Sweet Tooth Suicide

Be prepared for a lot of photos in this post, 'cuz it's basically two looks.  "Basically?" you ask. "What's that supposed to mean?"  Well, here, I'll show you:

 



Coat on.

Coat off.

Haha  :D 
It's amazing how a look can change when you put on outerwear.  It's amazing what properly accessorizing a winter coat can do for a dreary day!  And it's amazing what wearing fishnets can do to a girl's self-confidence level.  AND it's amazing that black is the new black again this year!  There is no substitute for black.  Black is amazing.

Anyway, now that all that amazing-ness is out of my system, let's take this one more time, ladies and gentlemen.  Ready?  Three...two...one...

Coat on.

Coat off.

I called this post "Sweet Tooth Suicide" (lyrics from a song by Shinedown), because I loved the juxtaposition of the ice-cream sweet outerwear look and the black ensemble that lay underneath (like a sweet-faced person trying to hide a dark soul...or something a little less cliche).

Never thought I'd wear baby pink and fishnets together. 
Never thought I'd wear fishnets to church, either. 
Well, I did both of those things on this illustrious day.

Mmmm my backseamed fishnets...I feel like the high neckline and knee-length hem of this dress kept the overtly sexy nature of the fishnets from really presenting itself, which is why I felt comfortable wearing them out of the house (to church, nonetheless).  They added a little edge, but--more importantly--some neccessary texture to the outfit. 

Lots of textures, here: fishnet, patent leather (belt), suede (shoes), fine knit (sweater), silk (dress).

I took inspiration for this outfit from Audrey's all-black ensemble in "How To Steal A Million."

Expect to see a lot more all-black ensembles from me in the near future.  All-black is trending right now, and I'm of the opinion that there is never a chicer color palette.  So be prepared for me to take advantage of this fashion fad while it's around!

Really quickly before I go, I need to shine a special light on these, my marvy-fab new shoes:

Found them on clearance at JCP for $12.00.  $12.00!  Who lets shoes as gorgeous as these Cosmopolitain for JCP heels hit final clearance?!  Well, luckily for me, all the other shoppers at JCP did.  :)
Also: my coat was thrifted from Goodwill for $4.00.  Shop Secondhand First!

Dress: thrifted (orig. GAP) || Sweater: ancient || Belt: White House | Black Market || Tights: old || Shoes: Cosmopolitain for JCP || Coat: thrifted || Scarf: old || Hat: thrifted || Bag: thrifted

Things that make a girl strut down the street

1.) Combining vintage and mod styles (successfully).

2.) Berets.

3.) New haircuts.

4.) Leopard print pumps.

These are definitely some of the things that make girls strut down the street.  :)

Skirt: H&M || Blazer: thrifted (orig. Target) || Bag: thrifted || Beret: old || Jewelry: Charming Charlie || Shoes: thrifted (orig. Steve Madden)

Anyway, lovelies, before I go, there are two more goofy photos I wanted to share:

Here's what I looked like before my haircut:

I cropped my head out, 'cuz my hair was
just that bad...but my coat's pretty fly.

Annnnnd here's what I looked like after. 
YAY JAMMIES! 
(I just couldn't be parted from my new t-shirt!)

Little Disclaimer:  I made this shirt myself.  I figure it's not gonna get me in legal trouble or anything, though, 'cuz a.) I'm not selling it, b.) I didn't get crazy accurate and directly copy the precise measurements of the logo, c.) I'm not telling anyone it's "real."

My living room.

It's finally finished!!!!!

As promised, I'm posting some pictures of new and exciting things (no photos of me wearing clothes in this post lol).  Soooooo now that I've finished decorating my living room (for the third time since November), I thought it was high time to share it!

Here are some before/afters (taken at nighttime, sorryyyyyyyy):

 

BEFORE

 

 AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

 

 

 

I'm sharing this with you guys (as promised), because I think how you decorate your home shows a lot about you and your personality.  And style is all about personality, and this is a style blog. 

 

Therefore, style of dress and style of decor go hand-in-hand.

