Looking for new stuff?

Thanks to a generous donation, I have moved the blog over to wordpress.org and a new hosting service.  The old kittyscreations.wordpress.com url, which you are at now, will continue to have all the old posts for now, but all the new stuff (as well as the old) is now over at www.SmilesGoWithEverything.com

For those of you who signed up to subscribe by e-mail, it looks like it is not working with the new site.  I’m working on it to see what I can do, and when I know more, I will let you know.  If you have any difficulty reading the new blog, ie. feed doesn’t work, etc, please send me a message at dianalynnsmiles (at) gmail (dot) com so I can work to resolve it.

Thanks so much for your patience during this revamp!  I have the most awesome readers!

“Bright like green”

I knit this sweater last year, but recently I’ve been struggling with how to style it because it always looks a bit slouchy and casual.  But this was the weekend, so a little bit casual was okay.  For this outfit, I layered a long-sleeve green tee underneath, and folded up the cuffs over the sleeves of the sweater.  Because the colors are so similar, it looks more like one piece.  I decided to wear a green necklace to keep with the theme, and then threw in a bright yellow purse for a little extra color.

This outfit was really soft and comfortable, and it was perfect for getting things done around the house, as well as spending time with the family.  The only problem I had was that the elbows of the sweater kept getting stretched out, but I think a fresh wash and blocking should fix that.  For non-knitters out there, blocking is when you shape a damp knitted garment and pin it into place to make it stay that way.  Usually I only block garments the first time I wash them, but sometimes it helps to do it again.

I’ve got an interesting trick for how I made these cuffed sleeves work.  Initially, I didn’t like how the inside seams were showing when the tee was cuffed.  But then I realized that the cuffs were the only part showing, so I turned the layering tee inside out, so that the right side of the garment would show when the sleeves were cuffed.  It might sound a bit odd, but it worked in this case.

I am so in love with this vintage purse I got on Etsy recently.  I’ve never had a frame purse before, and I love how easy it is to snap it open to pull something out, and then snap it closed again.  And I love that it’s roomy enough inside to hold all of my everyday items.

I also used this outfit to premiere my latest Etsy purchase, these gorgeous earrings!  I’ve been loving the look of long, silver feather earrings, but I wanted something that was a bit more modern and less organic.  I wanted them to be long, but not too long, and to have a good bit of movement.  These fit the bill perfectly, and I love them!

I love that almost every accessory in this outfit is from Etsy.  What has been your favorite Etsy purchase?

Sweater: Handknit by me
Long sleeve tee: Gap (thrifted)
Jeans: Express
Boots: Dansko Nena (eBay)
Purse: Advintagous
Necklace: Pixisette
Bangles: Jill Popowich
Earrings: Wear-thou

Quote: One, by Kathryn Otoshi

“Tut-tut, it looks like rain”

It seems that rain and this dress go together.  Or maybe I’m just drawn to this dress when it’s rainy out.  Either way, it was the perfect dress to wear today.  Florida’s weather is being ridiculous lately, and it’s already starting to feel like spring.  It’s a bit frustrating for me, because I’m really not ready for winter to be over.  Still, I was going to my cousin’s bridal shower today, so I wanted to look a bit springy.

I’ve done pale pink accessories with this dress several times before.  Something about that combination just feels right to me.  Today I also added my grandmother’s brooch.  It’s a pink rose cameo, and it worked perfectly with the rest of this outfit.

And I can’t believe I’m wearing sandals in January!  Somebody please send a little cold weather my way.  I don’t want to retire my boots and scarves and coats just yet.

Do you have a certain outfit that you find yourself drawn to on rainy days?

Dress: Ecote (Urban Outfitters)
Cardigan: Ann Taylor LOFT
Sandals: Dansko Novalee (Ebay)
Pearls: Garage Sale
Brooch: Vintage (belonged to my grandma)
Bangle: Vintage
Purse: Easy Spirit Outlet
Umbrella: ??

Quote: The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh, by A.A. Milne

Etsy Love: Jewelry with a heart

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and jewelry makes a perfect gift.  To celebrate in advance, here’s a lovely set of heart-themed jewelry on Etsy.

