It has been snowing like the dickens here all day, and of course, the VIP team created fabulous (and maybe a smidgen crazy) photo shoots *wink*
Taking a bit of inspiration from my old stomping grounds, I dressed as if I were going to a mid-spring brunch with some other Southern Belles. The juxtaposition of warm-weather clothes and cold-weather conditions made for some fun photos that have me VERY ready for spring and summer *wink*
Now, while I go warm up for some neighborhood sledding later, y’all take a look at these chilly and bright photos! Stay tuned for more from today’s photo shoot :)
Thanks, Winter Storm Octavia, for the fluffy snow. This Southern Belle has enjoyed it :)
Dress: Three07 | Hat: World Market | Heels: Jessica Simpson | Bracelet: Luke & Lyla Designs
With the weather still wild and wintry outside, I broke down and purchased a puffy vest from Dick’s Sporting Goods at the Johnson City Mall. When I first tried on this fabulous North Face vest, I assumed that it would simply become a casual, warm piece; however, when I got home I challenged myself to see just how cute I could dress it up. AH! Who knew a bulky vest could be so cute?!
VIP Tip: When styling YOUR puffy vest, keep in mind the weather in your area. For bitter cold, I recommend pairing your puffy vest with a thicker sweater or pullover. For warmer cold (is that even a thing? *wink*), I recommend pairing your puffy vest with a lightweight turtleneck or even a thick chambray button up. For bottoms– dark jeans, corduroys, or skirts with ribbed leggings are great options to consider when styling a puffy jacket to the next level *wink*
WAY ONE:
Get the details to this outfit on our sister blog here.
This is an example of how when the weather warms up, you can simply toss off the vest and still have a fabulous ensemble. But when the weather chills back down, you can slip your puffy vest back on without the worry of “does this match?!”…”does this work?!”
Turtleneck: GAP | Jeans: Chip & Pepper, Belk | Necklaces: BluKatDesign | Red Leather Bracelet: Luke & Lyla Designs | Brown Leather/Copper bracelet: Beadsoul | Hat: World Market | Boots: UGG, Belk
Hello, fabulouses, and welcome back to the VIP Home!
This week on VIP Home, I am going to chat about the inspiration behind the curtains in my apartment bedroom–which is combined with my “living” area.
For starters, I will preface this blog by saying I would LOVE to share photos of the curtains hanging in my apartment with y’all; however, if I do that…I will ruin all the surprises of future VIP Home posts…and I know none of us want that *wink* Now, let’s chat curtain inspiration.
I have always loved birds–especially brightly colored parrots. I remember begging to go to the zoo just to see the parrots–I remember begging for a pet parrot, too…but that is a story for another day *wink* Also, I have always loved florals–feminine and romantic florals. The house where we filmedLa Madamehad some of the most breathtaking floral Victorian wallpaper I have ever seen…I immediately fell in love and thought, “My goodness, wouldn’t this print make for beautiful curtains!”
While searching for my dream curtains, I visited a variety of home decor stores–I even visited fabric stores in search of a fabric I could make into my bedroom curtains…*Note: I cannot sew…but I was prepared to watch lots of YouTube tutorials *wink* I was looking high and low for bright and bold curtains, and I needed them to tie the entire space together–I knew this was going to be a challenge…but I had no idea that the challenge would be spread out over a period of weeks. Just as I was losing hope that my curtain vision would never come true, I visited www.WorldMarket.com where I stumbled upon the most fabulously magnificent curtains a girl could ask for–a bold floral pattern with bright turquoise parrots. Oh, these curtains are so totally perfect for my space! I promise to share photos soon *wink*
Now, readers, I am off to pack up all my luggage to head back to Tennessee tomorrow. Tah tah for now!
Hello, hello, hello VIP readers! Today, I have a special interview to share with y’all! The VIP Interview with Stephanie Grantham of StephieGknits! Stephanie creates adorable knitted hats that are absolutely to-die-for! She also makes wonderful bracelets that the VIP adores!
Biscuit from The Biscuit Foundation with Munchie! What a precious little dog! Oh, the VIP is a sucker for adorable doggies!
As if her shop did not sound awesome enough, Stephanie Grantham donates a portion of her proceeds to a local nonprofit animal rescue group called “The Biscuit Foundation”, which is located in Burlington, North Carolina. Oh, fashionistas, I cannot hold back this interview anymore! So, without further ado, I present to you the VIP Interview with Stephanie Grantham!
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I guess you could say I am a natural born artist/crafter. My grandmom Georgia taught me how to knit when I was nine years old and anything that was crafty caught my attention: cross stitch, needlepoint, unsuccessfully attempting to make quilts, photography, drawing/sketching. My grandmom had very eccentric taste, and I would say she is the reason I have such an eye for color in both yarns and beads. I have a lot of her old costume jewelry, and I consider those pieces art! I just love thinking about where that jewelry has been! I am now in my late 40’s, a grandmother, pet lover (mom to 3 dogs/2 cats).
In my spare time, I volunteer with a local nonprofit animal rescue group (The Biscuit Foundation) in Burlington NC. I donate a portion of proceeds from my shop to The Biscuit Foundation.
When you are not making jewelry/knitting, what do you enjoy doing?
When I am not making jewelry and knitting, I enjoy playing with the cats and dogs, gardening, photography, catching up with my favorite shows on the DVR, have the occasional whim to rearrange furniture (which my boyfriend cringes at), and reading books (yes, old-fashioned paper books). My favorites are memoirs and true crime. I love visiting my son’s family in Florida! I travel there every three to four months to visit with them. Spending time with my granddaughters is very important to me.
Describe your ideal vacation.
My ideal vacation is anywhere that involves the beach or water! Give me a porch swing and a screened in porch with a view of the water! That brings me back to my youth and all the beach vacations we had!
VIP QUESTION: What is one item in your closet you could never get rid of and why?
The one item in my closet I would never get rid of is an old gray and white Fair Isle sweater (vintage ~1950’s) that was worn by my mom when she was younger, and I wore when I was in high school and could still wear today if I chose to (I think). If you’re talking about something I wear regularly and would hate to part with, it’s my black ballet flats. Who doesn’t love their black ballet flats?
I am very passionate about my craft! I love being creative with the colors and coming up with designs that are reflective of me. I rarely, if ever, follow a pattern as I find them difficult to follow, and I just play it by ear and trust my instincts. I like to learn new techniques as I go, and in my knitting I have actually learned new stitches by mistake (my favorite being the seed stitch that I tend to always use on my hats for the brim). There is another person behind the jewelry designs in the shop, and that is my boyfriend, Jim. He loves working with natural minerals, and we both love Czech Glass and crystal. I would say that Jim’s designs are more for the earthy girl, and mine are more for the sparkly glamour girl. We take great pride in the quality of the hand-knits and handcrafted jewelry we design, and we love getting custom requests!
Love this necklace and bracelet set! Oh, it makes me ready for a trip to the beach!
Stephanie Grantham is such a fun person with great taste in knitting and jewelry making! All fashionistas need at least one StephieGknits item in their wardrobe! It is all so cute and colorful that you could wear it with anything and everything!
Like StephieGknits on Facebook to keep up with new jewelry and knits! Click here.
Shop Stephanie Grantham’s spectacular items on Etsy! Click here.
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