Monday, December 31, 2012

Best of 2012: Favorite Outfits

With the New Year only a few hours away, I figured I'd do a little roundup of some of my favorite outfits of 2012. Looking through the pictures I don't think my style has changed much this year, still pretty simple and classic. But it does give me a lot of ideas of different silhouettes, styles, and accessories to try in 2013. I also may need to experiment in different poses and change up my hair a bit. I see a hair cut and possibly a color change in the near future. Have a great New Year's eve and I should be back here tomorrow with my first outfit of 2013!

















My favorite outfit of 2012



Saturday, December 29, 2012

Worst Outfits of 2012: What was I thinking?

I don't actually have a lot of outfits that I dislike from this year, but there definitely are some. So in the spirit of end of the year lists, and my personal love of lists in general, I figured i'd make a list of my least favorite outfits of 2012.  These outfits aren't horrible, but looking back there is something about each of them that I just don't love. Next year I'll try and re-style some of these and see if I can come up with outfits I like better. Until then, enjoy my worst of list and look out for  another list my favorite outfits on New Year's eve.



Friday, December 28, 2012

Best of 2012: Thrift Finds

Can you believe that next week it'll be 2013? It seems like this year has gone by so quickly. 2012 was a pretty decent year for me, not great but not bad, so to give it a proper farewell I figured I'd do some best of, and one worst of , lists before the new year.  So here are my favorite thrift finds of 2012:


 1. Broyhill Brasilia Dresser


This is my favorite thrift find of the year by far. I'd been obsessed with brasilia for awhile so when I found this beauty at the salvation army for $85.00 I couldn't believe my luck. Yes it was a pain in the ass to move but it makes me happy everytime I see it. Love this dresser.
 

 2. $30 Couch



This was another thrift find that was a bitch to move but I love it so much! That funky design, I even love the ugly green upholstery. We finally moved this into our TV room and it looks really good.

2. Cathrineholm!



I found these on my first trip to a new-ish thrift store and I love them so.

4. Fish TV lamp


 I mean look at all that fishy goodness. #totesamaze


 5. Snowflake Pyrex


6. Green Wheat Pyrex


7. Ugly Mushroom Canisters

 I saw a whole collection of these for $118.00 on Fab.com I got these for maybe $10 total. Gotta love thrift stores and ugly mushroom cannisters.

8. Blue Haven Cinderella Bowl


9. Flower Print

 Pretty sure I saw this in Bryce Dallas Howard's character's house in The Help. Just sayin.

10. Haeger Baby Planter


11. Siesta Ware tiki cups. 

12. Newest Thrift find: Target vintage inspired bowl


This is the only non-vintage item on the list and my most recent thrift find. I'd admired this collection from Target but knew if I was patient I'd probably be able to find some pieces at the thrift store and I found this bad boy on Christmas eve. Patience is a virtue, especially at the thrift store.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Movie Monday



Everything: Thrift

     I wore this outfit to go to a cute french restaurant and see The Master. The Master was...interesting. It seemed really long and was just kind of confusing. I wasn't a huge fan, but maybe  I need to see it again. Anyway I'd wait for it to go on DVD if you really think you want to see it.
        Collard shirts are a little outside of my comfort zone, so it was a bit odd to wear this shirt simply because I'm not used to wearing them. I love the look of these shirts though and plan to get a few more to add to my wardrobe. I like this outfit though. I'll probably pair another bottom next time, I found out I really like it paired with my fave leather skirt, so watch out for that post.

Monday, December 24, 2012

Favorite Christmas Specials : TV edition

Every year I spend Christmas Eve and Christmas, between food, family and presents, marathoning Christmas movies and specials. Since I'm in a marathon-y mood I figured I'd do a list of some of my favorite Holiday TV specials.

1.  How the Grinch  Stole Christmas



 How can you not love the Grinch? The green outsider who hated the whos and their infernal Christmas jubilation, steals every inch of commercial christmas only to learn " what if christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store?" The grinch is required christmas tv special watching in my opinion, if nothing else for the animation and the the sort of  60's cool whoville. One day I will have all grinch inspired christmas decor and it will be awesome.

