Fashionably Friday

"Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is non-existent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery - celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: “It’s not where you take things from - it’s where you take them to."-Jim Jarmusch

I was inspired by this cut-out shirt & this cut-out dress. 

Using my scissors, thread, fabric scraps & sewing machine, 

I crafted this beautiful blouse from an old Forever21 shirt. 

Paired with some of my current go-to pieces,

it is already a wardrobe favorite.

cut-out shoulders

messy curls

a scrap of ivory lace created the bow

neon pink nail polish 

Owl ring from Aeropostale

a scrunched sleeve reveals my "Love & Long Life" wrist tattoo 

This outfit & I are ready for a weekend on the coast.

If you would like your own DIY project featured on 

Life & Words, send me a note at mrsb.sellai at gmail.com. 

I would love to hear from you!

Thrifty Thursdays

I love wearing fun dresses.

Oracle Summer Tunic $79AUD

This little number from esther, an Australian based online boutique, recently caught my eye. The colors, bold pattern, silhouette exude fun, flirty femininity.

But, I am always looking for a bargain so I waited hoping that one of two things would happen:

a.) It would go on sale. Like a really big sale.
b.) I would find a similar dress that looked just as amazing for a fraction of the price.

Well, it did not go on sale. But, I found an alternative. Yay! & it is pretty amazing! See for yourself...

A super cute picture thanks to Instagram

Close up of the pattern.

Oliver made sure he got in at least one photo

This dress is the essence of me. 

It is the perfect balance of whimsy, exotic & effortlessly stylish. Just add a messy braid, my oversized rose gold wristwatch and a pair of leather sandals and I am ready to take on the world. :)

This dress is from Forever21. Dresses like this typically range from $10 to $25. I found mine brand new at my local Flea Market for just $4! 

The moral of this story?

If something is out of your price range, there are affordable alternatives as long as you are willing to explore a little. 

Also, you never know what affordable treasures lurk in local thrift stores, vintage shops & flea markets.  

Happy Hunting!

♥Beth

p.s. If any of you have found any awesome bargains lately, send me an email. I would love to hear about them!

style-spiration

today I discovered Polyvore.... so while Oliver napped, I summed up my winter style inspiration through pictures.

L-O-V-E by bunnysellai 

Fall Wardrobe Preview: The Fringe

My sister, Vanessa, recently brought fringe shirts to my attention. I instantly loved them and even created my own version out of one of Nick's old faded tee shirts. 

Vanessa never actually got around to buying or making a fringe shirt so I decided to create one for her. However, she is a tiny person and I worried that a fringe tee would look very bag-like on her small frame. Instead of a shirt, I decided to create a fringed vest for her. 

I cropped a black Mossimo tank top, cut fringe around the bottom, and attached some sky blue beads to a few random fringe pieces to give it a little dimension. The result was stylishly amazing and perfect for fall. To illustrate my vision for the vest, I assembled an outfit that encompasses my vision for fall fashion. Nick was nice enough to take a break from the Oklahoma/Florida State football game and snap a few pictures of me playing dress up. 

Gap shirt, 7 for all Mankind Skinny bootcut jeans, Re-purposed fringed vest, Cathy
Jean boots, Rose Gold Michael Kors watch, Piero Guidi cross body purse


This fringed awesomeness will soon be making its way across the country to Vanessa via the United States Postal Service. For everyone else, use this as inspiration to re-purpose your own fringed clothing and then email photos of your creations to me at mrsb.sellai@gmail.com. 


I am excited to see all of your amazing ideas!

This image is the essence of my fall style.


Stay crafty my friends...


~Bethany

Re-fashioned.

I purchased this vintage long pink skirt at the Salvation Army thrift store near my apartment. Every Saturday all items are 50% off, so I only paid about $1.50 for it. I was absolutely certain I could create something brilliant with it despite my sister Toya's intense disdain for it. I just hadn't got around to it until I saw the Granny Chic challenge on one of my new favorite blogs.  During Oliver's naps today, I refashioned the granny-ish skirt into super cuteness. 

I shortened it, switched the buttons out with some pearly white ones, and added a bow.

What do you all think of it? 

~B

t.g.i. finally f.

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever." Psalm 136:1 NLT

I absolutely love Fridays...

There is a feeling that it brings; a feeling unlike any other day of the week. It's a combination of anticipation and relief, sort of like the feeling you get on the last day of school. Yes, that's it. Fridays are like a mini last-day-of-school and I just love them. Oliver & I get to spend two full days with Poppa, and my sister Toya always visits us on Friday evenings which means Oliver gets lots of love from his sweet auntie. Yes, Fridays are always fabulous in our little world.

The weather today is pleasantly warm in comparison to the heat we endured this past week. The windows in our tiny apartment are open to welcome the light breeze and Oliver is curled up on my chest enjoying a nap, giving me lots of time to catch up with the blogging world.

This week, Nick let me enjoy a quick shopping trip to Macy's and I picked up a few fabulous finds. These O'neall Everytime denim Walkshorts are quickly becoming my new b.f.f.

They are super light unlike most denim, perfect for summer, and the vintage wash gives a subtle nod to stonewashed jeans without looking tacky and outdated. Originally priced at $39.50, they were marked down to $24.99 but rang up at $19.99 and with my coupon, I paid just $12.99 for this awesomeness.  I just love them.





In other news, Nicholas and I may be renting a house in a few months when our lease ends, fingers crossed for it to work out. I am beyond excited at the thought of having so much space for Oliver to grow and learn and play. I am trusting God to work everything out for the best and also feeling very blessed with my beautiful perfect little boy and my loving husband. I'm feeling hopeful for this summer and I can't wait to see what God has in store for us.

Happy Friday blog world :)

~B.