Outfit Inspiration--Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

You guys.  I am obsessed with Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.  I'm reading the sequel, Hollow City, right now and it is a-mazing!  And since the third book in the series, Library of Souls, is coming out next month (!!!!), I thought it would be fun to design an outfit reminiscent of the books.

The covers of these books draw you in since they use actual photography.  I love the black and white, old school, creepy feel of them.

 

Aren't they creepy?  And cool?

So the books take place in both present day and the 1940s...so I designed an outfit to go along with the black and white 1940s.

This skirt is perfect for these book covers!  It's a mix of black, gray, and white.
I paired it with a graphic tee that says "Forever After."  I think that phrase perfectly describes Jacob's feelings for Emma.

These shoes are so adorable!  They totally have a 1940s vibe.
A silver bangle cuff completes the look.

I added some black tights (a 1940s lady wouldn't have shown bare legs, right?).

This outfit made me happy.

What do you think?

Skirt--Ann Taylor
Tee--Old Navy
Shoes--DSW (brand XAppeal)
Bangle--gift

Atlantia-Inspired Outfit

Ahhh, I am so excited about today's outfit!  After reading Atlantia by Ally Condie, I couldn't wait to design something fit for a siren!  Atlantia is all about the setting and characters, so your senses are in total overload as you read.  I could hear the water outside Atlantia, hear Rio's Siren voice trying to break through, see the beauty of an underwater city--there was beauty just in the setup of the story!

Today's outfit is completely inspired by Rio.  She's a Siren (but trying to hide it), and with Sirens comes this insane beauty and hint of danger.  So let me show you what I designed:

Umm, I need a place to wear this dress.  Someone throw a really fancy party and invite me--fast!

Gosh, can't you just see a beautiful, dangerous Siren wearing this to a party?  Now Rio herself doesn't want to flaunt her Siren status, so I can't say she would wear this...it's just an inspiration.

• The dress--which is GORGEOUS--is completely inspired by the water, the scales of fish, and the sexiness of a Siren.  It completely draws the eye and takes all the attention--just like a Siren.
• The black tights and black heels give a sense of power, control, and danger.  Again, all Siren qualities.
• The silver clutch keeps the feminine side of the look.
• A little cheesy, but I couldn't resist throwing in this necklace.  I wanted a silver dainty necklace, and a music note was too good to pass up.  What would be a Siren without her voice?  A Siren like Rio trying to hide her voice!

So what do you think?  Do you think I got a Siren spot on?
Want to know the details of the outfit?  Find them all here!

I can't wait to show you the outfit I wore yesterday while the hubby and I played hooky!  Well, not really--we took vacation/personal time like a good adult should.  But not being at work on a Tuesday felt like playing hooky!  That will go up tomorrow!

1930s-Inspired Outfit

Last week I posted a review on Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz, a story of Yanek, a boy who survived TEN concentration camps and TWO death marches during WWII.  So today's outfit is 1930s/1940s-inspired; it's not a straight-up inspiration of the Holocaust, because let's be honest, that would be horrible on many levels.  But it's based off the inspiration of the time period.  After all, Yanek's character was fascinated by movies and society life.

And here it is:

 Ahh, don't you just wish that this was normal attire again?!

• I think a blouse was a staple item in women's closets at the time.  I love the richness in this burgundy one and how it brightens up and balances the black pieces.
• A black pencil skirt--women were always in skirts, and this one has remained a timeless, stylish piece.
• Don't you love that hat?  Women also frequently wore hats outdoors, and this small-brimmed hat adds some "adorable" into the look.
• These strapped sweetheart heels were typical of the time and very lady-like.  A delicate heel for the "delicate" ladies of the time.
• I had to add a cute little necklace, and this gold glasses necklace was perfect!  Dainty jewelry was the style, but this one adds some personality.

So what do you think?  Could you see a woman of the 30s/40s wearing this out on the town?

I'll be back tomorrow with a review on a nonfiction book that will inspire you to live life to the fullest!

Want a closer look at the outfit pieces?  Click here!

Slaying the Debt Dragon-Inspired Outfit

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Last week I shared about my friend Cherie's new book Slaying the Debt Dragon.  I am 100% behind this book and oh-so-proud of Cherie and her husband, Brian, for sharing their story.  Which means I couldn't wait to design an outfit for the book!

