Friday, March 4, 2011

Bubble Gum Drops and Leopard Spots

I know it has been FOREVER since I blogged an outfit. Especially since awesome pictures from my cousin Shan! So here they are!
I LOVE mixing leopard and hot pink. Such a chic combo, no??
I hope life is treating you all well. I miss you all sooo much and I am so sorry if I have not been able to get back to everyone but I have not forgotten about you!









Love You All!!

XX

Monday, February 28, 2011

Guest Post Robbie - Seventies Are Here Again

Many of you will remember when the lovely lady of this blog posted an outfit entitled 'Boho is my new love', expressing her adoration for anything seventies related. Well, after her enthusiastic approach to the trend, I wanted to spread a little more seventies love...
As I'm sure you will know, the seventies theme is set to be one of the most substantial trends of the season, with Marc Jacobs, Sonia Rykiel and Anna Sui all attaching elements of their S/S '11 collections to a piece or icon of the decade. Whilst there are many ways to incorporate the trend, these are just a few of the fundamental pieces: wide brimmed hats, wide legged trousers, oversized sunnies, vivid colour, maxi skirts and dresses. In order to capture the essence of the look it's great to study images of female muses from the very decade; Jerry Hall, Tina Chow and Linda McCartney to name just a few. When aiming for this look, take on a heady, hedonistic approach to life and dressing. Have fun. Make a loud statement. But most importantly feel fantastic in what you're wearing, after all this decade was all about the self-assured female figure.
If you liked this post, be sure to check out Robbie's blog, theothersideofthepondmydear.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Outfit Post - You and Me, We are Free

I am sooooo sorry it has been so long since I posted any outfits!! I am crazy busy with work and my side job still doing hair so please forgive me for the lack of posts!
So, moving on!! I wanted to post this outfit that I actually bought at one of my favorite stores, Free People! If you have read my blog for any amount of time, you know I am a Free People FANATIC!! Since I am working at Anthropologie, I get a discount at Free People as well. Wow, my pocket book has seen better days! HAHA!
I went over to the new Free People located in Houston at the new City Centre shopping center.  I picked up this incredible gauzy shirt dress that ties at the waist.  I layered a long tee underneath and paired the dress with my insanely comfortable moccasins!! I love those things.  I finished the look off with a layered chain necklace and a braid in the hair.  I am so drawn to this carefree look and vibe.  I find myself buying more of these light, airy pieces.  Have I mentioned how comfortable they are too!??
I hope you are all doing well and let me know what you think!!

Free People dress, tee and necklace, Minnetonka moccasins, Ray Ban sunglasses






Frank decided he wanted to come along with us for the photoshoot!! He wanted to say hello to eveyone!!



Monday, February 14, 2011

Inspirational Lovlies - Artist Monica Guerrero-Abney

I first met Monica through email since I realized from her blog that she lived in the Houston area. One email was all it took.  We became fast friends and I consider her one of my closest friends now.  She is honestly one of the most genuine, sweetest people I have had the pleasure of being around.  She has an amazing fashion blog, Classy & Fabulous, and also runs her own art business on Etsy. (Visit her HERE)
I could not wait to share her fabulous work with you all and her interview so you can get a quick glimpse into her inspirations and passions.  
Monica gave me these two painting for Christmas. I was totally surprised! She made sure they matched my wardrobe room perfectly, and they most definitely DID!!




Now let's get to know Monica:

Have you always been artistic even at a young age?

Yes! Since I can remember I always had to be drawing or painting or creating something. I’m guessing it started as a child to keep me entretain. I was an only child for 11 years and as every only child knows we get bored very fast, drawing and painting was always something that keep me occupied for hours and I really enjoyed.

What was your first piece?

Honestly, I can’t remember (sorry) I ALWAYS draw or paint and started experimenting with acrylics, watercolors and pastels when I was about 10. My parents have a few paintings from back when I was 12 – 13 years old. Also when my brother was moving into my old room he and my dad found some fashion sketches that I drew when I was about 11.

How have your painting evolved over time?

 I remember as a kid sketching everything and anything, I didn’t really had any technique. When I was in middle school, I remember learning about post impressionism, Impressionism, cubism and pop art; that truly change my life. I felt in love with ‘starry night’ by Vincent van Gogh ( just like everyone who’ve seen it, It is truly Brilliant! ) and start to paint with a more of an impressionist or even some times pop art – ish technique. Later during my high school and even college year I was obsess with panting flowers and vegetables. Now I’m having a fashion / European obsession I guess.

