My new love of vests

what i wore: burnt orange vest and scarf from a moving sale, Zielonko earrings and Crim crossbody satchel in orange from Aldo, southwestern style printed bag DIY, black polka dot dress from Target, yellow polka dotted peeptoe flats thrifted, skirt and various rings from Forever 21, Half Lens"vintage-inspired round sunglasses from OC Shades

Lately, and it's strange that I didn't realize this until today, I have been buying lots of vest. I guess I've hooked! I found this lovely burnt orange one perusing through a big box of clothes while at a moving sale the other day! I quickly fell for it! Anyways, I got a lot of neat sales when Megan and I decided to get up a little early and go garage sale hunting! It was a lot of fun, and I'm pretty sure I spent under $30. I will do a garage sale haul post soon! So look out for that.

I've been trying out new layering techniques and some different styling lately, and I am having so much fun with it. I can't wait to see what I can come up with.

Oh yeah I actually created that southwestern styled bag (the one in the top two photos) from a rug and a double loop belt! I will post a quick tutorial and betters views of the bag soon! I've very happy with how it turned out, and I can't wait to bring it around shopping with me! I already used it for the first time yesterday when I went to the mall with Lauren and I absolutely love using it.

I hope you all have a lovely Sunday + last day of July!

PS: I still have a a few sponsor spots left open for August! I also have some ad for ad trading spots left. For more information and rates you can click here or else you can just e-mail me at:

meanzchan[at]gmail[dot]com

Fifteen Favorites on Friday v7

1. How incredible does Alex of Blue Feather Style look in this vintage yellow dress, and that daisy crown is just perfect. She looks like a princess! Oh and how about her amazing new red hair?!

2. I guess I have a little fascination with paper cups as of lately! These cups are beautifully crafted out of handmade paper or sheets of porcelain and paper pulp mixture by artist Rebecca Wilson and I found these via  Honestly...WTF. (If you're interested the top two at paper and the bottom two are porcelain).

3. Emily of Cupcakes and Cashmere really impresses with this gorgeous neutral outfit and her bold orange lipstick!

4. This is such a lovely photo of Dakota and Elle Fanning.

5. These whimisical and adventure filled illustrations I found via Rebecca of The Clothes Horse by Hillary Bird make me wish I had a bear for a best friend!

6. This hand house is so intriguing! Oh, and I love how the fingernails are painted!

7. I just discovered The Impossible Project which aims to preserve the process of poloroids and basically saved analog instant photography from going disappearing completely by creating more poloroid film. Found this via From Me To You.

8. These laser cut cardboard animal trophies from Cardboard Safari are so adorable!

9. I love these gorgeous prints from t87store on etsy!

10. I adore this before and after of this china hutch I found via Design Sponge.

11. I really like these illustrations by Shan Jiang I found via Koi Koi Koi.

12. These bed toppings are just about the cutest ever! Who wouldn't want to snuggle into one of these designs?

13. I adore these intensely colorful paintings from Joshua Petker I found via Sweet Station.

14. I love this Salvador Dali's The Persistence of Memory inspired melting clock decoration I found via Sweet Station.

15. I absolutely adore silhouette work, and this Silhouette Master Theatre series by Wilheim Stahele is just fantastic!

Floral and lace

what i wore: gray vest and brown belt with heart detail thrifted, paisley green scarf, 2 silver knuckle rings, and black tank top from Forever 21, black sandals from Target, white lace top was a gift, green crystals ring from Vitae Design Collective

I went for a very retro, layered look yesterday. I parted my hair and curled the bangs on the opposite side today! It was weird because I kept trying to sweep my bangs the wrong way! I needed a change though and for today, it was a nice little one! Oh, and I went on a shopping spree on Monday and I cannot get enough of high waisted shorts! I love these floral ones and I also go some lace ones! I'm hooked. Yesterday I had dinner with one of my very best friends, Rachel and then we decided to go see the new Winnie the Pooh movie and it was absolutely delightful. I'd highly recommend it and it's only an hour. Also, I watched My Neighbor Totoro for the first time ever tonight, and I adored it.

