My favorite thing about spring (aside from pretty dresses and open toed shoes) is being outside. I love my yard, and spending the evenings on the deck unwinding with a drink while I fire up the grill is a little piece of heaven. My backyard is just big enough for an intimate patio, some gardening space and a hammock under the trees. This year I decided I wanted some additional planting space and since much of the yard is shaded, a few raised garden beds in the sunniest space beside the patio seemed like the perfect solution. I had an old firewood box we had built a few years back and were no longer using. It was the perfect size, just a bit too tall so I decided to cut it in half and use both the top and bottom for two of the frames. After the box was cut in half, I added some screen to each of the bottoms to cut down on the weeds and still allow for drainage. Now the fun part…decorating!

Outdoor Patio Paint and Brushes

MATERIALS:

1. Outdoor Patio Paint

2. Paint Brush/ Sponge Applicator

3. Stencils or Stamps

I decided to do some simple stencils in some of my favorite bright spring colors. (I recommend using an outdoor patio paint that will stand up to the elements a bit better than standard acrylic paints.)

Simply place the stencil on the frame and start painting! You could also use stamps or freehand the design. Once you’ve painted in the first design, remove the stencil, re-position it and repeat until you’ve achieved the look you want.

TIP: I found that wiping the stencil on both sides between applications made the design come out cleaner.

Once you’ve finished painting and everything has dried, you can position the boxes and dig a few inches under where the box will sit. This levels the ground and gives the box some additional stability.

Now you’re ready to fill the boxes with soil and add your favorite plants! I like using a mix of black dirt, mushroom compost and potting soil. Just make sure to thoroughly mix all the dirt to evenly distribute all the nutrients.

I liked the distressed look of the original wood with the stencils so I decided not to stain it. I also added a few pieces of wire fencing to protect the plants (and to keep my curious puppies from digging them up.) I’m happy to have the added space for more veggies, and recycling the old firewood box gave me a new use for something that would have ended up on the curb…now just add water and watch it grow!

Tagged: DIY garden, DIY home decor, DIY raised garden beds, fashionable gardening, fashionjenn, gardening, outdoor living, outdoor paints, raised garden beds, recycle wooden boxes ]]> http://fashionjenn.com/2012/05/15/diy-project-recycled-stenciled-garden-bed/feed/ 0 fashionjenn Outdoor Patio Paint and Brushes Stencils Let's paint! http://fashionjenn.com/2012/05/08/the-look-for-less-woven-totes/ http://fashionjenn.com/2012/05/08/the-look-for-less-woven-totes/#comments Tue, 08 May 2012 20:43:35 +0000 fashionjenn http://fashionjenn.com/?p=1650 Continue reading »

Oh Darling Vintage
937 1/2 Monmouth St
Newport, KY 41071

Woven bags are one of the hottest trends for summer, and  if you haven’t noticed I’m completely obsessed with handbags!

While I am a designer and usually carry my own creations, I do have quite a collection of  bags I could never part with… and well, it just keeps growing.

There’s just something about a straw clutch or beach bag that screams summer and is a great way to add a twist to your favorite maxi dress or swim suite.

On a recent trip to Newport, Kentucky  (which I must say I have not had the pleasure of visiting as an adult) I was thrilled to find some fantastic little shops and vintage stores.

I was heading to lunch and was pleasantly surprised to see Oh Darling Vintage, and simply had to stop!

The small store was packed with great vintage clothes, accessories and had lovely tissue paper flowers suspended from the ceiling with a friendly face behind the counter.

And there it was, an adorable woven tote with big bold green and turquoise flowers. It wasn’t like any of the other woven pieces in my collection and for $12.00 it was a must buy.

It’s a structured bag with two folding flaps at the top secured with a loop and woven button and it was in mint condition.

Thrilled with my fabulous find I headed back to my car only to discover another great little re-sale store.  They had this amazing crushed velvet chartreuse couch that appeared as though it had

The green couch that got away!

barely ever been sat on. I was in love…but unfortunately I don’t drive a truck and shipping the couch back to Chicago would have cost twice the sticker price of $65 with 30% off “all furniture special” they were running that day.

(I’m still heartbroken about the sofa) but I did manage to find another straw tote bag I couldn’t resist. It has a colorful woven triangle pattern and wooden button closure, and it totally matches my favorite crocheted bikini.

My fabulous $12 find at Oh Darling Vintage!

My $5 re-sale shop Tote

Many designers are adding woven handbags to their lines this year that are absolutely gorgeous, so if your into splurging on one here are my favorites:

Anya Hindmarch
Ipanema Straw Clutch
$595

Bottega-Veneta-Woven-Tote

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both of them are great additions to your spring/ summer wardrobe and they aren’t too trendy that they’ll be completely outdated next season. Or you can spend a Saturday afternoon discovering some great little places right in your own neighborhood, and who knows what fabulous treasure you might find?!

Tagged: Anya Hindmarch, Bottega Veneta, fashionjenn, Oh Darling Vintage, shopping on a budget, summer totes, the look for less, vintage handbags, woven handbags ]]>

Now that the weather is getting warmer, it’s time to pack up the sweaters and jackets and pull  out our favorite summer clothes… (and of course do some shopping!)

