Put A Bow On It.

Not to be confused with a semi-popular phrase coined by a semi-popular television show, the title of this post actually pertains to a dear friend of mine, Krystle Willhite, who designs and makes amazing bows for hair, clothing, shoes, you name it. She designs for adults and children and she has so many different assortments and styles that anyone could wear them.. all you have to do is tell her what your style is! Or even better, show her. She also personalizes bows for her clients by adding photo buttons to them (for example, photos of loved ones, pets, friends, family, etc.)... so cute!! A couple of weeks ago she asked me if I would like her to make me some bows as a gift, and I responded with an overwhelming YES!!! She lives in Southern California, I live in the Bay Area, so you can imagine my beeline for the mailbox everyday until they arrived. Take a peek:








Super adorable, right? I simply had to share with you! If you would like more information on Krystle's bow-making skillz and are interested in buying some of your own, visit her facebook page Bow It Up. Also, if you make and/or design awesome stuff, please let me know! I would love to showcase your work on my blog. And thank you, Krystle, for bringing more explosive arrays of style to Wrapped in Dynamite!

I did this myself.

I've never really been a big fan of the whole D.I.Y. acronym explosion on the Internet. For some reason it's always bugged me. I mean, what's so hard about saying 'do it yourself?' We really need a shortcut for that? I guess it's catchy and cute and current or whatever, but I'll just stick with using big girl words. That being said, I made a vest the other day. I was going through some old jackets of mine and I came across a pink denim jacket that I bought at Target probably 8 years ago. I thought to myself, 'Why do I never wear this jacket? It's adorable! Oh, that's right. The arms fit funny.' And they do.. er.. did. They were super bulky and had elastic wrists. Ew. But the body of the jacket is adorable, and not being able to part with it I decided to be crafty and turn it into a vest. I even sat for about an hour and a half carefully and diligently sewing two heart patches that I made out of an old tee-shirt I never wear on the back of the vest... you know, to add some spunk. Rock and roll, everyone. May you find your inner vest.

Two in one.

Today I am going to address not one, but two topics in my blog post. Whoa folks, watch out, Dynamite's gettin craaaaazy. No but seriously, I have two awesome topics to share (well, awesome to me), so rather than sharing each of them in separate posts, why not put them together? The more, the merrier, as they say.

Anyway. The first part of this post will be about hair (boys, you may want to sit out on this one). The second part of this post will be about outfits. That being said, let's get started.

Hair. I have hair. I have A LOT of hair. And it doesn't look awesome because I wake up in the morning with birds and deer hanging out in my bedroom and a fairy godmother sprinkling 'awesome hair dust' on my head. Nope. I have to work for this rad mop. I have a good amount of people asking me fairly regularly how I get my hair to look the way it does. Seeing as I don't have the money (and never will) to get my hair professionally done every day, I have to do it myself. It really isn't that difficult. It can be tedious, but over time I've gotten used to working with my hair, so in my opinion, styling my hair is easy. And if you have the tools and the know how, styling your hair can be easy too.

Here's what you need:

1.) A flat iron. A GOOD flat iron. Not one you bought at CVS or Target, but one you purchased online, at a beauty store, or at a salon. Yes, I know I talk about how poor I am all the time, but some things are worth the investment. My flat iron is a Sedu. It's amazing, and I've had it for 3 years. Still works like I bought it today.

2.) A fine tooth comb. NOT A BRUSH. Not in this case. A fine tooth comb separates each strand of your hair individually so the hair will trap more heat with the straightener. Blah blah blah, yeah. Just trust me on this.

3.) Hairspray. I use TRESemme Extra Hold. I love it because it adds volume and holds my hair in place for a long ass time without making it super stiff. Also, it's cheap.

4.) That's it.

So take a look at this 'before' photo, right after a thorough blow dry:

Wah wah. Yeah. No fairy godmothers or forest friends in sight. Just a frizzy, flat, sad mop.

On to the transformation process:

1.) You MUST make sure that you blow dry your hair thoroughly, like, to the point of it catching on fire. Ok that's a bit of a stretch but there should be absolutely NO moisture in your hair when you're done blow drying. If you touch parts of your hair and they still feel 'cool', then you aren't finished. This is crucial because when you straighten your hair, if there is any moisture in it at all, your hair will not hold the heat, and will be frizzy or wavy or curly again once you step outside.

2.) Comb out your hair with your fine tooth comb.

