Polyvore: Character Style from the Movies

Every so often there's a movie character that inspires a small part of your personal fashion.  Here are two collections from my favourite cinema heroines as of late: Marilyn Monroe and Lisbeth Salander.

I'm about to make a glowing recommendation, but I'm not responsible for the addictions you face.

Over the past few days, I've discovered the 'mood board glory' that is Pinterest, after hearing so much about it.  After receiving an invitation from a friend to join the group (exclusive!), I went crazy and created something like 27 boards or so full of favourite images of all sorts - makeup and hair tips, fashion to covet, geekery, DIY ideas, and a few more in there.  Come follow me if you're on it, we'll probably swap a bunch of cool stuff. 

Speaking of cool stuff found on Pinterest, that's what lead me to Polyvore.  I kept seeing awesome-looking clothing ensembles in what looked like print magazine layouts being repinned, which peaked my interest.  That lead to a site called Polyvore, and if your a clothes-horse, fashion junkie, trendwatcher or just someone who knows how to put together a good outfit, welcome to your dream closet. 

Come find me on both sites and we'll have some fun swapping ideas!

The Pantone Colour of 2012: Tangerine Tango

Keep an eye on this colour palate; it will dominate fashion runways and couture in some interesting mixes and interpretations.  Pantone Inc., the 'authority in colour', has released the Spring 2012 Fashion Colour Report, and has also announced the dominating hue that has been named the Colour of 2012 - Tangerine Tango.

Das righ', we'll break it down and say 'sunshine orange' for those who may not be the biggest fan of including the colour in your personal wardrobe.  It's a fine line between statement and pumpkin, yeah?  It's a happy colour, and I've so far personally identified it with a 'happy feeling', watching Beyonce walk the 2011 VMA red carpet in a one-shoulder Lanvin 'tangerine dream' as she featured a pronounced baby bump.  (I was dancing in my seat when it happened - I love the woman!) 

But we ain't B, are we?  *wink*  It is a bold colour, but you can't help but smile at it when you see it.  It's a colour I see myself wearing (whether the skin tone can handle it is another issue to deal with), but not head-to-toe - I'd rather not subject people to staring into a tangerine abyss and cause migraines.  An accent or the right piece can always make a difference, or even softening the intensity of the hue, depending on the piece.  The colour itself is dramatic with a strong red base, but gives a "friendly glow" with its heavy orange undertones, almost giving way to a yellow aura of warmth.  It'll be a colour that just might make your day a little better.

Check out a few different ideas Tangerine Tango can dance its way into your wardrobe, combined with other elements from the Spring 2012 Colour Palate!

:: cutout dress, Rachel Roy :: bib necklace, Lizzie Fortunato ::

:: shirtdress, Nordstrom :: necklace pendant, no artist listed (let me know if this is you!) ::

:: tote, Diane von Fuerstenburg :: ring, Alkemie + Nautilus ::

:: trench coat, Moncler :: ballet flats, Michael Kors ::

:: tangerine briollette necklace, no artist listed (let me know if this is you!) :: dress, Amanda Archer ::

:: dress, Peplum :: necklace, Amrita Singh ::

:: earrings, Not One Sparrow :: ring, Lola Rose ::

:: clutch, ASOS :: platform heels, TopShop ::

Aaaaaand, and few more outfit ideas I may borrow from in the future ...

:: D-Squared :: Kate Spade :: Marc by Marc Jacobs ::

I'll be rummaging through my stash for some inspiration and see how I can blend a little brightness into my wardrobe for this upcoming season.

What's your take on the colour palate?  What colour combinations draw your eye the most?

Happy Halloween, Indy Fans!

(EGADS!  This didn't publish!  Damned this Auto-Publish option ...)

It's a great time of year when it comes to being anything you want for one day a year.  This year, I was a zombie at Toronto's Zombie Walk, with a few souveniers to remember the day.   The work-safe costume was the ever-popular Indiana Jones, this time with my official Indiana Jones plush whip that plays the theme song from a button on the handle.

Yup, I'm a geek.  More appropriately, fangirl.  Lemme show you my bunch of official Indiana Jones merchandise gifted and collected over the years.

