How to Dye Leather

I had some leftover dye from the last leather dye DIY and decided to make an extreme change with another bag. My Alexander Wang Rocco Duffel bag in Latte has seen better days. You'll see that a lot of areas became darkened from use, especially the satchel handle and the top part of the bag. There was also some wear on the piping, and though nothing was exposed yet, the leather was scratched and thinning.

The process of dyeing leather is pretty simple once you have the right tools. The dyes cost under $30 and this was the second bag I was able to use these materials on. Take a look at the before and after photos and if you want to learn how to do it yourself, check out our previous post with a video tutorial.








Some frequently asked questions:
Does the black dye transfer onto your clothes?
Nope! With daily use and a mix of dark and light clothes, no transfer at all from this purse or the last one.
Does the dye come off?
The first dye used is "penetrating dye" so it's dye that doesn't just sit on the surface of the leather.
Are there other colors of dye?
Both brands have a variety of colors! I have only tried black so I can't comment on how the other colors match or work.

I recommend the process for those who want to refresh a worn out bag and are willing to commit to a new color. The softened leather of the bag was getting a bit delicate and the dye definitely helped to stiffen it up a little bit and breathed a new life into it!

See the original post with video tutorial HERE:





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Why I finally bought rain boots

Every year we go to tons of summer music festivals and concerts. It combines our love of music, food and just lounging around with like-minded people.

Without fail, every year it will rain on at least one of the concert dates. Whether it's a small sprinkling or a crazy downpour, it happens. I think in my mind I assume that it won't be too bad to get a few drops of rain on my head. In reality though, the rain turns the ground into a mud pit and I'm instantly regretting my choice of impractical footwear.


(Silly me on the right)


(Smart Sam in her cute rain boots)

Three summers in a row, I dealt with muddy shoes and wet socks. This year I had made my final mistake and caved... I bought my first pair of Hunter rain boots.



I had put off the purchase for so long because the concept of cost per wear is so important to me. When thinking about how many times I could potentially wear rain boots in an average year I really couldn't think of more than once or twice a year.

Since buying them in August though, I've been able to wear them in the summer to a festival and then at least 10 times this fall through all the frequent rain storms. (Is every year this rainy in the fall? I can't remember)



The unexpected effect of buying these? Instead of feeling fearful that I'll be ruining a pair of shoes, I actually look forward to looking cute on rainy days! No regrets.


Wearing: The Sakura mini convertible dress and:

Seasonal Wardrobes (and GIVEAWAY)

Living in Canada means experiencing the most extremes of the weather spectrum. Within a calendar year it's not unusual to experience temperatures that feel as low as -40C to as high as 40C (that's -40 to 104 F!). For most people this means having completely seasonal wardrobes that require a storage rotation. Even though I remember my mom doing this for me when I was younger, I always wanted to access my summer wardrobe in the winter and vice versa. So my closet is stored in a way that I can access all of my clothing always (with a huge exception for my winter parka and snow boots).

So I have a question:

Do you rotate your seasonal wardrobe OR do you keep a wardrobe with all-season pieces?

As a non-rotator there are certain pieces that are key for transitioning between seasons. What some may call a "summer dress" I say is just a great dress for any weather if you know what to pair it with. Never underestimate the power of a leather jacket, booties and the right tights.

My must-haves for tights? Soft, black, and no uncomfortable seams. Check, check and check.

A new startup called Elsy Tights is now offering a service of quality tights delivered monthly at only $20 with free shipping! You can choose to get tights monthly (if you're like me and have the tendency to rip through them. Hello, long nails!) or every two or three months.



Elsy Tights was kind enough to send us a free month of their service and we want you to win your first month of Elsy membership free too! Enter below!

Elsy Tights - One Month Subscription Giveaway

Ready to get started now? Elsy Tights is offering our readers 10% off their first month with Elsy promo code: LIPGLOSS10

Wearing Elsy Tights the Henkaa Ivy Convertible dress & :

Time after time

It feels like we've been taking longer and longer breaks from blogging lately but I'll refrain from apologizing every time we return. Life happens and things have changed, but we always have reason to come back.


The lucky thing about starting a blog with your sister is that there's really no room for growing apart with us. Things that will never change: our love of fashion, DIY and of course caffeine. 

Our favourite summer past time: drinking beer in the hot sun. Whether it's by the pool or at music festivals, we love to get outside because Canadian summers feel so short compared to the winters.  

Check out our long weekend picnic outfits, inspired by our lovely watches c/o JORD Wood Watches

I chose The Fieldcrest in Black for the gorgeous sleek dark finish and Sam picked The Sully in Natural Green for the natural wood grain that stands out with lighter wood. The watches are really lightweight for their size and the wood picks up a bit of polish and character the longer you wear it.




