16″ Flat Heart Chain Necklace  $10

Dance with Silver

City of Love Art Necklace $35

Heartworks by Lori

Keepsake Silver Heart Locket Necklace  $25

Luxe Deluxe

Heart Hoop Earrings  $18

Shiho Yamashita

I Heart You Necklace  $55

Foundling

Sweetheart Conversation Heart Necklace  $10

Scarlet Revolution

“Smart people are those who have asked lots of questions”

In my high school days, I was drawn to preppy styles.  I liked button-down shirts and polos, even though a majority of my wardrobe was jeans and t-shirts.  I’m not that into the prep-school look anymore, but on occasion, I like to take cues from it.  When I saw this lovely striped cashmere sweater on Ebay selling at a mere $20, I couldn’t resist.  I’ve already planned several outfits with it.  It’s delightfully soft and quite flattering.

Because I didn’t want this outfit to be an overload of blue, I added the goldenrod brooch and bracelet to break things up.  I definitely need to get a lot more brooches.

What styles were you drawn to in high school?  Do you still like them now?

Sweater: J Crew (Ebay)
Camisole: Gap
Skirt: Ann Taylor LOFT (Ebay)
Tights: Hue
Shoes: Dansko Sally
Purse: Morelle Charlotte
Brooch: via Revolve
Earrings: Modern Bird
Bangle: Vintage (via Sherry’s Yesterdaze)

Quote: The Rag Coat, by Lauren Mills

Blog Awards

I’ve recently been tagged with two lovely blog awards.

Fashionable Academics was kind enough to tag me with the Over the Top award:

For this award, I decided to tag three blogs that I’ve been reading for a long time, and that continue to be some of my favorites:

1. Already Pretty:  If you don’t already read Already Pretty, then you need to go there, right now!  Sally has such an amazing blog, offering everything from wonderful, inspiring posts reminding you to love your body, to hilarious conversions about segmented-worm syndrome, to daily outfits, to thought provoking conversations on social issues, to style advice.  Her blog is absolutely one of my must-reads.
2. Academichic:  I’ve been following the chics for quite awhile now, and these ladies have fantastic senses of style.  I love seeing how each of the three chics expresses their own personal style, and they also write wonderful modules on color combinations and proportions.  I love it when they take on wardrobe challenges, such as only wearing flats, or using a scarf in every outfit.
3. Fashion for Nerds: Audi has an amazing, eclectic sense of style.  She’s not afraid to wear looks that might make her co-workers do a double take.  And she makes some amazing hats and belts that she sells in her Etsy shop.  And she has an insanely awesome shoe collection.  What’s not to love?

I also received a Best Blog Award from The Bargain Hunter Extraordinaire:

This one has a set of rules attached to it:

One: To accept the award, you must post it on your blog with the name of the person who has granted you the award, and a link to their blog.
Two: Pass the award on to approximately 15 other blogs that you recently discovered, and think are great.
Three: Contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

I’ve been discovering a lot of new-to-me blogs lately.  Here’s some of them:

1. Calivintage
2. Delightfully Tacky
3. Iva Messy
4. Jen Loves Kev
5. Kansas Couture
6. Musing Around
7. Selective Potential
8. Smaggle Style!
9. A Tale of Two Closets
10. Bon Bon Rose
11. Bright Side Dweller
12. Goldenmeans

(I realize that’s not quite fifteen.  Close enough though.)

“Ready to kick up their heels”

I am continuing to adore this magenta cardigan I got for Christmas.  I’m discovering that drape cardigans are insanely versatile.  Last week, I wore it draped with a pair of skinny jeans and a blouse. For today’s outfit, I paired it with my little black dress and my goldenrod Malibrans.  Yellow and magenta was never a color combination I had given consideration before, but now I’m discovering just how great it is.

I love how the soft, light fabric of this cardigan ties up perfectly as a bolero.  I tried tying it back as a wrap sweater as well, but I didn’t like the effect, as it visually added bulk.  I love how tying it as a bolero adds a bit of waist cinching.

As you may know from previous posts, scoop neck of this dress is really low, and requires some layering underneath to be decent.  I originally tried a solid colored blouse for today’s look, but then I decided  that adding a bit of black and white pattern would complement the rest of the outfit best.

What color or pattern combination have you tried lately that surprised you?

