Monday, August 22, 2011

Inspirafashion x Crystal Hearts Vintage: $40 Gift Certificate Giveaway!

Black thrifted straw boater hat, Green/purple c/o Crystal Hearts Vintage geometric patterned jacket, Blue thrifted DIY Levis shorts, Brown thrifted bucket bag, Green/silver Crossroads rings, Black ASOS chelsea boots (in brown).



First off, I know a post is way overdue, wna apologize for 1-post-a-week routine over these past 2 weeks..I'm currently settling in to having two jobs + school is arriving!  Bare with me pls as I make this transition..but definitely everything will be right on track again once I get used to everything :).
But man, how I've missed you all super much!  So back with a great post for you all!
...A GIVEAWAY!  Hosting one with one of my sponsors, Crystal Hearts Vintage!
Decided to wear a piece from CHV in a retro 80's or 90's-like fashion..when I walked out the door, my dad said I reminded him of Demi Moore from St. Elmo's Fire -- one of the fashion eras that I was going for :).  Love this jacket esp it's silk material and interesting pattern.
The lovely Liana, owner of the online shop, is giving one of Inspirafashion's readers a chance to win a $40 Crystal Hearts Vintage Gift Certificate!
I've made a collage of some pieces on the CHV site right now $40 or below that I loove at the moment! to also help you decide on what you can win if you enter! :)
Follow these 4 easy steps to enter:
1) Follow Crystal Hearts Vintage Blog on Goggle Friend Connect
2) Like Crystal Hearts Vintage on Facebook by clicking the 'like' button below:

3) Like Inspirafashion's Facebook Page by clicking the 'like' button below:
4) Leave a comment with your email and if you've done all of the above.

Additional entries:

Follow CHV on Twitter, @CrystalHrtsVtg (+1 entry)
Follow me on Twitter, @Kathleencarla (+1 entry)
Tweet about this giveaway with.. " I just entered to win a @CrystalHrtsVtg $40 Gift Certificate on @Kathleencarla's blog!  Enter to win too! http://bit.ly/mZCMpP " (+1 entry)
If you did any of the above, please let me know in your comment as well.


P.S. Also, just a heads up!..CHV is having a 25% off summer clearance sale on all orders (enter 'clearance' at checkout!) aand there will also be some new arrivals coming soon on the site!

This giveaway will run until Tuesday, September 6.  The winner will be chosen using random.org and will be announced on Friday, September 9 on my blog, twitter, and facebook.
Good luck lovelies!  Thank you so much again for all your support on my blog, I hope you have an amazing week ahead!!  Keep inspiring! (been visiting your blogs frequently, lovelove all your amazing outfits/posts!) :)

♥, Kathleen.
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Monday, August 15, 2011

Black&Blue.

Black H&M knit cropped sweater, Gold/black c/o Foxy Originals Estate necklace, Dark blue American Apparel shorts, Brown c/o Hobo International Candis crossbody bag, Silver H&M cuff, Gold F21 rings, Black Urban Outfitters boots.

Wanted to share with you three new additions to my closet I'm addicted to at the moment -- firstly two I got at H&M that embody edgy and tough, a style I'm leaning more towards nowadays.  I got this cropped knit sweater that has this shine to it that makes it look like leather and I found this pretty silver cuff.  Lastly, I received this beautiful necklace from Foxy Originals which reminded me so much of the House of Harlow one!  Except the price is so much better for my wallet and I love it more because it's almost like a choker necklace, something I've been coveting for a while.
Paired off the outfit with colors I haven't experimented with in a while, black and blue combo..maybe reminiscent of Backstreet Boys Album? haha.  Loving everything 90's at the moment.
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Last week I modeled for a ModCloth photoshoot, which I'm super excited to show you all!  I will definitely let you know once it's up on their site :).  And this week, am modeling for another shoot with indiDenim!  Can't wait to share it with you as well! :)  Other exciting things happening, just started a new job at Urban Outfitters and loving it!  Favorite trend there right now is 90's Grunge Romance..I'm addicted.
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So excited to also announce the winner of the LUXLA Indian leather hex bracelet Giveaway I previously hosted on my blog! :)  Congrats to Eliza from Run With Fashion!  Can't wait to see you rock that bracelet! :)
Hope you all are having a great week so far!  And apologize again for the lack of posts, due to work everyday, promise will try and schedule everything out so that posts will be up regularly again!  Keep inspiring Beautifuls! :)

