October 2015 archive
Easy DIY Halloween Costumes
Sometimes you want a costume that you can put together yourself. No one will have the same costume as you, you won’t be limited to what’s available in the store, and you can get it in a hurry if you’ve procrastinated. Stylish, a little humorous, and fun to portray, these are my top choices for creative and easy DIY Halloween costumes this year. No sewing required (unless you want to!). Now, which one to go as…
1. Chanel #3 from FOX’s “Scream Queens.”
This quirky, campy show may not be that well known, but it’s heading toward cult classic status partly due to its well-dressed cast of characters. Your group of friends could go as all the Chanels, but call dibs on Chanel #3 because earmuffs, obvi!
The costume: Chanel #3 wears the same pastel, fur and pearl-heavy outfits as the other Chanels, but her signature omnipresent earmuffs set her apart. This Brooks Brothers skirt is the same one she wore in an episode.
Props: Chanel #3 usually can be seen with a sparkly beverage in hand.
Attitude: Speak in a low monotone. Nonchalantly work into conversation that your father is serial killer Charles Manson.
2. Eloise
This childhood literary favorite is mischievous, bilingual, and extremely rich. Spoiled she may be, but luckily her outfit is incredibly simple to recreate.
The costume: Start with the basics of a white blouse, short black skirt, and white knee socks. Add black suspenders or straps made out of black ribbon. Then finish it off with black Mary Jane’s and a pink hair bow. I wanted to re-purpose and upcycle as much as I could while making this costume, so I made the suspenders out of an old pair of tights.
Props: All you need is someone who saved their Beanie Baby collection and voila! “Pugsly” becomes Eloise’s dog “Weenie.” If you have a real pet pug, you’d better be dressing up as Eloise. No excuses.
Attitude: Have fun telling people, “I am Eloise. I am a city child. I live at the plaza.” If you can pose against pink striped wallpaper, that is ideal. Bonus: accidental vandalism or destruction of property is very much within character for Eloise.
3. Tinkerbell
A classic costume that you can’t go wrong with. Can also easily be turned into a couple’s costume with a Peter or a Hook, or a group costume with all your besties dressed up as Tink’s fairy entourage.
The costume: A short green dress is item number one. If you don’t need to re-wear the dress, cut a a petal pattern in the skirt for a true fairy look. Hair up in a bun. A pair of wings, which you can DIY if you don’t have a pair.
Props: A little bottle of “fairy dust” to sprinkle around. Your party hosts would probably prefer that this is imaginary versus real glitter.
Attitude: Out of your favorite candy? Spilled your drink? You have license to pout about anything that doesn’t go your way.
Happy Halloween, readers! Who are you going as this year?
70s Style Inspiration
Following my last fall style post, which focused on classic fall style, this post is all about vintage and 70s style inspiration. The muted colors and warm browns of the era fit easily with fall’s color palette. And this season, 70s style inspiration is weaving its way back into style. Not everything about 70s style was good, but here are a few elements that celebrate it without going too overboard.
Elements of 70s inspired style
1. Brown tones. In this outfit I mixed various shades of browns and burgundies. You can mix and match neutrals of all kinds this season.
2. Loose fitting tops. This vintage peasant blouse I like for its vibrant color and unique embroidery on the front.
3. Fringe moccasins. Fringe is more popular than ever, so embrace your inner flower child with fringed suede accents. Though here I substituted leaves for flowers in my hair-for the photos only 
4. Braids! Braids were a hair style staple of many eras, but they featured very predominantly in the 70s.To do this hairstyle I made two loose French braids using my bangs on either side of my part, then transitioned to regular braiding at ear level and then pinned the braids back. It’s a super easy style!
5. Tights. So I’m actually not sure this is a 70s style inspiration, but with so many fun colors and patterns of tights available this season, why not?
Even if you don’t have a vintage top, below you can check out links to where to find similar items to make your own 70s style inspiration ensemble. Most of the pieces you can find for a steal (even a Burberry skirt!). 
Outfit Details
Boots - Minnetonka Moccasin / Skirt - Similar from Burberry, heavily discounted on consignment / Top - Vintage, Similar from Macy’s / Tights - Similar from Modcloth
What elements of 70s style inspiration are you incorporating this season?
