Sun on my Skin

OMG.  LOOK.  A POST.

A sweet vintage look for a sunny Sunday...

Summer Colors on a Spring Day

Escapism

Soooo before I start the actual post, I'm aware that few [...or none?] of my readers live in my area, buuuuut I thought I'd throw this out just in case: 
I'll be walking in this fashion show for a local secondhand shop I recently discovered. 

Yep, I'm gonna be in a little fashion show.  :)  It's not like a big deal or anything--I'm not suddenly thinking I'm the next Karlie Kloss--but I'm still super-excited, because:

a.)Um, it's a fashion show and Imma be in it.
b.) It's for a great cause (the business was started to make sure all girls could attend prom/special events regardless of budget [they rent prom dresses/tuxes as well as sell them and other vintage/gently-used clothing]).
c.) I get to wear a fabulous dress from the 40s (a black, ruffle-y, one-shoulder number, WOO!).

So.  On the off-chance that anyone lives near Grafton, WI (not my hometown, but close),
COME AND SUPPORT Stephanie's Prom Closet
and see me strut my stuff! 
And I'll be attempting to white-girl shake my groove thang at the dance after the runway show (which--thrust me--will be enough entertainment to make the cover charge worth it).
If you can't come, then just do me a favor and pray that I don't fall flat on my face.



Anyway, on to the OOTD:

Red, White and Cute

You'll have to pardon my silly faces and the lack of [creative] photos for this outfit...it was COLD! ...and mom was taking these photos of me right after church...is that blasphemous somehow?  lol  Sunday best!  You still get the gist of the look, right?

Love wearing same color shoes and tights!  Especially when they're my favorite color: RED! 

The photo below is my "brrrr it's freakin' freezin'" face.  :-P

While rocking the side pony.  Like a boss. 

(Well, a girl can dream, anyway.)

Don't worry: you'll see this dress again when it's warmer out!  It's the nicest little sweetheart neckline halter dress.  Usually I'm not a huge fan of tulle hanging out the bottom of a skirt, but on this dress it just works.

Sweater: Charlotte Russe || Tights: Wal*Mart || Shoes: Target || Dress: Goodwill || Bag: St. Vinnie's (I added the ribbon.) || Lipcolor: Revlon (love) || I'm also wearing an additional petticoat from Hot Topic

Christmas Eve (Subtitled: Holly Jolly Dotty Hottie)

Had too much fun editing my photos...again...and wearing a flouncy outfit...again...

Wore this outfit on Christmas Eve.  :) 
I had to hide it under a robe while I sang with church choir, but at least my festive shoes peeked out from under the hem!  (I took the hat off for church, of course...as much as that hurt my heart!  I found this hat last month at the thrift store, and knew immediately that it was meant for wear on Christmas!  Isn't it magical?)

I save this Louis Vuitton bag I thrifted for special occasions.  It's in pristine condition, and I'd like to keep it that way.  I think it's vintage...isn't it beautiful?
I also broke out the Armani perfume my hubby gave me for my birthday, so I felt like a cloud of special followed me everywhere.  ;)

How about them tights?  And do you like my polka-dot dress?  It was a gift from my grandma years ago.  My first "real" nice dress.  I had felt terribly underdressed at a wedding, and confided to my grandma in the ladies' room that night.  Two weeks later, she showed up at my door and proclaimed that no granddaughter of hers should ever have to go through that and whisked me to the mall.  :)  My grandma is precious.

Anyways, my loves, stay tuned for more Christmas outfits!  Not quite 12 days of Christmas, but I had 3 days of Christmas this year!  3 days of my favorite holiday...Marvelous!

Chapeau: Goodwill || Dress: White House | Black Market || Belt: thrifted with a diff. dress || Gloves: gift || Tights: thrifted || Shoes: Target || Bag: thrifted VINTAGE LOUIS VUITTON || Earrings: Bangles and Bags

 



Mon Chapeau

How do you like my new hat and sweater?

This post goes back to what I do best.  Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week inspired me to dabble around a bit more in modern fashion, but vintage/classic style is always where I feel most safe and beautiful.

Instead of being my living room, can you join me, dear readers, in imagining my backdrop to instead be a charming Parisian alleyway?  That's the feeling I was trying to channel while I was taking these photos...just didn't have any charming Parisian alleyways available to me at the time.  ;)

My Marilyn Monroe pose...I didn't even know I had curves until I saw this photo.

