We all have those pair of leather beat-up comfy boots that we cannot dare to throw out. Even though we know cracking is inevitable, we finally found a way to extend their lifespan by revamping them with acrylic pastels giving them an impressionist style!  Instead of giving your old boots to the dumpster, Refinery29’s Chloe Daley, gives us an alternative by walking us through an easy do-it-yourself tutorial.  Originally inspired by Anthropologie’s Galaxy Inlay Booties, Chloe recreates these “Peter Pan meets Monet” booties by using plain black ones and injecting them with a boost of creativity giving her a new fashion statement to rock!

If you are ready to take on this challenge just follow the easy steps below:

Supplies:

leather boots, alcohol, tarp, assorted acrylic paints, primer, sealer, brushes, sponge, and container for water.

Steps:

1. Rub boots with alcohol to make sure there is no sealing already on the leather.
2. Mix paint primer with water using equal proportions and paint on leather.  Applying this primer will help the boots absorb the paint. Apply primer about 2 more times and flex leather while doing so (that way you don’t get any cracks).
3. Create a white base by painting on white acrylic paint onto the boots and let them dry.  Apply about 2-3 coats.
4. Paint boots with an emerald green color (use whatever color you want) and let dry for about an hour.
5. Take sponge and dab rose metallic and yellow accents on boots and overlay with green afterwards.  It is completely up to you what color you want to add accents with.
6. Use a sealer spray to coat boots.

So what are you waiting for ?! Click here to see full video.

Hidden among warehouses, Gardena-based restaurant, Eatalian Café, can be found bustling throughout the day with pizza and gelato lovers. Eatalian Café prides itself on not only making the most fresh and delicious foods you have ever tasted but for having great performance – and we’ll be the first to say they live up to this!

Ran by Atonio Pellini and his family, Eatalian Café, uses nothing but the freshest ingredients available making sure all its pastas, dough, sauces, gelato, bread and pastries all freshly made every morning! Our mouths are watering just thinking about tasting the freshly baked Tortelli di Zucca (fresh squash ravioli)!

Eatalian also makes sure that all of its foods are filled with passion, memory, tradition and love.   The best part about this place is that it is 100 % authentic since the owners of the restaurant are from Ventoso, Italy (a village of about 800) and grew up cooking their own recipes using the freshest ingredients – they are naturals!

You must go and try one of their thirty famously delicious thin pizzas!

Terry de Gunzburg started as a Studio Makeup Artist out of luck for Vogue because no one else was available for a photo session. After her first shoot, she kept on focusing on the essentials and became trusted by some of the biggest fashion photographers. Eventually, Terry later went on to becom Yves Saint Laurent’s International Makeup Designer, and in 2000, she went on to create her own makeup brand, “By Terry”. Focusing on the creative concept, we love that Terry approaches her beauty expertise like a Fashion House products their ready-to-wear- line. She comes up with creative strategies and sets her standards of perfection like Haute Couture and then sends them to a cutting edge laboratory which produces cutting edge formulas based on the purest pigments. One of our favorite products is her intensive multi-active moisturizer. Our skin feels and looks amazing when we use it! Here’s also a great video to hear more about Terry’s creative concept.

We became immediately obsessed when we tried Vagabond Grillyard for the first time. Gourmet burgers have definitely been trending in the Los Angeles area, but Vagabond Grillyard is simply unique. They founders themselves are literally vagabonds: no restaurant, no food truck, no reservations — just themselves, the griddle and some amazing burgers that come off the griddle. You’ll find Vagabond all over the Eastside of Los Angeles, currently they have “residencies” at Famous Bar, Eagle Rock Brewery and Verdugo Bar.  The meat is cooked just right, the brioche bun is fluffy and the aioli and onions add amazing flavor. If you are ever over on the Eastside, go join the vagabonds (Westsiders, we promise it’s worth the trek).

If you’re “feline” a little cat-ty, Em & Sprout has just what you need to get your animal fashion fix. If cats on your feet isn’t what you’re looking for, designer Lindsay does it all from sloths to pandas, and even ghosts. Inspired by her two cats Em & Sprout, this Southern California based designer focuses her craft on screen printing and working with felt, to create one of a kind pieces you won’t find anywhere else.

All of Lindsay’s creations feature her own designs, all handcrafted to perfection. The screen printing seen on her tote bags, t-shirts and other items, are all done as a team effort between her and her husband. Her shoes are store bought, but all embellished with appliques she designs and handcrafts herself.

You can find all of Lindsay’s products at her Etsy Shop, and If you’re feeling a little creative, check out Lindsay’s tutorials on her blog. You can even enter one of her giveaways and get some animal swag, or get the inside scoop on her up and coming products.

Forget about hitting the gym for that much wanted summer body because exercising just got a whole lot more exciting with The Color Run. Otherwise known as the Happiest 5k on the Planet, this national paint race encourages participants to get healthy, be happy, and give back to the community. While running side by side with thousands of people, participants are doused with colors each step of the way. Luckily, the fun doesn’t stop there. Once the finish line is crossed, there is a post-run “Color Festival” where the memory-making continues. Each run collects donations that is given to a local charity in each city visited.  There are only two rules for those of you considering taking part in this spectacular event: begin the day wearing white and finish the day in color. What are you waiting for?

Photo

Color Run from LIFEinaVAN on Vimeo.

Getting creative has gotten a whole lot easier with Pinterest, especially when it comes to nail art!  Instead of spending your cash at a nail salon, spend the extra time on your nails to create some unique designs.  We’ve pretty much all seen the dip your nails in different colored water technique but how about using plastic wrap to create that fab denim/marble look?

Here’s What You Do:

1)      Paint your nails with your favorite base color and let it dry.

2)      Tear a piece of plastic wrap into 10 small pieces and bunch into little balls.

3)      Paint your nails with a second color – BUT before letting it dry- dab your nails with the plastic wrap to pick up some of the first color.

4)      Tah-Dah!!  You get Denim/Marble looking nails. Be sure to paint on a top coat to keep from chipping.

Is it just us, or do these nails look like our ‘Almas’ Marbled skinny jeans??  Pre-order these jeans on Nordstrom to match your fab new denim nails!

As if LACMA didn’t have enough in their 25,000-item costume collection, they recently announced that they are adding 158 couture fashion items thanks to a hefty donation from Ellen A. Michelson. The sumptuous collection includes gowns and daywear from 1880 to 2008, including Balenciaga, Diora, Givenchy, YSL, McQueen, Chanel, among several others.  Put together by the acclaimed Dominique Sirop, who currently runs his own haute atelier and previous worked with YSL and Givenchy, the exhibit will focus on the expert craftsmanship, fine detail in tailoring and unique pattern-making.

We cannot wait to see this new exhibit!

(Photography Photo copyright © 2012, Museum Associates, LACMA All Rights Reserved)

We’ve already expressed our adoration for Bill Cunningham several times on The Habit, but another fashion icon that we put at the same level is Grace Coddington, former model and the current Creative Director of Vogue. We adore them so much, that we would actually think about wearing them.

With the help of illustrator Joana Avillez, style site Refinery29 has created drool-worthy tees donning two of fashion biggest icons. Stemming from Avillez’s commissioned series of fashion icon and fashion editor illustrations for the site, the shirts capture Coddington’s flaming red hair and platform shoes and Cunningham’s recognizable blue jacket, bike and camera in true form.

Are you a ‘Bill’ or a ‘Grace’? For true fashion lovers this question can be a hard one.  Still can’t decide which one is for you? There’s nothing wrong with supporting an artist and buying both!