♥, Kathleen.
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Monday, August 8, 2011

Floral fringe.

Light pink c/o Hardcouture bandeau, Ivory gifted Meghan LA Fiji Sweater, Tan American Apparel rider high-waisted pants, Cream Forever 21 mary-jane heels, Gold F21 rings.


You probably can tell how much I'm addicted to fringe, and when I received this Meghan LA crochet fringe sweater, I instantly fell in love all over again.  Not only that, but it has pretty rhinestones in the middle of each crochet flower.  I decided to create a soft girly sweet outfit, unexpected when I think of fringe, but thought why not..since I haven't had girly outfits in a while.
I bought these F21 mary-jane heels a while ago, and love how they can be dressed up or worn casually pretty easily..and the platform is an added bonus.  Lastly, topped off the outfit with a soft delicate pink bandeau from Hardcouture, it goes perfectly with anything high-waisted, and moreover is so perfect for spring/summer.
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Which btw, summer is leaving me too fast..school starts in about 2 weeks!  Have exciting news too to tell you!  Everything's happening so quickly, but moving into my apartment in a week, and got a new job at Urban Outfitters!  So far I love it, and cant wait to start officially this Friday.
Hope your weekends were fun and have an amazing week ahead lovelies!  Happy Monday! :)
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P.S. Recently received these blogger awards below, thank you so much Chyrel and Sophie!
 

Now passing them on to these 15 lovely bloggers:
Jacquelyn from Style WorthwhileManon from Cute Red Bow, Shevah, Christine from Heart MadeSoukaina & Sofia from It-BLOGirls, Coralie from Coralie's Looks, Shels415, Natalie from 4 Seasons, Cara from A Fashion Love Affair, David from Virtually Stunning, Hey Dahye, Christen from Two Happy Hearts, Glass of Fashion, Sarah from SJTERRELL, and Sabrina from Jardin De La Mode
And part of the rules also is to list 7 random facts about myself, here it goes..
1) I named my first chihuahua puppy after my most fave city (besides my hometown)..Berkeley!
2) I have four moles on my right arm that create a perfect, in geometry nerdy terms: Rhombus or simply put, a diamond.
3) I walk crazy fast, it's a habit. My dad said he practically jogs "walking" right beside me.
4) The only sport I played back in high school was Badminton.  I know how to "smash"! ;P
5) When I don't know the definition of a word, first resource I use is urbandictionary.com, tells ya how smart I am ;)...or maybe I just use lots of slang words lol.
6) My favorite channel of all-time to tune-in when I'm bored is Food Network.  Me and my bf think Rachel Ray and Bobby Flay would make the perfect couple, their names rhyme perfectly.
7) Oh and that leads to number 7, my boyfriend's last name rhymes perfectly with mine: Carillo and Murillo.

 ♥, Kathleen.
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Saturday, August 6, 2011

Bloggers Wardrobe.

I wanted to share with you what has been an important part of my blog:  being able to show you unique ways to style pieces from designers and brands and to give you my honest advice about them.  Here are a few photos from when I've done reviews including links back to those posts :).
I was contacted by Bloggers Wardrobe, a valuable project created to connect both bloggers and brands through a free webshop, courses, workshops, and travel.  In 30 words or less, they’ve asked me to write why I feel I deserve a spot in this project:

I have a trustworthy and close relationship with my readers -- giving honest-opinions and carefully selecting beneficial products to review while providing a genuine place for inspiring about fashion: Inspirafashion.
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Bloggers Wardrobe will choose the finalists on how much traffic their blogs can bring to their site.  
Would mean soo much to me if you can help by simply clicking the link below:  


Thank you so much again lovelies for all your love and support here on my blog, means the world and sending big “cub hugs” J your way right now.
 ♥, Kathleen.
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Thursday, August 4, 2011

Hair rescue.

