image via
How to roll your sleeves…properly, and other fashion tips from a J. Crew stylist.
More tips from that same stylist.
A guide on how to do a seasonal closet switch.
Amazing photos from the insides of musical instruments.
A blogger I just discovered who is amazing (and daring) at mixing patterns and textures.
Lastly, another silly, adorable dog. (did you see the one I posted last week?)
Have a great weekend!
Galway, Ireland © Maggie J. 2012
The image above was tiltshifted with Tiltshift Maker. It may be cheating (no, I’m not buying a $1000 lens any time soon), but it’s still cool!
Boots for fall – here are the trends to look out for.
A cute and super easy DIY necklace.
A practical style shopping list for fall. Review it for your next consignment/thrift shopping outing!
How do you feel about this socks trend? I’m not feeling it. Maybe #2 (print) on this list of how to wear them, but the others I think are just kind of silly-looking. But to each his own.
Pretty and simple desktop wallpapers.
And…drum roll…the Pantone Fall 2012 color report.
If you’re serious about runway fashion, check out the 15 biggest fall trends from the runways. If you’re of the belief that runway fashion is a little unrealistic and over-the-top, check out these rules from the fall runways if you missed my link on Monday.
And I’ll end your adventure on my blog with this ADORABLE video.
Have a great weekend and I’ll be back on Monday!
(Image via modern hepburn)
Crazy denim trends for fall.
And I thought people wear crazy shoes today. Check out these shoes from the 30s.
Fall essentials from the Vault Files.
I want this camera! About a thousand dollars cheaper than buying a lens.
I found this picture on Pinterest and it made me laugh.
On the topic of secondhand, have you heard of shipping container homes?
Happy Shark week!
Here’s a funny video. It has nothing to do with Shark Week.
(image via Modern Hepburn)
Here are some links to check out this weekend!
Learn about the 12 famous fashion design houses, from what they’re famous for to what they’re infamous for. I personally like the illustrations.
How to use animal prints as neutrals, from Sydney of The Daybook.
A diffuser DIY. So easy!
A functional, waterproof, durable, cardboard bicycle.
Need a reminder to do something healthy? Budge is adorable.
Speaking of lace, here’s a tutorial for a really easy-to-make lace tee.
I’m not a dancer, but I love watching them…and I love documentaries. I really want to see this. Too bad I already missed most of the screenings near me.
Paper wrinkled precisely to make human profile shadows. Amazing.
Yesterday, I went online to calculate my carbon footprint…just for fun. I tried about four different calculators that varied in terms of thoroughness. Though I’m sure all of my scores were inaccurate since I completely guessed on how many miles I drive in a year and how much I spend on heat/electricity, ALL calculators were missing one component that I feel is a pretty big deal. Clothes, or material purchases in general, really, are completely left out of the equation.
I think it’s really interesting to know how much buying a new shirt, say, or a new pair of shoes, contributes to this “footprint.” There’s a book called Stuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday Things that I once snatched from my brother to read. As the title suggests, the author John Ryan gives a history of many everyday items—how they were created (how the materials they were made with were created), and how they got to the store that you buy them from. So I grabbed the book and looked up the chapters on a t-shirt and shoes and here’s a summary of what Ryan says:
Polyester comes from petroleum. Not only does drilling the oil cause pollution and require a lot of natural resources (for example, to power the equipment used to get the oil out of the earth), but the refining and processing of the oil to make polyester is an industry that contributes to pollution more than nearly any other industry in the U.S.
Consider the weight of the polyester garment. Well, ¼ of its weight’s worth in air pollution is released during creation. 10x its weight in CO2 is released.
Most cotton fields are doused in extremely toxic pesticides, and wind and water spread these to places where they shouldn’t be. 10% of the world’s annual pesticide use is on cotton. The machines used to pick the cotton and make the fabric require fuel/oil.
Many toxic chemicals are used to finish and dye the fabric. With toxic chemicals comes toxic run-off, i.e. pollution.
Shoes are a similar story. The synthetic materials are made from petroleum, coal, and toxic gases (Ethylene). Even leather, a natural material, requires tanning which is normally done with toxic chemicals (vegetable tanning takes too long). Creating and refining these materials generates a lot of pollution and requires a lot of energy.
Packaging requires lots of resources as well (think of all the paper stuffed into those shoes, all the plastic your mail-ordered clothes are wrapped in). In addition, most clothes are imported, requiring fuel powered vehicles.
SO, in conclusion, buying used is always a better choice. Of course, we will all need something occasionally that we’ll end up buying new, but just think of how much less of an impact you’ll have if you have a mostly secondhand wardrobe with a few new essentials (…which you could always get from somewhere like Patagonia. Since you spend less money on used clothes, splurging for a few high-priced items wouldn’t be so bad).
And conclusion #2, someone needs to make a new carbon footprint calculator that factors in this important component. 
I found a neat little interactive carbon footprint tool on edenproject.com. If you click on “wearing a pair of trousers a day,” you can see the impact that things such as manufacturing, washing, and drying have on the environment. It’s pretty interesting, so take a look.
Now that you know HOW to fit all your stuff into a suitcase, here’s WHAT to pack. Or what I packed, anyway.
First, obviously, I had to consider the weather at my destination. Ireland is rainy and windy and has an average summer temperature of 65° F. I packed mostly long pants and a mix of short sleeve and 3/4 length sleeve tops, as well as a few lightweight sweaters and jackets so I could layer for warmth. Next, I had to consider the duration of my stay – 2 weeks. Since I knew I could wear my pants 2-3 times each, I packed 5 pairs. They are all neutral colors so they match pretty much anything. I packed enough tops for all days there since they are more prone to getting dirty, sweaty, and stretched (pack less if you have access to a washing machine). I packed several tops for each pair of pants (average of 3 tops per pair of pants), and most of them are simple tees that mix and match well, are breathable, pack compactly, and don’t wrinkle really easily.
