Life has gotten busier and busier until I’ve gotten to the point where I can no longer hope to maintain this blog.  It’s been such a delightful journey and I’ve LOVED working on it.  However, my food photography business is keeping me so busy and to keep things moving forward, I need to give it my full attention.  I’ve decided to only blog at my TheArtisticMom.com blogsite.  I’d LOVE you to stop by and say “hello” from time-to-time!  I will miss my CreatedByChicks.com readers so much!!!

And since I really believe that CreatedByChicks.com is a truly great site, I hate to see it just evaporate into thin air.  The readership is good and was continually building.  The Facebook group has lots of fabulous, creative people within it.  And – if you don’t mind me saying so – I really love the graphic design for this blog.  If you or anyone you know would be interested in taking over CreatedByChicks.com, I’d LOVE it!  Send me an email (quinn {at} limelightfoodphotography {dot} com) and we can talk specifics of working out a transfer.

Thank you SOOOOO much for your readership and support of CreatedByChicks.com!!!  I’ve resisted making this change for awhile because I knew I would miss CreatedByChicks.com so much if I stopped.  But, alas, missing it or not, I must move on.  All my love to you in your creative pursuits!!! xoxo

After another week of communicating at a level of children under 4 years old, I (in desperation) asked my husband for a topic to spark some thought into my head. Surprisingly he said “Write about what kind of purse is going to come in.”

As I outlined this post I asked him where his stroke of genius had come from. He told me about a coworker that came back in after work and said “I noticed my purse seemed too light when I got to the car, then I realized I forgot my laptop.” Then she proceeded to easily drop her laptop into her magic “Mary Poppins” bag.

That was more than I needed; he had just given me everything for my post today. Thank you Seth!

The Evolution of the Purse Through 2010-2011 year.

Let’s start with a little recap of where we have been:

• Gathered “Mary Poppins” carpet bags with a leather twist

Where purses are going:

1. Gathers will turn to box pleats
2. Fold over tops
3. Shrink until reaches the size of a clutch.
4. Excess fabric will disappear and smooth sleek structures will emerge.
5. Details and emphasis will be added though: Fabric pattern, color, texture, and line.

Race Day Leather Clutch Purse in Caramel by gogovivi

Silk Lined Red and Cream Cameo Frame Kisslock Clutch by Briana Edelman Designs

Here is Why these changes will happen:

1. Spring is here with Summer right behind it. We want to lose weight, the easiest place to lose it is in our purse. Plus we don’t need to balance out all of the winter layers and Uggs
2. “Simplify, de-clutter, and don’t look excessive.” These are the themes for this year and next. The general population is tired of people who look “fake,” as if their stuff has to be brought everywhere in order to prove themselves. Minimize and you look simply secure.
3. Symbolically- “Our pocket books are shrinking” The economy is down and we don’t have excess and waste, in or on our purses. There may not be a lot of money in there, but we are secure with that. We will find that there is so much we can do with a good fabric, print or pattern, design and ingenious detailing.

As a side note for beach bags, of course you can’t fit a towel in a clutch.

Blue Lotus Collection Lined in Apricot Silk by Fiazco

So just look for simple lines and splashes in the summer favorite colors (check out the post on Spring/Summer colors).

This week’s featured creative chick is one of my dear friends, Heather Carson.  Not only is she a talented graphic artist and designer, she’s a wonderful mother of SIX.  And, Heather has the most amazing, gorgeous red hair I’ve ever seen… it’s absolutely stunning!

Recently I asked Heather to design a logo for my food photography business, Limelight Food Photography, and she did an AMAZING job!!!  She designed my logo to be like a produce sticker and then created the back of my business card to look like the logo “sticker” was on some limes.  I love it!  I couldn’t be happier with this design!  Heather is brilliant and so creative!

Now you get the opportunity to get to know Heather better and be creatively inspired today:

A little about Heather:

I love to create. My memories of childhood are filled with making things. I was always working on some sort of project – and then sometimes trying to sell them to my poor neighbors. When I finally found the career of Design during college, I couldn’t get enough. Many of my peers specialized in a certain area but I couldn’t pick and went with the degree that let me do as many things as I could. I got a BA in Design and got to play around with industrial design, photography, illustration, interior design and graphic design. Since leaving school I have worked most of the time in graphic design- for other design companies and now on my own. I have done projects in the other disciplines as well. I am a serial entrepreneur and love to create logos, branding, and business identity materials. But I can’t stay away from anything creative for too long. Since having a family I added sewing, crocheting, and general mess making to my list of creative adventures. I could spend hours in the art store deciding which supply or technique to try out next.

