Warm Colors for a Cold Winter

 

Autumnal shades saw me through the whole first part of winter, actually--it was 40 degrees on Christmas day!!!  Which is, like, unheard of up here in da nort' (dare I add a "yah, dere hey!"..?). 

But I promise we're making up for it now.  As I type, my phone tells me it is an exhilerating 3 DEGREES (which is spoiling me, because our forecasted high was 2 degrees), and it "feels like -13 degrees."

And, yes, many my wintertime posts will contain some sort of commentary on the weather (lol it IS the chief topic of conversation in these parts since we're all, you know, a little focused on trying to NOT DIE.  We're "hardy." <--read as "absolutely insane" )

 

Outfit, take me to work and beyond!

Dark Paradise

How ludicrously charming is this lil ensemble?  The dress with its little print and cute sleeve buttons...the Audrey kitten heels...the lace gloves...the back-seamed pantyhose...

I've worn this dress before, but this is the first time I had a crinoline to go under it.  I never even realized how incomplete this dress was without a crinoline!  Holy moley! 

The cuteness factor was raised by, like, a billion percent.

And I'm really feelin' it in these pics...Can you tell?  :)

Found a new place to take pictures: I can balance my phone on my nightstand and stand in front of my BLUE wall. 
Just a little bit blue, right?  haha Yeah, this crazy color is actually in my apartment.  For now, it's confined to just one wall of my bedroom, but I have a sneaking suspicion this happy color just might overflow onto the rest of my bedroom's walls soon...

Valentine's Day Outfit

SORRYYYYYY I haven't posted in so long! 

Yes, I am just now posting my outfit from Valentine's Day.  :)  I didn't do anything romantic-looking, 'cuz I didn't see my husband, but I love holidays, so I at least dressed in red.

I struggle with ways to wear these bold pants; they're just TOO MUCH AWESOME to style easily.  ;)  But this is my favorite way I've styled them so far.

They're oh-so-punky, and not really in a couture way, 'cuz they're Abbey Dawn--Avril Lavigne's line for Kohl's.  Anyone remember Avril???  Where has she gone???  I loved her music when she first emerged onto the American music scene (in her awesomely baggy '90s grunge pants).  I'll admit it!  I was obsessed with the songs "Sk8tr Boy" and "Complicated."  Dude, I'm pretty sure I still know all the words. 
#guiltypleasures

 And these equally awesome shoes are definitely going to see a lot of wear, so be prepared, my dear readers, to see them up on the blog a lot!

They're right on trend right now: a pointed toe, ladylike silhouette, and metallic cap-toe.
 
<3  Love at first sight...

I lusted after them when they were at Target, but didn't want to splurge (they were like $39 or something, and I have what I call "Secondhand Syndrome:" if the price is double-digits, it's high.  lolz).  So I drooled and drooled to myself while watching the price drop as they first went on sale, then clearance, then final clearance, and then--lo, and behold--I found a pair in the color I wanted in my size with the tags still attached at my local Goodwill! 

Don't get me wrong: the shoes are definitely worth the original asking price, but God saw fit to let me get them for $6!

Hat: thrifted || Button-up: thrifted || Coat: oldie but goodie || Pants: thrifted (orig. Abbey Dawn) || Shoes: thrifted (orig. Target)

THANKS FOR READING!

 

Tell me what you did for Valentine's Day! 

Hope it was sweet!

Bummed-out face. 
(It was right after choir rehearsal, and I just really missed my Valentine.)

What's black and white and plaid all over?

 

Sooo sometimes I wear two pairs of tights when it's cold haha...Hopefully this year I won't let Wisconsin winter pull down my style spirit!  Wrapping up in a little fur always makes a girl feel warmer, right?

And now, dear readers, I'm gonna throw out this plea again:

If you have a piece of art that you like, please tell me the name of it and its artist (you can email me or leave it in the comments below).

I want to do a series of outfits inspired by pieces of art (not where I try to look like whoever is in the painting, but where I wear an outfit in the same color pallette that attempts to evoke the same feeling).

If I choose your idea, you'll definitely get the credit for it and a link to your blog/site in my post.

There's no time constraint to this thing, either...in fact, I'll probably be re-posting this little spiel for the next few blogposts so I get as many ideas as possible, because I've always loved art, but I'm not very knowledgeable about it, so I'm looking forward to getting your input and getting exposed to new artists.

 

Scarf: thrifted || Sweater: Kohl's || Belt: Express || Skirt: Charlotte Russe || Tights: old || Shoes: old || Bag: Forever 21