Don't forget to check out my side project, One Photo, One Sketch Daily. I sketched a picture of my boyfriend yesterday!

Anyone have any good movie recommendations?!

Little green whales

what i wore: green and pink whale print skirt thrifted and altered by me, forest green sleeveless top thrifted, hat and stacked hinge knuckle ring from Forever 21, dreamcatcher/feather earrings from Aldo, black oxfords from Target

This is the second skirt I have ever taken in, with a lot of help from my mom of course. We worked on this for a few hours, and I absolutely adore it. We probably took in about 4 inches! I found this skirt thrifting and absolutely adored the print! Anyways, Megan and I had a wonderful day filled with thrifting and the mall! I'm finally starting to accessorize more, the earrings, hat and stacked hinge ring are all from today and there's plenty more! I can't wait to reveal what else I bought!

I'm sad that my boyfriend is leaving on a cruise with his family for a week and a half! I need to find lots of things to do.

Oh also, I feel so short! I'm still a little upset I cannot wear heels and wedges for a couple more weeks!

Hope you all are having a wonderful Wednesday!

One photo, One sketch Daily.

Yesterday, I  decided to start a new project called, One sketch, One photo daily on tumblr. I think it'll help express my creativity and expand on my art and photography skills. Feel free to check it out. It's still a baby, but I mean, there will be a post every day. There will even be previews of future Koi Story posts on One sketch, One photo daily on tumblr!

PS: The sketches will be random (and not always good), and the photo a day won't always be of me!

Let me know what you think of this little side project if you decide to check it out!

Polka dots on a cloudy day

what i wore: black maxi skirt thrifted, black cat-eye sunnies from OC Shades, pale pink and black polka dot short from Forever 21, small houndstooth bow headband and black flat sandals from Target

If you cannot already tell, I absolutely adore this location now, and I want to keep taking pictures here. The only problem is that there are a lot of large flying insects out in the middle of nowhere, and I every step I took brought on more buzzing around my ears. I guess I'll just have to get used to it! Sadly to say, I've been cooped up in my house as my foot is healing up, and it feels a lot better. Finally, I decided to get some outfit photos today as the boyfriend and I went out for a lunch date. I wanted to go with something simple, so I chose this adorable black maxi I found thrifting once. I decided to pair a more girly top with it and just mostly black accessories felt right.

I actually really like these sandals, and it looks like they'll be the flats I'll be frequenting for a while! Oh, I also whipped up a new Action in photoshop for these photos, and I like how was able to bring out the clouds in the sky. It was a refreshing partly cloudy day yesterday and I'm glad we captured these moments.

Have a happy Monday!

Local Spotlight: Mackenzie Burger

what she wore: reconstructed dress by her, rose blouse thrifted, and gold flats Isaac Mizrahi for Target

Tell me about yourself.

I am graduating from the University of Northern Iowa with a degree in Textiles and Apparel after I complete my internship at Vitae Design Collective later this month. Vitae is a local boutique that sells locally designed and made clothing, jewelry, and accessories. For my internship I am working on a marketing plan for the store and also designing a collection to sell at the store.

Where are you from?

I grew up in Waterloo, Iowa but moved to Cedar Falls, Iowa in high school. They are right next to each other.

What made you decide on your major?

When I was a sophomore in college I had actually gone to 3 different schools already and was kinda stumped on what to do, so I went to Career Services and seriously took a career aptitude test. My results were "Costume Designer" or "Artist" so I took into classes to both and Textile and Apparel just fit.

Did you sew when you were younger?

In high school I was interested in crafts and did a little hand sewing with that but I really didn't learn how to sew until a couple years ago.

What are your passions?

I love anything creative. I enjoy crafting, thrifting, makeup and hair, and I'm just getting into biking.