2. The Year without a Santa Claus:

 Ok so this may or may not be considered a classic to some, but it's definitely one to me. Santa's sick and doesn't feel like anyone cares about Christmas, all he wants to do is stay in bed a feel better. So Mrs. Claus sends two elves and Vixen down to Southtown USA to drum up some christmas spirit. Basically the mayor of southtown  says if they can get it to snow in south town for one day they'll give Santa a holiday. The problem? the Miser brothers heat miser who controls the south and snow miser who controls the north are bitter rivals and neither will budge until their mother, mother nature, makes them compromise. The best part of the special is  the miser brothers, whose catchy theme songs are infectious. I'm also pretty sure heat miser is from the Jersey, as he has Pauly D's hairstyle. Anyway if you've never seen this special WATCH IT, it's ridiculous but fun and it's on ABC family at least once a week.

3. A Charlie Brown Christmas: 


I mean do I even have to explain why? Groovy tunes, sweet dance moves and a break down of  the meaning of christmas by a kid who still shleps a blankie around. How can you not watch this special?

4.  Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer:




 The classic of all classics. Rudolf is the rednosed outcast that just wants to fit in. Oh those cruel reindeer games!  Apparently it does get better, but only if it's super foggy one Christmas and your malady can save the day. Santa is kind of a jerk in this holiday classic about the little reindeer with a shiny red nose who just wants to fit in. There's a good lesson here in that everyone who hates on Rudolph eventually has to eat their words and realize they're wrong, guilt the great equalizer. Anyway the real gem of this special is the killer animation and the lovely retro feel it evokes every time you watch it. 

5. Frosty the Snowman:


Magic hat makes snowman come to life, snowman is fun, yay snowman!, Snowman slowly dying, send snowman to north pole so he doesn't die. MERRY CHRISTMAS KIDS! Frosty is fun nostalgia and can remind you of those lovely years of yore when those mountains of snow meant snow days and snowmen and not shoveling and a shitty commute.

6. Rugrats christmas and Chanukah special:


 My favorite Rugrats episodes have always been their Jewish holiday specials . They don't really show these on TV anymore but you can watch them on netflix, which I did a week ago during Chanukah, because I seriously love that special. The Chanukah special follows Tommie through his first Chanukah as he and the gang learn about Chanukah and its different traditions. The main plot is that the babies think the meanie of Chanukah is out to get grandpa Boris, the two men are old rivals, and they decide the only way to get the meanie of Chanukah off grandpa Boris' back is to put him down for a nap. It's adorable, trust me. The Christmas special follows the gang as they go up north to  a cabin for Christmas. The Christmas special is also good and definitely worth a watch.

7. Hey Arnold Christmas Special:


Can you tell I was really into nickelodeon as a child? This special is also on netflix. Aronlds family and their boarders do a secret Santa and Arnold get the relatively mysterious Mr.  Hyunh. After a conversation with Mr. Hyunh Arnold finds out all he really wants for christmas is to be reunited with his long lost daughter. Arnold tries to reunite Mr. Hyunh with his daughter, doing the last minute Christmas shopping of a government employee that can help him. When Arnold can't get the must have item of the season, Nancy Spumoni snow boots, Helga gives up her own boots as a way to give Arnold a special Christmas gift. daww.

8. South Park Christmas Special.


There are a bunch of South Park Christmas specials but my favorite one is the musical one. Mr. Hankey is a close second but sometimes christmas poo just  grosses you out. There's also just something about santa and jesus competing in a karaoke sing off that I've always found clever and hilarious.  The special is very south park, so don't take it too seriously, but it's hilarious nonetheless and one of my faves. Most south Park episodes are on netflix so i'm assuming you can consume all of them to your hearts content that way. 

*All images via google

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Birthdays are Betta in Leatha