1. Why is creativity important to you?

Creativity is like breathing. It’s essential to everyday life. It helps me look beyond routine and dig deeper into what I want to accomplish in all areas of my life.

Daniel Patrick Moynihan has a quote that says, “Creativity is piercing the mundane to find the marvelous.” I love that!

2. What do you enjoy creating the most?

As a graphic designer, I am on the computer a lot. I love creating digital art for my clients. But if I didn’t balance that out with some hands on creativity, I think it would get stale. I love being creative in my home. Making things from scratch, fixing stuff up, creating things for my kids & not worrying about if anyone will like it. That’s when it’s freeing. Just creating to create. Love that!

3. Do you have any fears when creating? Are your family & friends supportive of the things you create?

Yes! When I am working with clients, there is always that moment when you turn over your work and kind of hold your breath till you hear back. Kind of like sending your kids off to school on the first day. You just want them to do well, be liked, and behave themselves :)

My family and friends are supportive of what I create. But a lot of times, I find that they don’t really understand what I do. “Designer” is kind of a broad term. It applies to work in a lot of different industries. I saw a funny graphic designer t-shirt that said “I draw pictures all day.” Hah! So. True. Kind of.

4. How do you find time to create?

When my kids are in school, I have studio hours to work on design projects for my clients. I fit my other stuff in where I can. I have a production schedule that I made for myself. The hard part is sticking to it. Having a separate creative blog kind of forces that I get out from behind my desk and do some other projects.

5. Words of inspiration to creative chicks:

Keep a sketch book or inspiration journal. Fill it with every crazy thought, sketch, or random idea that comes into your head. I heard a quote once that said “don’t invite editors to brainstorming sessions”. If you have a self editor in your head, un-invite them to your sketchbook brainstorming. They will get their chance to work later when you zero in on a project. For now- just get the ideas out of your head and onto the page. You never know when something you put down will spark an idea for a future project.

______________________

Isn’t Heather awesome?!  I loved her advice and have been doing that to have a place to jot down all my wild, random thoughts of inspiration.  Thanks soooo much for inspiring us today, Heather!

See more of Heather and keep the creative inspiration flowing from her fab sites:

• MemoGraphicDesign.com
• TheModernHive.com
• GoodLookCookbook.com (remember how we mentioned them last week here?)

So I have had a few questions from Cara over at The DI Denizen about how to make your body proportionate if you are petite and would like to wear modest shorts. Since this fits right into body proportions we might as well address her questions. Cara’s first question was about where the hemline should be if you are petite. Her second question was about how or if you can wear ballet shoes with short muscular calves.

Here’s some helpful tips to obtain a more balanced proportion for petite/short hips and legs (along with answering Cara’s questions):

• Don’t cut the hemline too short – that will emphasize any shortness in the thigh – best to leave it covered. (We naturally look wider where we are short in proportion, and unfortunately our short areas are where our bodies usually like to store the fat) So no daisy dukes for those short and round in the lower regions. Even though some people in fashion think the only way to lengthen the leg is by wearing a shorter hemline, this is not the solution for all women, especially those who are older (more mature), or those of us who put weight on in the thigh region, which is very common for short legged women.

Women’s Pincord Bermuda Shorts by Land’s End – $36.50

• Bring your hemlines just above the knee, before your leg starts getting wider.  This keeps the illusion of thin legs rather than legs that are getting wider up into unknown (clothed) regions, never knowing where the wideness ends.

• Think outside the box: look at the clothed section as another whole section of the body that needs to be proportioned with the golden mean. (From the top of the shirt down to the bottom of the of the shorts.) If the hem of your shirt hits right in the middle of that section, you will look like a box. So if you are petite this is going to make you look like a short box. Leave your shirt un-tucked if you are wearing longer shorts! This will create a break in the clothing that follows the golden section. The hem of the blouse should come above the crease of your leg. This is especially important to balance out longer shorts.

