Contributors Wanted

This Friday we are .....

I have to say, working with contributors has been a great experience. I've made some great friends in the process & hopefully the ladies got some great traffic out of it as well.  With that said, it's that time again to switch out the current contributors & bring in new FRESH FACES & posts! I'm always super busy managing my MBG Shop, painting for my Cocoa & Hearts gallery, marketing, answering e-mail & maintaining my personal life. It's STILL a lot of work, so I'm back searching for the next contributors!
 

I'd love to recruit 5-6 contributors to blog here on Made By Girl!  It's not going to be an easy task - but I'll choose bloggers for each category below. Categories are:
 

• Decor/Interior Design
• Fashion/Beauty
• DIY
• Food

Below I've outlined more details & what I'm looking for.
 

HOW OFTEN WILL YOU POST:1-2x per month for 6 months. 

EXPERIENCE: 
Yes - Must have an active/updated blog. I'm looking for bloggers who have some knowledge of programs like Photoshop & have a 'similar aesthetic' as Made By Girl. The posts you write for MBG cannot be posted on your own blog, but you can link to it from your blog.

WILL THERE BE COMPENSATION: 
Not at this time. But it's a great chance to gain more exposure and collaborate with MBG blog.

BIO PAGES:We'll be adding a page with photos & short bios of all the current contributors - here's an example. .

 
RESOURCES: 

It's very important to credit 'all' images properly.

PRETTY POST PLS: 
I love pretty & interesting posts. So pls put some LOVE into it! 

HOW DO YOU SUBMIT:

If you you want to give this a try, email me  & let me know 'which category' you're interested in. Write 'Contributors' in the email subject pls. ALSO, pls email me your blog so I can see your style! If you submitted last yr. don't be afraid to submit again!
 

WHEN WILL WE SELECT CONTRIBUTORS:

If you don't hear from someone at Made By Girl in about 2-3 weeks from this post, it means someone else was selected.  Unfortunately, we may not be able to respond to everyone. We will post the selected contributors in an upcoming post!

Thanks & looking forward to hearing from you! 

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Fashion: that gives

Hey guys, Jocelyn here. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I've started thinking about the things I'm thankful for and looking for ways to give back to those less fortunate. 

So I thought, why not combine a love for fashion with helping others by purchasing products from brands that donate to charity. Here are a few brands that are carrying out good deeds...

Kayu - (clutch) For ever clutch sale, Kayu donates $15 to purchase a backpack and school supplies for a child in need. 

Lemlem - (shirt) Lemlem provides jobs to weavers in Ethiopia and strengthens the economic independence of the country as a whole.

Rachel Roy - (earrings) Proceeds from the sale of these earrings benefit victims of 2010's devastating earthquake in Haiti.

Warby Parker - (sunglasses) For every pair of glasses they sell, they provide a pair to someone in need. Plus, they let you order up to five pairs of glasses to try on at home for a week. Once you decide on the one you like, send the other pairs back for free!

Toms - (shoes) I'm sure you've heard of them. For every pair of shoes they sell, they give a pair to someone in need. 

Feed - (tote & scarf) For every Feed product sold, a specific amount of money gets donated to hunger-relief efforts, depending on the cost of the product. The tote and the scarf featured here each  provide 10 school meals to children.

Hope  you all enjoy a happy Thanksgiving with loved ones and take a quick minute to reflect on the positive things in life that make it all worth while. I'd like to share that I'm thankful to Jen for allowing me to post on her lovely blog and I'm thankful to all of you for all your kind words and for continuing to read my posts. It's beyond humbling. 

Happy shopping!

-post by jocelyn sanchez

 

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Made By Girl now on Instagram!!

Many of you have asked if MadeByGirl was on Instagram. Well, I was.

However, it was a private account with family photos & so on. A couple days ago I asked my assistant Daisy, to revamp it & allow you guys to follow.  Sometimes when I get sooo caught up in work, I don't realize how popular things are getting. I almost let this pass me by! #OHMYGosh

But nonetheless, I'm now on Instagram & you can follow me here if you like.

