Mixing Bright Colors, Prints and Everything You're NOT Supposed to Do




FUSCHIA JERSEY DRESS - Velvet
YELLOW CARDIGAN - Gap
BLUE HANDBAG - Linea Pelle for Target
MULTI-COLORED WEDGES - Cynthia Vincent for Target

 

Pigtails loves to get into mischief.  This morning, she woke up before everyone else so I took her out to the living room and I lay down on the couch.  I was starting to fall asleep and realized it was much too quiet so I forced myself up and found Pigtails on Princess Sparkles' bed playing with all her Yo Gabba Gabba dolls.  Then this afternoon, Princess Sparkles, who NEVER naps, fell asleep in the car so I put her down on the rug.  I went to get some laundry and came out to find Pigtails, with a huge smile, leaning over Princess Sparkles whom she had "dressed up"  with a hat!

Today I was in a rush to get out so I threw on this dress I recently bought with a groupon (Thanks, Polka Dots!) at a local boutique.  I know, you're thinking I have way too many dresses, but the groupon was expiring so I had to use it!  The dress fit really well and was the EXACT price of the groupon so I didn't spend any extra money.  Yay! 

I was also feeling energized from my run this morning (wish I was still feeling that now!) so I decided to pair this outfit with lots of brights!  I know, the colors don't really match whatsoever.  But I liked the idea of wearing pink and yellow.  Then I thought why wear neutral shoes?  My favorite wedges have both these colors in it.  And finally, if I'm already wearing every bit of color from my wedges, why not carry a bright blue purse to finish off the superfecta?

Anyway, I know, I'm a rebel.  I'm breaking all the fashion rules, but I don't care.  Guess that makes me mischievous too, huh?   

Menswear - Inspiration Monday

RED BUTTON-UP - Brass Plum (found in Polka Dots' closet)
SILK NAVY TIE - Verugia (Camouflage's)
BLACK MENSWEAR VEST - CAbi
ROSE/SILVER MENS STYLE WATCH - DKNY
VINTAGE PURSE - Thrifted (Thanks, Mom!)
NAVY/PINK/RED HEELS - Charlotte Russe

Pigtails is a comedian.  She loves to crack up Princess Sparkles.  In the bath tub she'll make faces and funny sounds just to make her sister laugh.  Of course her sister may be laughing at something else, but it doesn't matter.  Pigtails also thinks farts are funny, and laughs whenever she does one.  The other night I asked Princess Sparkles why she was laughing so hard in the bathtub and she said Pigtails "was an alien." 

Today's "Inspiration Monday" from the ladies at Two Birds is menswear.  I've been getting a lot of practice putting together these types of outfits, thanks also to Friday's Bloggers Do It Better.  I'm actually starting to really enjoy this look (though I still have to get Camouflage to do the tie for me).  There's something strangely sexy about women wearing men's clothes.  However, I'm not sure about the reverse (though I bet some people would disagree with me) because I don't think I'd enjoy seeing Camo dressed in my clothes (plus I'd be afraid he'd stretch them out!).

Despite feeling good in the menswear, I asked Princess Sparkles if I looked good.  She stared at me for a while then gave me a very timid, "yeah."  I looked at her for a moment and asked again.  She looked at me, shook her head and said, "no, Mommy."  Princess Sparkles probably thinks I look like an alien!  Oh well.

Heavenly Treasures Goodies and Some Awards

ZEBRA EARRINGS (similar) - Heavenly Treasures (Kenya)
7-IN-1 (worn as bracelet above, necklace below) - Heavenly Treasures (Thailand)
BLACK AND GOLD TOTE - Heavenly Treasures (Cambodia)
STRIPED SCARF - Heavenly Treasures (Kenya)

Heavenly Treasures even has purses for little girls

(Princess Sparkles is modeling a $5 sequin purse from Thailand)

Below is the 7-in-1, a lariat you can wear at least 7 ways

I had such an amazing weekend.  I got to hang out with a bunch of really neat women and hear a phenomenal speaker from a project called "Zoe" share about God and her work saving children from human trafficking.  All I can say is, "Wow."

I wanted to display some cool things I got from Heavenly Treasures (who helped sponsor the women's retreat).  Most of the things I even got as giveaways!  Like I mentioned before, all the money you spend gets reinvested into these artisans from third world countries and are donated to organizations like "Zoe."  So go online or call their store (for even more products) and do a little shopping to help someone out!

