As I’m sure you’ve already picked up, I’m a big fan of Fall in general and Halloween in particular {Fall Fabulousness, All Hallow’s Eve & October Round-Up}. This year I was lucky enough to attend two fabulous Halloween parties in Sacramento as well as act as American River CrossFit’s team photograph for CrossFit West Sac’s charity Breast Cancer competition.
This year I was excited to dress up twice, the first time as Wendy from Peter Pan in a vintage yellow nightgown and the second time as The Black Dahlia in a fabulous little black dress that my friend made.
But don’t worry, I’m not the only one who dressed up for Halloween this year. Bones dressed up as a CHICKEN! Again. Clearly it’s his favorite costume, doesn’t he look enthusiastic?
And the day before Halloween I watched the exciting Barbells For Boobs charity CrossFit competition which included every shade of pink known to man and even Jessica Rabbit in a stunning red gown.
How was your Halloween? What did you dress up as? What was the best costume that you saw?
As October progresses the reminders that it’s holiday season are everywhere – Store decorations, TV commercials, sale annoucements, magazine advertisements… Luckily for me the holiday season begins with my favorite holiday, because as much as I adore candy canes and the scent of evergreen, I’m a Halloween girl.
You get to be a kid for a day – Candy, costumes, pranks, parties, and a general feeling of nostalgia and excitement – What’s not to love?
When it comes to costumes I’ll always choose innovative & novel over skin-baring. In recent years I’ve been Holly Golightly from Breakfast At Tiffany’s, Cleopatra, a Venetian Carnival reveller, and Twiggy. I’ve seen so many creative costumes over the years that I’m at a loss for why you’d want to pick a cookie-cutter one when you could put a little effort in and end up with something one-of-a-kind that you absolutely love.
So with that in mind here are some fun links to get your creative juices flowing for this year’s costume!
The Man Repeller’s For Halloween – Her fun suggestions include: Steve Jobs, Rupaul, Frida Kahlo, Margot Tenenbaum, Larry David & Richard Harrow.
If you’re in the mood for a fashion-forward costume check out Fashionologie’s Fashion in Costume: A Look Back at Halloweens Past for great inspiration from models, fashion designers, and couture collections.
Are you a movie lover? Check out Refinery 29’s 5 Big-Screen Halloween Costumes That Are Total Oscar Winners! I love these kinds of costumes since they’re always a little open to interpretation and this post includes gems like Liv Tyler’s character in Empire Records, Liz Taylor’s Cleopatra, Daisy from The Great Gatsby – The original or the upcoming remake – The Queen of Hearts from Alice In Wonderland, and Tippi Hedren in Hitchcock’s The Birds.
If you’re not interested in spending a fortune on your costume, want to find something wholly unique, or even if want a costume made up of pieces that you can wear again, heading to a vintage shop is a great option. Fun ideas from Refinery 29’s How To Thirft 6 Super-Easy Halloween Costumes include Martha Stewart, fisherman from The Deadliest Catch, and The Rockettes.
Doing your makeup for Halloween can be one of the most fun parts of getting ready. Whether you’re recreating Cleopatra’s famous exotic kohl-lined eyes, adding oozing sores & blood for a Walking Dead-inspired get up, or whiting your face out so you can be a Vampire or mime. The Glamourai put together fabulous tutorials to help you perfect the makeup for your costumes – Everything from the wide-eyed look of the 60’s to the glamorous white-faced Geishas to Bogie-inspired detectives – { DIY } Halloween Beauty Ideas, { Behind The Scenes } Spooktacular Beauty & { Ghoul’s Night Out }.
As for my costume this year I wanted to be the Mad Hatter… But the costume I ordered didn’t fit. Either of them. 🙁
But with a last-minute party scheduled for this evening in Sacramento and no costume planned yet I’ll be giving you hints and sneak peeks of my shopping & planning all day today… So be sure to keep an eye on Twitter, Facebook, and/or Instagram for updates!
The title of this article got my attention for a number of reasons, but primarily because I’m deeply in agreement. I’m 29, I’ve been working 12+ hours a day for 7 years, and I’m ready to retire! LifeVest – Why Women Are Burning Out at Work Before 30.
Pizza is hardly considered a diet food and any healthy eating regime is likely to outlaw it, but I’m a rebel and I think these versions sound ah-mazing! From the Fit Community: 6 Diet-Friendly Pizzas. From fresh veggies and goat cheese to whole wheat dough to mini versions, there’s something to make everyone’s mouth water! I’m partial to the socca myself, I’ve been making socca-crust pizzas since I was first diagnosed with gluten intolerance and I can’t recommend trying them enough!
