Hannukah, the New Christmas. What to wear for the Challahdays

BY: Hayley Raphael. guest blogger.

A few years ago, I got a job as a singing dancing snow bunny at the American Music Theatre in Lancaster, PA.

Having just come off of two jobs playing 10 year-olds, I was thrilled beyond belief to wear a beautiful array of gowns and cocktail dresses costumed by the talented Renee Bouchard.

When Renee and I met, it was love at first fitting.

Being the only Jewish gal in the cast, I decided when in Rome do as...well, you know. I decked the halls, donned the lights and embraced everything Christmas complete with boughs of holly and a lovely blonde hair blue eyed Catholic boyfriend (I figured he was a good accessory).

When Christmas came I pulled over the reindeer sweater, sang "Oh Holy Night" at the top of my lungs and embraced all that was Christmas and holiday cheer.

Two years later, this Hebrew is back in the homeland. No not Israel, silly people. The Upper East Side of Manhattan.

So the question is, what do Jews do on Christmas?

Absolutely nothing.

Seriously. We eat Chinese food and go to a movie. Christmas eve comes and there are thousands of us that roll out of our apartments in droves, glasses on, Jew fro out, and popcorn we made at home to sneak into the theatre. (What, like none of you have ever done that before. Please!)

So the question is, what should the stylish Jew on the go wear when she wants to celebrate the challadays in style?

Anything she wants. Seriously, anything.

Since Hannukah is the "Festival of Lights," and the colors if the Israeli flag are blue and white, I suggest something blue with a little bit if bling. On the holidays one can get away with wearing too many sparkles and accessorizing to your heart's content. I mean, when else can you walk in a room wearing a glitter dress, cocktail rings and chandelier earrings and be greeted Billy Crystal style with , "Dahlink, you look marvelous."

Some designers that carry blinged dresses are Betsy Johnson, BCBG, and Alexander McQueen.

And for the rest of America: Target, Gap, H&M and Forever 21 always have some lovely bling-bling.

And if all else fails, just decoupage the daylights out of a sweater. But make sure to have fun!

Happy Challadays to you and yours

Now lets nosh!

xox

Hayley aka creative sprite

PS. If you like this, you might like my lil' blog, creative sprite. Enclosed is the link aka Shamless plug.

http://hayleyraphael.blogspot.com/

www.hayleyraphael.com

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=511031016

Lady in Red... continued... again....

I just wanted to share with all of you that I finished my red dress today and I am DYING to wear it! I want to save it for the AMT company Christmas party, though. I think it's got a bit of a "wow" factor, especially for this town. In case you were wondering I did end up making the following adjustments:

1.) Lowered/opened the neckline (va-va-voom!)
2.) Added a notched cuff to the sleeve, but kept the sleeve length the same as the photo
3.) Added a sort- of- sculptural- pleated- detail to the left side of the bustline and along the waistline to the back

I'll be sure to take lots of pictures once I figure out how I want to accessorize it. Any ideas? I'm pretty much open to anything right now. Maybe I'll do a side-by-side comparison for you all at some point. Right now I'm just excited for it to be finished. The pleating detail is what took a while to finish, but overall the entire dress only took about 3-4 hours to make from start to finish. Sometimes I really love that I know how to sew. It sure does come in handy!

Have a great night, everyone!

Etsy Spotlight- BBBellezza

I've found another Etsy seller to share with all of you- BBBellezza. I stumbled across her blog as I was searching for other Lancaster, PA bloggers. I ended up purchasing a couple of cute pieces as gifts for a friend. My first choice was this lovely bracelet:

And the second fun purchase was this cute little ring:

Both were gifts for the same friend- the bracelet I thought was so pretty and the ring just cracked me up! It's made using the "Tab" key from an antique typewriter. The recipient is a freelance writer, so I thought it was fitting. I also got a scrabble tile ring for myself:

Mine has an "R" on it, of course. It seemed like a fun, quirky accessory and I got a lot of compliments on it throughout the day. What I love about this particular Etsy shop is that Kim (the designer behind all these cute accessories) uses a lot of found objects and recycled or upcycled materials. The scrabble tiles and typewriter keys are just the beginning. There are pieces with antique keys, chandelier crystals, cancelled stamps, even a few nuts & bolts. If you live in or around Lancaster, PA, you can actually see her pieces in person at Building Character on the 300 block of North Queen street. If you haven't already visited Building Character, then you should- if not for Kim's work, then for all the other fabulous artisans featured there. Check out the website for more information.

