A New Beginning of Sorts

So, okay, it's been almost a year since the ol' blog has been updated. However, if you follow CRC on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook, you know that I've still been shining a light on all the fabulous, funky, and fashionable favorites our fair city has to offer. Keeping you updated on new shops, events, cool items, and more! As I do every year I celebrated Small Business Saturday in November and had fun shopping local for the holidays.

And as spring slowly makes its way to Cleveland, I've decided to try some new things to help keep this blog fresh and fun. I'm starting a series of posts spotlighting some of the wonderful things I've purchased at local businesses either recently or over the years. Those of you who are fans of Mindy Kaling may or may not remember her short-lived blog "Things I've Bought That I Love," and in a way, this will be the Cleveland version!

Of course I'll still be keeping you updated with new boutiques, shopping trips, or vendor events. Much of that will likely be happening through social media, whereas other focuses will be published here on the blog.

Crooked River Couture has been around for nearly four years and although there may have been some timeline gaps along the way, I've always believed in the creativity, artistry, and style of this city. Things like the Cleveland Flea, the 5th Street Arcade, and Fashion Week Cleveland prove that this is just as much a part of Cleveland's renaissance.

So if you've been following CRC either in blog form or on social media or are just happening upon this post, I want to hear from you! This project started as a way to promote great local businesses that may not always get the recognition that the restaurants, bars, or other entities get. If there's a new boutique opening up on your block, let me know! If you just bought a rad new Cleveland tee shirt, show it off! Or if you know of a cool event coming up, share the details!

Again, be sure to keep up with Crooked River Couture on all of its social media platforms (which can be found on the right sidebar of the blog) for even more fabulous, funky, fashionable Cleveland love. Thanks so much for reading!

April showers bring local, handmade flowers

Courtesy: The Cleveland Flea

Seriously you guys, I know I always talk about the weather but it has been SUCH a nice week here in Northeast Ohio! And with the Indians season underway, two major motion pictures filmed here premiering, patio season around the corner, it's a good time to be in the CLE!

In case that's not enough excitement for you, there are some great local events going on this weekend, if shopping local is your thing (which it probably is since you're reading this blog). Check out the details and support your local artists and vendors!

Tremont ArtWalk
Friday April 11, 6-10pm
Tremont Neighborhood
www.tremontartwalk.com
Did you know this monthly event has been around since the early 90s? On the second Friday of every month over 20 Tremont galleries and businesses come together to showcase art and offer specials and discounts. Whether you're a Tremont lifer or have always wanted to check out the area, it's always a great time. Plus, this is the first really nice weather day they've had for the ArtWalk so you know it won't be one to miss! Check out their website for more details on what to do and where to go!

The Cleveland Flea: April Flea
Saturday April 12, 9am-4pm
Sterle's Slovenian Country House
(1401 E. 55th, Cleveland)
www.theclevelandflea.com
The Flea has really become the end-all be-all of Cleveland arts and craft shows. And to call it an arts and crafts show is an understatement! Over 100 vendors will be in attendance, selling just about everything from jewelry to vintage, photography to food. Located in the historic Sterle's Country House, the event basically has it's own campus complete with multiple bars, live music stages, and of course shopping areas! Be sure to check out the workshops being offered throughout the day including terrarium making and all-day open crafting. (The Flea also does a great job on social media --- be sure to like them on Facebook for more info and updates!)

2014 Summit County Spring Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show
Saturday April 12, 10am-5pm
Sunday April 13, 11am-5pm
St. George's Fellowship Centre
(3204 Ridgewood Rd., Fairlawn)
We love the Avant-Garde shows and are so glad they pop up so often and in so many locations around Northeast Ohio! Get unique gifts for Mom or pick up something to give your Easter brunch host from the nearly 100 artists and crafters who will be there. Also, check out their Facebook page because in the weeks leading up to one of their shows they will post photos and info about their vendors. It's $3 to get in and part of the proceeds to this event will benefit Drink Local. Drink Tap., a local non-profit focusing on bringing safe water to those in need.

Be cool. Shop local.

The temps are dropping (consistently), decorations are sprouting up everywhere, and Starbucks' red cups are back. It's time to face the facts - Christmas is coming, and that means so is the holiday shopping season! It may seem like a burden when your idea of Christmas shopping is trudging to the mall or busy shopping plaza and facing the insanity.

