Summer Lovin'

It's been a whirlwind summer and I've been neglecting RGR (as you know). We've traveled a ton, I've worked at my full time job, I've had tons of fun and I have been working hard on my business. It has been one of the best summers I've had in a long time but at times it's also been tiring and a little stressful. I'm going to attempt to catch you up over the next couple weeks. If you follow me on Instagram, then you've seen photos of some of the adventures. One of my favorite events this summer was the wedding of my cousin Brittany. It was a day filled with love and family. Back in the spring I was struggling to find outfits to wear to the many weddings we had on the calendar. I managed to find a great dress at Lane Bryant. It was sold out online but I tracked it down in a local store. Definitely a great purchase. I also wore it to the Stella & Dot fashion show in Vegas.

 

Dress: Lela Rose for Lane Bryant (no longer available but I love this one.), Jewelry and Clutch: Stella & Dot, Sandals: Circus by Sam Edelman via Amazon

I love that {msL} and I managed to coordinate without trying.

My sweet Mom.

My Aunt, the beautiful Bride (my cousin Brittany), and I

The Happy Couple! Congrats Brittany and Jeremy!

Summer Wedding Necessities

To be honest, the title of this post is a bit deceiving. Some of these items are more likely perceived necessities but a girl has to dream. We have four weddings on our calendar between May and July. I've lost weight over the last year and all of my dresses are too big. That's a beautiful thing but it's also challenging. Most of the weddings have some sort of outdoor element to them, which means stilettos and long gowns are out. Weather can change from warm to cool at night, so I will need some versatile options. In addition to the wedding, there will also be a few events surrounding some of the weddings. I'll be traveling to all of them. Three are out of state. I want outfits that pack well and will still look great. Challenge accepted. I went searching for some inspiration.

 photo credits: Fashion Vibe, Gal Meets Glam, A Little Dash of Darling


None of the weddings are formal but some are dressier than others. Some are extremely casual and frankly, those throw me a bit. I want to be dressed appropriately, per the couple's guidelines but I also want to look good. And I always err on the side of dressy. It never bothers me to be a little more dressed up than other guests. I prefer it over being overly casual. I found these three options.

Lane Bryant (sold out online, available in stores) / Asos / eShakti

Each of these dresses will look great dressed up with heels and statement jewelry or dressed down with flats or flat sandals and more simple jewelry. Versatility is always important to me. 

Jewelry by Stella & Dot / Shoes available via Saks Off 5th

Fashion and Style Quote of the Day (#12) - Drinks and Lipstick

 There are days when only certain things will perk up my mood. Those are the days when I call my closest friends, who always make me laugh, long for the end of the day to see {msL} because she always makes me feel better, make a favorite cocktail and put on my favorite lipstick. For some people that last one seems silly or doesn't fit them.  For me it works every time. If I feel good about myself then that makes me happier. Bright lipstick works every time. It can make a simple outfit more polished. Great lipstick with a t-shirt somehow seems fancier. It's a simple tool in your arsenal.

I'm in love with all of the bright lipsticks out this year.  My latest obsession is the Maybelline ColorSensational Vivids collection. I love all of the colors and already own many of them.

This post on Beautezine has great swatches.

I even wore Hot Plum (far right in the photo above) on my wedding day (photo below).  It's a fantastic bright fuchsia shade.

A great way to jazz up your favorite sweatshirt and cargo jacket. I'm sure the necklaces didn't hurt either.

Now for the drink. On our wedding day we chose to serve beer (2 of our favorites), wine (red and white) and two signature cocktails. My personal favorite was the Lucky 13 (vodka cherry limeade). We also created a drink called the  Rock Star. It's a rum and passion fruit drink. The Lucky 13 was by far the most popular (reddish pink drink below).

 

Lucky 13 (vodka cherry limeade)

vodka
lime juice (fresh is best but bottled is good too for simplicity)
Monin cherry syrup (best I've found, don't use grenadine, it's not the same)
Sprite (or any lemon lime soda)
ice

Fill a rocks glass with ice.

Add 2 oz of vodka
Add two splashes of lime juice (about 1/4 oz, more if you like it tart)
Add 1/2 oz of cherry syrup
Fill the glass with Sprite and stir.

ENJOY!


It's a great summer time drink.  You can make some alterations to the recipe if you are calorie conscious. Use club soda or sugar free Sprite in place of regular Sprite.  There are also sugar free cherry syrups available but we chose Monin because it doesn't have a fake cherry flavor. You could also use cherry juice, like Ocean Spray or Old Orchard Very Cherrie. If you substitute juice you will need to alter the proportions.

