Black & white wedding

In honor of the release of "The Great Gatsby", I wanted to come up with a 1920's-inspired black and white wedding theme.

Let's start at the top and work our way down.
The Royal Wedding brought the fascinator to the forefront of fashion. I love the idea of a fascinator in place of a veil. You still get the veiled effect without looking like a snow beast. Black piping on the edges of a white fascinator ties into my theme perfectly.


ModCloth
Next, we want to add just a hint of sparkle by adding some sparkly, black button earrings. You want to keep the the earrings very simple so as to not detract from the dress and fascinator.


ModCloth
Then, we have the dress. I absolutely adore the idea of a tea-length dress for a wedding. A tea-length dress has such a fairy-tale feel to it and anytime something makes a woman feel like a princess, she should take full advantage. Especially on her special day.


ModCloth
And last but certainly not least, a simple pair of shiny black and white spectator pumps. Again, the shoe should be somewhat simple so as to not detract from the dress and fascinator.


ModCloth
For the hair with this ensemble, I think a simple, low chignon would work best. For the makeup, I suggest a clean eye with just a clean sweep of black eyeliner on the top lid only and a light coating of black waterproof mascara. Follow that with a light berry cheek and a long-lasting crimson lip.

As for a bouquet, I would suggest a simple, round arrangement of creamy white roses accented with black sheer ribbon and a little bit of black sparkle.

This theme is perfect for the non-traditional bride who may be planning a black and white evening wedding.

Beach wedding

Lulus
Summer is drawing near and 1 or more of you may be considering a summer beach wedding and I have put together a great look for you! First off, I suggest going barefoot, as long as you can do so safely. If you cannot do so safely, a cute flower-trimmed sandal would be perfect. (I do not suggest flip-flops as they would just flick sand everywhere.)

If you're planning a daytime service, this dress would be perfect because it has a slightly more casual feel to it. If you're planning an evening or sunset ceremony, replace the shorter dress with a tea-length dress. A full-length dress may not work on a beach nearly as well.

In place of a veil, soft, beachy waves (as shown in either picture) interwoven with flowers or butterflies would make a gorgeous and appropriate topper. You could use different types and colors of ribbon to suit your look. But I do suggest that you use some sort of ribbon or a specialty band when you're making your hair trellis.

For a bouquet, you could carry light-colored gerbera daisies in a small round arrangement accented with the same ribbon you used in your hair.

As far as your makeup, keep it very soft and ethereal for day - soft pink blush and gloss, light mauve eye shadow and light mascara. For evening, you can go slightly heavier with your makeup but you still want to keep it very natural - berry blush, medium mauve lipstick, wine eye shadow and 2 coats of mascara.

Complete this look with no jewelry for the day or simple, dainty, sparkly jewelry for the evening.

Cute & Funky

GoJane


GoJane
Throw these 2 items on with a pair of large silver hoops, a stack of silver bangles and a gray or white tee or tank and you have a cute, funky and unique outfit to wear just about anywhere. Can anyone say CASUAL FRIDAY?!?!

Wedding unique

I love to browse the web and imagine different outfits in my head. This idea was particularly fun since it is a bridal idea. There are many brides who do not want to wear white for their wedding or that just want something unique. This dress and these accessories would be ideal for such a bride. This look isn't all that expensive. The dress is $277.99 at ModCloth. Unfortunately, I didn't get a price on the accessories.

The only thing I would make any adjustments to would be the Melinda Rose veil. The net portion would be a beige or grey and instead of a bow I would have some peacock feathers, a jeweled pin or even nothing.


ModCloth


Melinda Rose


GoJane
This outfit was styled with an outdoor evening wedding in mind. This idea would be absolutely gorgeous with a smoky eye and nude lipstick. Finish it off with a pair of large pearl or colored gemstone (blue diamonds would be stunning) stud earrings. Keep your flowers very simple - a small nosegay of sterling silver roses with lots of greenery (no baby's breath) would look fantastic. You could also opt for no flowers at all. Your options are endless and it's your day so go crazy. Just make sure that you make your day YOU.

One of my fave color combos

One of my favorite color combos is fuschia and green. And I especially love it in simple, classic pieces put together.


Lulu's


Lulu's


Lulu's
Because this outfit is so simple and classic, I can see it being worn with short hair and a simple pair of studs. This outfit would look absolutely fabulous on Anne Hathaway and Ginnifer Goodwin, as well as Audrey Hepburn. And because of the combination of 2 opposite hues, it's fun while still remaining classic.

Valentine's flowers 2013

Here are my Valentine's flowers from the Hot Tamale . . . a Prabal Gurung peplum blouse from the newly released line at Target and bright lime green ankle pants to go with it.