Lady in Red... continued....

Remember how I said I want a retro-inspired red dress with a fitted bodice and full skirt? Well, I couldn't wait any longer, so today I made this:

It's far from finished- the hem and sleeve edges are raw and the shoulders need to be fitted a little better, but this is the beginning of my red dress. The fabric is a cotton sateen with a bit of stretch to it, so it's going to be an incredibly comfortable dress. I wanted the neckline to be a little more open, but it's actually not terrible and there's fine line between open and obscene, so I'm going to err on the side of caution. Also, I'm still undecided on the sleeves. They started as 3/4, then I trimmed them down to where they are in the picture. I think cap sleeves will make it too summery, so I think to dress up the sleeves now, I'm going to add a little cuff detail with a notch at the center. They're also a little too big, so I need to fit them properly.

Also, I originally planned to have a lot of sculptural detail starting at the left shoulder and flowing down to the right side of the waistline and continuing on to the back-  basically little tiny pleats that gradually get larger until the back is very dramatic- but I think that idea may be a little too much for Lancaster to handle. I do plan to wear this dress to the company Christmas party which isn't exactly wild & crazy. It's hard to see in the picture, but the skirt is actually pleated. I need to press the entire dress- the fabric is really wrinkled, too. I'm also toying with the idea of wearing a small crinoline underneath to add volume to the skirt. I like drama in my clothes, can you tell?

Feel free to chime in on what you think of my latest creation in the comments section (click on "comments" below the post). I welcome feedback on the following:

1.) Sleeve length & style

2.) Pleating detail on bodice as described above

3.) More open neckline

4.) Styling options for various occasions, but particularly my company Christmas party

5.) Crinoline or no crinoline

6.) Overall feedback- what do you think of the dress overall?

The oh-so versatile LBD

I mentioned a few posts ago that I didn't have an LBD for the longest time. Now I have three, but one is decidedly "dressy" and one is so casual, it's practically a sweatsuit. The third is perfect- it's comfortable and versatile. I can dress it up or down, layer it with a cami, sweater and tights or wear it alone, and of course the possibilities are endless where accessories are concerned. So today I present to you, the LBD Five Ways. All I did was change out the accessories for different looks to demonstrate a fraction of the versatility of this (and most) LBD's. I tried to use accessories most of us would have in our closets and also to keep it pretty simple so that you can see how different an outfit can be with only a slight change.

A little about the LBD itself: I got it at Festoon, an adorable boutique in downtown Lancaster. Originally $129, I got it at a steal for 40% off. It's a faux-wrap, meaning it appears to be a wrap dress, but it's actually completely sewn together and slips on rather than wraps. It's better on windy days than a wrap dress- no risk of flashing anyone with a big gust of wind! Wrap and faux-wrap dresses are flattering on literally any body type. They accentuate the smallest part of a woman's body- the waist. Also, the v-neck helps to draw the eye upward to the face.

Option 1: Super casual, perfect for running errands or hanging around the house. I love the mix of brighter jewel tones because they pop so nicely off the black. It's not super clear in the picture, but the shoes are a deep emerald green.  

Scarf: Old Navy, $10

Shoes: Fabulous Footwear, $22

Option #2: Over-the-top accessories- lots of layered necklaces plus a "bracelet" and bright mustard-yellow patent shoes. I would wear this out to dinner with friends for sure, or maybe to a dinner party. I like the combination of accessories because I feel they are very "me."

