friday fix: spooktacular edition

It's time for that most spooky of holidays! I love Halloween, even though it never quite lives up to what I imagine. This is probably because my favorite part is making my costume and getting all dressed up...once I'm in costume, the glory kind of fades. I'm not really into scary things (and have been carried out of two haunted houses in my lifetime), but I absolutely adore dressing up (for anything really, but on Halloween everyone else dresses up too!) I'm having a bit of a costume meltdown at the moment, but I have faith that I'll get everything squared away in time for epic photoshoots and dancing tomorrow night. Meanwhile, have a few fun things to get into the spooky spirit!


via ilikemakeup

A great dark glam look for Halloween or for any nighttime adventure when you feel a bit...vampy?


Halloween Bento Boxes via The Kitchn

How disgustingly cute is that? I have a huge (and random) fondness for bento boxes--I often get lost in communities dedicated to the delicious art, just scrolling through. I wonder if it things taste better when they're that adorable?


Winston as snail, via fourfour

Animals in costume will never not be funny. The more disgruntled they are, the better. We all get to look ridiculous on Halloween; why should our furry friends be left out? If you go to the bottom of the linked post, you'll get to see many of Winston's stylish outfits. He is an extremely malleable cat. (And fourfour is my very favorite site for ANTM recaps, in case any of you were not aware and/or needed a good resource for those. There are gifs aplenty!)


Via Gothic Charm School

Striped socks are amazing all year, but particularly so at Halloween! I've got pair of green-and-white and red-and-white myself, but I'm always looking to expand my collection.


Via i have a lot of feelings

Have a fun and safe Halloween, and stay fickle!

the right stuff: a bag for all seasons

My beloved Sparrow gave me a look when I declared "I really need a new purse" while adjusting the strap of my adorable little purse. But she understood when I amended my statement: "I really need a fall purse." Those of you who are non purse-carriers are probably mystified, but it's really just common sense; you wouldn't wear snowboots in the summer or a windbreaker in the winter (if you live where I live, at least), and you need a bag that suits the season.

As it happens, I have a bag for all seasons, but since you read the beginning of this post, you know that it's not so simple. My bag for all seasons is adorable and classy, a huge step up from the "Dubble Bubble" vinyl bag from Goodwill I'd been using for years. This bag is also big.


The Bean Bag by TTPeasandcarrots via Etsy (shop now closed)

I can fit a 5-subject spiral notebook, a hardcover book, and a bag lunch inside it, in addition to the various breath fresheners, medications, papers, gadgets, and chapsticks that accumulate in my bags. This is pretty darn awesome when I need to transport a lot of stuff around. Unfortunately, on days that I don't need to bring half of my earthly possessions along with me, the bag is just too big. I know comically oversized handbags are "in" now (I think? Are they still in?), but I'm not much for trends. And I find that carrying a big bag around just encourages me to bring along more things that I don't need.

My summer purse problem was neatly solved by my mom's purchase of a bag that she eventually deemed "too cute" for her. I was, of course, more than happy to take it off her hands. This purse is the perfect size for my day-to-day maneuvering, but it is indeed cute: artsy flowers all done up in bright sunny colors. This was great when it was tagging along to summer festivals, but I'm already starting to feel weird carrying it in the chilly late-October weather. I need a bag that can serve me through the fall and winter, just like my trusty wool peacoat.

Obviously, I respond well to red plaid for the cooler months. But in general, I like either darker colors or really rich colors (deep reds, blues, purples, greens) in autumnal/winter wear. The muted colors are popular for obvious reasons, but so are the rich ones--they make a great statement against a dark coat (and the muted landscape). When shopping, don't forget to consider, as I neglected to, the size that you really need for day-to-day use. You might want to use your current purse as a guide, or, if you're unsure, bring along the biggest item you'd want to carry in your bag with you shopping. If it fits, success! You've found yourself a bag!

friday fix

Oh dear, is it Friday? Folks, I will tell you right now (though I'm sure you could tell), this week got away from me. The first week back to class is always runs one a bit ragged, but I really have no such excuse. I was just distracted by friends, my kitchen, figuring out when classes were canceled and what readings I was meant to attend. Let's put that in the past, because it is, and look to a stunning new future, starting with the weekend.

