Kissable

So I'm sure most if not all of you recognize the photo above. "Kissing the war goodbye" was taken August 14, 1945

It has been one of my favorite pictures since I can remember. So this year was the 70th anniversary and I asked my boyfriend if we could go August 14, 2015 to reenact the picture. He hates kissing in public and taking pictures of us kissing so I really thought he would say no.

But he said yes *BIG SMILEY FACE HERE*

I didn't want to wear costumes but I did want to feel the right sort of vibe and even jazz it up a little.

I found this purse for $15 at a thrift store. Isn't it gorgeous!? Hand beaded, and so sparkly and shimmery. I couldn't stop playing with it all day.

The earrings were $20 at a local antique shop. More than I would normally pay for earrings but they are very old and they were perfect so I couldn't pass them up

Side note: Clip-ons hurt... a lot

Boyfriend bought me the dress at Ross for $7 

Not too shabby, huh?

We were both really nervous about kissing in front of so many people, so we went to the Hard Rock Cafe and had a few drinks before working up enough nerve. Do we look nervous in the picture? I was having fun *wink*

Pictured below is a statue located in Times Square and reenactors who were hanging out in the area. She actually came over and offered to take our picture and help position us to be a little more accurate.

It was a wonderful experience, we had a blast, and Boyfriend deserves so so many points for putting up with it all and doing this for me.

(Spoiler alert: he proposed later that day! Check out my other blog Marylou's Wedding for all the details.)

How To Be Classy

Now of course this is just my opinion of classy. But here are a few things I do when I like to pretend I'm extra fabulous.

Lets take this outfit a piece at a time. Your first step is to put on some Frank Sinatra to get in the right mood.

LACE: I love lace. Dresses, sweaters, leggings, whatever I can find in lace. So I have this lace dress and then I kind of just add onto that as I come across things in my closet.

CLUTCH: Remember how I said to buy all the clutches? This was my first thrift shop clutch. It started my love for dressing this way, actually, although I've always had a desire to be fancy. It made me realize I could in fact dress this way when I so desired.

SUNGLASSES: Big round sunglasses make a huge difference to your appearance. It's where I feel my connection to Audrey. That is important to me. If you could care less if Audrey Hepburn would have wanted to be your best friend, then wear whatever sunglasses suit your mood.

HATS: Don't forget you have nothing to fear from hats! (Unless of course they have a hat pin in which case, yeah, be careful). This cute little thing is actually a comb. So basically it stays wherever I want it. A little bit of netting and feathers with some not too over-the-top gem stones is just what I need to push this style in the right direction.

EARRINGS: Notice the teardrop earrings? $3 at the consignment store. Obviously fake diamonds, but a girl can pretend right?

Side note: I do pretend... a lot.

HEELS: duh, what's classier than a pair of heels?

I didn't wear any jewelry aside from the earrings because I had other accessories, and the neckline of this dress only allows for certain necklaces. If I had a nice long strand of pearls that would have gone really well.

Side note: someone drop a hint to my boyfriend that I need a long strand of pearls

If you don't go for all the feathers and whatnot I totally understand. DITCH IT!

Viola'

We are left with Simple Classy.

I found this hat in my grandparents attic. It was my great grandfathers. The right hats add so much class.

Side note: And they make me pose-y

This outfit is more modern classy. (What? You thought I only knew how to dress like an old person?)

I love taking a simple black dress and only accessorizing with one color. Obviously I picked blue this time. I am obsessed with these blue heels! Although to be honest they aren't very comfortable (sad face) 

I zoomed in on the dress so you could really see the lace accent. I believe this one cost me $12

Side note: have I mentioned Ross is absolutely THE place to buy dresses?

The earrings are HUGE so I couldn't wear the necklace as a necklace because it was all too overwhelming. So I threw it on as a bracelet instead

I used to have a cigarette extender when I smoked. I would highly recommend you quit smoking cause it will murder you. But if you do smoke, get one.

Let me know you think of my style and things YOU like to do to feel classy. Really, I want to know

If The Dress Fits...

 BUY IT IN EVERY COLOR!

I'm serious. If you find a comfortable flattering dress, buy all the colors.

This was my first one of this style. The fabric is soft and stretchy. My hair was lavender at the time and I loved the way the colors looked next to each other. I found all but the last dress in this post at Ross. And they were all $8 a piece even though I bought them months apart. Which to me just makes them even better. I love that these first 2 have that lace section in the middle for showing a little bit of skin without going overboard revealing.

When I found this one my hair was literally the same shade of pink as the dress. My hair color has a lot of influence on my shopping. I don't own that much pink, but when I do wear pink I like it to be in your face. So either HOT pink like this dress, or using all the pink accessories I own.

This dress matches my current hair color. A dark teal. I love how each of these dresses, though the same cut, are all so different. Different, colors, prints, textures... yet all the same dress. They are just different enough that no one has ever commented that "Don't you have that dress in 5 colors?" The perks of simplicity. Though pretty, the style is so simple, you can't even tell it's a cookie cutter dress. (Unless someone were to put pictures of all the dresses next to each other in a blog post and tell you flat out that they are the same dress. But who would want to blow that secret?)