A closer look at the accessories:

Shoes: Deb Shops, not sure of price, but I'm thinking around $10

Bracelet: (Actually a necklace repurposed) H&M, gift from Beth

Gold link necklace: Target, $5.48

Black beaded necklace: Aldo, $9.98

Beaded pendant necklace: Vintage

Option #3: "Latin flair" LBD with a bright red rosette at the waist. I kept the gold chain link necklace on as well. This is a fun option because of the pop of color, It draws the eye to the smallest part of my body- my waist- so it actually helps the shape of the dress to flatter me even more. I kept the shoes a basic black to keep the eye from having to jump around. If the shoes were a bright color, too, the accessories could cancel each other out by forcing the eye to two different places.

Rosette: Ann Taylor Loft, $3

Shoes: Kenneth Cole, $14.97

Option #4: This time the bright red is at my feet- a classic pairing- the LBD and the red shoes. You can see how despite being the same color as the rosette, they would not have worked together. This is my "vintage" LBD version- the shoes have a very retro feel to them, and the earrings are actual vintage clip-ons. You may remember them from this post.

Shoes: Target, $22.98

Earrings: Vintage

Option #5: Last, but certainly not least is the Va-va-voom LBD. An LBD is often great by itself, but you know I can't just wear plain black pumps with the LBD all by itself- I need shoes with a little "oomf," hence the leopard print. 

Shoes: Target, $5.48 (I'm SO not kidding!)

They're hard to see above, so here are the shoes alone:

No explanation necessary, right? They sort of speak for themselves. The figure-hugging dress, the neckline, the shoes- all of them together say "Va-va-voom!" Right? I think so.

Leave a comment to tell me about your LBD. And don't forget to leave a comment on yesterday's Giveaway post in order to be entered for the $20 Eshakti Gift Certificate drawing at the end of the week!

Rate My Look- 2nd time today!

Good afternoon everybody! Bonus post today- ANOTHER "Rate My Look" for your reading pleasure. Today it was a little chilly when I left for work, so I decided on wearing a coat and since it was another spectacularly sunny morning, I thought I'd do another photo session outside. The pictures look a little crooked because my camera was on my car (still doing the self-timer portrait) and it wasn't a completely flat surface. Despite that, I think the pictures came out fine. I'm starting to get a little bit better at editing the photos. I always crop them down, but yesterday and today I actually adjusted the scene balance to reduce the glare from the warm morning sun and was amazed at how easy it is to do. Honestly, I've deleted many a photo because of the exposure, but now I realize there's hope even for such a terrible self-photographer like myself! Anyway, on to the outfit:

Despite being a little large all around (and especially in the shoulders), I really love this coat. I believe I bought it at Burlington Coat Factory which in my family is affectionately referred to as "the BCF" years ago for around $50. I'm guessing at the price, but knowing when I bought it and what I could afford at the time, I'm pretty sure that even $50 was a splurge. I would normally dress up a coat like this with a brooch or scarf or something to add a little punch to the outfit." Too bad I was a bit behind schedule this morning and didn't have time! But to be perfectly honest, I think that sometimes simple is best and if the garment is well made and well tailored, it doesn't need a lot of bells & whistles for it to be perfectly fabulous. And there's something about pure winter white coat that just seems a little rich all on its own, don't you think? Moving on... Under the coat is this outfit:

Pants: TJ Maxx, $19.99

Top: JC Penney, too long ago to remember the price, but I'm thinking somewhere in the $10 range

