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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

A little this and a little that....




Guess what this is?!  It might not be EXACTLY what you think it is.....and I will fill you in at the end of this post....



but for now.....

Does this picture look like a mug shot?  LOL!
Very simple outfit for a rainy day; thrifted gap turtleneck, Lia Sophia jewelry, New York and Co. houndstooth stretch trousers (pictured below)
I think the "Shoplifters will be Prosecuted" sign makes it look that way!

My friend Maria and I had lunch together and worked on some things for school on Tuesday.  When we finished we treated ourselves to a trip to the Goodwill store and she helped me get a couple of pictures.  

Maria found an Oscar de la Renta silk scarf for a dollar!
...and I sweet talked her into letting me take hers.  We stepped into a dressing room to take the photos because people were looking us a little funny; perhaps we should have considered how the "shoplifters" sign in the picture would look!!!  

My outfits this week have been really simple.  The weather has been temperamental; one day its cold and freezing rain, the next day its warm and stormy, the next (today) its rainy and warm but then the temp dropped and it snowed.  I've just wanted to be cozy and effortless these last couple of days.

The long leaf necklace is LS "Whisper"; I love the delicate leaves and I'm happy I ordered it because its now discontinued.  So is the pendant.  The chain that I put the pendant on is a triple strand from the current line.  Its really cool; each of the strands is detachable and there are two double clasps so that the necklace can be configured in so many different ways.  Its kind of like having 5 or 6 different necklaces  in one.  You will be seeing this worn in many different ways on my blog!

The collar can be work flat or stand-up
Love the stand up collar on this 'Neon Budda' jacket.  This is one of my recent, rare non-thrifted items.  It was about 65 degrees yesterday and I was happy to wear this spring-weight jacket!

I love the big buttons! The fabric is buttery soft and its so easy to wear.  I will love this for many years to come.

...and here my super comfy houndstooth stretch trousers.  

On Monday, I dresses simply for school.  Black NY& Co. stretch trousers and a thrifted lavender Izod cable sweater.  
Oh, how I love this sweater. Lavender seems to be a very flattering color for me; I would never have thought that it would be.  I went to the Goodwill last week SPECIFICALLY to find a lavender pullover to replace an itchy one that I could not wear comfortably. Hard to believe I found exactly what I was looking for.  Thank you thrifting fairy!





I paired the sweater with a lightweight leopard scarf and two LS "panorama" necklaces.  This necklace used to be called 'reflections'; its very shiny and reflective.  I found a you tube video of a woman demonstrating 12 ways to wear this necklace; most of them were pretty cute!

Here's close up of that de la Renta scarf Maria found on our Tuesday outing.  The colors are so pretty in person and I think she's going to get a lot of use from this scarf.  Maria is a little camera shy, but I would really like to feature her on my blog someday.  She has an amazing sense of style that I think you would all enjoy.  I really think she should write a blog of her own, but she has just returned to school to get her Masters in mental health counseling this semester so she probably won't have too much free time!  Maybe someday.



So.....here is the full size picture of the dress in my teaser picture at the top of the blog. 
Yep..its a dance dress.  Its a Latin dance competition dress.  And its for me!  I'm the girl who does not do Latin competition or Rhythm competition.  I haven't taken lessons in Latin or Rhythm but I've attended a few group lessons and I've picked up a lot of it at social dance parties.  
I don't have the same skill level as I do in American Smooth and International Standard.  But, I'm going to take a few lessons before the competition and enter in the novice/newcomer division and compete in a couple of  American Rhythm dances.  I'm not focusing heavily on it and I actually won't be wearing this dress yet.  I'll explain that below.
NOTE: International Latin and American Rhythm styles are similar and share some of the same dances.  There are technical differences between the two that distinguish them from one another and some different dances.  Latin dances are: Rhumba, Cha Cha Cha, Paso Doble, Jive, Samba.  American Rhythm dances are Rhumba, Cha Cha Cha, Bolero, East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing and Samba.

I'm going to be dancing Rhumba, Cha Cha, East Coast Swing and maybe Bolero.  I won't spend a lot of time working on them, because my focus is MY style (Standard and Smooth)...but I wanted to try it out for fun.
I won't be wearing the dress pictured at this comp, but I did buy it.  It was a REALLY, REALLY GOOD DEAL.
The dress is pale lavender and it needs some additional color.  I'm going to be adding many Swarovski crystals in a variety of bright colors.  I'm thinking that I will add fuchsia, aqua and dark purple.  The goal is to take this pale dress from a "cute" to a "WOW", and the way to do that is by adding colorful stones.  Also, because I'm so pale, the light color washes me out.  Its a great base dress that is going to be even greater with personal touches. I will also be adding wider straps.  Spaghetti straps just don't flatter me, so I'm adding a one inch strap on each shoulder.  They will also be heavily stoned. Many dancers do this with dresses; buy a solid used dress and customize it.  
Its a money saver if you start with a good basic dress.
For the competition, I will be wearing a simple black dress that I own with some very blingy ballroom jewelry.  Because I'm entering in a novice division, I don't need a 'real' ballroom dress.
******
There is something else that needs some work too before I wear this dress...and that's me.
I need to work on the soft parts of me and tone them up again.  If I'm going to be this underdressed, I'm going to be more fit.
***  
That's why I've started Jillian Michaels 30 day shred.  So far, she's shredding me!  
OUCH!

