Amusement Park Lark: Epic Equine Edition

Prancing Pony Charm Necklace

Top: Hollistser, Marshalls

Skirt: Amazon

Shoes: B.A.I.T., Zulily

Bag: Sugar Thrillz, Dolls Kill

Belt: Candie's, Kohl's

Sunglasses: So, Kohl's

Barrettes: The Tote Trove

The wooden horse bead in this Prancing Pony Charm Necklace reminds me of the kind you see on carousels.  Carousel is such a lovely word, isn't it?  Upstaged by only its sister calliope, it makes me think of the Carousel of Progress at Disney World.  Also, of a revolving restaurant I once had the misfortune to visit during a fourth grade field trip.  Even now, the image of those grayish Swedish meatballs circling by in slow motion is fresh (unlike the meatballs themselves) in my mind.  And finally, the word carousel makes me think of the Merry-Go-Round, which was a unisex clothing store catering to fast teens at my local mall.  Located across from the much tonier Limited, it was even cheesier than the rotating restaurant.

Any neigh, what I'm saying is, this hoofed honey is hella nostalgic.  You know, aside from looking like something you'd win at the carnival.  For maximum fairground flair, I paired it with this borderline barber pole/candy cane/Where's Waldo? tee shirt and macaroon-hued bag and shoes.  Because real life horses may smell like garbage, but the made-up, Swarovski crystal-studded kind are as fragrant as french fries.  And no, that wasn't a reference to horse meat hamburgers.

Sadly, I can't say the same about those meatballs.        

From Philly to Phoenix: Frank Ford Flies Again

 Fringe Bene-hit Necklace

Dress: Modcloth

Shoes: Zulily

Sun bag: Lily Bloom, JCPenney

Clutch: Xhilaration, Target

Flower clip: ULTA

 Candy Craze Combs

Sweatshirt: Lisa Frank for Macy's

Skirt: H&M

Shoes: Worthington, JCPenney

Bag: B&B

Dream Gig Necklace

Dress: American Rag, Macy's

Shoes: Qupid, DSW

Bag: The Tote Trove

Barrettes: The Tote Trove

There's something peaceful and artsy about the desert.  Especially, at least in my imagination, Arizona.  Just ask the Eagles.  (The band, not the Superbowl champs.  Not that a city boys in the 

Southwest-themed story doesn't have it appeal.)  And it just so happens that the lyrics to "Take it Easy" are especially soothing:

"Well, I'm standing on a corner

in Winslow, Arizona

And such a fine sight to see

It's a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed

Ford slowin' down to take a look at me.

Take it easy, take it easy

don't let the sound of your own 

wheels make you crazy."

Does that not paint the picture of serenity?  The (implied) blue sky against the golden-red sand, the sound of the wind drowning out the (again, implied) sad song on the radio.  Sure, the bit about the cad of a cowboy picking up (or being picked up by) yet another woman is a little questionable, but I'm willing to look past that for the sake of the song and this post if you are.  That's not the important part, anyway.  This tune is timeless because it's about the magic of living in the moment, of tucking the uneasy parts of life away.

Arizona, by the way, is also where Lisa Frank lives.  Which explains why she has those cacti dancing around her namesake logo.  You heard it here first: Classic rock and tween pop art, perfect partners in rhyme.

So inspired (because, honestly, what '90s fangirl doesn't want to somehow emulate Lisa Frank?), I designed my own desert decor.  Fringe Bene-hit, Candy Craze, and Dream Gig tell their own style story -- namely, stand back from that scorpion and all manner of poisonous vermin that lurk in the desert.  

Because if that's not a message of peace and goodwill, then we all might as well sit on a cactus.

Bubble Toy Joy: My Punny Valentines

Dress: Demi Loon, Zulily
Jacket: Marshalls
Shoes: Betseyville, Macy's
Bag: Betseyville, ROSS Dress for Less

Sweet Stuff Hairpins

If you grew up in the '90s, or raised a girl in the '90s, or walked through a mall in the '90s, . . . then you know all about bubble pendants.  (Also, the Bubble Boy.  But that's something else from the '90s.)  They used to hang next to the chokers and Koosh balls in Claire's, New Kids on the Block in the background.  (To be fair, you could find more up-market options in Macy's, but no Koosh balls or New Kids, so.)  And they came in all shapes and colors, the neon-hued, elixir-like liquid making them look like magic potion.  I loved them and, always an avid collector, had more than a few next to the Bonnie Bell and Love's Baby Soft on my dresser.  So, when I saw a bag of plastic, heart-shaped versions in the Dollar Spot at Target, I said, you're coming home with me.  I'd picked up some Valentine's treat-themed buttons a while back and knew that they -- along with some rhinestones -- would be just the thing to light up these too-cute hearts.  They turned out just as kitsch-tastic as I'd hoped, all gumball-machine prize like, which was fitting, seeing as how they started out life as party favors.  I'm hanging onto them instead of listing them in my shop.  Partly because of my die-hard collecting ways.  Partly because I don't want to get into the whole liquid/fragile/hazardous thing at the post office.  And, finally, because I like to party.  

I used the rest of the decadent dessert cabs to make hairpins, which are available in my shop (mostly because I made myself some extras :).  I embellished them with Swarovski crystals instead of rhinestones, these being on the classier end of the kitsch commodity spectrum.  Because V-day is no time to cheese it up. 

Unless we're talking fondue.  In that case, bring on the Gouda.            

Hats and Hashbrowns: Hey Breakfast, Get Ready, it's Ladies Who Crunch

Tee: Macy's
Skirt: Ellen Tracy, JCPenney
Bag: Betsey Johnson, Macy's
Shoes: Worthington, JCPenney

 Fabulous Felt Flora Brooch

Fabulous Felt Cora Brooch 

Fabulous Felt Paula Brooch 

Fabulous Felt Sherry Brooch 

Fabulous Felt Heather Brooch

Fabulous Felt Zora Brooch

Fancy hats make a statement.  And that statement is, we're ladies who not only lunch but brunch, ladies who come to the buffet armed with Tupperware containers that say, hey omelet station guy, we mean business.  Because this meal isn't about egg whites and those always-rotting melon balls plopped on puddles of cottage cheese.  It's about bacon and real eggs and pancakes and Belgian waffles heaped high with strawberries and whipped cream.  It's about a feast that deserves a showpiece of a headpiece worthy of its decadence.  And that headpiece is here, albeit in the form of six folksy brooches.

If you've been hanging around this blog, then you know that I've spent a lot of time making faces.  But lately I've been thinking that I want to deck them -- and their hats -- out in more than just simple blossoms.  I want to swathe them in orchards and gardens, anything ornate and excessive that makes people stop and say, "My word, how can she balance all that?"  Newcomers Flora, Cora, Paula, Sherry, Heather, and Zora eagerly second this motion -- as well as their right to seconds (and thirds and, what the hell, fourths).  I've adorned their hats with full-bodied flowers, feathers, and fruit -- the big three Fs in fancy millinery.  And, perhaps (indulge me a little more), life.

These dames, who are neither divas nor damsels, know how to make the most of a meal -- and of their seats at the table.  Indeed, after they drain the last drop of orange juice and down the last bite of Danish, they're off to solve the world's problems.  And then, yes, do a little shopping.

Because as Mattel told us back in the '80s, we girls can do anything -- right, carbie?