Have you been to Des Moines before this summer?

Mostly for family and school trips to Adventureland!

What do you like most about Des Moines?

I like how it’s a big city in Iowa, a whole different world. You can tell that Des Moines is trying to be attractive to young adults and there are always activities going on.

What do you think about the style in Des Moines?

The people who come in Vitae are cute. I think that most people in Iowa just don't put the time into trying a lot of the time. But of course there are some stylist guys and gals here.

Is Des Moines permanent for you?

I'm actually moving to Washington DC in August.

How did you get into blogging?

I've followed blogs for over a year, finally decided to take the plunge and do it myself.

Who are your favorite bloggers?

Bleubird, A Beautiful Mess, Selective Potential, Here's Looking at Me Kid, just to name a few.

Where do you get your inspiration?

For my outfits, I'll usually start with a piece of clothing I love and build around that. I wear a lot of dresses so it's always challenging to come up with new ways to style them.
As for sewing, I'm inspired a lot by vintage patterns, magazines, online shopping, or even a mood.

What are some of your favorite stores, shops, etc?

Vitae, Mohair Pear in Cedar Falls, Target, Urban, Zara. I can't actually afford to shop at my favorite stores right now though, so I'm thrifting and going to Platos Closet a lot.

Is there anybody in particular that influences you and/or your style the most?

There's not one particular person, but the blogging community as a whole. It's inspiring to see people remixing clothing. I'm trying to buy more basic clothing so I can style them up in different ways.

Is there anything you can tell me about your upcoming clothing line?

For my upcoming collection I've been really inspired by vintage clothing and silhouettes. There is a lot of floral, lace, gathered skirts, and polka dots! I tried to make wearable designs that would be fun for anyone. I'm putting my clothing out at Vitae next week, as well as launching my Etsy shop!

Is there any advice you’d like to give to fellow bloggers?

Don't give up! I've only been blogging a few months and there have been days that my clothes don't fit right, my pictures turn out horribly, and I scrap a post entirely. I really think it's worth it to stick with it, if its something you really want to do! Also, you don't have to have the perfect life and be a model to blog.

Is there anything else you would like my readers to know?

Thanks for reading this interview. It was great to meet Meanz and I want to thank her for the opportunity! Also, stop by my blog, Reasons to Celebrate, and say hello. I've love to meet you all!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To check out a few more pictures and a couple of the both of us you can check out my flickr here.

Also, don't forget to check out Mackenzie's lovely blog: Reasons to Celebrate.

I will keep you all updated on some of her ventures such as her etsy shop, but in the meantime, you can follow her adorable blog yourself!

I hope you all enjoy this post and have a lovely Sunday!

PS: To see what I wore on this day, click here.

Meet my July Sponsors!

BLOG // CHICTOPIA // PINTEREST

Hello! My name is Emma and I am the girl behind the leopard glasses. I am 22 years old, a college graduate with a degree in Biology (going back to school to be a teacher),& I am engaged to the love of my life. I am in the middle of moving into my first apartment, can't wait to share grad school and {finally} moving out on my blog! Speaking of my blog, it is a compilation of my personal style (somewhere between high end lusts & vintage obsessions- my closet does NOT close!), my experiences and life in general.

BLOG // TWITTER // TUMBLR

Hello! My name is Alex, I'm 19, and I live in Iowa. I'm a lover/collector of vintage gowns. I'm passionate about photography.