I update almost everyday & most of the pics you will  only see there & NOT on my blog. See you there!

 

Are you on Instagram? Do you use it often?

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Trend: Leather Panel Leggings

Hey everyone! Ladies, this post is for you! This past Sunday while at church, a friend of mine was wearing the coolest leggings with leather panels! I almost died when I saw them! It's not that I hadn't seen leather panel leggings before but I'd never seen them in person! Can you believe that?!? They were gorgeous!!!!!

Stupid me, I didn't ask her which brand they were - but they looked very similar to number 1 - (My favorite). I'm considering getting a pair of these BEAUTIES for the fall/winter season, I bet they'd go great with a pair of booties! 

NOT ALL of the leggings you'll come across will be REAL leather, many will actually be faux - so MAKE SURE you read the descriptions carefully! Below are 6 different styles to choose from.

Would you sport this type of legging? Which do you like best?

1. oak

2. rag & bone

3. bcbg

4. tasha

5. bar iii

6. bcbg

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DIY: How to Make Studded Sandals

Monday is here again....hello all! It's Anna, and today, I'm sharing a fun little DIY project to embellish and add a little edge to just about anything. 

I am really digging anything black, leather and studded these days, so I decided to make my own. I started with these sandals and ordered these 12mm studs. With both in hand, I got to work:

I began embellishing my sandals by centering the stud on the strap. 

The 2 claws will cut through to the backside by being gently pressed. 

Continue working your way out while keeping the same distance between each stud.

Once your studs are in place, bend the claws inward on the backside. 

Enjoy! They've fast become my new best friend. 

-post by anna weaver

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Klury: A Luxury Fashion Exchange

Klury is a cool site where you can buy pre-owned (good condition) designer clothing online. Also, if you have designer clothing you want to get rid of - you can also sell them on Klury, neat huh? 

It's a great way to add some designer pieces to your wardrobe without spending a fortune!  Featuring fashion items by designers like DVF, Alexander Wang, Manolo Blahnik & more! I selected a few of my favorite pieces on sale right now! Happy Friday!

How do you feel about pre-owned fashion? Would you ever consider shopping on sites like Klury?

-images via klury 

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Design: Glammed Up

Hi Made By Girl readers! It's Amanda again. When Jen posted the new Chanel No 5 print in her shop, I've knew I had to get it and style a room around it. It's the perfect added touch to any room... and it's classic! Here's how I would style it and some quick tips when adding pink accessories to the home. 

How do you add pink to your home?

1 Sofa | Throw | Leopard Print Pillow | Pink Pillow 

2 Greek Key Rug 

3 Mirror Accent Table 

4 Coffee Table | Glam Centerpiece Bowl | Mini Bauble Box | Letter Sorter | Tin Cans 

5 Books: Impact | Herb Ritts L.A. Style | Louis Vuitton Marc Jacobs | Tom Ford

6 Brass Lamp 

7 Gold Pig 

8 Ikat Box 

9 Iron Feather 

10 Ottoman

______________________


-post by amanda dietz

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Coming Soon to Cocoa & Hearts

Cocoa & Hearts will be adding several new paintings sometime tomorrow! Are you on the mailing list?

Stay tuned. 

UPDATE: Available now here!!!

-images by jen ramos

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Michael Kors does Black

These days we're all about color. What the HECK happened to BLACK?
 

Anyone else sort of miss it? I love the whole color craze, neons & so forth, but once in awhile I like to play it safe & dress all in black. There's something cool & mysterious about black, don't you think?

Below are some of my favorite picks from the Michael Kors 2012 collection - pretty cute stuff! In fact, so nice I'm considering exchanging these Alexander Wang booties I bought last week (that didn't fit, ugh) to a pair of open toed MK booties you see blow. These are HOT! 

Are you still wearing all black? Or have you ventured into the COLORS trend this season?

hair calf bootie

suede open toe bootie

MK iPad stand

studded tote

iPhone wristlet

faux leather leggings

faux leather tweed blazer

suede ankle pump

-images via michael kors

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Fashion: Mixing Prints

Hello again MBG readers! It's Lauren, and today I thought I would bring you some styling advice on how to properly mix prints! Mixing prints can seem a little bit daunting. I know I used to be extremely hesitant when it came to pairing bold prints like leopard and floral. I mean, talk about breaking any type of conventional styling rules! 

