DIY Challenge: Helen's Tee

Summer is approaching and I am looking forward to lighter layers and brighter colours entering my wardrobe. There is nothing more essential in hotter weather than a simple tshirt. They are just oh so comfortable and easy to wear. I have a whole bunch of different designs waiting in my wardrobe but there is always room for more. I am loving the fruity patterns that are appearing at the moment so I thought I'd jazz up a simple H&M tee with some tasty watermelon slices.

Fancy one of your own? Here's how.



You will need:

1) A sponge. I used a little kitchen one that I got from Asda.
2) A roller. Not an essential piece of kit but rather handy. A rolling pin / wine bottle wrapped in cling film would also do the trick.
3) Scrap paper / cardboard / newspaper.
4) Fabric ink in pink, green and black. Mine are from Handprinted and Wicked Printing Stuff.
5) Scissors.
6) Paintbrush.
7) Tray. Or at least a surface you don't mind getting inky.
8)  A plain tshirt.


Step 1
Iron your tshirt (if needed) and then lay it out flat. Take your scrap paper or card and sandwich it inside the tee. This is to stop the ink bleeding through to the back. Make sure all areas of the tshirt that you are going to print on have a layer of paper underneath.


Step 2
Cut your sponge into a triangle / watermelon slice kinda shape. I didn't worry about being too precise as the sponge is quite soft and won't print exactly as cut. This was all part of the painterly look I was going for.


Step 3
Role out your pink ink so it's even and place the sponge in it. Make sure the bottom of the sponge is fully covered. You can do some test prints onto paper to make sure it's looking the way you want it.


Step 4
Get printing on your tee. You can measure out the placement of your design before you start or just go for a random arrangement like I did. Make sure you press down firmly and re-ink the sponge before printing each slice.


Step 5
Get some green ink on the go. I didn't have any to hand so mixed my own. Use a paint brush and paint a line of green along the shortest side of each triangle.


Step 6
Clean the green off of your brush and then dip it in some blank ink. Use this to add the seeds to each slice. Go for as many or as few as you fancy. I did a mix, mostly because I was making it up as I went along.


Step 7
Wait for your ink to dry. I left mine overnight which worked out fine and dandy.
Get your iron on and heated up and then hold it on your design for 20 - 30 seconds. This will fix the ink and means you can wash your new tee without worrying about dying the rest of your clothes. Make sure you fix each part of your printed design.



Voilà! You are done and ready for summer! Get the cocktails on the go and relax on the beach in your new tshirt. You may need a cardigan / rain jacket / parka over the top though. I can't guarantee the sun will be shining but your new tee will help you to pretend.

Helen's May Wishlist

I can't believe it's almost the middle of the year!  May has come around super quickly and it's already halfway gone. Summer is in my sights and my wardrobe is slowly making the transition. The winter coats have gone but I'm still keeping my rain jacket close to hand, I'm in Scotland after all. Here is what I'm lusting after to give my outfits a fresh look for the months ahead.



1.) Pink Trench Coat | Dahlia
The sun may be visiting from time to time but there are still plenty of clouds, rain and wind to contend with. While temperatures may be up it's still not tshirt weather, so having a sensible coat on hand is very important. This little number ticks those boxes while being super stylish to boot.

2.) SWALK Necklace | Mona Mara
This necklace makes me think of simpler times back when I received horrendous valentines cards with this message on the back of the envelopes. At the time I never knew what it stood for. I'm older and wiser now and would much rather have the message in the form of this pretty necklace.  

3.) Cloud Co-ord Set | Mod Dolly
Co-ords are all the rage right now and I am more than happy to jump on that bandwagon. They give a great statement look when worn together but can also be easily mixed and matched with other pieces. This cloud print is perfect for the warmer weather. 

4.) Gold Sling Back Sandals | Zara
You have no idea how much time I spent searching for gold shoes for Kim's wedding last year. These ones are pretty much exactly what I was looking for!! A tad annoying, but they would still slot into my wardrobe nicely now. Plus they are such a good price.

5.) Wideside Cloud Sunglasses | House of Holland
I'm finding myself drawn to blue at the moment as I dream of perfect blue skys. Cloud prints are also really catching my attention (as you can see). These are the perfect sunglasses to go with the Mod Dolly co-ord set. In fact, looking at all my selections, I think I've pretty much picked my perfect May outfit. 

Kimberley's May Wishlist

I am about to move house and I have interiors on the brain. The main living areas of my house are decked out in wood, vibrant oranges and punchy lime greens, with a mixture of modern shapes and tribal patterns. Now it's slipping into my wardrobe and I am craving all things tropical. The anticipation for summer (hurry up weather, this is getting silly!) is just adding to my desire for all things bright. Here are my current faves:



1.) Sassy Lime Co-ord | Glitters For Dinner
This summery outfit may be a bit draining on a pale skin tone like mine  but I'm sure I can overcome that for this amazing co-ord. A great pairing with any BBQ drink.

