Schoolgirl? Nay...SchoolBOY

Subtitled: I *heart* Argyle.

I always have and always will.

This bag kinda looks like one of those old-timey bookbags,
so I thought it cinched the "lil schoolboy" vibe. 
Plus, it's not girly at all.

IT'S 44 DEGREES OUTSIDE!!!  So when I checked the forecast before I got dressed this morning and saw that number, I said (or rather, screamed) to myself 'SHORTS! HURRAH!'
I adore the shorts-and-a-sweater look, and living in Wisconsin provides very few chances to employ it.
And I'm rockin' the socks-and-pumps thing...which always makes me nervous, but it just sort of happened and happened to work.  Plus, it makes the outfit more unmistakably a fashion choice...though people probably still would wonder, "What is she wearing?" 
But that's the fun, isn't it?  Who wants to look all pretty or sexy all the time? 

Life needs variation!

Sweater: stolen from hubby (purchased from Express lol)
Shorts: thrifted
Socks: ?
Pumps: thrifted
Bag: thrifted

Vibrant Stained Glass

Went to dinner for my in-laws' anniversary.  SO MUCH FUN!  How many people can say they love their in-laws???  We went to the Audobon Inn, which has GOT to be one of the most fantastic places in the world: historical inn, classy pub (the setting for the above photos--pay no attention to the sofa that my brother-in-law and I both hated lol), and gorgeous restaurant!!  We had great food, lots of laughs, and a few too many fabulous martinis/beers.  (The bartender boasted he could make "one heck of a Cosmo," so my mother-in-law and I put him to the test. Twice.)

Anyway, this is one of my favorite outfits EVER.  Sadly, none of these photos do it justice, I feel, but it wasn't MY celebration, so I didn't want to take too much time trying to get a good photo...

Coat: thrifted
Scarf: thrifted
Dress: H&M
Pumps: Payless
Purse: thrifted Prada (!!!)
Earrings: thrifted

cyanide sweet tooth suicide

Thought of that title because I'm rocking candy colors today.  and because my outerwear look is so different from the feel of what I'm wearing under it...you'll see what I mean.

Here are swatches of the colors I'm wearing:

Smooshed all together like that, they remind me of the patchwork elephant book.

Anyway: ON TO THE CLOTHING!

I was trying for a soft '50s look. 
Makes me want to crank some Frank Sinatra tunes...I love Old Blue Eyes.


YELLOW MANICURE

Just for fun.  I can't wear yellow clothes because of my skin tone, so I wear it on my nails when I need some sunshine.  I really need some right now: we're starting to hit the doldrums of winter. As a bonus: you get a bit better view than usual of my wedding ring.  :)
Both my hubby and I thought I was gonna be a solitaire-in-a-plain-band kind of girl...boy were we wong.  Buying this ring together was really when my love for bling began...the ring poisoned me lol

PS--Whenever I say "manicure," I don't mean professionally done.  I may wear a fur coat, but it was thrifted.  I'm not that uppity lol

Anyway, now we transition (not very smoothly) from a sweet, soft, pastel palette to THIS:

This is kinda like: rarr I punch you in the face with elegance!
A more educated way of saying that is: instead of soft elegance, it's stark elegance.  lol  I like them both.


Love these earrings...they remind me of the pair pictured below
that Audrey Hepburn (my forever idol) wore in Sabrina.



Cardigan: Gap
Top: Express
Skinnies: Forever21
Kitten Heels: thrifted
Bag: NineWest
Scarf: thrifted
Earrings: thrifted
Lip Color: Candy Pink--Revlon

Fur Coat: thrifted
Shades: thrifted
Scarf: knitted especially for me by Wendy  :)  THANKS, WENDY!!!

RED heels

Photos by Kati Quill
Editing by me

CHECK OUT MY NEW SHOES!!!  I wore them to the mall with my "frusin" (friend-cousin), and got lots of compliments, which made me feel awsome.  :)  Of course, I'm guessing they were THAT noticeable because I'm the only one crazy enough to wear shoes like that in winter with snow on the ground...did I mention it was an outdoor mall?  I amuse myself sometimes lol

I've been really matchy-matchy with accessories lately: red shoes, red lips, red gloves, red bag, and red nails were my entire weekend.  I've also been rocking an updo, since I need a haircut embarrassingly badly...but it still makes me feel Old Hollywood glam.

Shades: thrifted
Sweater: thrifted
Shirtdress: H&M
Skinnies: Forever21
Shoes: Target
Purse: Aldo
Lipstick: Revlon (my fave)

Kiss My Art.

THE END.

___________________________________________________________________

Makeup tutorial HERE.

Denim button-up: H&M
Tee: Kohl's
Skirt: ?
Leggings: ?
Boots: thrifted
Bracelet: Maurices
Duo-Ring: ForLove21
Pinkie Ring: Booth at Festa Italiana 


my new favorite scent
It's from Bath & Body Works.

detail of jewelry

Punky Makeup Tutorial

BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE: I wish to make a disclaimer regarding the low quality of the photos my camera takes.

That is an extra-large-sized photo of MY FACE. Unnerving.

This is a lot more makeup than I usually wear day-to-day, buuuuut it's all in good fun, right?

1.) Start with your foundation and concealer.  I went really pale (not that I need much help looking ghostly...sigh): makes the look more starkly contrasting.  Make sure to cover your lips in foundation, too.

