Atlanta Content Creator Inspiring [life] style

Monday, January 30, 2012

In Pirate, We Trust: Pirate Romance Giveaway ~ CLOSED

With the release of their Spring/Summer 2012 collection, Pirate Romance is making moves and turning heads! The new collection, which was released back on Jan. 11, is styled with hand-dyed turquoise, fringe and metals laced with leather.

This 4th seasonal collection is brought to you by former stylist Joi French, who devoloped the Pirate Romance line as an answer to limited edition collections. This new collection is inspired by French's favorite childhood cartoon, JEM, as she wants every woman who wears her jewelry to feel transformed.

And I definitely felt transformed when I recently wore the Moon necklace from the Autumn/Winter 2011 collection. The chain and stone design is super elegant in the way the chains are layered over each stone. The necklace also did not get tangled, which was an added bonus.Take a look at my favorite items from the S/S jewelry collection:

So I can't think of anything better than to give one of you lovely muses a chance to win a piece from the S/S '12 Pirate Romance jewelry collection!
Up for grabs are these amazing Swish earrings.
How to Enter
--Leave a comment here letting me know what you did to enter--
Mandatory
~Follow Pirate Romance on Twitter
~Follow me on Facebook or Twitter

Extra Entry
♥Vote for me in the Refinery 29 Style Blogger Contest. Just click here, find "Cheryl" and hit the heart on my photo!
(Comment on this post letting me know you voted for me)
~Like Pirate Romance on Facebook
~Follow me on Google Friend Connect

♥Giveaway is open to EVERYONE & ends February 6!
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Friday, January 27, 2012

FBFF: On Trend

This month's Fashion Beauty Friend Friday post is all about the trends. Read below for my two cents and then let me know your thoughts in the comments!

♥FBFF asks: What trends hitting stores now are you coveting? That would absolutely have to be anything peplum. I love the peplum silhouette when seen on both skirts and dresses.  This is definitely a style that I'd like to add to my closet collection. It's just so feminine.

How do you incorporate new trends into your wardrobe?
I try to mix any new trendy item with something in my closet that I would consider a staple. Having a new trendy piece gives me a good way to highlight other pieces in my wardrobe.


I worked both the mullet skirt and overlay maxi on the Muse and paired them with pieces in my closet that don't usually get a lot of attention from me.
What trend are you seeing and not loving?
The camouflage trend as seen by Derek Lam and Lela Rose isn't up my alley at all. I'm all for incorporating different and unique styles, but I think camo should stay in the military.


Do you feel the pressure to constantly update your closet with the latest trends?


No, I definitely don't feel that pressure because I'm not always into trends to begin with. If I see something that I like and it happens to be on trend then I'll pick it up.  But I won't spend money on something just because it's in right now, especially if I don't like it or it doesn't work for me.
Where do you find inspiration that takes the trend and makes it accessible to you and your personal taste?


I definitely find trend inspiration from bloggers and fashion sites. Bloggers really know how to make things work!
What are your favorite or least favorite trends?

Link up to all the Fashion Beauty Friend Friday posts by Modly Chic here!
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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Mane Attraction ~ My Hair Picks

Who doesn't love hair? I'm the type of person who tries not to stare when people with awesome hair walk by...but I stare anyway. If I'm out and about, I'm not afraid to walk up to you and say, "hey, I love your hair." 

So why not celebrate the celebs that I feel are wearing their hairstyles and wearing them well!




♥Go Au Natural like musician Esperanza Spalding, who took home the Grammy for Best New Artist in 2011. 

She has the kind of hair that I adore: it's big; it's bold; it's au natural.











♥Take hold of your Blonde Ambition like the one and only Gwen Stefani.

She's been rocking the platinum look for a while now and it seems to only get better with age.













♥I had a lot of options when it came to Black and Bold, but I ultimately chose the lovely Chanel Iman as she can do pretty much anything with her locks.

Her rich, dark color acts as another great accessory to her look.





♥Get fired up with Emma Stone, who is by far one of the most Fiery Gingers on the scene.

She's making moves on the big screen and turning heads on the red carpet. And she might not always be a redhead, but when she is, she's red hot.










♥I hope you're not getting tired of seeing Mila Kunis on the Muse because I think I'll keep featuring her as long as she keeps being awesome.

When it comes to her physical beauty, it's hard not to mention both her eyes and her full head of hair. The Thicker, the Better -- and she flaunts it.














♥No one owns the Short and Chic look quite like Michelle Williams. She dresses her hair up in cute pixie styles with sweeping curls and sexy straight edges.

The odds seem to always be in her favor when it comes to her hair and you can bet on that.











What type of hair is your favorite at the moment?
(images found on Google)
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Monday, January 23, 2012

Featured Fashionista: Stephanie

Featured Fashionista ~ Stephanie from L.A.
What can I say when it comes to Stephanie other than she is the bee's knees! I've been following her blog for a long time now, and I'm always intrigued by not only her looks, but her lifestyle as well. She does a very good job of bringing you into her world and her life, which she lives loudly. What a bombshell!
What do you think of Stephanie's look?