Matte red lips, 

a loose chingon, 

satine gloves,

feathers, 

fur, and a 

breathtaking chapeau...

...It's the luxe life for me!

I should say that it's the luxe life ON THE CHEAP.  This whole outfit cost me less than $50.00, I think.  That's including my makeup.  I mean, really, I got the hat for $8.00--that's just crazy talk--and the faux fur wrap was a gift.  Ahhhh thrifting...

*Sidenote:  I think I figured out why that hat had been marked down to so cheap in the second-hand shop.  It's a vintage designer hat, but you need to wear it tipped on an angle.  My guess is that no-one ever figured that out when they were trying it on and just put it on straight.  It looks dreadful when you just set it straight on top of your head, but it's absolute magic when you tilt it a bit!

Before we part ways for the weekend, I want to share some big news:
I am (and what I mean by "I am" is mostly "my hat is") going to be FEATURED ON ANOTHER BLOG.  I'm am so excited/flattered/honored/generally PUMPED about the invitation (it's my first)!

Watch for my hat on Kathleen's blog, That's a Pretty Hat

While you're waiting anxiously for my cameo (heh heh), make sure you give her blog the good once over (at least)!  She is a lovely person with great style sense, and her blog is devoted to inspiring the wearing of hats, a message I fully endorse!   
Let's bring hats back, people!  Who's with me?

Hat: thrifted || Sweater: thrifted || Skirt: old || Pumps: thrifted || Faux Fur Wrap: gift || Gloves: gift

Thank you, Google Translate.    >_<;;;;    <--chagrin face.  I'm such a cheater.

Quite a Dotty Pin-up

Subtitled: 

Hodgepodge Hottie

I had some fun with print-mixing!  AND a retro silhouette with a modern twist!  
I was attempting one of those
that doesn't got together AT ALL, but somehow it just...goes together
kind of looks.  This is something I don't do really often, so I'm quite a novice, but I thought it turned out.  :)  Probably because I stuck with a fundamental element that I know quite well: a retro silhouette.

A little bit tropical, and little bit pin-up, and a LOT a bit crazy, that's me!

Showing that little piece of skin right under your ribs (above your belly button) has been such a hot thing to do this Summer.  This is the first time I've ever accomplished it in a classy way that I actually like (...aaaand it's already September...sigh, I'm a little slow, I guess).  But I put a Fall trend in there, too, to sort of bridge the gap: red lips with plain eyes and very pink cheeks.

detail of the print-mixing

Top: thrifted || Skirt: thrifted || Belt: thrifted || Shoes: Target || Bag: thrifted || Arm Party: thrifted || Scarf: thrifted || Sunnies: Marshall's

"Fever"--Michael Buble

Play the video and listen to the song while you check out the following post.  :) 
It was my mood music for this outfit.

And now, for those in want, may I present to you a bit of:

(...with a little bit of leg.)

 (...OK, OK, with a lot of leg.)

This is what I wore to dinner on Saturday night.  The hubby took me out to celebrate my birthday.  :)  As such, it was a prime opportunity to be ridiculously overdressed. 

And so I was.

hoity-toity Queen for a Day

I really do think my husband's cache of combat boots classes up the picture, don't you? 
These photos were all snapped at my house by my loving hubby when we returned from dinner and drinks.

My accessories need a moment in the limelight here:

Faux fur wrap and lots of sparkly things!!!  Now THAT's a birthday outfit!

You get a glimpse of my nail art in this photo.  I am constantly updating Instagram with my nails, so please feel free to find me there!  I'm kind of obsessed with Instagram right now... @spritzy88

Some giggles...

 And now, ladies and gentleman, I have a question to put to you all:

Upon my recent perusal of magazine pages, I came across an article which informed me that slits were making a comeback.  I personally think a slit is a much more generally friendly way to display some leg (rather than a micro-minidress or whatever), so I'm content with this movement.  The only qualm I have is that I'm afraid of looking trashy, and slits can sometimes do that.

What about your thoughts, dear readers, on this matter?   
To slit or not to slit?

 I seriously want to hear what you all think.  Leave a comment or tweet @spritzy88 about it.

And now, dear readers, I will leave you today with "the Rundown" and the giggles.

Dress: Forever21 || Sparkles: gifted || Wrap: Gift || Shoes: Anne Klein (thrifted)

completely unretouched photo