Today I have another post about A Girl Named Katie, a small clothing and accessory store featuring items handmade with ethics and the environment in mind. If you don't remember, last time I posted about this business I was reviewing a handmade kimono style shirt!
Katie has recently started a new collection called Gently Loved. This is a mini collection filled with recycled clothing and home decor hand selected by Katie to go with the overall aesthetic of her handmade designs. She has picked out some really adorable outfits, and I would have bought more if I had the budget!
I purchased a flowy black blouse and a candlestick holder shown below:
The above are her pictures because they are just so nice way better than mine, haha!
I've wanted a candlestick holder for a long time and was thinking I needed to go to a thrift store or something similar to find a nice one, and just a few days later Katie announced she was adding home decor to her Gently Loved Collection along with a 30% off coupon and I knew then it was time to place an order.
In addition to the candle stick I also bought the flowy blouse. Due to the nature of the top, this is not a good shirt to take a picture of laying flat, believe me it looks much better when worn! I had been eyeing this top for a long time and was super excited to finally take the leap and purchase it. It is definitely unlike anything I own but I just fell in love with the sleeves from the model picture. It also has a little upside down V decoration at the collar which is a nice touch. The bottom is elastic allowing for the fabric to fall in a flowy...type way? I am not good at describing clothing....
And here is a mediocre quality picture of me modeling the blouse with two different looks, dressed up and dressed down. On the left I paired it with a dark purple lace skirt from Loft and black leggings. As you can see the sleeves are just amazing and I am in love with them. On the right I paired it with Loft skinny jeans and black boots. This was the outfit I actually ended up wearing and it looked so casual yet nice. The blouse is a bit short so it must be worn either with a high waisted skirt or with a tank top underneath. I wore black this time but I may experiment with other colors. The only downside that it is a bit small around my shoulder and head area. I have to put it on before I do my makeup because the collar does not stretch and my head just fits through. The shoulder issue I'm used to as I know I have annoyingly disproportionate shoulders and upper arms. However, I'm not worried, as I can get it on and off just fine and it looks great!
If you want to find some really adorable and affordable second hand clothes and house decor while also supporting Katie in her business endeavor please head on over to A Girl Named Katie and check out her products!
I really can't express how much I adore this subscription box. I honestly was expecting to subscribe for 2 to 3 months and then quit, but I just can't bring myself to because every month I keep getting more and more stuff that I love!
I can't believe I've already been subscribed for 4 months, with my 5th box soon on the way. This box has made me wear jewelry more often and also helped me be more confident in expressing myself by trying new things. It really is a joy every months to see what Vixx has picked out this time.
I can't believe I've already been subscribed for 4 months, with my 5th box soon on the way. This box has made me wear jewelry more often and also helped me be more confident in expressing myself by trying new things. It really is a joy every month to see what Vixx has picked out this time, and this month was no exception.
This month's makeup item isn't exactly makeup but instead a beauty product. This is the first time I've gotten something like this, its a green tea facial mask. I LOOOVE moisturizing masks like these and use them whenever I get my hands on one, so I was definitely pumped to see this in the box.
Bat Sticker
This month's random goodie was another bat sticker. I definitely liked the last one better as it was a bit 3D and sparkly but this one is cute too! I actually really hope I get a bat necklace or earrings in a future box.
Strange Omens Pumpkin Pin
This month also included a little handmade goodie from Strange Omens. It is a clay disk inside a bottle cap with an engraved and painted pumpkin on the outside. Not 100% sure what I'll be doing with this but if nothing else it will make a cute addition to my book bag when Halloween roles around next year.
This little pin also came with a 10% off coupon for the website.
Red Scarf
Up until now all the accessories I've gotten have been clips, either for my hair or for my bag. I was SO EXCITED to see this beautiful dark red scarf sitting on the top of my box when I opened it up. I love scarfs and have been trying to collect more solid colored ones to wear with patterned tops. Also I did not own a red scarf so this was absolutely perfect. I've worn it twice now and Its just so lovely.
It is made of a warmer material so it is definitely a fall/winter scarf. It is also pretty short, which is what I prefer. I hate super long scarfs as they tend to get in my way when I'm working in the lab.
Beaded Bracelet
The first jewelry item this month was a handmade beaded bracelet. Vixx had posted on facebook that she had a ton of beads and was planning on making things so I was expecting something like this. This is the first time I've received a bracelet and...not going to lie I just don't wear them often. Whether I'm doing research in the lab or typing on my computer they tend to just get in my way, but for a bit I was determined to make it work.
That was until I happened to just hold it up to my neck and fell in love with the way it looked.....so alas it is no longer a bracelet. I turned it into a choker length necklace because my goodness it just look so stunning, and to be honest...makes me feel like a princess. This will be perfect for days I'm feeling a bit more girly!