:: Indiana Jones plush whip - press the button on the handle to play whip cracking sounds and Indy theme :: "Idaho Spuds" Mr. Potato Head, complete with golden idol, bullwhip and theme-playing fedora :: Remote control Giant Ant with Crystal Skull controls, from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ::

Movie Star Boots!

If I didn't want to get paid for my second day of extra actor work on the set of the Total Recall remake, I'd just take these home.

:: suede leather boots with chain detail, BG Max Azria, Pinewood Studios Wardrobe Dept. ::

I was offered these boots to wear after my own boots suffered water damage on set and started to fall apart.  I was so in love with these boots, it was very tempting.  I've been scouring around the internet since for affordable options ... meaning under $50.  I'm very picky about my shoes, though.  Here's what I like so far:

:: Alice + Olivia for Payless :: Rocket Dog Chain Gang Boot :: Twiggy London for HSN ::

Seen any cute boots around yourself?

"You're in my light, Sticks."

:: knock-off Chanel black sunglasses, discount store purchase :: navy blue H&M knit shirtdress, thrifted :: black tie belt from my kimono nightgown :: black-and-white animal print flats with espadrille detail, Stitches Outlet :: chunky black statement necklace, Claires :: Frederick Harris Music Company canvas bag full of doggy stuff for the walk ::

I like a lot of my clothes, so I'm gonna blog about some of the cool and versatile stuff in my closet over the next little while.  I've been complimented many times for looking so 'put together', and I consider what I put together.  If you're gonna ask me what the style is, you're gonna pidgeon-hole me, but I try to put together an 'effortless cool' with a combination of draping and slim fits, depending on how I feel that day.  This day was the last day of what I could take advantage of acceptable short skirt weather.

I snagged this amazing H&M knit shirtdress from my local Value Village a little while ago and had always worn it 'safe' with pants or tights underneath.  Today marks the first day I've actually worn it as a dress - but I still put shorts on underneath, just because I'm modest.

I love the 'spoken rules' of colour coordination - no red-pink, no black-blue or black-brown.  Bah.  The navy blue in the shirtdress is dark enough to throw a few black touches in.  The chunky black necklace is a puzzle of chunks and slivers of rounded plastic tubes.  It's very eclectic-looking.  The original tiebelt didn't come with the shirtdress when I bought it.  (How do I know?  There are small threaded loops on the waist.)  I snagged my tie from my kimono housecoat and it turned out perfectly.  I threw on some comfortable, yet eye-catching flats with an animal print.  Not bad.

We're on our way out with Shiva to meet our friend, Dave, to talk about the new short film he's finished shooting and getting Nick involved in the scoring process.  It's a great opportunity for him to get into a new realm with his music!  Dave's also a good friend of the family - he's lived across the street from me since high school! 

Destination - Dairy Queen just down the street on a beautiful Thanksgiving weekend.  Strap up the puppy and head out for a Blizzard and conversation!  It's great to have the time to catch up with friends and hear about their latest projects and what's keeping them busy.  Dave's got lots more coming up - he's a man full of great ideas.  Hopefully we'll get a chance to work with him in future productions!

Readjustments

:: My favourite brown wool fedora, vintage store purchase :: 'Blues Brothers' Ray Bans knock-offs, bought during a trip to my parents in Neustadt :: 'Brownie' striped tee, American Eagle :: Key to My Heart earrings, made by me (Artbeads.com Design Partner Portfolio) ::

Harumph ... well, hello everybody.  It's been a while, but there's been progress!  Nick and I have been rather busy living the 'starving artist' life while trying to enjoy the finer things.  Well ... trying is the operating word here.  We're fortunate to be doing what we love, where we feel we make the most impact, where we are the most productive.  Teaching theatre has been rather enlightening and humbling (more on that in The Pursuit), and it's sucking the energy out of me to create anything in the realms of accessories or jewelry.  Not to mention the crestfallen heaviness of closing shop on Etsy.  Oh, crap.

Cassandra's Gonna Wear: Outfit #3

So what did I wear to work today?  Sometimes going through your closet and finding stuff you hadn't worn in a while can be a 'new infusion' to what you wear everyday.  That's what happened today!