Have you always been interested in painting fashion pieces?

Fashion has always been one of my favorite things to either sketch or paint.  I have been sketching clothing since I was a little girl. Even as a little girl I made sure all my Barbies had the best outfits. Recently I started to sketch more for my blog. There you can see how my sketching technique has changed in only one year.  Also lately with my fashion / European obsession (lol) I been painting many pieces inspired by fashion in a pop art style, such as hand bags and the iconic Chanel no 5


Speaking of fashion, you run your own fashion blog, Classy & Fabulous (which is fabulous by the way); what made you decide to get into the fashion blogging industry?

Awww Thank you! Well I have always been obsess with fashion. A little more than a 1 years  ago I was watching E! news ( please don’t judge me) during fashion week and they mention how huge the influence of bloggers was getting in the fashion community. Ok so at first I had no idea what a blogger was ( again please don’t judge lol ) so I went on line and read a few blogs. I notice that not many had tips on how to dress or look good wearing something, It was mostly pictures of them self at parties wearing fabulous clothes (mostly because it was during fashion week) . So I decide to just write one with little tips on how to wear a trend or with simple things as the essentials for your closet.

Do you prefer painting to blogging?
To be honest I love both but painting is so much deeper! I love blogging and communicating with fellow ‘fashionistas’ who also appreciate the art ( yes! it’s an art) of fashion, but painting comes from the heart.

What mediums do you like to work with most?
I’m very old school. Well I guess it is more than I don’t have any art education ( boo!) so anything with computers I have no idea how to do. My favorites are acrylic and watercolor! Simple and so much fun!

Where do you gather inspiration for colors, etc?

I can’t really tell you were my inspiration comes from, I wish I could, but for me it’s the oddest thing;  I get an idea on my head and I just have to create it. My use for bright colors I’m guessing is my child like spirit and I mean bright colors can always bright your day! =)
  
What projects are you working on now that you would like to share with us?

Right now I’m working with Life + Dog magazine as a fashion editor. Hopefully still working on C& F and as always painting =)

Don't forget to visit Monica on her blog and her Etsy store!!!


Here are more FABULOUS pieces by Monica!





This girl is talented!!


XX

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Outfit Post - Boho is My New Love

I was STOKED to buy these new jeans at work the other day.  They are a denim pant with an EXTREMELY flared leg.  They are pretty much bell bottoms.  I am sure you all know that the 70's look is coming back and I could NOT be more excited! I love the boho style and will totally embrace this trend to its' fullest extent! Hence my bell bottoms and floral tunic.  I would have loved to wear a floppy hat, but I have still not figured out how hats will fit in at work so I will save my floppy hat for the weekend!
I also wore two necklaces. One is from Anthro, but the other I picked up during Fashion week at The Elaine Turner Champagne Reception for David Peck. (More of that is HERE)
What do you feel like when it comes to the 70's trend? Yay or Nay?

Anthro blouse, jeans, and necklace, Steve Madden Boots


These are seriously flared at the bottom!

A close up of the blouse and two necklaces


I didn't wear this headband wrap thing that I got at F21 but I plan on wearing it sometime soon. I love this little thing!! Very Nicole Richie!



I REALLY want to get this top too!! It is a designer by the name of Leifsdottir.  All of their pieces are super bohemian and funky.  I think this top is beautiful, but I must wait for it to go on sale. Of course this designer is one of the most expensive we carry!

Photo Courtesy of Anthropologie.com
I hope you all have a fabulous week and Superbowl Sunday!!

XX

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Outfit Post - Second Day at Anthro

Hey Guys!! I just wanted to thank you all for such a huge amount of support and thank yous from everyone!! It really means so much to me, and it is actually what keeps me blogging if I am feeling a little "blogger burnout" coming on!
I am going to try to comment back to everyone, but it might take me a couple of days to get back to you but don't worry I will! I am thinking about downloading Disqs again and then I will respond to everyone on my blog. I might do this anyways just so you are aware!
So, this is my second day outfit. My first day I actually wore an outfit that I wore in a previous post (click HERE if you want to see it).  I love this dress and I bought it before I got the job on sale on NYE!! It is so cute and simple. It doesn't take much to style this dress. I just threw a muted floral scarf around my neck, pulled on my cognac knee high boots and I was off!
Let me know what you guys think!

