Black and White and Floral

One of my cool-weather looks; the weather here is usually never THAT bad, but it can get chilly, so if I want to wear an outfit, I need my layers. Either that, or I pretend I am brave. (Which is like never, because I end up hating myself for being so dumb!) The piece this whole look is based around is the black and white dress with interesting floral graphics I am wearing. I found it at a thrift, but has an H&M tag. It has a strange shift-like cut, and the bubble skirt was a little off-putting at first, but I tried it on with a waist belt and I was sold. I used my snug black cardigan to create the defined-waist look I prefer, but I could see myself wearing it in the spring or summer with a waist belt and black ballet lace-up flats. I called the dress "black and white", but there are many values of silvery-gray and I played upon those values with my accessories: hence the silver scarf and earrings! I even tried skew the colors of the boots to play upon the overall look. Yeesh, when I have a theme, I really run with it! The outfit is nothing special, but it was fun, cute, and I really wanted to make the dress wearable for everyday events. So for that purpose, I think it worked out just fine.

It's funny how much "non color" I wore, considering how much color affects my clothing/makeup choices, but in my mind, black and white and silver and gray are their own colors when I am wearing them - although next time I might wear a bright lipstick for that little extra pop. ;)

The tree, cloud, and sunset photos were all taken the same day while I was hanging out with the friend who kindly took my outfit photos, and we hit up a park later on. It was so beautiful!

Dress, cardigan, boots - thrifted

Scarf - Target

Earrings - Tilly's

<3 The Magpie

Mustard Field

Two new years ago I went on an online sale binge, and this rose-covered skirt was one of the pieces I bought. I really like the sheer over-piece dotted with red and pink roses, and the black layer underneath gives it a bit of an edge. I think it would also be pretty in white or pink, but this was the only option. At first, I didn't wear the skirt a lot, even though I really liked it. I'm not sure why. I will either wear something to death when I first buy it, or it hangs in my closet for months, and then I will proceed to wear it to death. Notice how both options include death.. Anyways, it's one of my few skirts that isn't a thriftstore find, but it still feels really special and unique. I paired the skirt with a pink shirt, a long red coat, and a beautiful rose pin with matching earrings that I DID find at a thrift. Can't cheat on my thriftstores for long, iloveyou. It's funny, for not really liking pink, I've been incorporating it more into my wardrobe. Pink paired with that deep rich red just seemed to mesh, so I rolled with it. 

When I saw this fantastic field of mustard blooms, I freaked and went S T O P. Frolicking in flower fields is always a must. I try to always keep an eye out for little hidden fields or small niches that make for great photo backgrounds. I have a list of local places in my head, but I'm always on the lookout for more. Of course, now that this field is plowed over, it looks drab and brown, so timing is also important. 

Although this outfit may seem more girly than my usual garb, it still has that whimsical flair that makes it my own, and I couldn't pass up the chance to ground it with a brown leather belt and boots to match. (Probably faux leather, but still.) I always need my waist belts!

I'm definitely starting to experiment with clothes more, but having something this classic and pretty is always nice to have on hand. I know that in the event of a last minute party or gathering, I have something I can throw on and go. 

 

  

 

Coat, shirt, earrings, pin - thrifted

Belt - Ross

Skirt - Ruche

Shoes - Modcloth

SNEEZE!

<3 The Magpie

Pink Attack

It's rare to find me in something this pink and girly, but sometimes you just gotta take the plunge. The belt is what makes this dress work; otherwise it looks like a giant nightgown you'd find your grandma wearing. Thank goodness for waist belts. I never have understood why I don't see girl use waist belts more often. They can make an outfit go from blah to incredible and are flattering to boot. Maybe they will become a big trend in the future and waves of them will be flaunted from every store, but for now, I'll settle for just finding a few solid ones.

These were taken in the spring. I've mentioned it before, but I often post outfits that were taken a few months back. I started taking outfit pics with the idea of starting a blog, and along with not always having access to good computers, I've acquired a bit of a backlog. It's kind of nice actually; it makes me feel more prepared and motivates me to write on here more. Also, as all the pictures have been taken in the last year or so, the clothes and styles I'm wearing are all still relevant to my tastes and daily wardrobe. It's fun to see what I've worn and it (hopefully) gives me new ideas on how I will wear them again.

Dress, belt - thrifted

Earrings - Walmart

Headband - Claire's

Sandals - DSW

This last picture of me, I am trying to chase away an aggressive chicken. The nasty thing will attack your legs when you're not looking. It will stalk you and hunt you down, I kid you not. It's like a little wolf in a feathered body. Blasted chicken.

 Funny how I accidentally caught it on camera.

<3 The Magpie

Eternal Ruby

I suppose there is nothing special about work clothes, but taking these photos was more about creating a mood and playing around with angles and lighting. I tried to suffuse them with a sense of light; almost to a painterly effect. I'm still struggling to bring what I envision to life, but half of any endeavor is the attempts to get there, no?

Aside from that, I was riveted by the strips of shadow and light created by simple hanging blinds. I always find it so strange, yet so marvelous that much of what holds wonder in this world is an unintended consequence of a subject's original purpose. How much are we missing simply because we cease to see?

Also, the title of this blog post was taken from the name of the lipstick I'm wearing in the pictures. As I've mentioned before, isn't the power of names a funny thing?

I took numerous photos of the blinds, exploring their edges and angles from all sides, each photo a staccato beat of an overall tune. I usually try to par down my excess similitudes, but this time, it's the slight differences in each frame that held my attention. Look closely at each photograph and you start to appreciate how light creates its own weight and mass, and how the differences and similarities between the photos start to ebb and fuse.

Shirt, skirt - thrifted

Necklace - Walmart

Earrings - unknown

Headband - World Market

Sandals - DSW

<3 The Magpie