Wardrobe Wednesday: My Summer Wardrobe Wish List

Now that Memorial day has passed and school is out of session the start of Summer vacation has begun.  Whenever the seasons change I always feel like my wardrobe needs a few new key pieces, here are a few things I hope to acquire in my closet for the summer of 2013!

 First is a great graphic tee,  on hot days throwing on something light and loose always feels good, but you don't have to trade style for comfort, you can have both!  I love  this union jack tank from Forever 21, ever since I fell in love with the Spice Girls in the nineties the British flag has had a special place in my heart.



Graphic tee



Next, is a great tote bag.  This bag would be perfect for bringing your necessities to the pool or beach, or just using as an over sized purse.  I am a lover of a big purse, especially in the summer, I like to have room in my bag for a bottle of water and a pair of flip flops in case my shoes get too uncomfortable.

Sailor girl Tote Bag


An absolute must have for the summer months in a great looking maxi dress.  Such a versatile piece to any wardrobe, you can dress them way up for a nice evening out, or go casual and boho chic.  I love this one from JC Penney.  


Maxi Dress


I would also love a maxi skirt this summer.   A skirt like this could function so many ways-- swim suit cover up, or paired with that graphic tee,  I bet it could even be worn as a strapless dress if you add a belt... this would be a great piece to through in your suitcase when going on vacation.



Maxi Skirt

 

 What is on your Summer wardrobe wish list this year?

Wardrobe Wednesday: Summer Chic/ Fall Fab

Today is my daughter's first day of school!  Tomorrow is my son's first day of pre-school.   I am very happy about this!  Not only will I be getting  3 whole hours to myself each day, but the start of school brings the changing of seasons.  The past few days have had a slight briskness to the breeze and a reminder that Autumn is on its way  here.   Although, I am sure there are many hot days left--- there always seems to be a struggle between Summer and Fall that goes back and forth for weeks before Fall finally takes over. With this transitioning time, I am looking for wardrobe pieces that can transition to each season.  This dress I found is perfect!

This strapless cotton dress with a lace overlay on the skirt was on clearance at Donna's Dress Shop's big annual sale.  It has an aztec-ish embroidered design on the bust and a bright turquoise sash, that I tie in the front instead of the back.  I like to tie sashes in the front because it makes it easier to add a cardigan or jacket.  When there is a big tie in the back it tends to look like an odd lump under another layer.  Also, it's more comfortable when I sit down to not have a knot of fabric poking  me in the back.  I paired it with a very light weight crimson cardigan, a sweet hand painted wooden vintage necklace, and some gladiator-esque sandals.  All together the outfit has a very earthy vibe.

I am excited to style the dress again for cooler weather.  I can picture it with a cozy turtleneck, some textured tights and a great pair of boots.  What is in your closet that can transcend the seasons?  Give things a second glance, many times it just takes a quick accessory switch up to turn something from Summer Chic to Fall Fab. When the "high" temps start peaking in the 60s, I will show this dress again in a whole new light!

strapless

necklace detail

sandals

Budget Break Down:



Dress:  $28.99  Donna's Dress Shop Clearance
Cardigan: $9.99 Urban Outfitters Clearance
Necklace $12 Donna's Dress Shop
Shoes: $6.48  Savers Thrift

Grand Total: $57.46   Not too Shabby!

Take Me Back Tuesday, Best Outfit Ever

I found this old picture in my shoe box full of old pictures the other day and it made me smile.

 First, that's me when I was 9 (I think) wearing my FAVORITE outfit.  You gotta hand to me that I had some insanely fresh style going on black bike  shorts with lime green stripes on the side coordinated with a lime green tee with shoulder pads, and black stripes on the sleeves. They looked perfect together and they came from different stores, I was so proud of that pairing, I wore that outfit as often as I could. 

Second, the dog on my lap was "Slick."  He was a good dog, a mutt that my brother got for his birthday from the animal shelter one year.  He was a mix of  dachshund and shi'tzu  (a wiener shit.)  He later became my grandma's dog when we couldn't keep him at our house anymore because he bit a neighbor kid (btw the kid had it coming.)   I remember whenever I walked him, people would always ask "What IS that Thing?" He had been mistaken for a weasel on many occasions.  He was so strange looking, and I have never seen another dog that looks like him.  Oh and in the picture, there is also a little stray kitten that I was petting and Slick was sniffing.