Dress: American Rag Cie (via Revolve)
Blouse (under dress): Ann Taylor LOFT (thrifted)
Cardigan: Fossil
Tights: Target
Shoes: Fluevog Malibrans
Purse: Morelle Oyster
Pearls: Coryell Design

Quote: The Three Silly Billies, by Margie Palatini

“Lost… in the woods somewhere”

Don’t worry, I’m not actually lost in the woods.  Rather, this is a lovely field near my work that has somehow managed to escape development.  I’m still not sure how, because it seems that every bare piece of land in Tampa is quickly turned into the next suburban development or strip mall.  This type of background is what I think of when I think of how Florida really looks.  Everyone tends to focus on the beaches, but the majority of Florida looks a lot like this.  Oak trees, grassy fields, Spanish moss.  All this location needs is a few palmetto bushes, a little swamp, and a citrus grove and it would be perfectly quintessential Florida!

I grew up in a little town about ten minutes north of Tampa, and it used to be pretty rural.  There were lots of cow pastures and citrus groves, and I used to go exploring in the woods behind my house.  Those woods are still there, but a lot of the cow pastures and citrus groves have become subdivisions.  It’s kind of sad; everyone wants to move to rural areas to get away from the crowds, but they just end up destroying the very thing that they were seeking.

I felt like my outfit had a warm, prairie feel to it, so this background really suited my mood.  I wasn’t crazy at first about having so many warm tones with the boots and the cardigan together, so I added blue accessories in the belt, necklace and bracelet to cool things down a bit.

Dress: Express
Cami (under dress): Old Navy
Cardigan: J Crew (Ebay)
Leggings: Target
Boots: Dansko Nena (Ebay)
Belt: Vintage (via Sherry’s Yesterdaze)
Purse: Morelle City Bag
Necklace: Chocolate Cake Jewels
Bangle: Thrifted?
Earrings: Modern Bird

Quote: Where’s My Teddy? And Other Stories By Jez Alborough

Sothy’s Giveaway Winner!

The Sothy’s contest had 23 entries, and using a random number generator at random.org to choose the winner, the winning comment is # 8.  Congrats Clare!  I’ll be e-mailing you shortly.

Handknit Hosting Fundraiser

I mentioned last week that I was getting ready to switch my blog over to WordPress.org and a new hosting service.  This will give me more control over the appearance and operation of my blog, and it will also pave the way for offering sponsorships.  However, I didn’t realize at the time that it requires an initial investment of money to start the hosting service, which I don’t really have right now.  So I decided to have a handknit hosting fundraiser to raise money.

All these items are handknit by me, and I’ve linked to the original posts about each item when available.  If you’re interested in purchasing one of these items, send me an e-mail using the contact link in the top left-hand corner of the blog, and I can send you a PayPal invoice.  All of these items are one of a kind, and I am selling them on a first come, first serve basis.  US shipping is included in the price.  If you are outside of the US and would like to buy something, just let me know and I’ll look up the shipping cost and adjust the price.

Thank you so much for all your love and support!  I think I have some of the most awesome readers.

This beautiful scarf is completely one of a kind.  I spun the yarn myself on a drop spindle, and then knit it up in a one-by-one ribbed pattern, making it look the same on both sides.  The yarn is a soft merino with lots of color and character.  Due to the nature of handspun, some sections of the scarf are thicker, while others are thinner.  It is 57″ long and an average of 4″ wide (some sections are a bit wider, while others are a bit thinner, again due to the nature of the yarn).  You can see the original post about this scarf here (I’m so glad I smile in pictures now).  And here’s a post about the yarn.  I’m asking $50 for this scarf.

Next we have the Crochet Squared Messenger Bag.  This is an original pattern of mine, and the purse it totally unique.  The yarns are a wool/acrylic blend, a cotton/wool blend and a little that is 100% wool.  The inside of the bag is lined with some olive cotton fabric, and the strap is reinforced with fabric too.  It can hold quite a lot, and it’s very sturdy.  The body is 11″ wide, 12″ tall and 2″ deep.  The strap is 2.5″ wide and 42″ long.  I’m asking $50 for this.  You can see the original post here.

(SOLD) This scarf is knit with 100% superwash merino (though I recommend hand-washing all knits).  It’s soft and cozy, and can work nicely on its own or layered under another scarf for extra warmth.  I’m asking $20 for this.  The original post is here. (SOLD)

If I can sell all of these, it will completely cover the cost of hosting for a year, as well as help cover some other costs.  If you’re interested in any of these, please let me know as soon as possible, because they will be sold first come first serve.