Filigree Gem Earrings
The second jewelry item I received was definitely something unique. I got these gorgeous stud backed decorative earrings. They have a beautiful swirly metal design to them with a faceted white gem in the middle. They feel so vintage and classy, I just love them. Things like these are the reason I'm such a huge fan of this subscription box. I don't think I'd personally buy something like this but after seeing them and trying them on, I just adore them.
I think these also go very nicely with the red scarf.
I've actually been working on making some jewelry displays to keep my jewelry organized since because of this box I have so much more than a few pieces now!
Fancy Paperie Raven and Rose Victorian Stationery Letter Set
The special item this month was a mini set of stationary from the company Fancy Paperie. This is a really really cute idea and the artwork is so gorgeous. Unfortunately my handwriting is absolutely terrible so I am so afraid to deface the beautiful artwork with my atrocious scribbling. But as I say in my unboxing video, these look nice enough to frame, they're so lovely. Maybe I can write really slowly and carefully with a pencil and then ink over it so that I can actually use these and make someone's day! :)
And for anyone interested here is the business card with all the info included!
Did you like what you got in your Black Box this month?
Today I'll be talking about my second Black Box Subscriptions box! This is a monthly $20 gothic goodies box that delivers everything from dark makeup, jewelry, and bath and body products! The best part is everything is hand picked just for you based on a survey.
I liked this box a lot better than last month so I don't know if Vixx has seen my video/blog review and updated accordingly or if she just followed my survey answers a bit more closely this time regarding the silver jewelry and hair clip issue. :P
Either way this box was really fun. It had a mix of Halloween, skull, and spider decorations making the box look really festive and fabulous.
S.he Makeup Nail Lacquer in Black
This nail polish came with her logo sticker on it so I had to do a bit of searching to discover the brand. I have never heard of S.he before but after throwing it on my nails quick I can already tell I liked the Wet n Wild formula from last month's box better, so that will remain my go to black polish for now.
Where to buy: ikatehouse.com
Price: $1.80
Free Book Downloads
So this was a new and interesting item! I got a free download for a book and 2 short stories.
The short stories are from the book KAOS Obsidere: The Nightmare Has Begun: A Dark Fiction and the novel is Charlie Sullivan and the Monster Hunters: The Varcolac's Diary. I am really excited to download these books and check them out. I love dark fiction such as Stephen King, Anne Rice, and Darren Shan, so I am very pleased with these!
Where to buy: Amazon.com
Price: ~$3
Halloween Stickers
Like last month this box included a set of 4 Halloween stickers. Not sure what I'm going to be doing with these yet but they are pretty cute.
Price: ~ $.025
Doe Earrings
My first piece of jewelry this month were these very adorable little deer earrings. They are small and delicate and pretty cute. I also noticed after taking this close up shot that I think they have little skulls engraved on their sides which is pretty awesome.
Here they are dangling from my ear so you can get a better idea of size. They are cute and silver so I have no complaints!
I did some googling and found a picture of these in google images but when I followed the link it took me to a no longer existing Etsy page so I have no idea where to get these or how much they cost.
Price: ~$2-3
Wire Wrapped Bead Necklace
My second piece of jewelry was this presumably handmade by Vixx herself wire wrapped bead necklace. The pendant is a purple bead with a wire wrapping design, attached to a necklace made of ribbon and string. It is very unique and I have nothing like it, it also looks very nice on. I approve!
Because this is handmade I can only estimate the price
Price: ~$2-3
Black Gothic Bow
My accessory this month was a very beautiful and elegant black bow. It has a more secure clip meaning it will actually stay in my hair. Even though I haven't worn a hair accessory in about a year I really like how this looks and decided to wear it to school today. It is definitely my style!
I doubt I'll be able to find this exact bow but bows of this kind seem to go for about $5 on Etsy
Price: ~$5
Dark Candles Chocolate Bat Tealights
I was super super happy about this item! I love candles and have one burning almost all the time. These candles are in the scent Chocolate Bat and are from Dark Candles Halloween collection.
This candle smells divine. I love it. It isn't too sweet like I feared with a name that has chocolate in it, but instead the chocolate is balanced with other pleasant notes.
The website says "A tantalizing blend of chocolate and a mixture of Halloween candy!"
I feel like the scent smells darker and more mysterious than their description make sit seem, but its not a big deal, I love the scent and that's all that matters. The next time I am in need of some new candles I will definitely be checking this company out.
