Finally Fall

I have been so super psyched that it's finally fall, and the weather has been really quite nice, here in south east PA! It's been a great October so far, with a few events and my vacation to boot!

Earlier this month my friend I went to a fun little street fair in a beautiful 300 year old village rich with history and culture. I ended up making a few purchases: homemade dip mixes and horseradish mustard  (made by a really super cool local guy who also does insane hot sauces), a pair of gorgeous turquoise earrings and a quirky pair of windmill earrings.

I also decided to get a hair cut:

I'm a much happier person with bangs, to be honest. I think it gives my face something....else...Anyway, I also decided to get the rest of my hair cut all the same length around too, because layers were getting raggedy on me and I was tired of it. I feel I have a more modern look.











Last Friday was a faaaaabulous gallery opening at The Grounds for Sculpture! It was a fantastic evening! I fell completely in love with the new installations by Edwina Sandys, William Knight and Katie Murken. I also got to meet J. Seward Johnson, an artist and founder of the grounds, so it was pretty magical. He told us a silly story about meeting a German couple on the Queen Mary II. I think he was a little tipsy.

Katie Murken

Katie Murken 

Edwina Sandys

And of course:

Dress: Bettie Paige Clothing via ModCloth
Sweater: Target
Stockings: Torrid
Purse: Target, two years ago

The outfit of the evening! It was also a cocktail hour, so I felt this dress was appropriate. The color and the print make it so vibrant and eye catching. I got tons of compliments and my friend Becky said people were turning their heads with appreciative glances. A success! My hair looks a little effed up because I didn't have time to refresh it before leaving.

The accessories:
Shoes: Seychelles Footwear
Necklace: Forever21
Lipstick: Flower
Quotation Earrings: ModCloth










There you have it! The month is almost done, but I'm not!


-GG

Overdue.

So, since I haven't posted anything for a while, I figured I might as well throw an outfit on the wall. It's from a while ago:

Orange Bow Blouse :: Mod Cloth
Cardigan :: Target
Rock Steady Skirt :: Mod Cloth
Brouges :: DSW
Elephant Pin :: Vintage, circa 30's or 40's

So, not the best picture, it was taken the morning after an event I had to do for work. Ed and I were the youngest people attending, which was okay, but it did make for a dull time since we really had no one to talk to. To make us feel better, we went out for a drink afterwards and stayed out pretty late. That's my excuse for having train wreck hair and I am sticking to it. 

Anyway, the outfit. I like this because it's a bit of a departure from my usual jewel-tone color palette and I like how the brown, navy and orange all kinda go together. The base of the outfit is from Mod Cloth, probably the first place I tend to shop. I was worried the skirt wouldn't fit, but it did, like a dream. It's cut in a circle, so it swings when I walk and is just so damn cute. The blouse is also from Mod Cloth, an item I had literally fantasized about for weeks before buying it. I bought it way too big though - I bought a 4x when I really should have a 3x or even a 2x. Oops. When I buy straight sized clothes, I overcompensate for my overly large boobs and forget about not having to do that with Plus-Sizes. Derp. It's okay though, it works the way I want it too. The shoes we've seen before, no real comment except that they can also be found on Mod Cloth, tehehe. The broach was an awesome find! I got it from an antiques flea market I've been obsessing about recently for ten bucks! It adds a certain panache to my outfits.Here's closer picture of it:

If it's from the 40's, I am going to assume it was made after the
popularity of "Dumbo"

Anyway, my current lustiness:

Let the whining commence

I am so crushing on this dress, it's getting to the point of embarrassing. Pocket Rocket instantly became one of my favorite Blogs since I found her. I was so super excited that she got to design a dress along with two other gorgeous UK Bloggers for SimplyBe (note: whyunohavestoreinUSA?Fix nao plz). Hers is my favorite. The yellow and pink is too delightful to pass up, and the quirky and cute print is subtle enough to get away with at work. Just bummed I ended up missing a 40% off code because I'm broke. Oops. Lesson learned.

Till next time!

