An ongoing love affaire with all things fashionable, tasty and fun

Posts tagged “Halloween

Birthday Bonanza

This past week I celebrated my thirtieth birthday and it was a pretty spectacular experience that included a family dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco (restaurant review upcoming), a trip to Sonoma, wine tastings, and a weekend in Glen Ellen with my family & friends.

Here are some highlights from my birthday weekend!

{My colleagues are so amazing – I’m a lucky girl!}

{Wine tasting, delicious food, fabulous views – Living the DREAM}

{We’re a fashionable crowd}

{Speaking of lucky…}

Thank you to all of my friends & family who helped make my 30th birthday weekend so amazing & memorable – I appreciate it more than I can say!


Links You’ll Love

Fashion:

Jackets and blazers and coats – Oh My! Chic jackets, blazers, and coats in brilliant jewel tones, soft velvets & corduroy, fun patterns, formal tweeds & brocades, and freshly pressed trenches will all make appearances this Fall, so get a head start with WhoWhatWear’s Street Style with Adam Katz Sinding: Chic Outerwear.

Sweatshirts don’t have to be boring or gym-worthy, this season you’ll want to find a sweatshirt with a cute patterned or retro design to pair with your separates. Bright colors, fun nostalgia-inducing graphics, even highschool letterman-style sweatshirts will be hitting the streets – Trend: Sweat Chic.

There’s nothing quite like seeing what one of your fashion idols has their closet to get you in the mood to revamp your own wardrobe! Luckily for us Harper’s Bazaar is taking you on a tour of DJ, model, and Chanel ambassador Leigh Lezark’s fashion collection – Closet of the Month: Leigh Lezark.

When you’re fashion-obsessed the passion for fashion doesn’t stop with clothing and accessories, it extends to ever facet of your life. Like Tom Ford said: “Fashion is everything. Art, music, furniture design, graphic design, hair, makeup, architecture, the way cars look – all those things go together to make a moment in time, and that’s what excites me.” So let’s enjoy this tour of a fabulous, fashionable, organized home – The Brunette’s My home, my essentials.

One of the reasons that I love doing Style File posts is that you get to recreate and put a fun, fresh spin on an outfit that someone you admire has worn. Whether it’s a celebrity, a model, a blogger, or a fashion editor, you’re taking the time to really look at their personal style and try to recreate a look that you love. Smile For Style agrees and has shared her picks for this killer look from Revenge start Ashley Madekwe – Get Her Look: Ashley Madekwe.

Health & Fitness:

If you could make some small changes in your life and boost your mood and ultimately your happiness, wouldn’t you? Best selling author Gabrielle Bernstein shares her tips – From simple things like starting the day with positivity to practicing self-love. Happiness 101: 6 Ways To Be In A Good Mood All The Time.

I don’t know about you, but I like to hold onto Halloween for as long as possible, and that means making Halloween-style treats wellllll after the holiday itself passes – Sweet Vegan Treats For a Happy Halloween.

Taking some time for a calming yoga routine each day could not only help you cope with everyday stress, it could also give you a great energy boost – Yoga Moves for a Pick-Me-Up from Women’s Health.

The ladies over at Tone It Up! are known for their great outdoor & beach workouts that you can do with little to no equipment and their latest, Halloween inspired workout is another fab example filled with bridges, planks, and cardio – Your Tone It Up Tuesday SpOokTacULaR Workout!

Pizza is the ultimate comfort food but unfortunately it’s not usually on the approved foods list for the conscientious, healthy eater. But what if it could be? Check out these killer veggie-filled recipes and get cooking! Green Garden Pizza, Garlic Flatbread/Pizza Crust, Heirloom Tomato & Sweet Corn Pizza & Swiss Chard Pizza from Gluten Free, Soy Free Vegan.


Shenanigans

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?

{Mammograms In Action – Barbells For Boobs}

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?


All Hallow’s Eve

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.

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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. 😦

Pinned Image

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!

Have you picked your Halloween costume yet? What’s the most creative costume that you’ve ever worn?


Fall Fabulousness

Fall is by far my favorite season – I love the weather, I love the fashion, I love the holidays, I even love the decorations – From Halloween pumpkins to Autumn leaves to Thanksgiving turkeys. And here in San Francisco, Fall has most definitely arrived.

As far as I’m concerned the decorations box or closet it one of the best parts about changing seasons! So why not try some of these fun ideas to spice up your home for Fall – Glitter Guide’s 10 Simple Fall Decorating Ideas.

If you’d like some seasonal pictures frames why not try this too cute technique to spice up your photos! Easy Halloween Framed Pictures from Lilac & Lace.

If you’re not in the mood for traditional orange pumpkins this season than give this fun new style a try – DIY Glitter Pumpkins from The Glitter Guide.

Taste of Fall

A lot of what makes Fall to me is what I’m putting in my mouth! 🙂 I’m always dying to break out the squash, pumpkin, and apple pie by the time Summer wraps up. Here are some fabulous recipes to get you in the mood too.

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What’s your favorite part about Fall? Do you like recipes that showcase all of the Fall produce that’s hitting the stores?


Links You’ll Love

Fashion:

Whether you’re watching the US Open or America’s Cup, a stylish spectator outfit is a must – US Open 2012 from Net-A-Porter.

Are you starting to prepare your wardrobe for Fall? A great skirt with tights & killer boots is always a fabulous option so check out WhoWhatWear’s suggestions for Fall 2012 – Market Watch: Fall Skirts.

