Valentine's Day Looks

Valentine's Day means different things to all of us. For some it might inspire a hearty, "F U!", for others it's all romantical boner city. Whether you've got a hot date with a sexy significant other, or you're just going to eat an entire box of Choco Tacos alone, you might want to throw on something cute. We thought it might be fun to get a few of us ladies to put together their dream Valentine outfits to share. And because I love all of you, I'm going to include the notes I wrote when I started writing this blog... enjoy.

Hearts, hearts, hearts, F U, blah, blah, blah. Tom Hardy lady boner, and Alexander Skarsgard dong dance. 

Gifts for Teachers

Hay gurl, long time no blog. I'm back and better than ever with a new baby, a few extra pounds, and tons to say! I've got to work my way back into my blogging mindset. This first post back is going to be short and to the point because frankly, the only interaction I've had for the last few months has been with a 2 yr old and a newborn...

So of all things to post, why a teacher post? Well, I've found that my circle of "Mommy Friends" is growing faster than my waistline during the holidays. It seems that recently, many of them have been asking "What should I get my kid's teacher for Christmas?" and the traditional response seems to be candy and a gift card...BOR-ING! If you have the time and the drive, I have found a few great ideas through other blogs and of course, good 'ol Pinterest.

1. Gift card.

If you're going to do a gift card, do it the right way. Get as many people as you can involved in it, perhaps a gift from the whole class, and make a "Gift Card Tree"! Everybody buys a different gift card in whatever denomination and attach it in a fun artsy fartsy way to a (real or fake) tree, wreath, or stand! Check out these pics below for some inspiration!

Tales of a Needle & Thread, The Crafty Hostess, & Tuxedo Cat Ball

2.  Gifts that Give back

What do you get for the teacher that has everything? Buying Bracelets=Educated Kids.
"Utilizing remnants of Zulugrass, Maasai artisans are designing one-of-a-kind bracelets to symbolize the bright futures of educated children. The Leakey Collection will donate 100% of their profits from the sales of these bracelets to pay for teachers' salaries in rural Kenya. Each 26" bracelet is wound 4 times and packaged on a specially designed color story card. Purchasing 5 bracelets pays for a teacher's salary for 1 day."

Available via Leakey Collection 

3.  Themed Gift Baskets:

For the teacher who loves movies:  Grab a couple fun DVDs, add some microwavable popcorn, and don' forget the candy! If they are an awesome teacher, add a gift certificate to the movies!

For the teacher who deserves to be pampered:  You can make your own "spa package" for a mani/pedi including nail polish, nail tools, pumice stone and lotion. You can also make a skin "spa package" and include a store bought or home made body scrub, lotion, face mask, bath bubbles and loofah!  To go the extra mile, add a gift certificates for a massage, manicure and/or pedicure!

For the teacher who loves to read: Pick up the latest best-seller, a magazine subscription and add a book light or even a homemade bookmark! Feeling extra generous, again, add a gift card to your local bookstore and voila!

Business Week, Lifes A Mom, & Amazon

If you have any other ides, please leave a comment here or share on our Facebook page! Happy Holidays!

Cheap Thrills - Faux No You Di'int!

It's the return of Cheap Thrills! I had to take a little break when I moved to a new job, but now that I'm all settled in, I can get back to sharing my retail therapy with the world. In this week's post, we're gonna fake it 'til we make it.

Normally, fakes are a bad thing, except for lashes and really good Photoshop. And, as our little friend Snooki is demonstrating, fake fur and leather. When you go with faux fur and leather, you save animals and money - everyone's a winner!  I rounded up a bunch of different leather and fur pieces... whether you want to go head to toe like Snooki, or just add small touches is totally up to you, darlings.

True Blood Fashion - Sookie and the Werewolves

Heather is still a bit embarrassed to say it - but we're excited about this Sunday, kids! What's Sunday, you ask? OUR PRECIOUS TRUE BLOOD COMES BACK TO US. June 10th is the Season 5 premiere on HBO and we're ready to drool, I mean, watch the show!

Vanessa and Heather decided it would be fun to put together some fashion posts for the main characters, and although we originally had you, the readers in mind, we quickly realized it was all about us. For a few brief days we got to pretend to BE these characters... "if I was Eric, what would I wear?" and the answer is always "nothing," until we realized that post would be rather short.

Let's begin, shall we?

Sookie Stackhouse - Bon Temps' resident clairvoyant faerie waitress,  is a laid back country dish with sex served on the side. Sookie's look is sweet southern belle without the fuss and frills. Despite everything she's been through, there's still a bit of innocence that shines through her character and that's reflected in her wardrobe. She's not afraid to show off some sun-kissed skin, but it's never done in a vulgar way, Grandma Stackhouse wouldn't approve!

