Mmmm... Fresh!

I am loving this mint green trend. It's like the refreshing, cold sweetness of a Melona bar on a summer day.

If you haven't had one, you really need to look into it. They are South Korean honeydew melon creme bars and are delightful. Get them at your local Asian market (they are worth the $10 a box).

I'm also loving the return of super lady-like pieces mixed with menswear. So you can imagine my glee at seeing still from the Jonathan Saunders show.

Nothing creates an hourglass figure better than a structured shirt tucked into an a-line skirt. This is my summer uniform- ask anyone. I also adore those sandals with the wee bows. Tres adorable!

Sadly, I haven't yet put my hands on any minty fresh pieces that are perfect for me. So, I am looking forward to adding  splashes with accessories. First on my list:

 Essie 'Mint Candy Apple'. Just the right amount of blue to tone down the yellow in my skin and the perfect touch of green to make it fresh and young.*

Asos belt

Minty penny loafers

Mint looks great with lilac

Wear your mint with:

All of your neutrals, especially: khaki, white, grey, navy
Other tertiary colors like: turquoise, coral, orange, fuchsia




*a full-size bottle of Flowerbomb Bombilicious lotion to the person who sends me this color.

Spring/Summer Wardrobe Spruce-Up

All Black's Recycled Newspaper Flat

A cream open-weave top like this one.

Blue and white sailboat skirt similar to this guy from Anthropologie.

A vintage silk satin button down in cream like this one.

An a.n.a. western denim shirt (with pearl snaps!).

A navy single button blazer from Lafayette 148 in a shape similar to this one.

 

Ralph Lauren silver teardrop earrings

dv by Dolce Vita wedges ($15!!)

Add these great items to my wardrobe from last year...

Calvin Klein belt

Asos peach dress

Asos orange skirt

Lafayette 148 white blazer

...and I've got a pretty sturdy wardrobe.

Now, if I could just find a decent pair of leather-soled sandals...

Pale Girls at the Grammys

First of all, sorry for the delay in posting. I have been working on my Etsy store, VikingBeautyVintage, and have been doing a fair amount of writing for my book (yes, I am planning on publishing).

In return for putting up with my absence, I will give you a post chock full of Grammy Awards victories and fails as well as a surprise at the end. :)

 Alison Krauss

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Let's face it: country musicians are not known for good fashion sense. See: Twain, Shania; Chicks, Dixie; Judd, Wynonna and Naomi. Having said that, I do wonder why Alison here is wearing a hand-crocheted capelet/baby afghan. Mostly, when I see it I just wonder why. What is this piece actually doing? It's certainly not keeping her warm or camouflaging lumpy upper arms. It does look like a quality item, but I'm more concerned that she robbed the back of a nursery school sofa. what is this piece actually doing?

Joy Williams

I admit that I have no idea whether this lady is a solo act or part of a group and I don't know what types of music she sings. I'm going to go out on a limb and say country, because she seems to have a bit of Alison Krauss-itis. By which I mean that she appears to have stolen a wee lacy item, but this time she took it to make herself a Barbie's First Funeral gown. Points for keeping the makeup light.

Shelly Mooring of the band Leeland

No idea about this lady, either. To tell the truth I'm not a huge music fan, which is probably why I only recognize the people that I've seen on SNL. Regardless, this broad looks like she went a little too far with 'cutesy-goth' and ended up with 'I had a buy 10 get 1 free coupon at Hot Topic'.

Mika Newton

Allegedly, this one is an actress. She has clearly followed the funeral costume trend but, instead she decided to dress as the tartlet seen faking tears over her rich, 80 year-old lover's grave while trying to sneak a peek at the will.

Cyndi Lauper

Cyndi Lauper as a menopausal tartlet and the dead man's former wife.

Bonnie Raitt

Bonnie here is awesome. Great voice and cool personal style with the little swatch of white hair. Very classy. I just wish she hadn't purchased her attire at a sale at SteinMart. I don't mind the pants so much I guess, but I do find them rather casual for THE GRAMMYS. The overgrown metallic sausage casing she squeezed herself into? Not so much.

Skylar Grey

I do not know her but I know I do not like her. 1) her hair is unforgivably flat, 2) she has caked on so much foundation that her skin looks like a wax figure, 3) she is matching her shoes to the carpet. And did I mention the lipstick? Dead dead dead. What with the Grammys and bringing out every one's morbid streak?

Katy Perry

Oh, well here's something decidedly not morbid. Katy does a lovely impression of a Smurf. Which is fitting since she voiced Smurfette in the movie. And yes, I know she's not pale in this picture ( I hope that's a spray tan, Katy), but she usually is so I figured I'd grandfather her in. I actually don't hate the blue hair on her. The dress makes me think of blue cotton candy, though, and then I start to feel slightly queasy.

Robyn

I love Robyn. She's funky and fun and sings dance pop and is from Sweden. She's like a sort of one woman ABBA in that I always want to dance to her songs whenever I hear them regardless of time or place appropriateness. And that's why I will give this a pass.

For more snarkily delicious Grammy commentary visit: The Fug Girls

Vintage Finds

I'm a huge fan of vintage shopping. Thrifting. Whatever you want to call it. When my mom was a teenager, her parents bought a Victorian townhouse and renovated it themselves. They spent a lot of time doing second-hand shopping. To this day, most of our heirloom furniture comes from this period.


So it's business as usual when I come to work sporting my newest find. Take a looksee at the awesome new bag I snagged at Goodwill:

It's 100% leather made in Italy for The Limited. Remember The Limited? Yeah, I got flashbacks of floral dresses with attached chokers, too. But this bag is pretty rad.

It looks pretty similar to this saddle bag from Ralph Lauren. Vintage for $5 vs. Designer for $1200. Pretty Sweet.

Art Nouveau Stiletto

Gucci Chain Strap Mary Jane

Pretty Grunge

When I was about 11 I started wearing combat boots with dresses and ripped jeans with flannel. I listened to REM, watched 'Clueless', played viola and thought I was grunge.

I look back on this and remember that it was probably one of the first times that I experimented with fashion and just wore what I wanted. Sure, it wasn't particularly good-looking, and the kids at school probably thought I was a nutcase and living under a bridge, but I dug it.

To this day, I have a particular affinity for a hot pair of combat boots, a good old plaid shirt and some ripped stockings. I just think it's cool. Pairing a girly dress with a leather bag and some boots creates a sort of hippie devil-may-care aura.

Rachel Bilson rocking Pretty Grunge

I especially love spring fashion with some killer boots.

All Saints 'Damisi' Boots

Lace peplum top

Grungy skinny jeans

Studded bangles

Or how about this

Asos boots

Modcloth jacket

Swiss dot dress

Barbed wire ring

I can't explain it. It's just hot. Women turning menswear on its head and making lace look tough.

Put Katniss Everdeen in a dress and she'd throw on her own hunting boots and give you the finger.

That's what it's all about.

My boots? Well, they're these:

Geeky Nails

There are a few things for which I am a massive sucker:

-animals
-shiny things
-figure skating
-old hollywood
-nail polish
-books

When any of these items combine, I go into a tizzy. That's probably why I am loving ladyflash's post on nail polishes inspired by A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. They are also sparkly.