The yellow glider I was sitting on still sits in the same place on my grandparents' patio today.  I love that glider it's so happy and bright and fun to sit on .

Anyway that's my quick little trip down memory lane.  Do you remember your favorite outfit  from way back when?



Wardrobe Wednesday: Flirty Skirty

This week's outfit is one of the most fun things in my closet to wear.  The whole time I wore it, I just wanted to twirl and swish my skirt. I love the 50's housewife feel, its fun, flirty, a little sexy and yet modest.



The gingham blouse was an epic Ebay find, the skirt is a handmade square-dance skirt that I found for rediculously cheap at my favorite thrift store, Savers.  The shoes were from Marshall's clearance rack, and tieing the whole look together is the adorable belt from my favorite boutique, Retro Vixen.


Budget Breakdown:
Blouse, Ebay $8.00
Skirt, Thrifted $3.99
Shoes, Marshall's $18.99
Belt, RetroVixen $15


That's a grand Total  of  only  $45.98 for a head to toe outfit, not too shabby!!

Wardrobe Wednesday: All American 4th

I love dressing in red, white, and blue.   I feel like I am a quintessential All-American girl, and I am always drawn towards red and navy when it comes to clothing.   So, last week on 4th of July, of course I brought out the patriotic pallet from my closet.

A classic, light-weight, red cardi from Old Navy,  A fun pin-up style navy dress from Break-Down Bettie, navy  leggings from Charlotte Russe, thrifted necklace, home-made hair clip, and red Converse  complete my Americana-inspired look.

My whole family dressed for Independence day,  all of them are wearing clothes from JCPenney, we support Ellen :)!

Geoff and I have been married for almost 12 years now, and we are still pretty crazy about eachother!

Stripes, plaid, and gingham in red, white, and blue make for an all-American family.

Budget Breakdown for my outfit:

Old Navy Cardigan  $16 after 20% off Coupon

Breakdown Betty Dress $16  *to get one of your own click HERE

Charlotte Russe Leggings $5

Thrifted Necklace $2

Home-Made hair flower:  $0

Converse Chuck's : $40 from the Converse Factory Store

Grand Total of $79,  $39 without the shoes, not too shabby.

Wardrobe Wednesday-- Let's Go Shopping!!

This week I'd thought I would take you shopping with me.  I visited the Urban Outfitters in Milwaukee this week, while on a trip visiting family in Wisconsin.  I went with my 20 year old cousin, Lisa, and her two 18 and 19 year old friends.  I was the odd 30 something gal out.. but I had a great time, and I think the girls may have mistaken me for 25 :)  I had a great time and the store was so fun.  Its nice to visit a store other than Marshall's, Burlington Coat Factory, Target, or Savers every once in a while.  I am still a thrifty shopper to the core and usually Urban Outfitters is above what I like to pay (I have this pact with myself to try not to ever spend over 30bucks on any one piece of clothing)  but it being a holiday week they were having a "Big Ass Summer Sale."   Sale is one of my favorite words (ass is another!)

fun stuff to try!

I easily found many things that  swayed toward my vintage/quirky/retro aesthetic and had an armful of things to try on (nothing costing over $30)

First, I tried this over sized scoop neck yellow top with a large yellow rose print.  It was marked down to $9.99  I am in desperate need of every day tops to wear to normal places like the grocery store.  I tend to buy stuff for fun parties, and evenings at the theater, and other things that I usually don't even do.   This shirt went home with me.

I loved this pineapple print dress for only $29. The print was so fun and I loved the longer length fuller cut skirt, it has that late 50's early 60's vibe that is sooo my ideal style.  Sadly they didn't have my size, I could have squeezed the zipper all the way up on this size 6,  but it would not have been flattering, I really needed an 8.  Just because it zips, don't mean it fits.. memorize that phrase, its true, and sometimes overlooked--think about all the ill-fitting jeans out there with camel toe and muffin top.