One of Sookie's signature looks is a sweet summer dress. They're feminine and youthful, short (but never too short), simple and flattering to her figure. When shopping for your Sookie sundress, don't over think it - imagine you're going to a picnic on a warm, sunny day. Old Navy has so many adorable dresses that fit this description right now, like these Sweetheart Sundresses, only $17! Many of the sizes are selling out, but it's worth a drive to the nearest store to check their inventory. This ModCloth dress is perfect for a day in the park and Lulu's has this Roxy Liberty dress that's very Sookie-worthy:

Picnic Party

Warm weather equals time outdoors, and time outdoors is always best when there is food involved.

Why not have a picnic? On the beach, in the park, or right on your front lawn - enjoy the day and stuff your faces!

Here's some picnic supplies I gathered, all for $30 and under!

PICNIC PARTTYYYY.

Woven Basket, $26.99

Picnic set for 4, $19.99

And if you don't want to share your food, bring it all in this Organ Cooler from Think Geek, $19.99. Get 3.5% back through Ebates and free shipping for orders over $75.

 

Cheap Thrills: Party In Your Pants

I can't believe it took me so long to make a Cheap Thrills in your pants post, I must be slipping in my old age. Pants are my most dreaded clothing item, I have yet to ever wear a pair and feel comfortable in them. I'm not talking about jeans, trousers and jeans are two totally different animals, jeans require their own kind of scientific fit and shopping techniques. I'm talkin' about pantalones, the dressy kind you'd wear to work and the casual ones you'd wear to a picnic if you didn't feel like shaving your legs.

So instead of immediately clicking on the "Dresses" tab of my favorite online shopping destinations, I ventured into new bottom territory. Camel toes are not welcome at this party...

Put it on: Depeche Mode's Blue Dress

Hey girl.

Throwback time! I can't deny it, the older I get and the more and more distant the wannabe goth 15 year-old me becomes, the more creepy I notice Depeche Mode's lyrics to be. Although still a not-so-guilty favorite of mine, the clarity of adulthood has made it impossible to ignore all the carnal lust and fetishizing (and um, more than a few mentions of fifteen year olds) that my beloved DM exquisitely broods about. That being said, I still think Depeche Mode has made some of the sexiest music out there and their 1990 song "Blue Dress" from the album Violator is as sexy as it gets. Maybe that makes me a creep too? I'm OK with that.

“Blue Dress” is a sweet, kinky little song about a woman who becomes even more painfully desirable when wearing a certain, special dress. To me, this dress is understated and far from overtly sexy but becomes a focal point of desire because of the fine creature that it covers. It's the little things that matter sometimes in this big world and this song is about just that. Here are my picks for dresses that may do the same, all under $50! Blue isn’t a color I picture of when I think about a sexy dress, but that just may be exactly why these dresses work. 

Clockwise: Urban Outfitters $39, ASOS $45.45
ASOS $31.81, Go Jane $34

Cheap Thrills: Orange You Glad it's Cheap Thrills Friday?

This warm weather continues to work its charm on me, and this week I was inspired by a classic warm weather treat, the Orange Creamsicle. How does that translate into Cheap Thrills? Pretty easily! I thought I'd stick to clothes, but was surprised how easily it led me to accessories, beauty products and household items.

Orange is a major color and will definitely stand out, so get ready for some attention when you're wearing it. And don't worry, I tried to cover all levels of orange, from head to toe, to just small touches for lovely burst of color. Come see what I have for you this time...

Trendy Mommy Tuesdays vol. 5

So I know I missed posting last week, but last week was a whirlwind of cray-cray-ness. Not only was work (my "real" job) extremely busy, but every single negative, un-cute pregnancy symptom that you can imagine decided to pop up all at once. I was not feeling too "trendy" so to speak...

As my own fetus has decided to make it's presence known by protruding from my torso a la Spaceballs status, (okay, okay, so not that extreme, but is competing with my chest for biggest protrusion from my body), I find it harder and harder to find cute things to wear or to feel pretty and/or normal. What's a hormonal preggo to do? I do as most do, I look to unattainable celebrity looks and hunt down a similar outfit for much cheaper and share my findings with you!

Inspiration: Kourtney Kardashian

Picture from RealityTea

Most of you already have an opinion of the Kardashian Klan, and that's fine. I always pretend I don't love them, but secretly I watch all their shows whenever I can and I also read all legitimate publications (trash magazine articles) that I can about them. However, this article isn't about my love for Kourtney or her family, it's just about really cute clothes.