Make Press-On Nails Work For You
Press-on nails are sold in pretty packages with temptingly beautiful colors and patterns. The allure of manicure-quality nails fast and without harmful chemicals is hard to pass up. But do they really stay on? I found out how to make press-on nails work and I’m going to tell you how!
My first foray into stick on nails was a disaster. I loved the look of the nails and they were easy to apply, but almost immediately they started to flake off. And it happened at the worst times, like during client meetings. I had to slip the nails surreptitiously into my bag or else leave a Hansel and Gretel-style trail of popped-off nails behind me. I was pretty convinced that I could never make press-on nails work for me.
I was given two imPress press-on manicure sets to review, and I asked the company to give me some advice about how to make press-on nails work. With those tips, I was able to get them to stay on for days so far, raking in compliments on my nails each day.
How to Make Press-On Nails Work
- First, the nails come with a little alcohol wipe called a prep pad. You cannot skip this step or your nails won’t stay.
- Don’t put them on when you are in a rush. After applying, take your time to press them firmly on each nail, and continue to press them down throughout the first hour when you think of it.
- The package includes 24 acrylic nails of varying sizes. You should select sizes slightly smaller than your real nail. This way the edges won’t catch on things that could pop them off.
By following these steps, you can make press-on manicures work for you too. I can definitely see myself buying this product again, especially with the gorgeous ones they offer. If you’re looking for some they’re sold for $7.99 at Walgreens.
Pros and Cons of Press-On Nails
Cons:
- The acrylic doesn’t totally cover the nail, and the plastic is thicker than a coat of polish. So if you look really closely you can tell that it’s a press-on.
- The package only includes one alcohol wipe. I wish the manufacturers would note that some people like me won’t get it right the first time and include back-up prep pads for second applications.
- The nails can catch in your hair if you run your hands through it.
Pros:
- The nails won’t chip like polish. So far, they have stayed on through babysitting, shopping, raking leaves and typing. Even though it says they are waterproof, I plan on wearing gloves when I do dishes just to be safe.
- You don’t have to sit in a fume-filled salon, they attach without harmful glues, and they can be removed without any acetone. As far as manicures go, this is about as natural as they come. I think this is one of the best incentives to make press-on nails work!
- And they are toddler-approved: a two-year-old watched me apply these and said, “do more! do more!” as I stuck on each nail.
I hope you can make press-on nails work like I did! If you’ve had a success or epic failure with them before, I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
You might also be interested in how to grow healthy, strong nails.
Classic Fall Style
Fall as a season is all about going back to your own feel-good classics. Re-discovering your favorite statement coat. Pulling on your well-loved sweater. Enjoying those hot beverages you haven’t enjoyed since last year. Are you a Pumpkin Spice Latte, hot apple cider, cinnamon tea or hot chocolate person? That’s what’s great about this season-it’s up to you to decide!
Fashion too has a little bit of a pick-your-own adventure quality. Dabble in trends as you like, but we all have some fallback elements to our favorite cooler weather clothing choices. Here are my classic fall styles I keep going back to year after year.
Fall back on these classic fall style elements
- Gold Jewelry.
- Navy basics.
- Sweater dresses.
- Leather flats.
Okay, let’s talk about the elephant in the room cornfield for a second. Chevron isn’t exactly the cutting edge of fashion. Okay, so as a trend it’s completely dead, buried and has a tombstone. But apart from its overuse in 2012, the pattern itself (originally called Flame Stitch) is a classic. It was once used in art deco motifs and Hopi pottery and it still looks crisp and sharp in any season. I included it in today’s post because a) sweater dresses are hard to come by and I’m holding onto this one with a firm grip, and b) if you like something, you’re allowed to make it yours even after it fades from the public eye.
Navy is my go-to classic fall style neutral. Well actually it’s a favorite for any season, but it looks especially nice during autumn. Gold-colored jewelry is flattering against all those yellow-gold tones in the autumn scenery! It pairs great with warm browns, grays, and oranges.
Soon it will be time to swap bare legs for tights and leather flats for over-the-knee boots, but this is fun while it lasts.
Outfit Details
Dress: Lilly Pulitzer Similar / Sweater: Lilly Pulitzer Similar / Jewelry: Similar for only $10 / Shoes: Frye
What are your go-to elements of classic fall style?