Believe it or not, it doesn't have to be that way. If you take a page from our book, shopping local is where it's at! Skip out on all the craziness, support independent businesses and vendors, AND chances are, your friends and family will truly appreciate something unique for Christmas this year!

If you're at a loss for where to start, fear not, Crooked River Couture is here! We are all about shining a light on all the fabulously awesome small businesses in the Cleveland area! Keep up with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and of course the ol' blog here for great places to shop as well as shows and events that will help you with your all-local holiday to-do list!

Here are some upcoming November events to kick off the season right...

Beachwood Arts Council Holiday Arts & Crafts Show
Saturday, Nov. 9, 10am-5pm
Beachwood Community Center (25225 Fairmount Blvd.)
www.beachwoodarts.org
Get your arts & crafts on at this free event! Browse the over 50 vendors selling their handmade jewelry, soaps, ceramics, photography, fiber art, handblown glass and more! Plus the Beachwood Arts Council will be accepting canned good donation for the Heights Emergency Food Center to help the hungry during the holidays! It's a win-win!


2013 West Side Fall Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show
Saturday, Nov. 16, 10am-5pm 
Sunday, Nov. 17, 10am-5pm
Rocky River Memorial Hall (21016 Hilliard Blvd.)
www.avantgardeshows.com
We are so excited about this two-day craftastic extravaganza! $3 gets you in the door to browse the almost 100 local handmade vendors! Part of the proceeds to this event will benefit Drink Local. Drink Tap., a local non-profit focusing on bringing safe water to those in need. Plus on top of all that you can treat yo self at the on-site concession stand!

Fall Funky Prep

Well Cleveland, today's high temperature was right around 50°, which that means summer is officially over and we will likely not see warmer temps until March. Maybe April. All right, probably May. But hey, with all the positives we have in this town, we have to accept some negatives right?

Although we may be hesitant to accept the cooler weather, at least we have fall fashion (and pumpkin spice lattes!) to keep us happy and warm inside. Let's take a look at my #OOTD...

I am all about the infinity scarf. Even scarves I've bought recently that aren't of the never ending variety I tie up the ends to make them that way! H&M has perfected this trend with their jersey tube scarves. The best part about this scarf is that there is so much material bunched up around your neck, you could, hypothetically, make it a blanket, a lap warmer or even a seat cushion!

Denim shirts have been in for a few seasons now which means they're easier and cheaper to find than ever. Old Navy has a wide variety from your basic light wash denim oxford to cute patterned ones, including always irresistible polka dots.

Fashion is nothing without comfort, especially here in the midwest. Comfy pants and jeans are now as accessible as ever. I have two pairs of these Jennifer Lopez pants and the black are a perfect pair for any denim shirt. Plus they fit like a dream and feel like a second skin on top of being cute, flattering and on-trend!

I resisted the oxford shoe for long enough before I spotted a pair for a cool $15 at Marshalls with hot pink accents. You have to commit to these and accept that they're a little masculine and a little preppy but their super cool and make you feel like a hipster (even if you're not into that whole scene ;).

Although this outfit may be fun and funky, color wise it could use a bit of a pick-me-up, and that's always where accessories come in! Multi-colored jewels are very in and easy to come by. Pair any denim/black/grey/brown ensemble with eye popping color jewelry to brighten up the cloudiest of fall days!

Stay tuned for more fall fashion #OOTD (Outfits Of The Day) all season long! The best way to honor the beautiful Ohio fall foliage is to suit up with fabulous fall fashion!

"Cock your hat, angles are attitudes."

As I tweeted last week, I got to go shopping the past two weekends! A rarity these days, on account of my shallow bank... account. But I had some spare change and thought I'd have a little me time at Great Northern Mall and Crocker Park. I even got into a kind of "what the hell, I'll buy it!" kind of mood. Don't worry I didn't go too crazy, just crazy enough. And by crazy enough I mean crazy enough to buy THIS hat!

