totally logical

Saturday night I went out with my Tampa bestie, Angela. We donned Halloween costumes, ate, DRANK, laughed, and stayed out until the wee-smalls.

Pin-up and Miss Kitty

Come Sunday afternoon, Emily begged me to buy broccoli because it would be tasty to take to school for lunch.

Let's get this straight.  I go out and party on Saturday and the next day my seven-year-old demands steamed broccoli in her lunch. That's not coincidence.  Cause: hit the town like I'm still in college, Effect: my daughter wants a super food in her lunch.

That right there is science!

A night on the town

I had something of a blegh week last week. Sales have been slow, participation from my Etsy team has significantly dwindled, I'm bored...As a result, I haven't exactly felt like throwing myself into work.

After a week of working really hard at being unproductive I punished myself with a girls' night out.

I've never claimed to make sense.

The stars totally aligned on Saturday such that my Tampa bestie had the night off work and my very giving neighbor friends invited Emily for a sleepover. I had a whole 24 hours to be a girl again! And boy did I ever!

 My girlfriend and I donned our Halloween best, talked a lot, laughed too loud, were treated to drinks, and stayed out far too late.

Then I slept all morning, spent the afternoon and evening with my girl, and I am actually eager to get back to work. The moral of the story is: sometimes a total break from the norm will put the glitter back in your world.

For every girl, a garter

"There’s something beautiful in showing off things that are meant to be on the inside or underneath.

"A sliver of silk or a frill of lace peeking out from under a skirt, a satin strap slipping off the shoulder, it all suggests the possibility of being undressed, of another layer, and of intimacy.

 "Whether it be emotions, secrets, skin, fears, or a garter, the act of displaying what is meant to be intimate is seductive and decidedly feminine. It’s powerful, inviting, flirtatious, and delicate. In our dress, the effect ranges from daring to innocent to modest. {The last being a sign of the times in the fact that so many women skip the garters or slips.}

"In the home, taking something lovely that is usually kept in the closet or lingerie chest and placing it on the wall or by the window for all to see gives a room a playful, whimsical effect.

"And, in our relationships, the result can be devastatingly beautiful and empowering."

Words by Ms. Jenn at Bits of Beauty. For photo details please click on each image.

Look, something pretty!

It has been quite a week. I'm not lacking for material to post just the time needed to make it coherent.  So please allow me to distract you with this gorgeous little black dress from Johnny Bechard.

Trend Spotting: Dapper like a Draper (and other Mad Men)

I'm not exactly sure how I missed the boat on this one, but I have never seen an episode of Mad Men.

via 5

Yeah, I don't know what's wrong with me either.

Even though I haven't seen Mad Men the series, I am seeing Mad Men everywhere! Mad Men style, that is.

For example, this modern office-appropriate outfit from Nordstrom.

Check out this fantastic red jersey dress from ASOS.  Add a cardi or a velvet blazer and is this not perfect for a picnic at the pumpkin patch?

ASOS Midi Fit & Flare Dress with Basqued Waist

I couldn't pick just one "cocktail" look. The Velocity Dress from BHDLN features the full skirt and nipped waist commonly seen in the late 1960s.

But oh I also love Karen Millen's sleek interpretation of the "wiggle dress."

Folded Satin dress via Pinterest

There is just so much to love about the feminine fashion of Mad Men and the 1960s.  Janie Bryant, Costume Designer for Mad Men and my future best friend, wrote the book. No seriously, she wrote a book.

photo and info via Hachette Book Group

I picked up a copy from the library and all but devoured it.  It is full of advice for shopping vintage, mixing vintage with modern, flattering your figure, etc. Oh and the photos! Go now and get your own copy.  You will not regret it.

Still feeling a little shy about flaunting your '60s fashion sense? With Halloween coming up why not try your hand at interpreting Mad Men fashion by dressing the whole family as the Drapers?

via Say YES! to Hoboken

Chicest Halloween Costume Ever!