Shoes: BCF, $19.99

Faux Pearls: Rue 21, $8 total

Sunglasses: Michael Kors, gift

I love a nice wide-leg trouser, but these are especially comfortable- the fabric is so soft and fluid- it's almost like wearing pajamas. Almost. The sailor buttons are fun, too, although it basically means that I almost never wear a top that doesn't get tucked in because what's the point of cool sailor pants if no one can tell that they're cool sailor pants, right? The top was purchased years ago at JC Penney when I still lived in New Hampshire. I rediscovered it this year and I fell in love all over again. I feel incredibly feminine in it, and that femininity is only increased with the addition of all those strands of faux pearls. Statement necklaces are all over the place, as are multi-strand beaded necklaces and I'm loving the trend. Ann Taylor and the sister store Ann Taylor Loft both have lots of really fun necklaces available right now. Unfortunately, most of their jewelry is running in the $35-$80 range. My faux pearls were only $2/strand at Rue 21- I'm wearing 4 total, but they vary in size, so I think it works pretty well. If you have the eighty bucks to drop on a trendy necklace, may I recommend this one from Ann Taylor:

I'm in love with the steel blue color, but it would actually have to be a little longer of a necklace for me to wear it. I'm "short-necked" as they call it, so a large necklace that isn't very drapey just makes me look like I'm being choked. It's not pretty. Trust me. Here's a closer look at my faux-cessories:

I had to take the last picture quickly because I was starting to freeze. It's getting colder and colder each day and I really wish it wouldn't. I'm not looking forward to shoveling snow. Keep your fingers crossed for me that it's another light winter here in South Central PA.

Have a great day!

AMT Christmas Show Pictures

As you all know, American Music Theatre's Christmas Show opened over the weekend. I currently work there as the resident Costume Designer and Wardrobe Manager and I have to tell you that I absolutely LOVE what I do. I got into costume design completely by chance, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I've learned a LOT over the last few years, so if you ever have any questions about how things are done, please feel free to leave a comment or email. Today I want to post a few pictures from the show because I'm really happy with how it came out. The first section of the show is like a Victorian post card. It's a very energetic opening, followed by several beautiful arrangements of contemporary and traditional Christmas songs. The dancers are busy in the beginning with just about every style of dance. I honestly don't know how they do it in the heavy dresses I've put them in:

The singers don't have it any easier with full length gowns in heavy brocades and velvets, not to mention the men in all their layers, plus wigs and hats- it's a lot to pull together, but I'm happy with the outcome:

There are so many capes and muffs, and even additional dresses for some of the singers who have to quick change into them before their next song. After the Victorian section of the show, we move on to "Christmas Around the World." This section cracks me up- there's a Swedish Chef food fight on stage, a man in full Can-can drag, and Irish step dance, O Tannenbaum sung in its original German and a Caribbean limbo game complete with audience participation. It really flies by. My favorite costumes are the French Can-Can dresses that were made by one of my seamstresses, Vanessa. She really rocked these dresses and I hope she's as proud as I am of how they look:

It's hard to tell in the picture, but the dresses are lined with sequin fabric and over a dozen layers of red and green ruffles. They're really fun. (P.S. Isn't my friend Jen a babe?) Another standout performer in my opinion is Todd Mitchell who sings the above-mentioned "O Tannenbaum." I think he actually likes his lederhosen:

Oh! I almost forgot to mention the "Frosty the Snowman" number with another fabulous dancer, Samantha. She starts off in a huge snowman costume and then is revealed as the "Sexy Frosty" and literally burns up the floor with her spectacular tapping. I honestly have no idea how her feet move as fast as they do. She's ridiculous.

Act two has my favorite part of the show. "Shelly," a little girl character who appears in nearly every AMT Christmas show (played by Michelle Mishler), spends the beginning of the act on a magical trip to Toyland where she discovers a woman in a light-up dress (sorry no picture yet), as well as dancing and singing elves, and of course, Santa Claus.

   

The Toyland Elves were my favorite costumes to work on for several reasons. First, just look at them! The fabrics alone are super fun- so much color and pattern. Also, I loved creating outfits for each person rather than have all matching elves because then the costumes could reflect each person's unique personality. For example, my good friend Brance (in orange and yellow above) used to do this "leg guitar" trick, so when I chose his wig, I purposely picked one that was styled like Elvis only in a bright, funny color. The elves are not traditional looking elves because the backdrop the scenic designer chose was styled much like Who-ville, so I thought that stylized elves would work best as opposed to the traditional ones we're all used to seeing.