Ohhh yeah. Here's the story... Remember when I went to LA last month? My friend and I did a little shopping in Old Town Pasadena and took a pit stop at H&M. There was this GREAT maroon fedora kind of hat with a black band and feathers on the side. It looked fun so I put it on and kept it on for the remainder of our browsing. When it was time to leave, bestie said to me, "aren't you getting that?" I told her I didn't think so, it was $17 and I didn't really need it. Turns out it didn't matter that I didn't need it because I totally bought it when I saw it here back home. I wore it the rest of the day at the mall and I felt so baller. It fits so nicely and honestly feels down right lovely on my head! I have thusly dubbed it my new fall hat and will be really mad at myself if I do not wear this thing OUT. I hope to be known as the maroon hat girl all around Northeast Ohio.

Speaking of hats, I also bought a new straw hat at Kohl's. It's replacing one I got there a few years ago that was actually from Guinness and had a fun shamrocky patterned band around it. But due to excessive wear and tear, my good ol' chapeau has just about run its course and it was time for a new one. This one is a bit more structured and has a very nautical red and navy band. I've already worn it on a few bad hair days this week!

Back at H&M, I also bought a great new bag. Remember my white lace bag I bought on eBay? Don't get me wrong, I love that purse but it's a bit small and honestly a little too springy/summery, so when I saw this Givenchy look-a-like in a nice rose tan I had to snag it. 

The other thing I fawned over at the Pasadena H&M was this feather-patterned scarf. The past two autumns I've bought a new scarf there and I absolutely love them. I usually get a really fun and colorful one, big and comfy that I can throw on with any outfit between now and March! Keeping with this tradition when I saw the feather scarf I did not buy in Pasadena I, you guessed it, bought it here. Can't wait when it gets really fall-y and I can wear it with my trench coat and drink pumpkin spice lattes. And wear my maroon hat, of course.

Skip a week to a quick outing at Crocker Park. I hadn't been in the new Anthropologie yet, which is probably a good thing because that place is down right dangerous. I want EVERYTHING but can afford NOTHING, with one wonderful exception - SALE ITEMS! This blue striped dolman sleeved top was marked down twice - from $78 (ridiculous) to $39 (obnoxious) to $19.99 (fairly reasonable). And now it's mine!  It's kinda funky but also kinda awesome and I can't wait to wear it.

I hope I didn't bore you with my shopping sagas. I just really haven't really been for a while. And honestly, even if I hadn't bought anything it would have been fun. Just being around fashion when I haven't for so long was plenty to tide me over! So here's to retail therapy, or, giving that whole "I'll go window shopping without my wallet" thing a go :)

*Title quote by Frank Sinatra

Just do it (yourself)!

I’m baaack! I know it’s been a while since my last post, and trust me it’s been killing me. On my time off however I did take a fun little trip to Los Angeles. I had a blast and even as you know I love the Cleve, it was good to get away. (And the weather was beautiful!)

So between the trip and work I’ve had limited time to get my blog on! But fortunately I had some recent inspiration for a post and I’m bringing it to you right now.

I’ve noticed lately that DIY projects are becoming really big. It’s always cool to answer the question “where did you get that?” with “I made it myself!” Whether it’s an expertly crafted silver ring or just a scarf made from some fabric you found lying around the house. That particular joy, plus the usually cheaper cost, makes DIY the perfect way to add new items to your collection.

This personal DIY revolution of mine started this spring when I saw something online about making old t-shirts into scarves. I have so many old tees that, for some reason, I refuse to get rid of. (Never know when you might need that holey graphic tee from Target that never fit…right?) I figured that making things I hoard into things I’ll actually use was a pretty good idea.  I preferred the simple t-shirt scarf to the fringe one. It’s so easy, just cut a straight line across the tee right under the armholes so it’s just a rectangle (or square) shaped. Throw it over your neck and voilà!  I made a few scarves, but seeing as how it was late April I didn’t have a ton of time to wear them. Looking forward to the fall for that!

