Concrete Catwalk // Easter

this was the outfit i wore to church on easter sunday with the fam,

and i must say that it was so comfortable, i could have stayed in it all day.

(i did change for our easter dinner, and you'll see that look monday!)

the caftan was a spur-of-the-moment, ridiculously easy DIY 

that i whipped up for myself right before i left KC, 

and since i know you will ask me how i did it, 

i'll promise to do a tutorial video for you soon.

if you follow the concrete catwalk on twitter, 

you might have seen me tweet about my new handbag...

it was one of my fabulous finds from while i was in scottsdale,

and my mom was kind enough to snag it for me while we were out antiquing one day.

it was only $6 and it has a detachable shoulder strap and lots of interior pockets. LOVE!

the necklace and new silver rings are all from a large collection of jewelry 

that i inherited from my nana when she passed away this year.

this trip was the first time i had gotten a chance to look through it all,

so i'm sure you'll be seeing lots and lots of new baubles and bangles in the upcoming days.

i always feel kind of weird listing where all my jewelry is from (plus, i wear a lot of it!),

so unless it's available for purchase somewhere
you can just assume that it's either thrifted, gifted or inherited.

and you know you can always feel free to ask if you ever have any specific questions. 

:)

sheer caftan top - homemade by me! (leftover fabric from hobby lobby)

layering cami - old navy

necklace - gift from nana (similar)

skirt - express (similar)

heels - fergie from endless.com (similar)

handbag - vintage, gift from mom

Giveaway // My Mom the Style Icon

i'm so excited to share today's fun post with you! it seems perfectly appropriate since i'm still at home visiting my family and because mother's day is right around the corner.

the giveaway features the darling book, my mom, the style icon, by piper weiss - and you can have a chance at winning your very own signed copy by leaving a comment on this post!

i devoured the whole book in just one sitting, and especially loved seeing all of the fabulous vintage on the stylish mamas!

it was a lot of fun looking at all of the fun categories and styles that piper features, and even more fun hunting through old photographs so that i could show you a peek at a few of the stylish women in my family (of which there are many!)

my nana (dad's side)

 midi skirt and pretty sheer sleeves!

 i think i inherited her love of hats!

 gloves and another gorgeous hat, plus my papa in a 3-piece suit

my meema (mom's side)

 

that's her on the right in saddle shoes & a pretty corsage

 pretty patterned shirt dress... do you think i look like her?

flowy peach off-the-shoulder maxi dress at my parents wedding - amazing!

my mama

 

in her sassy red bellbottoms, with my uncle

 

 

denim on denim - love it!

 

wish she still had this tube top because i would steal it from her!

 

gorgeous despite the hilarious 80s hair!

my aunt

can't skip over my beautiful aunt sally... 

she's one of my best friends, and i love her like a sister!

hope you enjoyed the sneak peak and be sure to check out piper's blog and leave a comment on this post (with your name and email) for a chance to win a signed copy of my mom, the style icon!

i'll close the comments and draw a winner on monday at 9am, so check back to see if you're the lucky duck and stay tuned for the first of the arizona outfit posts tomorrow!

Concrete Catwalk // Strappy Ssekos

comparing today's outfit photos with the last ones, i'm realizing that i was feeling a mite uninspired last week.  sometimes when i'm in a little rut, i notice that i reach for lots of neutrals and fall back on tried and true classics - narrow black cropped denim is such a great go-to piece for me, and i have it in multiple variations (as you can see).  by starting with the basics, it is easier to punch up the look with fun prints and accessories that can make it a little more exciting and i also feel like it tides you over until the inspiration strikes again.

wanna know another thing i do that helps make my wardrobe feel re-energized? add a new pair of shoes!  lucky for me, i had a few new sassy sseko sandal straps delivered to my doorstep, and i couldn't wait to try them out and share them with you!

these are the wild thing metallic sandals, and i thought they were perfect for my safari-esque look! i already own a cute stripey pair of straps that are perfect for preppy or nautical-inspired looks (past outfits here & here), but when the metallic options came out last week, i KNEW i had to give them a try.

there are soooo many things i love about these sandals:

- they are crafted by some of the most amazing young women in kampala, uganda who are working toward saving enough money to attend university (read more about their story here)

- the ENDless amount of ways that you can tie your ssekos make it like a whole bunch of strappy sandals rolled into one... on top of that, the straps are interchangeable, so grab a couple of your favorites and you'll never be able to use the excuse that they don't match what you're wearing!