While having lunch with my best friend Babs, she mentioned that she had several summer skirts

in her wardrobe and was tired of wearing them with the same old tops and accessories from last year.

I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to make her the subject of  my first wardrobe re-style segment.

The Mission:

Take her three skirts and update them for this season

The Guidelines:

1. Budget friendly: Purchase new pieces that are on trend as opposed to staple investment pieces.

2. Multiple use: New items must also compliment other outfits currently in her wardrobe.

3. Re-use: Re-incorporate some accessories from her personal collection to compliment the looks.

Item to re-style:

Black and White I-Kat Skirt – $0

What we purchased:

1. Lightweight loose woven summer sweater in lime green from Forever 21 – $12.95

2. Beaded sandals from Ross – $12.99

3. Handbag – The Blakeman Bag by Fashionjenn (Already in her wardrobe) – $0

4. Wooden Bracelets (Already in her wardrobe) – $0

5. Beaded Pendant Necklace from Forever 21 – $9.50

6. Multi-colored seed bead strand (Already in her wardrobe) -$0

7. Seed bead collar Young’s Beauty Supply – $1.99

Grand Total: $37.43

After our shopping trip I thought it would be fun to photograph our purchases and make a inspirational style board to share! The lime green sweater was one of my favorite finds, it’s super lightweight and will look great with a pair of boyfriend jeans. The sandals are cute and trendy and compliment several maxi dresses Bab’s already owns…and you can’t beat the price! Our two new necklaces were inexpensive and paired with a string of long seed beads the three pieces make a bold boho-chic statement.

The whole look is easy and comfortable, perfect for a weekend shopping trip or a casual alfresco dinner. I think our mission was a great success and Bab’s has a fabulous new look for spring!

So now it’s your turn, grab you best shopping buddy, few items from your closet and give it a shot. I’d love to see what you come up with!

Check back with us next week when we tackle two more budget re-styles.

xoxo

~FJ

The Explorer, This slim bag offers enough space and protection to carry your beloved tablet or laptop without compromising on style. There is a handle on the flap and a removable leather shoulder strap. Seen in the photo with a file folder, this is IDEAL for keeping your slim notebook computer or tablet device of any size, safe and sound while you run around to meetings or go out shopping! Available in Italian Tobacco Croco, Metallic Platinum Leather, and Royal Blue Croco.

The Explorer has a removable pad to protect your laptop or tablet (Interior of Explorer Handbag)

The Dindia Tote!

This full sized, all leather tote comes in 3 colors; platinum, black, and metallic apricot. It has a removable strap and removable laptop padding if you want to convert it after work. Built to last, this solid tote with reinforced leather handles will go the distance with you and let you bring everything!

The Dindia is a 18" wide handbag that can fit any laptop

The Jipsea: This over-sized, front flap, carry all comes in 3 colors as well. Beige, Purple, and the Turquoise pictured here. It’s fiercely adorned with spikes and braided leather fringe. She’s a beast and is quality built to take all you have to give and has a removable cross-body strap so you can go mobile. The Jipsea also comes with a removable laptop pad so it can go from business to pleasure in a snap when you find it possible to leave the laptop on the desk!

Jipsea Bag

*All FashionJenn Handbags are Made in America.

If you haven’t heard, it’s my honor to tell you that I have been invited to show a collection at Midwest Fashion Week 2011. Midwest Fashion Week (MFW) began in 2006 when Catou Couture fashion designer Berny Martin, discovered a need for an outlet to allow local, national, and international designers, models, stylists, and photographers to showcase their talents. I’ve designed a new collection for the season and this is an amazing opportunity for me to share it.

I’m looking forward to showing a re-imagined, evolution of my Signature Collection with some smart and highly functional handbags. A handful of entirely new pieces  will round out the showing.

The fall air is also bringing me closer to nature, natural (bold) colors and materials, these things inspire me lately. Structured shapes and refined finishes put a feeling of luxe and lasting quality to the natural materials. While I may find myself going back to the tried and true classics of fall fashion for a look, it’s always a good time for a ‘statement piece’ accessory, especially a handbag.

I’m REALLY excited that I get to show this new season in my hometown of Indianapolis. It means a lot after living outside of Chicago for the last ten years to get to come home and be part of this years show (extra butterflies). I really hope to get a group of friends and relatives to attend (hint, hint). Alas, these next four weeks (and sadly the show as well) will be gone in a flash, so I am going to make this one to remember, I hope you all enjoy it!

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Every so often I get the urge to give myself a challenge. Experimentation breeds both masterpieces and of course some of the most hideous creations, but as I’ve come to discover it is often more about the process than the end result!

Halloween had come and gone… and this year I decided to be a zombie lab technician, when I ordered the elements for my costume the company accidentally shipped me an entire case of green Nitri-Chem lab gloves instead of one pair. I figured I would at some point in time do enough cleaning to actually use all the gloves but then came the dilemma of where to store them and, who can actually use that many pairs of gloves? So in lieu of using them as stocking stuffers, I thought I’d reconstruct them and turn them into a handbag.

