Black Quilted Elegance
February 15, 2010
There is nothing like the beauty of a classic black quilted bag. I’ll admit I go weak in the knees for an elegantly styled quilted bag, most anything quilted like leather furniture for that matter, and when it is done right the results are gorgeous. My latest bag is a classic design in a perfect size.
Not overpowering big, not obnoxiously small: it is just perfect and carries all my needed items without changing the design. If you have ever tried loading up a bag and found it sunk or frustrating to carry with the weight unbalanced, then you know what I mean. It is a nice solid shape that is elegant and simple.
The details are subtle marks of gold, from a clean and simple designed clasp to the chain woven in leather that keeps the bag together. Usually when I see the sides open as they are here, it is a concern of mine. But fortunately that is only in design; functionality comes in with an unseen zipper keeping all your contents closed. Love it.
This particular design is from STYLEKELLY of yesstyle.com. Ever since it arrived it quickly became my daily bag as it matches with anything and makes all outfits look fabulous. I will still switch on occasion when I want a colorful bag or something a bit more out of the ordinary to change things up, but when time is an issue I don’t have to worry about it. This one works lovely every time. Now that I know I like this designer’s style I am going to start looking into more bags. You know how it is, you can never have too many… well, fill in the blank, lol.
At the very least you can never go wrong with too many of the classics; they are timeless, glamorous, elegant, and beautiful!
Want the bag?
This specific one is gone from STYLEKELLY, but another identical bag is available through YES STYLE right now. If it is not, visit and search for “quilted” under bags and find some more inspiration! I know I am.
A Night Of Wonderland At The Theatre
January 22, 2010
I must first begin this entry by stating how lucky and grateful I am. My hunny is the most amazing man in the world, and always filled with surprises. Last night was not only a treat but also a complete surprise!
I had no idea of the plans he made. Only as we were leaving for a cigar event did he mention I should consider a nice dress since we “may have other places to be” this evening. Wow, I love this man. So without the slightest idea of what would be going on, I dressed up in a favorite of mine: a floral pink dress from BCBG. I paired the dress with my suede GIVENCHY shoes of the same color, put on some pearls and I was ready to go.
We attended a lovely cigar event, socialized and enjoyed our time until suddenly it was apparently time to leave. We left the event early and made our way into town. At this point I still didn’t have the slightest idea where we were going, and I loved that. I didn’t want to even try to guess, I was just enjoying the experience. There’s nothing like the feeling of siting back, relaxing, and just observing every moment as you make the journey to what you know will be a great and welcoming surprise. You know it will be good, you just don’t know what it will be.
Finally we parked and walked our way through downtown. Again, still at this point I haven’t an answer to our evening, just that it is a fabulous one. We make our way to the steps of the theatre and I see the banner posted above, “Wonderland.”
Now, if you know me by now you know that Alice In Wonderland is my all time favorite tale. I love the writings of Lewis Carroll, and I absolutely adore going out to the theatre. Ballets, operas, the symphony, plays, you name it I adore it. What a delightful surprise.
Now this isn’t the traditional story, more of a modern styled performance and take. I am very traditional but I can appreciate new perspectives and it was an entertaining night. The seats were wonderful, the performers were fantastic, and the costume design was gorgeous.
This is the first version of the production and I am very happy to have been able to see it so early. Changes are made as shows continue in later productions as they decide what works and what needs to be transformed. I didn’t even know there was a production of Wonderland being made or that it was being played in our city. My hunny made an amazing surprise for me with this, what a perfect evening! I am still tickled about it. Yay!
Best unbirthday present ever 
Rodarte + Target: Lace In Love
January 7, 2010
The ever so lovely and fabulous designs of RODARTE have made an appearance as TARGET’s latest designer collection, and I think this one has been the best so far. The designs created for this collection truly feel as though they are a part of the main collection, looking rich and elegant.
Delicate fabrics with lots of beautiful texture in brilliant colors look as though they could melt in your arms, some being bright and bold and others being soft and light. The mixtures of lace, sheer designs, and ribbons galore create a feminine look truly worthy of the runway.
I was fortunate enough to find two looks available in my size. One of which I will share with you here now, and the other as soon as it warms up enough for me to enjoy wearing it (but I’ll give you a sneak peak at the end of this post).
