Target GO International Collection

Lately I've been frequenting a lot of style and body image blogs.  This got me thinking more about I how I express myself through clothing.  A lot of what I wear is casual, with random accessories thrown in, hence the lack of outfit posts.  I wish I could dress more interestingly, but my current schedule and budget prevents it.  On the other hand, I feel that peer pressure is also a reason for the lack of creativity...and the fact that everyone around me is perpetually stuck in skinny jeans and Abercrombie.  Didn't that fad die a long time ago?

But encompassing many of the trends propelling the Target collections is the newest collection composed of 34 dresses created by former collaborating designers.

The lookbook can be found here: Target Designer Collective Lookbook

Knock Out

It's surprising that I feel busier on break than on a normal weekend.  I, however, felt obliged to post up something that I recently purchased:

The rings on the right looks like a normal ring huh?  Except...

Bam!  It opens up to reveal a hidden compartment.  Personally, I keep a note in there, but a piece of tissue soaked in perfume would also fit.   A word of warning, though:  I got this on Ebay, and the seller didn't provide a picture of the inside of the locket, or the catch.  When I got it, the inside was tarnished and the catch didn't fit the locket well.  So buyer, always ask for more pictures if they are not provided!


If I were feeling more flush (and had a few thousand to spare), I would get this:

Edburga Poison Ring-Diamond by Wendy Brandes

image not mine, from her website

Sadly, I am broke as always.  But hey, at least the weather is getting better here!  (What a clever change of topic)  And the flowers are in bloom:

 At least it stopped pouring...

 

 In other news, some pictures from Target's GO collaboration have been posted!  I'll try to find a few to show.

Fall 2011 RTW: Creatures of the Wind

Happy Valentine's day, guys!  Or Singles Awareness Day or whatever you want to call it...(my favorite so far has been 'forever alone' day).  I finally started checking over the Fall 2011 collections and discovered a brand I had previously not encountered before.  I'll admit, I checked it out mostly because of the name (Creatures of the Wind?  How could I not?), but I was really digging the retro-inspired vibes from the collection a lot.

 

I don't know why, but I really like this look.  I don't like that the skirt is rather sheer, but the combination of the sweater + embroidered skirt just gives off an oddly appealing school matron vibe...strange, I know.

A more elegant look.  I still like it because of the unusual shoe choice, but spruce it up with some jewelry and an evening bag (do people still say that?), plus high heels and this could turn into an outfit for a more formal party.

Finally, the outfit that got me interested in the collection in the first place.  Again, I saw a really retro school-inspired theme throughout the whole collection, which was reiterated here.  The color scheme would seem out of place anywhere else, yet it works in this outfit, each part of the outfit echoing the texture or saturation of another element.  And the shoes kind of scare me.  But they seem like an interesting weapon, so that's a plus?


So, yay!  I know many of you are starting to get bored with the retro vintage hipster old school thing that's been floating around for a while, but this collection, even though it wasn't groundbreaking, was still interesting for me because of the way they incorporated those common elements into something visually interesting and fun.

Inspiration in the Mundane

Life has been chasing after me lately.  I feel like I can't catch up...and, my camera really sucks so I can't take many pictures of stuff I want to post up!  So, instead I made a Polyvore set to grasp and make some of my inspiration tangible...

Pretending to be Normal by dewfall featuring cropped pants

Vivienne westwood anglomania tops WHITE, 238 GBP
Minimal white shirt, 105 GBP
3.1 PHILLIP LIM 1106421HSD BLACK SILK DRAPED OVERLAP BLAZER, 474 GBP
Black Stud Leather Gilet**, 85 GBP
Scilli Cropped Cigarette Leg Trouser by Sportmax, 199 GBP
Neosens Rococo 799, $369
Vintage Inspired Bracelets by Ollipop, $46
Gourmette Chain Necklace, $895
linkin park lyrics(:
King of Anything lyrics- Sara Bareilles


On the bright side, I went to the flea market today and got a leather studded cuff I've been wanting.  Now I need to find a way to incorporate punk into my look...

Honeybee Gardens Watercolors Nail Enamel Review

...why such long names?  Regardless, here is the low down:

This nail polish is water based, and so has no chemically smell.  It does, however, have a faint whiff of acrylic paint, which comes from the acrylic, but this really doesn't bother me.

I got the color in Nude Beach, which is a cream warm-toned beige.  Now, onto the important facts:

1. Application:  This was...not bad, if you have a steady hand (I don't).  Even for a cream, it didn't streak too badly, though I would advise two to three coats.  I expect a shimmer would be less noticeably uneven.
2. Wear Time:  Meh.  Without a base or top coat, about a day or two.  I would advise to shower only one or two hours after applying this product, otherwise it will chip.  However, it dries in about ten minutes and doesn't smudge after, so that's a plus.
3. Finish:  It's not as shiny as a traditional polish, but this, I imagine, would be quickly remedied with a clear layer.  It is much shinier than a matte or satin finish though.
4. Removal:  It was easy to remove with 70% ethanol, and didn't  totally destroy my nails like normal nail polish does.

As a total?  Not bad!  They do have a limited range of colors, and buying options may be limited, but at least no body at home complains about the smell.  I got it for $6 off of Ebay, so it's definitely affordable for me.  Would I repurchase?  Yes, for something more natural, this is definitely an acceptable alternative to chemical nail polish.

I was not sponsored to review this product.

Just Someone...Else

So I actually finished homework early today, so of course I have to procrastinate on my outline.  Yes.

And of course, as I was browsing through some blogs, I came across a picture of a tea cup.  Mundane, I know.  But soon, my mind began to wander...what kind of person would own that tea cup?  Where would they live?  What would they do...

The one tea cup...that started it all

 

Kaleidoscope Felt Collage Necklace

In my mind, this would be ideally in New York...not realistic or happening, though, since the apartments are in Poland, and I'm not sure if I want snow down on my bed?

Images from katespade.com, anthropologie.com, www.momoy.com, ewainthegarden.blogspot.com, and atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com

Slowly, Steadily

Well, life and school decided to gang up on me after break!  Suddenly, I get a ton of stuff to do, most of which I have no idea how to do.  So you know the deal, more sporadic posts.  Yay.


On the bright side, I found an easy way to jazz up bobby pins!  Just get some plain black ones and paint them with nail polish.  Let it dry, and finish with a clear topcoat.  I can't believe I did not do it before...


And in hair news, my blue hair faded out and became bluish/green/yellow, so I dyed it auburn.  However, I realized my hair doesn't take dye well, so it's kind dark brownish red now, and it still smells like bleach.  Blech.

And in personal wishlist news, I got a new pair of boots...again.  These:

Nine West Peroxy Ankle Boots

They are from the Vintage America collection, and are pretty nice for suede, though I'm afraid of them getting wet.  Where can I buy suede-protecting spray?

It's still pretty cold here, so I realized I need a new jacket.  Something like this:

I'm really into bomber jackets lately.

G by GUESS Maddy Toggle Bomber

Anyway, I should really edit my outline now.  Have a good week!