Finally, the last section of the show is very presentational, and I love that style of show as well because it means I get to shop for beautiful gowns, snazzy tuxes, sparkly shoes and jewelry. Let's be honest- who wouldn't want to shop for gorgeous clothing? For the performers, it means singing a song in one gown or suit, then running off stage to quickly change into their next formal outfit- it's like the prom on over-drive. One of our singers, Angela Birchett, is fun to dress because her skin tone works really well with just about any color. I love to put her in rich jewel tones like this aubergine:

I chose the color combination of gold and white for the final song in the show because it complemented the scenic design which was- you guessed it- gold and white. Once again, I enjoyed choosing a "look" for each person as opposed to being very matchy-matchy. You can see each woman in the cast has her own style of gown. It's hard to tell in the picture, but each man also has his own color and style of vest, tie and pocket silk combination, although their suits are all the same white tuxedo with white patent shoes. I think they look pretty sharp, myself.

I hope you've enjoyed this little trip into costume world. If you live in the area (Lancaster, PA) and would like to see the show, drop me an email or a comment. It's a great family show- the singing and dancing is spectacular, there's something for everyone and it moves along quickly, so kids and adults are entertained throughout. It's directred and choreographed by Curt Dale Clark and Marc Robin, who also live locally here in Lancaster and who work at the Fulton Theatre downtown.

P.S. All pictures are by Ken Bruggeman and courtesy of AMT

Shoesday Tuesday, Rate My Look, etc.

Good morning, all! Yesterday was my first really relaxing day off in a while. Whenever I'm working on opening a show, I just can't relax. As you know, the Christmas show opened this weekend, so I was able to really enjoy Monday with some friends. I ended up going shopping with a couple of cast members and had a blast. Since I shop so much for work, it's often hard to separate myself from that when I'm in a mall or shopping center. But yesterday I was able to completely relax and enjoy myself and it felt great! So I got up after sleeping in a bit, dressed in a comfortable shopping outfit and met up with David to shop. Here's my "shopping outfit:"

Cowl neck top: Fair Indigo

Dress: Max Studio (but purchased at Marshalls)

Belt: Gap

Shoes: Maurices

Tights: Target

I like to be comfortable when I shop, but I also like to wear "easy-on-easy-off" type of clothes just in case I'm in and out of the dressing room a lot. I didn't spend a ton of money, but I got a fairly "big ticket" item (for me, anyway). I bought myself a new watch. I have not worn a watch since I was in college, so about 8 years. I've been getting sick of looking for my phone when I want to know the time, so a few weeks ago, I decided it was time for a "big girl watch." I wanted something nice but neutral that I could wear every day. Also, it needed to work with my Tiffany's signature bracelet since I wear it every day. I'll tell the story of that bracelet sometime soon. Anyway, at the Kenneth Cole store, I found this watch at 50% off:

Originally $95, I only paid $49.97 for it. Not bad for a nice watch if you ask me. I had decided to get myself a "nice" watch as a sort of show-opening treat for myself. I don't often spend that much on anything, but I felt I earned it, so I bought it without feeling guilty for spending that much. Other than that, I didn't really buy very much- a few accessories at Aldo (since they were buy one get one FREE!) which I'll show you soon. I also stocked up on my scent at Bath & Body Works. I was there recently and had trouble finding my scent. I have been wearing Velvet Tuberose since it came out a couple of years ago. I was running low not too long ago, plus I had a coupon, so I went in to stock up. I had trouble finding V.T. so I asked a sales person who gave me a pitying look and said, "It's over here on this shelf with the such-and-such scent. You know it's a bad sign when they start sharing shelf space with another scent. It means it's on the way out." I died a little inside. I love B&BW scents but I hate how they discontinue the ones I love. For years I was in love with the aromatherapy Jasmine Vanilla, and they discontinued it. I replaced that scent with the Velvet Tuberose and now they're discontinuing that, too! I stocked up and I think I got about 9 or 10 months worth so I'll be good for quite a while, but in the meantime I'll be looking for a replacement scent. Has that happened to you before? It seems like the scents I hate are the ones that stick around forever, but the ones I love always get discontinued. It's so sad.