Where to buy:darkcandles.com
Price: $2.00
Spider Web Pen from Strange Omens
This pen and the soap that follows were in a bag with a tag that said Happy Haunting! From Strange Omens. When I went to Pagan Pride my boyfriend and I made some purchases from their stand so I was already familiar with this company. I can't find this pen on their website but it is pretty cute. It is quite small, about half the size of a regular pen. It has a spider web design on the body and is encased in bright orange plastic. Not going to lie it feels a little cheap but the small size makes it really nice for carrying in my wristlet wallet, so I'll be using this regardless.
Price: ~$1
Dreaming Tree Monster Mash Soap
These soaps are available for purchase from Strange Omens website but the brand itself also has a website so I'll link that for this item as well.
I love handmade small business bath and body products as is evident with my intense obsession with Fortune Cookie Soap so I was quite pleased to see this in my box! This soap is by Dreaming Tree Soapworks and it smells amazing. There are way too many delicious things going on at once so I couldn't even begin to tell you the notes but the website provides this description: "Drac's own secret recipe! A fun and fruity punch blend of cranberry, raspberry & citrus vanilla, magical herbs and autumn spices."
I would totally buy this in a full size, it smells so lovely. It is a truly perfect autumn scent.
Where to buy: Strangeomens.com and dreamingtreesoapworks.com
Price: Full size is $7.50 so this sample is probably around $2-3
And that is it for this month's Black Box! This box had so many one of a kind items and fun small business additions. I am very very pleased with this month. I don't even care how much the items add up to because there is no other way I would have been able to try Dark Candles and Dreaming Tree without committing to full size products first. The jewelry is also so my style and I am just so happy with this box.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a fashion blogger and do not possess the necessary materials to take decent fashion pictures. Please excuse the full body shots! :P
I tend to spend my money on makeup and as a result I shop at thrift stores or the clearance section of H&M or Loft. It is very rare that I will spend my money on expensive clothing, but this time I made an exception.
A Girl Named Katie is a handmade clothing and accessory store owned and operated by a very talented woman whom I went to high school with. If you missed my coffee post she also owns Fellowship Coffee Co.
Her bags are absolutely adorable and I'd love to own her Orchid Suede Town Bag but unfortunately I don't use purses enough to justify the purchase, so instead I went for the purple Kimono Style Studio Jacket.
I'm taking this image off of her Etsy site because her pictures are way better than mine could ever hope to be. This jacket comes in four colors, Black, Eggplant, Blue, and Pumpkin. As well as 2 sizes, S/M and L/XL. I bought the S/M jacket in Eggplant!
And here is my embarrassing attempt at photographing it.
It is a very beautiful reddish purple with a cute light purple lace trim on the sleeves. The sleeves are wide and the jacket has a nice length to it. If I was shorter I could probably wear this with a pair of leggings. The fabric is really interesting and wasn't what I was expecting at all but I love it! It feels very heavy and sturdy to the touch but when on feels light and very comfy. It is unlike anything I've experienced before. On her site Katie says its made from a ponte knit. The neatest thing about this fabric is that it doesn't wrinkle. My biggest issue with going back and forth from my parent's house to my apartment is that my clothes end up wrinkly, but this was stuffed in a bag all weekend and when I pulled it out, it looked perfect!
But the absolute best thing about this jacket is....IT HAS POCKETS!! I adore pockets. :D
Here is a close up of the detail. I love lace so this little addition made me very happy.
And here is a close up of a pocket. They are sewn into the side and very roomy. I can easily fit my apartment keys in one pocket and my phone in the other with room to spare.
And now for my attempt at modeling.
Here is one way the jacket can be worn. If you want to rush out to the store or are feeling a bit chilly you can quickly throw it on over a tank top or t shirt and instantly become fabulous.
Also sorry for the state of my mirror. It is incredibly cheap. I wiped it down twice with Windex and I still couldn't get the smudge off of it..so I gave up. :(
My personal favorite way to wear it is belted with a nice pair of skinny jeans. I bought this with the intention of wearing it casually but I actually like it way more as a fancy top.
Pockets!!!
Anyway...as far as fit I am 5'5" with a bust/waist/hip ratio of 35/25/36 and this fits a tiny bit big on me, especially in the shoulders. I catch the one side trying to slip down every now and then, but its really not a big deal at all. Therefore if you are a bit smaller or bigger than me the S/M should fit you perfectly fine. Also if you are going to belt this I would not recommend wearing this dancing as your arm movement is restricted somewhat just because of the nature of the sleeves. I can see wearing this often to fancy dinners or nights out on the town.
This is a close up of the tags pinned to the jacket and sewn inside.
As you can see this top is machine washable which I would not doubt at all because of how sturdy it feels.
If you love handmade clothing and accessories and supporting small businesses I highly recommend checking out A Girl Named Katie.