Watches c/o JORD Wood Watches.
On Syl: The Fieldcrest in Black, on Sam: The Sully in Natural Green


Wooden Watches by JORD


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Tutorial - Faux Marble Table DIY

The marble look has been having a major moment in interiors and fashion. It can get a bit pricey to invest in marble furniture or counter tops, so I've discovered a blogger secret-- everyone's been using faux marble! Here's how to get the look on a major budget (like $10!). Bonus: if you get sick of the look, it's removable! Follow along below to see how to get the marble interior look yourself and take your instagrams to the next lev.

on the table: sunglasses, happy plugs in-ear headphones, three hands antelope skull, diptyque candle, the collection candle, lady gaga x terry richardson, alexander mcqueen savage beauty


You'll need:
- Marble Contact Paper
- Scissors
- Small hand towel
- Ikea Vittsjo or any table or surface you would like to marbleize

My first tattoo

About half a year ago, during a full day meeting at work about corporate culture, we were asked a lot of personal questions about ourselves. In order to understand what was maybe holding us back from success, we needed to find out what held us back in our personal lives as well. (nb: Perhaps strange in a traditional workplace but not so much for a fashion/tech start-up.) This session was emotionally difficult but at the same time it was cathartic and there were a lot of revelations.

At the start of the day, we began with a question that was tough to answer, "What do you want to achieve in your life but haven't yet?" What was on my list?
- pay off my student debt
- get a dog
- get a tattoo

As inane as that list sounds-- those were my honest expectations of my life (I'm baring my soul here ok?) And then the question that followed was, "And what's your excuse?... Money or time are not allowed to be your answers." So I had no excuses. With my 30th birthday just months away, it seemed like the perfect timeline to just do it. Shit, I was finally going to be decisive about at least one of the above goals.

denim on denim

Today I was out helping some friends with a creative project-- modeling products for the first time in a while. More on the project later, but we were asked to just wear outfits that would work with some luxury products. It's been so long since I've really documented my style that I'm sure that it's completely transformed (as my hair does every year or so).

Since living in a small space in Toronto, I've really cut down my wardrobe and aspired for a more minimalist approach. When I moved from a large townhouse into a 600 sq. ft. condo, I actually threw out about 75% of my closet. There was so much extra bulk sitting around that I was drowning in it. I've had my time of experimenting with styles and I finally feel really comfortable in my more pared down closet, and as an adult who doesn't want to take things too seriously yet. So here's my take on the "Canadian tuxedo" on a "warm" November day (6C guys! Not bad!)

Tutorial - Latte Sprinkles

I've developed a latte addiction very recently and I average 2 homemade lattes a day. It's just so easy and satisfying! I have a particular obsession with tea lattes because there's just so many variations and options! I just love that fluffy cloud of frothy milk that sits on the top of my drink but I've felt like it's been lacking a bit of...decor. So today I'm going to show you how to make your own adorable latte sprinkles! Why do you need to DIY latte sprinkles? Simple. You cannot just throw full sized sprinkles on your lattes because it will fall right through your froth!

Here is what we're going to make; Toffee & Dark Chocolate sprinkles


My inspiration? I visited a DAVIDsTEA store and noticed these adorably packaged sprinkles and instantly wanted to make my own mix. They come in 75g bottles and cost $15.00 for 2 or $8.50 for one. They offer Chocolate Sugar Sprinkles as well as Golden Sugar Sprinkles (it grinds up gold flakes!). How do they work? Well, there's full-sized sprinkles in a grinder and it's as simple as that!


Here's what you will need:

-Small Grinder (must be refillable)
-Zip Lock Bag
-Dark Chocolate Chips
-Toffee Bits
-Gravy Boat
-Masking Tape
-Pencil Crayon (or any writing utensil)
-Adhesive Label

Tutorial - How to Dye a Leather Bag

A white purse is a great accent accessory until it picks up stains from regular wear. I quickly learned this with my Alexander Wang SS13 Trifold bag in Glow-in-the-dark leather. It was such a novelty purchase that I thought would make sense but when it began picking up the deep indigo and black dyes from my clothes, I needed to do something. I decided to go all the way to the other end of the spectrum and dye the bag black, but as a DIYer, I wanted to try it myself. It was a huge risk, but turned out really well!



I figured since I was finally going to get back into blogging that I would try to record our first DIY video. It was something I was always nervous about delving into because it's completely out of my comfort zone... but I figured I would put myself out there and give it a try. I'm endlessly thankful for Sam's patience in helping me film this and even though it's not perfect, I think it's a decent start. Depending on how this is received, we might make video blogs a bit more regular... we'll see.

Watch the video below to follow along with how I dyed leather from white to black!

