Travel: Iceland

A few weeks ago, just as the travel season was past its peak, a friend and I decided to go meet up in Iceland.  We haven't seen each other since Japan and quite frankly neither of us do much phone calling these days.  We do keep in touch through lengthy e-mails, but every now and then it's good to just sit down face to face and chat, so that's what we did.  Before she proposed this trip, I'd never looked into traveling to Iceland.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that I didn't have to make a million and a half connections to get there--just one.  My ticket was reasonable and the flight was overnight and fairly comfortable, although the return trip was much harder to bear.

First stop was Vatnajokull to see the glaciers breaking away and slowly drifting to the sea.  My friend was saddened by the fact that much of the glaciers have receded now and the landscape is barer than the last time she was here.

When Black Cats Are Seen

When Witches go riding,

and black cats are seen,

the moon laughs and whispers,

'tis near Halloween

~anonymous~

'Tis near Halloween indeed and this year looks be a lovely autumn.  The last three years in a row it's turned bitterly cold and rainy for Halloween night and we've had to choose between cutting our evening extremely short or getting pneumonia.  This year I have my fingers crossed that the weather will hold and we'll get to go out and really enjoy the night. 

We've all put a lot of effort into our costumes,we do every year, which is why it's always disappointing when we don't really get to show them off.  But, this outfit will be my wear-to-work outfit for Halloween day, because, yes, I will be stuck at the office most of the day.

It's cute, it's whimsical, it's wildly suggestive of all things witchy and Halloweeny without actually being a costume.  Because, why not have fun at the office on the most creative day of the year?  If you've got it, haunt it, am I right?

Plus, the very best outfits and costumes alike are the ones that you don't have to go out and get a lot of special pieces.  They're pulled together from things you already have lying around and with the exception of this top, everything else has been a closet staple of mine for ages.

So, this is my work-wear compromise for Halloween.  Let me see what you've got!  Post your comments and pics below of what you'll be wearing for the more serious part of a very silly holiday.

Shopping Info: Top from Shein, Skirt from Chicwish, black flats from Charlotte Russe

Colors of the Sun

I found this field of sunflowers quite by accident while driving the scenic route home.  I decided to stop and ask the owners if I could take some photos here when much to my delight I saw a simple sign of sharpie on cardboard that read:  Help yourself.  Free vegetables and flowers for personal use.  How lovely!

So, camera in one hand and my beau's hand in my other, we walked through the field of flowers just as the sun was setting.  The stillness was perfect.  No breeze, no cars, on the bees and the soft brushing of leaves and petals against my skirt as we walked.

These flowers are at least a week old now and they're just as bright as the  day we picked them, adding sunshine to every dull shadowy corner of my little home.

 Shopping Info: Earrings and Mesh Yoke Velvet Top from Shein, Skirt from PrincessHighway, Heels from ModCloth

Put a Bow on Top

The holidays are just around the corner which means at least one classy soiree or two and that means shopping for that perfect dress.  Shopping for the perfect LBD for those upcoming parties of the season shouldn't fill you with apprehension.  This is supposed to be a time of celebration, right?  So, why not enjoy this part and FemmeLuxe take the stress out of it.  When it comes to stylish wares for any occasion, FemmeLuxe has you covered.  I'm a devoted fan of their Little White Dresses and Mesh Dresses for special events, but it's a little black dress that's going to be making my season merry and bright this year.

 

It's not too soon to start searching for that perfect dress and let's face it, starting early and giving yourself plenty of time to look around takes a lot of the stress out of shopping that you'll find if you wait until the very last minute.  It also gives you way more selection and that de-stresses things too.  As part of a series I'm starting this year about holiday dresses, I'm starting with this Black Bow One Shoulder Midi Dress-Stacey from FemmeLuxe.  You know I adore midi dresses for that figure flattering shape they create and I'm partial to one shoulder dresses as that element alone creates a bolder statement, but the icing on this yummy cake has to be the bow at the shoulder.

If you've spent your life as a shy fashion violet, maybe it's time to blossom a little and make a bold statement and a little black dress with some bold accents is a great way to start. Black is low key and always in style, but when you start adding some standout accents it elevates your outfit to something more couture.  Start with a one shoulder style.  Whether it's attached to a bodycon dress like this one or a swing skirt style, the one shoulder draws the eye more than a simple two strap piece. 

 

Then top it off with a large accent like this bow that drapes tastefully from shoulder to bust.  This bow is too, too chic.  I love it!  It's tasteful and well blended to the shoulder and the dress as a whole.  It reminds me of something Audrey Hepburn would have worn in Breakfast at Tiffany's.  All I need is a hat, some pearls and of course some sunglasses to recreate that gilded age Hollywood glam. 

