Fashion Fridays: I bought

...this Badgley Mischka dress to wear for Easter. It is not intended to be knee-length but I am only 5' so I might see a tailor in the near future. The dress is metallic cotton and is sufficiently generous in the bust, an attribute difficult to find in high-end clothing. The heeled sandals, which retail on Overstock for about $256, are "Velma" by Ralph Lauren Collection. They are calf leather so even though they will stretch with time, I recommend only purchasing them if your feet are narrow. I think I will rub coconut oil on the straps to make them softer.

Also, I have more kitten pictures.

Fashion Fridays: Pre-fall 2010 #2

J. Mendel made a bust-friendly military influenced coat that also incorporated draping, a hard combination to pull off. It always seems that military-style clothing have high necklines and are double breasted, neither of which are very flattering on large-chested women. Congrats to J. Mendel for being able to break out of the normal silhouettes that come along with military gear. Picture taken from style.com

Fashion Fridays: I bought

A Free People tank top tunic "Heavy Metal". The hue is so rich in person. The top is somewhat sheer and very low cut so I will wear a tank top underneath. The back is low, as well. Picture taken from Nordstrom.

A MICHAEL Michael Kors silk top with beaded neckline. Picture taken from bluefly.

Fashion Fridays: Pre-fall 2010

Congratulations, Christopher Bailey. This dress...it's almost unnecessarily beautiful. Amazing. Perfect. Good job. Picture from style.com

Noms for Breakfast

Fashion Fridays: I bought

I ordered part of my costume from Ms. Purdy's Treasures on Ebay. When it arrived in the mail, there was a little hand written thank you card in a cute little envelope. I love when people are out-of-the-ordinary nice.

My Second Favorite Day of the Year and How I spent it

Most people I talk to know my favorite day of the year is Halloween but in at a close second, is the first day of Spring. Granted, most suicides happen in Spring (not winter like one may think) and the weather is not always the best (I'm talking to you, upstate New York!) but I just love it for what it is--the environment coming alive after the dead pallor of winter. This season, due to strange weather, hasn't been so different than our winter. The temperatures have been in the 70s and 80s, making it perfect weather to take advantage of the off-season lack of beach-entry fees. Living on an island means there are more than a few choice beaches/marinas; I chose Captree State Park. 

Jess swingin' it like the 1970s

Photo through my ghetto sepia filter, ahem, sunglasses

It would have been perfect had there been a seagull on the third light. What do they want, a paycheck? 

Jess and me, being awesome as per usual. On another note, who needs Bumble and Bumble Beach Hair Sprays when we can get this for free?

LAND HO!

I do feel incredibly lucky to live in a place surrounded by water, even if Long Island is the next Atlantis.

Talkie Tuesdays: No Man of Her Own

1932.

This is a woman's world; men just live in it.

This is one of the most beautiful dresses in the film. Sigh. Sometimes I wish I was flat-chested.

It is not too clear here, but that gown is covered in sequins.

There needs to be more pajamas like this...

and this.

Carole Lombard has the angry but still sexy thing down pat.

Fashion Fridays: Spring 2012

Tuesday, March 20th is the first day of spring (my second favorite day of the year!) and if you haven't figured out what will be in stores, here it is.

I like organizing fashion by decade so...

1920s (silhouette, accessories)

Ralph Lauren

1922 Ladies Home Journal

Miss Selfridge dress, now out of stock

1950s (silhouette, colors)

Lela Rose

Dior

Vivien of Holloway dress ~$120

Dolce and Gabbana had the most accurate and easy silhouettes, but most of the pieces were covered in vegetable prints. Dior had the most grown-up version of the 1950s, more siren less Sandra Dee. This is a decade where two of the major trends (nipped waist, saccharine-sweet pastels) hit. Whether or not pastels are your thing, curvy women take note: this is your season. Rock it.

1970s (shoes)

Both flatforms and espadrille wedges, especially with bright stripes, are supposed to be "in" for spring. Honestly, I don't think wedges ever really leave the scene, just because they are so comfortable despite the height they give.

1970s espadrilles

Kate Spade "Lindsay" espadrille

Most people will be able to find something flattering this season. Remember though, stick with the best decade for your body type. Don't try to work something just because it is trendy. The 1950s silhouette will translate best to the mass market because it is easy and cheap to recreate. The 1920s silhouette will be more difficult to recreate because sometimes, the only difference between a sack dress and a 1920s dress is the materials and embellishments. Meanwhile, the espadrille wedge is good for everyone (minus those with orthopedic needs) because they come in so much variety, that the design is really user controlled. For instance, I keep away from the 1970s and so I bought low peep toe espadrilles in cherry red, which is more of a 1950s look.

An article on this year's mass market trends.

Smarterer.

Smarterer is a free online testing site which is currently in beta. People who are internet and computer savvy will likely do well on these themed, timed test questions. Think you know iPhoto well? Show your worth to the online community by becoming master, expert, proficient, familiar, or beginner (the skill levels). There are tests on WordPress, Facebook, StumbleUpon, and useful topics, like science. Of course, there is a bit of competition; you can get bumped down a level if someone beats you on the score card. The site sends emails letting you know if you've been bumped or if more questions have been added to your tests. The latter gives you a chance to increase your score. You can sign in with Facebook, Twitter, or your email.

I tried out the site because I'm a BzzAgent and I like to be on top of things. However, maybe this wasn't the campaign for me. I don't have a competitive bone in my body and could generally care less about how well or not well people know their way around Twitter, etc. There are people out there that do like the competition and they do like to show off and prove their knowledge of computer applications. If you are one of those people, go for it. Not only can you prove yourself, but you can learn as you go along because they show the correct answers.

The site is http://smarterer.com/. Good luck!