BLOG // TWITTER

Hello! I'm Veronika and I run a personal style blog called "Girl and Closet!" I love blogging about personal style, re-mixing tips, and sharing little bits of my life. I'm married to my best friend, whom I like to call "hubs." We live in an adorable historic & ocean-side town, were we share a home with our beloved dog and a chubby orange cat. Besides fashion blogging, I work as a freelance photographer and I've recently started working on my own handmade jewelry line. Come pop by my blog sometime and say "hi." I would love to meet you. xx veronika

SHOP // BLOG // LOOKBOOK

Hi there! I’m Megan. I’m a 20-year-old girl who loves crafting, fashion, and relaxing. I’m currently living in Des Moines, Iowa, but I will be attending Iowa State University (in Ames) in the fall. I’m an Early Education major who loves working with kids, but I also have a passion for style. I love thrifting and shopping in general. Putting together new outfits and experimenting with different pieces is a hobby of mine. I like to keep things simple, but at the same time, add a bit of flare to my outfit. I love sewing and making anything-using fabric. I recently opened up my own Etsy shop called Little Girl Blue, where I sell cut-off or cuffed and studded denim; and I’m now offering handmade lace bloomers! Although school is my number one priority, I do love working with my hands and spending my free time working on new pieces!!

BLOG // BLOGLOVIN // TWITTER

My name is Maycie, I'm 28 years old and I live in Monterey, California. My blog consists of bits and pieces of my life, my most recent obsessions, DIY projects and Q&As with super cool people, visit me!

BLOG

I'm Brinny, and I'm a girly-girl with an occasional edge. I absolutely adore the soft, pretty, and feminine, but my status as a reformed alternative brat means that some relics, like my blue hair, are here to stay. I love bold lips and clashing colors, high heels and a vintage silhouette.

SHOP

DeMoivre's theorem links the imaginary number to trigonometric functions. Sounds pretty boring, but the imaginary "eye" and the complexity of style, health, and beauty makes shopping at deMoivre's store an easy formula to comprehend. Live fabulously, breathe easy, and get your hands on rare, discontinued skincare and perfumes; accessorize through the world of high fashion with hard to find petite goodies. Shop now!



ALL THINGS REMEMBERED: BLOG // TWITTER // PINTEREST

Hi, I'm Jessica. I'm married to an amazing man, Bryan and together we have a handsome son, Landon. All Things Remembered is my little place on the web where I share what's going on in my life.

THE HONEY PIE ARCHIVES: BLOG // ETSY

I'm just another girl capturing her journey behind a lens, with a heart for: pigs, lazy days, my dog, Dr. Pepper, guitar, shoes, art, and George Harrison.

LIVE LIFE IN STYLE: BLOG // TWITTER // FACEBOOK

I am a Chemical Engineer during the day and a Fashionista by night! My blog is for the everyday, working Fashionista on a budget.  

LOVE MAKES THE GIRL: BLOG // SEWING BLOG // TWITTER

Hello, my name is Janelle (online alias: Jane) and I'm a daydreamer trying to figure it all out. I blog about things I love, like pretty dresses, sewing, photography, and more...I hope you'll stop by and say hi!

MY SO FAR MEMOIR: BLOG // YOUTUBE

I'm an outgoing, fun-loving crazy cat lady and I speak my mind when I want. Right now I'm just enjoying what life throws at me with my amazing new husband and our 3 kitties.

OUT OF ORDER VINTAGE: SHOP // BLOG

Out of Order Vintage is a budding vintage store based in Santa Cruz, California. Visit the companion blog for more photos, thrifty finds, and giveaways!

TULLE & COMBAT BOOTS : BLOG // LOOKBOOK

My name is G, and I'm a 21 year old college student and graphic designer, living in the DC area. I love cats, design, photography, shiny things, and fooling people into thinking I'm a hipster.

WHIMSICAL POPPYSMIC: SHOP // BLOG // TWITTER

Hi, I'm Chrissy from Whimsical Poppysmic the blog and shop! My family and I are in the middle of preparing our move from Chicago back to Germany in just a few weeks time...everything is kind of crazy right now, but also a lot of fun, come on over and join the ride!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you are interested, I still have some medium and small ads available for the month of August, for sponsorship information and rates click here.

I also have a few ad for ad trading spots available. For more details, just e-mail me at: meanzchan[at]gmail[dot]com.