I was contacted by Misikko.com, an online store which specializes in salon grade Professional Flat Irons and Professional Hair Dryers, to review their HANAair Professional Hair Dryer.  I was very excited to do the review and for my very first beauty post here on Inspirafashion :).  And let me first off express how I have very thick coarse hair and using this professional hair dryer creates wonders.
The dryer comes with all of these different settings, which in my POV, is a great feature to have so many options literally at your finger tips.  The cold shot is helpful when I need extra shine.  The highest fan speed is seriously aaamazing..as I said before, I have really thick hair, so in my previous experiences with hair dryers they take forever to dry my hair (my bicep gets a workout).  But, I timed it with this hair dryer, only took me about 7 MINUTES! -- to completely dry my hair.
Another feature I love is the extra long plug.  I am a mad woman when it comes to doing my hair, I like to move around and multi-task in the morning time (grab clothes, check emails, etc.)..and having this long plug really comes in handy.  The concentrator attachment also is god-sent when drying every last tip..as well as not fearing my hair to be sucked into the hair dryer itself.
Thought I'd take this opportunity to also share with you my everyday hair routine, right after I get out of the shower while my hair is a bit damp.
...and the end result:
Beachy wavy hair.  I always try to achieve Mary-Kate Olsen's amazing locks, so hopefully I did! :)  Definitely recommend investing in a good quality hair dryer that will do wonders with your hair; the HANAair Professional Hair Dryer, which you can check out here! :)

Hope you enjoyed this first beauty post!  Not only do I love fashion, but also have a big love for makeup, beauty products, etc.  Have a wonderful rest of your week lovelies, and keep inspiring! <3

♥, Kathleen.
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Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Gold glamour.

Gold gifted Disco Pony "The Natalie" Dress, White gifted Style Bonbon spotted feather cuff, Tan ASOS Ames suede ankle boots, Gold Forever 21 ring, Lips: MAC Nightmoth lipliner, YSL Rouge Volupte lipstick in exquisite plum.


I was so excited when I was contacted by the loovely Zoey from Make Shift Model, who not only is an amazing fashion blogger but also the designer of her beautiful collection called Disco Pony -- rightfully so, I caannot wait to go out dancing in this gorgeous glitter glam dress for my 21st birthday this year.
I couldn't wait to show you all this dress..it seriously feels like I was dipped in pure gold.  The sequin fabric is so unique and like any other I've seen, and I can really tell how much love was put into making this dress..it's stunning.  Not to mention, I admire the intricate design itself -- modesty in the front and a sweet surprise cutout in the back.

I decided to style the dress more casually but in an interesting way.  I wanted to showcase it, so decided to use minimal accessories that complement the dress rather than outshining it.  I wore another beautifully handcrafted piece sent by the lovely Yamilla, a white spotted feather cuff. I love tying dresses at the waist, so just tied a simple black ribbon I had on hand.  Then just one simple gold ring, soft tan suede ankle boots, messy fishtail braid, and some very dark burgundy plum lips.
Simplicity was key when styling this particular dress.  Definitely check out the rest of Zoey's amazing line, Disco Pony!  She has so many beautiful pieces, one I'm coveting at the moment is the "Silver Surfer" blazer.
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Next post will be the beauty post I've been talking about for a while :), cant wait to share with you!  Keep inspiring beautifuls with your amazing blogs! and I hope you lovelies are having a great start of your week!  Happy Tuesday! :)
♥, Kathleen.
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