NYC Diary

New York is just getting better and better! I am having such a great time and I am meeting all these nice  and fun people!

It is getting busier at my job as a costume designer and photographer but it's a good busy:)

I kept thinking that I wasn't doing enough while I am here and there was this pressure to always go out, but then I realized that the best way to feel at home in a new city is to do just the things that you enjoy. And that's exactly what I have been doing! So the pressure isn't always there any more and I am feeling much more relaxed:)

Now, just a few fun facts about this incredible place called New York City that I have experienced so far:

- Not everybody is dressed as Carrie Bradshaw! I was so surprised to see that most of the woman are dressing themselves in pretty plain clothes. A bit of a disappointment there, but on the other hand, when I do see a Carrie I am very excited about it:-)

- So many people! I guess everybody already knew that one, but there really are always so many people out on the street and I just love it! It's so lively!

- New York Cheesecake really is the best:)  (and also the pizzas, brownies, cookies....)

- There are many stores that hire people to just stand at the door and welcome you. I just love this and I am amazed at how New Yorkers are already used to this, while I have never experienced it before:)

- Walking shoes are really necessary in this city, or you do what every fashionista does and wear you flats, change into heels outside the door of you destination and hide your flats in your bag!

  

Taking and editing pictures for my work

Discovering all the fun neighborhoods of New York

For more NYC Diary pictures go to my instagram page!

SUITCASE OUTFITS | Little Black Dress

Today it's time for the second Suitcase Outfits post: the little Black Dress! 

My guess is that almost every woman owns a (little) black dress, or something very similar. But what a lot of women don't realize is that there are many ways to wear that particular dress.

So today I want to show you my ways of wearing this iconic piece of clothing and how to style it for different occasions and body types.

CASUAL- One way to wear this dress is to add more layers. There are many ways to do this, one is to add a peplum top to create a sophisticated look. Another one is to add a print top and make it more casual. I also added a waist belt to show my figure, or else it would have made me look bigger then I actually am:)

Dress by Primark | Top by Primark | Sunglasses by Flyingtiger | Belt is Vintage | Shoes by Vanharen

CLASSIC- There is also of course the classical way to way the dress and that is to simply accesories. Wear your up and use a statement necklace to add a little wow-factor to your look. And try to play a little bit with color accents, like I did with the belt and the necklace. There is just no way of going wrong here!

Dress by Primark | Necklace by Lana Red Studio | Belt is Vintage | Shoes by Vanharen

COLORFUL- The best thing about having black as your basic color is that you can add a fun color to your outfit! I choose to go bold here and experiment with yellow! Be careful though, you don't want to go overboard, just pick one or two colors and add those to your look. Tip: instead of wearing a colorful pair of tights, choose some bold colored killer heels!

Dress by Primark | Blazer by Primark | Tights by Forever21 | Shoes by Vanharen 

DIY | Upcycled Tights Necklace

I own a lot of tights as you may already know from my Tidy Tights post :) It's because I almost always wear skirts or dresses. This means that I am constantly looking for new ones because they tend to rip pretty fast, as tights often do:)

It just felt so wasteful to throw the ripped ones out, so I decided to turn them into a necklace! The fabric is just perfect for DIY-ing and it's so multifunctional! I also just another easy to use material: aluminum foil. 

The necklace might not sound so fancy by hearing the materials, but it will look trendy, trust me!

Here's how:

Supplies:

- Aluminum foil

- A pair of old tights

(- a piece of ribbon for the decoration)

1. Make tiny balls out of the Aluminum foil.

2. Take your old tights and cut the foot of.

3. Cut the fabric in long strips.

4. Tie a knot at the end of of the fabric.

5. Place your aluminum ball against the knot and fold the fabric around it. 

6. Tie a knot on the other side of the ball.

7. Repeat these steps for as long as you want the necklace to be.

8. If you have multiple strings, tie them together with a simple knot and cut of the excessive fabric.

 

GIVEAWAY | Floral Headband by PLUME

I am very excited to bring you this giveaway with one of my sponsors Anouck Plume! Anouck is the owner of a fabulous Etsy shop with lots of adorable and affordable items. She has a wonderful style and it just makes me want to dress up and wear all those pretty items!

One lucky winner is going to get her pretty Floral Headband Lola!

To enter, just follow @lanaredstudio and @anouckplume on Instagram or Facebook and leave a comment below.

The giveaway will be open until May 22, and the winner will be announced shortly after.

Good luck!

Inspirational Tuesday

I have been wanting to start a photography series for a while now and I have been doing a lot of research on portrait photography lately. There are just so many amazing portrait photography series out there and they are all very inspiring!

One of my favorite so far is 'Switcheroo'. A series that captures couples in each others outfits.

It is so much fun to look at all the pictures and study the couples and their changed 'looks'!

The photos are taken by Hana Pesut, a self-taught photographer from Canada. You can see more of her work on her website sincerelyhana and there is also a book coming out soon with a collection of Switcheroo photos!