If you have a down day anytime soon, try a little pick up. Grab your favorite drink and put on some fun lipstick.  Thanks Elizabeth.

Everyday Jewelry

My jewelry armoire is filled with tons of great jewelry. I love to mix up my look but there are pieces I gravitate toward daily and those I wear every day without fail.

Silver bangles that belonged to my Mom, white gold link bracelet (one of the first gifts {msL} ever gave me) that I never take off, a watch (I have a silver, a gold, and a rose gold in similar styles.)



My engagement and wedding ring.  I never take off my wedding ring.

My Stella and Dot Renegade bracelet (c/o Kristin Biggs) is my favorite bracelet. I wear it almost every day.

My monogram necklace (a gift from {msL}). I wear it often.

Do you have favorite jewelry pieces that you wear ever day?

Wedding Photo Preview

I've missed you guys! On Saturday night {msL} and I got married.  It was an amazing night and I'm still in awe of the incredible people in our lives.  We couldn't have had this wedding without them. They gave of themselves, their time, talents and were so generous. THANK YOU ALL! They truly made the evening special.  As I walked down the aisle, I couldn't look any of them in the eye because I knew I'd start crying and wouldn't stop.  Most of my favorite people in the world were there to support us and show us their love.  I was humbled.  What a wonderful day!  We had an amazing pro photographer, Erika Horn of Cozmik Photography.  I will share some of her photos later.  But here are a few taken by our friends and family using the free app, Wedding Party. We are off on a short honeymoon. Follow me on twitter and instagram for updates.

Mercury Glass DIY Here

All Dressed Up In Love

Hi Real Girls! Please pardon my lack of posting. I'm getting married this Saturday!  Things are just a bit busy.  On Tuesday, {msL} and I went to DC to get a legal marriage license.  It won't be legal here in Virginia, where we live but we wanted to have a legal license.  We got dressed up for our little civil ceremony.  Saturday will be the date we consider our real wedding day. We'll be having a ceremony and reception with our family and friends.  Tuesday was great.  I started to cry when saying my vows.  I hope I can hold it together on Saturday. 

Dress - Asos, Shoes - Talbots (no longer available), Belt - DIY, Necklace - gift, ring - vintage (my grandmother's), Bracelet - Stella and Dot c/o Kristin Biggs, Earrings - Stella & Dot c/o Kristin Biggs

It's Ok to Change Your Mind

Thank you all for indulging me with so many wedding related posts over the past few weeks.  With less than a month until the big day, it's all I can think about. This past weekend, I went to visit my mom for a wedding dress fitting.  I've mentioned that my Mom is making my dress. She's been working hard. I had a great weekend with my Mom, that included a trip to one of my favorite antique stores and lots of wedding talk.

A peek at the back of my dress, vintage pin I'm planning to wear in my hair, and my shoes (a bargain from Neiman Marcus Last Call)

 One of the best lessons I've learned through wedding planning is that you have to stay true to yourself and your inner voice.Over the course of planning, I've changed my mind about our location, my dress, our food, my jewelry, and other things. I'm usually very decisive and I have been when it comes to my overall vision.  The idea of an intimate wedding and an amazing party with great drinks, food and music. Changing my mind has been a bit out of character but I know now that we'll have the day we truly want.

Red or Fuchsia lipstick?

A few more feather projects for the big day.

Insta Monday

The last few weeks have been a blur and I have to admit, it won't be slowing down anytime soon. I'm going to push myself to make time for blogging this week. Between work, other obligations and wedding planning I'm a bit overwhelmed. I've been trying to tweet and post on Facebook and Instagram.  I haven't be great at those either but we are just a little than a month away from the wedding.  Life and blogging will be back on track soon. Well, in about 6 weeks.  It may get worse before it gets better. Since my phone has been my constant companion, I have managed to take pictures lately.

My favorite new piece of jewelry. 

 For Christmas, my Mom gave me a monogram ring. I've been wanted one like this for years and this style is very hard to find.  Signet styles abound but this cut out version is elusive.  I'm just noticing in this blown up version, how dry my winter hands look.  I need exfoliation desperately. 

Love my new floral pants that match my red suede pumps from Talbots!