2.) Hollywood Pineapple Pot | Debenhams
It's a known fact that I go loco for anything pineapple shaped. I want this for my new spare bedroom (read dressing room). I also want the silver ring dish version. And by want I mean need.

3.) Bingo Ball Bracelet | Henry Holland
I am not a fan of bingo. I don't get excited by gambling scenarios and I don't play, apart from my family's annual Christmas prize bingo night. However, I am enjoying this quirky multicoloured jewellery from Henry Holland. So fun!

4.) The Hunt Midi Ring | The Rogue and The Wolf
This simple double triangle shape reminds me of chevrons. Although I haven't snuck this pattern into my house, I've got my eye on some teacups. This ring is striking without being too masculine for my ladylike digits. I like it.

5.) Jungalista Silk Shirt | Silken Favours
I love absolutely everything in the current Silken Favours collections- the pineapple cushion (amazing), the precious pussies scarf (swoon), and the jungle print everything. I want it all!

Have you scoped out any pineapple shaped items I might enjoy? Send information this way, pleeeease!

Nail Inspiration: Wardrobe Conversations

Happy Friday everyone! We hope you've enjoyed our week of blog birthday celebrations. We have had a whole bunch of fun putting together these posts. To top off we thought we'd celebrate using one of our favourite methods - nail art! This set is inspired by some of our very own outfits from the past year. Can you guess which ones?




Ok you can stop guessing now. Ta da!



And if fun painted nails wasn't enough for you, we've also put together a wee giveaway so you can create your own nail art. It's just our way of saying thank you for reading/commenting/tweeting us over the past year. We very much appreciate it.

Anyway, enough of the sap, let's get on with the good stuff. We've picked some pretty Models Own polishes and accessories and packed them all up in a Jolly Good tote bag. For your chance to win just follow the instructions below. The giveaway runs until Friday 21st May at 9pm GMT and is open to international readers.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Birthday Celebrations (Part 3)

Kimberley wears:
Top | H&M
Skirt | H&M
Shoes | Primark
Glittery Bone Necklace | Kitsch Kitty*
Cat Ring | I Love Crafty (borrowed from Helen)

Helen wears:
Jacket | H&M
Top | Monki
Dress (worn as skirt) | H&M
Boots | Clarks
Lucky Penny Sugar Skull Necklace | Kitsch Kitty*
Brooch | Rock Cakes

All week we have been celebrating our blog's first birthday. We've had girly tea party dresses, sparkly party wear and now our final celebration look- colourful and relaxed. Suitable for a fun garden party, which we're hoping the weather will allow lots of this summer.



Yesterday we showed off some cute gift boxes and we can finally reveal what was inside- our amazing necklaces from Kitsch Kitty!

Kitsch Kitty has been a recent favourite of ours- featuring on a wishlist and in one of our Unlikely Syle Icons post, so we are happy to be showing off some more of her goodies. She creates colourful and quirky handmade treats that do not fail to make us smile. We can't decide on a favourite, so now that we have a necklace each, we will be swapping and sharing (like good friends do). We're sure you'll see these popping up in future Styled By posts.

Tomorrow we will be rounding up our Blogiversary week with a nail art inspired post, including a special giveaway.We do like to share the gift love.



These celebratory posts have been a lot of fun for us to create- maybe too much fun going by some of these funny faces. Before we get back to our normal post schedule, here's our last creepy shot to keep you awake at night. Enjoy!


Photography by Ross Bull

* - gifted items

Blog Birthday Celebrations (Part 2)

Kimberley wears:
Top | H&M
Skirt | H&M
Tights | New Look
Shoes | Primark

Helen wears:
Top | Zara
Dress (worn as skirt) | Topshop via Ebay
Shoes | Peacocks
Necklace | H&M
Belt | Charity Shop

And the party continues! This time with sequins, streamers and cocktails. We had great fun making a mess with party poppers and generally mucking around at pour party for two. In case you missed it, yesterday our wee blog turned one and we are celebrating all week long. Yesterday saw balloons and cake for a bit of a girls birthday party vibe but today we've gone a bit more grown up. As you can see grown up doesn't equal sophisticated in our books, it just means adding cocktails.
 
As you can see today's celebration also includes presents, all wrapped up in pretty Paperchase gift wrap. We know birthdays aren't all about the presents but they're still pretty nice. Check back tomorrow to see what's in our little parcels and swing by again on Friday for your chance to win a wee present of your own. We do enjoy making the most of a birthday!
 
Bonus fact 1: Kimberley does not trust Helen with knives, fire or party poppers.

