Okay. I have just a few moments before I’m off, but I just had to share this photo with you. I’m a big fan of this satin wrap skirt from Cynthia Rowley and I really truly adore how Tinsley Mortimer pulled it together with that royal blue top and perfect gray accessories. Lovely!
If you’re like me and just can’t quite work Ms. Rowley into your budget, take a peek at these new Cynthia Rowley patterns for Simplicity I uncovered the other day. I had no idea!
Today I’m sharing a few of the “best of” finds I’ve found on my coat quest. I remember when I was little, my favorite coat was pink down with white “rabbit” fur trim. Apparently, I’ve always been a coat diva! 
What is your best-of-all-times coat?
Casual Plaid, GUESS?; Dress Coat, Topshop; Ruffled Trench, L.A.M.B.
Yesterday was the coldest day we’ve had here so far this fall. I love cold weather but I often have issues finding just the right coat to wear. Which brings me to what I believe may become an annual tradition: The Coat Countdown. Over the next little bit, I’ll be revealing my top 15 picks in this season’s outerwear.
Today, the focus is all about trends. There have been quite a few upgrades from the standard issue Old Navy pea coat from seasons past. Outerwear has taken on a whole new stylish look. The top trends this season (in my opinion) are Faux Fur, Plaid, Military and Boyfriend. Structured shoulders, cropped sleeves and metal hardware are also making their presence known again in this years looks.
Faux Fur
This trend is not for the faint of heart. To avoid looking too Dynasty or Cruella de Vil-esque, couple your fur (faux of course) with casual. Light colored destroyed denimn and lightweight fabrics make great companions to this fancy throwback.
Plaid
Plaid looks great almost any way you style it. From casual everyday jackets to super retro styled looks, the key to wearing plaid is to make sure it is the right size. Smaller, darker plaids will seem dressier and make you appear slimmer. Larger plaids infer a more laid back look.
Military
The newest military styles involve loads of dressed up chain, badges and shoulder regalia. This look is perfect to pair with everything from party dresses to jeans and a white tee.
Boyfriend
One of the most popular looks for fall, the boyfriend trend, is lingering into winter. Because of the oversized structure, boyfriend looks are best paired with very simple and slim fit pants and skirts. Make sure to add a girlie accessory to keep from feeling too much like your boyfriend!
Fur, Urban Outfitters; Hitched Skirt Plaid, Topshop; Boyfriend, Silence and Noise
Do you ever have one of those hair days when you seriously consider ordering a Dolly Parton wig? (She honestly has her own line of big, blonde wigs. For a good time, Google the ads from the 80’s) Well, you might not literally want to look like a Steel Magnolia, but most women have two areas that they would like to be considered “voluptuous”, and Dolly is a good example because she just so happens to have both! Fortunately it is a tad easier to accomplish voluptuous hair than to attain the other.
The sexy hair 
of today belongs to the likes of Jessica Simpson, Carrie Underwood and Eva Longoria. Each of these ladies seems to favor the long, curled, voluminous Hollywood styles that average women envy. Of course these girls have professional hairstylists and expensive products at their disposal, but the most vital secret weapon in a starlet’s beauty arsenal is certainly extensions.
When you think extensions, don’t picture a braided-in weave. The hair extensions that are best for European hair (non-ethnic hair) consist of hundreds of separate, tiny little strands that are “bonded” (a nice word for hot-glued) into your hair near the scalp. This procedure works beautifully and is definitely the way to go if you have several hours and several hundred dollars to spare. As your hair grows out, so do the extensions, so not only do you have the large cost of the initial appointment, but of course this requires a lot of upkeep and touch ups. So basically, unless you have an abundance of time and money, this option may not work for you.
If you are desperate for thicker or longer hair, your next best bet just might be the Jessica Simpson line of at-home hair extensions called Hairdo. They are clip in extensions that are relatively easy to do on your own, come in a variety of different colors to match your own hair and can be found at stores like Ulta. Hairdo also makes a line of 100% natural human hair extensions that can be custom cut and colored by your hair stylist, although of course these do cost more and are not as easy to find. Now here comes the bubble burst. Not just anyone can slap on a long, wavy, glamorous extension piece and look like Jessica herself. For instance, if you have super thin, fine hair, the extension piece will more than likely be seen through your hair. If you have a short, stacked bob haircut, long extensions are a no go. Your natural hair will not blend with the extension and you’ll end up looking like you have a mushroom on your head. Color can also be an issue since these synthetic hairpieces cannot be dyed to match your own color. Keep those things in mind and only venture into extensions if they really look natural on you. The only thing worse than bad hair is a bad hairpiece!