This new collection from Prabal Gurung is absolutely amazing. It nearly caused me to short-circuit because I didn't know which piece(s) to get. But this is the piece I chose. I love the peplum silhouette and the fit is so flattering on me. I was concerned about looking crazy but if I anchor the ensemble with black sandals and a small black crossbody, it keeps me from looking like a recent circus recruit. I also have a pair of royal blue ankle pants and several pairs of black dress slacks that pair well with the top. The Hot Tamale says that I look "chic" in this outfit. Mission accomplished.

Another Patricia Field great

Patricia Field has done it again! Actually, I guess it would be Vivienne Westwood, the designer of Carrie Bradshaw's wedding dress from the 1st SATC movie. Either way, these Vivienne Westwood lace-ups are on sale on the Patricia Field website for only $50. They were originally $200. It doesn't say what they are made of but they appear to possibly be made out of rubber. How much fun and possibly even a little bit sassy is that?!?!?!

I think that these would look absolutely fabulous with a pair of tweed wide-leg slacks and a black concert t-shirt, accented with fire-engine red fingernails for a fun GNO or date night. Plus, who doesn't want something fun and fabulous designed by the creator of Carrie Bradshaw's wedding dress??

Shades of gray

I recently purchased this gray knit skirt from Old Navy. It is so incredibly comfy.

Then I added these Steve Madden booties, which were a gift, along with gray textured tights.

Because of the neutrality of the bottom half, the top half can be topped with just about anything. A button-down topped with a denim jacket, a lightweight sweater or sweatshirt or even just a t-shirt. Just make sure that the top half has some color so you don't end up looking like a concrete statue.

These jeans are on my wishlist

I WANT THESE JEANS ! ! ! I know that I shouldn't but I totally want them. I have wanted a pair of dramatic, high-waisted jeans like these since I was a zygote. And I found them on the Patricia Field website for only $10 but OF COURSE they don't have them in my size. That figures.

These have got to be one of the most flattering pairs of jeans ever made. The high waist sucks everything in and keeps it there. Because the waist is so high, they make your legs look like they are about a pisquillion miles long. The dark wash is slimming. And the leg openings aren't too wide or too skinny. It's hard to see the actual length but, if they come to your heel, then they will be absolutely perfect.

These would look HOT with a simple white button down and red heels. CLASSIC!

Relateable Style

If you're looking for some fresh ideas to spruce up your style, I suggest watching "Hot In Cleveland". I find that their styles are more relateable than "Sex and the City". Not that I don't love some of the looks from SATC.

What I like about the HIC styles are that they're trendy, yet still classic. The appeal of their styles spans every age group.

Jane Leeves characters style would probably appeal more to a younger age. Valerie Bertinelli and Wendy Malick's characters styles would probably appeal to a wide middle-age, from about 30 to 60. And Betty White's character would probably appeal more to the retirement age crowd.

The show is so much fun to watch, with all of the snarkiness, bad dates (ie. conjoined twins, moobs, a billionaire with hair issues, a cheating Jon Schneider, so on and so forth), fantastic clothes and best girlfriends. I just wish I had girlfriends like these.

Way to go, Anne!

I'm back after a hiatus and I'm gonna restart with a totally hot hair makeover.

Anne Hathaway lopped off all of her hair! I think that it looks totally amazing on her. I know that she just did it for a role, but I think that she should keep her hair this way. It looks so chic! I would suggest pairing it with minimal, clean makeup - light mascara and blush - and fire engine red lipstick.

Then to add just a little bit of flair, pair it with red nails. But go all out with a candy-cane manicure.

Keep the wardrobe very simple and neutral. Lots of black, gray and navy, pencil skirts, plain cardigans, white shirts, ballet flats, dark-wash straight leg jeans, simple colorful pumps (red), bags with simple clean lines, very simple jewelry.

The Bashful Peacock, Part 2

This wasn't the exact picture of the peacock that I was looking for last month, but it'll do. This peacock was also at the Wildlife World Zoo in Phoenix but wasn't nearly as bashful as the other one.

Just look at the GORGEOUS colors in the plume. They're so rich and regal. I found a casual long-sleeve tee at K-Mart that had a screen printed peacock feather on it and I absolutely had to have it.

Anyhow, I promise that I will try to do better with my posting this year . . . so check back regularly!

Shoes of many colors

I went to one of the zoos in the Phoenix area several years ago where I took a picture of a peacock hiding under a bush. All you can see is the beautiful, regal, colorful plume sticking out from underneath. I absolutely adore the colors found in peacock feathers so when I stumbled across the stunning "Proudly Posh" shoes on ModCloth, I couldn't resist including them here.

I would pair these shoes with a black, purple, gray or peacock green dress for a special look. They would also look great paired with a royal blue dress. They could also be worn with a black pantsuit for a special touch.

When I get a moment, I will go through my memory cards and see if I can find the picture that I took of the bashful peacock. It serves as a perfect guide for color coordination. You never have to look far beyond nature to find guidance.

