Meet Tish

After graduating high school this past spring, Tish plans to pursue her modeling career. She has worked with many great photographers such as Jake Simpson. We love working with her && enjoyed our first photo shoot this past Tuesday. Make sure to check out McAuley's Boutique for many more photos to come!

My Favorite Fall '10 Trends!

Ok, so I only had 2 trends for this upcoming season that I'm not quite fond of. But when it comes to picking my top 2 most favorite styles...ahhh it's so hard! I love so many of them!


These are my top 2 favorite fall 2010 clothing trends:

Ahhh fur! So glad your making such a strong comeback! This may be my personal #1 fav this fall! Fur vests, fur jackets, fur shoes, fur purses...its all so much fun! Now me, personally, wouldn't pick out a long fur coat for myself. I'm more of a vest girl like RZ & Nicole Richie. I'm also more of a "toned down" fur sporter. I like the more fitted look as opposed to something more bold. I love the long coats & larger fur on others, I just feel like it overtakes my petite body and makes me look...more...animal-like perhaps? However, I love a bold shoe, so one with fur, such as a boot or bootie....love love love!

I have ALWAYS loved plaid, so the fact that its actually coming back big and bold makes me so excited! If you don't have a plaid piece, you HAVE to get one! If you aren't sure what your feelings are for this pattern & don't want to embrace the full body plaid, such as a dress or pant suit, just go for a top to wear with jeans like Jen. I am "mad for plaid" so I would definitely do a dress, pant suit, skirt, trench, you name it! I have a pair of Trina Turk plaid pants I bought from the store about 3 years ago, and those girls are coming out this fall...and I'm so excited about it! I love it when that kind of stuff happens, because it feels like you just got something completely new! (I also have a jean fur jacket by ABS that I am pulling out of my back closet this year for some furry winter fun!) So always think through things when you go through your closet to get rid of "unused pieces". Make sure its not a cycle style (a trend that ALWAYS makes a comeback within 1/2 a decade) before you "chunk" it .

Ahhhh I'm just so excited about clothes this fall! Weather, get cold already!!!

These are JUST 2 of my favorites for fall. What are yours? There are so many cool shoe and accessory trends too! Share your top trends with me!

Chunky Knits

How can you not get excited over sweaters & jackets that feel like a hug or, even better, instigate one. This fall, chunky knits are in! There is a variety of shapes, colors, necklines, and materials, all guaranteeing a snugly sensation! Make it work for you by wearing an underlayer to insure complete comfort, should it get toasty indoors. It may be a bit much for the workplace, but on the weekends a chunky knit sweater such as Trina Turk's Fenny Poncho Sweater (pictured in the middle) is sure to keep you warm! Pair this sweater with a pair of skinny's or black jeggings, and not only will you be stylin' but you are guaranteed comfort!

Tacky Trends of Fall '10

As we all know, some trends tend to get a little...well....out of hand. You know which ones I'm talking about! The ones that you observe and say, who EVER thought this would fly?! If it doesn't look good on Jennifer Aniston or Rihanna, it defiantly won't work for us regular people! The following are my 2 most hated fall trends (personal opinion of coarse!). For me, as a viewer, not a follower of the two, they are simply a recipe for disaster!

What man would be attracted to a woman wearing what she wore in the 4th grade? This trend really had me puzzled. I mean, the only person that could probably pull this off without looking out of the ordinary, for them, would be...Mary-Kate perhaps? I don't think this is a very smart trend-choice for all you style savvy divas. And if you think you are that fashion-forward girl that could "make this cute", why would you want to try?

Ok, so I'm not knocking all printed pants...but these extreme, loud, tacky ones? I love leopard print, and I even like leopard printed tights, but pants?! Thats a whole lot of leopard! Fran Fine (from The Nanny), and Peggy (from Married with Children) would be so excited to see the trend they inspired on Hollywood's finest! New Kids on the Block would LOVE Rihanna right now, and the Golden Girls would think Whitney Port took their couch cushions and made her pants out of them! Bottoms such as these can be very risky, especially if your on a date...or hoping to land one! YIKES! BEWARE OF LONG, EXTREME, BOLD BOTTOMS!

Out of all the trends for fall, I love them all but these! (I will post my 2 most favorite next week!)

Let me know what you think of the two trends, or what your most hated fall fashion is! Everyone is entitled to their own fashionable opinion:-)

A Denim Do!

It's one of summer and fall's hottest denim washes....grey! The light shade of grey is perfect for sporting during those hot and cold months! This color looks great with earth toned hues, like what Hayden Panettiere has paired with hers, or you can go bright or black! Every palette of the broad color spectrum is fair game with this amazing denim! Hollywood always has it right (well, most of the time)! This shade is best in a skinny, allowing you to look casual chic, or slick and sexy! This denim trend is the outfits accessory, making your life easy! Paired with boots, pumps, flops, flats, or sneaks, your outfit options are endless! So if you don't have a pair of grey skinnys, you have to add this versatile piece to your clothing collection before proceeding into the next season! I promise, you already have 20 things in your closet you can pair these jeans with, so make this one of your new addition must-haves!

