your order! ♥




Also these lovelies are back in stock again! yay!

like new vintage

How pretty is the print on this dress?! It's the kind of design I would flip out over if I found it on a vintage dress on etsy, but it's actually brand new! I do love shopping for pre-owned frocks but it's so hit or miss with sizing. So often I find a dress I'm absolutely mad about, only to discover it's 2 sizes too small or 2 sizes too large. So it's always nice to find a brand spanking new item that's covered in this kind of retro print!

I love how it looks layered with a shirt underneath, but honestly I'm starting to get a little tired of layering right now. I had to run errands on Saturday and it was freezing cold with forceful, bone chilling winds and it was raining in that way that's kind of misty but also feels really hard and prickly when it hits your face. I don't handle the heat very well in the summer but my gosh what I wouldn't give to be lounging in my backyard with the sun on my face, and this dress being the only layer I need.

dress - c/o le bomb shop | blouse - forever 21 | shoes - modcloth

bloopers

When I take outfit pictures I usually shoot about 5 or 6 photos before shuffling back to my camera iphone to see if any came out half decent. About once in a blue moon I actually like one of those photos from the first batch, but more often than not I end up resetting my self timer and snapping about 5-6 more. I usually notice something specific that I don't like on round one -- my collar is crooked, my bangs were messed up, etc. -- so I solve the problem and end up with at least one blog-worthy photo on round two.

But then there are days when I just keep trying, and trying, and trying and NONE of the pictures come out right. That happened yesterday, when I was wearing an outfit that I really loved. I swear, every single picture had something wrong. I think I took about 40 before giving up. But since I did love that outfit oh-so-much, I thought I'd shrink down some of my terrible pictures just small enough that you could see what I was wearing without seeing my crazy eyes/wrinkled skirt/cowlick/awkward poses.

I actually think it looks kind of cool tiled like this?! I'm going to keep this in mind next time my outfit is photogenic but I'm definitely not.. maybe a little blooper series? hmm.

sweater and skirt - forever 21 | shoes - asos

happy (super belated) valentine's day

I'm a week overdue, but here is what I wore for Valentine's Day last week! My family and I went to see Aunt Annie (my 101 year old aunt!!) and brought her lots of chocolates and donuts. I swear her whole life she has lived off of junk food (and she actually used to drink vinegar, if you can believe it!) It makes me think twice about my own diet that consists mostly of fruits and veggies...

After seeing Aunt Annie, we went out for dinner near the beach. Earlier this month we went down the shore for the first time since Hurricane Sandy and it's just so incredibly sad to see all of our favorite places so ravaged. Ocean Grove (my favorite beach town in NJ) seems to have weathered the storm better than most places, but it's still heartbreaking to see the boardwalk ripped up and the setting of so many fond family memories completely destroyed.

dress - h&m | sweater - c/o romwe | shoes - asos | brooch - vintage

art history

I actually wore this a couple weeks ago and completely forgot to post it, oops!

I really love photographic print fabric but (like galaxy print) it seems to always be used on bodycon/clubbing sort of clothing. And, since that's pretty much the polar opposite of my own style, I constantly miss out. Thankfully this skirt is a nice a-line exception to that rule ;) yay!

And being a former art history student, I couldn't have asked for a better photographic design! I haven't sewn in way too long but this makes me want to scan some of my favorite paintings from my art history books and get them printed on fabric to make into dresses. This is a cliche choice, but how cool would it be to have a dress that's an allover print of the Mona Lisa?! I think that would be pretty awesome.

cardigan - c/o modcloth | faux fur collar - h&m | skirt - c/o romwe | shoes - asos

Giveaway: Scalloped handbag from Ever+Mi Crush [closed]

It's no secret that I'm a sucker for scallops, and this pretty little handbag by Darling is no exception! I love the rich mustard and eggplant color combination, and it also comes with a shoulder strap! It's definitely quite the snazzy accessory, and thanks to Ever+Mi Crush, one lucky lady will be winning one! yay!



What you'll win: One faux leather scalloped handbag from Ever + Mi Crush ($62.99 value)

Mandatory entry: Visit Ever + Mi Crush and then leave a comment letting me know your favorite item in their shop! In your comment, be sure to include some way to contact you in case you win (twitter, e-mail, your blog.. whatever floats your boat!) And you must be a follower of this blog to enter! (And, please, none of this follow-and-leave as soon as the giveaway is over jazz.. that's super rude!)

For additional entries: (leave a separate comment for each entry)
1. Like Ever + Mi Crush on Facebook.
2. Tweet this "I just entered to win an adorable scalloped handbag on @kategabrielle's blog http://www.scathingly-brilliant.blogspot.com" (Only counts if you use this exact tweet. Entries from twitter accounts used solely to enter giveaways will not be counted.)
3. Pin the giveaway on pinterest.
4. Sign up for the Ever + Mi Crush newsletter.  (Sign up at the bottom of the homepage)

 This giveaway ends on February 25th at 12:01AM EST.Giveaway has ended.

