home.

Well, I'm home now! I meant to post more on vacation but our wi-fi in the hotel room got progressively worse as the trip went by... it was pretty weird. I'd turn on my laptop and have like 5 minutes of connectivity before it disappeared for the day. Luckily I got to video chat with Hypatia once (seriously, we meowed back and forth. It was pretty awesome) before the wi-fi just vanished completely.

The trip was SO fun! I didn't prepare for the weather at all, though. I packed dresses and shorts, totally not expecting 60' or 50' in Florida! A few days before we came home I just caved in and bought sweatpants. Not normally my style, but at that point I couldn't have cared less about how I looked. I'm wearing them in the picture above (taken after I collapsed on the floor from exhaustion after like 15 basketball games, haha!)

My mom caught a cold a couple days before we left, and then I caught it from her on the way home. I am SO sick right now :( And so jealous of my mom... she always gets over sickness in like 24 hours and then feels right as rain again. I take after my dad and get long, lingering colds that last for days and days and days. I'm glad that it waited until I was home (who wants to be sick on vacation, right?!) but being a small business owner and getting sick after 10 days away, AND on the busiest shopping weekend of the year, is sort of stressful. Luckily I've got an awesome family helping me out, so I think I'll manage :) No outfit posts for a little while though... I seriously look like a train wreck right now. yuck.

Well, I hope everyone had a terrific Thanksgiving!!

Flapper Doodle black friday sale

Now is the perfect time to get your 2013 calendar, BFF pendants or prints for your bestie's Christmas gift, holiday cards and all sorts of goodies and art prints!!

I'm offering a few discounts, you can choose whichever one works best for you!

+ 20% off any order with code BLACKFRIDAY
+ Free shipping on any US order of $10+ with code FREESHIP10
+ Free upgrade to Priority Mail on US orders of $50 or more -- just let me know in the message to seller at checkout that you'd like to take advantage of the free upgrade. Your order must be $50 before shipping. This offer cannot be combined with coupon codes.

Mention that you're a blog reader and I'll include a free gift, too!! :D

CLICK TO SHOP HERE!!!

at the boardwalk

Yesterday we went to Downtown Disney and had lunch at the House of Blues (my first time back there since they added cheese and jalapeno peppers to their don't-mess-with-perfection amazing cornbread. I was quite sad) then we wandered around the Boardwalk resort before going to Hollywood Studios for the rest of the day. No super amazing food yesterday (partially because my old favorite cornbread no longer exists) but something pretty awesome happened when we got back to our hotel.

I should probably add here that I've gotten sort of obsessed with arcade basketball games lately. There's one at our movie theater, and I've been challenging my dad every time we go. I've been beating him too, which isn't half bad considering he's a foot taller than me and used to coach basketball when he was younger!

Anyway, there's an arcade in our resort and the basketball game there is one of those full-scale super tall ones that's incredibly intimidating when you're only 5' tall. I got like 4 points the first few times I played, and I was getting pretty discouraged, but then I became filled with an all-consuming determination to beat the high score on the machine.

AND I DID!! eep! And, get this, there are two machines in our arcade and I beat the high score on BOTH. I was pleased as punch, let me tell you! I called my dad to gloat and then went to sleep a happy camper :)

shirt, cardigan and shorts - forever 21 | Sneakers - asos | Sunglasses - sweet and lovely

such a wholesome place

One of the highlights of the trip so far was finding out that our hotel was 101 Dalmatians-themed! We're staying at the All Star Movies resort, and you're assigned to one of 5 different movie themed sections. I wanted this one SO badly, but I didn't find out that we had it until we checked in. They have two massive Pongo and Perdita statues in front of each building, and some of the walls are painted with dalmatian spots. It's my favorite Disney movie so I'm basically in heaven.

Also, yesterday I had the best meal of the trip. I know I said this in my last post, but really this trip is all about the food. I was flipping though the photos on my phone last night and noticed like 99% of them are pictures of my meals, lol! But anyway, yesterday we ate lunch at Seasons in Epcot and they had vegan orange sesame chik'n. I almost died when I saw it on the menu... a lot of the counter service restaurants here have a limited selection for vegetarians (lots of veggie burgers and PB&J sandwiches) so this was quite a treat! And it was absolutely delicious. I'm going back today, and basically as often as possible while I'm here! 

