STYLE: Style Inspiration From the Ladies of Horror

Friday the 13th is a rare and special treat - most people are freaked out by the morbid associations, but I delight in any day that feels like a holiday. Seriously - any excuse (even a superstitious nonevent) to put a little special spice in the air is okay by me. In honor of this most fearful of Fridays I'm showing you how to get horror movie-style glamour directly from the queens of scream themselves. 

(click any style board to learn more)

The Birds

Even though we pretty much only see one outfit on Tippi Hedren in The Birds, it was definitely a good one. Her vintage green dress suit could still be rocked today and her simple, sleek accessories could still make us "flock" to her (yes, I went there). Here's how she'd do it up today:

The Craft

The Craft was HUGE for me and my friends and while she seemed to have the least screen time, I was always drawn to the wardrobe of Rachel True's character Rochelle. This look was LITERALLY the epitome of chic to me in 1996 and I tried (and failed) to pull it off with my limited 5th grade wardrobe. Gotta admit - I'd still feel incredibly cool in this right now. Also, why don't we wear more suspenders?

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Buffy - and I'm talking movie version Buffy here - was just SO cool I could barely stand it. I once watched this movie ten times in 48 hours before returning my rental in 2nd grade. I have her wardrobe memorized, from daisy print dress to spandex unitard and every jean jacket in between. Words of wisdom: anyone who can effortlessly pull off a black leather jacket over a prom dress is a fashion pro. Here's how to steal her best slaying gear:

Gremlins 2: The New Batch

Some may find her repulsive, but I'm strangely drawn to the girl gremlin. Her confidence is insane! She's like a leathery Marilyn Monroe. Wearing a pink boa and full on ball gown like it's just ~whatevs~ shows this chick can pull off anything! A full head of retro styled green hair is a look I'd like to pursue, but we can start small with a few clip in streaks.

Rosemary's Baby

OK, so Rosemary had some serious shit going on, but she still managed to knock the whole fashion thing out of the park. Her baby is all Satan-y and she'd still sporting non-stop hats, mod collars and to-die-for nighties. If she can find the time to wear perfect shift dresses while solving the whole 'what the hell is going on' thing then what's our excuse?

Psycho

Like The Birds, we get just a glimpse into the potential super closet of Janet Leigh in Psycho, but it's stayed engrained in our collective memory. Her simple shirt dress and selective jewelry are smart for a gal on the run and I think we can all give thanks that her clothes were spared during the infamous shower scene. Also, can we talk about THOSE BROWS? Perfection.

The Shining

The Shining twins are probably not topping any lists of who we most want to emulate, but let's step back from the creepiness for a sec...their look is actually pretty cute, am I right? Nightgown-esque dress, knee socks, mary janes - YES. Throw on some Gemini jewelry as a nod to your "better half" and this lipstick in the shade REDRUM and you can have the twins' look - minus the blood stains (unless you're into that, of course).

They're not only there to terrify you: the ladies of horror can be major fashion inspiration! Follow their lead - err, at least in the clothing realm - to get a cool, vintage or tough look that's so good it's scary.

Who is your favorite lady of horror?

xoxo,

Michelle

DIY: Ring Holder

I love jewelry. Like I really love jewelry. I’ve always been the type to have way too much of it even though I earnestly attempt to clear out some of my stash every year. Because I also make a lot of jewelry my piles of rings, necklaces, bracelets and earrings really get away from me. I’ve made my own custom wall-mounted jewelry organizer, but my rings were still stashed in a box in one jumbled mess. 

I wasn’t wearing most of my rings because I couldn’t see them or find them, so I decided I really needed one of those fancy ring cases like you’d see at a jewelry store or craft fair where they’re all laid out one by one. I get on these obsessive binges where I convince myself I NEED something and that it’s totally worth $25 and will make my life SO MUCH BETTER. 

Then I usually snap back into reality and have an A-HA! moment where I see that, once again, DIY is the answer! This one was so easy, cheap and practical that I thought I just had to share! 

What You Need

Lid from a Shoe Box 
Foam Curlers (enough to fill the box lid - mine were $1 per 10 pack at the dollar store) 
Hot Glue Gun 
Decorative Paper 
Decorative Trim (optional) 
Pencil 
Scissors 
Total Cost: Less Than $5.00

How To Make It

1. Trace each side of your shoe box lid on the back of your decorative paper. Cut each piece out and hot glue them to the sides of the box.

2. Remove all of the plastic parts from your curlers (set aside for some kind of amazing project and if you think of one let me know – I have 40 of them!). Apply glue to one end of a curler and press the end of another curler against it. Hold until set. 

3. Continue to make chains of curlers wide enough to fit snugly inside your box lid. Remember, you can cut these curlers easily if needed. Make enough chains to fill the height too. 

4. Glue the end of one curler chain to the inside of the box lid. Lay a line of glue across the lid where the chain will be and press the chain into it. Glue the other end of the chain to the other side of the inner lid. Continue until the lid is full. 

5. I chose to add a vintage lace trim to mine to cover the edges. To do so, just cut strips to the right length and glue at the corners and along the sides. 

