More Tapas Blogging via Stumble Upon

I was using Stumble Upon the other day and realized there were quite a few discoveries that I wanted to share with you.

First was this article about a new collection of bridal gowns by Alfred Angelo, all inspired by Disney princesses. While I can admit that some of these gowns are actually really pretty, I can't admit I would never snicker if a bride wanted to purchase one because it was Disney-princess-inspired. Much like buying a replica of Kate Middleton's gown for the sole reason that you want to feel like a princess as opposed to because you truly love the gown, the idea of buying a gown to feel like a fairy-tale princess just seems a bit odd to me. What are your thoughts? 

Normally, I wouldn't find myself clicking the "like" button on a post like this one, but something about it just appealed to me. It is definitely very "girly," but in a nostalgic way or something. I can't put my finger on it, but I know I like it.

And then there was this discovery- a brief article and video describing a dress that actually purifies the air. It seems as though it's actually a laundering technique, but if all the clothes we wash could afterwards act as air purifiers, I think that would be pretty amazing.

Styling hair has never been my forte. I tend to fall into a hair rut over and over again, and it's broken up only by a new hair cut. Even then, I still fall back on my old standbys over and over. That's why I was so excited to stumble upon Hair Romance's 30 Day of Twist & Pin Hairstyles. So many of these looks are so effortlessly chic looking. I know I will be trying some of them when I find myself in a hair rut.

This comical illustration explains the process of bra shopping with amazing clarity and a few expletives. Regardless, it's funny because it's true.

When I was little, I loved playing with dolls- I had a doll house that I loved to furnish, but I especially loved to dress my dolls. I made clothes for them using scraps of fabric. I also loved playing with paper dolls. When I discovered this adorable website, I found myself feeling nostalgic. Twenty minutes later, I realized I'd been using the 21st century version of paper dolls and loving every second of it!

Finally, I really ought to save this link for a Shoesday Tuesday feature, but I can't wait that long. Check out the shoes featured on the High Heel Shoe Museum. Amazing!

The great and terrible thing about Stumble Upon is that you can lose yourself for hours stumbling around the internet. Good for a rainy day, I suppose. 

Rate My Look- New BR Top

You saw my new bargain Banana Republic skirt at the beginning of the week, but what do you think of the bargain top I scored as well?

My philosophy when creating this outfit was something along the lines of, "Why not add more purple?" The top is a fabulous mix of various shades of purple- from deep amethyst to periwinkle to a dusty lavender. I tried pairing it with all sorts of other skirts in my closet, but in the end, I decided to mix it with my purple Anthropologie skirt. Purple is such a universally flattering color, so why not wear it (nearly) head to toe? It certainly worked for me! 

Project Runway Season 9- Almost Here!

If you follow the news about Project Runway, you know that Season 9 airs next week. I was checking out the casting videos for some of the season 9 cast and I think there are definitely a lot of personalities there. I'm a bit worried the casting directors focused more on personality and whether they had a good "look" for TV rather than trying to get a diverse group of incredible designers. Based solely on their 1-2 minute "casting sessions" videos on Lifetime's website, I predict Danielle Everine and Amanda Perna as the first two to be eliminated (P.S. Rumor has it the first episode will have a quadruple elimination). I also predict the top three to include Joshua Christensen, Becky Ross and Bert Keeter in the first episode with Joshua as the winner of the first challenge.

I wonder how much the judges know about the contestants before they see their work. In a perfect world, they would know nothing and could base their scores solely on the work they see that day. But I imagine it's more complicated than that, especially for Heidi. I'm looking forward to Michael Kors saying things like, "She looks like a rodeo clown from the 13th century," and for Nina to roll her eyes at contestants who talk too much about their inspiration, but don't actually make anything inspiring. Also, should we start taking bets on the level of Michael Kors' tan? Last season, he was more orange every week. I can only imagine how much worse it's gotten. But enough about that- I can't wait for Tim Gunn to say things like, "There's no joy in this. Where's the exuberance?" I love when he says "exuberance." I also love when he frowns and holds his chin in his hand. He's awesome. (And he once said that I'm fabulous.)

