Another Day, Another Bouquet: Contemplating Cupid

Top: Bisou Bisou, JCPenney; Skirt: Trixxi, Kohl's

Vase and flowers: Michaels

Shoes: Mix No. 6, DSW

Wrapping paper: Amazon

Bag: Fred Flare

Skirt: Mudd, Kohl's

Top: Hell Bunny, ModCloth

Shoes: Madden Girl, Kohl's

Bag: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Shoes: Circus by Sam Edelman, Kohls

Bag: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Dress: ModCloth

I guess the best way to begin is to say that, as promised, I'm posting more Valentine's Day!  Which means that hearts, flowers, lips, and bows are decorating all my clothes.  

Speaking of bows (albeit another kind), there's also a cutout of Cupid.  

But just the one.

Because between him and Charlotte, I have all the cherubs I need. 😏💖🌸🌹💌💋🎀

The Color Khaki: Game Show Bow

Bag: Dolls Kill; Shoes: Chase & Chloe, Zulily; Yellow shell bangle: Later Operator, Etsy; Pink bracelet: Amrita Singh, Zulily; Yellow bangles: B Fabulous; Blue bangle: Kohl's; Belt: Belt is Cool, Amazon

Dress: POPSUGAR, Kohl's

Last Wednesday, while waiting for The Goldbergs to come on, I caught the tail end of Wheel of Fortune.  The final puzzle was "What are you wearing?" and the answer was, of all things, "Beige slacks."  Which was weird for a show named after a wheel so colorful they make clocks in its image:  

Clock: Fred Flare

You'd think that Vanna would stricken words signifying the shade of stale biscuits from her glittering, green goddess stage.  Because colors are important -- not just in outfits, but in identities and stories.  Sure, whenever someone utters, "Oh, he's a colorful character," you may think of a Hawaiian shirt-wearing weenie who belts out "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" every happy hour at a bar where they don't have karaoke.  Yet I guarantee that you want to hear about that guy more than khaki-clad Uncle Stu, whose biggest claim to fame is the homemade Miracle-Gro he feeds his prized begonias.  

But enough about Wheel of Fortune (for now).  When it comes to the color wheel, blue, yellow, and red are the primary colors, or, as we currently say, essential workers.  And this Fabulous Felt Bow Barrette Brooch has color all tied up.  Okay, so it's blue, yellow, and pink instead of blue, yellow, and red.  But everyone knows that pink is just red in mood lighting.  

Fabulous Felt Bow Barrette Brooch

Speaking of bows, I remember one Wheel contestant, years ago, who wore a big black bow in her hair.  It set off her yellow top perfectly and had such a fresh, vintage feel.  Then there was another player, also a woman, who wore a sparkly tuxedo top complete with bowtie.  And although I didn't know them, just knowing that they were out there, strutting their sartorial stuff on national TV when most people wore something safe, made me happy.

By the way, last Wednesday's player solved that putty-hued puzzle and went home with a boatload of cash.  So sometimes beige slacks are a win.

I hope she uses the loot to buy the pot of gold attached to her personal rainbow.

Stripe Up the Brand: 2 Lips Too, Too Much, Nice Clutch

 Darling Deco Bow Necklace

Top: Bisou Bisou, JCPenney

Skirt: Xhilaration, Target

Shoes: 2 Lips Too, JCPenney

Bag: Fred Flare

Belt: Apt. 9, Kohl's

Sunglasses: JCPenney

No doubt about it, this post title is a mouthful.  But then, how else to laud labels that have got the gamed licked?  Yes, it's mid-priced mainstays 2 Lips Too and Bisou Bisou (French for "kiss, kiss!") puckered up into one puckish package.  Both brands hail from JCPenney.  Well, the online version anyway, which is often much snazzier than its stuck-in-the-1990s brick and mortar mother.  Failing department store chain or not, JCP still has an appetite for awesome, yet enough restraint to maintain its girlish figure.  That's right; this retailer has returned to the discount game.  Thanks to a clearance sale and a $10 rewards certificate, I got three pairs of these stripey stilettos for the price of one.  I'd been stalking them for what seemed like forever, waiting for just such an opportunity.  Who could blame me?  They're so distinctive and different and doll-like. 

I especially love their clear plastic inserts in contrasting colors.  They're like little slabs of stained glass in the windows of what I imagine to be Barbie's Disco Dance Party play set.  The disco ball would descend to the (mirrored!) dance floor and open up into a vanity for those sweaty, post-Hustle touch-ups.  (Are you listening, Mattel?  I'm sitting on a goldmine here.)

What I'm really (okay, always) saying is, accessories make the mood/party/outfit.  Which is why this Merry Berry Cherry Necklace, with its lipstick-red rhinestone cherry pendant, is such a fun, fruity finishing touch for this loudmouth ensemble.  What's that?  This isn't the Merry Berry Cherry Necklace, but the Darling Deco Bow Necklace?  Well, you caught me; it turns out that the cherry necklace didn't go with this outfit after all.  That sort of snafu sometimes happens here at the Trove.  Good thing I have a never-ending supply of sparkly subs to step in.