Anthro dress, Hue tights, H&M scarf and belt, Nine West boots






The outfit that I wore today (but will post tomorrow) is SUPER 70's. I am talking bell bottoms and all!! Hippy chick here I come!!

XX

Monday, January 31, 2011

A New Year, A New Direction

Hello all my gorgeous friends!! I am sorry I have been MIA and abandoned my blog for a few days but I am BACK with LOTS to say!

I guess since tomorrow is February 1st, I am super late on doing the whole New Year resolutions, this is what I want for blog and this is how my blog did last year, but oh well. I won't go into my blog numbers or anything but I do have lots to share about my upcoming year. But first let me back up and explain to you my year, 2010, I like to call it the hell year.

I started off 2010 like any other.  Hopeful, with huge plans of success, change, getting toned, not drinking diet coke anymore, you know the usual.  Well, by about May, poop hit the fan.  I won't get into any details but we were hoping on starting a family by about the end of last year and for reasons I won't discuss it just hasn't happened yet.  Then we lost my husband's father in June which was a horrible situation for any family to go through.  He was only 62 years old, and honestly, the most patient man I have ever met to this day.  I have never met someone so patient with every single person that he came into contact with and so incredibly accepting of others.  His memory will always live on and I will remember all of our wonderful times together.  (He also taught me a lot about photography, his passion)

After June, the summer dragged on, then I turned 30 in September which was depressing enough, but hey it happens.  Well, boy did things go down hill.  As soon as I turned 30, I felt like I was hit by a brick. I went through a few medical issues involving severe migraines, a CT scan, diabetes testing and many other things that are just not fun in my opinion.  So, as the year came to an end, I knew I had to do something BIG, a change.

I have owned my own styling business since May, and while I most enjoy it, it did not keep me busy full-time.  Of course, the blog kept me VERY busy, but I knew I needed something more.
So, my cousin called me on the phone to tell me that there was a Free People opening in Houston! WHAT!?? FINALLY!! If you have EVER read my blog you know that I am a HUGE Free People and Anthro fan!! (These two stores are sister stores as well as Urban Outfitters) So, I did what any Free People obsessed clothes lover would do.  I applied for a job.  I applied online right before Christmas so naturally I didn't hear anything for about a week.  Then I got the phone call from one of the managers at Anthro letting me know the positions at Free People were filled, but there were positions at Anthropologie open, so lo and behold!! I went through an extensive interview process, met many of the managers at the store. (This store is in the Top 10 Volume for the entire US)  Every single person I interviewed with was amazing.  They were all so different but such spectacular women! I wanted the position even more! So, last Thursday, I got the call, I got the JOB!!

I was going to join the Highland Village Anthropologie selling management team!! This means I would be interacting with clients (which I LOVE), helping style their wardrobes (which I LOVE), and managing the sales floor at the same time.  I was so excited I could hardly stand it.  So, what did I do? I went and booked a trip to Vegas for me and the Hubs for one last FUN weekend!

Now, I am back at home, organizing, grocery shopping, reading, and getting prepared for my first day of work, TOMORROW!!  I wanted to let you all in on this because while I am super excited about going to work for Anthro, this means I will not be able to post as often.  I was posting 5 and sometimes 6 times a week.  I am going to shoot for 3 and maybe 4 on a good week!  I am sure I will have "this is what I wore to work" outfit posts for a few of them so stay tuned!!

And Happy 2011 Everyone!! (I know it's kind of late for that, but oh well). This is the year!!

XX

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Guest Post - Ralph from Shybiker

Ralph and I are part of a guest blogger group that Ashley from 2 Eyes in the Mirror set up!! Every month we both are partnered up with a fellow blogger and we post on each other's blogs.  I was elated to be paired with Ralph (he runs Shybiker) because we have recently just gotten to know each other better and now I get to collaborate with him for posting, yay!!
Ralph is one of my favorite followers and I look forward to his comments everytime I post.  And let me tell you, he NEVER misses a post!! If you have not visited his blog, check him out HERE.
If you want to join our guest blogger group, please let us know or you can get in touch with Ashley and we will hook up up!
We decided that Ralph would do a post on the fashion in the 50's era since this style has become so popular especially since the popular show Mad Men aired! So, without further ado, here is Ralph's post:

Hi!  I'm Ralph.  Angela is kindly allowing me to guest-post and I promise to make this worthwhile.  I respect Angela's blog and will honor it with my best effort.