This one was a gift and is slightly different from the others but it is just close enough that I wanted to add it. Just a reminder to stay fun! And there is no rule that says "costumes must only be worn as costumes".

Side note: I don't listen to rules anyways

Do you think I'm crazy yet?

Why Corsets Are The Bomb

 Apparently there is something going around saying that women need to start wearing corsets again, but like, under our clothes? To look skinny? Like they used to do in Gone With The Wind?! Please don't start doing that. It's so unhealthy, seriously.

Now that that's out of the way. I love corsets! In a decorative way... like as part of an outfit.

This is my steam punk look. I like putting grays and browns together. So I have my adorable brown heels with the little bows, my tight but stretchy (stretch is good) pencil mini skirt, my steam punk corset AND goggles. I finished it off with my Golden Snitch locket (I like to sneak a little Harry Potter in here and there).

Side note: I collect goggles because I'm EXTRA cool (*sarcasm*)

If you're not into the girly skirt paired with heels then trade out the skirt for shorts and the heels for boots! I think I actually prefer it that way. Have I mentioned boots are great? 

A close up of my necklace because I just think it is fantastic.

Being that I'm pretty tall and have a long torso, it is really hard to find cute little dresses that lay in all the right places. Usually the bodice is trying to crawl up to my neck and no matter how many times I pull it down or re-position it, it pops back up above my boobs. This also means it's not going to cover my butt which forces me to wear shorts or leggings. This stress, I mean... dress, is a great example of an adorable dress that makes me look like a giant! But throw a corset on and pull the dress down and it all stays in place. Not to mention the bit of pizzazz a corset adds, to any outfit really. Wearing my favorite boots again. They go with everything. No wait.... Yeah... EVERYTHING.

Normally this next dress would keep falling down. And the black piece at the top comes to about 2 inches below my boobs before the skirt flares out which is just awkward looking with my height. I love how poofy this dress is because when I hook the corset overtop I don't have to worry about it squeezing my love muffins (love handles + muffin tops= love muffins) and making them protrude out really far. My earrings came from a thrift shop for just a couple bucks. I love wearing them with strapless shirts/dresses. My shoulders tend to look a little funky all naked otherwise.

Side note: please wear boots with dresses. You won't regret it

FINE! Don't wear boots! See if I care!

But seriously, just to show that all shoes are basically interchangeable, I threw on some heels for a second. Converse would be really cute as well. Excuse my raptor hand creepin' out from behind me there

A close up of my earrings because they are gorgeous (and weight about a pound each)

These are my only two right now but honestly I don't feel like I need that many of them.

Let me know how you feel about corsets. Thank you for reading.

Is That A Costume?

A PIRATES WIFE FOR ME

Toss me a hook and call me "Captain"! Ok, so I have this small fantasy of marrying a pirate one day. No big deal. But despite the costumey feel of this outfit it is not in fact a costume. Although inspired by pirates this is a great Autumn outfit. The shirt came from Goodwill but still had the tags on it. It is incredibly lightweight. The skirt came from a thrift shop ($3) and is actually pretty heavy which is why this is perfect for the Fall, because my legs are always cold and my top half gets hot. The boots are really what make this outfit, though. Each piece is so comfortable. It makes you feel really hardcore too... 

Side note: Boots. Own lots of boots

HARRY POTTER!

This kind of has a little to do with "Mixing Patterns" in Chapter One. Sometimes I just throw on all my nerd clothing to see where it takes me. I have a Slytherin tie that I wear with this ensemble occasionally but I chose the Time Turner today. The "Hogwarts Alumni" Tank is roomy which I really like. The Hogwarts Castle leggings are silky smooth (for when you don't feel like shaving). Then just random Potter World accessories. Most of what I'm wearing below were gifts... actually I think each piece was a gift.

Side note: Be nice to your friends that know you love Harry Potter... They will buy you things

A close up of my Deathly Hallows earrings

My time turner

(this one is plastic. I have a metal one too... that was also a gift)

 BAT WARS

This is one of my own creations. For days when I'm not sure which nerdy movie I'm feeling. The top is a $10 tank top I bought for my boyfriend. But he doesn't wear tank tops (oops... how did I forget? Oh well, new shirt for me). I laced up the sides with yellow ribbon so it would be a little more form fitting. I sewed STAR WARS fabric into a skirt around the bottom and added a pocket. Its a good idea, really, to own a pair of sunglasses in every color known to man... really. Today I was wishing for some bright yellow heels. Ah well...

Side note: I hate being without pockets!

I forgot to put in on for the picture but I like wearing my Batman clock locket with this dress. (Also a gift)

 BORN IN THE WRONG TIME PERIOD

I draw inspiration from many different decades. Especially 20's, 60's, and 70's.

This is my Roaring Twenties outfit. I get a lot of weird looks when I dress outside of the current century we are in. GOOD... how will class catch on again if no one notices? The hat is absolutely perfect with this dress, which both came from Goodwill. The necklace came from a consignment shop and the glasses probably came from ROSS.

Side note: Everything I buy new, I buy at ROSS. They basically own my soul.