-GG

Soundtrack:

Beaster Outfit.

Hullo! It's been months, since I have last posted. I truly haven't forgotten about my blog, nor have I been too busy to write a post. I have just simply been incredibly lazy. C'est la vie.

Anyway, I wore a pretty banging outfit for Easter and I felt it needed to be shared. I decided to serve up some vintage realness.

My fiancee took the picture, said I needed to smile and not look cranky
Head to Toe: hat, vintage; sweater, Target; sweater guard, vintage; dress, Forever 21
tights, Target; shoes, Naya Shoes; bag, Coach Poppy Collection,
stupid hair band I left on my wrist, Wal-Mart.

I don't usually devote whole posts to an outfit, but I felt so darn cute, I couldn't help it. I also felt extremely proud for being able to match up that peachy-salmon-pink color of the dress with a cardigan. Speaking of the dress, it was pretty insane it came from Forever 21. It's really well constructed, LINED, and the pleats are sewn in. Ed's nephew's girlfriend demanded to see the tag before she believed me. Only issue: it's dry clean only. Which is pretty ridiculous for a 30 dollar dress, but hey, one last thing I need to haul the laundromat right? Anyway, I really like the blue of cardigan and the pink of the dress together. I used the grey tights as a nice base to kind of tone down the other bright colors. The shoes are a great color and pretty much go with anything in my closet! They are also SO comfortable. I can wear them all day at work and then some.

TREATS!!

Can't have Easter without some treats! Ed got me a pink chocolate bunny and two bars of Dairy Milk. That stuff is pretty much crack in chocolate form. So. Damn. Good.

  

Two more instragramy pictures. I thought they came out kinda cool :) Anyway, I have some ideas for blog posts and a few things I want to write about, so hopefully I can get the motivation! Ha!

Huggles and Kissles
-GG


P.S. Did you know that a group of unicorns is called a "Blessing". I HAD NO IDEA.

Hello, lover

So, last week this happened:

HOLY FUCK.

What exactly is that thing, you say? Well, that would be an onlay filling, which I have conveniently rocked a wiki. It's like a cross between a crown and a filling, except there's no root canal and it's porcelain and doesn't cover the whole tooth like a cap. That's why it looks all jacked up on the right hand side, as it just fills in what the dentist drilled out. So, the logical question is, "Why, is it out of your mouth and in your hand?". Because it fucking fell out of my tooth. I was eating lunch at work, admittedly, a fruit strip (um yeah, they are THAT GOOD) that was a little chewy. And it just...fell...out of my mouth. I had the typical panic attack that accompanies anything like that this that happens to me, calmed down and made a call to the dentist. I have a new dentist (as IF I was going back to the hack who put the damn thing in, in the first place) who saw me on Monday, popped the sucker back in while I was comfortably relaxing in a big cushy chair whilst watching Alton Brown. WIN.

So, to make myself feel better I decided to go to DSW for some late night shoe shopping! I had a lot fun trying on shoes and taking pictures, for what is really my first shopping trip that I am blogging about!
Without further adieu:

Okay, I need to work on taking selfies.

Getting better?

...I gave up and just took the damn shoe off.

 I saw these pretty quickly and made a bee line. I believe they were Steve Madden or Madden Girl and can be found here, interestingly enough, by a different company. Anyway, I loved the colors and the print. I have a pair of flats from Target in a similar style and I love them, as this type of print is pretty versatile. However, HOLY CRAP these are high. Like, four inches high. I almost DIED wearing these shoes, no lie. I tripped around the aisle getting a feel for these bad boys and felt they were comfortable, but just too high for me. I am already about 5'5", so I was close to six feet tall in these, which was just too weird for me. As a clumsy person, I need my center of gravity to be MUCH lower. But very tempting and fairly comfortable.

Yeehaw?

Look, I am getting used to this picture thing, okay?

