The weather has started to look up, and Monday was a stunning day full of sunshine. It actually has started to feel like summer.
To get in the mood for summer, here’s a little inspiration post. Jean shorts, sandals, swimsuits, and pleated skirts are all things that brighten up my mood just a little.
Here are some images that evoke the easy, breeze-y feeling I’m looking forward to this year.
What feels like summer to you?
So I went shopping yesterday and picked up a pair of mint green jeans. Of course, I immediately went home and pinterested some wonderful minty fresh looks. Here are a couple ways I found to incorporate mint green into your looks…
I’m seriously loving mint green for spring. So excited to add my mint green pants to my regular clothing rotation.
Also after all these minty green inspiration pictures, I’m kind of wanting some mint chocolate chip ice cream…
After finishing A Dance With Dragons, I immediately set about to watching HBO’s adaptation of the books. In addition to being delighted at the cast, the sets, and everything overall–I loved the hairstyling. I was definitely inspired by the world that HBO created for some of my favorite novels.
I’ve been meaning to hunt up screencaps for awhile, and I finally got around to do it last night with hanging out with a friend. I’m excited to try out my braiding skills to create some of these wonderful looks.
I’ve decided to divide the looks based on character, and I’ve attempted to hunt down different perspectives of all the hairstyles to get the best idea of how to create them.
Let’s start with Queen Cersei:
I’ll be honest and just say I have no idea how to create this. I’m think i could play with it enough to figure it out though. Some rats and rolls and it could quite possibly work.
Twists into braids! Seems easy enough. It’s probably more difficult in execution though.
Sansa Stark:
She only wears about three styles (that I remember) one of which is just like Cersei’s above.
Easy. I’m actually attempting this one tomorrow. I don’t anticipate it giving me any trouble.
I actually did this one on my friend the other night. It’s relatively simple. Sadly, I forgot to take pictures but I’ll probably be doing it on myself (or someone else) again soon enough.
The variation of Queen Cersei’s. I actually like Sansa’s better, even though it looks more difficult.
Daenerys, the Khaleesi:
Daenerys has the most varied hairstyling of the show with lots and lots of braiding involved. I was (so far) unable to find the picture of the one look I wanted but that simply means I’ll have to rewatch the series.
Daenerys’ hair is simple here, her brother’s is a bit more interesting. It gets more complicated as it goes, however!
From one braid to two. Queen Cersei’s hair does something similar (above).
I wish the first one of these wasn’t so tiny, but you get the gist! I anticipate that I’ll easily be able to create this in someone else’s hair (maybe a little easily in my own).
I was lucky to find a back shot of this one! This one would be simply enough to do if I had long enough hair! I might be waiting for my hair to grow out before I can attempt it.
This one is stunning, and I’m pretty sure it’s my favorite. Hopefully I can figure out some way to achieve it!
It looks like a twist or two twined together, I think. I’m hoping experimentation will yield a similar result!
After seeing all of these, I’m hoping my hair will be a lot less boring this year! I’m going to brush up on my braiding skills and create some wonderful looks. I just hope my wardrobe will be able to keep up.
Since I’m still taking care of my friend’s pets and house sitting, so I haven’t gotten dressed in anything other than sweatpants for the last day.
So I decided to post an inspiration post featuring one of my favorite accessories: scarves. It seemed especially timely considering it’s December, and scarves are likely to be a feature in outfits until spring at least!
There’s something here for everyone! Whether you have square or oblong scarves, or thick or thin. Get ready for a picture heavy post…
FYI: I have attempted to give credit to all the pictures. If they do not link to the original website, then I have linked them to pin on pinterest. This is only if the original link no longer works.
And of course, I needed to include some ways to wear scarves other than around your neck. So here are some headscarves too…
This week’s Fashion Beauty Friend Friday is hosted by Gina of Mommy Posh. She wants to see pictures of what inspires us! They can be shots we’ve taken on the streets, pulled from magazines, or pinned. So here are the little things that inspire me…
All links give credit, unless otherwise noted.
My two little betta fish, Apollo (pink) and Hades (red/purple). They’re both so colorful, with wonderful personalities. Their graceful movements are stunning to watch.