Well we're heading out for another magical day! Be back soon :)

Shirt and backpack - h&m | Sneakers and shorts - asos | Tights - target

Cardigan - forever 21 | Sweater clips - sweet and lovely

Greetings from Animal Kingdom!

On Wednesday we went to the Animal Kingdom, and this is what I wore! I've been wearing the shorts-and-tights combo every day so far. It's really comfy and I don't feel frumpy :) Well, how could anyone ever feel frumpy with these sneakers!? lol! They're so fun!! And really, really comfortable. We're doing a lot of walking and they're holding up well so far.

I got these iphone cases for me and my mom, so it would be easier to take pictures on our phones. Last year I kept mine in my purse in its silicon case, and it was just too much of a hassle to take a quick snapshot. These are perfect, but a little stupidly designed. The strap connects to the top part, which can snap off way too easily. One jostle on the strap, and your iphone could go tumbling to the ground. Luckily I had done research about this before buying the cases and knew it was an issue, so I got heavy duty black rubber bands to keep the top part connected to the bottom. It's working wonderfully, and you can't really tell that it isn't a part of the case unless you look hard :)

We're just having SO much fun! I think the nicest thing about being on vacation is never having to cook or clean up, lol! I've been having so many scrumptious meals (my favorites so far were the fried green beans and the beef and broccoli (minus the beef) at the Yak and Yeti They were really accommodating for my vegetarian diet there.) It really beats heating up day-old spaghetti on a regular basis at home, haha! :D

Well we're off to Epcot today! ttfn! (That's Tigger speak for "ta ta for now!")

Shirt- urbanog | Shorts - emerging thoughts | Sneakers and belt - asos

Lady tie - flapper girl | iphone case - amazon | Sunglasses - sweet and lovely

downton disney

I must watch too much Downton Abbey, because every time that I try saying "Downtown Disney" to my mom, it keeps coming out "Downton Disney!!" I've been getting a bit of a kick out of it, and I thought it would be fun to make my own version of the Downton credits with scenes I filmed around Disney World (mostly Downtown Disney)

I mostly did this just because I thought it would be a fun sort of home video to show my dad and brother when I get home next week, but I'm so smitten with it I thought I'd share it here too! It's really corny but I think it's fun ;)

ps. If you're not familiar with Downton Abbey, here is a video of the original credits for reference!

I did it!!

Well, my first airplane ride is officially behind me! Phew!! :D

I was a nervous wreck (and I may or may not have cried during take-off and also when I felt the plane touch back on earth) but I'm so glad I finally did it. It took 26 years, but I finally did it :) I think I'll need more practice before I'm able to do an international flight, but at least the more terrifying part is over.

Yesterday me and my mom went to the Magic Kingdom, and we had SO much fun!! We ate dinner at Cinderella's Castle! And the best part is that the new Fantasyland (which includes the Beauty and the Beast and Little Mermaid attractions) had a dress rehearsal while we were there! Those are my two favorite Disney princess movies (favorite Disney movie goes to 101 Dalmatians) so I was ridiculously elated. Again, I may or may not have cried. I was a little emotional yesterday lol :) The Little Mermaid ride is INCREDIBLE! We went on it three times and if it's open again today, I'm sure that tally will at least double. My mom and I ended up singing Under the Sea and Part of Your World as we wandered around the park for the rest of the night.

Well we're going to go grab some breakfast and head over to The Animal Kingdom now! I hope everyone else is having a magical week too :)

birthday frock

This is what I wore for my birthday yesterday! My dress from modcloth did end up coming in the mail in time, and I love it, but I ended up going with something a teensy bit less dressy. We're going out for a birthday dinner with my grandmom when I get back from my vacation, and I think that will be the perfect occasion to wear the dress! :)

I have this post scheduled.. I'm writing it at 12am and I have to wake up to catch a plane at 5am! Yikes!! By the time this goes up I will be in the air!! It's my first time flying, and I am SUPER nervous (probably why I'm still up at 12am when I should have been sleeping a long time ago, lol) I'm incredibly excited about my trip, but at this very moment the combination of anxiety over flying and heartbreak at leaving Hypatia with my dad for nine days is really overwhelming. I wish there was a way to take vacations with my cats, using teleportation to get to my destination. Someday...