Now I'm sure you're wondering where the Shoesday Tuesday element comes in. Well, I've been searching online for a picture of a pair of Miss Bisou blue suede pumps that I tried on yesterday, to no avail. I should have taken a picture in the store, but I just wasn't thinking. Probably because I was in so much pain. These shoes looked like the perfect "Renee" shoe: high heel, bright color, fun texture- all the things I love in a shoe. I asked for my size and from the second I slid my foot into the shoe, I was in major pain. BEFORE I stood up, mind you, these shoes were squeezing and pinching and killing my feet. Walking in them was even worse. The shoe pinched at the knuckle, almost as if the shoe was too narrow at that one spot. I've never experienced anything like it. I rarely try on a shoe that I love and walk away without getting it (it's a sickness, I know) and these Miss Bisou pumps were a less-expensive version of these bright blue Aldo pumps I loved so much in this post:

The Aldo version has a peep toe and exposed platform, where the Miss Bisou version was a closed-toe pump with a narrower heel and a hidden platform, but the color was spot-on. You couldn't pay me enough to wear the Miss Bisou version, no matter how much cheaper it is. Have any of you ever worn that brand of shoe? I've never worn them, to my knowledge, and after trying them on, I'm pretty sure I'll avoid that brand in the future. They were seriously like a torture device. I'm not even kidding.

But enough about my purchases and shopping experiences- David got some really nice things at Kenneth Cole and H&M, too. Actually, he bought a great outfit at H&M that I'm dying for him to wear so I can take a picture and put on the blog as a perfect example of great menswear style. (Hint, hint, David!)

I'm exhausted!!!

I know I have been remiss in my blogging duties lately, but that is because I've been oh-so- busy getting the AMT Christmas Show finished and running. I'm very happy with the costumes this year and I'll be sure to take pictures soon to post on here for you to see. We built more than half the show in house, which is unusual for us, but it was all worth it in the end. Last night we opened to friends & family, sort of an unofficial preview, but today we officially open to the general public. I'm sure the show will be well-received. It's a great show, very entertaining, lots of amazing singing and dancing, and of course, some fabulous costumes!

So please forgive me for being a blogging slacker, but I promise to get back on track very soon. Just as soon as I rest up a bit- I'm exhausted!

Shoesday Tuesday- Downtown Lancaster store

Over the weekend, I went downtown to queen Street in Lancaster, primarily to show my friend Brance the two vintage shops there. Unfortunately, both Mommalicious and Zap & Co. were closed, but what was open was a fairly new shoe store called "Walk in Style- Fashion Footwear & Accessories." I was skeptical because it had the look of an expensive boutique, but I also figured it was my duty to all of you to check it out. It's a really cute little store with tons of fabulous and affordable shoes and boots. I ended up with a pair of cute low-heel wedges in a green patent for $22. Most of the shoes ranged from $20-50 and were all really adorable. Even the knee-high boots were all around $35-50, which in my opinion is a fabulous price. The boot selection was the most fun for me- there were lots of great colors and details to choose from with the boots.

In addition to boots and shoes, there were lots of handbags to choose from as well. Throughout the store you'll also find lots of interesting jewelry mostly necklaces, but some bracelets and earrings, too. What I like about this store is that there is a large selection, but the space itself isn't over crowded.