Mixing prints started to become all the rage when the major powerhouse, J. Crew started debuting styled looks that featured combinations of gingham + paisleys, graphic prints + stripes, stripes + polka dots, and many more daring combinations. And then there is Blair Eadie, the queen of print mixing - made famous for pairing double polka dots and chevron with floral. {Who would have thought to ever pair the two?!}

Fashion houses and bloggers have broken down any timidness us ladies had about mixing prints. Something so unconventional has turned into something that just works. Here are my 6 tips to remember when mixing prints.

image sources {clockwise}: The Everygirl / British Vogue / Atlantic-Pacific Blog / Pink Peonies Blog / Atlantic-Pacific Blog / Bourbon & Pearls Tumblr / Refinery 29

-post by lauren wickman

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Of A Kind

A reader pointed me to a site called, Of a Kind.

It's a clever site, where they feature select designers one at a time. They share a series of stories about each designer—inspirations, personal life, taste, training - along with a limited-edition piece designed exclusively for Of a Kind.  Neat huh? Below I selected some of my favorites from their site - I just love this concept! Now if only I could get my hands on that camera strap, super cool.

Hurry before they sell out!

-images via of a kind

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DIY: Painted Shoes

Monday is here again - working, working, working. I enjoyed my weekend & you?? Last night, I had the pleasure of meeting several bloggers prior to Blogfest & we shared stories and appetizers, cocktails and so on. Fun time!

Today I'm bringing you an easy breezy DIY project - from shoes I actually had on last night.  These particular heels have been a part of my wardrobe for about 4 years now. I've never been crazy about them so, with all the neon craze going around, I figured, why not add some neon accents to them?? ....with PAINT!
 

All you need is paint, creativity & a good pedicure to make your shoe look
pretty! You can CREATE any design you wish, but I decided to do abstract art.

I chose a hot pink color by Pebeo paints, a favorite of mine! Then I added a few other accents in gold & black. The design I chose was inspired by the painting in the background....lovely isn't it?
 

Now hopefully you'll get out your old shoes, and put them to use!

Would you consider doing this to spice up one of your shoes??

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Stella McCartney ...

Ready for summer?? I am. Today, these sunglasses arrived in the mail today from ShopBop. 

Aren't they pretty? They're Stella McCartney gold/blonde tortoise stylish aviators! I just love this style....remember when I blogged about colored shades here? Well, this was my final decision. 

Do you have aviators??

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Fashion: Florals

Hello MBG readers! Lauren here again, happy to be back sharing a popular trend for Spring - floral.
 

Now, I know it takes some pretty brave fashionistas to sport this look from head to toe, so I provided for you easy ways to add floral into your wardrobe without going full bloom!

image sources clockwise: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

If you aren't comfortable with wearing floral pants, opt for floral shorts. This way you are still rockin' the trend, but aren't screaming "look at me".

Other fun ways to add floral into your wardrobe are with a scarf, clutch, or even a blooming Iphone case!

 1. Abercrombie & Fitch $55 | 2. J. Crew $25 | 3. Current/Elliott $170 | 4. J. Crew $199 | 5. Topshop $32  Will you be trying out this trend for Spring?  

-post by lauren wickman 

  

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Sunglasses Trend

Hey everyone! How's it going? The week has started off pretty darn busy here for me. I have Cocoa & Hearts paintings that I need to launch this month as well as a few commissions I've been working on...& of course there's MadeByGirl.

However, this weekend while walking around the NYC streets I noticed an interesting trend emerging: 

COLORED sunglasses. That's right.  

So, along with all the colorful outfits you're seeing while shopping, now you can have glasses to match if you choose to!  I love wearing shades. But, I'm really in need of some new ones, mine are slowly falling apart! Not so sure if I would dare jump on this trend, but then again...I have a tendency to jump on trends after the fact. But, if I had to choose a color & style, I'd go for number 1, Marc Jacobs aviators in hot pink.