One of the first things that my doctor did last fall after my spinal injury was write me a prescription for a stand up desk. My office amazingly had one in storage so three days later it was up and running. The results have been amazing and I’m planning to keep it even once I’m fully healed. Interested in learning more? Fit Bottomed Girls – Stand Up for Your Fitness: Review of the Standing Fit Standing Desk. And if that’s not enough to convince you, this piece for the SF Gate may change your mind – Sitting Less Adds Two Years to U.S. Life Expectancy.
Whenever I get the urge to freshen things up in my apartment I turn to wall decor for that extra zing of unique creativity. If you’re the same check out Apartment Therapy’s – 10 DIY Wall Art Ideas That Anyone Can Do.
There are many celebrity “designers” out there but few who really have the fashion chops, a la Victoria Beckham, to make a real impact on the fashion world. Which side of the line do you think Miss Gwyneth Paltrow’s first collection will fall on? FabSugar has the details – See What Gwyneth Paltrow Designed For Her Special Goop Collection So Far.
Need some healthy snack ideas? Obviously you should reach for fresh fruit & veggies, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit before anything packages & processed, but sometimes you just need to throw something in your purse or keep in your desk in case of a snacking emergency. Check out the Hungry Hungry Hippie‘s suggestions or my Lollihop review. I’ll also be reviewing my Healthy Surprise box soon!
Are you a fan of yoga? Since I’m going through physical therapy for a back injury and trying to strengthen my core and stay flexible, I’m going to give it another try. Here are some beginner and not-so-beginner yoga sessions to give a try:
Did you enjoy Part I and Part II of the Mark’s Daily Apple series called Why Fast? that I posted here? The next installment in this series is a great beginners guide to fasting – Why Fast? Part Six – Choosing a Method.
I read lots of pieces on how to be a good hostess – from menus to glasses to centerpieces, but I was excited to read this article from Apartment Therapy on Hosting Overnight Guests Without A Guestroom. San Francisco is a city of apartment living and when a one bedroom is usually over $2000 a month, most people don’t have an unused bedroom, so this is incredibly relevant!
Nothing but fabulousness from the arrivals at the Gucci Fashion Show After-Party in Shanghai. If you need inspiration for a night out on the town these ladies are a great place to start!
A great look for Spring is a crisp button down shirt. You can pair it with cropped pants, a pleated mini, over a flowy maxi dress or even tucked into jeans. And why not mix up the classic white button down and try a Chambray shirt. Do A Little Chambray! from Eat Breath Fashion.
Whether you’re breaking out your Spring dresses for weekends or planning a shopping trip for your Summer wedding season, take inspiration from FabSugar’s Ultimate Spring Dress Guide!
I always give a little sigh of relief when all of the Fashion Weeks are over – There’s a lot to keep up with, a lot going on, lots of photos to try to find and websites to link and models to track down… It’s pretty exhausting even from a distance, I can’t imagine actually being there!
So, to celebrate the end of a month of fashion here’s a Looks of the Week post filled with fabulous, relatable styles that we mere mortals can emulate.
Such a great, easy look. A chic black pantsuit is a great alternative to a cocktail dress. Though most of us aren't running around in Louis Vuitton Pre-Fall 2012 pieces. Unfortunately...
Stacy Keibler rocked a stunning blue Asos dress that showed off just a hint of skin. This is a great cocktail frock because the longer hemline offsets the flash of midriff to keep it on the classy side.
This is a great mens coat. I love the contrasting belt, faux fur collar & double-breasted buttons. Not a huge fan of facial hair or short pants on men though...
Late Afternoon has a knack for pairing pieces you might not guess would look phenomenal together. Yellow jeans, a white lace top and a floral midriff baring top? Perfection! Spring anyone?
Wow. I mean. Just wow. It can be hard to pull off the menswear inspired suit on the red carpet, and trying to spice it up with a little sexiness can fail. But Miss Evan Rachel Wood knows how to do it right. Love the shoes paired with the Jason Wu suit.
This is hardly a typical mini skirt look - I like sequined collar on the bright red blouse and the fun zipper clutch. They both keep it far from boring.
Source Want to try a great polka dot look? Eat, Breath, Fashion has some inspiration & ideas on finding the perfect look. Or you can check out the MCLV Style File on Olivia Palmero‘s polka dot skirt!
Stay tuned this week for summaries from the Fall 2012 Paris Fashion Week shows, the front row looks and a very special Moi Contre La Vie giveaway.