What you'll need:
- Something to cover your surface
- Fiebings Penetrating Leather Dye Kit
- Scotch Brite Scouring Pad
- Tarrago SelfShine Color Dye Kit
- Rubbing Alcohol
- Cotton Swabs

Instructions:
- Prepare the bag by disassembling straps and unfastening hardware.. Remove anything loose, unbuttons snaps and unzip the zippers so that you can reach every part that you would like to dye.
- Use Tarrago Preparer and the scouring pad to remove coatings, polishes and dirt. Scrub in a circular motion and don't miss scrubbing any part that will be dyed
- Use Fiebings Penetrating Dye and the included Dauber to paint the entire surface while still damp with preparer. Let the dye dry. It will dry a bit matte and streaky. Paint an optional second coat if any of the old leather color is showing through.
- Use Tarrago SelfShine Dye for painting on the finishing coat for a nicer shine. Brush onto all seams and cracks first. Then paint the dye onto the sponge to apply a thin coat onto the leather. Apply with the sponge in a circular motion. Let it dry for 5 hours.
- Use alcohol and cotton swabs to remove any dye from hardware
- You're all done!

Would you try this DIY?



Bag-spiration:

Kit and Ace Toronto - Grand Opening

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the Kit and Ace grand opening here in Toronto. My boss had an invite and took me along (thanks Jo!) to check out the event. The Vancouver based brand of luxury basics has been quickly cropping up across Canada and from what I'd heard about the company, I was sure the store would fit right in the West Queen West neighbourhood. 

Check out the photos below and if you're on the market for technical cashmere basics or maybe just some maple syrup, if you stop by the store let us know what you think!

Tutorial - Tea Advent Calendar

It's been a long time since I been around, it's been a long time but I'm back in town! haha, I'll stop now. Anyway, It's been forever since I've blogged but I've decided that I'd make my first comeback post a good one. I hope it lives up to my words...but I'm pretty excited about this project.

Most of my friends and family know that I'm a tea addict. I think there's also something that happens when Autumn rolls around, my obsession gets stronger. It must be that I feel the fall chill in the air and crave a warm drink in between my palms.

Maybe you understand how I feel? Do you start talking about tea and mention things that the average person cannot relate to? For me, my own sister doesn't get me...so I decided to make an awesome little handmade gift of tea for her to share my obsession. Then maybe by Christmas, she'll be hooked? One can hope so.

Today I'll be guiding you through the process of hand making a tea advent calendar

It's a cup of tea for 25 days counting down to Christmas!

Let's begin with discussing my inspiration:


24 days of tea from DAVIDsTEA: their yearly Advent Calendar that retails for $34.50.
I would say it's their most popular collection and usually sells out within a day of being released (both online and in-store). I was physically holding a box on the day it was released but I knew that my collection of teas was already too big. I've also tried the majority of the teas in the set already. So I talked myself out of it. Later that day, they were practically sold out everywhere. You can find yourself a set for about $70 - $100 on sites like eBay or Kijiji (a Canadian site like Craigslist)!

So why spend up to $100 on a box of 232 grams of tea when you can customize your own? I'm sure you or your giftee would much rather have a calendar that is filled with hand-picked flavours of tea. Plus, not only can you personalize the set to taste, you can customize it around allergies and dietary restrictions.

I think that's enough talking, how about we get started?


What you need:
-25 wooden Clothes Pins (plastic is fine too)
-Printed Napkins (or Wrapping Paper)
-1 sheet of Card Stock/thicker paper

-White String (25 pieces x 6 inches)
-Twine (approximately 40 inches)

-25 miniature Adhesive Labels
-25 miniature Zip Lock Bags
-Black Permanent Marker

-25 different types of Tea

-Gift Box or Bag

-Scrap Paper
-Scissors
-Stapler
-Ruler
-Pen
Optional:
-Chisel-Tipped Permanent Maker or Paint (Colour of your Choice)
-(Tag-Shaped) Paper Puncher
-Colourful Pens

Alexander Wang x H&M - Bustier & Boots Review

My fave piece from the Alexander Wang x H&M collection was definitely the elastic bustier. It was my one and only must-have item from my wish list. In fact, I had convinced myself that even after waiting in line for 8 hours, if I had only picked up that top, I would be happy.

My picks from the collection were all revolving around wearability. I wanted items that fit well with my existing wardrobe and I didn't want to make any impulse buys. That said, I went back to H&M the following day and "accidentally" found a pair of the heeled zip up booties in my size. Oops... I just couldn't resist.

Here they are in action:











wearing: alexander wang x h&m elastic bustier, alexander wang x h&m boots, tna plaid shirt, talula mullaly high waist leggings, ub leather motojacket (similar here), alexander wang trifold bag

The elastic bustier wears like a sports bra. It's made from heavy elastic and it fits really small. Initially I had grabbed an XS and basically was stuck in it for about 5 minutes in he fitting room. If you're still considering buying this piece from somewhere it's probably smart to size up.

The booties are made from real leather, which is something I love about H&M's designer collections: they don't go absolutely cheap on the quality to keep prices low. They're a great height heel for me to wear everyday, so I'm thinking these were totally worth grabbing.

Which pieces did you pick up from the Alexander Wang x H&M collection?
Check back soon for Sam's picks too!