One thing I particularly appreciate about this Stacey Dress is that  it's doing all the work.  It is made of a thick material, so it holds the bow shape perfectly without any fussing from me.  Too many times I've seen a great dress with an accent which literally cannot hold up in person.  Typically I sit hunched over it at the last minute with a needle and thread trying to sew the trouble piece into place, but not so with the Stacey Dress.  Perhaps the best perk of this thicker fabric is that even though it is a bodycon dress it does some camouflaging to trouble areas.   I'm also thinking ahead to chilly evenings and having a dress with a thicker fabric will allow me to take off my coat or wrap and enjoy the evening without shivering the whole time.

So, now that you've decided on a standout dress, how should you accessorize it?  I'm so glad you asked, because the answer is quite simply--very, very minimally.  Again, the dress is doing all the work.  You don't need a necklace at all, and because of the large bow accent, I don't think dangle earrings are necessary, just some pearl or diamond studs and perhaps a ring or bracelet are all you really need.  As far as bags go, a small clutch, perhaps something with rhinestones or pearls as well, is preferable to a bulky shoulder strap bag.  For make-up it's more of the same.  Keep it simple of the eyes and do opt for a colorful lip shade that coordinates with your nails.

And Voila!  A simple, stress free look that will take you all the way through the holidays and beyond.

Shopping Info: Black Bow One Shoulder Midi Dress - Stacey from FemmeLuxeFinery.co.uk

Class Up Your Casual Days

They promised the storm wouldn't arrive until midday, so I went out this morning to enjoy the last warm day I may see for a while. Not that I don't trust the local crew of adorable meteorologists, it's just that I'm very skeptical by nature of everyone no matter what their profession. To that end, I took my sunny yellow raincoat with me on my walk. I bought it for my trip to Iceland and it got me through all the rainy days of adventuring in Iceland, (and yes, every single one of my days in Iceland was rainy). I brought my raincoat today just in case “they” were wrong about the weather, and I'm glad I did because the rain started falling before I could get very far from home.

Very often I find my outfit choices reflect what I see when I look out my window in the morning. Today the colors were so rich thanks to the coming storm, maybe I chose the navy blue because of the clouds and camel because of the gold of the autumn fields. I love the way the rain clouds turn the hills that deep blue and the grass was so green I could have mistaken this for a spring day if not for the chill moving in on the breeze. I'm glad I don't have anywhere in particular to be this morning, it's so lovely. This is the perfect day to go out walking in the world and soak in all this beauty.

Normally for my outfit posts, I wear one of my novelty prints or a dressy dress, but I do love to show off my casual outfits too, especially when I find something that makes my figure look amazing while still being so comfortable. As much as I love my dresses and as popular as those posts are, I think most people are looking for something stylish and classy for the regular day to day stuff. I feel totally at ease like these CamelHigh Waisted Slim Leg Trousers - Katrina. From Co Ords to Mesh Dresses, I always go to FemmeLuxe when I'm looking for figure flattering pieces that are good quality and provide versatility. The thing I love about FemmeLuxe's trousers is that they look dressy, but they're just as comfortable as jeans. 

These Katrina trousers are made of a stretchy fabric so they fit like a glove but they're breathable and not constricting at all. I love the high waist as well, it's just the right rise to create that hourglass shape and the color is neutral so it pairs with just about anything. I decided to wear a slim fit navy polka dot tee to really show off the waist and this square neckline is flattering for smaller busts as much as it is for the more well endowed. Whatever you have to work with, there is a way to work it; it's all a matter of finding the right pieces for your shape and FemmeLuxe can help.

It's funny how something as simple as tucking in your top and adding a belt can change the overall vibe of an outfit, but it really is the little things that set the tone sometimes. So, to accessorize these Katrina trousers I added a camel bow belt with gold accented tips and I'm wearing heels to coordinate with the navy dot top but I think this outfit could easily dress down with cute flats or dress up with a blazer or leather bomber jacket. I decided to do my make-up and hair in a way that is suggestive of vintage style but not overt so it's more of a timeless look.

Of course sometimes all that thought and effort that go into hair and make-up don’t amount to much when it starts pouring rain, which is exactly what happened and it brought my morning stroll to an early end. Even though I dashed back to the house as quickly as I could, I still got a little wet, but that's ok, I had some nice soft loungewear to change into and plenty of warm blankets to curl up in.

Shopping Info: Trousers from FemmeLuxeFinery, Top from Shein, Bow Belt and The Zest is History Heels from ModCloth

How to Wear Metallics

It's early morning in the city with the chill just slightly in the air and the maple trees are already putting on their autumn hues. This is such a calm and quiet time of day, especially here where in just a few short hours the buildings and sidewalks will be teeming with activity. I'm not exactly the most adventurous fashionista in the world.  In fact I've spent most of my life being rather reluctant to try new things, but blogging makes my experiments fun and dare I say a little educational too and FemmeLuxe takes the anxiety out of trying new things because I can count on their ability to make curve friendly fashion and luxe dresses from little White Dresses to Mesh Dresses they've never steered me wrong. 