On that note, I also find the ocean, salt water aquariums, and sea life to be wonderfully inspiring. I’m obsessed with one day having a salt water aquarium. They’re expensive to start though, and the fish themselves can get pretty pricy. (Plus, I’d need a place to put it…)
Art, especially based on Greek mythology or literature, is something I find particularly inspiring.
Arthur Hughes’ Portrait of Ophelia
John William Waterhouse “A Mermaid 1900″
John William Waterhouse “Hylas and the Nymphs”
Van Gogh’s “Starry Nights” is one of those pieces of art that first spoke to me. The swirls in the sky remind me a bit of the waves of the ocean. I actually have a poster of it on my wall.
I’m not really fond of modern art. I prefer the 17th-18th century pieces. My general art aesthetic is very J.W.W.
If we’re talking designers or celebrities, it’s a little more fluid for me. Usually something will just speak to me, I’ll see and I’ll just know that this is what I’ve been looking for.
I really loved Alexis Mabille’s couture Fall 2011 collection. I desperately want to find a coat or dress or sweater or something that has (faux) fur sleeves. Plus he was inspired by fairy tales! What’s not to love?
Alexander McQueen Spring 2012 RTW.
The late McQueen’s items spoke to me frequently, so I consider his fashion house a favorite of mine. Sarah Burton really didn’t let me down when she took over, and so the collections coming out under the Alexander McQueen label are still regularly hitting it out of the park for me.
As for celebrities, Miranda Kerr’s street style is amazing. I definitely look to her frequently!
I’m not a really big celebrity follower, although I do admit that I like the way Taylor Swift dresses. Other red carpet favorites of mine are Emma Watson and Dianna Agron. Other things that inspire me are ad campaigns, bloggers, nature, horses, and books. I’m always inspired by wonderful literature–disappearing into another world (or just a different place in this one) is one of my favorite pastimes. Tragedy is my bread and butter.
After discovering the sad amount of sweaters I own (I total of none), I realized that they really are a necessary part of a wardrobe. Somehow I’ve managed to live without them, which I plan to rectify very quickly. So here’s why you (and I) should add sweaters to our wardrobe.
sdfsd
I’m featuring my friend, Jenn, here today because she has some seriously amazing style. I’m always inspired when I see what outfit she’s put together, and I’m sure anyone else would be too.
Outfit Details:
Blazer: Hot Topic (old)
Dress: Thrifted
Belt: Thrifted
Tights: Gift
Boots: Steve Madden
Jenn is in my writer’s group, and I used to see her twice weekly. Her wonderful whimsical style inspires me quite frequently, in addition to the way she uses words to create stunning and disturbing imagery in her stories. Her novel, The Dream Tree, is an amazing and original piece of fiction and her writing style is so descriptive that the pictures it paints in your mind definitely keep you reading, even as you recoil in horror.
Jenn has this very eclectic sense of style, it evokes fairytales and the woods. She identifies her style as “Mori Girl”. And, once you boil that down, it basically means that you look as if you’ve just walked out of the forest. She told me that she finds most of her items through thrifting, although she does look for specific pieces in stores–like these Steve Madden boots which took her awhile to find. She runs across unique items from time to time, like this blazer, and snags those too. Some of her clothes are also handmade.
I’m really obsessed with the blazer she has on here. It has these amazing zippered parts over the shoulder, and I’m hoping I’ll have some time to experiment this summer with a cheap blazer and some zippered alterations to create something similar. Check out this detail shot of it:
Jenn always accessorizes. Tights are an essential part of her wardrobe– I’ve seen her layer them one over the other for a very unique sort of vibe (for instance, a maroon pair underneath a fishnet-eque lacy pair). This striped pair seems to be a favorite, and I love the pattern mixing happening with the dress and tights. And because Jenn loves to layer, she added some great pieces around her neck.
Doubling up on necklaces seems to be fairly popular around the blogosphere lately, and Jenn is definitely following that trend (not that she’s a real trend follower). I loved the idea of putting a charm on a scarf before wrapping it around your neck. That dangling little cat is so cute! And, what a great way to get an unconventional sort of necklace (and add another pattern in).
You can check out Jenn’s website (and blog!) here at jenngrunigen.wordpress.com. In addition to having great fashion sense, a quick wit, and a way with words–she’s also a musician.
My regular posts should be back up tomorrow.