Cherries or no cherries, it would be really rad if Mattel could come up with an enchanted forest called the Ornate Orchard.

Hey, a squirrel can dream.  

It's Only a Paper Shoe

Every Christmas I get a Workman Publishing shoe calendar.  And every year (well, every year later), I cut out the pictures because they're too exquisite to throw away.  Here's a sampling of my stash:

So, some weeks ago, in the spirit of my recent use-every-part-of-the-pig crafting ethic, I decided to make some of them into brooches.  At first, I was pretty excited.  I glued and rhinestoned and ribboned, all the while thinking, "Hey, I'm on to something!"  But, then, without warning, the whole enterprise began to seem kind of doomed, the pieces shaping up to be -- for lack of a better word -- wonky.  It was all very disappointing, kind of like spotting the perfect pair of pumps on a far-off department store riser only to find out that they have kitten heels.  But such is life, so often trampled by the foibles of footwear.  I'll either wear them myself or add them to my free gift grab bag, but I won't list them.

Dress: JCPenney

(No need to adjust your monitor; those are indeed two different shoes that you're seeing.  Although I've never braved the look myself [too much uneven pavement out there] it's my nod to Helena Bonham Carter, who's done just that on more than one red carpet.)

Pink T-strap: Payless
Blue leopard pump: Ami Clubwear
Black scarf: JCPenney
Belt: B Fabulous
Bow scarf: Gifted
Fuchsia scarf: Express
Sunglasses: Relic, Kohl's
Bag: Fred Flare

On an unrelated note, I may have given Halloween candy short shrift last week.  Since then I've been scarfing down the leftover fun-sized snacks, an experience that reintroduced me to the joys of Twizzler-tinged Milky Ways and Snickers-scented Dots, flavor mash-ups that could come only from the fragrant fracas of a Halloween candy bowl.  Chocolate and fruit, delightfully artificial and all up in each other's grill -- it doesn't get any sweeter than that.

Valentine's Day in July

 Fabulous Felt Sweetheart Says Necklace

Top: Eric and Lani, Macy's

Skirt: Material Girl, Macy's

Shoes: Charles Albert, Alloy

Bag: Fred Flare

Belt: Wet Seal

Scarf: Wet Seal

 Fabulous Felt Strawberry Garden Necklace

Dress: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Cardigan: So, Kohl's

Shoes: Betseyville, Macy's

Bag: Princess Vera, Kohl's

Scarf: Wet Seal

Sunglasses: Mudd, Kohl's

Fabulous Felt Colors of the Couer Necklace

Dress: Kohl's

Cardigan: Delia's

Shoes: Charles Albert, Alloy

Bag: Fred Flare

Scarf: Wet Seal

Retailers are always cashing in on the kitschy appeal of Christmas in July.  So I thought, why not celebrate the sweetest style holiday of them all and haul out the hearts and flowers half a year early?  Never mind that it's hot enough to melt your lace-wrapped Russell Stovers to fondue.  I'm not what you'd call a real retailer anyway, so all bets are off (although I am most certainly kitschy.)

Talking about hearts makes me think of heartthrobs, which makes me think of how this season of TV Land's decidedly kitschy original sitcom "Hot in Cleveland" has been guest starring Tim Daly. (Hey, I never said it'd be a young heartthrob; there's a reason why AARPs always courting me).  Not to be confused with Tyne Daly, who costarred with Amy Brenneman in "Judging in Amy," who in turn costarred with Tim in "Private Practice."  Don't you just love TV connections?  Speaking of which, I always liked Tim on "Wings," more than Steven Weber, although less than Thomas Haden Church.  There was just something about that jumpsuit . . .

But enough of that nonsense.  On to a more important love connection airing this July, namely my and the husband's first anniversary.  We officially celebrated on July 27, marking our second weekend of food-focused festivities, an event that started with a return to the scene of the ceremony, a. k. a. Renault Winery, and ended with a visit to Guy Fieri's new Atlantic City steakhouse.  What it most certainly did not include was the traditional eating of the frozen top tier of our wedding cake.  Well, at least not for me.  The husband very gamely and bravely bit into the freezer-burned buttercream.  Although I wrestled with doing the same, I ultimately decided that I'd put my intestines through enough during the last forty-eight hours. (I'm looking at you, Mac Daddy Mac n' Cheese.)  Here's what it looked like, though (the cake, not the mac n' cheese).  My artist's ego feels honor-bound to report that it originally featured red, yellow, and salmon roses, not just this frighteningly deep-freeze-leeched-yet-digitally-enhanced Ronald McDonald-esque duo of red and yellow.  That having been said, my inner Bridezilla of days past would be remiss (and I'm sure all brides say this, we being a notably narcissistic lot) in not mentioning that it was the most delicious cake I'd ever tasted (props, again, to the good folks at Renault).

While I'm on this me-me-me stroll down memory lane, here are a couple of wedding pictures in frames I embellished.  When the pictures were fresh last fall, I was the first one to point out the flaws, criticizing each unflattering pose, stray hair, and weird expression.  Now I just think about how happy we look, a sentiment that'll probably grow stronger as the years pass and our quirks (photographed and otherwise) wax even weirder.