 Okay, a secret: I have ALWAYS wanted a pair of cowboy boots. I looooove the look and feel and decided to try a pair on! Yay......Okay, so, not so great, but that could just be the pair I tried. I liked the pretty blue paired with the brownish color of the rest of the boot and the pattern. But they felt exactly how they should have - fake. The material was this strange puffy fake leather stuff that just felt weird. I was expecting something stiffer and hardier. I think I am going to hold out for real cowboy boots.

lol, they blend into my tights.

Yep, that would be me in my tatty green coat.

Oh, these shoes! I have a bad weakness for flats and patent leather. And recently for the color blue. Even though they made me look kind of like an elf with my tights, I pretty much loved them. They were tight, but I like to buy my flats tight as they tend to stretch out for me. I couldn't remember who made them in the slightest. But they were on clearance and seriously wanting to come home with me. 

this mirror was awesome for pics

Oh, I loved these shoes sooo much. Again, I can't remember who they were from - an expensive department store brand -  but I do remember loving them. I love wedges, as they are comfy and easy to wear for work, so these caught my eye. The leopard print was just too good as well. I don't usually go for animal prints, but the black wedge heel really toned the print down in a classy way. Unfortunately, I couldn't justify the $80.00 (clearance!) price tag, no matter how much I loved them.

Not bad, I think.

I wouldn't mind looking down at these

I look confused,ha.

I have been trying to explore more shoe options and one of them was the idea of boots. Especially ankle style boots. Scary because I feel I have thick calves and I worry that boots like these would make my legs look stumpy. I was pleasantly surprised in the end. At first I thought these were too tough looking and very grungy, which isn't me in the slightest. Turns out that paired with a skirt, boots can be quite cute! I was really happy to see the laces had military style eyelets, which helps customize the fit. Hooray, my big calves fit! The soles felt nice and cushy too. For being on clearance for 20 bucks, I could over look the fact that the materials were not real leather. You know, saving cows and whatnot. I didn't get them, but I will be back for these. If they are still there - it was meant to be!

Gold and purple, oh, myyyyy!

Okay, last pair and only one picture. A DSW employee started to straighten up the clearance are I was playing around in, casting glances in my direction. An overly polite way of saying, "Stop taking self photos, you're scaring the customers." Anyway, these are Jessica Simpson, another overpriced brand I don't like to wear. I thought these were cute, but big! You can see the space between the back of my heel and the shoe. I liked the two tone color scheme, and the fuzzy suede upper of the shoe, but I could tell these would get real uncomfortable real quick. Plus, gold really isn't my thing, but it looked so cute I was willing to give them a try. 

So, in the end, what did I end up buying? (durrrr, we all know I don't leave the shoe store without buying something, ha!)

I got these! Actually, these pretty brogues were half the onus of going to DSW, aside from making myself feel better. I saw them on ModCloth, and went out hoping I would find sometime similar and ended up finding the same damn show. I LOVE them to pieces. They are comfortable, breathe and move well and weren't too expensive. My only complaint is that the creases from walking show up, badly. It's minor and can be justified that it gives the pair character.

Oh and my reward for that hard shopping: a salad from Saladworks!

It was really good.

Until next time!

-GG

The saddest accessory of them all.

So, keeping in vein with my original idea of this blog to mix girly and geeky I bring you a post on jewelry.

Not just any jewelry - brooches!

And I am hearing the crickets. Regardless, brooches and pins are probably my favorite accessory of all time and probably one of the most over looked. Yes ladies, brooches are not just for Grandma and Ladies Who Lunch anymore.

I tend to wear a ton of swears and cardigans, all year round, summer included. I work in an office, so sometimes it gets pretty chilly in there and I don't know how to work the thermostat. Truthfully, even if I did I wouldn't touch it because I would get my arm ripped off and beaten with it if I even entertained the notion. So, sweaters it is! My general "uniform" consists of work pants, plain nice tee and a cardigan. Blaaaaaaaah. So I dress it up a bit. A nice necklace and earrings and a brooch pinned to the lapel of my blouse or on the cardigan itself.

