Happy Halloween!

Posted on October 31, 2009 by Diana

I love Halloween. Something about the festive spirit appeals so much to me. And it’s not Halloween without roasted pumpkin seeds, jack-o-lanterns and costumes.

Here’s how I made these delicious pumpkin seeds: Take seeds out of pumpkin, clean off all pulp and rinse in a colander. Mix raw seeds with 4 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, and salt. Bake on a cookie sheet at 275 for 20 -25 minutes, stirring and checking every five minutes. Yum!

Here’s my happy face jack-o-lantern. Nighttime pics will be on my flickr soon. The Space Invaders one was made by my boyfriend. Isn’t it awesome?

Aargh! Have a Happy Halloween, or I’ll make ye walk the plank!

Blouse: Issac Mizrahi for Target
Shorts: Lucky Brand (re-conned)
Tights: ??
Boots: Dansko Nena
Hat: ??
Pearls: Garage Sale
Sash: ??
Coin Bracelet: Vintage (from my grandma)

Shopping Ban: Week 12

Posted on October 31, 2009 by Diana

Would you believe that since starting this shopping ban 12 weeks ago, this was the first time that I made it to a thrift store? Clearly I need to go thrifting more often, because there were some great finds. I had $7 of free money and $30 of ban money to spend, and I think it went well. I went shopping at Second Image with Alechia last Saturday. I admit that thrifting the Saturday before Halloween isn’t necessarily the best idea, but it was worth it. Here’s what I got.

Ann Taylor LOFT Blouse $4

This was probably my favorite find of the day. A beautiful, modern black and white print, a slim fit, a nice neckline. The only part I’m not crazy about are the cap sleeves, but even those aren’t that bad. And it’s a cotton/modal blend, which makes it really soft. This will be receiving heavy rotation.

Target Navy Striped Cardigan $4

I really like this cardi a lot. I love the sweet, nautical look of it. And it’s 100% cotton.

Ann Taylor Factory Silk Skirt $3

Nylon Slip $3

I love how this skirt fits. It’s technically a petite, but I like it when skirt lengths hit above my knee, so it’s just fine for me. I’ve also been desperately hunting for a non-polyester slip, and I found a nice nylon one at the thrift store. That may seem to have a slight ick factor to some, but once it’s washed, it doesn’t really bother me.

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Target Hooded Henley $6

I still can’t decide on this one. I think it’s super cute and super flattering, and would be oh-so-fun to wear on casual winter weekends. But as you may know, I have issues with polyester, and I forgot to read the fabric content on this one while I was in the store. It’s 40% poly, 60% cotton. I’ll give it a shot and see if I can get over my fiber snobbery. Otherwise, I might try knitting something similar, but it probably wouldn’t be ready til next winter. Maybe a variation of Knitty’s Henley.

Storm Navy V-Neck $4

This is another one I can’t decide on. It also has a high polyester content. I love the neckline and the sequins, and the fit is very flattering. But now I’m not so sure that all-over navy really suits me.

So that was a total of $24, and I had $38 to spend. So I’ve got a total of $14 left over. I think I’m starting to get the hang of budgeting!

Daily Outfit: Bang, bang, bang

Posted on October 30, 2009 by Diana

Notice a difference in the hair? I love, love, love how these bangs turned out. I really wanted bangs similar to Zooey Deschanel’s, but with short hair instead of long hair. I love how the bangs are sweet without being too childish. And once again, they make for awesome headband opportunities.

I actually had the image from Zooey’s ad for Cotton in mind when I put this outfit together. It certainly isn’t a literal interpretation, but I feel like I got the spirit of the image down.

I’m going to put together a photo tutorial of how I tied my scarf up soon. It really is a fun way to wear a medium length scarf, and it’s super easy to do.

Blouse: Anthropologie
Cardigan: Ann Taylor LOFT
Jeans: Express
Shoes: Clarks Marilla
Purse: Morelle City Bag
Headband: Anthropologie
Earrings: Efy Tal
Scarf: Thrifted
Watch: Target

Daily Outfit: New Dress Love

Posted on October 29, 2009 by Diana

Like I said before, this dress is going to get an insane amount of remixing. It looks great by itself, with tights, or with leggings here. The fit is perfect, and it’s so comfy and soft. And with it’s neutral color, there’s no end to how I can accessorize it.

For this outfit, I focused on accessorizing it with black and turquoise. Because of the dull and warm color of the dress, I like accessorizing with brighter and cooler colors. I think that’s why I keep pairing this with shades of blue.

I made the black cami underneath into a half or cropped cami by cutting it off a few inches underneath the bust. It makes layering in Florida so much more comfortable.

Dress: Lush
Cami: Old Navy
Leggings: Target
Sandals: Dansko Neve
Purse: Morelle City Bag
Belt: Thrifted
Necklace: Express

Etsy Love: Owl Necklaces

Posted on October 28, 2009 by Diana

Following last week’s post on vintage owl brooches, today I’m looking at owl necklaces. There are so many on Etsy that it’s really hard to pick just a few.

