Come Visit!

Hi Everyone,

We've moved! You can now find us at The Stylesmith Diaries.

Come see me :)

Love,

Kelsi x

Mahussive Vintage Sale!

My online store Stylesmith Vintage is closing down! (the handmade store will still remain open so you can still get fixings for your hair!)

With so many projects and fun things in the works I have too much on my plate to continue the store and maintain the highest level of customer service I always wish to provide for my customers...

...Sooo my loss is your gain, if you live in the Los Angeles I will be having a mahusive yard sale with literally hundreds of items starting a $5 a piece! It all has go so come and claim your piece of history!

An idea of what you'll find can be seen here.

Kelsi x

formspring.me

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/stylesmith

What's the craziest thing you ever did for love?

Hah ha.... well.

I met my husband February 17th 2007. We got married March 30th 2007 in Las Vegas.... I've done a fair few crazy things for love but this was the craziest and by far the best.

If we hadn't done it I would have had to leave the country, it was madness at the time but total perfection now and neither of us regret a thing. It'll be our third wedding anniversary this month and we got re-married for family and friends last September.

Ask me anything

Stylesmith Spring/Summer 2010: Holiday Romance: Black Bows

Just a little peek..I've already shown you the Tulle Bow Headbands and the Veiled Velvet Bow Combs but here they are in black!

Stylesmith Spring/Summer 2010: Holiday Romance: Heart Hats

The heart hat was the first ever hat I ever made, for myself, when I first started making hats, and whilst my skills have improved the design really hasn't. It was perfection in it's simplicity. Due to it's popularity I have decided to 're-release' it in 3 colours for the 'Holiday Romance Collection'

Available in Black, White & Navy the Heart hat will retail at $32.

Green Thumbing It.

At la maison Stylesmith I'm thinking of pulling out my green thumb..if I do indeed have one.

I don't have a good track record for keeping green and pretty things alive..my cat and my husband excluded (though neither are green, they are pretty) but we do currently have a backyard, in fact we've had a backyard for over a year and we've done bugger all with it.

The main issue at this point is the yard itself. Where I live is basically the desert industrialized, and whilst I'm super fond of the climate, green things such as grass, are not...so my yard is a dirt yard.

Planting grass just isn't an option, the soil is too hard and dry and turf is an impossibility financially, especially seen as we rent and do not own. So we've decided on gravel, surprisingly affordable...I'm also planning on a few 'mulch' areas..mainly because I like the word ; )

I also want to grow my own vegetables, I've actually tried twice now, the first time I was almost far too successful and ended up with a lot of rotten tomatoes and the second time I went away to NY and Mr. Style neglected to water anything....yet the idea of living the 'Good Life' (British tv show from the Seventies) will not pass.

I'm planning on planting in raised beds... cherry tomatoes, arugula and strawberries. Then in my already beautifully painted pots that used to house succulents at our old house (they've since died - yes I can't keep a plant designed for the desert alive IN the desert) I will plant basil, oregano, mint, cilantro and rosemary.

I figured this was a good start and that any remaining pots can receive new succulents.

It'll be a longish process for sure that will unfortunately have to begin with a lot of weed pulling...they'll grow apparently...must be all the rain & a big clean up. But I'll keep you posted with some before and after pictures.

The beautiful picture above is one I snapped quickly on my phone, it's a garden in Culver City that is a veritable wonderland of fancy things and wildness... I dream of a garden like that!

Stylesmith Spring/Summer 2010: Holiday Romance: The Notebook Fascinator

Ok...the best piece in this new collection (I know I made it...obsessed with this myself) and the one pictured has already gone! A felt fascinator stitched to look like a sheet of notepaper, in blue and red cotton on white felt, with 'I love you' hand embroidered along one line....

These will be made to order and obviously due to the handstitching (no templates here!) each on will be slightly different. They'll retail at $40.

Stylesmith Spring/Summer 2010: Holiday Romance: Veiled Fascinators

Last set of updates for the day..later in the week I'll show you my more nautical themed items for the Holiday Romance Collection and my new (well updated) jewelry line!

These candy colour fascinators are trimmed with a little pouf of vintage veiling and will retail at $34 each.

Night night folks ; )

Stylesmith Spring/Summer 2010: Holiday Romance: PolkaDot Fascinators

Adorable, even if I do say so myself : ) these are the new fascinators for the new Stylesmith Spring/Summer 2010 collection.

Felt fascinators with tiny hand embroidered polkadots in contrasting pastel colours. Coming soon and retailing at $32.

Stylesmith Spring/Summer 2010: Holiday Romance: Pom Pom Hats!

Pom Pom Hats! One of my favourite additions to the new collection. Felt fascinators, with handmade pom poms in contrasting colours!

They'll be available soon and retail at $34!

p.s thanks to Sandra D at Debutante Clothing for the beautiful vintage dresses.

Stylesmith Spring/Summer 2010: Holiday Romance: Cameo Bolo Ties

More previews of the new Stylesmith Spring/Summer Collection with my new Vintage Cameo Bolo Ties. Delicate, pretty and a little bit different, they'll be available soon retailing at $18 each.