• Use fitting and lines that flatter your figure: Fitted or loose, but not tight shorts. Tight pants on short legs emphasize that you are wider than is proportionate for your height. Horizontal wrinkles let us know where something is too tight. Wrinkles tend to point to the problem area. Plus the horizontal wrinkles cut the length of the garment and emphasize horizontal lines all over your body, creating the image of short. So avoid jeans that have been faded on the wrinkles at the crease of your leg.

Check Bermuda Short by Banana Republic – $49.50

• Avoid any repeating of horizontal lines. Repetition is a way of emphasizing a point in clothing (just the same as when mothers repeat the same thing over and over.) So don’t wear, wide, scooped, necklines. Do wear higher and more narrow (image below) necklines or crew-neck tees.

Tuxedo Top by DownEast Basics – $12.99-19.99

• Vertical lines! On your blouse or in the style-lines of the shorts, they are only a bonus for the petite!

On & Off Hours Blouse by Anthropologie – $68.00

• Keep it simple. Try not to have many side pockets and detailing.
• Wear a looser or more flowing top, with fitted pants.  This will help create the illusion that your leg continues and is thin to an imagined point.
• Skirts are another great alternative for the short legged, if you want to wear ballet shoes.  A slight A-line or narrow skirt is a good choice.  Don’t add too much fullness around your hip and thigh region though.
• Heels are always helpful, but not a necessity if you follow the suggestions below.
• Use color to your advantage:  Neutral and subtle tones in the shorts and a flashy color up top.  This will create the visual effect of lengthening the legs, and drawing the attention up top.
• Neutral/skin-tone shoes- Are a must if you have short, muscular, calves and you want to wear ballet shoes. Visually neutral tones lengthen and carry on the vertical line that we want to emphasize, rather than breaking it with color in a horizontal line.  Contrasting colors draw the attention to the short calves.  (So as cute as yellow ballet slippers may be, they are not a good choice with shorts and a short leg combo)

Eco-chic Ballerina Flats by The Generation – $55.00

• Use monochromatic color schemes.  This will help de-emphasize breaks in clothing lines that create horizontal lines.  If you don’t want to wear all one color all the time, break the color by using a long open cardigan, this will give you variety while still continuing the vertical lines.  You can also add colorful jewelry and accessories to break up the monotony.

Exposed Seam Cardigan & Heritage Roll-up Short by Banana Republic- Though these shorts are a little too short, the concept of the outfit is good.

Cara, and the rest of our short legged readers, I hope this helps you plan your Summer wardrobe!

If you have fashion questions for me, feel free to leave a comment on this post, blog your questions like Cara did) or send them to her directly by email at antelita {at} hotmail {dot} com.  Stay tuned as we continue to discuss proportion balancing, as well as fashion trends for spring and summer 2010.

I’m sooooo excited to tell you about this completely fabulous design blog some friends of CreatedByChicks.com have started.  It’s called the Good Look Cookbook and it’s going to be all about DIY Graphic Design “recipes.”  They’ve just put up their first awesome post which is all about taking the inspiration of Ukranian eggs:

And using that (and some outlined “ingredients) to create a unique, custom stationary set:

I love what these girls are “cooking up!”  Such a fun site and I’m thrilled to help spread the word about it.  Go check it out and get inspired!

(yes, I know yesterday I wrote I may not be back for the rest of the week posting, but consider this a sporadic attempt to write and not an “I’m fully back” post… *wink*)

For those of you who know me IRL, you’ll know that I LOVE wearing comfy maxi dresses.  It’s my absolute favorite clothing item and I’m thinking I can TOTALLY get away with wearing them all through out my pregnancy, too (will just have to watch the cuts and lines in each dress to be sure I don’t look like I’m wearing a tent).  Today I was browsing Target for something else and came across the Liberty of London maxi dresses.  Let’s just say, I’M IN LOVE!!!  I’ll take one of each, please.

Check them out:

Liberty of London for Target Halter Maxi Dress – Turquoise Isis Print - $34.99

Liberty of London for Target Smocked Top Maxi Dress – Pink Mark Lg Scale Print – $34.99

Liberty of London for Target Smocked Top Maxi Dress – Blue Grand Royal Print - $34.99

Also, I was perusing DownEast Basics the other day and came across this GORGEOUS maxi dress.  I love the lines on this and especially loved how they paired it with such a heavy necklace.  It really balances the look.