Here's the outfit:

• Purple shirtdress, Stiches.  It's a ridiculous purple/pink colour.  It's bright and a few shades away from being offensive.  It really can't be worn on its own; it's tooo short.  I hadn't worn it in a while because you really need to be 'in the right mood' to wear colours like these.  I've been feeling that 'purple haze' lately ... being a good thing!
• Black tank top, Giant Tiger.  I keep a stock of black and white tank tops and tend to wear them instead of camisoles.  I'm running around the store in top speed most of the time, so I'd rather something that'll form to my body instead of some slinky material that'll swish around.
• Grey pants, Value Village purchase; Suzy Sheir.  I take some pride in these pants.  As a short person (5'2), I extremely dislike shopping for pants.  I am always ready to spend an extra $15-$30 to have them hemmed, after which the fit and style of the pants are almost completely wrong.  Sure, there are some petite sections and store I can shop at, but they don't fall right - especially if I wear heels.  These pants I purchased because they fit perfectly around the waist as a underwear-covering low-rise.  They're a wide leg with a front seam, which have always been a favourite style of mine, with enough flare to fall at just the right fit when hemmed.  And I hemmed them myself!  I've decided to learn how to hem pants myself to save some serious money, and practice on my thrift store purchases.  Success!
• Black leather obi belt, Le Chateau.  I think I originally purchased this belt for a samurai costume for Halloween one year, and it was on sale, that I certainly remember.  This is one of my favourite belts that I've been able to wear with so many different things.
• Black leather headband from a dollar store, my favourite black flats, black Dickies watch, my 'Hearts for Adia' and seahorse necklaces, and everyday bangles!
• Dead Like Me necklace, no. 1, Design by Cassandra.  I had also dubbed this necklace 'RIP Mr. Frog.'  I had made this necklace in a slew of television-themed necklaces I had made, this one inspired by the show Dead Like Me, about a young girl named George who experiences an unusual death, only to be stuck on Earth working as a grim reaper.  Still amongst the living, yet undead herself, she experiences puberty and the pains of growing up while dealing with the tragedy of death, with hilarious results!  George has a pet frog in the show, and the show is introduced with a story of Frog and Toad taking care of the Jar of Death.  Click here to check out these necklaces in their full glory - and where the frog inspiration came from in the first place!
  
• Black onyx dangle earrings, Design by Cassandra.  These earrings, in fact, made from the 'leftovers' of the two Dead Like Me necklaces I had made earlier.

I have a lot of jewelry that I've made and haven't worn yet, so I'm excited to incorporate more into my fall outfits.  Fall is a great time to wear jewelry, especially with all those pashmina scarves and v-neck sweaters to wear!  'Layer & Sweater Season' is here!

A New Jewelry Set & A Coat Gets A Button-Lift!

A special weekend - it's Canadian Thanksgiving!  I make reference to 'Canadian' because I believe we celebrate it about a month earlier.  Much to be thankful for, especially for the turkey dinner at my friend Graham's house, so just a quick Make n' Tell weekend, really.

Day #41 was made while waiting for dinner.  This is a necklace and earring set I had made with flourite chips and silver chain.  The pendant is a piece of chain with a clusters attached, then another jumpring attached to the middle of the chain to fold in half.  I love it.  I fell in love with the translucent colour of these chips and wanted to do something that would bring out that feature.  Any white or silver settings bring out the best in light-coloured gemstones.

 

 

Day #42 is just a simple one, really, to give my hands a bit of a rest.  The calluses from the pliers are really starting to hurt, so I thought I'd start some new sewing calluses ... one little job at a time.  I had replaced the buttons on my favourite fall/winter coat, a three-quarter length single-breasted coat.  It has a removable faux-fur trim collar, but I have that put away with the toques and gloves and scarves in a box somewhere in the basement.  It'll be time to pull those out really soon!

 

These buttons were on the blue peacoat I had recently rebuttoned in September.  I've put these buttons on my favourite green jacket and figure I'd share the love with some more leftovers.

Thanks for stopping by, and stay tuned for more fantastic stuff from me and my friends on the 365-Day Make n' Tell Challenge!

Designs by Victoria

dbvictoria.blogspot.com

Mrs Gryphon

mrsgryphon.blogspot.com

The Tote Trove

thetotetrove.blogspot.com