27 comments:

  1. How awesome that you went to the thrift store to find a specific item and to actually find it! And I love your new dress - can't wait to see how you make it more you. And good luck with the 30 day shred! I am in need of shredding some extra pounds I put on during the holidays.

    Alice
    www.happinessatmidlife.com

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    1. It was a lucky day for thrifting, Alice!
      So far I'm doing the shred, but I haven't lost any weight. :(

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  2. You did have the thrifting gods with you when finding your sweater! That never happens when I specifically look for something.

    I can't wait to see your new dress after you bling it up. I have been blinging one of my 7 yr old's dance costumes for competition and those jewels are going to be the death of me! Heather

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    1. Hi Heather. Do you you use glue on Swarovski crystals? I buy mine from a place called Action Fabrics and Trim in Chicago (they have an online presence, too).
      I used a little device that I call a "stone picker" that has a waxy tip on the end that easily picks up and places the stones. It's gotten to be a very easy task for me....I made lots of mistakes when I first started stoning dresses, but I've got it down to a science now. If you need pointers let me know. If you can't find a stone picker online...you can find one in November at the Ohio Star Ball competition in Columbus. You have to go check that out. I don't know yet if I'm competing there.

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  3. It's a beautiful dress, I can't wait to see the end product. I have my annual dr appt next week and I am dreading it b/c I know I have gained weight and not lost it. Kudos to you for taking care of your soft spots!

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    1. Good luck at your appointment!
      Thank you for the compliment, Linda!

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  4. Lovely dress! I like your new jacket with the ruffled collar and big buttons too.

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    1. Thanks, Sheila. It was a non-sale, non-thrift item...which is really rare for me!

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  5. Replies
    1. Thank you, Kathleen. I have a bit of an obsession with Lia Sophia jewelry!

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  6. I tried a few Latin dance classes and I just don't have the red hot Latin genes for that type of dance .. lol. The dress is hot though .. !

    Monica
    www.pear-shaped-gal.com

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    1. That's funny, Monica! I don't necessarily have the red hot Latin genes...but I'm giving it a try. I'm definitely a Smooth and Standard dance kind of gal; traditional ballroom!

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  7. Wow. The thrifting gods smiled on you guys. I guessed right from the top pic. Can't waist to see it after your planned upstyling!

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    1. Thanks, Lynne. Its going to take some time...but I can't wait to work on it and bring some life to it!

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  8. An Oscar dela Renta scarf for 1 dollar, and then get to be your friend and hang around with you - your friend is a lucky girl! I hope she will help you to glue crystals to the dress, when I am not around to help, or do you sew them on? I would really like to see more of your white jacket, it looks like something extra special! The weekend is approaching, have a great one!

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    1. Hi Anna,

      The stones are all glued on. Thank you for the compliment on the jacket. I plan on wearing it often in warmer weather. It was super cold here today!

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  9. Ooohh, what an stunning, alluring dress. I love the softer hue illuminated by sequins - so feminine and timelessly beautiful!


    ♥ Jessica

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    1. Thank you, Jessica. I still need to do some customizing to make it work for me, but it is pretty.

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  10. Beautiful dress, love all the beadwork. Good luck with your competition and that scarf was a great find!

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    1. Thank you very much. I'm very happy with the dress, although I need to give it some more color and personal touches!

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  11. what a stunning dress Lisa and I love the scarf your friend found:) Have a lovely weekend!
    ~Anne

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    1. Thank you, Anne. Here's wishing you a wonderful weekend also!

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  12. What a great latin dance competition dress !
    You know i use to see similar dresses in stores and would wonder to what event one would wear such an elegant dress and now i know :)

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    1. There are all kinds of fun things to wear this kind of dress to! Its a lot of fun to wear!

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  13. That dress looks so fun to dance in but I can't wait to see it once you finish customizing it. (I thought that was really interesting that most dancers customize their own dresses, i always thought they came pre-made like that!) That's so exciting that you're trying out a new dance style, it sounds like its going to be a lot of fun for you. :)
    I have to say, I'm impressed at your thrifting luck, going to the store looking for such a precise item and finding it! (Not to mention your friend finding that gorgeous designer silk scarf!)

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    1. Katie,

      Many times dancers find the perfect dress and don't add anything to it; but if we are shopping on a budget, we look for potential and customize a dress that may have been used. I need to add some major color to this dress to work for me, so I'll be 'stoning' it up with many colored crystals and adding shoulder straps.

      Thank you, Katie!

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  14. that pink is nothing but divine!

    www.trendinginfashion.blogspot.com

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"When you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect"--Mark Twain