Shirt: Macys  Skirt: ASOS  Tights: Target  Shoes: gifted Earrings: PLNDR

        So a little over a month ago (November 16th) I turned the ripe old age of 25. It feels good to be 25 but also a bit odd since I'm now a mere 5 years away from 30, whaa? As you know, I've been lusting over leather skirts since the beginning of fall. Asos had a pleated leather skirt in it's main range that I fell in love with but at $150 or so dollars I just couldn't bring myself to buy it. By the time I figured I could take the plunge the skirt sold out in black and was only available in navy. I like the leather skirt trend, but I just can't spend 150 dollars on colored leather.
      So in late October I decided to get an asos faux leather skirt that was only 50 dollars as a birthday present to myself. Then Hurricain sandy hit and my package never made it to my house. Asos e-mailed me and said that due to the hurricain they had to send all the packages from their NY shipper back to the UK to inspect the packages and see if they're able to send them or not. My package was  a total goner. Luckily at that same time Asos curve put up the exact same skirt I had been lusting over earlier in the fall in their range and I just so happened to have a 25% off code, so I decided to go ahead and splurge on the more expensive skirt.
      And I have to say I LOVE this skirt. It's amazing! I'm soo happy with it and so glad I got to spend my first night as a 25 year old in this fabulous skirt. Also it's real leather (thus the higher price tag), I just love it so. I would have worn it with these cute black booties I bought earlier that day but was worried about my feet giving out halfway through the night, as they have a bit of a heel.  I totally forgot about my knee high flat black boots, so I opted for my trusted  brown flat ones instead. I'm not in love with this outfit and am seriously looking for better tops to pair with this skirt. I should be wearing this skirt again soon and will hopefully come up with something I'm more in love with.  Anyway I wore this out on my birthday to go watch Drag Queens and dance like a drunken maniac, it was so much fun y'all. 25 will definitely be full of a lot more dancing, I guarantee it.

Ps. Anyone else read leather in the voice of stella from project runway? I. Can't. Stop. Doing. It. Observe:

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Christmas Wishlist


christmas wishlist

christmas wishlist by cleopatrajonez featuring diamond stud earrings


       I haven't really been in the Christmas spirit lately. I'm not really sure why, just haven't really been into it. Maybe it's working retail for the second christmas in a row and having christmas suddenly be a big part of my job, but I just haven't really been feeling it. To try and get more into the christmas spirit I figured i'd do some christmas-y posts to help myself, and possibly you too, get into the christmas spirit. 

      My christmas list this year is admitedly pretty lame, I honestly couldn't think of much I really wanted this year. This is probably because this year i'm regularly employed and could buy most of the things I was really wanting before Christmas. Anyway here are a combination of things from my christmas wislist and my after christmas sales wishlist. 

1. Duo boots. I've been wanting some Duo boots for awhile, as it's quite a challenge to find wide calf boots that I like and that fit me. These ones from duo are perfect, but come with a hefty price tag. I have some money saved for them, so I asked for a little money to add to my boot fund for christmas. 

2. Makeup Brushes. I've been wanting to experiment more with makeup recently and have come to the realization that I need better ( or, you know, some) makeup brushes. 

3. Leather Pants. I bought these a couple months ago and ended up returning because they were too big. I never bought another pair in the right size and they're on sale now so i'm thinking i may do that after christmas. 

4. CZ stud earrings. I love the look of diamond stud earrings, they're simple yet chic. I've had some faux ones before but have lost them so I asked for a new pair. 

5. Pajamas. Yeah you know you're getting old when you ask for pajams for christmas, but I need and want a good pair of pajamas. exciting right? 

6.  Cute shirts to go with my leather skirt. I bought an ASOS leather skirt as a birthday present to myself last month (outfit photos to come). I love the skirt to death but I only have a few tops that I really like paired with it. So I've been on the lookout for some cute tops to go with it. 

7. Stila liquid eyeliner. I've been using a drugstore liquid eyeliner that's pretty good but not great, so I figure I should try a better quality one and see if that makes a difference.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Casual Reception




Top: ASOS Jeans: Old Navy Shoes: Thrift Cardigan: Vintage Necklace: Stella and Dot

             The daughter of an old friend of my mom's got married  in mid september and had a low key reception in a local park. Randomly it happened to coincide with my first Saturday off in what seemed like forever. I figured it'd probably be pretty casual, and I was definitely over dressed, but I wanted to dress up a little and I finally had an occasion to wear this top. I couldn't resist.  It was too cold to wear just the top so I threw my favorite fall/winter cardi on top. I seriously need more cashmere in my life, but it's soo expensive. I mean on J crew it's almost $200.00 for one sweater, way out of my price range. I guess I'll have to keep a look out at the thrifts. Anyway I love this look, I've worn it a few times since and I always feel good in it. I also love any occasion when I can sport my favorite necklace.  I seriously need more events to wear my "fancier" clothes.