2.) TIME TO HIT THE EYES, AND HIT THEM HARD. 
Well, figuratively, not really, but the goal is kinda to look as if you did get two shiners. 
Line those suckers: make a REALLY think line on top extending the full length of lid, but make sure to taper it slightly when you approach the inner corner.  Keep it thicker towads the outer corner (you could even do  slight cateye effect).  Line the lashline of your bottom lid too, but much more thinly.


The two brushes I used.
The uber-fluffy one was for the eyeshadow,
and I used a lip brush to darken my brows, which is probably
heinously blasphenous, but I'm poor, and I gots what I gots.

3.) Two words:  Black. Shadow.  Take a thick, gentle brush and dip it lightly in the black eyeshadow, lightly tapping off any extra.  Then, starting at the outside of the lid so it receives the greatest concentration of shadow, basically cover your lid in shadow.  Repea on both eyes, then look in the miror and even eveythig out to your satisfaction.  Feel free to create a shape that is the most flattering to your face.

4.) Add some light black shadowing underneath your eyes as well.  Create depth and widen your eyes: don't add so much that you look sleepy.  Focus on the outer corner.

5.) Add white shadow to the inner corners and your browbone.

6.) I decided my eyebrows needed darkening.  Thick brows are en vogue right now, and it gave the look more PUNCH.  Win-win.

7.) Apply many coats of mascara.

8.) Finish off the look by adding a high-shine gloss to your nude lip.


Wish my lips were nude-r.

So anyway, there we go.  OH BUT WAIT!  I nearly forgot the last and most crucial step:

9.) PUT ON SOME SERIOUS ATTITUDE.

_________________________________________________________________

A boring look at the final product.

Jump in, let's save the world!

Song of the Day: "Michael (Jump In)"--No More Kings

Kick off your shoes, and
PUT ON YOUR SUNGLASSES!

Anyway, I'm feeling really cutesy and cartoonish today...loads of pink and a flower meets combat boots and distressed denim, and SHORTS MEET 4-DEGREES ABOVE ZERO WEATHER.

Sweater: Aerie
Tee: American Eagle Outfitters
Tank: H&M
Shorts: American Eagle Outfitters
Tights: ?
Socks: stolen from hubby
Boots: ?
Flower: ?
Sunglasses (above): thrifted
Coat (above): Kenneth Cole Reaction

I try to never lose my class, even when I'm wearing a crazy ensemble.

Too much fun editing...
Paint splatters are so '80s, I know, but please reserve judgment!

I love contradictions (the ones that just somehow make so much sense).

 Along those lines: it's been a dream of mine for awhile to buy a Jeep Wrangler (manual transmission, of course) and paint it over in bright pink!!!  I'll let you know if it happens.

Detail of Shorts

Speaking of PINK, here are details of my cosmetics choices for the day:


Fun, eh?  But I didn't stop there.  Things got a bit outlandish with some BIG HAIR.

Trust me: it's bigger than the photo lets on.
And, YES I believe that a grown woman
can rock a flower in her hair if she wants.



Anyway, I'm feeling like saving the world, today.  :)  I'm feeling fine and unstoppable(and all this because I found an AMAZING deal on a pair of pumps, did my nails, and am going to bake cookies...YAY!  It's the little things in life, I tell ya.)

Live with style and pinache.

FOR THE FUTURE:

I'll be including my new shoes in my outfit tomorrow, and I'll also be including photos of my redecorated apartment in that post!  I was busy on Monday.  ;)



Snowy Discovery

It's not what you think it is...lol my "snowy discovery" is http://www.picnik.com/!
It's so idiot-proof that even I can use it, and it's and FREE (ding-ding-dinnng)!!!

Maybe now I'll actually be able to post some decent (more dynamic/dramatic) photos on this blog and edit them to actually reflect my mood.  I'm no photographer/editor, but there's no harm in dabbling and having a bit of fun, right?
I kinda like how this first batch came out...
PLEASE LEAVE ME SOME FEEDBACK! 

P.S.--Having a snowflake crown in my dark hair is one of my favorite things in the whole world.

School-smarmy

The above is me standing on the main street of the darling little town I grew up in...had lunch with my Mama today, and she obliged my whimsy by taking a photo.  :)



Check it out: I'm doing some laundry...lol I'm so professional(?) about my blogging...(hopefully I make up for lack of quality with the quantity of posts I post)  :P

Anyway, I love this skirt...it's so...well, the word I used before: "whimsy."  It's so breezy and whimsical.  Makes me feel pretty and classic; and it's in a beautiful bold shade of red (my favorite color).  It hits at the actual waist and poufs out into that full shape, so it makes me look like I have an itty-bitty middle.  :) 

This look is a bit schoolmarm-y with some pizazz (hence the title of this post)...majorly inspired by:

Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday:

and Rachel Weisz in The Mummy:

but who isn't inspired by these two beauties, anyway???

{Sidenote: I have been keeping The Mummy playing in the background at work for the past two days...it's always been one of my faves: swashbuckling, romantic, a little tragic, and doesn't take itself too seriously.}

So. I feel the urge to freak out for a second...LOOK AT THE PURSE.  JUST LOOK AT IT.  I THRIFTED A PRADA PURSE!!!!  EEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!  I feel like the luckiest girl in the world...well, maybe not THE luckiest, but pretty darn lucky.  :)

Scarf: thrifted

Shirt: ?

Skirt: H&M

Shoes: thrifted

Purse: thrifted Prada !!!

Coat: Forever21

Sunglasses: thrifted