I’m still unsure at this point if I actually like the end result but as I said earlier it was the process that I enjoyed. And in case you would like to try your hand at one I documented the process just for fun:

* MATERIALS *

1. 8-10 pairs of sturdy rubber gloves

2. Nylon Fabric (for the bag lining)

3. (1) Zipper or Magnetic Snap

4. Handbag hardware (chains, rings etc. for the shoulder strap)

5. Decorative accessories

6. Scissors

7. Thread

8. Sewing pins

9. Sewing Machine

* STEP 1 *

Using a pair of scissors begin to cut apart each glove. I found it easiest to remove the cuff portion first, then slit it open on one side and cut the cuff area into four strips. After dismantling the cuff, cut the top “finger area” of the glove into strips. I cut the finger holes open at the seams to maximize the surface area and to eliminate waste. After all the gloves had been cut apart I began pining the pieces together to form longer strips for weaving.

I wanted to give this bag a very rough textural look so when I began piecing the strips together I twisted some so that the white inside would show through. None of the strips were at all uniform except in length.

* STEP 2 *

After all the strips have been pinned together in a pattern that you like attach the pieces together on your sewing machine. I decided to use black thread with haphazard top stitching to emphasize that rough look I was after.

* STEP 3*

Once all of the rubber strips have been sewn together you can begin weaving them together. I found that assembly was easiest on top of an ironing board so you have something to pin the strips down to while you are weaving. It is important to keep the strips flat throughout this process to eliminate bunching and to ensure that the panel you create is straight on all sides.

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Now that you have all the strips woven together you are ready to stitch the edges to secure them. After the entire piece is sewn together you can trim any excess from the edges.

*Repeat steps 1-3 to create a second panel for the other side if the bag.

* STEP 4 *

After both panels have been woven it’s time to select a fabric for the bag lining. I suggest a sturdy nylon since the woven panels do have a bit if stretch to them and it’s important that the bag has some structure to it.

* STEP 5*

Zipper installation…one of my least favorite parts of the process, I wasn’t exactly sure how well this would work given that this was a foreign material…but it wasn’t so bad.

Now that the zipper is in place, you can install the clasp hardware for your shoulder strap and pin and sew the seams of the lining and shell. Then turn the bag right side out and your almost done!

*STEP 6 *

All that’s left is adding the shoulder strap and any other decorative elements. I selected a mid-weight chain for this particular bag. I liked the contrast between the rugged weave and black top stitching, it added just the right amount of sparkle. I also added a another piece of chain to one side and a few signature fashionjenn charms…I guess I just can’t live without a little extra bling!

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The Nitri-Chem Rubber Glove bag by Fashionjenn

In all, the bag took about 5 hours to complete from start to finish…minus a few breaks. It’s not exactly a “green” bag when you take into account what kind of chemicals were used to produce the rubber gloves. But it is a new way to recycle something I had acquired by mistake. I think I have enough gloves left over to make a clutch and a pair or two leftover to use for heavy duty housework.

Being an indie designer can often be a bit lonely, spending countless hours holed up in my studio cutting fabric, sanding, painting and sketching. Though I think you never truly know yourself until you create alone there is an interesting phenomenon that has begun to take shape in our generation. Perhaps it is a need to be different, a need to have a voice, a need to share and to become a more responsible consumer. The definition of “community” has changed so dramatically in my relatively short lifespan. We are no longer defined by zip codes, state lines or vast oceans…all we have to do is to turn on our computers and type the infinite phrase:http://www.______.com. There is quite possibly a limitless amount of information available at our fingertips.

Most artists, designers and crafters are all very familiar with Etsy the premiere handmade marketplace to buy and sell handmade items. What I didn’t expect was a conversation I overheard this weekend while in an upscale salon in the Chicagoland Suburbs. Two twenty-somethings were perusing hair magazines, one toting a black Coach Bag and the other a very unique tote which had of course immediately caught my attention as well.

They were having a conversation about their handbags and the girl mentioned that she had purchased it on Etsy. The other girl started asking questions, commenting that she had never heard of that store but that she really would like to have a handbag that everyone else wasn’t carrying.

What struck my interest most about their conversation was the shift in consumer attitude. Now I realize that this isn’t any sort of ground breaking discovery on my part, it was just very unexpected especially given my location where labels are the ultimate status symbol. It drove home the realization that there has in fact been real growth in the independent market and that it had even stretched to the spot in which I was sitting.

And strangely enough this morning while sorting through my e-mail and favorite morning blogs I stumbled on an Etsy video I thought was worth sharing:

What I enjoy most about Etsy is the communal environment of creativity they have built. You can add items and shops to a favorites list, share, ask questions in the forums and of course buy and sell amazing items from artists, designers and crafters the world over.

The concept that we as artists and consumers are no longer defined by our physical location and now able to reach one another in a whole new way is exciting. This movement that embraces creativity and places a true value and opportunity to earn a living wage is the fundamental idea on which the American Dream was built.

And of of course I would be remiss not to mention that fashionjenn handbags are also available on Etsy!