Atlanta Content Creator Inspiring [life] style

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

On My Mind: January 2013

This On My Mind post is based on the January 2011 InStyle issue with Miranda Kerr.
♥ What was the last thing you bought?
♥ What are you currently reading?
♥ What would you be doing if you weren't in your current position?
~~~
What's on your mind this month?
~~~
And check out this San Pelligrino Almost Famous Chefs Competition video: The Road to Napa!

SHARE:

Monday, January 28, 2013

Lookbook: Lady Sings the Blues

Did I ever tell you blue is my favorite color?Let me tell you a little about myself. I'm a bit of a sports fan. When I was a babe, I took gymnastics (leotard, and all) and even learned how to do back flips. I stopped because I thought it would stunt my growth. Little did I know, my growth was already stunted due to genetics. Then I got into volleyball and I was pretty good at it too. But that's not really a sport you can keep up by yourself because you kind of have to play with someone else. And one of the worst things in the world is trying to play volleyball with someone who can't play. It's terrible.Here's something else that might tickle your fancy. I'm really into music. The only reason you don't know that is because I'm not a fan of playing music on blogs. But the other night, the hubs and I had a major (major) '90s music jam sesh that brought me back to my teen years. It was the most fun I've had in a while. Who wants to go to a '90s music club night with me?| H&M blazer | F21 cotton artsy sweater | F21 woven joggers | Charlotte Russe zipper booties |By the way, this is what I wore for a Cajun lunch (I'm talking gumbo and beignets) and to look at some open houses. Can I just say...I don't know how anyone can afford to live in the Bay Area, but that's a subject for another time.

~~~ A list of some '90s songs that I love ~~~
Sinead O'Connor ~ Nothing Compares 2 U
Destiny's Child ~ Say My Name
Soundgarden ~ Black Hole Sun
Third Eye Blind ~ Semi-Charmed Life
Salt-N-Pepa ~ Shoop
Matchbox Twenty ~ Push
Arrested Development ~ Tennessee
Marcy Playground ~ Sex and Candy
Montell Jordan ~ This Is How We Do It
Missy Elliot ~ The Rain

Sidenote: I told the hubs to play "This Is How We Do It" by Montell Jordan. He saw the video and got confused. Then he Googled "Montell Williams" and said: "Wait, I thought Montell Williams sang this." I couldn't stop laughing. And then he dug the hole deeper and said: "Oh no...I just thought this guy was Arsenio Hall."

What do you think of this look?
SHARE:

Friday, January 25, 2013

Inspiring Style: Emerald City with Misses Dressy

Let's talk about the Pantone color of the year: emerald. I'm sure you've heard that this is said to be the "it" color of 2013, so why not showcase some beautiful dresses that are coated in this color tone.

A great place to find a broad selection of dresses for any occasion is Misses Dressy. They have a variety of styles to choose from, including prom dresses online and cocktail dress as well. 

If you're looking for great designer dresses and an easy online shopping experience, then Misses Dressy has exactly what you need. You can categorize the exact dress that you're searching for by designer, size, style, cut or color. They provide you with different views and angles so you can really see what each dress selection could look like when tried on.

Short and Sweet in Emerald

Long Live Emerald
So whether you're going to a company dinner or a fashion meetup, dress yourself in one of these beautiful emerald selections by Misses Dressy!

~~~
This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are my own.
SHARE:

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Giveaway: Shopbop in the New Year

Muses! It's time for the second giveaway of the year. I know just how much the blogosphere loves Shopbop, so I've teamed up with them again for a new $100 gift card giveaway.
With a $100 gift card to this online mecca, the shopping possibilities are endless. Some items that I'm liking are this tote bag and this drape front dress from Costume National. But with all the options on the site, you can shop a variety of price ranges from a number of designers (including these awesome Karlie skinny jeans by J Brand).
Keep up to date with all the new arrivals with The Daily Find on their blog; get style inspiration from the Shopbop Pinterest page; and make your voice heard on their Facebook page.

Take a look at how you can enter to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~
Giveaway is open to U.S., Canada and International readers ~ Ends January 30, 2013.
SHARE:

Monday, January 21, 2013

Lookbook: Frills and Cheap Thrills

You know what's one of my cheap thrills? Food. These were taken before the hubs and I went out for some bulgogi in Japantown. Have you ever had bulgogi? It's pretty delicious. And Friday night we went out to this pretty cool restaurant/bar in Oakland called MUA. If you're local to the bay area, I suggest that you head over there at some point because it has a great, creative atmosphere. I stuffed myself on butternut squash mac-n-cheese, tomato bisque, creme brulee and Kahlua and cream. I love me some Kahlua and cream.