Thank goodness I'm a big fan of weirdness.

Musical Musings With a Side of Brain Candy

 Candy Land Necklace

Top: Delia's
Skirt: Target
Shoes: Betseyville, Macy's
Bag: Fred Flare
Belt: Wet Seal
Sunglasses: Rampage, Boscov's

*If this Candy Land Necklace looks familiar, then that's because it's a remix of the original.  Normally, I hate remixes.  The electronic effects, garbled lyrics, and ever-present bass all contrive to make awesome songs sound like garbage.  But when it comes to jewelry, I'm always willing to (and you must forgive me for this) "mix it up."

 Pop Princess Necklace

Camisole: Marshalls
Cardigan: So, Kohl's
Jeans: L'Amour by Nanette Lepore for JCPenney
Shoes: Worthington, JCPenney
Bag: Worthington, JCPenney

Sucker for Sweets Necklace

Dress: Kohl's

Shoes: Nine West, DSW

Bag: Marshalls

Scarf: A.C. Moore

Sunglasses: Rampage, Boscov's

I made the Pop Princess Necklace featured in this post by cutting the Katy Perry image from the jacket of her One of the Boys CD.  In honor of it, here are some thoughts on music:

1)  It's weird that you (usually) need to hear a new song a few times before you start to like it.  This doesn't say much about humans, except for maybe that we like being brainwashed.  

2)  Splurging on CDs is better than springing for (fancy - for this is one of those cases in which a qualifying adjective is a must) soaps because the CDs will still be around long after the tunes have tumbled off the Top 40 list, whereas the soap, fetching bottle and all, will be only a memory once the bubbles have popped.

3)  Buying a CD of a favorite song is a little bit like moving in with someone (I say this, of course, for comedic effect, and not from personal experience).  You think it'll be great.  As in, "I can hear the song (see my beloved) whenever I want!  I don't have to wait for it to come on the radio (him/her to swing by on date night)!"  Then you play it on repeat (see him/her every day in his/her ratty bathrobe) and get sick of it, longing for the lost magic of the random rendezvous.  As CD buying tells us, mastering music appreciation (not to mention romantic bliss) is a delicate balance.  

4)  One day CDs will fall by the wayside and people will reminisce about when they used to buy those quaint silver discs packaged in cases decorated with wacky artwork.  Perhaps "The Crazy Ones" put it best a couple of episodes ago in this exchange between Sydney and her new cater waiter flame: 

Cater Waiter: "I lied.  I like Starbucks.  I buy all my CDs there."  

Sydney: "I love that you still buy CDs."

(Confession: I too loved this about the cater waiter and was saddened by his eventual (albeit inevitable) exit.)

5)  Supergroups are like super necklaces - lots of big personalities competing for attention in a very small space - and as such should be enjoyed with caution.  

I'm already contemplating another CD cover art-come-necklace to include in next week's post.  So, as they say, turn up the tunes.  (As ever, I have no idea who "they" are.  But it was as good a way to end a post as any.)

Farewell, Fred Flare

 Lollipop Dot Necklace

Cardigan: So, Kohl's

Camisole: So, Kohl's

Skirt: So, Kohl's

Shoes: Cape Robbin, Ami Clubwear

Lunchbox: Fred Flare

Scarf: A.C. Moore

 Chocolate Bar Bit Necklace

Sweater: So, Kohl's

Dress: Candie's, Kohl's

Shoes: Worthington, JCPenney

Bag: Glamour Damaged, Etsy

Hat: Neff, Fred Flare

Dress: Mocloth

Turtleneck: Boscov's

Bag: Marshalls

Wallet: Toddland, Fred Flare

Shoes: Journeys

Scarf: Apt. 9, Kohl's

 Bow and Bonbons Necklace

Tank: Boscov's

Skirt: Necessary Objects, Annie Sez

Shoes: Charles Albert, Alloy

Bag: Princess Vera, Kohl's

Belt: Apt. 9, Kohl's

Scarf: A.C. Moore

Red and Yellow Romance Necklace

Top: Liz Claiborne, Marshalls

Camisole: Marshalls

Skirt: So, Kohl's

Shoes: BCBG, Macy's

Bag: Fred Flare

Belt: Wet Seal

Coat: BCBG, Macy's

When I got the email saying that Fred Flare was going out of business, I couldn't believe it.  Where was I to find my seasonal supply of hilarious holiday gifts?!  A quick scan of the comments on the retailer's blog revealed that countless other consumers felt the same way.  I'll never forget last Christmas's poo book snafu. Or the Christmas before that when my dad proclaimed his Fred Flare log pillow to be one of his favorite gifts.  So, in deference to Brooklyn's finest (get out of my head, Andy Samberg), I've sprinkled this week's wardrobe picks with my most-loved Fred Flare finery.  I know, I know.  I thought there'd be more of it, too. Talk about a case of buyer's woulda-shoulda-coulda.