I packed a couple skirts for times when I would need less casual clothes. The tops I chose for the skirts are also simple tees that I could also wear with the pants I brought. I packed 2 cardigans for layering (grey one in my carry-on not pictured here). They are both neutral colors so I could wear them with everything. I brought 2 more jackets for added layering – one a rain jacket (which I ended up wearing literally every day) and a jacket made of a canvas-y material for drier days. Lastly, I packed a couple pairs of pjs (I did have access to a washing machine so I washed them halfway through my trip).
For shoes, I packed 3 pairs and wore one. My shoe choices were based on what I planned to do while there. The white sneakers were my “ruin these” shoes – I packed them because my friend and I were planning on going gorge walking so I figured I would just toss them when we were done (we ended up not being able to do that, but I did use them as water shoes at the beach one day). The Patagonia hiking shoes were my everyday shoes – yes, I wore them nearly everyday. We did a lot of walking and climbing on rocky terrain, so they were wonderful. They also held up to the rain well, so my feet stayed dry. The last pair pictured are Toms – I brought these for less active days or inside activities. I wore my olive Toms for flying because they are comfy and easily slip on and off for security.
I hope my packing tips are helpful to you, whether you are traveling next week or next year! 
Hi all! I’m finally back from all my travels! For those who forgot or haven’t been following, I was in St. Louis for about a week for a NARTS conference and immediately after that I flew to Ireland for a two week trip with my college roommate Hannah. We recently graduated, so this was our last big adventure together before venturing off to our jobs (well, job hunting for me).
Packing can be a little stressful, so I decided to document my Ireland packing process and create a little how to for you. Today I’ll show you how I actually PACK my suitcase and what I bring in my carry-on, and tomorrow I’ll show you what clothes I packed and give you some tips on packing light.
I know summer is already halfway over(!!!!), but hopefully this will still be helpful for your next trip.
1- Jackets and other lightweight items go at the top of my suitcase because they wont crush any fragile or easily wrinkled items (this is a rolling suitcase and when set upright, the jacket will be at the top). To pack this rain jacket compactly, I folded it in half (along the zipper) and rolled it, squeezing air out as I rolled.
2- Pants, and skirts go at the “bottom” of my suitcase (it’s technically the side when set upright). I fold the pants in thirds and the skirts only as mush as I need to lay them over the pants so as not to wrinkle them too much.
3- my shoes go at the bottom of the suitcase (the real bottom) since they are heavy. I stuff them with socks and other small items so no space is wasted.
4- cosmetic bags, waterbottle, electronics (I have a small case with all my chargers, batteries, etc.), and other heavy items are also placed at the bottom of the bag so they don’t crush and wrinkle my clothes.
5- I pack an extra bag and wallet in the zipper compartment so I’ll have options on my trip.
6- Undergarments and swimsuit also go in the zipper compartment. Things in the zipper compartment are the things that probably need to be easily accessible.
7- Next, I add tops and pjs. I lay about 3 shirts flat on top of each other, fold them in half (the long way) and roll them. I stack the rolls on top of the pants and skirts and in any remaining spaces along the sides of the suitcase.
Next is my carry-on. I brought a small backpack to Ireland that I also used while exploring.
8- Cell phone goes in the outside pocket.
9- Small things to do, like friendship bracelet making supplies, also go in the outer pocket so I can easily grab them if I’m bored in the airport or airplane.
10- Comb, mirror, lip balm, and other small things you made need on your journey go in the outer pocket so they don’t get lost in the depths of the bag.
11- I also pack a small zipper pouch with things like sunglasses, toiletries, etc.
12- I bring a small crossbody purse with usual purse items – money, credit card, etc. This bag is nice because it easily fits into my backpack so I only have to carry one bag through the bustling airports, but I can pull it out if I needed it.
13- The large compartment of the backpack also contains books and sketchpads (time killers!).
14- Pens and pencils are packed in a little zipper case so I can sketch in my sketchpads.
15- My camera (protected in a nice formfitting neoprene case) takes up the rest of the space in the larger compartment.
16- Airplanes tend to be chilly, so a nice comfy sweater goes on top of the other things.
And there you have it – my two bags, one to check and one to keep with me. And still room for some souvenirs.
Style begins with the people passing through one’s life, the harbingers we push against and the stylemakers we want to clone. Some are famous, some not. Style grows from admiration, from longing, from discrimination—and, yes, from love. It’s all the places you’ve been to and the people and the moments you’ve known: the parts you’ve adopted, to keep forever, and transformed. We wear our history in our hearts and on our backs.
- Carol Edgarian
Thank you, Sydney, for sharing this quote!
via Pinterest (it was between that picture and this one today)
Happy “Lá Fhéile Pádraig!” Check out these fun links!
Llama font. Very practical, really.
Did you know clouds can be cute? Well, they can. Some of the other “we think things” videos are cool, too, if you have time. Namely, 35mm.
Marc Johns prints are fun. I wasted so much time looking through them. I like this one, this one, and this one reminds me of a certain someone who likes to mock me when I wear plaid.
Typographic chocolate. Too pretty to eat…but not really. I mean, it’s CHOCOLATE.
Finally, a new idea for what to do with all that polymer clay I bought at a yard sale.
March Anthropologie catalog. Be inspired. I’m in love with the umbrella shirt on page 25!
The color wheel game. Wanna waste some time?
And finally, the teaser for a short action film my friend is making. I’m the script supervisor. She bought me a clipboard…so official!
Hey! I'm Maggie, a graphic designer, crafter, devoted secondhand shopper, Doctor Who fanatic, and dog-lover. Stick around and explore!