Ok, so maybe you can do extensions, maybe you cannot. I personally prefer to forgo the possibility of my husband romantically caressing my hair, only to get his fingers all tangled up in my weave. That being said, I stick to big hair basics: teasing comb, curling iron and lots of hairspray.
Here’s how it works:
• Start by shampooing and conditioning your hair with volumizing products. A new cheapy favorite of mine is the TREsemme 24 Hour Body collection.
• Apply some volumizing mousse or root lift to your roots and comb through the ends. Blow dry your hair (letting your hair dry naturally is the worst thing you can do if you want volume) by using a brush to lift the roots or just flipping your head upside down. Make sure the hair is completely dry.
• Tease, tease, tease! Do not be afraid of backcombing! Section off the mid-top portion of your hair and just rat up that part. Take small sections, tease, then add another small section to it so it all becomes one big ol’ mat. Spray a little hairspray on the underside of the roots after you tease. When you reach the very top of your head where you part your hair, ease up a little on the teasing so you won’t see it there. It will look like a disaster at this point, but just wait for the end result before you get all worked up about Loretta Lynn staring back at you in the mirror.
• Use a 1 or 1 ½ inch curling iron to make your curls or waves. Section off your hair by pulling it all up on top of your head and securing with a clip. Starting at the nape of your neck, take down a horizontal section all the way around your head that is about 1-2 inches, depending on how thin or thick your hair is or how big or small you want your curls. Starting on one side and working around to the opposite side, take a small section of that hair and place your curling iron towards the top of the shaft (do not start at the ends). Clamp the iron closed on the upper shaft and start rotating the iron, slightly loosening the clamp as you go to allow the hair to move through. When you reach the ends, your entire strand should be wrapped around the curling iron with your ends secured under the clamp. Repeat this throughout your section until all pieces are curled. Take down another section and continue. It can be complicated at first, but the more you do it the easier and faster it becomes. Once you have the hang of it, thick hair should not take any more than 35 minutes.
• Toss your curls to loosen them up and spread them out with your fingers. I like to rub a dab of hair serum on my hands during this step as to not end up making fly-aways or frizzies. Once you have the curls and the top both the way you want it…
• Hairspray! Lift your curls and spray underneath as well as on top. Use your hands to scrunch your curls while spraying for even more volume. (The serum on the hands really helps in this step too so your hair doesn’t stick to your hands.)
Voila! Hollywood hair!
~ Courtney
Friday and Saturday proved to be two of the best days QUiD has ever had. I have to say, those Head Girlies really went all out with promoting the show this year and it showed. My perfectly placed little booth had more traffic than the 405 at rush hour. Yay! Here are a few pics of my booth before it all started. As usual, I managed to not capture a single human in my photos. Oh well, enjoy!
My girl Tara snagged this one!
for the boys (and girls)!
Okay. Here’s the official poster art for Girlie 2009. Their new website, http://thegirlieshow.net is also up and running with some great pics, cool video documentary, etc. Hope you can all be there!
I’ve been in Texas at my parent’s home for the past several days. I needed some serious backup. The Girlie Show is in11 days and I have loads of things to finish. (P.S. The Girlie Show is the biggest/coolest art show I do each year.)
Thanks to an awesomely crafty mom, I’ve been able to complete many of those “almost there” projects. Whew. Still a long way to go, but here are a couple of things that will debut at Girlie this season.
Sorry for the awful pics!
Piled with vintage goodness!
If you’d like to see the new things in person, come out to the show!
November 6th & 7th
OKC Farmer’s Market
The street style movement has hit full force along with its quirky and sometimes questionable trends. For the most part I’m on board, but here’s one look I just can’t make up my mind on. You’ve probably not seen any sane (or even remotely en vogue) human wearing a fanny pack since at least 1996. And if you have, I can almost guarantee they were sporting it along with khaki shorts and a bowling shirt in high pursuit of Mickey Mouse.