These two are my favorite.....I have them both!

Joe's Jeans

Rolled Cuff Chelsea in Keira

$180

True Religion

Casey Grey Legging in Body Rinse

$167

Must-Haves for Starting School!

Oh the joys of starting back to school! However, there are a few perks to this joyous occasion....your one year closer to the end, the boys have gotten a little more mature, and you have a good reason to invest in some casual threads! One of our newest additions to McAuley's is our organic tee line Threads for Thought. There fabric is insanely soft; not to mention its Earth friendly as well:-) Their unique designs make them different from your ordinary tee! Whether its bows, pearls, stars, or ribbon detail, each style is a memorable one! These cute and funky numbers are perfect for class or lunch! Taking them into nighttime is simple as well! Throw a blazer, vest, cute cardigan, or leather jacket over your tee, pair it with skinnys and heels, and your ready to party! The cost of these trendy, earth-friendly tops are amazing, ranging from $39-$52! Class...life outside of class....these work for it all! You shouldn't have a hard time justifying these pretty little numbers to mom!

>Shop Threads for Thought

When school shopping, jeans are a necessity! Who doesn't live in their denim!? I know I do! These three picks are perfect for all of your back-to-school needs! The cut-off denim shorts...a must-have! Jean shorts are perfect for class, paired with heels for going out, and football games! The denim capri...also perfect for all of the above! It doesn't matter if your dressing up or down, they will solve a lot of your fashion needs (not to mention, the wash and style is so in right now!). This lovely little item will take you far into fall! And the Provocateur jean by Joe's...oh what a wonderful life-saving style this is! Their "petite" cut is perfect for flats and low heels! Since designer denim runs very long, most of us have to get them chopped off a little...but not this style! The "petite" length is perfect for your average height girl...just saving the alterations step, making these jeans a perfect back-to-school choice!

DIY: Recycling a Brick

Stack 'Em Up!



This fall is creeping up on us fast. Soon will be football season, Halloween, then Thanksgiving. Decorating the house can be stressful with everything else going on. Here is a cheap and easy way to take up a small area or a lot of space.

1
Find some old bricks (That have holes on each side).
(I used 3 bricks.)

2
Decorate them with glitter, paint, chalk, buttons, makeup, ribbon, anything.
(I spray painted two bricks with a metallic spray. The one in the middle I painted using a paintbrush.)



3
Stack them so the holes line up in the order you want them to be in.

4
Add your arrangement pieces into the holes.
(I went to hobby lobby and bought flowers, etc.)

5
Tah-dah. You are done! Now, post a picture of yours!!

OR


You can use it as a candle stick holder.

It is a great way to incorporate color and texture to match any style!!

Welcome Back Festival

Yesterday was the Clemson University Welcome Back Festival. It was the biggest one yet-85 vendors and organizations! This is an event that takes place downtown on College Avenue where students can learn the many ways that they can get involved in campus and community activities. Tickets are sold for 50 cents each that can be used to purchase food samples and prizes provided by the vendors and organizations. All proceeds go to the Student Alumni Council Endowment Fund, which helps fund scholarships. Asheton, Hayley, and I went to set up our table and tell the students about McAuley's Unique Boutique.

We were so hot when the festival began in hope of some shade and thirty minutes later we got a down pour. Our car was parked about 3 blocks from our table where our clothes, framed photos, and other items we brought to set up were, so I ran to the car and drove to Asheton and Hayley to pick up our stuff. By the time we got all of our goodies and us into the car we were soaking wet. My romper was dragging to my knees, Hayley's white linen pants were stuck to her legs, and Asheton's Nu Bra had fallen off from the rain. Here is our picture afterward......

We wish the weather would have cooperated better with the festivities but, we somehow found laughter in it. If you are not soaking wet from the rain, this Envi Multi Print Romper, Purple One Shoulder Shirt and Trina Turk Antonella Dress are super cute game day outfits that you should check out!

<3,
Krissy

As Seen In...

Mary Schmidt Ammons of The Real Housewives of D.C. in OK! Magazine is wearing the new Trina Turk Charlyn Jacket and Angie Skirt we just got in!
This striking and unique set has all the right touches! The classic tweed combined with the fringed edges give it a conservative, yet edgy look. Wear these pieces together or separate! Thanks to the gathered buttoned back, the flattering fit gives this jacket a business friendly appeal. The patched elbow sleeves, wide spread collar, and mini fringed shoulder details give you the option to also make this piece sexy and sassy! This pencil fit tweed skirt gives just enough detail with the bold eyelid pockets. It is appropriate for work or play!

Your Quick Fix!