 

Now I would like to focus on two of my favorite things in this room:

 

1.) My Couch

I adore this couch.  I found it at Goodwill four days before I even had a new apartment to put it in, but I just had to have it! 
I was very VERY lucky to be able to borrow a truck from my in-laws and garage space from my folks for those few days, and everyone agreed that this couch was worth the rigamarole!

I do want to change out the larger floral print pillows eventually. 
Anyone have pillows that size in a large floral print with a navy background?  haha wouldn't that be a miracle..?

 

2.) The Tapestry

I have an acutal tapestry in my living room!!!!  Eeeeeeee!!!  :D
Another Goodwill find, I wish the photo did it justice.

 

Anyway, I had a lot of fun with this living room.  I looked all over the internet for inspiration.  If you want to see what's all been swirling around in my head, please see my Pinterest boards. 

The photos you're seeing are the second and third time I've rearranged the furniture, actually.  The first time the couch was on the left-hand wall.  Whew...it's exhausting even thinking about all the furniture I've shoved around in that room!  And here I was wondering how to get a workout in winter...

The reason I've rearranged so many times is because I just could NOT get this room to feel right.  I knew I had some great pieces to work with, and I wasn't doing them justice!  It was bothering me soooo much!  I'd lie in bed at night and ponder and fret about how to arrange my living room (sad but true).

Eventually I figured out what my problem was: I was trying too hard to make a small room seem spacious.  I sacrificed coziness, warmth, and charm.  The point of furniture arranging and decorating is to make the room look its best; to use the space and things you are given in the most charming way you can; not to just shove furniture against the wall and keep as much floor open in the middle as you can.  If it's a small room, let it be small! just in the best, coziest, most elegant and charming way possible. 

Also: if it doesn't look exactly like the pictures of "country chic" or "cozy casual" or whatever other labels people impose on room styles, GOOD; it's your own style, then.  :)  Take inspiration from others, but don't copy their work.

So.  Vibrant, unapologetic curtains, some greenery (enter Gerald, my lipstick vine), and plenty of pretty pillows and blankets later, I have a snuggly space that's much more open to the rest of the apartment and more inviting for guests.



I'm proud of the hard work I put into this room, but I'm just starting out on this decorating thing.  If anybody has any tips, PLEEEEEEEEEASE share them!  I did a lot of internet research, but that's not the same as someone giving actual feedback and your actual room.

She's a Mixed-up Girl in a Mixed-up World.

Song of the Day: "Meddle" by Little Boots. 
It works, 'cuz it's sassy yet sweet, and I'm wearing little boots with this outfit.  :)

This look is a bit hipster-fab, ain't it?  I realized that during the day and got a little self-conscious...but then I reminded myself that labels shouldn't matter.  We love what we love.  And I love this outfit.



My beloved broken Rolex. I never bothered putting a new battery in this thrifted beauty, 'cuz its second hand just quirkily floats freely around inside the face, soooo....really, what's the point? I have a cell phone to tell time with, after all. (But I will never use an e-reader to read books. Some things just shouldn't be digital.)

Thought I'd share my quirky dinner with you, too, since this post is so full of quirkiness:

Yes, yes, ladies and gentlemen.  That is some LEFTOVER MCDONALD'S AND PINK CHAMPAGNE.  How do you like me, now?

cute sleeve buttons  :)

Hat, Watch (orig. Rolex), Bracelet, Shirt (orig. Ann Taylor LOFT), Skirt (orig. Land's End): Goodwill

Leggings, boots: old || Faux Spectacles: Forever 21

Inspirations

Three generations of Fabulous: my grandmother, great-grandmother, and father

"the Kiss" --Klimt



Florence of Florence and the Machine

Mother Monster

Dita Von Teese

Lana Del Ray

Thought I'd share some of my inspirations.  Most of these have been constant mind-sparkers for my entire life...a few I've only recently learned about, but I suspect they'll stay with me for awhile.  ;)

I hope these few images pave the way for you to create today!  As some of my favorite lyrics from Florence and the Machine go...

(This image [of my eye haha] was featured on my Instagram recently.  Follow me!!  @Spritzy88)

In closing, my favorite SS 13 collection: Dolce & Gabbana.