Remember a while back when high school student Emma Steinkellner sent us these adorable outfit illustrations featuring some of her favorite ModCloth items? Well, we loved her work so much that we asked her if she wouldn’t mind sharing more of her sartorially savvy art this back-to-school season. We are just smitten with these sweet looks, fit for the first day of class!

On the left: Plaid Thai Flat, Shirley’s Heron Cardigan, Bookish Babe Jeans, and the Get With Knit Head Scarf; At center: Scratch ‘n’ Style Dress, Feelin’ Knit Tights in Evergreen, and the Spiced Cider Wedge; On the right: Perfect Day Jacket, Cocoa by the Fire Leggings, and the Grapefruit Commute Top.

If you love the preciously printed fabric fat quarters by Missouri letterpress duo oneCANOEtwo, then get a taste of this delightful oven mitt DIY! The perfect complement to your cute kitchen, this essential cooking accessory only requires a few ingredients to finish its charming design.

Whether you’re a sewing novice or star seamstress, the recipe for this project is a cinch to complete! Just choose your favorite handmade print and put your skills to use!

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Kathleen, of Inspirafashion, pairs her necklace over the Caturday Tunic, Retro Dollie Earrings, Road Less Traveled Wedge, and Floral Trek Bag.

Cold weather is right around the corner, and before we know it, our favorite accessory will no longer be statement shades, but rather a cozy crocheted scarf or knit beanie. I, for one, am oh-so excited to incorporate some cool weather essentials into my everyday style rotation, and the Oh What a Knit Scarf, an exclusive design hand crocheted by Etsy designer Regina of Lilian Eve Designs, will be on heavy rotation in my closet this autumn.

With its versatile charcoal grey cords, this alluring “scarflette” can easily transform into a statement necklace or a headband, and the detachable flower pin is seriously adorable — wear it pinned to your favorite bag, or adorn your locks for a stunning speck of sunny style.

Designer Regina is not just a crocheting machine, she’s also a high school teacher, vintage enthusiast, and a fan of organic cooking and baking. Regina was inspired to create the Oh What a Knit Scarf by the idea that a simple accessory can transform any look. “Color is an easy way to boost your mood, keep warm — and who doesn’t want to be cozy,” says Regina. “I strive to create things that can be unique and one-of-a-kind. I love old-fashioned charm, textures, and yarn running through my fingers!”

When asked about the many ways to style the Oh What a Knit Scarf, Regina was able to provide pointers, including “be bold and wear the flower in your hair, wear the scarflette on its own, or wear the pieces together to make a statement,” and “rock one [a scarflette] in your bike basket in case your outing takes you into a cool, evening walk on the beach.”

How would you style this necklace?

Going back to school or starting a new job is your opportunity to shine in a whole new way! We hope that our latest stylebook, Going Places, inspires a fresh, go-getter outlook on your wardrobe. Watch and share our behind-the-scenes video, featuring model Allie working smart, lovely looks.

From the stand-out capes to the classic A-line frocks, which pieces are your favorite?

Our Mod Hatter Blogger Tea Party was a time for tea, talk, and, of course, outfit photos! (After all, what’s a fashion event without outfit photos?)

We were majorly inspired by all of our guests’ ensembles, and just had to share them with you!

Now that we’re settled into our new San Francisco digs, we decided it was high time we invited others over for tea. Yesterday, we hosted the Mod Hatter Blogger Tea Party and invited Bay Area bloggers to our SoMa office to enjoy sweet treats, sneak peeks, and the company of fellow fashionistas!

At the party, guests nibbled on scones and petit fours while talking fall fashion. They also got a first look at some special fall pieces, such as our Be the Buyer exclusives with designers Dear Creatures and Jeffrey Campbell, as well as a preview of our BB Dakota holiday styles. On the activities end, attendees could choose to get their photos taken at our photo station, style virtual tea party outfits using the Polyvore Mini Editor, partake in an in-person Name It and Win It, or try their hand at our DIY table. See photos from the event below!

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We created a few fresh focal points using the Glad to Adhere to It Tape Set in Teal and Gold and Glad to Adhere to It Tape Set in Red and White on things we already had at home.

Once you have a roll or two of this sticky stuff in your possession, you’ll find oodles of creative ways to use it. Hot sauce bottles will transform into daisy vases, tea light candles will finally get to shine on their own, and outdated bracelets will get a modern day update. We’d share some step-by-step instructions with you, but these decorative tape DIYs are so easy, you don’t need ‘em. Now, get to sticking!

Want some more decor inspiration? Our Right at Home stylebook has got you covered.

Pray tell me, what would Jane Austen do? The answer is in The Jane Austen Handbook by Margaret C. Sullivan, featured in our very first Book of the Month video. This book offers tongue-in-cheek advice that may have worked for a woman in the 19th century, but not always so much in today’s world. I must admit, I was quite swept up in all of it — just watch the video to see me go from blazers and jeans to bonnets and baskets.

Really though, The Jane Austen Handbook is delightful! Not only do we love Jane Austen, but we love that today we can have fun with the culture that fueled her novels. Obviously, a lot of the “advice” given is based on outdated social norms, but with our appreciation for Jane Austen and literature we couldn’t help but dive right into the book with full force and full skirts. If you or a friend can’t get enough of the literary icon – or perhaps the A&E Pride and Prejudice miniseries – then I definitely recommend picking up this book. Still, if you’ve never read a Jane Austen novel, you’ll probably still enjoy the humorous passages in addition to a few small DIY projects such as basket embellishing.

Want a chance to win this book? Well, all you have to do is join our discussion!

If you lived in Jane Austen’s time, which rules would you break?

• You have until Friday, September 2nd, 2011 to participate.
• Though you may leave comments after the above date, any comments left after 11:59 p.m. ET on September 2nd will not be counted into the giveaway.
• Only comments left on this blog post will be counted.
• We will contact you via e-mail if you are a winner.
• For more information, please see our Contests & Comments page.

Also, if you purchase the book from us, leave your own review of the book right here on the site, or on our Goodreads group!

Thank you to everyone who submitted a darling, dazzling Polyvore board for our Dorm of Your Dreams Contest. Your ingenious use of our playful products is sure to inspire many incredible interiors — plus, your submissions were just plain old fun to peruse!

And now, the moment you’ve been waiting for. The winner of the Dorm of Your Dreams Contest is… Kyrie360! Our judges simply adored her use of beautiful, bold, and bright colors. So, congratulations, kyrie360 — we hope you find something fab for your room with your wonderful $100 ModCloth gift certificate!

This month, MC’s Charitable Giving Committee chose urban farming for its hands-on volunteer opportunity to increase awareness of sustainable living among our employees while supporting the eco-initiatives of our surrounding neighborhoods. We even wanted to include you in some of the green-thumb fun and inserted complimentary plantable seed cards into the first 1,500 orders shipped out on Monday.

Located within walking distance of our San Francisco headquarters, Hayes Valley Farm is a 2.2 acre, community-run non-profit dedicated to urban agriculture education. Our day began with an informational site tour where veteran volunteers explained the ins-and-outs of permaculture design, agricultural systems that integrate human activity within natural surroundings in a way that creates self-sustaining ecosystems.

We were welcomed to help ourselves to their co-op-style Seed Library, shown how worm box composting works, and we even got to see where SFBeecause keeps its hummin’ honey-makers before some of our folks ended the day by flipping composting piles.

All in all, the experience ‘cultivated’ a sure sense of camaraderie and a healthy hunger for more volunteer work.

How are you laying ‘roots’ in your community?