Rarin' to Go + DIY Collaboration with Cut Out + Keep

Jeans: Cheap Monday ; Cardigan: Alice & Olivia ; Crop top: Soprano ; Necklace: DIY, click here for tutorial
Please note, the end of this post may contain triggers for anyone recovering from an ED.
I'm mega excited that I can finally share this post with you! I took these photos way back in February and have been anxiously waiting to share them on the blog. This post is part of an awesome collaboration that I did with Cut Out + Keep, a site hosting hundreds of fun DIY projects, now including my own how-to for creating a kitschy toy car necklace. It's a super easy DIY recycling those old toy cars that I know we all had during our childhood. Whip up your own kitschy necklace in just a matter of minutes to add a dose of rad to every outfit.

p.s. Click here to read a little interview I did with Cut Out + Keep about my personal style & influences!

I made this necklace to showcase this little car I found in a one-cent box at a garage sale when I was just a tiny, tiny child. It was what began my infatuation with toy cars. I was one of those little girls who played with race cars, Polly Pockets (back when they were teeny tiny & literally could fit in your pocket), lincoln logs, and tinker toys all at once, creating crazy worlds and race tracks out of my collection of garage sale toys. I still have quite a few of my race cars packed away in boxes, so I grabbed this little miniature one - the one that spurred my love of race cars - to make into a necklace. It's a fun statement piece that always creates conversation.

The necklace is sort of a '90s throwback type piece (come on, this is straight out of My So-Called Life), so I decided to wear it with my Cheap Monday acid wash jeans and a crop top. The cardigan was necessary warmth and the messy hair just comes with the package (the package being me).

Also, before ya'll start thinking that I am so wealthy because I'm wearing an Alice + Olivia cardigan, let me tell you that I found it for $5 in Arizona at this awful store called Last Chance. My sister used to work at Nordstrom and became obsessed with finding steals at Nordstrom Rack (that store is too chaotic for my tastes). When I was visiting her in Arizona in February, she kept raving about Last Chance and how we just needed to go because I would love it. So we went. And it was okay. Last Chance is pretty much where all the stuff that isn't bought at the Rack goes to die (or be sold for a low, low price). A lot of the stuff has rips, tears, broken zippers, missing buttons, missing sequins, etc. This sweater has a small hole in the neckline by the tag (I assume because the idiot who bought it decided to just rip the price tag off, instead of cutting it) but it's nothing a few stitches didn't mend. This grey crop top is from Last Chance too, which I think is because it was overstock. There was a whole rack of these for $5 a pop. I barely make $5 an hour at my job you guys, I'm not buying Alice + Olivia at full price - just needed to clear that up before ya'll start thinking I'm a Rockefeller.

Sorry for the photo overload you guys - what can I say I'm obsessed with myself. Actually, in all seriousness, seeing these photos reminded me that I used to have the smallest hint of abs. That's all gone now. I decided to put fat gain before muscle gain and have been packing in 5 meals and 3 snacks a day. I've gained 4 pounds, so it's working! But I want my abs back after seeing these photos. Crop top season is upon us, friends!

Don't forget to read the little interview I did with Cut Out + Keep, and make your own toy car necklace! I wanna see your creations!