My pick of the store is this pair of Casa di Torino leather kitten heels in beige:

Technically, they are a tad bit taller than an actual kitten heel, but these heels are low enough that they'd be pretty comfortable. I highly recommend a kitten heel to all of you ladies out there who want to wear heels, but can't because the height just isn't practical. If you walk to work, or are on your feet a lot throughout the day, a kitten heel can be a great solution. It's slim and feminine, but usually under 2 inches. A kitten heel will always look better than a larger short heel, which can be kind of clunky and dated-looking.

I really like the detail on the toe as well as the rich caramel beige color- they'd be a perfect addition to any closet- you could wear them with just about anything. And at $28, the won't break the bank.

Rate My Look- dressed for church

So today was an absolutely beautiful day outside- cool with a bit of a nip in the air. I woke up early and got ready for church. I picked up my friend Brance and then proceeded to have the most fabulous day. After church, we walked around downtown Lancaster for a while, then had lunch at the Chestnut Hill Cafe. Brance is in town because he's been hired to work at my theatre as a performer in the Christmas Show. Our mutual friend Jen has also been cast in the show and she was coming in on the train late this afternoon. After lunch, Brance & I parted ways because he had to get ready to pick her up at the train station. I knew they would be coming over for dinner and a viewing of this weeks Amazing Race, so I took the rest of the afternoon to get some errands done, which involved some shopping for both me and the theatre. I was so disappointed- it just wasn't a great day for either bargains or fabulous finds. At least I looked pretty good while hopping around town shopping. I like this outfit because it's demure enough for church, but still stylish and cute.

I love when the sun shines in the front window like that, although in this picture it makes the shoes a little harder to see. They are these lovelies:

I can't tell you how much I love spectator shoes- they are so sharp looking. These ones are soooo comfy. They're so old, too- at least 5 or 6 years old. I can't even remember what they cost. As for the rest of the outfit, the dress is from Banana Republic and I got it on sale for about $20 (also a while ago, so I'm not completely sure). The sweater is New York and Company and also so old that I can't remember what it cost. The belt came free with another shirt. The earrings were inexpensive- I believe about $8.

I'm sorry for posting so late- technically this outfit is for Sunday, but after my shopping excursion, I went home and started cooking dinner. Brance, Jen and another performer- David- came over for dinner, then Amazing Race and then lots of chit chat. They left around midnight, so I'm just now getting around to posting. So sorry! I guess I'll have to post double at some point to make up for missing Sunday altogether. Mea culpa! I'll try not to let it happen again!

Rate My Look- Black & White (and a little pink)

I was on my way to work when I took this picture, so I didn't spend a lot of time making sure it's fabulous. Forgive me my quick photography. Anyway, I have had this skirt for AGES and I love it. I got it at a thrift store for $1. The top is Old Navy and I got it for $4. The scarf was FREE when I made a purchase at Wet Seal. The shoes were $5 at Deb Shops and the ring is from Etsy and a bargain at $8. It's actually a button ring- I gave you a little sneak peek a few days ago. Here's the picture from ShopKim's Etsy site:

It's actually 2 buttons- the black one frames the green one. I love the metallic detail on the inside of the button holes. The ring and the scarf are my little splashes of color on an otherwise all white and black outfit. What do you think? I like. Do you?

I'm joining the 21st century....

Yes, it's true- I've decided to join the 21st century. I've added a shopping cart to my official website so now you can purchase gift certificates and closet consultations ONLINE! Whoo-hoo! Isn't that exciting?

I chose to only include closet consultations (Single or couple) and gift certificates in $25 incremements because the other services I provide can vary more in price. For example, a style party with only 4 people would cost less than one with 6 or 8. Also, corporate events can vary in price depending on how long you'd like me to present and whether or not I'll be doing individual evaluations. For those services, please email me for more information or to schedule an event.

The good news is that with Christmas fast approaching, you could very easily get all your stocking stuffers out of the way with a handful of gift certificates from yours truly!

Feel free to stop by the website anytime as I update it whenever there is something new and exciting to share.