Want to be a part of Featured Fashion? Then leave a comment letting me know that you want me to feature your style on the Muse!

Check out a list of all my beautiful Featured Fashionistas for anyone you might have missed.
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Friday, January 20, 2012

Lookbook: Studded Hearts

Over the weekend the hubs and I visited my friend in L.A. to help him move. I think he's living in Hollywood, but to tell you the truth, I never know where I am when I go to L.A.
Anyway, before the trip I thought it would be nice to do a little photo shoot featuring a few pieces from my most recent spree buy.
Since the outfit is mainly black, I used my accessories for the P.O.C. or pops of color as Brad Goreski likes to say. My look is featuring the Mouse and Moe necklace and this awesome turquoise double leaf cuff. And check out the studded details on this blazer that I wrote about on the Oh to Be a Muse Facebook page.
I first saw this Rory Beca overlay maxi skirt months ago when the collection originally came out at Forever 21, but I didn't buy it until recently because I wasn't sure how this would look on me. After I saw it again, I decided to actually try it on and thought it looked good enough to buy. 
What do you think?
Oh, these heels...LOVE! And you know what? They are superbly comfortable.
Check out my Pomeranian photo-bombing this pic.Necklace ~ Mouse and Moe Studded blazer ~ Forever 21 Hearts skirt ~ Rory Beca Buckle booties ~ Charlotte Russe Vintage handbag ~ Morris Moskowitz

By the way, I had a pretty fun time in L.A. Went to Stout for a great Imperialist burger, was this close (<->) to shopping at Crossroads Traiding Co. (except it hadn't opened yet), and had a lovely French toast breakfast at Blu Jam...which was my jam, of course.
Thoughts on this ensemble?
And don't forget to enter the Apothica Giveaway!
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Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Makeup & Muses: Apothica Giveaway ~ CLOSED

You might remember that little Makeup and Muses post a couple of weeks ago on my blog called the 2012 Beauty Poll in which I asked you muses to pick your favorite makeup, fragrance and skin care products.

♥For Makeup: The 3 choices included a Smashbox eye pencil set, a Too Faced natural eye kit and a Cargo eye shimmer.

The votes were very close between Smashbox and Too Faced, but the ultimate winner was Too Faced!


♥For Fragrance: You could pick Covet by Sarah Jessica Parker, Fancy by Jessica Simpson or Incanto Shine by Salvatore Ferragamo. These votes were also super close among all 3 contenders, but I decided to give the win to Covet!

♥For Skin Care: This category was not as close as the other two. The 3 choices were Eminence sweet red rose cleanser, Purity Made Simple cleanser by Philosophy and  the Murad soothing gel cleanser. 

Based on the results, Philosophy was the clear winner!










So with these results I've decided to give one lucky muse the chance to win all 3 products in this Apothica Giveaway! You can win the Too Faced eye kit, the Covet fragrance by Sarah Jessica Parker and the Purity Made Simple cleanser by Philosophy!
To enter:
♥Follow the Muse on Facebook & leave a comment on my Facebook page saying anything about my blog! Then comment on this post letting me know you did that!

Extra Entries:
(each counts as 1 extra entry)
♥Follow the Muse on Bloglovin'
♥Follow the Muse on Google Friend Connect
♥Follow the Muse on Twitter
♥Add me to Your Circle on Google +

~Giveaway is open to EVERYONE and ends January 31!~
*international winners will be responsible for any additional shipping/custom fees*
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Monday, January 16, 2012

Inspiring Style: Mouse and Moe Eco Friendly Jewelry Review

Happy MLK Day!
Today's Inspiring Style post is all about eco-friendly jewelry. I love just about all types of jewelry, but it's an added advantage when you can get jewelry that is not only nice to look at, but also good for the environment.

That's exactly what Mouse and Moe is all about.

Creator Emily Grace Goodrich decided to use her knowledge and experience as a painter and photograph to form jewelry and accessories made from recycled plastic shopping bags. Each piece of jewelry is heat fused and hand stitched.
Here's what Emily had to say about her line:

Muse: Why did you decide to make this type of jewelry?
Emily, Mouse and Moe: When I started making jewelry as a business, rather than just a hobby, one of the first priorities I had was to use recycled materials in one form or another. I'd like to say it's because I'm really into recycling, but it was more of a financial decision, as I was between jobs at the time. I started with broken costume jewelry, but continued to experiment with other materials, looking for something unique. 