Oceanfront Dress – $34.99

So there you have it: I’m obsessed with maxi dresses and would be perfectly happy to wear one every single day of my life.  For those of you looking for the modest way to do this, I recommend wearing a simple, form-fitting modest t shirt, like these from ModBod (Tip: Stick to neutral tones like black, white, cream, etc. unless you find a top that matches the print colors perfectly.  The goal of the undershirt is for it to BLEND with the dress, rather than look like two very separate pieces.):

Perfect V Neck by ModBod – $21.95 – works best and looks the nicest with any maxi dresses that also have a v neck; try to pair your under shirt to have a similar neckline as the dress to keep things looking uniform and polished (and stop people from immediately thinking, “wow! She’s wearing an undershirt!” and instead thinking, “wow!  She looks foxy!”

Perfect Cap Sleeve with Lace – $21.95 – I’d buy this one to do a double-duty by wearing it under a maxi (with a square or round neck) and then wear it under a jacket or something else later (where the lace could show)

One of the things I LOVE about maxi dresses is that they can easily look dressy or casual.  For a casual look, just toss on flip-flops and simple jewelry.  For your hair, you can keep it really simple, wearing it down, in a pony tail or a loose top-knot.  Putting a cute scarf or headband on would easily add a breezy, carefree look to it, too.

For a more dressy look, wear kitten heels or ballet flats and add bigger, snazzier jewelry.  Then, you could even add a fancier headband (like the feathered ones I love to feature here).  You know how I’m also nuts about those. *wink*

Aren’t maxi dresses fabulous?!  Ooooh, la, la!  They rock my world!  Have you worn them before?  Are you feeling daring this spring/summer to try them?  You should!

Note: There are a LOT of poorly designed maxi dresses out there that are anything but flattering on the wearer (no matter what body type you have).  Be sure to watch for nice, tight, flattering lines for your figure and don’t go for maxi dresses that have too full of a skirt (often looks like a poofy tent).  Also, not all prints are flattering on every figure and skin-tone, so don’t go crazy with your maxi dress purchases.  If you’re new to the maxi dress, try a solid black or chocolate knit fabric one first and then when you can tell how to make that flattering, you can branch into the printed fabric maxi dresses.

Right at her dang computer, too overloaded with to-do’s to spend time writing her in blog… isn’t that sad?  Hoping to be back fully to blogging here within the next few days or so…. missing you!!! xoxox

I have been searching for an explanation of proportion and the golden mean, that is easier than using fractions. Since most of us don’t carry tape measures into dressing rooms, and doing fractions along with it is far too complex. So I found a simple explanation of ideal head to toe proportions.

1. Head- top of head top tip of chin (one head length will be our standard of measure)
2. Chin to bust point
3. Bust Point to Waist (navel or thinnest part of your torso)
4. Waist to Leg Break (the crease when you sit)
5. Leg break to Middle of Thigh
6. Middle Thigh to Middle of your Knee
7. Middle Knee to Middle Calf
8. Middle Calf to Bottom of foot

This image is not exact, but gives a basic break down of what we are looking for.  I hope this helps clarify and simplify the last few posts!

Having said this let’s move in to some elements of design to help give optical illusions to compensate in areas where we need a little proportion adjustment. We have discussed how to move our waists up or down with lines and detailing, now lets talk another main point of interest: The Bust. I won’t tell you what is too big or too small, I think we all know what category we fall in. If you are unsure you are probably just right!

For the Bust that is too Low or Small:

• The push up bra – one obvious solution
• Brighter colored or patterned tops with neutral to dark solid pants/skirts

Feathery Tank by Anthropologie – $68.00

• Multiple strands of Jewelry (not too big or it will emphasize what is not there)

Bohemian Blue and Red Necklace by Botanical Bird – (sold out)

• Don’t show too much skin. (for sleeveless wear a wide strap instead of strapless or spaghetti straps)

Wide Strap Dress by Treehouse 28 – (sold out)

• Detailing, ruffles, texture, and/or color around the neckline (help fill in the empty visual space)

Skinny Taffy Teal Scarflette Scarf by Flutter – $30.00

For High/Full Bust:

• Lower cut v- necks
• Bulky necklaces that hit between your collar bone and bust point

Handcrafted Artistic Stone Kambala Jasper, Obsidian and Sterling Silver Necklace (Item No. 707) by Minden Marie Jewelry – $49.00