Next I found this fun cut away sweatshirt!  I really liked the idea of the cut out shoulders. I like my shoulders but hate my underarms, this is a way to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative. The price tag was $24.99, which I thought was a little too high for a sweatshirt (I like my prices extra low)  However, I have plans in the future to try to recreate this look for less at home, I think it will make a great DIY project for the blog, and I actually really like the look.

I liked this dress/tunic  on the hanger, and it looked okay on, but the straps were just too dang long.  What is up with people making tank top straps, dress straps whatever sooo dang long who has that much space between  their shoulders and their girls?  You can't tell from the pic but if I hadn't bunched up the straps in the back the neck line would have been at my waist line!!

Lastly, I tried this.  I LOVE this dress!  It has a 40's style double breasted shirt top, it hits right around my knee and it has FLAMINGOS on it!!  This is a perfect dress for me, cute and quirky.  I love things that ultra serious types would find annoying.   It was marked down to $29, it fit great, and  now it's mine!!!   I also found a cute little summer shrug for $9.99 that matched.. it came home too.

Shopping is one of my favorite things to do, but shopping on vacation is even more fun.  On vacation I get the sense that it's okay to splurge a little and to treat myself.   What kinds of things do you look for when you're shopping?

Victory Roll Victory

I love vintage style clothes, makeup, and hair.  My favorite vintage hair style is definately Victory Rolls, the hair style that helped win WWII, the ladies on the homefront were fixing their hair up right for the boys to come home to.

This hairstyle is a challenge, but if I can do it, anyone can.  You just have to try and try  and not give up, don't expect perfection right away.   Also, I had a little help from my friends, I was lucky enough to learn from the best at a seminar called "Pin-up 101" by the ladies at Vixen Pin-up Photography.  They usually do a few of these classes a year, I learned a ton about hair and makeup that I get to incorporate into my everyday life, as well as to prepare for parties and photo shoots and other special things.  Also get on Google, Pinterest, and Youtube and search Victory Roll tutorial and you will find lots of helpful resources to help you out.  Click HERE to see a video tutorial that I found super helpful!

I have been working on getting the perfect roll since April, I have finally got the hang of it and my rolls are what they should be.  Here is a pictoral progression of my efforts: 

First try 4/1/12

2nd Try 5/21/12

3rd Try 5/26/12

Most recent try 6/15/12

As you can see in a short amount a time, I've made much progress!  One thing I've learned is that good hair spray makes a BIG difference, get a good bottle,  I highly recommend the tried and true gold bottle of L'oreal Elnett hairspray, you can find it at Target for about twelve bucks.

Wardrobe Wednesday "Oh Donna Dress"

Have you ever been to Donna's Dress Shop? If not, and you live in or around Kansas City, MO,  you need to get yourself over there ASAP.  It's the cutest little store around. Donna's sells high quality vintage garb as well as new vintage-inspired clothing from indy designers.  The store is decorated so lovely, its a joy just being inside of it;  the staff is beyond friendly and always willing to help and listen.  It's kind of like the "Cheer's Bar" of stores,  "Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came.."

Anyway, I got this little red and white number from Donna's Dress Shop. Its a vintage piece.  I forgot the details of  what era it came from--another cool thing about Donna's is that her vintage items mostly come with a tag that shares the story of  the item's  previous owner and decade it came from.

I paired the shirt dress with a white belt with a bow shaped buckle, a gold necklace with a bow shaped pendant. I wore white mid-heel sandals and carried a a small navy purse.  It was super windy that day, but the dress was long enough that I didn't have to worry about having a "Marilyn moment," where my skirt flies up all over.



Here's what I spent:

Dress from Donna's Dress Shop:  $38
Necklace  Thrifted $4.99
Belt    Thrifted $1
Shoes  JC Penny $18
Purse  via Garage Sale $1

Grand Total:  $62.99  not too shabby!


