Prom Mafia

Most people don’t know this, but expos and showcases are a great resource for deals, discounts, and freebies.  This past Saturday, the DC Fashion, Beauty & Lifestyle Expo took place smack in the middle of midtown.

After watching the fabulous fashion shows, I made sure to hit up the booths to score some goodies from local vendors.

In addition to the usual pens and other junk, I scored some lip balm, a $15 gift certificate to PR at Partners Salons and Spas and $10 off at Shoes by Lara.  But my ultimate find was a $50 gift certificate to Auld Ennew, a brand new vintage and modern “gently loved” fashion boutique in Georgetown.  Auld Ennew brought some samples from their boutique, one of which was a gorgeous green Betsey Johnson dress that I absolutely must have. Auld Ennew doesn’t open until November 1st, so it looks like I will have to wait to see what my $50 will get me.

Another fun part of expos are the contests. I entered to win all sorts of gift certificates and prizes ranging from makeovers to money. Sure, I will end up on some mailing lists, but I couldn’t pass up the chance to win free stuff.

And if you’re willing to make a day of it with your girlfriends, fashion and beauty expos offer free haircuts, makeup makeovers, manicures, and more.  After hitting up the booths for an hour or two, you will be ready for a night on the town!

Only after I collected all my freebies did I make another pass to browse at the fashions. My favorite booth was South Moon Under.

Very cute, but very pricey. Their contest was a chance to go shopping in the store before it opens so you have it all to yourself. If I won, I wouldn’t be able to buy anything! haha.

Most of the people there were so stylish. I took a picture of Andrea, who I absolutely loved!

Isn’t her hair awesome?  But not everyone was quite as well put together.

Yikes!

So next time you hear about any expos near you, be sure to go because it’s fab, fun, and full of freebies!

Hello all you Mafiettes out there, I’m a thirteen year old girl from Australia and I am going to be helping out with the posts at Prom Mafia!

I’ll be known as Vintage Rose.  Yeah, I love vintage things, collecting silk scarves, and darling little purses, why? Well I love finding things that no one else has, things that are special and unique, and make me who I am.

Although, what I really love is quality clothes for a quality price, and of course creating my own fashion and style. I also enjoy collecting little vintage things and making them into my own special creation, such as creating a handbag out of a skirt.  (Don’t you worry, I’ll make a post about how to do it!)

Until next time ladies,

Vintage Rose x

Editorial Note: Please please please don’t be a slutty bunny, slutty cop, or any other slutty (fill in the blank). It’s so crass and unoriginal. Now, that’s not to say you can’t be cute, just be classy!

Since it can be tough to save money on a costume, you can help yourself out by (1) planning ahead and (2) making smart purchases. By smart purchases, I mean picking pieces you can wear on other occasions.  Perfect example: Flapper Girl.

Take a fringe dress…

From bebe.com

And finish it off with some cute accessories.

From unique-vintage.com

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From unique-vintage.com

You could go for a royal look from Milanoo, a long dress…

Or, short dress.

Or, with the resurgence of 50s fashion, you could easily turn a vintage dress into a Pin Up Girl costume.

From unique-vintage.com

Or what about a Flamenco Dancer?

All you’d need is this dress…

From modcloth.com

…a pashmina…

From amazon.com

…and a chic flower for your hair.

If you like the convenience of a “costume in a bag” and don’t mind spending money on something you’ll wear only once a year, here are a couple cute options from Spirit.

From spirithalloween.com

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From spirithalloween.com

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From spirithalloween.com

As for me, I’m going as a Girl in a Mask because I got an amazing mask that I just have to wear!

What are you going to be for Halloween?

I was bored yesterday, and with no money to go shopping, I decided to “shop” in my closet. I found this shirt that was given to me by my brother because he ordered it online and didn’t like it in person. It’s a large and I’m a small, so I never wear it even though I love the graphic art on it.

Isn’t it awesome? It was a shame to only wear it to bed, so I decided to revamp it into a tunic. It turned out pretty cute and I thought I’d share the steps with you so you can make your own!

1. Cut out the neckline.

2. Shorten the sleeves.

3. Turn the shirt inside out and sew long, loose stitches (also called basting). This can be done with a sewing machine or by hand. Make sure the back and the front are done separately. This will make it easier to gather.

Be sure to leave long strings at each end.

4. Now gather the fabric. You do this by holding the string in one hand and pushing the fabric away from the end of the string with the other hand.

Make sure the gathering is even all the way across. Estimate or measure the circumference of the gathering compared to your bust. You want it a little larger than your bust so you can slip it over your hips or shoulders. Once you think it is the right size, tie knots in the long strings.

5. Try on the tunic to make sure you can get it on. It took me two tries to get it right. If you hear the stitches ripping, don’t worry about it. Basting stitches are meant to be temporary. If it doesn’t fit, try loosening the gathering.

6. If it fits, sew a strip of elastic over the gathering. I used “invisible thread” since the thread would be going directly through the graphic art.

6. Remove the basting. Since it is loose stitching, it should come out pretty easily. And that’s it!

What do you think? Are you going to try this?

I found this old foyer light/chandelier thing at a garage sale last weekend for $3 and decided to shabby chic it. (I didn’t think to write this post until after I took out the wiring and the three bulbs, so here it is all dismantled.)

It is full of details that will look great when it’s all antiqued.

The first step is to clean it with a damp cloth. Then spray the heck out of it with primer. Be sure to use BONDING primer that can be used on shiny surfaces. You will need to spray on multiple coats until your piece loses that gray shadowy hue.

Next mix a clear glazing medium with a smidge of cheapie dark brown acrylic paint. Both of these can be found at a craft store.

Liberally cover a small area with the mixture, making sure you get in all the crevices.

Gently wipe the mixture off. Don’t worry about wiping it off evenly because imperfections will give it a more authentic antiquiness.

Repeat this until you have covered the whole thing. Then spray with a glossy sealant. Once it is dry, you are ready to add your crystals. I found these for $4 a piece at a local lighting and chandelier store. They were originally $6 a piece, but I got them on sale because they were leftovers. I didn’t want them to match anyway, so it all worked out.

I used clear jewelry wire to secure the crystals.

And voila! For $15, I have a shabby chic one of a kind piece!