Perhaps we'll even look...Back to the Future!



Haha, yes, that was silly, but the 25th anniversary of Back to the Future is coming up! Some friends and I will be going to see a special one-night-only showing of BttF in a theater! I'm excited for some sweet 80s fashion mixed with some sweet 50s style. I have a huge amount of fondness for the 50s (style wise) and for the 80s (hilarity wise) and for proms (it's prom!), so what could be better than a 50s-as-done-by-the-80s prom? Nothing, that's what!


The Eloise 1960s Mod Scooter Dress, via Red Dress Shoppe

There is a reason this is called a "scooter" dress, and that reason is because I want desperately to wear it while riding on the Vespa I don't yet own. Someday, I'll have a Vespa and wear nothing but adorable dresses and kicky pumps and a sweet round mod helmet and tool around the city. Wouldn't that be adorable?


Via makeupftw@tumblr

Halloween makeup! So exciting, I can't wait to get my intense green on. I'm a big fan of crazy makeup, and my Poison Ivy look is going to have green out the wazoo. Tonight I'll be attending a Monsters Ball party and will finally have the chance to rock my purple lipstick. Depending on how the look turns out, I might have to share it with you!

That's the return of the Kitsch. Don't let me stay away so long dearies, I miss you when I'm away. Have a great weekend, and stay fickle!

my style: rockin' the staples

Staples are a very important part of our lives. They hold together so many disparate (yet related) pieces of paper that would otherwise be scattered to the wind! And in the same way, those of us without humorously (and deliciously) large closets and/or budgets need staple outfits.

I have a confession: I've worn the same exact (mostly) outfit three times this week. Now, before you close the tab on my blog forever, it should be stated that there are extenuating circumstances: I've been home the whole week living out of a medium-sized suitcase that was packed when I had no idea what I would be doing. I usually spend most of break in sweatpants, but things pop up: trips to the mall, trips to my grandparents, lunch dates. I usually try to grab a couple of nice pieces that will travel well, so I can be stylish at the drop of a hat if necessary. This time I had a bit of a mishap--I brought home two skirts only for the unseasonable heat to disappear as soon as I got home. I hadn't brought any tights. So, I had this:

Apt 9 tunic and Vera Wang jeans from Kohl's (the jeans in the picture are just representative!)

My tunic is purple, which makes the outfit less monochromatic than it seems there, but yep, that's pretty much it. It's what I had to work with, and work it I did. I wore this to my grandparent's house with kitten heels, I wore it to a ladies lunch at Olive Garden with sneakers, and I am wearing it as I write this very post because I'll be wearing it barefooted/with socks when my godparents come visit. That's three times in seven days, and that's almost every time I left the house. It's kind of embarrassing to admit and to look at it like that, but honestly? This is one of my staple outfits. The pieces pair great together, I have a lot of accessorizing options, and it's comfortable. The only people who know I wore the same thing two days ago are my family, and they'd never tell!

When creating a staple outfit, consider these things: you don't really "create" a staple outfit. To me, at least, your staple outfits kind of come to you. It's that one that you find yourself wearing when you don't know what to wear. It works for multiple levels of formality with some accessorizing, probably isn't too difficult to get yourself ready in, and the pieces in it can be fabulously paired with other things in your closet. A staple outfit, in my estimation, is what happens when two staple pieces (a tunic and a pair of black jeans, for example) come together in an awesome way. The one other time I had to get myself prettified this week was when I went to the mall to get my sister's ears pierced; I wore the same black jeans, with a purple top and my vest. Both of these outfits can be paired with my fabulous black chunky necklace. It's like a staple party! This wasn't a post about travel, but it follows logically that these pieces that are extremely wearable, mix-and-matchable, and adjustable are the things you should be packing.