I think my love of Kahluas is going straight to my thighs. But either I'll be OK with fat thighs or I'll slim down and get cheerleader thighs, also known as square crotch. You know what I'm talking about.I really wanted to wear heels with this outfit, but I was having the hardest time with my shoes. I hated everything, so I just decided to go with the flat boots since it's still a bit cold over here. Have I told you all that I'm tired of the cold yet? Well...I'm tired of the cold.

| Michael Kors sunglasses | Robert Rodriguez top | F21 bomber jacket | Mossimo patterned pants | Bamboo by Journee zen faux suede boots |Can it be spring already?

What do you think of this look?


SHARE:

Friday, January 18, 2013

Movie Review: Gangster Squad

As I mentioned in a post last week, one of the things I was looking forward to this month was the movie Gangster Squad. It stars Ryan Gosling and some other favorites of mine: Emma Stone and Josh Brolin. I should let it be known that I was excited for this film because I love shoot-em-up action flicks, but I was going to see it simply because the Gos was in it (I do the same thing for Brad Pitt movies--so yes, World War Z is in the queue).

Gangster Squad is about a group of six lawmen who are tasked with using atypical methods to stop the head of L.A. crime (Sean Penn as Mickey Cohen) from turning LaLa land into no man's land.

What you'll love about this movie are the 1940s getups from the cars and clothes to the hair and the slang. I even liked that the Los Angeles background had the iconic Hollywoodland sign indicative of 1949. And for those of us who are fans of Ryan and Emma together, you get some of that too.


Stylish scene shots and angles play really well with the overall gangster theme. It's also fun to imagine these wayward cops getting free reign to do whatever it takes to bring in a mob man.

What you won't love about the film is its inability to truly reach you with any real emotion or even grip you with any real action. Don't get me wrong, there are definitely action scenes, combat and shoot outs, but they don't go over as well as they did in the previews.



Overall, it's a decent movie even though it doesn't fulfill all of its promises. But if you're looking for a true Ryan Gosling fix, then catch him in The Place Beyond The Pines (the movie where he met girlfriend Eva Mendes), which comes out in March.

My Rating:
SHARE:

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Inspiring Style: Magazine Your Blog

Have you ever wanted to see yourself on the cover of a magazine? Sure you have. It would be great if one of you muses could find yourself on a magazine one day (or even just inside one), but if you don't...a girl can always dream, right?

Well, I'm a journalism girl who has always had a thing for magazines. I love the way covers are put together from the blurbs to the art work. So with the help of my graphic designer friend Jesus Ramirez and his crazy skills seen on his Photoshop Training Channel website, I was able to have a little Photoshop fun.I know bloggers tend to use Photoshop for simple photo manipulations and edits, but I thought we'd all love to know how to add a bit more fashion to this fixation by actually creating our own blogazine cover.

Using the tools and tips found in this tutorial will show you how to design a magazine cover for your own blog. It's important to use a large image, know what blurbs you want to use that relate to your blog, and coordinate the text with the image. One of my favorite parts of this tutorial cover is that the QR code on the bottom of the magazine actually links to my blog. Isn't that cool?The idea behind PTC is to show you how to use Photoshop in a way that is both effective and easy to understand. Some of his coolest works include the Swap Faces tutorial, the How to Make Someone Look Older video on YouTube, and so many more on the PTC Facebook page.

So what do you think of my Muse Magazine cover c/o Photoshop Training Channel?
SHARE:

Monday, January 14, 2013

Lookbook: Wrapping Up the Lace

If you're looking for a post about the Golden Globes, then you've come to the wrong place. I do have a photo of my favorite dress of the night, and I did witness that confusing yet interesting coming out speech by Jodie Foster, but this post is all about my weekend look.| Lipstick: The Empire Lilacs | Gifted Sheinside wrap cardigan | Sole Mio Tobi top | Go Jane lace pants | Christian Siriano pumps | Jason Wu satchel |I just realized that my 2012 Year in Review post was actually my 500th blog post on the Muse. Sorry I didn't really pay that much attention to that--it's been a super busy week to start the new year. But with that said, happy 500th blog post to me! And I've been blogging for about 4 years now so I'll throw that in there too. Confession: I started blogging back in 2008, then stopped, then returned to it some time in 2009 before making it routine in 2010. So long story short, I don't know when I "officially" started Oh to Be a Muse, but I do know that this was one of my first posts back in February 2009 (most of my other initial posts have since been deleted for being terrible).