Winner:

friday favorites

I love this photo from Polly's blog! (Also: the pink coat!!! eep!)



I think this is one of the most clever ideas ever! An astroturf purse! I would love to get this and wear it with my sunny day outfit. It also reminds me of this picnic basket idea!



Pink polka dotted cat shoes. Need I say more?!



Speaking of shoes, BAIT Footwear is releasing their spring line this week and to say I'm in love would be the understatement of the year. So far the only ones I see up on the site are the pink ones, but I'm dying to get my hands on the mint and cornflower blue ones too!!



Did you see Helen Mirren dyed her hair pink? Coolest thing ever! I hope so badly that my hair turns white (or at least light grey) when I'm older so that I can dye it fun colors without all the hassle of bleach. My genetics seem to point towards having dark hair FOREVER though, darn it!



Anthropologie has a grapefruit sweater!! A grapefruit sweater! It's a little (okay, a lot!) out of my price range though so I might DIY it. I think I owe it to my undying love of grapefruit juice to own at least one piece of grapefruit clothing.



I love this print of foods from The Office! I definitely need one for my bedroom.. it would be a much subtler (and cuter!) way of paying tribute to my favorite tv show than the poster I currently have hanging up (you can see it creeping in the background of the close-up in this outfit post.) And the mixed berry yogurt will always make me smile :)



Speaking of The Office, did you see the Dunder Mifflin products at Quill? They started selling Dunder Mifflin paper last year (of course I bought a whole box!) but this year they added legal pads, post-its, markers and legal boxes! I'm so excited!!



A Ross Gellar brooch! I love it! I wish Friends would start streaming somewhere so I could watch it constantly like I do The Office and The X-Files. I have the whole series on DVD but I've gotten so spoiled by netflix instant that I hardly ever pull out my discs anymore.



Speaking of instant streaming, from Feb. 14th to Feb. 18th all of the Criterion movies on hulu are free for everyone! If you have some free time I highly recommend checking some of them out! Some of my personal favorites that they're streaming are Jules et Jim, Daisies, Elevator to the Gallows, The Seventh Seal, Stagecoach, Monsieur Verdoux, Vivre Sa Vie, La Strada, Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Earrings of Madame De... and Orpheus.



This service is so cool! You upload your photographs and they turn them into a viewfinder slide, plus you get a viewfinder to.. well.. view them! I'm thinking of getting one of these made for my dad's 60th birthday in April!



My dream home would definitely have a spiral staircase, extra points if it's pink (who am I kidding, if it wasn't pink to begin with I'd probably paint it!) Honestly I think if my future home doesn't come with one of these, I'm installing one... even if it's a one story flat and the staircase is purely decorative. It just needs to be there.

two very special anniversaries!

Today is a very special day in our household, because two of my kitties are celebrating their adoption anniversaries! First up is Chloe, who's been a member of my family for 10 years now. 10 years! It's surreal!! I feel like it was just yesterday that we brought her home, but at the same time I literally can't remember what life was like without her. I feel like she's always been sitting in the front window observing our neighbors or running down the hallway chasing imaginary mice.

When we met Chloe she was a tiny 1 year old kitten, and had just had surgery for frostbite. She had been found outside in the cold, curled up in a ball... she hadn't eaten in a while and had apparently given up on life. She still has neurological damage and part of her tail is missing. We spoil her like crazy to make up for all the suffering she must have endured during her first year.

She is a real tough broad now, though! She lets us pet her when she's in the right mood, and as soon as she's had enough she gives us a swift punch in the jaw. She's even knocked my brother's glasses right off of his face! But Chloe is also a sweetie pie and one of the cutest creatures on the planet. She is the reason that I became a cat person.





Today is also one year since I brought home Hubble! He is SUCH a character (I think you can really tell from his photos!) and a little ball of energy. Seriously, this cat moves so fast sometimes that my eyes can't detect his movement.. he is just in one place one moment and across the room the next. He's a complete sweetheart, and loves to cuddle. And he has the cutest little throaty meow!

I met Mr. Hubble after Hypatia had received a very bleak prognosis from the vet. (She ended up pulling through, miraculously! She's a little fighter!) My mom thought it would cheer me up to look at the cats that they had up for adoption, and this little guy was hiding UNDER his cat bed! How cute is that? He seemed so meek and scared, we just had to bring him home! We were actually supposed to pick him up on the 13th, since I didn't want him stealing Chloe's birthday thunder (yeah, I put the crazy in crazy cat lady) but the vet's office rescheduled and we ended up picking him up on Valentine's Day after all!