 

Also, I've recently received some cool awards and wanted to thank those blog friends for thinking of me.  I received a Sunshine Award (see a previous post for this award) from Debbie at "Thrifty Girl Vintage."   She's an amazing thrifter and has a very fun sense of style!  I also owe a HUGE thank you to Alex at "Of Mice and Minutiae" who gave me the really cool One Lovely Blog Award in April (previous post for this award).  Alex has a refreshingly quirky style that oozes cool (and she's a fantastic writer!).  Finally, Sophie at Country Girl Does Norfolk gave me the Blog Mas Divertido Award.  Sophie has a fabulous eclectic style and can mix clothes flawlessly!

So here's what I have to do:  Thank the person who gave it to me, answer questions, and pick 3 bloggers to pass the award on to (and contact them)...

If you did another blog, what would it be about? 
I'd sell my old clothes.

If you could change your name, what would it be? 
Something unisex like "Alex" or "Ryan"

If you could be born again, would you like to be a man or a woman? 
Woman.  I think it's amazing what we can do!

If you could realize one wish, what would it be? 
Own a pair of Louboutins

If you had a power, which one would you like to have? 
I'd love to be able to fly.

If you had to buy a lot of perfumes from one specific brand, which one would it be? 
Marc Jacobs or those Harajuku Lovers ones cuz they got those cute little dolls.

If you had won a holiday, which place would you like to go to? 
Some cool African safari trip or a shopping trip to Asia!!!

And here are the 3 very different bloggers I'd like to share this award with:

Meagan at Spunky Chateau (creative thrifter who makes vintage feel so fresh!)
Taylor at It's My Cardi (a down to earth mom with a beautifully classic sense of style)
Lexy at Quirky Explosion (wild, fun, eccentric and can pull off patterns and colors like you couldn't imagine!)

Prep School - Bloggers Do It Better

SWEATER VEST WITH MOCK SHIRT - Apartment 9 (Thrifted)
MEN'S TIE - Mara (Thanks, Henley!)
KHAKI SHORTS - Stoosh
CLUTCH - Cortenay (Vintage)
T-STRAP DENIM HEELS - Forever 21
PINK WATCH - Tommy Hilfiger

Today when I arrived at Fair Isle's house, Princess Sparkles turned to my mom (who was wearing a green gingham button up shirt) and said, "You're wearing a boy's shirt."  Fair Isle replied, "Girls can wear boys' clothes AND girls' clothes."  Princess Sparkles smiled.  She liked that idea.

I too liked the idea and was excited to see that the Bloggers Do It Better challenge was Prep School.  The requirement was to wear a tie, vest and/or blazer.  I've never actually tried this "menswear" look.  But there's something really fun about it!  I might have to start stealing Camouflage's ties (he doesn't wear 'em that often, anyways).

Well, I'm off to a women's church retreat this weekend.  It'll be nice to have some time sans kiddos to fellowship, listen to a speaker, do crafts and possibly get a little shopping in.  I think I'll keep my tie on too.  Because I love the idea of wearing menswear to a women's retreat!

Animal Print Top and Midi Skirt

ANIMAL PRINT TOP - Bella D (TJ Maxx)
BLACK SILK ORGANZA MIDI SKIRT - Studio M (Thrifted)
RAFFIA BELT - Forever 21
GOLD WEDGES - Charles David
CUFF and WOODEN BRACELET - Heavenly Treasures

My husband, Camouflage, loves his beer.  He's actually being very sweet to me tonight by skipping his beer club meeting to watch the girls because I'm going out for my girlfriend's birthday.  But not only does Camo drink beer, he actually makes it.  It's like a science, he has to measure everything out and make sure the temperature is just right.  Then he let's it sit and ferment for a month or so.  Depending on the temperature and the amount of sugar/yeast, it will either be delicious or...not so delicious.

Camo keeps his brewing beer warm

Today is "Thursdays are for Thrifters" via Spunky Chateau.  I decided to wear my thrifted silk organza midi skirt (c/o Fair Isle - Thanks, Mom!) and pair it with animal print, since it's been a week since I've worn anything jungle.  I love animal print because it's a neutral and matches everything (in fact, I think I'll try it next with some bright colored jeans!). 