3.) Separate your hair into layers and flat iron each layer (the length of your hair depends on how many layers you will need to separate). I separate my hair into three layers and start from the bottom. I secure each layer with a bobby pin so it stays in place and doesn't get in the way of the hair I am straightening. Also, bobby pins are better for your hair than elastic.

4.) Flat iron about two to three inch sections of your hair. But before you do this, comb out each section (again), with your comb. This will make for a more thorough and accurate process. And your hair will straighten better then ever.

5.) TEASE PLEASE. Yup, ya gotta tease your hair. After you are finished flat ironing your first layer, tease it. You do this by also separating your hair into about two or three inch sections, holding the sections out and teasing the base of your hair, starting outward and going inward towards your roots. When you are done teasing a section, take your hairspray and spray at the roots of said section. BE CAREFUL. DON'T GET CARRIED AWAY. Yes, you want volume, but you don't want to end up resembling a ridiculous scene chick like this (it's like a dumpster exploded in a candy store and this was the end result):


6.) Repeat steps 4 and 5 for each layer of hair you have sectioned off. Smooth out with your fingers any strays that you don't want, and re-straighten any sections that have become a little 'moody' during the whole teasing process.

7.) Bangs. Almost forgot to include the bangs. Bangs are important. I like to do my bangs first, when all my hair is separated into layers, because it's easier to straighten and style them. I treat my bangs just like I would a section of hair when I am flat ironing and teasing. The only difference is, I do NOT spray them at the roots. I just use my fingers after styling to brush my bangs into place and I lightly spray the top of them.

8.) When all is said and done, you gotta spray some more. When you are happy with your hairstyle and feel that the straightening and teasing process is complete, take your hairspray and spray a light coat all over your hair. This will hold the style into place (remember what I said? The hairspray I use does not make your hair stiff, it holds the style perfectly while still allowing movement).

Voila. I am my own fairy godmother.

So yeah. There you go. You want sweet hair? You gotta be dedicated and patient enough to achieve it. Or just be naturally awesome. In which case, I hate you (except I really love you).

Let's take a break (boys, if you even got this far, I commend you, and I also apologize for most of this post being about hair. But most of my readers are females, and, well, a lot of females love to talk about hair. Deal with it).

For your viewing pleasure:

Aww, look at her. We could all use a little Punky Power.

Back on track.

Outfits. Outifts are fun. They can also be tricky. Enter my hot pink shorts I found at Goodwill (see previous posts). What the hell do I wear with them? This is the predicament I ran into yesterday, when I had an overwhelming urge to sport them. So I stared into my closet for quite awhile, and then I stared some more, and finally I came up with two options, both involving the same accessories and shoes, but different tops. The result? Two COMPLETELY DIFFERENT outfits. Amazing. I'm always talking about how accessories and shoes can completely transform an outfit, (and they can), but by merely changing the shirt and nothing else, I had two completely different looks to choose from. This problem can often occur when you have rad and versatile accessories that totally carry the outfit. Anyway, I thought I'd snap some photos of both of the outfits so you could see for yourselves:

Outfit #1: This one is super feminine. The flowy floral tank makes the outfit super soft and girly. Like, I should put a basket on my bike and fill it with daisies and kittens sorta shit.

This is Outfit #2: Big difference, eh? Recognize the shirt? ;o) A bit tougher and a bit more rough around the edges (ok, I'm not gonna go around starting any bar fights, but in this outfit I think I'll leave my kittens and daisies at home and put a boom box on my bike instead of a basket). Nothing has changed but the shirt. The shoes and accessories are all the same as in the previous outfit.

Outfit details:
Shoes: Bronze T-Strap Flats, Crossroads Trading Co.
Accessories: Gold Bangles, Target. Turquoise Ring, Flea Market.
Shirt in Outfit #1: Flowy Floral Racerback Tank, Urban Outfitters (circa 2007).
Shirt in Outfit #2: My boyfriend's 'Adicts' tee-shirt, originally purchased at a show by his ex-girlfriend (no hate, just fact), now stolen by me, his current girlfriend.

This is what I am talking about, people. You have to work with what you have. Don't have money to run to your local boutique and pick out a smashing outfit for your friend's birthday party? BE CREATIVE. It's easy. It's fun. And you know what? You won't run the risk of showing up somewhere, wearing the exact same shit as someone else.

Oh, what outfit did I pick, you ask? Let's just say I'm going to start searching my local thrift stores for a boom box. :)

Love you all. Thanks for reading. You're rad.