Take a few minutes and watch some of the casting sessions yourself- then leave a comment and tell me who your favorite is so far. It's hard to tell with just a short video, but I like to see what my gut reaction is to each person before I see the slick, edited episodes.

Harry Potter Fashion

When Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 was coming out, I wrote a post inspired by the fashion of the characters from the story. I embraced my inner nerd and put it out there on the interwebs for all to see. Apparently, I'm not the only one who is willing to do so.

For example, check out the Owl Post Necklace available on Etsy:

Owl Post Necklace with Hogwarts Acceptance Letter, Wolfbird Studios (Etsy), $23

This particular Etsy shop has over a dozen Harry Potter-themed items include Golden Snitch rings and necklaces among other things. I'm not quite there in fan-world where I want to wear theme jewelry, but I can appreciate the design and craftsmanship that has gone into these items. 

So, do you have your tickets yet? 

How Do You Feel About...

... nail art?

I have been seeing all sorts of different nail art designs all over the internet. Not only are they pictures of professional manicures, but there are also a lot of DIY versions.

Some using different colors of nail polish applied in such a way as to create design. Check out these youtube videos to see what I mean: Twisted Polka Dot Nails, Nail Flowers, More Nail Flowers, Marbled Nails, even Animal Print Designs and Newspaper Print Nails. The Newspaper print nails are definitely the ones I've been seeing all over the place. Am I spending too much time on the internet, or is nail art suddenly a popular trend? I have to admit, I'm not a fan of any of it. When I get a manicure, it's rare for me to stray from French to even a solid color. The last manicure I got, the technician kept trying to "jazz it up" first by trying to make the white polish go across my nail at a diagonal instead of straight across. I was NOT having it. You'd think she'd take the hint that I'm pretty vanilla where nail polish is concerned, but when she was doing my pedicure, she kept trying to get me to have a design on my big toe- one that included a rhinestone! Seriously?!?! Maybe it's a cultural thing, but I just don't get the appeal.

Leave a comment and tell me what you think of nail art- is it cool? Trendy? Lame? Tell me what you think!

Rate My Look- Still Showing Off My Shopping Booty

When I hit the outlets over the Fourth of July weekend, I knew I got some steals, but I had no idea how great those little gems would turn out to be. The four tops that I got from Ann Taylor Loft have turned out to be amazing every day blouses- perfect for work or just about anything else. In the picture above, you can see I've paired the white version of the blouse (I got it in three solid colors and one print) with my green and white circle skirt that I made last year. I finished the look off with my white ballet flats from Payless and some accessories from Stella and Dot. 

I realized as I was getting dressed that I had never featured my bee brooch on the blog. And it just happened to be the perfect addition to my outfit. The way it nestled right into the ruffles on my blouse was absolutely perfect:

When it comes to comfort, there isn't much that beats a circle skirt. They're pretty flattering, to boot. When I worked in costume design, they were my favorite choice when creating costumes for dancers because of the beautiful way they move. An even though I don't do many pirouettes or tour jetes at work, the movement of the skirt is still really fabulous. Don't you wish I did pirouettes and tour jetes at work, though? I know my coworkers would LOVE it. Choreo for everyone! 5-6-7-8!

Shoesday Tuesday- Louboutin Measuring Tape Sandals

Not too long ago, my BFF Beth gave me a cute little gift- it was a flower brooch made out of a measuring tape. How appropriate for someone in my line of work, right? I, of course, loved it and even though it was given partly in jest, I still wore it and love it to this day. However, in the future, if anyone wants to give me a gift along similar lines, may I make a suggestion? Try these Louboutins instead:

Christian Louboutin Measuring Tape Sandal, Neiman Marcus, $795

Just to own a pair of Louboutins would be thrilling for me, but I'd especially enjoy it if they were so unique to my work! Leave a comment or tweet what you think of these shoes and if you tweet, don't forget the hashtag #ShoesdayTuesday