Style Imitating Art Time!

Young Corn, Grant Wood
Oil on Masonite board, 1931

It's Monday and that means Style Imitating Art, y'all! I really enjoyed the playfulness of this painting and of course the varying shades of green (because in my world, green is a neutral and every color looks good with it). But, mostly it made me yearn for summer. When I put the outfit together I used a top I haven't worn since summer and a dress I bought with spring in mind. It made me realize how long ago summer was and how far away spring still is. I miss sunny days and green, rolling hills dotted with trees and corn fields. 

This winter has been bleak, guys. Instead of giant piles of white snow that are just ripe for snow balls and snow forts, we have yards full of mud and dead grass. Instead of quiet, peaceful flurries, we are slipping around on freezing rain. Yuck.

And since spring doesn't really grace Wisconsin until April, this is going to be a tough few months. But until then, here is a little glimpse of what could be.

Cardigan - Target, Shirt - Torrid, Dress - Target, Belt - Target, Tights - Walmart, Shoes - Goodwill

While my husband was taking the pictures he kept giving me a funny look and I said, "What? Does it look weird?" The look deepened. So, I said, "Well, I don't know how it looks. Give me some direction!"

This is what happened.

I'm an airplane.

Outfit Noir

While this monochromatic outfit may be a safe play for someone else, it's actually way out of my comfort zone. I'm happiest when drenched in colors and patterns. Even if I do look like a walking circus half the time. That's just my style, yo.

I didn't set out to put a monochromatic outfit together. I've had these leggings since September but, I didn't have anything to wear with them. As a result of my lacking wardrobe/creativity, I just wound up wearing them to bed the night before. Just as I was about to get ready, the mailman dropped off this gorgeous Asos top on my doorstep. That guy always knows what to get me. I swear. 

I was so enamored with this origami top on the website that I couldn't wait to try it. I rushed upstairs and threw it on over my pajamas. Unexpectedly,  I loved the whole effect and that's how I wound up wearing nothing but black and grey. I like to experiment so, I went with it.

The plan was to add color through shoes and accessories. I dove into the jewelry box for a colorful statement necklace and I came out with this lovely neutral brooch made from recycled book covers from Modcloth - You guys know I couldn't resist this, right? 

Then, winter in Wisconsin busted my plans for bright colored heels as it is entirely unpleasant to walk around with cold wet feet. Just remember, Winter, your days are numbered.

And that is rollicking tale of how I came to wear a monochromatic outfit. Real nail biter wasn't it? 

Trying to hold my top down cause it was crazy windy, y'all.

Another detail making me a little uncomfortable with this outfit? Even though I love leggings, I am firmly against the whole leggings as pants thing. So, the rules? As long as your butt is covered your good. The problem? I don't think this top is technically a tunic. Luckily, my 5'4'' frame kept me in the appropriate butt-covered zone.

So, there you have it, Outfit Noir.

Peace out!

Style Imitating Art Time!

Thaaaaat's right folks. Style Imitating Art is baaaack!

“Portrait of Emilie Flöge” by Gustav Klimt

The only way I feel like I could have done this painting justice was if I wore a floor length, beaded, sheath dress. Since I don't have any of those in my closet, anything I could come up with was going to be second rate. So, I wore this.

This beaded beauty from Asos brought in some of the mosaic element of the dress and I tried to bring in some of the colors and textures that are hidden throughout the painting.

I really had a tough time this week. I tried on like five different combinations of outfits until I was satisfied. Even now as I look at the pictures I'm still just like, "eh." But like I said, anything I could come up with would just be second rate.

Where a Kid Can Be a Kid (At Heart)

A little pattern mixing for ya'll

I cannot get enough of grey and yellow lately. This is the third outfit this week in this color story.  The yellow makes me think of the coming spring but the grey keeps it appropriate for the season.

I took my boys to Chuck E. Cheese's for a birthday party this week and we found a gigantic monster truck ride that scared the crap out of my kids but, I couldn't help doing some ridiculous poses, a la Nicole Kidman on the cover of Bazaar. I was lucky that my sister humored me and played photographer as our kids ran rampant and I struck one "fierce" pose after another.

Invasion of the Killer Curves!

 I have been watching and contemplating this Killer Curves tee that was designed and sold by Betty Bee from the start. I was immediately in love with the vintage sci fi flick design. The flow and the detail of the design is amazing and if this were an actual movie I would totally put it in my Netflix queue. It doesn't hurt that Betty Bee is modeling the crap out of it on her site either. But, despite the fact that the t-shirt itself wasn't expensive, the extra expense of getting it shipped to the US was a lot. Weighing in the cost of shipping and adding in the fact that I'm not really a t-shirt kind of girl, I thought I could live without it.

Wrooooong.

I kept seeing the t-shirt pop up on other blogs and each time I saw it, my need grew. The imagery of the strong, curvy, hottie was empowering and as I watched other bloggers donning the retro inspired tee it started to feel more like a movement and I can pay a little extra to be apart of a movement. So, I swore to myself that I would actually wear this tee and not relegate it to pajama status and ordered it. 

When I received it today I could not be happier. It's great quality and fit and I keep having visions of myself striking a pose on an astroid while my stunning locks fan out behind me. The fit is flattering enough for me to actually wear and I'm pleased as punch to look a little bit like a greaser. Look out Ponyboy, We might have to have a rumble cause I'm coming for Cherry Valance.

 One a side note, my husband got me this amazing leather motorcycle jacket from Asos for Christmas and I want to have it super glued to my skin so we never have to be parted. Thank god for Black Friday or this would just be unrequited love.

Ways to Wear: Fabulously Festive on New Years Eve

This month the Ways to to Wear Challenge was Fabulously Festive and it was our job to interpret that the way we wanted to for the season. As I thought about this challenge, I knew my Christmas dress was very similar to my LBD and I wanted to do something a little bit different. So, I chose to use my New Years Outfit.

Jacket--Torrid
Shirt--Asos
Skirt--Forever 21 +
Tights--Walmart
Shoes--Steve Madden
Belt--Torrid

I wish my pictures were better but, I just haven't been able to brave the bitter cold that has settled over us to take pictures outside. Sorry, guys.

 I bought this outfit way back in September to wear on New Year's Eve and I just want to say that I want to make a lifetime commitment to this shirt. I spent way more on it then I would normally pay for a sleeveless top but, it is just so beautiful I couldn't stop myself. The top is entirely beaded and sheer so, I feel very daring when I wear it. The whole top feels like luxury  The beading looks like it's floating on the sheer material and because of the weight of the top it hangs perfectly. It was just right for the occasion even if I did have to give out emergency instructions to whole party on how to protect this top if things started to get messy.*

I went with a little bit of a female tuxedo look with the cropped tuxedo jacket and the belt was my version of a bow tie. I like the little androgynous touches to an otherwise girly outfit. Sheer, beading, lace, tulle, and polka dot tights should look crazy but it works well here with the toned down color story.

Just some of my favorite pictures of the night.

 Do you ever have a moment when you are looking through the pictures from the crazy night before and you come to one and you are like..."What the *blank* am I doing in this picture?" Yeah, that's the middle picture for me. Don't know what I was doing. Don't know how that happened. Love it anyway.

I really don't get out much. I'm a mom. What can you expect? But, I love taking full advantage of the few nights of the year that I don't have my children and this was a good night!

*That was my classy way of saying I'm a puker.