My Missoni wishlist

I just went to Target.com and made a Missoni wishlist. When you go to their website, click on TargetLists and search under "Rachelle Style" as the first and last name. That was FUN!

Here are a few of the items that I chose:

I would wear all three together with black pumps or the cardigan and sweater vest as a twinset with black skinny jeans and purple shoes.

If you get bored, go on over to Target.com and look at my list. Then make a wishlist of your own!

A delightful "new" website

I LOVE TO SHOP!

I mean it . . . I really do. I can actually relate to Isla Fisher's character from "Confessions of a Shopaholic". (Though I'm a much better dancer!) Whenever I stumble across a website that is new to me that gives me something to be excited about, I feel obligated to share it with everyone.

So here it is . . . ModCloth. It's like an online vintique! ModCloth specializes in retro and vintage items, whether it be clothing, shoes, accessories or household items. This is one of the tops from their website. I absolutely fell in love with it. I would totally wear it with black skinny jeans or slacks and perhaps either a pair of leopard print ballerina flats or brightly colored pumps along with brightly colored accessories. Perhaps yellow pumps with a red necklace with slacks . Or leopard print flats with an emerald green bag with the black skinny jeans. They have so many items that I fell in love with! Their prices are very affordable on some items and a little steep on others. But I'm sure that if you take some time to really look, you will be able to find something within your price range!

I actually inspired someone!

Last night, I walked into my local Wal-Mart. The greeter at the door had very short hair, similar to mine in the above picture. When I complimented her on her hair, she told me that I was the one who had actually inspired her to cut her hair like that! You see, she has alopecia (I don't know if I spelled that correctly) and didn't know what to do with her hair but when she saw me come in on several occassions with my crew cut, she decided that it would be okay and to go for it. I was so touched and yet so proud at the same time.

The great thing about a strapless dress . . .

. . . is that it is so versatile. Let me explain.

This Betsey Johnson dress could be paired with any of the following:

1. Little flats and a denim jacket.
2. A white button-down shirt and black pumps.
3. A hot pink t-shirt and a pair of open-toe booties.
4. Simple black strappy sandals and a turquoise clutch.
5. A black bolero jacket & hot pink pumps.
6. Little flat black sandals, a black lightweight cardigan and big Jackie O sunglasses.

The options are endless!

Jen's hair

Of course, the big buzz today is Jennifer Aniston's hair. IT IS AMAZING!!!!! I just saw it and had to include it on my blog.

This new do makes Jen look so much more sophisticated that it isn't even funny. This hair is so hot!

After looking at it for about a split second, I decided that this would also look amazing on my sister, Wonder Woman. I haven't seen her in awhile but I'm assuming that she still has hair to her waist. Anyhow, this hair would look amazing on Wonder Woman because it's sophisticated, it draws the eye up (which in turn makes you seem taller & thinner), it's classic yet still H - O - T and it doesn't require a commitment to short hair since it's still a mid-length.

Now onto a new outfit for Jen to go with her new hair . . .

















This outfit is edgy with a touch of class. The dress is another Patricia Field and the shoes are Manolo Blahniks. I would not put Jen in the gloves because that would be over-the-top edgy for her. Instead, I would simply pair this outfit with a knuckle-dusting black diamond ring set in blackened gold. Very chic and simple.

This Patricia Field dress would be another option, except in black . . .



I would keep all of Jen's accessories the same. She has gorgeous legs (she is a jogger - in sand, no less) and this outfit would show them off. It would also take her look to the next level.

WAY TO GO, JEN AND CHRIS MCMILLAN!

An outfit for Carrie Bradshaw

I could totally see Carrie Bradshaw wearing this jumpsuit by Gracia . . .

with these purple suede pumps by Charles Jourdan.

And, of course, who can forget the gorgeous black diamond ring that Mr. Big gave her at the end of SATC2?!?!?!

In addition, she would wear her ginormous gold "Carrie" earrings, a necklace with red cherries and carry a lime green or bubble gum pink clutch. (Note: Carrie Bradshaw doesn't always "match" but she always makes it work)

I could see Carrie wearing this out to a nice romantic dinner with Mr. Big or a girls night out with Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha. This outfit is comfy but completely fabulous!

The ultimate . . . Harrod's

One of my favorite things to do is to go to the Harrod's website and drool over all the fashions. There are many things that I would never be caught dead in but there are many things that I absolutely love. Below is one of these items - a French Connection skirt.



This skirt has a slightly higher waistline which is very slimming and it also elongates the legs.

I would wear this with a silky black button-down blouse and simple black pumps to wear to the office. It could also be paired with a simple white button-down blouse, a red 1" patent leather belt with a bow (found that at Forever 21 for under $10) and gray mid-heel pumps.

This skirt would be another highly versatile item and well worth the investment.