I kind of went scarf crazy and cut up a ton of my old shirts. Some were kind of small and weren’t going to make great scarves. So I got creative and made headbands out of them. Especially in the summer I wear a lot of cloth headbands to keep the hair out of my face. My favorite one that I made was this one, constructed out of a shirt printed with a plethora of peace signs. It was always so cute, but just not as a tight fitting t-shirt. I didn’t have to do much after I cut it for the scarf, again just straight across under the armholes. Then all I do when I want to wear it is twist it around, double it up, and stretch it around my head!  I usually twist it twice, it makes a nice knot on the bottom and looks a lot better. When I’m feeling particularly funky I sometimes put the knot on top instead of under my hair. Either way, so cute, so simple and so cheap!

A little while later I took a trip to Pat Catan’s, also known as the World’s Greatest Craft store. Look it up. Seriously, Catan’s is one of the greatest Cleveland institutions, far superior to national craft supply chains. I had been noticing that feathers were very in but I could never find any feather accessories I was crazy about, although I liked the idea. I thought I would see if they had any fun feathers at Catan’s to maybe make something out of. You know how sometimes you have a shopping mission that comes up short? Well this surely was not one of those times. I found a four pack of tan and black feather bunches that were so perfect. All I had to do was wrap the tips with wire and slip on an earring hook and I got these great new feather earrings! A very legitimate alternative to feather hair extensions.

With this DIY kick still going, I found myself in Urban Outfitters at Crocker Park one lovely spring day and happened across this great book on their book table. It’s called P.S. – I Made This… and it is choc full of fun and easy DIY fashion projects. Instead of paying $20 I figured I’d see if the library had a copy. Lucky me! Found one at the Lakewood Library for, oh what? FREE. There are so many great ideas in this book, I highly recommend checking it out.

So far I’ve only done one project but I definitely plan on doing more. The second I turned the page to see this ring necklace I knew I had to do it. I have so many rings I never wear and, as the book describes, not enough fingers for! From class rings, to a bent Claddagh, heirlooms from my mom and grandmas and cheap ones from mall stores, I had plenty to go around. All I had to do was round them all up, buy some strong cord and slide them on! I twisted the cord to create a braided effect and to make it extra strong. I just did this one the other day so I haven’t worn it yet but I am so excited to. It is sure to be a huge conversation piece!

I hope this will inspire you go out there and make some of your own fashions! Not only does it keep you from spending money you don’t have, it really is fun and makes each item more meaningful.  And, coming from someone who can’t sew to save her life, it’s easy to find ideas for any skill level. Have fun!

Weekend full of fashion fun!

So there are quite a few stylish happenings going on around town this weekend. I'm going to try to check out as many of these that I can, and you should definitely do the same.

The first is Friday's Stash Style sale in Rocky River. As you may remember I posted about Stash Style a few months ago. It used to be a permanent shop in Chagrin Falls, but is now a travelling pop up shop that happens to be having an event at Beachcliff this weekend! According to the Facebook event page it runs Friday from 5-8 p.m. although on their blog it says Saturday as well. I posted on their page to ask about Saturday, so I'll post whatever I hear about that. Stash Style has such unique stuff I really hope I am able to hit this one up - and I'm thankful it's much closer to my house than C-Falls.

Another great event going on that I am for sure attending is the APL Metromix Fashion Show on Saturday downtown at the Arcade. I have actually never been to a real fashion show before and I am so amped for this one. It does cost money to get in and you can snag tix at the door or for $6 cheaper in advanced (check out Metromix's event page for ticket details). The proceeds will go to benefit the APL, and who wouldn't want to check out a totally awesome fashion show to help out local puppies and kitties? I'll be there taking tickets make sure to stop and say hey. Doors open at 6:30!

And thirdly Saturday is also Walk All Over Waterloo in Collinwood from 4-7 p.m. There are so many great shops out there on Waterloo and a lot of them are partaking in Saturday's neighborhood event and offering deals. It's a great chance to check out some of these fantastic local spots all on the same day!

I know it's going to be a hot weekend here in the CLE but why not take a break from the pool and the AC and get your local fashion on! There are plenty of opportunities to do so, and I for one am pretty excited myself! Hopefully I'll get to post about some of these events next week. Stay cool!

Post Preview: Red and White Flower Pin

As a result of two crazy weeks and the holiday weekend I have yet to put together a full post. But wait no longer, I'm working on a new entry at this very moment! I will definitely, DEFINITELY post it later tonight. So I thought I'd throw up this quick preview (in addition to my last preview) to tease tonight's full post!