Would you wear colored sunglasses? Which of these would you love to take home with you?

1. hot pink via marc jacobs
2. pretty blue via matthew williamson
3. lime green via matthew williamson
4. bright pink via matthew williamson
5. blue via marc jacobs
6. bright yellow via sass & bide
7. aviator via alexander Mcqueen

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Fashion: Style Inspired by Florals

Hello everyone! It's Casie Mace once again bringing you some Fashion! As I've mentioned before, I'm obsessed with all-things-white during for spring and summer. I love wearing (slash challenging myself to) the all white ensemble. But to mix it up a little, it's fun to just look around and force yourself to be inspired by something more random--like a table-top floral arrangement!

 I loved these arrangements--they're so crisp and classy that they could easily be used to inspire different looks. So fun!



Have you ever let floral arrangements inspire your outfits??

   

Inspiration Image: Millie Holloman Photography Co-ord Jacquard Blazer | VINCE Loose fit blouse | CLOSED White Winston Pants | Faliero Sarti Dianetta Grass Silk Blend Scarf | Chloé Marcie Large leather tote | Kenneth Jay Lane White Enamel Hinge Cuff | Golden Cobra bfrend bracelet | Christian Louboutin Summerissima Crisscross Platform Sandal 

   

Inspiration Image: Style Me Pretty VINCE Loose fit blouse | MOTO WHITE BAXTER JEANS | Dolce & Gabbana Light Pink Bag | Michael Kors Women's Watch | Crayola Links Necklace | Color Craze Stretch Necklace | ESSIE NAVIGATE HER SPRING NAIL POLISH

-post by casie mace

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3 Outfits for Spring...

YUP, Spring is here. The flowers are blooming & the weather is getting warmer. This means no stuffy coats or scarves. Instead, we'll run around in pretty colorful shoes (hopefully) and airy tops! So with that said, here are 3 outfits I'm eye-ing right now. 
 

I'm especially LOVING everything in outfit #2.  

It's my favorite, especially those wedges!! You can find all these items at ShopBop. 

Which of these outfits would you wear this Spring??

1. enza costa /  WGACA Vintage /  rag & bone / LAMB by Gwen Stefani

2.  clare vivier / rag & bone / current elliot / derek lam /

3.  bop basics / theodora callum / adriano goldschmied / maison martin margiela 

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New at Hayden Harnett!

Have you seen these beauties at Hayden Harnett? Love it when handbags & clutches come in a variety of colors!! I ADORE the mint green one!! 

Which colors is your favorite??

Check them all out here. 

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Fashion: Spring Jewelry Trends

Hello loves! Lauren here again. Today, I am sharing with you the hottest jewelry trends for Spring according to myself and Harper's Bazaar...

image sources: 1&2&3/4/5/6/7/8

1. Assad Mounser $300 | 2. Asos $10.74 | 3. Oscar De La Renta $185 | 4. Kate Spade $128 | 5. Monsoon $9 | 6. Asos $21.49 | 7. Charm & Chain $148 | 8. The Trend Boutique $99

These are some of my absolute favorite pieces. Would love to own each of them. 

Will you be sporting any of these Spring jewelry trends?

-post by Lauren Wickman

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Fashion: Pretty Nail Polish

Hello MBG readers! It's Casie Mace bringing you a post about Nail Polish! How gorgeous are some of the nail colors available now??!! Pastels are one of the biggest trends for nail lacquers this season and there are three brands that just hit the nail on the head (though some of these colors are from previous collections). I'm mildly obsessed with Chanel's Ballerina (can you say perfect pink?).

 

And I love the periwinkle shade of Deborah Lippmann--it's the perfect hue if you're feeling a bit daring but want to keep it dainty. 
 

   

Which one are you most excited to wear this season?!

 Essie: A Crewed Interest | To Buy or Not to Buy | Absolutely Shore Chanel: 535 May | 167 Ballerina | 539 June Deborah Lippmann: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun | Glitter in the Air (sheer) | I Know What Boys Like 

-post by casie mace

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