Stylesmith Spring/Summer 2010: Holiday Romance: Velvet & Lace

Some more pictures from the new collection! Sweet velvet bows in pretty pastels, with a swish of vintage veiling all on a little plastic comb. Coming soon and retailing at $12.

Stylesmith Spring/Summer 2010: Holiday Romance: Cotton Candy Bows

The first photo's from the Stylesmith Spring/Summer 2010 Collection: 'Holiday Romance' are here! They'll be available in store soon!
I'll be updating the this blog with pictures throughout the day and they'll be available in the store soon! These tulle bows will retail at $14 each.

Kelsi x

More Peeks..I'm on a Roll

More sneak peeks! Please excuse the iphone shots! Pictured above the cute Pom Pom Hats! Pictured below embroidering the polkadot hats and what they look like so far (still have to embroider the yellow and add veiling!)

Another Sneak Peek!!

Another sneak peek on the run up to the big shoot on Tuesday!

This time shoe jazz! These little gems will brighten up any shoes for only $12! Whoop whoop!

The bows are coming in green, pink, lilac, black, baby blue, and yellow (pictured) and these fab rosettes are made from vintage millinery trims....meant for your head I thought they'd be better for your toes!

Available soon!

xxx

Stylesmith does Bridal!

The Stylesmith Bridal collection is complete and will be available in store shortly! Here's a peak of what to expect! I wanted to create Bridal collection that was chic, quirky and affordable and I think I hit the mark!

The full collection can currently be seen on my Flickr account here!

Pictured above, baby pleated silk dupioni fascinator - $32

Tie on veil, with coloured chenille dots - $18

Pink Flower Fascinator covered in Pink Veiling - $36

Beaded Peacock Feather Headband - $29

Gold Veiled Flower Fascinator - $40

Another Sneak Peek!!

Another little sneak peek of the new collection! These tulle bows are created using a whole yard of tulle so they're really 'poufy', very fun! Plus they'll be super affordable at $14 so you can get one in every colour!

Available in store by mid February!

More Sneak Peeks of the New Collection!

All the supplies ready to go! Felt, veiling, chennile, velvet ribbon....it looks like Easter - a super classy Easter though right?

'Bolo Sequin Bowties' - I'm in love with these myself!

'Bolo Sequin Bowties' Detail

Lots more to come - I'm shooting the collection by the end of the month to be in store by Mid February! Also Stylesmith has a new look! Check out the new logo and design in the Stylesmith store and the Etsy store.

Stylesmith: Spring/Summer 2010 Sketches

Thought I'd post a few sketches of the new collection, yes I'm well aware I can't draw (neither could Coco Chanel so there's hope yet) but I know what they're supposed to llok like, and you get the general idea.

Pictured Above: an embroidered polkadot fascinator with contrasting polkadot veiling.

A convertible hairbow/necktie

The Polkadot Hat

Pom Pom Fascinators

Mahussive Stylesmith Winter Sale!

There's a massive sale going on at Stylesmith at the moment! In the Main store use the discount code: SALE and get 30% in the Etsy store the items below are hugely discounted (prices start at $6!) plus 30% still applies!

There are also huge discounts plus 30% off in the vintage store - so go buy quick - this is for a limited time only!

A New Year. A New You?

I just posted this over at Dedicated and since it included some personal goals etc I thought I'd post it here too. Happy New Year!

***

Happy New Year Y'all!

So a new year is upon us and it's that time again to make promises to yourself that you may or may not keep. I for one get excited at the promise you feel when a new year begins, even if that promise is as empty as your promise to cut back on the cheese.

A New Year brings with it a chance to start afresh, make new plans, let go of old insecurities, the chance to embrace a new you.

Of course this can all often feel so trite, really what's going to be so different today from yesterday? The only year I chose to forego making a new years resolution I met and married my husband. But even then I still made quiet promises to myself, lose some weight, get a better job. It's as if however cynical you may be about keeping/breaking resolutions for the new year you're still naturally inclined to hope for a change however big or small.

So with that said. Some resolutions for the New Year.

For the Blog:

• Increase our productivity (i.e post more often!)
• Increase our readership
• Finally introduce our various new series!

For My Career:

• Start acting again (it's my first love)
• Write more frequently.
• Get out more - lol
• Expand Stylesmith (website, wholesale orders, seasonal collections)

For Me:

• Lose weight (trite I know but I'd like my clothes to fit!)
• Exercise more (to get healthy)
• Organise and re-evaulate my wardrobe (this would start with tidying my room)
• Get off the couch and go on 'local adventures'

My most important resolution applies to every aspect of my life. Don't be afraid. I think it's something we can all take to heart.

In my career don't be afraid to push and shout for what I want. In my life don't be afraid to get out, meet people and make friendships, in my wardrobe (this is a fashion blog after all) I can't be afraid to go for the unusual.

If you'd asked me ten years ago if I'd ever be afraid of anything, I would have answered sharks, spiders, drowning maybe? But I never thought maturity would bring with a different kind of fear. It's a silly fear bred from insecurity and I will not let it make me afraid to live my life.

So with that in mind, it's going to be a great year, wouldn't you say?!

Love,

Kelsi x

(P.S Photo Credit: I cannot remember for the life of me where I found this gorgeous photograph - if you have a clue let me know!)