Then, fill with rings for a beautiful and functional piece of art/organizational system! I knew this would help me keep my rings neatly arranged but I wasn’t expecting the instant decorative effect it also provided. Plus I saw rings I totally forgot about, like my belt ring from an 8th grade fair, my googly-eyed ring from an arcade and my giant pink bow ring. This system is really working out! 

Do you have any awesome, can’t-live-without rings in your collection? 

xoxo, 
Michelle

BEAUTY: Wet n Wild Cosmetics

Wet n Wild was the first makeup brand I ever really used on my own, which is something I think a lot of people my age can relate to. Their prices were so cheap back then (mostly 99¢) that I could easily scoop up glittery nail polishes and way-too-bright lipsticks when I was still in elementary school. I was practically magnetized to that colorful endcap display whenever I entered a CVS and lately I’ve found myself right back there again! 

Who knew that my “play” makeup was still kind of awesome almost 20 years later? Plus, somehow (and I don’t know how) everything is priced almost exactly as I remember it way back then. I’ve found some awesome stuff for so cheap: 

Eyeshadows 

Generally I stay away from inexpensive eyeshadow – not because I’m some kind of brand snob, but because I’ve found them to be mostly dry, cheap and just not worth it. This is SO not the case with WnW. They're super smooth to apply and feel really rich and creamy while still being completely powdered. The pigment is incredible too! I honestly prefer many of their palettes over some more expensive ones I’ve tried. 

Silent Treatment

Spoiled Brat

Pride

Petal Pusher

Eyeliners

WnW is the perfect brand for when you just need a quick pencil for your brows or a white liner for your water line. They also have several fun liquid liner shades for about $3 each which makes it easy to experiment. I love the bright teal/aqua one (wearing it right now!) because the color really pops! 

Mega Liner in Turquoise

Color Icon Pencil in Turquoise and Deep Blue and Mega Last Liner in Dark Brown

Nail Polish 

These really stay put! There have been times when I keep my mani looking good for a whole week with WnW, when I’m usually hoping for, like, 4 days. The fast dry ones are great too – especially the top coat! They also have some with a “salon style” brush which is just basically wider, but it really does a great job of covering the whole nail. 

Mega Last Nail Polish in On A Trip and I Need a Refresh-Mint

Tools

I use the WnW kabuki brush everyday and have yet to be disappointed. It also holds up to regular washings. [See my DIY makeup brush cleaner here] 

Lips 

The main thing I love about WnW lip products is that I can try a ton of shades without spending a lot. I’m never quite sure what color lipstick I should be wearing so I find it hard to commit to an expensive one, but I have no problem picking up 5 “maybe” shades from WnW for $5 to see what works. Plus you can try things outside your comfort zone and mix shades to get just the right look. 

Silk Finish Lipstick in Dark Wine

Do you use Wet n Wild makeup? What are your favorite products? 

xoxo, 
Michelle

ROUNDUP: Funny Stuff Edition

Happy April Fools' Day! In honor of this most important of holidays and to kick off National Humor Month, I've decided to cram this Roundup full of stuff that makes me laugh. Hopefully it makes you laugh too, but either way I'll be too busy guffawing to realize. Also, I finally got to use the word guffawing in a sentence! Here are some clips from some of my favorite shows past and present:

Strangers With Candy

Strangers With Candy is my favorite TV show of all time! Of all time! Amy Sedaris is to be worshipped and adored and her Jerri Blank character from SWC is the funniest (and moistest) character to ever grace the silver screen. All 3 seasons are available on DVD, but you can get acquainted with the perverted, troubled and lovable Jerri right here.

Community

Lucky for us, Community has recently returned to its Thursdays @ 8PM time slot after a unexplained brief hiatus (I'm lookin' at you NBC) and we can once again join in the hilarious discussions between the best study group at Greendale Community College. This is a majorly character driven show so if you don't watch know that a) you should start and b) you will fall in love/get obsessed with each of them.

Candy Tails from Tim & Eric

Tim & Eric are so weird and so great and so full of ridiculous gems like this one. This is actually one of their more "normal" scenes, but the way it reminds me of girls sucking on their hair in elementary school (what the hell was that about?!) has endeared it to me.

Arrested Development

Best known as 'the best show you're not watching' or 'the show that should never have been cancelled', Arrested Development has posthumously become one of the most popular comedies in the last decade. It's maybe literally the smartest (super subtle things pop up again seasons later) and funniest (just watch if you don't know) show ever. Every character is perfectly cast and there are actually new episodes being made again!

Party Down

I tend to have major crushes on hilarious shows that get cancelled way too early. Too often, I've been the (only?) one watching a great show during the original airing and then it gets cancelled and then it gets popular on DVD. That can be said for Party Down (and actually a lot of this list now that I think of it), but both seasons are on DVD and streaming and whatnot. The more you watch the more you love these characters (douchey haircuts and all).

I love all of these shows, but it was very hard to choose between these and others (I'm sorry Conan, Undeclared, Freaks & Geeks, The State, Todd Margaret...the list continues). What is your favorite show/movie/funny person of all time?

xoxo,

Michelle