Guest Post // Silver Shoes

Silver Shoes: Fancy Flats
The style of shoes we have grown to know and love over the years is back, with a slight twist. But what is it?

The well-known deck shoe has undergone a dramatic facelift and is now sporting a sophisticated edge – more suited to the yachts of Monte Carlo than your average dinghy. A number of shoe designers have showcased creations complete with gilded finishes, lashings of glimmer and smidgens of sequins. Other footwear styles boast a series of vibrant prints, all of which have been created in on-trend hot hues.

Cap Toe Flats
If you invest in only one pair of shoes this season, make sure you look into the cap toe flat. They are the perfect style investment for spring and can be worn long into the summer months.

Flats are a wardrobe shoe staple with recent tweaks including a mix of media. Shiny patent toecaps are big for 2013, especially when teamed with a soft suede skimmer. Patent pumps have also undergone a slight change with a slightly pointier toe.

Glitter Ball
High-wattage footwear doesn’t necessarily mean going to the extent of investing in skyscraper heels. This season introduces a few old classics in the form of smoking slippers, sundown flats and cocktail sandals. Each style has a strong dose of glam and can be worn with cocktail attire, tea dresses and on-trend skinny jeans. One major style for 2013 is silver shoes – flat trainers splattered in metallic materials are a cute twist on the classic and retailers, such as Very.co.uk, have a good range to choose from.


Chunky Heels
This season we’re swapping skinny heels for chunky styles – a welcome treat for our feet and a popular one for spring and summer. Patent pumps have been updated with square toes, complete with glitter, pattern and metallic heels. A subtle shoe with a striking edge is a great way to add a little glamour to an otherwise unnoticed office outfit.


Candy Colours Although past fashions have been fond of the neutral-hued heel, this year is very much about cavorting colour-popping styles. Neon courts will add an instant hit of drama to skinny jeans and a tee, creating the perfect off-duty look.

Are you a fan of silver shoes?

Guest Post: Be The Star Of The Christmas Party

This post was written by Very.co.uk

Mince pies, mulled wine, carols, mistletoe… there’s so much involved in the perfect Christmas party. Will that person you like show up? Who’s your Secret Santa present from? And, most importantly, what will you wear? Here are some tips to help you outshine the Star of Bethlehem, and to guarantee you’ll be rocking around the Christmas tree.


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Plan your outfit in advance:
You don’t just need to think about going out dresses. To really stand out, you need a whole look. Make sure you have the right accessories, and an idea about how you’re going to style your hair and make-up. Then the event can be stress free, and your confidence will be boosted by the fact that you know you’re going to look fabulous.

Try wearing something different:
There’s a time and a place for staying in your comfort zone. But whether it’s just a small gathering with friends, or a massive bash, the Christmas party is not one of them. It’s a great chance to dare yourself to wear a style you’ve always wanted to, but thought you couldn’t - be a little adventurous… Never done sequins? Always been afraid of the asymmetric one shoulder? Try it! You may love that same old little black dress, but you can do better.

Wear something that flatters you:
Remember, while conversations might focus on your clothing, you want the attention to be focused on you. If you have curves, emphasize them in a bodycon dress. If you’ve got killer legs, show them off in a micro-mini. Then, when it’s back to normal attire, that attractive person from the party will be left with the memory of what those jeans and jumpers are hiding.

Don’t be shy:
Now is not the time for false modesty. When you’re dressed up, ready to go, and you’re looking hot - tell yourself you are. Your dress might sparkle like tinsel, but if you feel sexy and confident in it, it’ll be you that’s glowing. Strut your stuff at the Christmas party, and watch compliments and flirtation flutter to you like moths to a flame.


Do you have any tips on how to shine at a Christmas party?

Guest Posting: The Daily Life

Hi everyone, I'm guest posting today for Alivia of Brunch in April (one of my lovely Sponsors!), all about my daily life as a Graphic Designer! It's a new series she's doing calledThe Daily Life
Go check it out!



PS - I'm offering FREE Sponsorship for May! Learn about it here!

