The Renaissance Festival!

Every year between the end of August and the beginning of October the Renaissance Festival comes to Michigan! This gives my friends and I a chance to dress up and basically step back in time!

The first week I attended, I wore this wedding dress I found for $15 at Volunteers of America. While it was pretty, I thought that more could be done to it...

So, I dyed it blue!  I also made fake hips which gave it the Marie Antoinette look! (Although, Marie was not alive during the Renaissance, I thought that it was still fine to wear.) I also ended up removing the rosettes off the shoulders as well as the bows from around each elbow.

One of the things I love about the Festival is the scenery! It actually looks like a town during the Renaissance era.

As you can see below there is a pirate ship that is used as a shop! They also have jousting tournaments, a birds of prey show, as well as other fun shows on stages throughout the park.

The have plenty of things to buy from food to jewelry. I bought this ring-bracelet that you see below; I thought it went well with my costume, but also had the versatility to wear with outfits at home.

One of the shops we visited sold tapestries! Below are some of my favorites:

The second time we went, we were celebrating Emma's 21st Birthday! My Aunt gave her, my mom and I free tickets for the day! (Thanks Aunt Cindy!!!)

Our friends also attended the Fest that day. We loved hanging out with them!

The masks in the upper right hand picture are made by my friend Tara. Her shop, Griffin Forge has amazing masks! You should check it out!!

So have any of you been to a Renaissance Festival? Or another event that your had to dress up for?

Photo credit: Myself, Nate H. and Tammy P.

Audrey Hepburn's Style

Hey all! Because Audrey is a style icon for many of us, I'd thought I would highlight some of her style choices so we might imitate it in our outfits.

One thing I like about Audrey's look is her face. Nothing is overdone, it is natural and dramatic all rolled into one. I think her whole style reflects this concept.

As you can see, one of shirts she commonly wore was a long sleeved crew-necked tee.
She lightly used accessories and patterns in her outfits. To me, this makes her outfits classic and chic, while they draw attention to her face.

Audrey is often pictured in cigarette pants; for your outfits you can just wear a loose pair of skinny jeans instead.

Here we see her with a doubled-breasted coat, though I'm sure she wore other coats, we can always don one of these for instant style.

Above, we see several different dresses that she wore. The one on the far left is my favorite and even though the details on the dress are elaborate, her accessory choices are still subtle.


What I think is so cool about Audrey's style is that it can be so easily translated into our modern era; plus it lends itself to being modest.

When you try this, remember less is more. Let your classic choices sing their own praises!

Have a fabulous week, Darling! (Too bad I can't be as classy as her when she says it!)

Fall Fashion 2015

Fall fashion is my favorite season. I love the layers, fabrics and the excitement of up-coming holidays. I have been looking a little bit into fall fashion and while I cannot cover the entire season, I thought I'd highlight some of the styles that stood out to me.

As usual, please keep in mind that these are fun trends to try, but your heart is what makes you stunning. Also, you don't have to follow fashion trends to dress attractively or tastefully.

The boho look is still going, but this fall add layers, such as ponchos, thin scarves and turtle necks. To sum up this style, just think of the 1970s. The hair, the love of leather and the overall natural look are all included in this trend.

The easy way to wear this trend: Pair a wool poncho with a pair of bell bottoms and carry a leather fringe purse. Oh, and I'm totally putting a panama hat on my wish list!










Victorian is another trend that is popular this season. A staple of this look is the turtleneck or any high neckline; these are often paired with a ribbon. The Victorian trend also encourages excess floral jewelry (including broaches), ruffles, beading, lace, gloves and big floral patterns (like brocade).

The easy way to wear this trend: Wear a high collared shirt with a ribbon tied around it; you could also add steam punk boots to cement the look.










This next trend, which InStyle has dubbed Lady Danger, reminds me of Divergent or Hunger Games. Leathers, large gold buttons, grommets, and futuristic patterns all contribute to this style.

The easy way to wear this: A leather jacket paired with combat boots.  The sweater to the left would be a comfortable way to wear this trend; hoodies are the bomb!










Overall these styles overlap in many different ways, which for the budget conscious person (myself) is really great!


If you want a simple "What should I add to my wardrobe this season" suggestion, look below:

Basic items to wear this season:
 1.) Turtle necks
 2.) An A-line wrap skirt
 3.) Wide legged, high waist pants

Fun styling options to try:
 1.) Excessive accessories
 2.) Knotted belts
 3.) Leather jewelry

 Lastly, I dub Car Wash Pleats the craziest trend of the season!

Have a happy week!
(Oh and I have figured out my business model, so I hope to open shop in January 2016! I'll tell you more later.)

Indian Fashion!

Okay, so maybe the love of this style came from watching too much of the Australian TV show "The Elephant Princess" or it could have come from watching "Bride and Prejudice" (the Bollywood version of Pride and Prejudiced, which is terribly cheesy yet hilarious) but my love for Indian fashion is growing out of control! So I've once again gone-a-Pinteresting and found some clothing and styles I love!


Below, we see a lots of gold details. These outfits remind me of royalty and romance. 

Pinks and blues together are my favorite! Not to mention the Kashmiri shawls!

 Here we see more of a pastel pallet; I find these looks calming.

 These dresses remind me of prom fashion! (For those of you attending homecoming or prom, you should consider going Indian! I feel like it would be unique!)

 More details! I love the intricacy of this style!

 Now, I have tried to find an everyday look to match the Indian style, though it was hard, I think I figured out several characteristics that contribute to this look:
   1.) Paisley (this includes beaded paisley)
   2.) 3/4 sleeves
   3.) Yoked waistline (see colorful dress on the far left.)
   4.) Tassels
   5.) Line v.s. Geometric designs. (see pants and dress on the far right.)

As you can see I adore this style, but I think I've said that enough. What do you think about it?