Sometimes you just need to get away

It's true, sometimes you just need to get out of your house or out of your own mind to recharge your creativity.  However, it is mid-fall and the school year is in full swing so I'm not going anywhere. The closest thing I get to an escape is:

Oh it's so true. Not only am I a fan of Sarah Michelle Gellar, I love me some melodramatic TV. If it helps you to not lose respect for me we can all pretend I just watch for the couture sported by the cast.

I also have actual aspirational travel on my list too, so don't worry.  I keep a running list on Pinterest.  Would you like a peek?  Well, if you're going to twist my arm...

Slovakia

photo by Viktor Bors

Indonesia

Misool Eco Resort in West Papua, Indonesia

Canada

Butchart Gardens, Vancouver Island. Photo by John Rogers

Where do you go (in reality or just in your mind's eye) when you need a creative recharge?

heart-to-heart

Thanks to the Etsy favorites feature, I have hearts, you have hearts, we all have hearts! Here, we’ll hop from heart-to-heart each week, progressively adding to our heart trail as we follow the favorites from one seller to the next.

When we last wandered along our heart trail we stopped at

...ouma {Ombre Ruffled Skirt} who hearts

...Kroowka {Black Tulip Parasol} who hearts

...TwilaJeanVintage {Lilli Ann Mid-Century Coat} who hearts

...souvenirsouvenir {Black and White Polka Dot Gloves} who hearts

...Retroties {1950s Chocolate Kid Gloves} who hearts

...TheBoominGranny {Shoe Leather Cream} who hearts

...well, that's for me to know and you to find out!

Around the Net: COLORCRAZED

Lynda Coker, fiber artist, believes you can do anything you want with fabric. Well you won't hear any arguments from me! Especially since the woman who made this

thinks I am an artisan worthy of an interview!

So, my lovelies, you are all hereby officially invited to the COLORCRAZED blog where you can read my interview and snag yourself a discount code.

Thank you, Lynda!

*additional info for Lynda's Winsome Windows fiber mosaic is available here.

Find Inspiration In: Reversible Things

Let's be honest here, darlings.  There are few things in life that top a two-for-one deal. And this fall I am coming across all sorts of dual-sided and reversible goodies.

Just this past weekend I dipped into my project files to make a couple of these headbands from Jessica at Happy Together. (I'll put my photos on Facebook   if you are interested, but click on the image below for Jessica's tutorial).

And now I'm dying over the adorableness that is this cape from Les Petites Indecises.

Personally, I'd totally wear that cape, but for those of you who like to dress like a grown-up, Idea2Lifestyle offers the Vol de Nuit reversible Jacquard skirt in their Etsy shop.

Reversible is even chic outside of fashion.

Okay, this jacket is not reversible, but it is chic and that lining truly makes it. Corinnea is a genius.

Are you also feelin' all this tasty duality? It definitely has my creative juices flowing!

Halloween is for the birds

This year, Emily is going to be a peacock for her trick-or-treating escapades.   I sort of wanted her to be an owl, but this was much more glamorous. The costume making is in full swing at my house, but I put together a treasury for anyone who needs an idea.  A little birdie told me some of you were stumped.

Click on the image to view any of the items in my treasury.

"I don't give a hoot about Halloween," said the little owl.
"Nevermore," agreed the raven.
"Trick or treating has me tickled pink!" protested the flamingo.
And so the peacock took her by the wing and strutted off into the night.

What goes around comes around

We all know fashion is cyclical. I myself am longing to infuse my closet with some '50s chic this fall.

Kay Windsor 1952

What fashionable features from the past do you want to see make a come back?

For every girl, a garter

I'm a sucker for a femme fatale. My friend Jessica says it is because I admire strong women. Whether or not that is a correct diagnosis, one of my forever favorite vixens is Poison Ivy.

As I originally saw her - In cartoon form

I'm also have a thing for red heads. Go figure.