It's Saturday and you deserve to have a good weekend! Let loose and relax, that is what these days of the week are for right? Well I have put together a quick and fun outfit for you to flaunt around town tonight! This outfit is hot and trendy but still keeps things simple! After all, who likes to always look like they spent hours putting together an outfit just to have a good time? You want it to look like style just comes naturally to you...plus you don't want to ruin your entire night by starting it off stressed by getting impatient with your closet choices! Keep it simple with this beater tank by Michael Stars. This is a fun one because of the sexy surprise you get in the back:-) Tuck it into this vintage inspired Petticoat Skirt by Free People (I love this skirt because you can wear it year round; if its cold just throw on some tights). The ankle booties give this outfit a cute seasonal transitioning touch; adding a little bit of celebrity appeal to the ensemble! Since clear is all the rage this summer, throw on a clear statement necklace; still giving the outfit a summery & fun vibe! Adding a hot pink clutch is an up-to-beat way of throwing in that bit of color you crave to show your fun and bright personality! So make your life easy tonight! Don't stress yourself out running to different stores all day long! Let us help give you that amazing weekend you so deserve!

This print...a fall hit!

This print is always a "do", but this fall it's saturating the spotlight more than normal! From fur jackets & dresses to earrings & heels, they are all a spin of this trend! Accessorizing with this print makes it easy to take your solids, and somewhat blah, duds and transform them into a sassy and stylish outfit! If your new to the animal print pool (some of us have been splashing around in it since we were big enough to pick out our own clothes), then go for a simple scarf, bag, or shoes! Accessorizing is key when it comes to updating your existing clothing choices, so make your life easy! Put your dollars into some key accessory pieces that will snaz up what you already have! For all you faithful leopard lovers, go for a fun top, dress, or even fur coat! Embrace your outer-animal style in a way that reflects your fun & unique personality!

Some of our McAuley favs!

Trina does her leopard so well! Take all of these into fall with an awesome denim or black leather jacket! Which style is your personality match?

Trina Turk's Lovely Leopard Stella Dress

Trina Turk's Tabatha Blouse

Trina Turk's Tisbury Skirt

Make your life easy with some of our favorite accessories!

Leopard Bracelet

Leopard Earrings

Leopard Scarf

Don't forget....a sexy pair of shoes!

REuse & REcreate

inspired by a shirt i saw at forever 21, i decided to cut my own plain, boring t-shirts and create something new. the girls at work wanted to know how i did it, so i thought you may like to do it too!

all you need is a t-shirt, scissors, and marker

**the t-shirt size depends on how loose you want the shirt to be around your waist area. to demonstrate, i am using a small white v-neck t-shirt. you can use patterned shirts, graphic tees, solid tees-the options are endless.

begin by marking the middle of the shirt with your marker. draw a curved line starting from the inner most point outside the neck seam line connected to the middle point you previously marked to make the neckline of your shirt.

**decide how low you want your neckline to be by moving the middle point down for a lower cut shirt and up for a higher cut shirt.


next, mark two dots: one 1.5-3 inches across from the shoulder mark & one below the armpit. connect the two dots with a curved line.

**depending on how low you want the shirt to go on the sides, depends on where you mark the other dot.

begin at the strap you've created from the front and continue the lines. one line should connect to the line under the armpit. the other line should make a shape like the picture below.

**to make it symmetrical, only draw half way down the back (like the picture).

starting at the middle point, cut along the line (all the way to the back to the back middle point). let the fabric hang once it is cut.


starting at the top seam of the shirt, cut out the sleeve. it is important to leave the sleeve in one piece because we will use it later!


this is what you should have now:


now, we need to trace the same lines on the opposite side of the shirt so that it will be asymmetrical. get the cut off sleeve and turn it inside out. match the bottom seam to the other seam (like the picture). now line up the seams so match. draw a line along the sleeve to mark where you will need to cut (this will need to be done on the front and back of the shirt).

**some people can free-hand draw this to match what we have previously cut. others, will need to follow these steps to get the same look as the other side.

fold over the front of the shirt that has already been cut. match the shoulder strap to the other side's shoulder strap.


trace the line to mark where you will need to cut to finish the neckline.


turn the shirt so the back is facing up. fold over the part you have already cut.


trace the line on the shirt to create your outline to know where to cut.


finish cutting on the lines and you will have your shirt looking similar to below.


we will need one of the sleeves we have cut off. cut a strip about an inch wide along the U-shaped edge.


now we have a shirt and a long strip of fabric.


match the seams on the straps up and tie the string in a knot in the middle about 5 inches down.

you can tie the strings in different ways. get creative! i have shown you some different ways below.

start by making a C-shape and crossing one strap over the middle two. loop it around and feed up through the hole my fingers are shown in the first picture. pull through and tighten. repeat with the other strap. switch back and forth until you have about 4 to 5 inches done.


you can also hold the two straps together and braid the tree pieces. knot it at the end with the two strings.


this is another shirt i have done. for this look, i twisted the straps.


ta da! you are finished!