Anyway, wanted to thank all my blog friends for their lovely comments.  It's so much fun to read and helps me decide what to wear.  Seriously, if it weren't for you guys, I'd be wearing sweats and wife beaters (okay, maybe not, but it's nice to know someone is seeing my outfits!).

Camo has his beer making and I have my blog.  We're so lucky to have these hobbies.  And while there aren't too many similarities between the two, they both are a little scientific.  Because just like he has to put the right amount of ingredients at just the right temperature, I have to match the right colors, textures, patterns and pair them with just the right accessories.  See?  Science.

3 Ways to Wear a Lace Jacket

LACE JACKET - Forever 21
BLACK FLOWER DRESS - Last Chance Boutique
COMBAT BOOTS - Trouve (Nordstrom)
BLACK CUFF - Express
BROWN BELT - Forever 21

CORAL BURNOUT TANK - Kersh (Loehmanns)
SKINNY JEANS - Yaso (Macy's)
GOLD WEDGES - Charles David

TURQUOISE SILK TANK - Banana Republic
FAUX LEATHER SHORTS - Forever 21
BROWN/SILVER BELT - Vintage
MULTI-COLORED WEDGES - Cynthia Vincent for Target

I love that Princess Sparkles and Pigtails both can be so girly with their dresses, accessories and glitter shoes, and yet so rough and tumble.  It's such a juxtaposition.  The other day they were playing around and I came out to find Princess Sparkles with a bloody nose.  Pigtails had accidentally head butted her.  I freaked internally (I've somehow trained myself NOT to scream because it just makes them more upset) and I quickly cleaned her up.  It helped that Camo told her he gets bloody noses too (though not for the same reasons).

Today I decided to try out this lace jacket from Forever 21.  I'm not sure I'm going to keep it, because I also bought a white linen blazer and it's very hard to justify two jackets.  But then I decided to do another "3 Ways to Wear" it post and I suddenly realized, wow, this is so versatile.  I can dress up a pair of jeans, girly up a pair of faux leather shorts or even wear it with a dress and some bad-ass boots.

Anyway, kind of loving this jacket.  Darn!  It has some really great details and it's a lot of fun.  It's so girly, but when paired with the right piece of rockin' leather wear or ripped up jeans, it makes for a great juxtaposition!

3 Ways to Wear Red Jeans

RED SKINNY JEANS - Little Big
WHITE TANK - Loveappella
YELLOW CARDIGAN - Gap Outlet
DAISY STUD HEELED CLOGS - Forever 21

NAVY/WHITE GINGHAM SHIRT - Old Navy
NAVY/RED/PINK HEELS - Charlotte Russe

OLIVE JACKET - Old Navy
BLACK STRAPPY WEDGES - Colin Stuart

Today is a rainy day.  In fact, it made me NOT want to get out of bed but just snuggle with the girls and watch TV.  I actually think Princess Sparkles would've gone for that (though we would've had to watch her cartoons), but Pigtails would've wanted to run around so that probably wouldn't have worked anyway.   

Obviously these pictures were not taken today.  I took them over the weekend in preparation for my "3 Ways to Wear" post.  I love my skinny red jeans, but I will say I was intimidated by them.  What do you wear with them?  Surprisingly I found that they're actually quite versatile.  Here are some things I tried...

BRIGHT COLORS

- you can wear a bright cardigan like this sunny yellow one.  Or I'm thinking even aqua or purple might pair nicely with it.  If that's too intimidating, you can always just use an accent piece like a purse or statement necklace (turquoise would be lovely!).

PATTERNS

- I wore a blue and white gingham shirt from Old Navy.  But in the past I also paired a black and white polka dot shirt, a navy/white striped shirt and a striped tan and black shirt with some red pants (check those out here and here).

NEUTRALS

- obviously white, black and tan are fabulous with red.  In fact, I kept gravitating toward my white shirt.  I decided to try olive, and despite my fear that it might be slightly "Christmas-y," I just went for it.

Anyway, red jeans are fun and I think everyone should at least try them!  Plus you can wear them in spring or fall, or rainy days in spring that seem like fall!