 Another item I've been searching for is a great pair of floral pants. In fact, these pants to be exact.  I thought I would never find them but this is the very reason I'm in love with true outlet stores.  I first spied these on friend and fellow blogger Allison of Wardrobe Oxygen (here and here). As you can see she bought her pants last spring.  I was sure I'd never find them, since they were sold out online, in my size.  Well, floral pants are still going strong and I found them at the Talbots outlet last weekend!

First try at a bouquet for our Women of Honor.

 You knew I'd throw in some kind of wedding thing.  All of the last minute things really are dominating my thoughts lately.  I spied a Christmas ball wedding bouquet on Facebook a while back and loved the idea.  This was my first try. I will be making some changes but I like the look enough to know we are going with this type of design.

A fun new 3D gift from Klout and Geico.

 When you are blogging you get all sorts of fun gifts.  This one came in the mail a couple weeks ago. It was a gift through Klout from Geico (of all places).  I love this cool, 3D stand up of my twitter handle and blog name.  It's going in my office in a place of honor.

Screaming Skull necklace from JewelMint.

 In order to reduce my monthly spending, I've cancelled all of my "subscriptions".  I won't be getting monthly goodies from JewelMint any longer.  This cool skull necklace (Screaming Skull Necklace) was my final purchase.  It's a fun addition to my jewelry and it's the right size to wear on any occasion.  Not too big, not too small.
 

After wedding makeover project - thrifted bedside tables.

I've been hunting for new bedside tables for months now.  I say new but I've been checking the furniture section of every thrift store I've walked into, over the last six months.  Our current bedside tables are from IKEA.  I love IKEA but I've had them forever (about 12 years).  They've seen better days and we needed a change.  Thrift stores can yield high quality furniture just begging for a makeover.  This weekend, while looking for more glasses for our wedding table decor, {msL} and I found these bedside tables.  The tops are scratched and the drawers were dusty inside, like they'd been stored for a long time.  At closer inspection I realized they were solid wood, no press board, with dovetailed drawers (a sign of good quality).  They weren't cheap, at $25 each, but they were a bargain for solid wood bedside tables that had everything we wanted (drawers and a book shelf).  I found them at Goodwill in Alexandria, my favorite local Goodwill. The store was even running a deal. If you spent $50 or more, they'd give you a coupon good for 50% your purchase over the next week.  Score!  I haven't decided how to make them over yet, but I definitely won't get to them until after April 13.

 I hope your shopping, fashion and thrifting is going well.  Happy Monday! 

Inspiration - Classic Makeup

Although the thought behind this post is wedding related, this one is something that anyone who loves the classic look of black eyeliner and a red lip could use.  My wedding dress is a being custom made for me by my Mom and it's a vintage Vogue pattern from the 1950's.  I don't want to look costumey, like I'm going for a 50's theme but the classic makeup of that time period is beautiful and timeless.  I wear black liner on a regular basis and I also love a bold lip.  Choosing this classic look but in an amped up version means I won't look overly made up but I'll just be a better version of my everyday self.

Over the weekend I caught a replay of the movie Burlesque on TV.  The scene where Christina is singing "Bound To You" is incredibly striking.  The song is beautiful but her look in that scene is stunning.  I love her makeup.  In this movie of over the top costumes and crazy makeup and hair, this scene is a stark contrast.  She looks sultry but also soft and beautiful. For more on my classic and retro inspired wedding makeup, including some great tutorials, read more after the jump.

My Search for a Good Long Wearing Lipstick

About a year ago I realized that I should start searching for a good long wearing lipstick.  I wanted one that would stand up to our wedding day of eating and drinking and wouldn't leave bright lipstick all over {msL} every time we kissed. I thought I'd have to go with a stain to get what I wanted. Frankly, I've always hated long wearing lipsticks.  I've tried a few but I've either returned them or tossed them.  They didn't live up to their claims, many left my lips feeling tight, flaky and gross.  Very few had no transfer when eating, drinking or kissing. If they did, I had to constantly apply a second step balm or gloss and then my lips got this weird texture as the day went on. My hopes weren't high. I got suggestions from a few friends. I didn't love the ones I tried and most of them didn't have great color choices.  Spending a ton on a high end version didn't seem practical because I didn't think I'd wear it after our wedding day.  About a week ago I saw and pinned this article from Everyday with Rachel Ray.