Donna's Dress Shop is located at 1410 W 39th Street, Kansas City, MO

Wardrobe Wednesday "The Good Wife"

This week a memory card from a photo shoot by Paper Moon Photography that once was lost became found.. amazing grace! I am so excited to finally have these photographs!  The adorable set was the real life kitchen of Vixen Pin-Up Photography owner, Nikki Moreno-Whipple.  This might be the cutest kitchen in America.  The stuff it's made of is cotton candy, fairy dust, dream clouds, and cheesecake, I think.  The whole mid-century home is done to the authentic vintage nines, if Nikki ever looses interest in photography she definitely could have a career in interior design.

I wanted to use the photo shoot to get some pics for promotional materials for my up and coming accessory line Mavyn Made.  I wore my favorite yellow gingham and eyelet dress, I found the dress last year on eBay and jumped on the bidding train. I won it for about $26 after shipping. I made the matching bow, a perfect example of a Mavyn Made product. I found the fun apron at Marshalls for $12. The shoes I bought a few years ago on eBay for dirt cheap, like $8 after shipping;  this was the first time I wore them, but I KNEW that someday they would come in handy,(you don't pass up adorable $8 shoes!)

These are unedited photos by Paper Moon Photography by Charlie Girl.
Hair by Nikki Moreno-Whipple, Makeup by Charlie Girl

So here is the Budget Break Down of this Photo Shoot appropriate look:

Vintage Dress via EBay $26

Apron  from Marshall's $12

Shoes via EBay $8

Hair bow by Mavyn Made free for me $8 for you :)

The total cost of this look is about  $54 bucks! Not too Shabby!

I realize I was also wearing pearls, those were a precious gift from my husband's grandmother, I have no idea how much they cost and where she got them.

Wardrobe Wednesday: "Hangover Couture"

Saturday Night, leading up to Sunday's hangover.

Saturday night I went to a beautiful wedding and an insanely wild, fun, memorable reception. There was an open bar and my kiddos were spending a whole 24 hours with my mom.  Needless, to say I cut loose.  Sunday I was feeling much more "subdued."  I didn't feel like putting much effort into my outfit, but still wanted to look cute for a late lunch date of tacos and guacamole at one of KC's best Mexican eateries, Ponak's on Southwest Blvd, with my hubby hub. We had to enjoy the last few hours of free baby-sitting even if I had a huge headache.  



Anyway... this is the greatest hangover outfit.  It's the greatest outfit for whenever you don't feel 100%, or when you just need to throw on something easy  and look good too.  If you don't have a maxi-dress-- get one!! They are so comfy.. like wearing a night gown.   They are super flattering and hide a multitude of sins ad/or a bloated tummy.

  I styled my maxi with messy hair, because I wasn't feeling like exerting any effort,  big sunglasses to hide my puffy eyes, super flat gladiator sandals, a beaded bib necklace for fun, and my big old summer time bag.  The outfit has a beach vibe and is perfect for lazy hazy summer days.


Budget Breakdown:
Sunglasses: $5.00 from The Clothes Mentor
Necklace:  $5.00 from  a hospital gift shop ( a gift from my mom who is a nurse at the hospital)
Maxi Dress: $19.00  Marshall's
Sandals: $12 from some random shoe store that is now long gone from the mall
Bag:  Too old to remember where I got it and how much it cost.

Basically this outfit costs around $41 bucks... not too shabby

Memorial Day Thrifting

It's no secret that Saver's, a thrift store benefiting Big Brothers and Big Sisters, is pretty much my favorite place to shop.  On random days throughout the year, usually holidays or around holidays, they have a big 50% off clothing, housewares, and accessories sale.  Memorial day is my favorite, because it is the perfect time to stock up on summertime goodies.   This year I spent a meager $35 bucks and some change and got all of this:

1. Beautiful high waisted full-swing style skirt by Odille.  This brand is usually sold at Anthropologie for anywhere from $68 to $120 or  more... but I got it second hand for a measly 5 bucks, it looks brand new, there is one spot where the hem needs mending but that is an easy peasy fix.

2. Adorable little sundress by Love 21 (forever 21's line for more mature ladies, like not teenagers)  this dress probably cost about $25 or so brand new. I paid $5.  Its super cute and soft, and is going to be one of my favorite things to wear this summer. I love the rope detail.