One thing that I always look forward to when Fashion Month rolls around are the Garance Dore and Net-A-Porter Fashion Week video collaborations Pardon My French. She talks to fashion greats, reviews the collections, meets designers, interviews fashion insiders, and just generally gives you a great behind-the-scenes look at all of the Fashion Month madness.

You know how much I adore a versatile piece in my wardrobe – especially when it comes to packing for a trip. Refinery 29 clearly agrees – Oxford Shirt Styling Tips: 1 Oxford Shirt, 3 Easy Ways To Style It.

One of the fun Fall trends this year will be finding pieces that have your favorite artwork translated onto them – Whether you’re a fan of the Renaissance Masters or Graphic novels, there are pieces out there for everyone! This Time Tomorrow – Wearing Your Art On Your Sleeve.

Health/Fitness:

Don’t have time for a run? Not interested in the membership fees at your local gym? Why not head online to find the perfect workout for yourself – Fit Club: The Country’s Best Virtual Workouts.

Are you looking for some healthy meals to feed your family to ensure that they’re getting all the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that they need? Here are some great recipes to try:

No matter how much time you spend in the kitchen familiarizing yourself with new tools – or re-familiarizing yourself with tools you haven’t used in a while – is an important part of staying on top of things so check out The Blissful Chef’s Cooking Tool of the Month Series.

Medicine and bosu balls are two of my favorite gym toys – If you use them right they can keep your workouts both challenging and fun. Don’t believe me? Check out FitSugar’s Don’t Let the Medicine Ball Intimidate You — 5 Easy Moves!


The Man Behind The Camera

Other than my dear friend Liz, the remainder of the MCLV Personal Style photographs are taken by the current boyfriend Sean. He has written a guest post for us in the past and trained me in the ways of CrossFit, but has never been featured on the blog for his fashion prowess before.

That is, until today.

True, he spends the majority of his waking hours in workout clothes, but when he does deign to put on street clothes, he has a great personal style.

When we initially met in our senior year of high school he was extremely preppy – Polo shirts, button downs, and wool or cashmere collared coats. But over the years his style relaxed, becoming more and more low-key, and when we got back together two years ago he wore very little other than t-shirts, jeans, and flip-flops.

But miracle of miracles, over the last two years his sense of style has begun evolving again. And more than that, he has actually started to enjoy clothes and fashion more, like he did when he was younger. Now he shops online, asks for advice on putting together pieces in his wardrobe & picking things out, and genuinely has an interest in shopping and expanding his wardrobe.

These days he prefers to keep his daily look low-key and minimal, and primarily wears black, white, and navy. Jeans are usually his preference and he traditionally pairs them with a Lacoste Pima V-Neck, a button down, or a Polo shirt. As for brands, we’ve found that the shirts that fit him best are Express for Men and Lacoste, they both have slim fit versions that work well for his frame.

When it comes to shoes he’s tried virtually everything, from boots to slip-ons to boat shoes to loafers. He loves slip ons and its all I can do to make sure he doesn’t wear his rubber soled slippers out of the house. The most worn pair of shoes he has are his tan, lace-up Banana Republic loafers, but he did just get a new pair of slip-on boat shoes that are very versatile.

They can even be worn with pink!

And a style post wouldn’t be complete without mentioned his creativity, he picked a kick-ass Halloween costume last year that suited him quite well despite being an incredibly last-minute choice – The Travelocity Gnome! 🙂

In the mood for more? Check out my Let’s Hear It For The Boys post filled with tips, ideas, and inspiration for putting together a complete and stylish wardrobe.

What do you like most on the men in your life? Are there certain styles that appeal to you more than others? When it comes to mens accessories, do you think less is more?


Skull Candy

And by candy I mean fabulous things that I want – Jewelry, clothes, nail art, and accessories galore. All with fabulous skull designs.

So… I have a thing for skulls. Not a creepy morbid type of thing or a Halloween-only thing, just a deep and enduring love of all things skull adorned.

I think perhaps because I’m born on Dia De Los Muertos

Skull Nail Art Tutorial

I mean, how cute is that???

So in celebration of my skull love I’d like to share some adorable pieces and pictures and inspiration that I’ve found, and hopefully convert you all!

How killer are these leggings? I love the idea of a fun printed piece like this one taking center stage in an otherwise minimally styled look, but Fashion Coolture proves you can take things a step further and add another printed piece like this striped top. It’s busy but it works.

Why not wear a swimsuit with your pants? Why not wear a skull adorned swimsuit with your pants?

{Top Left: Nemesis Women’s Punk Rock Collection Skull Leather Cuff Band Watch – $40 @ Endless.com, Top Right: Dogeared Skull Charm – $35 @ CUSP, Bottom Left: Alexander McQueen Swarovski Skull Ring – $200 @ Net-A-Porter, and Bottom Right: Cherry Skull Double Wrap Bracelet – $250 @ Alexander McQueen}

Clearly Lee McQueen and I had something in common…

And just in case you were worried that skulls were too serious for your style, Betsey Johnson gave them a colorful new makeover!

{ Left: Betsey Johnson “Rio” Skull and Cherry Mismatch Earrings – $50 @ Endless.com & Right: Betsey Johnson Skull Fruit Stud Earring – $30 @ Piperlime}

And the new piece that I just ordered online in celebration of this post?

Image 1 of Peoples Market Skull Blouse

Skull Candy by MoiContreLaVie

{You can shop similarly adorable Skull Candy pieces over at ASOS Fashion Finder}

Come on, tell me the truth, are you a convert now? 🙂