Alas, I don't really see any day soon in which it would be acceptable for me to don red waves and/or green leaves.  So I leave it up to you, my internet darlings. Please someone dress up as Poison Ivy. I mean, I already have your garters ready and waiting for you.

Garter pair: Poison Ivy

usually I'd just stop the "For every girl" feature with a garter photo and go about my merry day.  But I love this character so much couldn't resist doing a little costume recon.

I can appreciate a comic book character's traditional leotard and tights uniform, but I think I prefer the skirted renditions.

via HalloweenCostumes.com

Samantha SamSam as Poison Ivy by Celeste Giuliano

via Nilla on DeviantArt

Amazing interpretation from Megan-Marie.com

Let's take a page from yesterday's post and focus on getting into character all the way to the tips of your fingers.

Even though it's Halloween it's still just a crazy outfit until you put your face on.

I love holidays that let you dress up. And seriously, be Poison Ivy.  She's undeniable.  If you do use the coupon code FemmeFatale at my shop and shipping is free.

Nailed It, the redux

In July I shared with you some of the awesome manicures I had come across on Pinterest. Then, on October 2 the ever-mysterious anonymous left a comment asking where the nail armor I had featured could be purchased. Alas, Anonymous, I do not know.  But while I was looking I found a lot of really cool info on the happenings within the realm of nail art.

CalGel Gradation Manicure

 First, I have to come clean. I never paint my nails. It looks so polished (ahem) and chic for about three hours and then one of them will chip and drive me absolutely crazy.  I love a good wash of color, I just like it on my toes. It should come as no surprise that my head has pretty much been in the sand when it comes to all the novel nail accoutrements available.

Ming Vase Manicure

First, polish. Even I am not so out of it that I don't know about all the crazy crackle finishes and magnetized fun available in a bottle of polish these days.

part of the Shatter line from OPI

Shine from Yahoo! has a rundown on the many many brands that make a crackle polish and where you can find them here.

Sephora felt it very important I know about the new magnetized polish from nails, inc. It looks pretty cool (pricey, but cool) although I have my doubts about my ability to recreate this look.

Click on the image for more info

From paint on we move to press on. No! Not press-on nails! Well, not exactly.  I'm talking about nail polis stickers! I first noticed these puppies on my acquaintance, Drea, when I asked if I could post this "boudoir" photo of her.

photo by Lauren Kennedy

I realize there are more eye-catching things in this photo, but those nails totally grabbed me! I can't speak for Drea's nails in particular but you can totally get this look and about a dozen others using the Salon Effects line by Sally Hansen.

The way I understand it, you press these nail polish strips to your nail and shape any of the overhanging excess with a file. It is entirely possible that I could do that without royally screwing up.

I know, I know, I also am reeling from all the greatness now available in my favorite nail product aisle.  But there's more. Anonymous, all this is for you, babe. I didn't find the pearl and filigree "nail armor" we both admired, but I did find the Japanese practice of Stereoscopic nails.

from http://www.tumblr.com/tumblelog/notmybedtime via we heart it

Basically anywhere from one to a 10 set of acrylic nails can be custom ordered from a number of nail artisans. The nail is literally built to your specifications using paints, "mixtures", jewels, you name it! Instead of lifting copy from somewhere else (and stealing their photos) I'll refer to this post on PingMag. Really, you have to see the photos. And the video. People like Megumi Furukawa, Aya Fukuda,  and Naomi Yasuda have taken what once was street style and made it an intricate art form.

I sort of love it.

Okay, but some of us don't have time to sit down and get a set of acrylics put on. Then what?  Well, we do what the stars do.

Diamond Pave Nail Ring from Bijules

That's right, we get pave diamond set nail rings. Or, you know, something not $4500.

There you go, Anonymous and my other darlings.  A whole lot I didn't know about fingernails. If I do try the Sally Hansen number I promise to tell you all about it.  Will you do the same?