I am really loving the color of her dress, it's like a fun poppy-orange color. I think it's perfect for Spring/Summer! After perusing the Internet machine for some time, I found a few maternity and/or flowy dresses in a similar fun color, all at a relatively (relative to who is spending the money) decent price point.

ASOS Belted Dress $63
ASOS Lace Dress w/ Buttons $41
Mar Kimono Dress $47
And it's not only the color that makes this dress fun and flattering most baby bumps, it's the pleats, yeah I said something positive about pleats,so sue me. Just so you can see that I'm not completely crazy, here are a couple of pleated dresses that I love for maternity-wear!
Merona Smock Dress $30
Motherhood Pleated Dress $40
Donna Morgan Pleated Dress $130 (Yikes!)
Max & Cleo Pleated Dress $90

And last but not least, we can't forget a cute pair of shoes to go with the dress! Of course Kourtney, being Kourtney (do you like how we are on a first name basis?), and a Kardashian to boot, chooses to wear pumps while pregnant. While cute, they can be impractical for most women as she seems to be a rare "magical pregnancy unicorn" so I'm making sure to include Wonder Woman options (heels) and Charlotte options (Wedges) as well.
Steve Madden Pumps $80 Nine West Devike Pump $40 Gabriella Rocha Pumps $38


Fergalicioius Wedges $45 Ed Hardy Marion Wedge $43 Charlotte Russe Canvas Wedge $33
So that's it for this week's edition of Trendy Mommy, and I hope you all enjoyed it! If you have any ideas for future articles or have a mommy you want featured, shoot me a message or leave a comment below or on our FB page!

Vintage Spring Dresses for Lesses

I feel pretty, oh so pretty.

There is no better time of the year to rock a new vintage dress than Springtime, when bulky coats are a thing of the past but it's still cool enough to wear polyester and not sweat your brains out. Am I right or am I right? That's why my gal Heather and I put together this Etsy Treasury full of cheery frocks in all sizes and for around $25 or less. We also threw a romper in for only the most daring and fabulous ladies out there. Stripes, florals, polka dots, and nautical, oh my! 

Check out Vintage Spring Dresses for Lesses on Etsy.

 Top image: Westside Story

Cheap Thrills: Beach Blanket Bingo

Even a doom and gloom goth like me can't help but get excited for warmer weather. Under all this black clothing, I am a California girl at heart. Spring is here, and we have to prepare for all those sunny days ahead! Since I'm still in a retro mood, I turned to my favorite beachy icon, Gidget, for inspiration. The original Gidget was played by Sandra Dee, but thanks to endless reruns on TV, I fell in love with Sally Field's portrayal. Not surprisingly, my favorite episode was when Gidget joined a spooky band (Gidget and the Gories) and went full Goth.

Even if you're not a beach bunny, you'll still be needing some warm weather goodies for your spring and summer wardrobe. Grab the sunblock and take a gander at these Cheap Thrills...

Spring (Shoe) Fever

OMG shoes.

There are a few things that Spring gets me thinking about: new dresses, Cadbury eggs, The Rite of Spring (seriously, that's my jam), getting outside more, drinking more iced coffee, and this year...shoes. I may have mentioned this before, but I'm not a really a shoe person..or am I? I usually find a pair or two that I like and (unlike clothing) I wear them in rotation until they are beyond weathered and the soles start to fall off. Anyone else do this? For some reason though, this Spring I have been really thinking about new shoe styles that I want to try out during this renewed vernal season. I even had an embarrassing Carrie Bradshaw moment that consisted of stopping and peering into a storefront window on Broadway one day to peep the consumer eye candy. I blame the media! I mean really, who the bloody hell am I? While I can't answer that, I can show you what I have narrowed down to be three essential pairs of shoes for Spring that I want to eventually get my grubby paws on - both high and lower versions (of course!).

The Everyday Platform

Left: Steve Madden, $89 Right: Forever 21, $26.80

Trendy Mommy Tuesdays vol. 3

Inspiration: Gwen Stefani

Gwennie Gwen Gwen stepped out two weekends ago to our local Knott's Berry Farm with her boys Kingston & Zuma. I can't believe she is forty-freaking-two! She looks amazing !

You can get a similar grey tank at Urban Outfitters for $16 and black jeggings at Loehmann's for an amazing deal of $24.99 for Romeo & Juliet Couture Jeggings!