3. For only $3.50 I got this fun lime green and white number.  I love its sweetheart neck, and full skirt, it has a longer length and falls below my knee.  It has a total pin-up vibe which I love. Oh, and it was insanely cheap.

4.  Next, I got this old red dress.  I am guessing its from the 80's, judging by the huge shoulder pads that I will be cutting out.  This dress is kind of ugly, but it has a lot of potential and it was only 2 bucks.   I love the quirky label "KC Petites."  This will be a fall/winter dress since it is made of heavy fabric, and I am very lacking in  colder weather dresses.  I have plans to give this dress a face lift and a new fabulous life.

5.  I also got this cute little vintage top. I am not sue what decade its from, but I can tell its pretty old.  Love the label, "You Babes." I took this home for $1.50

6. Work Out Top, it still had tags on it.. originally $7... I paid $1.50. The front is plain and the back has a floral design.

7.  My husband might be one of the few guys out there that really enjoys wearing a tie.  Whenever I am out thrifting I am on the look out for a cool tie. Today I found two, one is vintage and I love its pink and gray color scheme.  The other one is fun too.  They were each $1.50

8.  While I was in the accessory area looking at ties, I also found myself a belt, its real leather and it was only a single buck.

9. Can't forget the kids.  The girl's clothes were kind of picked over by the time I got there, but I did manage to find this lovely little Old Navy top for Shay.  $2.00

10.   I found a couple cute T-shirts for my little man, Will.   I only have one pictured, its from Gap Kids by the way.  The other one has a monster truck on it, he is currently obsessed with monster trucks so he quickly demanded to wear it to the pool with his Monster Jam swim trunks, so I don't have a picture.  Each shirt was only  $1.00

 11.  Lastly, I found some super cool vintage fabric.  I can't say for sure that they are real vintage, but judging by the color, texture, and cedar chest smell.. I am guessing that it is.  It's very heavy and will make the perfect curtains for my bedroom.  The picture doesn't do it justice.  There is a ton of yardage, more than enough to dress both of my boudoir windows.  All that fabric for only $2.50

I also found a little scrap fabric for making bows!  It was only $1 and I can make at least 8 adorable bows out of it!

 So there you go, my Memorial Day haul!!

Wardrobe Wednesday "40's fair dress"

I found this vintage 40's dress at one of my favorite stores, Boomerang in Kansas City, MO.  The store carries a HUGE selection of vintage clothes from almost every era, plus super fun costumes and quirky accessories. I could spend HOURS at that place and never get bored.. its soo much fun.

 This dress is older than my mother by about 20-ish years, about the same age as my grand-mother.  I wonder who originally owned it and where she wore it.  I think it might have been the perfect dress to take a  ride on the ferris wheel at the county fair with her sweetie. Or maybe she wore it when she'd take her victory garden harvest to market for trading.   I'm in love with its past life!   Today I wore it on a morning coffee date with my sweetie, to lunch with friends, and shoe shopping with one of my best gal-pals.

I love this dress. Any thing with ric-rac makes me swoon, plus it fits my curves perfectly which is a rare find in vintage clothing. The fabric is a super light weight sear- sucker and has tiny floral stripes of blue-green, it might have been royal blue 65-70 years ago when the dress was made. It has a very patriotic feel to it with its fun accents of red and white ric-rac.

I wore my very own Mavyn-made hair bow that was made from vintage fabric I found at an old drag-queen's yard-sell. That's a fun story for a different blog entry.

I wore some flat-jellies and a big vintage-style bag.  I need to find a better pair of shoes to go with the dress, I am currently on the the look out for the perfect pair.  The purse I regret choosing.  The look of it was good, but it was not practical to carry, I felt like i was carrying a big brief case  and it didn't look right as a shoulder bag. Finding a good handbag that I love ( and doesn't cost hundreds) is always a challenge for me.

Here is the budget breakdown
Dress- $34.00 from Boomerang
Hair Bow--  (free for me)  by MavynMade
Purse-- $5.99 Thrifted
Shoes-- $8.00 from The Clothes Mentor

That's a total of  $47.99  Not too Shabby!!