Super fly flea market finds.

Ooooh yeah. You know what that means. It means coming home after a fun-filled day at the flea market, sitting down, and breathing out a happy sigh of excitement, satisfaction, and relief. Does the feeling sound familiar? I experienced this euphoric bliss on Sunday, when my boyfriend and I decided to take advantage of the absolutely amazing weather here in the Bay Area and ride our bikes all around Oakland and (some of) Berkeley. Our first stop was the Ashby Flea Market, one of my favorite 'beautiful weather' spots.

During the visit I scored three items (not a lot, I'm a frugal girl): peacock feather earrings, a gorgeous greenish/turquoise-ish ring (my boyfriend bought me the ring because I loved it so much when I saw it.. such a fucking sweetheart!) and pink wayfarers. The vendor who sold us the ring told me it was 'old turquoise'. Hmmm... not sure if that's true but I'll go ahead and believe him because it sounds cool to tell people 'Oh you like my ring? Thanks! It's old turquoise.' You know, like it was handed down from my great-great grandmother or something.

Anyway, the earrings were a surprise purchase too. When I walked past the vendor who was selling them, the bright, vivid color of the peacock feathers immediately caught my attention, and I made a beeline straight for them. They are a little more unique than your typical peacock/any kind of feather earrings (you know, the ridiculously long frayed ones that eeeevery budding 'hipster' chick dons), and, well, I've always adored peacock feathers. Also, I felt like my more simple, casual outfit needed a kick in the accessory department. I thought to myself 'this is exactly the kick I need!' So I asked the vendor 'How much?' His reply, 'Five dollars'. Done. He had me at five dollars.

Oh and the pink wayfarers? Who doesn't love pink wayfarers? That's all.



I think this was my favorite booth at the flea market, if you can even call it a 'booth'. While I didn't buy anything from this particular spot, I was in awe of how beautiful every single item was. When I stepped inside it felt like I was in a different world.. or at least a different country. The way everything was set up was completely breathtaking. I had to snap a photo (or two).


This was where I got my ring! (I see you, ring!) Such beautiful stuff.. I wanted it all.


This photo doesn't do the color of the sunglasses justice. I couldn't figure out how to adjust the camera to capture the pink just right. Oh well. You get the idea.


So to all my flea market lovers who scour your little hearts out every weekend (or when your budget and work schedule allow it) in search of the perfect item to make your day a happy one, this post is for you. Scour on, comrades!

These are a few of my favorite things (at the moment).

Every time I come across a 'favorite things' questionnaire with a celebrity or some hot-shot in a magazine, I think to myself, 'I wish someone thought I was important enough to ask me about my favorite things.' I mean, I'm a girl. A very girly one I might add. I love clothes. I love fashion. I like to talk about clothes and fashion. So I decided to make my own 'favorite things at the moment' list and post it on my blog, in no particular order. Take that, Nylon Magazine.

Favorite shoe: I know what you're thinking, let's all say this in unison: The Dr. Marten. This is very true, Dr. Martens will always be my favorite pair of kicks. They're classic. You can wear them with anything. They completely transform outfits. This is why they are not my favorite shoe at the moment. Because they are not an 'at the moment' kind of shoe. Recently my favorite pair of shoes have been my bronze faux snakeskin t-strap flats. I am not a sandal girl. I am definitely not a fucking flip flop girl. I have no interest in exposing my feet. It's not that I have ugly feet. I keep them pretty and always have my toesies painted hot pink. I'm not lying, you can ask my boyfriend. I simply don't want you to see my feet, and I certainly don't want to see yours. Which is why I love my t-strap flats. The weather is turning nicer and warmer these days, and my t-straps are the perfect shoe for said weather because they're disguised as a sandal but provide the perfect coverage. Also, they're adorable.

Favorite accessory: It's a tie between my pink studded belt and my hair. I am obsessed with my pink studded belt because it is extremely versatile. Being poor and not being able to have a drawer in my dresser that houses only accessories, I have to be crafty. Therefore my pink belt is also sometimes a bracelet. When I first put on an outfit and I feel like something is missing, I almost always go to my pink belt for help. I wrap it around my wrist, fasten it securely into place and voila! My work is complete. Also, I purchased it through an online store based in London. So you know, I got it from London. Not Hot Topic. That's pretty cool.