As for the accessories, you can find a similar cute wool with felt trim Bowler's hat at ASOS for $35.81 or a woven polyester version for the slightly lower price of $29 at Urban Outfitters. The printed scarf can be found for a sale price of $24.43 at Express. The sunglasses are a little more tricky - there are tons of similar version that are very expensive, I could only find a similar shape (but sadly, not the same color) like these cuties available at TopShop.

UPDATE!!! I found a super cute pair of almost identical glasses to Gwen's at Fred Flare on sale!

Cheap Thrills: Mad Men Style

After a very long hiatus, Mad Men is back! Even if you're not a fan of the show, you're probably aware of the effect it's had on pop culture and fashion. The style seen on the show has popularized the retro trend in the mainstream, and you can see its influence everywhere. Whether you want to go full on Mad Men retro, or just add touches of the look here and there, you can easily get what you need without doing major damage to your budget.

To celebrate the kick off of season 5, we're going to do some Man Men inspired looks for ladies this week on Cheap Thrills. Don't think it's all about one look either! We're focusing on three of the main female characters, each one with a style all her own. Settle back with your martinis and enjoy the show...

Trendy Mommy Tuesdays vol. 2 Mad Men Edition

Inspiration: January Jones (Betty Draper Francis on Mad Men)

In light of this week being "Mad Men Week", I am dedicating this post to January Jones as a mother on and off the show Mad Men. Vanessa will cover in detail her fashion on the show, so I of course will cover her fashion in real life. She recently stepped out with her son Xander in this cute ensemble.

Here is a similar shirt down to the stripes and lace for only $7 and there are a slew of cute lacy striped tops on YesStyle also. Here is another version of a laceback shirt for only $11. If you can't find a shirt you like, make your own! Don't forget to throw on a pair of dark jeans (which are a splurge at $70, but I LOVE Gap jeans) and shnazzy aviator's for $7 to pull this look together!



Top photo: Celebuzz

Cheap Thrills: Crazy for Curls

It never seems to fail, people with masses of curly hair always want a magic straightener and us folks with stick straight locks want a head full of wild curls. My latest obsession is trying to get my stubborn hair to cooperate with my desire for curly hair. I don't want 24/7 curls, just an day or two once in a while. Our very own Heather wrote a great article about rag curls, which inspired the latest experiment on my blog, Verbal Switchblade. That brings us to this week's edition of Cheap Thrills, where I explore what other tools could I find to fulfill my corkscrew fantasy. 

Cheap Thrills: Graphic Artist

Spring is just around the corner, so for this week's edition of Cheap Thrills let's look ahead at some spring trends. We're going to do things a little differently this time, we'll look at some high end options and their more budget friendly counterparts.

Bright colors are an obvious spring trend, the weather starts to warm up and suddenly we're drawn to bold colors and big pops of color. But this spring we'll also see lots of graphic prints, in the form of abstract florals, modern geometric designs, and bold prints and patterns. These pattens don't have to be limited to your clothes, you can jump into the trend by looking for accessories with these fun patterns. It's an easy way to incorporate seasonal trends into your regular wardrobe. No need to spend big bucks to rock the latest style.

Cheap Thrills: For Pet's Sake

"I demand the best, because I am the best." - Oliver, Whoreder Dog

Many of us have surrendered our hearts to a special little fuzzy, scaly or fishy face. I'm not talking about our exes, but rather our pets! I'll admit to spoiling my dog Oliver, but how could I ever deny that face? Our pets give us tons of love and comfort, so this week's Cheap Thrills are dedicated to them.  I looked for fun items that all kinds of pets can enjoy and we can get a little entertainment value out of as well. Ready? Let's fetch!

Cheap Thrills: Creature Comforts

There is a definite chill in the air, kids. Punxsutawney Phil predicted another six weeks of winter, and that means we need to get our warm and comfy Cheap Thrills on! I've slipped on my ~*fancy slippers*~ and searched high and low for the fuzziest, snuggliest, and coziest bargains out there. You know there's going to be at least one Snuggie knock off, so don't even try to be surprised.

Cheap Thrills: Atomic Wedgie

 

Relax, I'm not going to sneak up  behind you and ruin your favorite pair of undies! I'm talkin' about wedge heels, no playground pranks. Wedges are a great way to get some glamazon height without putting your feet through too much torture. Wedges are going to have a high heel with a platform, so you've got a 4-inch platform on a 1 1/2-inch platform, it's comparable to a 2 1/2-inch heel.

Let's explore some elevated territory this week, leave your flats at home and take a walk on the wild wedge side with me.