- the husband and wife team who run the company are some of my favorite people in the whole wide world, and i SO admire the hardwork and dedication that they put into this labor of love

pretty awesome, huh?

what are your favorite strappy sandals for summer?

top - urban outfitters

vest - vintage, thrfited

belt - vintage, was mom's

necklace - gift from mom

black denim - levi's from urban outfitters

sandals - c/o sseko designs

Partner Spotlight // w. 18th St Fashion Show

today, i'm happy to welcome a new sponsor to the concrete catwalk...

the west 18th street fashion show is by far one of the biggest style events of the year, here in kansas city, and it is one that i always look forward to whole heartedly!  this year's show is the 11th annual and will be held at sundown on saturday, june 11th.  all 18 of the handpicked local designers will be showing collections that are coordinated with the show's theme: "summer in spain."

i'm so excited i can hardly stand it!!  it all takes place on the eclectic crossroads block of 18th street between baltimore and wyandotte, and if you are at all interested in fashion, design or the creative arts, you should definitely try to make it out.  as if it couldn't get any better, the event is free (with ticketed seats starting at $35) and i would LOVE to see you there. :)

because the west 18th street fashion show is an event that promotes and celebrates local designers and budding fashion industry pros, i'm SO happy to have them as a sponsor of our site.  cheers to supporting each other and to encouraging growth within kansas city's fashion industry!

*the concrete catwalk is still accepting sponsors for the month of may, so if you are a like-minded independent business that is interested on increasing your visibility and helping to make TCC possible, email me for the break down of our stats and extremely reasonable rates!*

Concrete Catwalk // Black & White

there has definitely been plenty of color-blocking and brights all over the blogosphere lately,
and while i love both trends, the other night i just felt like keeping it simple with black and white.
...couldn't resist the neon orange lips and nails, however.

for added impact, i grabbed my favorite enormous vintage, crocheted half-moon clutch
(ok, you got me - it's my only one like that)
and my highest patterned heels, and i was ready to go.

top - vintage, thrifted
necklace - francesca's (last seen here)
jeans - j. crew (last seen here... with the same heels)
clutch - vintage, thrifted
heels - forever21

Concrete Catwalk // Sequin Stripes

this top combines two of my favorite trends: sequins & stripes

plus, who can resist a giant puff sleeve??

not me, no sir.

i'd love to say that this piece was one of my own vintage finds,

but it was a gift from the darlings behind the online vintage marketplace, 

market publique.

can't wait to try and style it up in a few more ways...

i see my new minty green sheer maxi skirt working itself in somehow.

guess we'll have to wait and see how the mood strikes!

hope everyone has a FABULOUS friday,

and i'll see you next week!

XOXO

sequin blouse - vintage, c/o market publique

green silk blouse - vintage, thrifted (also seen here)

demi curve jeans - c/o levi's curve id

heels - macy's

bag - vintage, thrifted

Concrete Catwalk // Patterned Pants

gosh, i love me some printed pants

and the crazier, the better, really.

i generally reach for a neutral top to pair them with

(see the last time i wore these here)

but this outfit called for something a little more exciting,

so i threw on this silky pink blouse, painted my nails bright orange,

and donned my tallest heels for happy hour with a girlfriend.

top - vintage, thrifted

cropped pants - vintage, thrifted

handbag - vintage, thrifted

platforms - jessica simpson dany heels

Loving // Style Bloggers Map

calling all style/fashion bloggers!

sweet linda at rose a la mode had the brilliant idea 

to create a place where style bloggers can put a "pin" 

to mark their hometown, creating a style bloggers map!

it ends up being a great way to find other blog friends in your area, 

or to find people to connect with when you travel. how fun!!!

i love clicking around on some of my favorite cities and finding new sites to follow!

i know TCC has quite a few new readers since the last time i asked this question, 

so feel free to introduce yourself in the comments and tell me: where do you call home?

Concrete Catwalk // Cutoffs

i tweeted the other day about wanting to find the perfect pair of denim cutoff shorts,

but i am still on the hunt, and am rocking these oldies from college in the meantime.

i'd definitely be up for a DIY pair, but i'm really picky about fit when it comes to shorts

and i don't really have any jeans that are hackable right now.

will you let me know if you've seen any great pairs or how-to tutorials?

i would also like to note that the first photo above is perfectly appropriate for today.

despite the fact that i'm fighting the same sick that g has had all last week,

i'm literally jumping for joy because i leave for arizona tomorrow!

i LOVE visiting my homestate, and i'm super excited to spend 10 days with my family, 

and meet with some new clients for some special on-location consults.

i'll still be blogging while i'm gone (i've got some great posts lined up!)

and am REALLY excited about all of the outfits i packed

so i'll have lots of fun ones to share with you when i get back.

*hint: they are all ARIZONA themed! cheesy? perhaps! will you love it? hopefully!*

here's hoping you have a couple leaps-of-joy in your monday, too.

XOXO

top - vintage, thrifted

shorts - citzens of humanity

earrings - early jewelry

necklace - garage sale

bag - target

moccasins - minnetonka, tj maxx