I tend to normally choose items of clothing and adornment that are different and not your usual. Same goes for my choices in brooches. I like to have a few rules for myself, to keep it in line with who I am and what I like to wear. My criteria:

• Keep it funny, interesting and whimsical
• No over-the-top fake bling
• Nothing too crafty looking
• No badges or button pins

So, that being said, lets take a look at my own personal collection:

This is part of the whole collection. You can see I like a variety of things to stick on myself. The green flower to the left tends to get a lot of compliments. One of my favorites is the owl one, it's actually a vintage puzzle piece I got from Etsy.

The other side of the picture above. And yes that is a Mockingjay Pin from The Hunger Games. I love this one because it's nice enough to wear at work, but still really cool and shows of my fandom.

This one I got recently, on Mill St. in Bristol, PA at the Mill Street Marketplace, in a basket full of vintage jewelry for a DOLLAR. Anyway, I just really love that it's a DUCK (reminds me of Dooney and Burke's duck), and is pretty unique. Here, I am rocking it on a collar of one of my most loved dresses from my vast shirt dress collection. He looks so nice with the green and blue.

This one is one of my very favorite brooches, for it's "expect the unexpected" feel. Most people who look at it are not expecting an octopus on such a pretty cameo. I got this one at the 2012 Philadelphia Tattoo Convention (side bar: It fucking rocked.) from Mechanique Steampunk (aka Mizz Mechanique).

This one is really special to me because it's vintage costume jewelry from my Great Aunt Andy who set it aside specifically for me before she died. It's so pretty and feminine, I always have to wear it with pastels and embellished cardigans. And of course, I love to wear it because it makes me think of my Andy.

Last but not least of this sampling, RED SPARKLY butterfly. This one looks really nice on prints and really most about everything. I was looking specifically for something in red since I lack that color in my jewelry in general. I found it at Rosebush Antiques in Langhorne, PA a HUGANTIC antique store with a tea room! I also really like to pin this one to the knot on the scarf thing attacked to the blouse in the picture. The black and white makes it pop well.







There you have it, some of my fave pieces of jewelry. I tend to find my most liked peices at vintage stores, second hand shops and antique stores, but I don't limit myself to just those places. I also don't wear them all the time, because truthfully, sometimes it doesn't work the outfit or I am over accessorized already. However, I still find brooches to be timeless and perfect for work, casual or formal outfits. Just remember, choose pieces that speak to you and fit to your style and personality.

Untill Next Time I Remember I Have A Blog
-GG

Tax Return Shopping!

Like a kid on Christmas, I ran down stairs to my laptop and check my bank account. Low and behold: My tax return! I was pretty psyched and promptly told my fiancee we were going to Coach so I can get my bag. Which also turned into a shopping spree. But that's okay. When I got to Coach, I started just meandering around, looking at things. The shop assistant kept her distance until I asked questions. I was really going toward the Poppy area, because I loved the tote I had my eye on forever. Then I actually looked at the new stuff, that I usually sweep on by when I enter the store. The Kristin Collection. Brand spanking new, in the signature Coach op art jacquard and this softest, buttery leather ever. They came in really pretty springy colors, yellow, teal, white and the usual black and a darker multi color. I ended up getting the Kristin Opt Art Sateen Hobo. I loooove this bag. The short handle is made from the same soft leather and comes with a longer strap that can be removed. I adore this, because it's nice to have some versatility. I have fat line backer arms, so the sorter strap is hard to manage with my bulky winter coat on. I use the longer strap for now. But it's so lovely and once I saw that with the special clasp, all images of Poppy left my head. Poppy who?

The bad news is that my MOTHER got make up on the damn thing when I showed her. BUT I can say for a fact that the Coach cleaner is the most amazing stuff ever. It got the stains out perfectly and quickly with nothing left over. For 10 bucks, it can keep your investment in good shape. That being said, I think for next winter I am going to upgrade through to a full leather piece, one that can stand up to my abuse. :T

I also ended up getting a rather pretty dress from Target, a pretty tank shirt from Torrid and really lovely pointy kitten heals from Nine West. Hurrah, good shopping day!