This is a beautiful and classic black dress from RODARTE for TARGET:
Look at that beautiful lace on such a classic feminine design. The bow adds shine and brings the collar together in a very pretty manner. This dress is perfect. I love it!
I don’t know if the pictures show it enough, but the skirt portion of the dress has a great amount of volume that just subtly flairs out adding more texture and a more pronounced silhouette.
I’ve wanted to wear the dress out since I left the store, but where to go in such a beautiful design? I like to make my own occasions, so I decided I would get all dressed up for… dun dun dun, an afternoon out with burgers, coffee, and cigars! Ha ha ha, I love dressing up for the simple occasions in life. Somehow a burger is much more fun when you’re wearing RODARTE. It was a nom nom combination.
If you haven’t hit your local TARGET yet, I would highly recommend going soon if it isn’t already too late. These designer collections disappear quickly, and once they are gone that’s it.
Oh, and here is a super sneak peak of my other find! I’ll just give you the color and texture of it for now
Floral Dreams Of A Fashion Wonderland
December 20, 2009
I love the soft, delicate, and feminine charm of a floral theme especially when it comes to fashion. I think accessories have a lot of room for creativity and playfulness here. I know the first time I saw the incredibly gorgeous floral rings from Dior that this would be a theme I would keep close to.
Anything that resembles the thoughts of Wonderland holds a special place in my heart and within my style. Take for instance here with this beautiful bracelet from a boutique shop called “Nonno.”
A pearl, crystals, gold, pink shades, and a dainty chain all come together here for a lovely look. And the lady bug is bonus feature. Floral designs within the accessory world is not an uncommon theme. Though it may be winter now, spring is soon to follow with many new welcoming designs.
After a winter of many dark, rich, and decadent colors the softer pastel shades are soon to return. And with them, the many joys of spring as well.
Designs and inspirations are everywhere. And accessories are becoming more and more creative! I cannot wait to see what the new year brings. But for now, I’ll be enjoying the pieces I already have, the ones I have just recently been given (such as the ring above given to me by an amazing friend), and the floral designs of shoes, dresses, lace, and even household decor.
Yes, floral designs are everywhere. Even in our earrings as seen below, a favorite of mine from a set I found on YESSTYLE.com. They always have great styles and inspiring ideas for your wardrobe there. You can see more of these earrings, including the other mismatched piece to the set, which really makes me think of Alice In Wonderland here:
You’ll also find more inspirations of the floral fashion theme in the post listed above. It is a favorite of mine since there are so many ways to reinvent and style such looks. And the feel alone always brings a smile to my face.
A Snowy White Fashion Look
December 5, 2009
With the crisp winter air now all around, I’ve been inspired to create a look that is soft, feminine, and a beautiful snowy white. After looking through my closet and making a couple of welcoming discoveries, I came up with just the right combination.
I first began by placing my hair in an elegant updo. I have many wraps within my wardrobe and knew I would be wearing one to protect my neck from the cold. Right now it is cool enough to be refreshing, and not the harsh bitter coolness that may come in the next day.
With my hair up I knew I wanted to wear a certain dress. This is a dress that was an unepected find. It was displayed at a window of a shop I had never seen while on the road traveling. The shop’s name I cannot recall, it just so happens to be one of those fate finding dresses for me. The material is a soft white and reminds me of a baby blanket, which is perfect for the cool temperatures.
With a white vintage fur wrapped around my neck, this soft blanket of a dress draped on I felt like a snow white princess of winter. I love the bright clean look of this brilliant white color, and all the mixes of textures involved.
Having a solid color all throughout on an outfit, and then multiple textures involved makes an outfit pop like nothing else. I love this style. Shape, volume, and texture when all in the same color is a beautiful fashion playground. Perhaps my absolute favorite one at that.
What is your favorite style to play with?
Bigger Bows For An Adorable Updo
November 13, 2009
When it comes to accessories I love items that are bigger than life. Oversized sunglasses, handbags (to a certain limit of course), watches, rings, and bows. Something about the contrast appeals to me, and I love a challenge when incorporating them into my wardrobe.
The instant I saw this bow I knew it was mine- how I would wear it I did not know.
So this morning when I was putting my hair into a side swept updo, something felt missing. There was a bit more space than I had intended on having, and the updo seemed to tight and clean. Not neccessarily a bad thing, just not the look I was going for. Enter the bow. What a perfect finish- it is whimsical, adorable, black and elegant. The cute factor with the heart, designs, and enormous size fit in perfectly. I love it.