Bonus fact 2: We both love gifts.
 

Blog Birthday Celebrations (Part 1)

Kimberley wears:
Dress | Darling via Swish
Shoes | BHS
London Necklace | Made by Helen
Pink Necklace | Jolly Good
Pink Ring | Jolly Good

Helen wears:
Dress | Vintage Style Me
Shoes | Clarks
Socks | Topshop
Belt | Dorothy Perkins
Necklace | Jolly Good
Ring | Made by me
Dino Fasinator | Made by me

Happy birthday to Wardrobe Conversations!

We've been blogging together for ONE YEAR! Documenting not only our wardrobes, but also our friendship, has given a fun twist to our posts. To celebrate we've organised a week full of special posts. Yesterday we started with a look back at our first year and today the birthday party really begins.


Two guests make a party, right?

On this occasion we finally did a photo shoot with both of us in it together. This hasn't happened since our very first post! Unlike that one, we didn't wear matching clothes but pulled out our prettiest party frocks. We also managed to get in some of our beloved 'The Shining' creepy faces, in between all the giggling and cake eating. Because it wouldn't be a celebration without a cake. And it certainly wouldn't be a post by us without lots of cake. Even if the table got emptier by the photograph as we swiped them from the display between shots.



Photography by Ross Bull.

A big thanks to everyone who has read our posts, commented or tweeted us this last year. We hope you'll stick around for our birthday fun and beyond.
 

Birthday Blog Reveiw

So, tomorrow is our 1 year blog birthday!!! Exciting times! We can't believe it's been one year already but it sure has been a great one. Running Wardrobe Conversations has been so much fun and has really helped us experiment with our style and share our love of fashion and personal style. We've had a blast staging some special photos to celebrate our birthday but first we're going to take a look back at some of our favourite posts from the last year.

Helen's Top 3

Valentine and Anti-Valentine Outfits
Ok so I may be cheating by picking two and trying to pass it off as one but I really liked my Valentine week posts. It was fun to come up with two outfits that were opposites but still fit in with my style. I wish I had time to find cheesy props for all our photos. In the anti-valentine one I even got to tear up one of my sisters old Valentine cards.


Bold Souls Nail Inspiration: Naromode
I was so gutted that we couldn't make it along to the Bold Souls event. It feature some amazing Scottish talent and the photos from the night all looked fantastic. It was nice to come up with a way  to mark this event and show some love for the designers involved all while putting a Wardrobe Conversations spin on it.


Xmas Wishlists
I love a good wishlist. There are so many beautiful things out there that it can be hard to keep track. Unfortunately I can't afford them all so highlighting them in our wishlists lets me spread the word about my favourite designers and items without going bankrupt. The Christmas wishlist was our first collaged one and if there something I love more than a wishlist it's creating a collage.




Kimberley's Top 3


Styled by Kimberley: Autumn

I can see why Helen cheated to get a 2-for-1. Picking just one outfit has been the hardest decision of my week. A lot of the summery ones have been calling to me but I know this is just because I desperately want there to be enough sun to wear any of those outfits again!
I think our Styled By posts are my favourites of any of our outfits because we take turns choosing the theme and it isn't always a go-to outfit like above. It forces me to really look in my wardrobe two wardrobes (and chests of drawers and vac-pack storage bag) to put something new and interesting together. I don't always love the outcome but it definitely pushes me out of my comfort zone and keeps things fresh. And I've just realized that I have managed to not repeat an outfit this year!


Kim's Hen Party Details
One of the advantages of writing the blog is that it gives us an excuse to meet up every month, whether it's where I live, where Helen lives, or somewhere new. Obviously I am biased in thinking that my truly amazing Hen Party- arranged by Maid of Honour supreme, Helen- was my favourite. She put so much effort styling up the look from day to night with a nail bar and cocktail bar and it even matched in with my wedding stationery and look. The best time!


Unlikely Style Icons
Okay, I know this was only this month but this is fast becoming my most favouritest of allll.
Based on a Company magazine feature, we pick a topic not normally considered stylish and base outfits around it. So far we have covered childhood favourites, TMNT and Roald Dahl but the possibilities are limitless! As I said before, it forces us to be a but more creative with our usual wardrobes. I love it.


And your favourite...
 


Our most popular post from the last year was Kimberley's first Wardrobe Conversations outfit post featuring one of our favourite styles, Monochrome! This is a look we've come back to again and again and I'm sure you'll see more as it's so versatile and striking. It's possibly a crime, but Kimberley hasn't actually ever worn this outfit outside the Style By shoot.

What are your favourite Wardrobe Conversations posts? We'd love to hear your thoughts about which posts you've enjoyed and what you'd like to see more of in the coming year.