dress and purse - modcloth | coat - ebay | shoes - urban outfitters | belt - asos

tights - target (if anyone ever sees these, let me know? I would kill for another pair

but I can't find them in stores or online anymore :(

ps. I just realized it looks like part of my finger is missing in the last picture, lol!! Rest assured, my fingers are all intact, I just had it folded in the photo ;p

A Scathingly Brilliant birthday giveaway! [closed]

As much as I love getting presents, I really like giving them SO much more. So for my birthday, I thought it would be fun to do a little giveaway! I've been gathering up goodies for a few months now, and I just put them altogether into one huge group! If you win, you'll get everything shown in the photo above!! :D



What you'll win: A tan scalloped handbag, a strawberry purse, pink lip balm, Hello Kitty candy, dinosaur cookie cutters, heart stud earrings, a cat ring, sweet erasers, two notebooks, a set of cupcake pencils and teal nail polish!

How to enter: simply leave a comment letting me know that you're entering, and some way to contact you (email, twitter, blog, whatever floats your boat!) You must be a follower to enter (and, please, none of this follow-and-leave as soon as the giveaway is over jazz.. that's super rude!) This giveaway is open to everyone on planet earth.

For additional entries: (leave a separate comment for each entry)

1. Tweet this "I just entered to win a super fun assortment of goodies on @kategabrielle's blog! http://www.scathingly-brilliant.blogspot.com" (Only counts if you use this exact tweet. Entries from twitter accounts used solely to enter giveaways will not be counted.)

2. Follow me on facebook
3. Follow me on bloglovin

Giveaway ends on November 26th at 12:01AM EST. Giveaway has ended.

Winner:

cat shoes, awkward poses and being too tired to think of a good title

This is my "trying not to fall over while I get a good shot of my cat shoes while simultaneously itching my neck" pose. Pretty glamorous, I know. I was in a hurry yesterday, trying to get some quick pictures before zipping out the door, and when I looked at the shots later this was the only one that was semi-presentable... oh well, it happens :)

I have been SO busy the last week or two... I'm leaving for Disney World on Tuesday (and I have a party and day trip coming up this weekend) so I've been rushing to get as much as possible done before Saturday. I still have a bunch of orders to pack today*, and I have an exciting project I've been working on for Emma that I'm hoping to post later today (tomorrow at the latest!) Also: emails. Goodness gracious am I behind on those. I'm ashamed to admit this, but I haven't even *looked* at my e-mails in about a week. YIKES!

Hopefully I'm going to tackle those tonight. Then maybe I'll finally get around to packing and figuring out what I'm going to wear for nine days... I'm so excited to be leaving in 4 days but I feel like I need twice as much time to get everything I have to do done. Maybe I need this vacation more than I realize...

*by the by, if you're thinking of buying anything from Flapper Doodle or Sweet and Lovely and need that order soon, Nov. 10th is the last day to place an order in time for it to ship before I leave. All orders placed from Nov. 11th on will not ship until I get back on the 22nd.

Dress - c/o sheinside | Tights - target | Headband - h&m

Shoes - early birthday present from my parents (already covered in cat fur! lol)

wishlist wednesday: the prettiest dress ever

THIS.
DRESS.

It's been listed as "coming soon" on modcloth for what seems like months, and I've been eagerly checking the new items page hoping it would appear in time for me to order before my birthday. Because, clearly, this is a birthday dress if there ever was one, right? Well, I seem to be in fate's good graces at the moment because it was listed for sale today, just in time for me to order it (albeit with an express shipping upgrade) JUST in time for it to still be my birthday dress! Yippee!!!!! :D (If you're equally enamored, it's available on modcloth here!)

ps. I'm sort of overdoing it with drawing hearts on things this week, but my broken tablet miraculously started working again last weekend and I've been eagerly overusing it ever since :)

we're clearly soldiers in petticoats

Well, I voted! Did you? I was raised in a pretty political family so we watch the news like mad and volunteer and get VERY stressed waiting for election results to come in. I don't like to discuss politics with friends (I'm of the mindset that talking about religion, money or politics is a surefire way to break up a friendship) or on this blog, but I think that talking about civic duties and suffragettes is safe territory ;)

It's so weird to think that not too long ago I wouldn't have been allowed to vote. My Aunt Annie (who is turning 101 next month!) is old enough to remember a time before women were allowed to cast a ballot... it's just unreal to think it was that recent, isn't it? Anyway... I just think that we owe it to our mother's mothers, who fought for us to have this opportunity, to take some time once a year and exercise our rights as American women. If you're on the fence about voting today, please consider going. If your elderly relatives have trouble making it to the polls, offer to take them. If you're too young to vote, consider volunteering. We can all make a difference!