To make this discussion special, I did some research on our shared love for fashion.  Let me convey what I learned and invite your comments.  We're going to explore women's fashion from the 1950's.

Many people recently had their interest piqued in this period by the terrific TV show, "Mad Men."  The costumes made for that show are authentic to the time and display a full range of women's clothing, from domestic outfits to businesswear to fancy evening dress.



One important reason to study fashion styles of the past is their influence on the present.  Just last year, First Lady Michelle Obama wore a vintage dress from the Fifties to a formal "Christmas In Washington" concert.  Her dress, designed by Norman Norell, was actually made during the Fifties and stored, unworn, since then.



Current designers, too, borrow styles from the Fifties.  For example, the attractive dress shown here was created recently by Marc Jacobs: it draws on classic Fifties style so much that you can't tell whether it was designed then or now.



So what was Fifties fashion?  To understand it, we should look at changes that occurred in American society at the time.  The decade preceding the Fifties had our country fightingWorld War II.  The war-effort made resources scarce and life hard.  There was rationing of food and materials and widespread austerity.  It was a difficult time to live through.

After victory in 1945, American society began a prolonged stretch of economic prosperity, coupled with a shift to newly-developed suburban homes.  These two factors made life better for most people and the improvements began to show in fashion styles.  Women's clothing changed from utilitarian to decorative with increased femininity and glamour.  Elegance returned, with Hollywood leading the way.  Celebrities wore fancier clothes that hadn't been seen in decades.  Ordinary women picked up trends they saw in movies and magazines; their adoption of those styles popularized the clothes throughout the country.

Famous designer Christian Dior created a "New Look" at the beginning of the Fifties which celebrated the birth of a new era.  The masculine, wide-shouldered silhouette of the 1940's was replaced by a feminine, hourglass silhouette emphasizing female curves.



Girls wore "swing skirts" with narrow waists and flared skirts.  Here, they are displayed in an advertisement from the time.



Shoulder lines softened, new attention was placed on the waist, and busts were emphasized with uplifting and even pointed bras.  Another feature, revived from the 1920's, was sleevelessness.  Sleeveless dresses and blouses were worn all four seasons.

Materials changed, too.  Silk and velvet become popular, along with light transparent fabrics like organdy and chiffon.  Pastel colors were worn during the day and gray tulle in every shade was ubiquitous during evenings.  Another material which always symbolized luxury -- fur -- jumped in popularity, along with the first fake-furs.  Stoles were worn around the shoulders over elegant dresses.  Leopard-print was a rage during the Fifties.  Petticoats were common and facilitated the style of fitted waists and flared skirts.

Makeup changed, too.  The most popular new trend in makeup was to highlight eyes with eyeliner and mascara, which created a look that was quickly adopted and spread everywhere.

The Fifties also included the advent of television, the beginning of the "Baby Boom" and the growing culture of middle class suburbia.  These developments affected the lives of women.  The Fifties created a nesting period that was unprecedented.  Women were encouraged to marry and stay at home.  The image of the happy housewife was spread by advertising of the time.  Magazine articles focused on domesticity in a positive light.  In hindsight, some of these developments seem retrograde but, in historical context, they marked a general improvement in the economic and social circumstances of most women.  Life in middle-class suburbs promoted childrearing and provided material luxury previously unknown.

It is easy, but inaccurate, to label the Fifties a time of Procrustean conformity.  In 1953, seeds of feminism were sown when Simone de Beauvoir published "The Second Sex."  And statistics show significant improvement in the conditions of many women's lives.  For example, the number of women enrolled in college doubled during the Fifties and employment for women rose four times as fast as the rate for men.  Society changed during this decade, in ways both good and bad.  We shouldn't simplify that complexity with a historically-incomplete label.

Let me close with an amusing observation I made while doing research for this post.  I recently bought an adorable Jessica Simpson dress that I posted on my blog.  A week later, I saw that Elizabeth Taylor wore a dress to the 1958 Academy Awards ceremony which has the exact same collar!  Here are the two dresses.  Their similarity illustrates the continuing relevance of Fifties fashion to today.



Thank you Ralph for the fabulous post AND such an intense explanation of the history of 50's fashion.  You are amazing!!

XX