Since collaborating with FemmeLuxe I have become much more “adventurous” and one of the most fun things about trying new things has been the way that I can share what I learn with you, my dear fellow fashion lovers, in the form of tips and style how-to articles.

You've probably read about some of my fashion pursuits. I spent several years searching for the perfect ivory cotton dress, and then there was the summer spent looking for the perfect swimsuit for my shape. I was obsessed with finding the perfect fox sweater for at least the better part of two years, and plaid skirts and novelty prints are a pursuit I've never abandoned. Lately I've been crushing on fabrics like velvet and metallic dresses.

Some of my fashion crushes come and go, others become lasting staples in my wardrobe either way I always learn something along the way. In the past year we've covered lots of great topics from jumpsuits to corset tops and one shoulders. A couple of months ago I touched on the topic of adding shiny metallics to accessorize your look and I loved the effect. I definitely think this is a style that is here to stay in my fashion repertoire, so for today's post I thought I would take it to the next level with a metallic dress and some tips for wearing metallics.

For this post, I'm wearing the SilverMetallic One Shoulder Midi Dress - Viola from FemmeLuxeFinery. This midi dress is so sleek and sexy; I am so pleased with it. I've blogged about several of FemmeLuxe's metallicdresses and the reason quite simply is that these dresses are great at accentuating the narrowest part of the waist creating a great silhouette plus they have that extra pop thanks to the shiny veneer. The ruching on this Viola dress is really nice for creating visual interest in both the shine of the fabric and the very subtle black vertical lines running through it but also in the ruching at the sides which also serves to camouflage trouble areas.

Tip 1. Break it up. Head to toe metallics isn't exactly a fashion faux pas, in fact it can look quite couture, but wearing the same tone head to toe will likely make you look like a robot from a 1950s B movie. Unless you're heading to a costume party, that's probably not the look you want to rock. If classic sci-fi she-bot isn't your goal, be sure to break things up by mixing your metals or limiting yourself to just the one metallic piece. I used gold accessories with this silver dress and black heels to create some visual diversity.

Tip 2. Focus the Shine. Metallic colors are quite eye catching, but too much bling can be blinding. Tone down the shine by choosing a few small jewelry pieces to accent a matte item or, as I've done for this outfit, you can accessorize with matte pieces. The Viola dress has all the shine while the jewelry is matte gold and heels are made of a non shiny fabric so they don't detract from the focal point which is the midi dress and those accessories also don't overwhelm the eye by competing with the Viola dress. A matte blazer or wrap would also accent this dress well.

No regrets about this experiment; I love the look of this metallic dress and I know I'm going to keep this fashion crush going. Metallic dresses are definitely going to be a permanent fixture in my wardrobe.

Shopping Info: SilverMetallic One Shoulder Midi Dress – Viola from FemmeLuxeFinery.co.uk

Miss Peregrine: Cosplay

Halloween's around the corner and although I've been thinking about a costume for months, I only just landed on something this week.  So, now I'm in a mad dash to pull everything together before the big day.  I've decided to go as Fleur Delacoeur from Harry Potter this year.  I have some of the pieces already, that was the main deciding factor in all this, but for a few of the others it's a waiting game with teh post office and I don't know why I didn't just decide on something earlier.  

All this chaos got me thinking about my costumes of the last few years and the emerging theme seems to be women from literature who wear blue.  Miss Peregrine, Alice in Wonderland, and now Fleur Delacoeur. And then it hit me that I never updated my post about our Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children Cosplay Costumes here from a few years ago.  It occurred to me mostly because someone said, "hey, how come I never got to see pics of that."  So, as promised, albeit several years late, here are the results of our family cosplay for which we won first place in the beginners category.

In keeping with the true spirit of Cosplay, the crossbow, lead shoes, fire, dolls of the twins, and the facial appliance for the hollow-ghast were all made at home.  However, in keeping with the fact that my sewing skills were still pretty basic and my machine was still in storage, the clothing was mainly purchased although I did enjoy the search for look-alike pieces.  

The girls' dresses for Olive and Alice were purchased from TheOtherSparrows and then altered to fit them.  The Miss Peregrine costume was purchased from FanPlusFriend and the heels are from ModCloth.  The wigs are from Aliexpress.com and the pipe is from Amazon.com.

The hollow-ghast costume was purchased cheaply from a used clothing store since it was going to be stained and shredded to create the right look.

See my original post on shopping Miss Peregrine here.

Shopping Info:  Miss Peregrine Costume from Fanplusfriend, heels and tights from ModCloth