Owl Photo Locket Necklace $26

Beadin’ Babe

Screech Owl Necklace in Silver $80

Lulu Bug Jewelry

Sweet, Simple, Simon $45

Little Green Room

Little Owl Beach Pottery Pendant Necklace $75

House that Crow Built

Little Owl with Chain $32

ZooZ Handmade Jewelry

White Garden Owlet $29.50

Rachelle D

Daily Outfit: Hello, Fall.

Posted on October 27, 2009 by Diana

Last week, we had a nice cold spat, and the morning of this outfit, it was actually in the fifties! I had to take advantage of the cold while I had it, and I’d been itching to try a new layering technique inspired by Lucky.

This was just the right amount of warmth for the morning. I love the look of the scarf and cardi being belted together. This day also gave me a chance to wear my knee high boots for the first time. I wish we had more cold days in Florida.

Unfortunately, my place of work had the heater on full blast, and all this was way too warm for indoors. Luckily, I devised a clever remix to make this outfit work. I wore the scarf as a shawl, and then belted it around the waist. Chic and practical.

Dress: Express
Cardigan: Handknit
Scarf: Target
Tights: Target
Boots: Dansko Risa
Belt: Thrifted
Purse: Morelle Oyster

Daily Outfit: Fall?

Posted on October 26, 2009 by Diana

We’re finally starting to have fall-ish weather in Florida, and it couldn’t have come soon enough. The summer heat was starting to drive me crazy, and I’m so glad to have more layering opportunities now. Albeit, the low on the coldest day was 52, but most of the time it’s been in the mid 60s to mid 70s. At least it’s not in the 90s.

Having a job that only allows jeans on Fridays has been a bit challenging for me, because I’ve discovered that they tend to be a fall-back piece for me when I can’t decide what to wear. However, it has also made me cherish wearing jeans more, and I put more effort into making these outfits special. I was really happy with how this remix came out. I’ve worn this blouse dozens of times and was getting a bit bored with it. But by adding a belt, layering my white half-cami underneath, and throwing a cardigan on top, a whole new look was born.

I think I’m slowly learning about how to deal with the stress of working forty hours a week. I’m starting to accept the fact that I simply don’t have a lot of free time, and I’m learning to really cherish what free time I do manage to find. It’s not easy, but I’m getting there.

Blouse: Forever 21 (thrifted)
Belt: Vintage
Cardigan: Ann Taylor LOFT
Jeans: Express
Shoes: Dansko Nena
Purse: Thrifted and re-conned
Necklace: Pixisette
Watch: Target

Shoe Lust: H. Riddlebarger Trees and Birds

Posted on October 25, 2009 by Diana

H. Riddlebarger “Trees and Birds” Custom Art Shoes $259

These are shoes that I will probably never buy, but I can’t help but admire how gorgeous they are. If I was lucky enough to own them, I would probably put them on display on a shelf in my house. They truly are a work of art. This particular pair is one of a kind, hand drawn by an Ashland artist, Halle Riddlebarger. They take the concept of statement shoes to a whole different level.

Shopping Ban: Week 11

Posted on October 24, 2009 by Diana

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Striped Cotton Pajama Pants $13 (Target)

I realize that this is certainly not the most thrilling shopping ban post ever. But I’m sticking to my budget, I didn’t have a lot of shopping time this week, and this is what I bought. Somehow, between last winter and now, I managed to give all my long pajama pants to Goodwill. The weather is finally starting to get a bit cold, and shorts and capris just weren’t cutting it when I wanted to lounge around the house in the evening. I still had $20 of free money left for October, so I went to Target, and picked these out. And I love them! So soft, so comfy, the color goes with everything. I’ve been lounging around the house in these almost every night since I got them. Which makes me think that I might get a second pair in a different color, so I don’t have to do laundry all the time. That leaves me with $7 of free money and $15 of ban money. So what am I going to do today: go thrifting! You’ll see what I find next week.

Daily Outfit: Brown Hornet

Posted on October 23, 2009 by Diana

You got a peek at this dress during my shopping ban post last week, but now I’d like to go into the details. This dress is absolutely going to become one of my wardrobe essentials. The neutral, rusty brown color offers plenty of opportunities for accessories. The deep v neck makes layering possibilities about. The nipped in waist looks great with a belt here, but it also looks lovely unadorned. And those super flattering sleeves are thin enough to accommodate cardigans and jackets. You’ll be seeing this one a lot.

This dress is so magically flattering, and I love that it’s an independent label bought at a boutique.

By the way, that cami layered underneath is my new little diy secret. I’ve always hated layering full camis under dresses or blouses, because it messes up the drape and can be uncomfortably warm. My solution came in taking this white cami and cutting off the bottom half, so that it is essentially a crop top. It works so much better in layering now.