THE MONKEY SUIT

The black lace dress came from Goodwill for $15. The "gorilla" coat (as my family and I have come to call it) came from a dear friend of mine. She is exactly 50 years older than me and when she cleans out the attic and finds things like this she thinks of me. I couldn't be more flattered. The pink clutch came from a consignment shop. In case you're in disbelief and need reassuring, I HAVE worn this in public. And it was awesome.

Side note: clutches are classy. Stock up on all the clutches

(DON'T BE AFRAID OF FEATHERS) 

I hope you enjoyed my second post. If you read my first post and still came back, thank you ;)

More to come... ... ...

Don't Be Afraid!

What's that saying? "Look good, feel good"? Well it works the other way too. You have to feel good if you want to look good. And if you want to feel good you have to have confidence. And if you want to be confident you can't be afraid of your clothes. Here are some things people can be afraid of when it comes to getting dressed in the morning.

LIPSTICK

DON'T BE AFRAID OF LIPSTICK!

I'm wearing it in all the pictures in this post. Lipstick is awesome. If I'm having a bad day I throw on a bright red shade and immediately start feeling better (There's a good example of "look good feel good"). I can be really cheap... Like really. I don't like to spend more than $20 on a pair of pants or $7 on a shirt (you can buy more clothes that way). But I invested in some $20 lipstick that doesn't come off on EVERYTHING and I wear it on special occasions. It makes me feel super fancy. I would recommend stocking up on a few different colors.

HATS

DON'T BE AFRAID OF HATS!

I love hats! I have a quite a collection of all kinds of hats. Sun hats, baseball caps, dainty little lacy hats, fedoras, beanies, and Santa hats (I'm very festive, ok?)

I will eventually get around to posting more pictures of the hats I have but this one is currently my favorite. I got it from MACYS for $12. The rim was originally turned down, and even though I wear it that way sometimes, particularly when I'm feeling old fashioned, this is the way I prefer to wear it. Especially with these sunglasses. Hats are adorable and classy. WEAR THEM! 

MIXED PATTERNS

PATTERNS! DON'T BE AFRAID TO MIX THEM!

This picture might not be the best way to ease you into mixing patterns, because when I wear this outfit I feel like Dr. Seuss and I would've been besties. But it's one of my favorites. The shoes are absolutely amazing. They zip in the back so I don't have to spend an hour lacing them up every time I want to wear them. These are the only "knee-highs" that actually reach my knees (6' tall, remember?). I have black leggings with white polka dots I stole from my older sister (don't fear the polka dots!). The dress is super comfortable but because of the way the stripes go in the middle I have to suck it in (which is actually good because the more you tighten your abs on a daily basis the less you are actually required to suck in your gut). The scarf has pandas on it and come on, who doesn't love a panda here or there?

This little dress is so fun. It's way too short for me so I'm usually forced to wear leggings with it or shorts underneath, but it already mixes patterns for you. Stripes and tiny polka dots. I threw in the mustache patterned bow to spice it up a little extra. It's easiest to mix patterns without looking like a clown when you use blacks and whites and grays. Although I don't consider my week a success unless someone has asked me "Which way to the circus?" at least once (This is where the confidence kicks in)

TUMMY TIME

DONT BE AFRAID TO SHOW THAT BELLY!

I used to never wear crop tops. But I'm going to let you in on a little secret, the best way to get motivated to shrink that tummy (if you even need to) is to buy a tummy showin' shirt. Cause let me tell you... I have a significantly less amount of donuts when I'm wearing this shirt. Act skinny, look skinny. Is that a thing? Well it is now. I dress skinny so I'm forced to eat skinny (this does NOT mean starve yourself) and eventually the tummy gets tiny. Also crunches.... do crunches 

I like to think of this outfit as like a "punk housewife" or something. It also totally rocks with a pair of heels. I don't often wear heels 'cause it makes me freakishly tall... but I still own quite a few pairs. Side note: Bandannas are a great accessory.

 OVERALLS

Who told you not to ever wear overalls?! Don't listen to them. Listen to me. Ok be a little afraid of overalls. You just have to be careful which ones you choose. I'm almost crossing a line here because they are white. But I think because they are short that keeps me from looking like a house painter. Also I only have a sports bra on underneath. Never underestimate the power of a sports bra! I love this summer outfit. The 'alls (yes I just called them that) allow for ventilation but you're still not showing all of your tummy. So this might actually be more comfortable for some of those who are more self-conscious (don't be self-conscious ).

The bandanna in my hair is from Goodwill. It has bicycles on it. I'm obsessed with it. And it matches my blue sunglasses. Did I mention bandannas are great?

BAND SHIRTS

DON'T BE AFRAID TO SUPPORT YOUR FAVORITE BANDS!

If you're anything like me you have tons of t-shirts but hardly wear them. They just feel so constricting to me. This is my favorite band shirt ever (MUSE!!! k, sorry about that) and I love that it's so loose fitting AND a crop top. I can wear this to a concert without my armpits melting down the side of my body (ew)

Side note: Who said scarves are only for your neck? Was it the same person who told you not to wear overalls? I don't think you should be friends anymore.

I hope you enjoyed my first post

More to come... ... ...