What's your never fail staple outfit?

friday fix

I almost forgot today was Friday! Being off for a week will do that to you--days don't matter so much when you're spending your time watching HGTV and Food Network. But all good things much come to an end, and I'll be heading back to school this weekend to resume the real world.


Belted Wool Blend Coat by Miss Sixty, via Overstock.com

I'm still in the market for winter coats (you may remember my epic coat woe), especially now as it's getting chillier. Loving the collar and back-pleats on this one.


Supermask by columbina, via Etsy

So feeling the masks these days. I wish I could just wear one around (I hear they're terribly comfortable). I suspect it would make my life sassy times infinity. Part of it is definitely the Halloween fever, because the lead-up to Halloween is always much more exciting than the actual day. I have some Halloween posts in the works, so keep your eyes peeled for that!


#8483 by Justin Alexander, via Justin Alexander Bridal

Oh god, wedding dresses. Wedding dresses. You know that I loooove weddings in all ways (I even posted about working a bridal inspiration in your everyday life)! There is nothing I enjoy looking at more than wedding dresses! Except for this Pnina Tornai ones that keep popping up on Say Yes to the Dress. Call me a traditionalist, but I don't think your $11k gown should look like a bustier you bought on the clearance rack at Spencer's.

What are you folks thinking about this lovely fall Friday? Have a great weekend, and stay fickle!

fickle tips: avoiding allergens whilst accessorizing

I'm allergic to nickel, so I can't wear costume jewelry without risking a horribly itchy reaction. Cold weather is great because I can wear a cute scarf all day, but that's only one season out of the year. How can I accessorize year round without going broke on fine metals, and without driving my skin crazy?

Losing out on costume jewelry is a bummer, so much kitschy cheapness! But avoiding nickel doesn't necessarily mean that costume jewelry is out the window.

I must have been feeling the red/white when I made this

Plastics and acrylics are always a good choice, and often provide a splash of brightness that metal jewelry might not. There are plenty of non-metal bangles and chunky beaded necklaces to go around! But if chunky/kitschy isn't your style all the time, there's always wood and leather, depending on your personal style.

A lot of mostly-not-metal necklaces still have metal portions or clasps. If you can, attempt a little jewelry surgery! You might try restringing beads on fishing line or ribbon to avoid the problem. If it's charms you're after (like the "Hello!" one in the collage), it would probably be a good idea to splurge on one nice chain of a metal that won't irritate your skin. Usually it's fairly easy to slip a charm off of the chain and switch it onto the nicer one. With one nice chain, you could show off any number of pretty charms as well as create your own unique combos.

I'm not sure of the severity of your allergy, but if you can handle nickel for brief periods of time, you may find a world of accessorizing delight in brooches. They have no prolonged contact with your skin, so should (presumably) be wearable if you don't get a rash putting them on. Plus, brooches are totally fabulous and can land anywhere from classic to obnoxiously rhinestoned on the style-o-meter.

Finally: it usually manages to pop up, but Etsy really is almost always an excellent style resource. There are sellers there who craft jewelry from antique silver, stainless steel (according to the mighty Google, although this is a nickel alloy, it's bound tightly enough that the nickel shouldn't affect the skin), acrylics, wood, leather, cloth, and all sorts of interesting things often for far less money than asked by jewelry companies. I did a quick search for "nickel free" and found lots of adorable and inexpensive things. The sellers there are also usually very communicative and happy to talk about their work, allowing you reassurance that there isn't some secret nickel in those snazzy accessories. There are also many Etsy sellers who deal in supplies, so you can get gorgeous charms and pieces for a fraction of the cost if you're willing to put in a little bit of work on your own.

Good luck, and happy accessorizing!