After seeing a video tutorial on fusing plastic bags, I was intrigued by the notion of finding a way to make fused plastic look like something other than melted trash. I also design jewelry for a fair trade company called Ember Arts that sells paper bead jewelry, and between the two, I've learned that I really just love the challenge of working with unconventional materials. 
Muse: How difficult is it to make jewelry from plastic bags? 
Emily: I have a penchant for choosing tedious activities for myself, and you might say that this jewelry is pretty difficult to make. I have to keep an eye out for specific colors of plastic, then wash and dry it, prep it, melt it, cut out shapes, and then hand stitch those tiny plastic shapes to wire. For some reason, I love the meditative hand stitching process, though, so it's definitely worth it to me!
~~~
The best part about the jewelry on Mouse and Moe is that, although they are made from recycled materials, they don't looked recycled at all. The plastic bags are paired with sterling silver and wire to spruce them up.
I received the Sundance necklace in cranberry and teal and totally love it. The material is sturdy and the color combination works very well.This is a preview of an upcoming lookbook post!So use the code Muse20 until the end of February on Mouse and Moe to get your own piece of eco-friendly jewelry for 20% off. Remember, each piece that you buy keeps another plastic bag out of landfills and the ocean.

What do you think of Mouse and Moe?

Post = sponsored; Opinions = my own 
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Friday, January 13, 2012

A Tale of Versace

This is just a quick, little post about my Versace for H&M story.

It all started back in June of 2011 when I first wrote a blog post about designer collaborations for my Fashion Headlines post. In that post I mentioned how the Versace for H&M line was probably going to be the biggest collab for the fall. I also said that I would be one of the first in line.

Fast forward to November. So yes, it was a pretty mammoth collaboration. But no, I was most definitely NOT one of the first in line. I forgot how early people get up to buy inexpensive fashion. I also forgot how many jerks there are who buy the fashion just to sell it for triple on eBay.

This is the line I waited in:You can't even see the H&M sign because that's how far back I was--and the line was even longer behind me. And it was cold.

I mentioned in this Shopping List post that I wanted to get my hands on 4 specific pieces: the faux fur vest, the black booties, the babydoll bodice dress and the leggings. I wasn't really a fan of the more colorful pieces in the collection.
Long story short: I waited in line from 6:45 AM to 11:15 AM as I watched as person after person left the store with a multitude of bags in hand. By the time I was actually allowed to shop (based on the color of my wristband) the only thing left were the black booties so I got them. I also ended up getting this yellow dress, but it was a size too big so I returned it.

I realized the only way I would get the items I wanted was to buy them on eBay. I sold the black booties because the heels were WAY too high for my taste, and I purchased the leggings and the bodice dress instead. Fortunately, the prices were only hiked up like 10% to 20% on the pieces I bought.I'll be sure to do a post with the leggings soon. I am definitely very happy to have the Versace leggings and the bodice dress as well. Although, I must say, I had to get this dress in a size 6 because the top part is made way too small (aka: for girls with flat chests). The faux fur vest was a Christmas gift from the hubs!

All in all, I like what I was able to get from the Versace for H&M collection, but I'm not waiting in a line ever again. Versace will have a Cruise collection for H&M starting January 19 and it's an online exclusive. I will not be a part of it as I'm now saving my money for the Jason Wu collaboration with Target on February 5. I plan on buying from that collection online instead of waiting in a line.
Do you plan to shop the Jason Wu for Target collection?
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Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Featured Fashionista: Patience

Featured Fashionista ~ Patience from Iowa
 
 Patience is a Zimbabwe transplant who now resides in Iowa, but her style is anything but country bumpkin. Every week I'm guaranteed to be in awe of her mix of bold and beautiful looks that are always on point, from head to toe. Her style reminds us that patience really is a virtue.
(and I see a leopard loafers trend...diggin' it)

Blog: Just Patience
What do you think of Patience's look?

Want to be a part of Featured Fashion? Then leave a comment letting me know that you want me to feature your style on the Muse!

Check out a list of all my beautiful Featured Fashionistas for anyone you might have missed.
~~~
And check out these 8 Style Tips for a More Fabulous You on All Women Stalk!
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Monday, January 9, 2012

Lookbook: Seeing Red, Sparkles & Sequins

Is it lookbook time already?

I tried to take photos of this look for such a long time. Dealing with DST and family/friends coming in town for the holidays put this shoot on the back burner. But I was able get these taken before we went out to dinner with the fam. Now, here it is and I'm so excited. Like--Jessie Spano doped up on caffeine pills--excited!
So the "necklace" is really the belt that came with this dress. I thought it made a really awesome necklace and that the green thrifted belt worked perfectly here. I think the detail on the thrifted belt is so brilliant, don't you? This look got jazzed up with my love of sequins and sparkles. First, with this sequin blazer that you've probably seen on the Muse before in an inspiring style post or whatnot. Also, the sparkle tights should be familiar to you as well since I'm clearly obsessed with them. And let's not forget one of my fave projects ever: these DIY booties that sparkle and shine.
After putting this post together I realized 3 things: I totally forgot to showcase the detail on the back of this dress. It's pretty cool and you're missing out, so my apologies. Also, my dimple is pretty prominent in these pics. The crater in my cheek must be getting bigger. And I think I've officially mastered the art of head tilting in outfit photos, wouldn't you agree?
Yes, that's a Transformers ring. I love it--don't you?

Rory Beca dress & necklace Thrifted belt ApartStyle sequin blazer PEEK Brooklyn sparkle tights DIY F21 booties Gifted Transformers ring 

Do you like this look?
~~~
And the winner of the Delikate Rayne giveaway is...
Jasmine of AdamAlexMommy!
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