The fact is, however, the fanny pack may be making is fashionable return to society. We’ve seen it on the runway mix by designers like Gucci, Mulberry and Marc Jacobs in understated chic prints for spring. There are several handmade hipsters jumping in on the zipper pouch trend with great finesse.
So tell me, Fanny Packs: Wear ‘em or no?
Sage Hip Pocket, Jenny N Design; Plaid Cargobelt, Utility Wear; Whiteout Fanny Pack, Junkprints; Army Green Hipshack, May Tree Ark; Fancypack, Carrotcake
Cooler weather is just around the corner (hopefully) and with the climate change comes the wardrobe change. Out with the tank tops and in with the sweaters. Hello, knee boots and goodbye, peep-toes, right? One simply cannot go out barelegged in 40 degree temps, so what else is a girl to do other than pack away the open-toed shoes until spring? Everyone knows that stockings are reserved for closed-toed shoes only, right? Since the dawn of time (or somewhere around then) the fashion gods have forbidden us to wear open-toed shoes with any type of hosiery, so surely 2009 will be no different, right? Wrong! Apparently the powers that be have grown tired of seeing the same knee-boot and skirt combo year after year, and frankly, I’ve had my fill as well. As crazy as it may sound (or even look to some) the infamous fashion faux pas is now the “it look” for the season. That’s right, you heard me, open-toed shoes for fall…with tights.
Now, take a moment to collect yourself, lift your jaw off the floor and pay attention to the following restrictions before you go traipsing down the street in your white Easter shoes and suntan pantyhose. It’s not as easy as it sounds and if you don’t do it right you’ll end up looking like you’re trying to score an invite to your Granny’s bridge club. So here’s how to pull it off, if you dare.
First of all, these aren’t just any open-toed shoes. Actually, the open-toe should really be more of a peep-toe. The shoe needs to be a little chunky, not skimpy or strappy, and the heavier the fabric, the better. Suede, wool and flannel are all good choices.
Moving on to the issue of hosiery, let’s just take a moment to clarify the difference between tights and pantyhose. Pantyhose are the staple of every great-grandmother’s wardrobe. In my humble opinion, they were made strictly to disguise any unsightly varicose veins, bruises, age spots or any other imperfections of the leg. So, unless you are a geriatric member of the AARP (or a Hooter’s waitress), there is no need. Tights, on the other hand, can be a fabulous accessory when paired with the right shoes. The tights you want for this look are a dark color and very opaque. In addition, textured tights can really break up the monotony of an all black ensemble.
This look actually made its runway debut last season, but sometimes it takes a full year for a new runway trend to translate into everyday life. Keep in mind that some people have no tolerance for breaking old, outdated fashion dos and don’ts. So prepare yourself for some raised eyebrows from those who aren’t aware of the new trends, which, let’s face it, is practically everyone. I say ignore the naysayers and strut your style savvy stuff. If anyone gives you slack about your fab new look, tell them to check out QUiDessential and I’ll set them straight. Or if you, yourself, are one of the eyebrow-raisers who simply cannot get on board with this look, don’t worry; it’s a definite fad that will probably be long gone by this time next year.
~ Courtney
From the minute I could read “chapter books”, I fell in love with Nancy Drew. Her clever antics and sleuthing ways keep me on my toes even today. In fact, it was my love for Miss Drew that inspired me to create a new series of posts entitled Look Lit. Each week we’ll do our best uncover the style of a children’s literature hero.
What character’s look would you like to see?
Magnifying Glass, The Weather Workshop ; Vintage Dress and Jacket, Modcloth; Skirt, Anthropologie; Smith & Corona Typewriter, Finding Fabulous Christian Louboutin Heels, Barneys
Fact About Nancy
The first three Nancy Drew® stories were published on April 28, 1930.
Nancy’s hair color has changed over the years. It was blonde at first. Then in 1957, a printing error on the cover of The Haunted Showboat caused her hair to be titian. Soon after, the books referred to her as titian-haired. It has been described as strawberry blonde too over the years. It has never been brunette in the books.
Nancy was 16 in the original books. It wasn’t until the late 1950s that her age changed to 18 to accommodate driving laws in all states. Nancy has never been in school in the books.