• Button up shirts (don’t button too high!)
• Darker colored blouse with a patterned skirt

Snuggle Up Top/Wrap Around Shirt by Shihar – $85.00

Picnic Favor Outfit by Anthropologie

• Skin toned or light pink blouse with jacket or vest that comes to a low V

Tattoo Inspired Kiku Flower Womens V Neck T Shirt by Namu – $35.00

• Make sure your blouse is long enough to compensate for the fullness. (don’t tuck in your shirt)

For additional reading on Body Proportions, check out this article by Inside Out Style: Body Proportions Explained

p.s. For more fashion forecasting and help navigating the world of flattering natural beautiful you, be sure to subscribe to CreatedByChicks.com and become our Google Friend (sidebar)!

Today I’m featuring a creative chick who is a girl after my own heart.  Meet fellow-fashionista, Nicole Feliciano, the author of MomTrends.  I loved this description about her: Some fashionistas refuse to give up the high heels even after the kids come along. That’s the case with Nicole Feliciano, Editor and Founder of Momtrends.

I can totally relate to not giving up the heels.  My mom even warned me against buying more heels when I was pregnant with #1, saying “you’ll never use those after baby comes,” but – alas – I still do.  And it’s nice to know I’m in good company with Nicole also rockin’ her heels and promoting cool styles/fashions for moms via MomTrends.

Now you get the opportunity to get to know Nicole better and be creatively inspired today:

A little about Nicole:
Nicole Feliciano is a style maven based in Brooklyn, NY. She spent seven years in working in the fashion business for Polo Ralph Lauren prior to launching her writing career. Momtrends launched in 2007 and continues to provide the latest news on things trendy and cool for families. In addition to writing, Nicole consults with brands on social media and is an in-demand speaker on blogging and fashions. Nicole has two young daughters and extremely patient husband.

1. Why is creativity important to you?

I think my head would explode if I didn’t get to share all the amazing design finds I stumble upon. I’m a conduit for great style–be it a kid-sized sofa, heels that mom can walk in, or an amazing stroller. Writing is just an extension of my propensity to impart information and connect people.

2. What do you enjoy creating the most?

Momtrends! My blog/ezine that is the home for everything I find fabulous. It’s been three years in the making and I am so proud of the community I have built.

3. Do you have any fears when creating? Are your family & friends supportive of the things you create?

Typos. I am a horrid speller. And to make matters worse, my blogging platform doesn’t have spell check. My family is incredibly supportive. My husband (aka Mr. Momtrends) is always suggesting ideas for growing the business. And my two daughters love modeling the fashions I find and attending the amazing events that have come my way (Who wouldn’t love fifth row center tickets to see Mary Poppins on Broadway).

4. How do you find time to create?

I give up sleep. I used to be an 8-hour-a-night kind of girl before the kids. No longer. I am also getting very good at saying “No” when it comes to requests of my time.

5. Words of inspiration to creative chicks:

What are you waiting for? There is never perfect timing when it comes to babies or starting a business. If you are waiting for the planets to align forget about it! Get writing and figure out the rest as you go.

______________________

It’s been such a joy to read Nicole’s MomTrends posts.  And – though I’m not Friends expert – doesn’t Nicole’s life sound somewhat similar to the character, Rachel in Friends (at least the working for Ralph Lauren bit)?  So fun!  I’ve been really impressed by Nicole and how she’s been so kind to comment on this blog from time to time (thanks, Nicole!).

And SUCH great advice: What are you waiting for? There is never perfect timing when it comes to babies or starting a business.

Thanks for inspiring us today, Nicole!

Been a fun, busy weekend and I wanted to toss this out to let y’all know about this super-rad teleconference the Casual Blogger Conference ladies are putting together for this Thursday night:

As you know, the Casual Blogger Conference is bound to be absolutely amazing!  The purpose of this teleconference is let everyone know a bit more about Casual Blogger Conference in May while meeting some of the speakers and learning some more about these cool topics: Is it too late to cash in on that Cash-Cow of blogging?  How to make your online business/blog more profitable. Blogging: Man vs Woman. Who has more power? Your life is not a bed of roses – Why you should be authentic on your blog.  The train wreck of blog-haters. Why do you keep blogging? and much more.

Sounds like a blast to me!  What else will these fab ladies come up with next?