On to my hair. I used to hate my hair. It was too long, too blond for too long, and it made me want to cry. Then I realized that hair is just hair and I can do anything I want with it. Because it will always grow back and you can always re-dye it. And so I dyed it bright red. Well, I had a professional dye it bright red. What a fucking transformation. Getting dressed is even more fun now. I don't have to worry as much about accessorizing my outfits. I don't have to worry as much about incorporating color into my outfits. My hair does that for me. It accessorizes and adds color. I can wear a black tee, jeans, and flats, and all I need is my hair to do the rest of the work. On the days when I'm just too lazy to care, talk about EASY.

Favorite purse: I have a ton of purses and clutches that I have collected over the years. It's easy to do. When you're a Goodwill girl like me, purses and clutches are about 3- 5 bucks a pop. So it's easy to build an obscene collection. For now, my favorite one in said collection is a white chain mail purse I bought at 'Clothes Contact', a used clothing store in San Francisco. I love it because not only is it super fucking cute, it's also super practical. Disguising itself as a cute little evening bag, it can actually hold a whole lot of shit. My brick of a phone, my brick of a wallet, my camera, lipgloss(es), cigarettes, a lighter, and the kitchen sink. And it's white. White goes with everything. Also, I ride a bike. My bike is my car. And when I want to go out at night, it wouldn't be practical or safe to try to squeeze a clutch under my arm while trying to dodge drunk drivers. All I have to do is swing my little white purse across my shoulder, and I'm ready to fly.

Favorite item in my makeup bag: Easy. My Covergirl eyeshadow in 'Turquoise Tempest' (ooh lala). No, I don't use Mac. Or Nars. In case you hadn't noticed, and in case I haven't told you, I'M POOR. Also, I have received more compliments on this eyeshadow than any Mac or Nars product I have ever owned. Anyway, for those of you who know me and see me on a regular basis, you know all about this eyeshadow. I wear it almost everyday. It's another one of those items I own that also serves as an accessory. With my hair and my eyeshadow, why worry about color blocking? ('Color blocking' is a fashion term, gents.)



Favorite article of clothing: My romper. I love love LOVE my romper. ALMOST as much as I love my boyfriend. I purchased it at an adorable vintage boutique in Berkeley. It was 24 dollars, a bit of a splurge for me, but worth every penny. Why? Because it is probably my most versatile piece of clothing that I own. I can pair so many things with it. My jean jacket, my leather jacket, my cardigans, or I can simply go sleeveless (weather permitting). I can wear it with tights, I can wear it without tights. I can wear almost any kind of shoe with it. Flats, heels, boots, docs. It's playful, it's bright, and it encompasses everything I love about my favorite season: summer. It is my go-to piece when I am going out on the town and am too lazy to think about creating an outfit. It is perfection.

Favorite 'I could wear this every day' shirt: My boyfriend's Lucio Fulci 'The Beyond' shirt. Remember how I love to raid my boyfriend's closet? This shirt is the reason why. Sometimes a girl just needs to throw on something comfortable instead of something pretty. This shirt is comfortable, and it's also rad as fuck. On the days when I hate the world and would rather look like a badass, I pretty much make a beeline for this shirt. I've even gotten into arguments with my boyfriend when he has wanted to wear the shirt on the same day. Why? I have Dr. Martens. He doesn't. Therefore I look better wearing it by default. (I guess he looks pretty cute in it too, though).


Favorite store: At the risk of sounding redundant, I don't have any money. So my favorite store is my closet. For awhile I used to get super discouraged every time I knew I had to get out of my pajamas. Then one day I realized, I am never going to be a millionaire, or even a thousandaire (hell, i'm barely a hundredaire), so I better get over it and start getting creative. I can make new outfits with the same shit I've owned for over 5 years. It's all about mixing and matching, being bold and having the balls to try something new with the stuff you already own, even if you are unsure of what others will think when you walk out the door. Because, after all, who gives a fuck about what others think? Be yourself. And let your clothes reflect who you are. As I've told so many people who ask me why fashion is so important, your closet is your pallet. Your outfit is an art piece. I am an artist because I express myself through my wardrobe. Fashion is so much more than anorexic models, what's hot and trendy at the moment, snotty rich bitches who dress well because they saw something in Vogue and decided to buy the entire outfit at Chanel, or high-end designers who do way too many uppers so they can stay successful. Fashion is about being able to tell people exactly who you are without having to speak a word. That, my friends, is art.

Favorite inspiration: YOU. Each and every single one of you.

You are so good(will) to me.