Guest Post // Katherine of Corgis & Cocktails

Hi! I'm Katherine from Of Corgis & Cocktails posting for Kyla today. I love Kyla's blog and her impeccable design sense, so as a fellow designer, I decided to share with her readers some of my favorite tools to work with. A bit of background on me, I am a industrial designer (or product designer) currently working at a company that primarily designs laptop and tablet cases. I graduated in June 2011 and have had experience at companies like MeadWestVaco (designing binders like FiveStar!), Frontgate, and some local consultancies. These are the things that I feel have really helped me over the years, and I hope they can help you a bit too in some way!

Free Line Art Brushes by Jimro (Used in my sketch above)

Oh, these. These are my secret weapon. I can sketch on paper, sure, I was trained to do that in school, but the secret to being precise and efficient is drawing in Illustrator where I can change and delete lines as needed, and these brushes are the perfect thing. With a Wacom tablet and these, I can sketch in a fraction of the time. It makes getting my work done easy and fun.

Fonts for Peas by Kevin & Amanda

Handwriting fonts may be typically shunned by designers, but I don't care. Kevin & Amanda are amazing designers that turn lots of handwriting into fonts - and you can download them for free. I'm in love with Pea Makana right now!

A Nifty Fifty

I'm a Canon user myself, so my nifty fifty is the model above, but I honestly can't tell you what I did before my 50mm lens. I should have bought it off the bat. The lens makes low light photography easy, gives great bokeh, and takes lovely, clear photos. This comes in handy for everything from outfit photos to photos for my design portfolio.

Thanks so much for posting Katherine! Design and tools go hand in hand. I love the brushes you used in that adorable illustration! I will definitely be downloading those...thanks again for sharing these great resources with us! :)

GUEST POST // Meg from Lovely Miss Megs

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

My name's Megan and I blog over at Lovely Miss Megs! I'm a lover of all things crafty and nerdy and I'm a firm believer that everything is better with glitter! But enough about me, lets get onto the Valentine's day festivities shall we?

Today I know there are some of you who love Valentine's day but don't want to fall into the stigma of wearing pink and red. I know I'm one of these people, so don't fret as I've come up with a solution! Instead of drawing outfit inspiration from the holiday's official colors, why not draw inspiration from what really matters... all the fun candy!

First up we have the conversational heart outfit. To me conversational hearts are flirty, colorful and fun. So for this outfit I chose a dress with bright hearts all over it and colorful accessories to match! The ring I chose because it reminds me of rock candy which is just another form of sugar. So it goes along with our sweet theme. Also don't worry if you don't own a dress with hearts all over it. I'm a firm believer in working with what you've already got. So instead you could accessorize with hearts or make a super fast heart broach with some felt and a safety pin! Get creative and have fun with it!

Next we have the cinnamon heart outfit. When I think of cinnamon hearts I think of the bright red color and the intense heat it leaves in your mouth. So from that I figured you couldn't go wrong with a smokin' hot red dress, am I right?! For this outfit I think the key is to keep it sexy and sassy. That's why I've accessorized a delicate material like lace with some edgier things like metal spikes. I also threw in a tailored blazer because I think it makes the outfit look powerful and confident. And those are two attributes that always make a lady look sexy!

And lastly we have the outfit inspired by my personal favourite, chocolate! This is a great outfit to wear if you secretly want to feel festive.

When I think of chocolates I think of sophistication, and the swirling of melted chocolate... yum! (this is making me hungry just thinking about it) Anyways, for this outfit I chose to use both brown and cream colors to represent milk and white chocolate, and a little splash of pink just to keep it festive. I also chose clothes that have soft curves to them, so if you'll notice the shorts and shirt have scallops. This to me incorporated the whole swirling chocolate idea. And then of course I threw in a physical representation of chocolate as an accessory.

So there you have it! Three Valentine's Day outfits inspired by 3 of the day's most popular sweets. I love finding inspiration in the weirdest places, and hopefully this Valentine's day you'll find your own inspirations!

Good luck everyone! And thanks to the always lovely Kyla for letting me guest post! ♥ Megan



Thanks for posting Meg!! These outfits are amazing...the flirty shapes and colors are right up my alley!
I hope everyone has a fantastic Valentines Day! :)