We are so privileged to live in a country where our voices are heard, and so lucky to live in an age where being born female no longer disqualifies you from voting. No matter which candidate you are voting for or what party you're affiliated with -- if you haven't yet, please vote! :)

ps. I don't know if it's my whole state or just my particular polling place, but we don't get cute little "I voted" stickers like everyone else seems to. So I made my own! If you're similarly annoyed and want to show some civic pride, here's the sticker I made :)

Coat - asos | Tights - target | Shoes - c/o oasap | Purse - modcloth | Hat - f21

Giveaway: Neon pink satchel purse from Le Bomb Shop [closed]

Le Bomb Shop is offering one super lucky girl an incredibly awesome neon pink faux leather satchel purse! Adding this pop of pink to your winter outfits will definitely brighten up the chilly, cloudy days ahead :)



What you'll win: One neon pink satchel purse

Mandatory entry:  Like Le Bomb Shop on facebook. If you don't have facebook, you can leave a comment with your favorite item from their shop instead. Then leave a comment with some way to contact you (twitter, e-mail, your blog.. whatever floats your boat!) And you must be a follower of this blog to enter! (And, please, none of this follow-and-leave as soon as the giveaway is over jazz.. that's super rude!)

For additional entries: (leave a separate comment for each entry)
1. Tweet this "I just entered to win a neon pink satchel from @lebombshop on @kategabrielle's blog http://www.scathingly-brilliant.blogspot.com" (Only counts if you use that exact tweet.)
2. Pin the giveaway on pinterest
3. Leave a comment with your favorite item from Le Bomb Shop.
4. Share the giveaway on facebook

This giveaway ends on November 12th at 12:01AM EST. The giveaway is over.

Winner:

Modcloth sale alert!

Modcloth is having a 25% off sale! Yippee! Looks like lots of goodies are marked down.. I'm especially smitten with this dress! Let me know in the comments if you get anything so I can live vicariously ;) Oh and if you want to make your very first modcloth purchase, you can get $15 off your first order of $50 or more if you follow this link! :)

sweet and lovely update!

It's time for my first ever sweet and lovely shop update! eep!

First of all, the rainbow sweater clips are back in stock. yay! Also all of the orders placed over the last two weeks have been shipped, but if you haven't received yours please don't e-mail me just yet. I'm in New Jersey and our post offices are still recuperating from the storm. USPS is pretty slow to begin with, and this is making them even slower. I really appreciate your patience :)

Okay, now on to the shop update! First up is a new sweater clip set with cookies and milk (can I get an "awww!!"?) I made these with clay and then hand-painted them. They're connected with a double chain of silver plated metal and they're available right here!



Next up are some friendly little tooth sweater clips. You know me with dressing for the occasion.. I totally kept a pair of these for myself, and I'm wearing them to my next dentist appointment. Of course! ;D They're also connected with a double chain and they're available here.



Last but not least, the pink bow clips are now available in purple! I'm on such a purple kick lately (I even just bought myself a purple Christmas tree yesterday! I'll have to post pictures because it's literally the prettiest tree I've ever laid eyes on.) and I couldn't resist making these in lilac. These clips are a little different from the rest. The other sweater clips have pin-backs, and these have alligator clips so they attach to the edge of your cardigan. The clips are too big for me to use on all of the other sweater clip sets, but I love how they work with these! All future sets of the pink bow clips will have this new back too :) They're available here!

cosmic rays

I hope the galaxy-print trend never goes out of style, because I really enjoy finding new pieces to add to my little collection. This dress is a beauty in person, mainly because the print is so vivid and realistic, unlike some that look more computer generated.

It's getting to be my favorite time of year for star-gazing. I just love laying in the backyard at night in the fall, listening to music on my headphones while watching the stars above me. It's chilly enough to need some blankets but not quite freezing yet. And the chances of getting attacked by a swarm of bugs are significantly smaller than they are in the summer ;)

Dress - c/o Romwe | Shirt - forever 21 | Shoes - c/o oasap