Friend Fridays...

Welcome to this week's edition of Friend Fridays, sponsored by ModlyChic.

1. Do you have plans for Halloween? What will you dress up as this year?

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I know some people just don't get it, but I have always loved the idea of getting dressed up and pretending to be something you're not, but only for a day. I have also always loved coming up with costumes different from everyone else and trying to create them on my own. Sure, I have bought costumes sometimes, but I'm always most proud of the ones I whipped up on my own.

2. Where do you go for costume and makeup inspiration?

I've never been great with makeup, especially Halloween makeup -- I get this great image in my head of what I want to look like, then it never quite comes out right. As such, I focus more on the costume. I have found myself inspired by current events, movies, songs, inside jokes, and memories of my childhood.

3. What was the best costume you've ever donned?

I've worn a few that I was proud of, but in recent history, there are 2 that stick out.
The Halloween before I got married, I wore an old wedding dress and a knitted hat and arm warmers that looked like dragon scales. I was Bridezilla. (I figured it would be the only time I could get away with being Bridezilla!)


A few years before that, my bf at the time dressed up as a Snidely Whiplash-type character, and I was the damsel in distress --tied to the train tracks and all!



4. What's the most creative costume you've ever seen?

Any costume that people actually make themselves impresses me, especially when it's the needle-and-thread or paper-mache type of thing. When you can tell that people spent real time crafting their costume, that's awesome!

5. No holds barred if you could dress up as anything, what would it be?

I don't know, honestly! Last year, hubby and I were at Disney World for our honeymoon. We were allowed to dress up (they usually don't allow adults in costume, but they do during Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party), but we went low-key as GI Joe Characters. This year, we are heading back to Disney for our honeymoon. I don't think we will be at the Disney Halloween party this year, and we will be home on Halloween day. I have bought pieces of a pirate costume just to have something, but I think we may be too exhausted to dress up at all. We shall see...

Friend Fridays...

Welcome to this week's edition of Friend Fridays, sponsored by ModlyChic.

1. Do you ever see a fad hit the stores and immediately dislike it?  Has that fad ever began to grow on you?

Honestly, my natural instinct is to immediately dislike MOST fads initially. Shopping tends to be difficult for me because most often I wander through racks of clothes at most stores thinking to myself, "Meh."
Oftentimes, though, after a fab has lingered for a while, my eyes adjust to it, and I'm better able to evaluate whether or not it would work for me (for my shape, my lifestyle, my budget, etc). I might start seeking out the perfect piece that incorporates the fab, but makes it accessible and just right for me.

2. Has the popularity of a certain piece of clothing or line ever convinced you to try on something (or purchase something) you  dislike?

I have never really been someone to plunk down money for a name. I have almost always just bought the clothes I like.
That said, I can think of a few things I have bought that at the time I thought I liked, but in retrospect, I probably bought for the name. I remember owning an entire Champion outfit back in middle school and a pair of Fila sneakers in high school. They were popular brands, and I was an unpopular kid. The math just worked out.

3. Have you ever changed your mind about a trend after seeing it  around for a while?

I think when a trend has been around for a while, our eyes begin to adjust to it. It grows on us. Sometimes dislike turns to toleration which eventually can turn into open-mindedness if a look lingers long enough.
Growing up, I was taught that tights with open-toed shoes was a big no-no, but nowadays I sport that look without batting an eyelash. When ballet flats first re-emerged, I found them frumpy and a bit little-girl looking. Now flats are my saving grace when I just can't wear heels.

4. Do you feel a certain pressure to have specific items in your  closet because 'everyone' else does?

I don't feel pressured to own something because everyone else has it. If anything, that's more motivation for me to NOT cave into a fashion fad. I don't need to stand out like a neon sign, but I do like to be a little bit different from the crowd. After all, as George S. Patton said, "If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking."

5. Be honest, what do you think of the Missoni line? Did you grab any  items? Is it worth the eBay prices?

I used to hate the colors and the chevron stripes. Both have grown on me, but I wasn't so overwhelmed with the collection that I felt the need to go get any of it. Looking online, I found a few pieces I thought were sorta cute, and if they were in my closet, I would wear them. But no, I definitely don't think they are worth spending the amount of money people are asking on Ebay. I have seen several bloggers wearing Missoni-esque pieces that they thrifted for pennies. Why blow your budget on a name?

Giveaway...

Allie over at WardrobeOxygen is giving away a $50 giftcard to Drugstore.com, sponsored by BlogHer.
I know I'd love to win this one, but if you'd like a chance to win it for yourself, check out Allie's post here!
And of course, if you win, I totally promise I won't wrestle you to the ground and steal your prize...