What do you think of this look?
SHARE:

Friday, January 11, 2013

Jessica Chastain: My New Favorite Redhead

The gingers are making a comeback and Jessica Chastain has become my new favorite redhead. Other famous gingers that I've liked include Emma Stone and Bryce Dallas Howard. But currently, Jessica is killing it.From this collage of movies that she's been in over the past three years, she might start to look more familiar to you. I've seen all of these, but I must say that she really caught my eye when she played Celia Foote in The Help, even if her hair wasn't red. You can see just how diverse she is based on these movie roles. This Sonoma-born actress went to Juilliard before finally getting her true big break at the age of 33. What do you think of Jessica Chastain?
~~~
And the winner of the Tory Burch giveaway is...
Carrie of Couture Carrie!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


SHARE:

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

What I'm Loving in January

Yes, I know the month just started, but there are a few things that have caught my eye and I'm totally loving right now. But I must admit, it wasn't very easy making this list as I thought I was going to stumble on an array of interesting things in the fashion world, when instead, it was more like grasping at straws.

Is it hard to find fashion inspiration on the web-isphere these days or is it just me? Pinterest isn't really doing it for me anymore.

But I digress...here is what I'm loving in January:
| Gangster Squad this weekend | Red carpet looks with the People's Choice, Golden Globes and SAG awards | Making the decision to find the right shape for my eyebrows | NFL playoffs with the top AFC and NFC teams | Yummy raspberry yogurt as part of my improved eating habits | Style and design of this lace dress by Three Floor | Colorful chevron clutches | Return of Scandal and Olivia Pope |

What are you loving this January?
SHARE:

Monday, January 7, 2013

Lookbook: Pep in My Step

Hello 2013! I'm not one for resolutions, but I am looking forward to some changes this year, which include the blog and beyond. I'm happy to be back at it because I had a great time in Hawai'i, but catching up on your blogs was also a lot of fun.

What I have going on this week is getting my wisdom teeth pulled, and I am SO not looking forward to that. But I guess I'll just put on my big girl pants and suck it up. These photos were taken before we met up with some friends over the weekend for sushi (crab tempura) and a movie (Zero Dark Thirty). And this is the first lookbook post featuring the new Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 telephoto lens on the Muse. | Forever 21 jacket | AX Paris peplum top | F21 denim | Shoedazzle Erin pumps | Let me know what you think of this look and the new lens. Do you think it's giving me the bokeh that I want? I think so.
SHARE:

Friday, January 4, 2013

FBFF: 2012 In Review

Adventure: 2012 had a ton of adventure for me, including zip lining in Las Vegas and through the Redwoods ~ riding an ATV bomber as part of Kipu Ranch tours in Kaua'i ~ going on a helicopter tour over mountains, canyons, waterfalls and the Napali Coast in Hawai'i ~ an authentic island laua ~ tubing and sledding in Tahoe (who knew a plastic board over snow could be so much fun?).Travel: Who doesn't love to visit cool places? I was fortunate enough to go to Florida twice, New York for Lucky Fabb, Tahoe, Reno, Santa Cruz, Napa, Los Angeles and Hawai'i. Features: I was featured on more than 10 fashion blogs and seen on other fashionable websites like Glamour, Lucky, Copious, In Pink, Fashion Bomb Daily, Chictopia and MTV.Also, I turned 26 last year. And for some reason I feel like once you hit 27 you are a certified adult. I don't know why, but 27 just sounds so much more adult-like than any age before it. For me, 27 still means that I get carded. Recently, I had this conversation with a flight attendant:

"Wow, I thought you were a child until I saw your wedding ring."
"How old do you think I look?"
"No, I don't want to say...you just look young."
"Seriously, it's OK. Do I look like I'm in high school?"
"Yeah."
"Like 17?"
"Lol, yeah around that age."
"I get it all the time."

It's nice (some times) to look an entire 10 years younger. Maybe I'll get carded for the next 4 years.
I hope you all had a fun 2012 too!
SHARE:

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Featured Fashionista: Ashleigh

Featured Fashionista

Ashleigh from Maryland
At first you might want to say that Ashleigh's style is very sophisticated chic, but it's truly hard to put a single label on this girl because she's much more of a chameleon than you think. She can pull off a solid tone pant suit just as well as she can rock colorful polka dots.

What do you think of Ashleigh'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.
SHARE:
Blogger Template Created by pipdig