(The post title is taken from “American Gods” by Neil Gaiman. The character speaking is Shadow)
I drove down to Seattle on Sunday to see Neil Gaiman (!!!!!). My friend, Jenn, and I met up with our friend, Kendall to go see his interview. However, we did not have tickets (although we would have bought them if we could), but we hoped to get in anyway. We at the very beginning of the “stand-by” line. Even better? We ended up getting into the event for FREE! People who had paid for tickets for multiple people, ended up having extras and just giving them to us in the stand-by line.
The place was super packed. We were quite lucky to get the seats we did, actually. But we ended up talking to another guy that Kendall had run into earlier that day, and then we snagged him a free ticket later. He offered to let us sit with him, and we took him up on it.
And here’s NEIL! He read several parts of “American Gods” to the audience. I’m pretty sure I have 50+ pictures of Neil Gaiman on my computer. And I recorded some bits of him speaking. He has an incredibly pleasant voice, so I have plans to buy an audio book of “American Gods” now.
I had to resist squealing loudly at his presence. I mean, seriously, Neil Gaiman?! And he’s even more amazing in person? He was utterly hilarious AND he talked with his hands. I’m pretty sure my thought process went kind of like “Ohmigod it’s Neil Gaiman! I’m in Neil Gaiman’s presence! He’s right there!” and it only continued like that from there. Needless to say the event was amazing, and Jenn and I resolved to head to more author events in the future because it was that AWESOME.
Jeans: Current Eliott
Grey Tee: Old Navy
White Cami: unknown
White Flats: Blowfish
White Cardigan: Gap
I managed to get horribly sunburnt on Saturday. So here’s what I wore Sunday as I slathered myself in sunscreen. We left Bellingham at noon, and got to Seattle at 2:30. The event started at 7, so flats were a necessity since I would be tramping around Pike Place, etc all day. I really needed to avoid the sun, so I wore my favorite jeans, layers of cami & tee & cardigan. To top it off, this sunhat from Target came with me too.
To end this post, I’ll leave you this quote from “American Gods”. Also, if you have not read the book–pick it up! Head to the library, or buy it from your local bookstore, or even buy it on Amazon (here). I’m linking to the 10th Anniversary Edition because it has a lot more content, and Neil recommends it over the original version. Seriously, just read it.
“Gods die. And when they truly die they are unmourned and unremembered. Ideas are more difficult to kill than people, but they can be killed, in the end.”– American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Featured here
This post easily relates back to my Sunday Shoes post this week. I’m absolutely in love with this season’s bright colors. The Colorblocking trend is definitely something I plan to incorporate into my wardrobe. As someone who frequently wears all black, I’m looking forward to these added pops of color.
Featured here
I think I’m in love with this guy–needless to say he has style. Those pants + that blazer? That = me swooning. Seriously, what’s not to love? I seriously wish the guys around here dressed like that.
Featured here
Obviously bright doesn’t just extend to clothes. I’m obsessed with crazy colored makeup (green lipstick might be a little out there for me, but I’d for for purple mascara!), and I’ve recently started collecting nail polish. I just bought OPI’s Ya’ll Come Back Ya Hear? the other day–it’s a brilliant shade of orange and I was immediately drawn to it over all the other colors in the display. (I’m embarrassed to admit that I only own 2 different nail polishes. And I bought them both this year…)
Featured here
Lastly, I’ll leave you with these stunning nails inspired by Prada’s Spring/Summer Collection 2011. Stunning, isn’t it?
Denim dress featured here
Recently I’ve become kind of obsessed with denim. Denim dresses, denim rompers, colored denim — you name it, and I want it.
Here are are some stunning looks I’d love to incorporate into my wardrobe…
Found here.
This denim romper is adorable, and I love the boater hat! The socks with her sandals is really just the icing on the cake.
Found here.
I can’t help but love an outfit where there is not a hint of blue in sight. And I’m drooling over her vest and clutch.
Found here.
Cute, simple, and stylish. I can’t help but love a nautical theme, and this one is just perfect. Now I’m hankering for a pair of red skinnies.
Found here.
There’s just something about this look that I’m so in love with, it all comes together in a great way. The knee socks! The top knot! The denim! It’s tough, but romantic. It’s the complete package.