I know, I know. I KNOW! I have been extremely neglectful to you, my loyal readers. I have some great excuses, and some not so great excuses. Let's start with the great ones: Two weeks ago I was sick with the flu. Five days straight of nothing but laying in bed, watching movie after movie (Angus is a good film, Field of Dreams is underrated, The Craft is lame and needs to be locked up in the 1990's vault, and I want to own all of the clothes in Desperately Seeking Susan.), and working up the strength to turn on my side, or on my back, when my body couldn't take being in one position anymore. Also, I ate maybe five saltine crackers and a bowl of chicken broth during said five days.. so you can imagine my less than eager willingness to update my blog. That's an awesome excuse, right? Other not so awesome excuses include work and laziness. Tsk, tsk, I know. Stop rubbing it in. But I'm back! I am! And guess what? Remember how I said I wasn't going to make my outfit posts an 'every post' kinda thing? I lied. Ok I didn't lie, I merely bent the truth, as this post is going to be another outfit post, right after the first one. Something tells me you don't really care. As long as I'm posting. :)

So listen..er.. read up ladies and gentlemen: There is a totally amazing reason why this is going to be an outfit post. One word: Goodwill. On the first day of feeling almost 100 percent after being about .05 percent for the better part of a week, my boyfriend and I decided to take advantage of my full health and the beautiful weather and venture out on our bikes to see what kinds of fun things we might stumble upon. One of those things was Goodwill, and to our convenience is about 4 blocks up the street. We went there to look for furniture, and I left with two pairs of totally fucking hot high-waisted shorts, one of them a regular blue denim, and the other? HOT PINK. I nearly fainted when I saw them.. and almost died when I tried them on and they fit like a glove. I had been feigning for a pair of high-waisted shorts ever since spring peaked its little head into my world, and I was extremely reluctant to go to Urban Outfitters, where I knew I could easily find a generic pair that every other girl in the Bay Area probably owns. Being the stubborn fashion lover that I am, I held out. And OH EM GEE was it ever worth the wait.





The last picture is an outfit I wore on a Friday night date with my gal Lindsay. My... 'photographer' had to work at his other job that evening so I could not get my picture taken when I was actually wearing the outfit. However I loved my ensemble so much that I could not bear to have it go unnoticed.. so I reassembled the outfit sans me, and took a snapshot anyway.

Photos 1 and 2:
Denim Jacket: Urban Outfitters (they have good jackets.. ok?)
Itsy Bitsy Tank Top: Buffalo Exchange
Pink High-Waisted Shorts: Goodwill :)
Tights: Target
Tan Ankle Oxfords: Ebay

Photo 3:
Faux Leather Jacket: Urban Outfitters
Purple Sequined Mini Dress (transformed into a tank.. I'm a crafty lady): Forever 21
Denim High-Waisted Shorts: Goodwill :)
Belt: Vintage
Shoes: The ever so radical Dr. Martens.

I love my boyfriend('s tee-shirts).

Quick(ish) post: This is the first of what I would like to be a constant string of 'outfit posts'. This one is sort of a 'tester', so I apologize if you are less than thrilled with the photos. I am not going to make the outfit posts an 'every post' kinda thing.. but I do plan on having them make a regular appearance on my blog.

Anyway.

Ever since I dyed my hair red (or carrot, copper, blood orange, whatever) last week, I have been leaning more towards the grungy, punky, rock and roll-chic style that I so blatantly advocate on my blog. And what better way to lean than in my boyfriend's closet? He conveniently has quite a collection of old punk t-shirts from his wild child days (his times of overkill in the sex, drugs, and rock and roll department actually worked in my favor!). The outfit below is not really mind-blowing or ground-breaking or even fashion-breaking, but I love it because it's super fucking comfortable and still holds its own in the slightly edgy department. I like to call it 'I woke up hungover and need pancakes ASAP but still want to look cool and not like a hot mess' outfit. Throw on a pair of skinnies, fish out your boyfriend's vintage band tee, slip on a pair of your favorite flats, slab on a light coat of foundation and tons of eyeshadow to mask the bags under your eyes, and you are ready to take on the world (or at least the International House of Pancakes).

Shirt: My boyfriend's closet (duh).

Jeans: Levi skinnies.

Bra: I'll never tell.

Shoes: Vintage.

Pink Belt (transformed into a bracelet, left wrist): Imported from London, England, circa 2001.

Keys (right hip): I ride a bike.

So ladies, the next time you want to be jealous of your boyfriend's past (even though you didn't fucking know each other), don't get mad, raid his closet.