---

I don't know a lot about metal allergies, so I apologize if any of this is inaccurate or unhelpful. Do any of you have a tip for our allergic readerfriend?

kiss and makeup: my superstars

There are so many great ideas for makeup posts, and I want to do them all. But I have to go one at a time, so I thought that since I'm starting my posts, maybe I should do a post that would be good for people just starting out with makeup. I wanted to share some of my makeup essentials. These are the things that I wouldn't go without when I'm just taking the little purple pouch I got as a free gift with purchase. It's my bare minimums in one sense, but also my favorites. Since it's from my own makeup bag, built up over time, there's a mix of brand products and drugstore products, with makeup and tools.


bareMinerals SPF Foundation in "Fair" by BareEscentuals

I started out my makeup-wearing life with a Starter Kit from BareEscentuals, which I definitely recommend. But when I just need my own bare essentials (rimshot!), I stick with just the foundation powder. It gives me a nice light coverage, reduces redness and covers up flaws without making me look or feel caked. I don't really have skin problems, so I've never really felt the need for anything with more coverage than this. And I apply it with:


Handy Buki Brush by BareEscentuals

The DVD that came with the kit (this is obviously very intense foundation) demonstrated how to use all three brushes in stages to give yourself perfect coverage. But some of us (hi!) are way too lazy to apply two coats of foundation and then do more direct concealing of the trouble spots. So I just use this brush for fuller coverage. (Their concealer brush is A+ and I adore its magic powers, but I only have room for one in my bag, so I need the one for all-over application)


Ammo Shadow Box by Urban Decay

Ammo was the first brand palette I ever bought, and it's still an invaluable part of my kit. It fits perfectly in my little travel pouch, so it comes with me pretty much everywhere. There's enough of a variety in it between the interesting neutrals and rich colors to be ready for any look. My favorites from this palette are Chopper, Smog, and Mildew, with some Sin for a highlight. I just use a generic angled brush for application, so no pictures. Your favorite angled brush will do!


Lash Blast Volume by CoverGirl

I'd seen this mascara's praises sung on numerous blogs, so I had to try it for myself. And I dig it. It hasn't changed my life, exactly, but I've never had a problem with clumps and I definitely get some intense volume from it. I switched over to it from UD's Big Fatty Mascara, and I don't have any intention to shop for a new brand. There's a lot of stuff that I really prefer brands for (eyeshadows in particular), so it's nice to have products I can pick up at Walgreens for half the cost.


TruCheeks Blush by CoverGirl

Despite the slightly snicker-worthy name (heh heh cheeks), I've been using this blush since high school. I'm definitely willing to look for a new one (I've heard excellent thing about Nars), but I don't really wear a lot of blush; I have fairly ruddy cheeks in general and am prone to actually blushing. But when I want to add a bit of color, I brush a bit of the middle tone onto the apples of my cheeks then blend out with my fingers. Blush Tip: you always want to apply your blush at least two fingerswidth away from your nose, because you blush from your nose out when you're physically exerted. You want to have a healthy pink glow, not look like you ran all the way there!


Painted Love Lipstick in "Lolita" by Kat Von D

I bought the three pack of Kat Von D's Painted Love lipsticks Sephora was offering a little while ago, including Hellbent, Homegirl, and Lolita. Lolita was the real standout for me. It's described as "dusty rose" on the Sephora website and it's a perfect neutralish pink for my day-to-day wear. You can tell I'm wearing lipstick, but it isn't distracting. I wear it for everyday with my neutral eyes, but it also looks sophisticated and understated for more formal occasions. If I can only have one lipstick with me, that's the one I'm going for. (As far as the other lipsticks go, for the curious: Homegirl is way darker than anything I would wear day-to-day, but I'm keeping it for costume purposes and in case I ever get brave and vampy. Hellbent is nice, but I already have a red that I like a lot more, so I'm giving it to my little sister.)

I hope this was useful! There's a lot of things in my kit that I adore, but these are my absolute must-haves for creating a look for whatever I might be going to. They're all pretty flexible products that are basic enough to give you a nice look for an everyday look or something you might want to dress up a little more for. If you're a makeup beginner, the idea is not to get these products, necessarily, but things that will fulfill these needs for you and your makeup-wearing life.