One side is very smooth and clear while the other is a collection of soft textures wraped in place by the giant bow. The silhouette it creates is a unique one with lots of character. I love the angles and feminine cute feel that comes from it.
It’s hard not to feel adorable when you have a bow this big in your hair. Even though one side is light and clear and the other is heavy and textured, the balance remains as each side gives a glimpse into the other. It plays of each other just right creating a uniformed look.
I think I’ll be incorporating this ridiculously large bow into more of my updos, giving elegance a playful and cute twist.
A Night At The Circus: Fashion Show
November 9, 2009
Last night was an amazing night with a style show fit for the circus! Stylists from Visible Changes competed in a circus themed hair fashion show for awards and lovely prizes. Everything was to be completed by each team on their own- from concept, application, styling, makeup, and even costume. Over 100 teams were competing and the competition was intense.
My team of stylists, Mel and Bel, are absolutely amazing. They began working on this project far in advance, looking over all the details until the results met their goals completely. They even brought the sewing kit out to design a unique and pretty costume to compliment the hair for a complete and vivid look.
Texture, color, and incredible talent with imagination combined to get them to third place last night. I was honored to be a part of the team and rock the fantastic look they gave me. The circus character I portrayed was of a tight rope balancing girl, complete with rope all throughout my hair. Love it!
How Do You Wear Your Stripes?
November 3, 2009
Stripes can be tricky to wear as they can make a very bold statement. They can also very quickly go overboard! It is important to keep your colors and patterns in balance so that they compliment your overall look rather than make you look like the battlefield.
This is a cute dress from dodostyle that has a connected striped long sleeved top. It is all one complete piece- and well thought out at that. The sleeves have a slight bell shape at the end with some extra length to really add a nice balancing contrast. Horizontal stripes can make things appear wider, so the extra length goes a long way here to keep that from occurring. Same is true of the volume at the end, that shape adds a very pleasing contrast.
The shoes in this case are a subtle touch to balance out the top with the bottom. I normally don’t think of these straps as stripes, but when put into perspective with a piece like this, it works together very nicely.
The solid color of the black looks beautiful and whimsical against the vivid stripes. The shape of the black portion of this dress is very clean and simple with feminine lines. The bottom bubbles out in the same manner of the sleeves, making them look like they belong. It adds another dynamic into the volume- from fitted to bubbled, in a very complimentary style.
And did I mention cozy? I love sleeves that are longer than me, something about them makes me feel like a child all cuddled up. All of my dresses from Dodostyle are cozy like that. Not necessarily from the sleeves, but from the material. They all have very nice fits and make me feel like I’m wrapped in a blanket. Also, their styles are incredibly adorable! Yet another beauty from YES STYLE, every item I have ordered from them demands attention anywhere I go. It is how I wear my style, and in this piece, my stripes.
How do you wear your stripes?
Black On Black Fashion Glamor
October 12, 2009
Black- the classic fashion color for an elegant look. It is complimenting and offers multiple style options- even with the same garments given to a number of people. Each person will wear it differently and give it a new feel. So with winter giving me another chance to play, I decided to go with the black on black layering technique.
Since it is cool, layers are required (especially with my clothes, lol). A long sleeve black shirt and black tights make the foundation- from those two form fitting items, I am able to play with shape and color if I so choose to. Since I am going with black on black, shape is what counts here.
I have this floppy, cozy, sweater-like dress that was just begging to be worn. But with it’s short length and short sleeves, it requires company if it wants to actually be warm. Perfect- just the ingredient I was looking for. Now for some fun with the accessories:
When it is cool outside, I love wearing my bracelets over my long sleeves. Something about it makes them pop, especially when it is silver on black. But even the black on black stands out, the shine from the gems are a subtle and elegant touch. And with a ring to match- beautiful!
Now, because I didn’t want to be completely in black and lost in the shadows… I wanted something to really just pop. What stands out against black more than white, and with yesterday’s theme still fresh in my mind, I knew just the shoes to do it.
I’ve posted about these shoes before, and yet almost had forgotten I had them! Ack, I know.. but they are brand new to me again since finding them, lol. You can see more photos of the shoes from my previous post here: click to view the shoes
Black on black glamor- I’m going to say it’s a fabulous do ;D