But before I share it...let me backtrack a minute.  A while ago, I came across this image from Pinterest (oh, Pinterest!) and thought it was a great look:

(Image source link broken/unknown)

I love the mix of the navy and mint and the hint of a nautical theme.  

Now back to Slaying the Debt Dragon...if you learn anything early-on from Cherie, it's that getting out of debt probably means (well, let's be honest--surely means) cutting back on spending.  So going out and buying pieces for a new outfit just wasn't practical.  So I did what we all need to learn to do--shopped my closet!

Did you know that the majority of Americans only wear 30% of their wardrobe (heard yesterday on The Today Show)?!  That's crazy, right?!  Why are we buying pieces and not wearing them?  So I hunted my closet and created this FREE outfit (did you hear that, Cherie?  FREE!):

A pretty good match, right?  Nautical, mint, navy, jacket, scarf...

I used mint skinny jeans, a navy tank top, jean jacket, striped scarf, and nude heels.

It was so fun to create an outfit that I've never put together before!

What are you missing out on from your closet?  I DARE you to shop your closet to put together a new outfit!

*All pieces are from my closet and probably no longer in stores, but here is where I found each piece:

Mint pants--TJ Maxx

Jean Jacket--Old Navy

Tank Top--GAP

Scarf--J Crew Outlet

Heels--DSW

How NOT to Look Like a Librarian: Party on the Runway!

Hey, readers and fashionistas!  So I love posting Outfit of the Day (OOTD) posts and I've had a lot of people tell me how much they enjoy reading them.  And I've realized that these are all outfits that hopefully don't make me look like a stereotypical librarian.  Hence they will now be called How NOT to Look like a Librarian posts!

We recently had family photos taken by my friend Ariel (for those of you in the Indy area, go check her out at Ariel Eldridge Photography!) and we had so much fun!  Our boys really cheesed it up for her in our old downtown area, but my favorites were actually the couple shots she took of me and the hubby at our local airport.  Luke is a part-time pilot, so anything pilot-related is sentimental and even a little romantic for us.

So what do you wear on an airport runway?  And how could I dress to NOT look like a librarian?  Why a big gray tutu, of course!

When I saw this tutu at the store Windsor, my mom said "Julia, you CAN NOT wear that to school."  And I thought "Why not?!  This is so fun!"  So I snuck back later by myself and bought it (surprise, Mom!).  Here's what my outfit looked like:

 

I paired the tutu with a simple black T-shirt from Old Navy that says "Forever After" on it.  I thought that was a nice romantic touch.  Then I added a bright pink necklace I bought on vacation, black Steve Madden heels, and a gifted black bangle bracelet.

 

 Oh you know, just sitting on a runway.

 I love this shot, but don't let me fool you--Ariel and I were giggling between shots.

So what do you think?  Would YOU wear this outfit on a runway?

I think this would be a fun outfit to wear to a party or out on a date...it's fun and light-hearted with some soft touches.

I am not associated with any of the clothing companies mentioned (although Ariel Eldridge Photography is one of my bestest of friends!).

Welcome to Candor!

Hi, friends!  Yesterday I designed an outfit inspired by the Amity faction from the Divergent trilogy.  Today I'm moving on to Candor, the faction known for those who tell the complete, and sometimes blunt, truth.  I have a student who I jokingly tell would DEFINITELY belong in Candor--he's completely honest with me, even when it's something I don't want to hear!

The Candor faction is all about black and white--because the truth should be just that, right?  Their symbol is a weight scale, so I felt that this was pushing my outfit to be more business-like than casual.  And here's what I designed:

Totally Candor, right?!

Here's the breakdown:

• Because I wanted a business look, it seemed only obvious to go with nice black pants (J Jones New York for about $37) and a printed top.  I love this polka dot blouse with the tie in front; it's professional but fun at the same time.  This top is no joke--$435 from Avenue32.com! 
• Aren't these heels awesome?!  Again, very professional, but they add a bit of fun and surprise.  I can just see someone clicking down the Candor halls in these shoes.
• I love the size of this white watch with black lettering.  It's a bold accessory that really completes the look.  And it's only about $40 from The Buckle!
• Black hoop earrings are feminine and sweet, but again--professional.  These particular earrings are Steve Madden and retail for about $22. 

So what do you think?  Would you wear this if you were Candor?

Tomorrow we're moving on to Erudite, the smart and somewhat proud.  See you then!

*I am not associated with any companies or products mentioned.