Everyday with Rachel Ray isn't known for their beauty tips, however, I thought that a group of ladies who are constantly eating and drinking for their jobs might have some insight on lipstick that can stand up to lots of use.  They rated Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Suede lipstick, their best drugstore lipstick.  I checked out the Revlon color options. I prefer lipstick to a gloss for my wedding day. So I decided to try Revlon over their two other drugstore picks, L'Oreal Paris Colour Caresse Shine Stain and Wet n' Wild Megalast Liquid Lip Color. I'm not a fan of liquid lip color.

I started by scrubbing my lips with a wash cloth to remove any dry skin.  I decided not to use any balm or primer and just put the lipstick on my naked lips.

 

It took about thirty minutes for the lipstick to stop feeling tacky. It was still a little sticky when I pressed my lips together but that went away if I licked my lips. I tested transfer by drinking out of a can.  I was shocked, no transfer!  About an hour and half after applying the lipstick we had lunch.  I had a veggie burger with cheese.  No lipstick on the bun (which has happened before, if I forgot to wipe off my lipstick before eating) and no signs of lipstick on my straw.

This is what my lipstick looked like after eating and drinking.  Not perfect but still pretty impressive. There is some fade but it's presentable. I tried a couple of other tests.

I kissed {msL}on the cheek.  No sign of lipstick anywhere!  This looks promising for our wedding day.

I tried the napkin test.  I pressed pretty hard to see if there was any transfer. I didn't wipe or scrub but pressed.

Nothing!  No lipstick at all.  I couldn't even see a faint trace of color.  Even after a veggie cheese burger! Oil is usually the death of long wear lipsticks.

Color me sold on Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Suede lipstick!  It's pretty great for one step long wearing lipstick. Below are my pros and cons. I purchased Trendsetter which is a vivid red color. 


PROS

• One step application.
• No flaky or lumpy texture.
• Lasted through eating and drinking.
• No transfer onto a napkin, even after eating.
• No transfer onto my Honey when kissing.
• Can be used with lip liner. I would suggest clear if you want to avoid color transfer.
• Lasted all day with just minor deterioration.

CONS

• Takes about thirty minutes to set.
• Feels smooth and moisturizing going on but dries out like a matte lipstick.
• Dark colors last but I've read that the lighter colors don't last.  I haven't tried any light colors myself.
• Lips feel sticky when pressed together.

I'm going to keep trying long wearing options but I really like Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Suede lipstick as a possibility for my wedding makeup. Have you tried any long wearing lip colors that you love?

UPDATE:  I tried Muse, which is a bright pink.  It lasted just as well as Trendsetter did.  I've worn both shades to work and they've lasted most of the day.  I'm pretty sure this is going to be my wedding day lipstick.  Thanks Revlon!

DIY Wedding Weekend

This weekend we did tons of DIY projects for our wedding. We had lots of help from family but there is still a ton to do. I don't want to give everything away, so these are just teaser photos. I promise to post photos of all of the decorations, after the wedding. 

300 Peacock Feathers and We Need More

A Close Up of our Ceremony Decorations

Faux Mercury Glass Table Décor, Glasses from Goodwill



Rock n' Roll Button Favors

We survived the weekend and my family still loves me.  We have another DIY weekend planned soon. Another small victory is that my soon to be sister-in-law loves her Bridesmaid dress. Small victories! 

DIY Inspiration - feathers, tulle and skulls OH MY!

I warned you it was a DIY week. I'm always collecting DIY inspiration. I pull images from magazines, save photos on my phone and pin ideas on Pinterest. Creativity is always running through my veins and my head. It's impossible to turn it off. Lately I've been inspired by all sorts of things.

 An easy and amazing way to update vintage clip earrings.  The soft fabric gives already dramatic earrings even more pop.

 Because we are using lots of peacock feathers in our wedding, I've been collecting ideas for boutonnieres and bouquets. Curling the feathers makes them even more striking, if that's possible.  I found this tutorial with tips on curling feathers.

A fun, easy and inexpensive sweatshirt idea.  I just need a cheap sweatshirt, stencil or a stamp and some paint.  You know I'm obsessed with skulls.

We're incorporating lots of music and rock n' roll touches into our wedding.  I've been collecting lyrics to incorporate into the wedding decor.

A tulle skirt has been on my list for ages.  I definitely need to make one immediately.  This post by Cotton and Curls even has a pattern! Now I have no excuses, except time.

As part of my new year, new exercise, I've started taking yoga classes.  This upcycled yoga mat carrier is genius.  I definitely have both of the things I need for this project!  I need to get rid of my old bras anyway.

Have you had any creative inspirations lately?