Skinny Cargo Pants, Sequin Tank and Striped Cardigan - Inspiration Monday

OLIVE SKINNY CARGO PANTS - Old Navy
STRIPED CARDIGAN - Pretty Good
SEQUIN TANK TOP - Old Navy
FEDORA - Eugenia Kim for Target
DAISY STUD HEELED CLOGS - Forever 21

Yesterday at Fedora's house, I found Princess Sparkles and her friends applying make-up on each other.  It was funny to hear them tell each other, "close your eyes" as they smeared lipstick all over each other's faces.  They looked like they belonged in the movie, "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane" or clones of Robert Smith from the Cure.

Today's "Inspiration Monday" comes from Drew Barrymore.  Thanks to Two Birds for the link!  At first I was trying too hard to copy Drew's look, then I finally let go and did my own thing.  I decided to make my military piece be the skinny pants and did the stripes in the sweater.  And I went with a sequin tank (because everything needs a little bling!). 

Anyway, today I'm a little tired...as is Princess Sparkles and Pigtails.  Maybe too many activities over the weekend.  I better do as Princess Sparkles and her buddies do and apply some make-up (though not quite as heavy handed) so at least I look awake in Pigtail's baby class!

Welcome to the Jungle Print: Heavenly Treasures

JUNGLE PRINT DRESS - Heavenly Treasures
GLADIATOR WEDGES - Dolce Vita for Target
CANARY PURSE - Thrifted (Thanks, Mom!)
BELT - Loehmanns (Borrowed from Mom)
BRACELETS - Heavenly Treasures (Borrowed from Mom)

I have a new obsession.  Okay, let's be honest, I have a lot of obsessions: stripes, wedges, florals, dresses, cardigans...I could go on and on.  But at this moment, I'm loving jungle prints...whether they're leopard, tribal, or straight up jungle.  This is straight up jungle.  And I'm so very thankful to Heavenly Treasures for giving me a place to buy this original dress from young designers in Thailand.

I think my hubby, Camouflage, would really appreciate this dress because, well, it's camouflage, at least in this jungle-like background in Fair Isle's back yard.  I tried to give you a few fierce poses to go with the theme, but the hammock wasn't cooperating, and instead collapsed.  The only thing fierce was the look on Pigtails' face when I fell. 

What I love about Heavenly Treasures is it's an organization dedicated to helping people in developing countries become self-sufficient through their handicrafts.  They assist them in building micro-enterprises and give them access to markets.  And 100% of your purchases (yes, all of it!) is reinvested into the livelihood projects.  So check them out and better yet, buy something totally unique and beautiful! 

I have a gift.  It's spending money (sorry, Camo).  And Heavenly Treasures allows me to use my gift.  Because nothing feels better than "saving the world" through shopping!

Fashion Heimlich

TYE-DYED SKIRT - Thakoon for Target (Thrifted)
CORAL CARDIGAN - Gap Outlet
WHITE TANK - Bebe
BLUE PURSE - Linea Pelle for Target
MULTI-COLORED WEDGES - Cynthia Vincent for Target
BEADED BLACK CUFF - Heavenly Treasures



"Help!  I've fallen and I can't get up."  Does anyone remember that Life Call commercial where a mature woman (will refrain from calling her "old" since she's probably not as old as I remember) falls to the ground and calls for help?  That's how I felt yesterday with that dress.

I wanted to ask Princess Sparkles to help me but I knew there was no way she had the strength to pull that dress off.  It was tight.  Real tight.  It was going to take someone taller and stronger to do the job.

Enter Stripes, my dear mommy friend whom I have a play date slash wine date with every Wednesday afternoon.  Thank goodness for her because she performed what she called the FASHION HEIMLICH on me in her garage.  My body was jerking everywhere and my feet were even off the ground at some points as she yanked at the dress, twisted, manuevered, jammed her hands in there and finally got me out unscathed (the dress too was miraculously intact!).  Yay for Stripes!  (check out her blog!)

Anyway, here is a skirt I thrifted (of course, it's Thakoon for Target...I don't know why I have such an obsession, it's becoming scary), and a $15 cardi I got from the GAP outlet.  I'm in love with the color.  I also mixed prints and wore my "go to" Cynthia Vincent for Target (of course) wedges.  I was excited to link up to "Thursdays are for Thrifters." 
Thank you all for your awesome comments!  And honestly, as Mrs. J mentioned, I did feel like Ross on "Friends."  Luckily the dress breathes better than leather pants (though not much since I wanna say it was polyester!  Yikes!).  I'm off to return that thing now and hopefully NOT buy anymore clothes from Target (at least for today).