Featured in IFB's Links à la Mode

Thanks to IFB for featuring me again in their Links à la Mode post. See the full post below.

Naughty Nineties

It was Halloween in 1988, I decided to dress up as a Hippie. A woman said something I have never forgotten... "You know you're getting old when kids start dressing up like you did as a teenager." Well, this is the year it's really happening to me. As someone who loved alternative chic in the 90's (a little grunge, a little goth, a little punk, a little ska) it's nice to see some of those styles "coming back" for nostalgia if not for anything else. While, I personally will take a seat back, having already lived it before, this week's links have all kinds of 90's themes to them. From Michelle Williams (hey Dawson's Creek hit in '99) to St. Laurent's grunge inspired collection, to the 10 Alternative Fashion blogs to watch, it's there, so just click!

Links à la Mode: August 15

• Bonjour Melanie: Michelle Williams for Louis Vuitton
• Bowtie Diary: Interview: Bug wooden accessories
• Carly Tati: Workwear Influence on Fashion, Part 2, Denim
• Daria Burkova: 10 BEST KNITS FOR FALL 2013 UNDER AND OVER $100
• DIY Doyenne: 10 Excuses for Not Aging Gracefully
• Fashion is Evolution: Texas Style Council Recap
• Inspirations & Celebrations: Sofia Vergara Style Inspiration
• Kittenhood: DIY wool beads necklace
• Lollie Shopping: Yes, Virginia, You CAN Afford Tiffany
• Mr. Walk & Talk: 3 Ways to Wear a White Oxford Shirt this Summer
• Racheeng: D.I.Y RACER FRONT BOX TOP
• Real Girl Glam: The 90's Are Calling: How to Wear 90's Trends for Today
• Runway to Style: The Women's Fall 2013 Must Have Trends
• Shaneynayguns: Trend Report: The Nineties Throwback
• Stilettos and Tequila: 6 Shoes To Make Your Legs Look Longer
• Style Bizarre: Top 10 Emerging Alternative Fashion Blogs
• Style Context: How To Create A Favicon For WordPress
• The Style Enigma: Four Ways to: Wear a Silk Scarf
• The Style Obsessed Cookie: Zara Fall 2013
• Undercover Dress-Up Lover: Houndstooth and other tessellations

Ryan's Birthday

August 8th was Ryan's birthday. Since it's also his brother Ezra's birthday, we drove up to Lafayette, Indiana, where Ezra lives, to spend some time celebrating with his family. Ryan lived in Lafayette when he went to Purdue, so it's nice to see the town with him; he points out places he used to live or work or hang out.

We drove up on the 8th, spend some time at a small water park, went out for barbecue, and had birthday cake around a fire pit at the campground where Ryan's parents were staying. Then we spent the night (in a hotel) and drove back the next day, getting home just in time to have a great dinner with my brother and his wife, which served as makeshift combination celebration of them getting a babysitter, Ryan's birthday, and a promotion I just got at work.

What I wore today: 08/09/2013 (Leather Pops)

I so love a pop of leather that sometimes I may overdo it a little, turning what used to be a "pop" into an overwhelming statement. And sometimes that statement might be interpreted as "I am a dominatrix," though I doubt it since dominatrixes (dominatri?) usually don't wear leather baseball caps that they bought from their shoe repair guy. And least not that I know of.

Other notable things about this outfit: This is Day Two of trying to take badass self-portriats for outfit posts. See Day One here. Also, these Jeffrey Cambell "Everly" ankle boots are new and they might just be my new God. They are so comfortable and stylish and exactly the right height to wear with AG "Stevie Ankle" jeans, of which I have two beloved pairs (the plum ones seen here and the polkadot ones seen here).

Seriously, these boots are so perfect, I might name my first born after them...

"Well, Everly, when I was 25, I fell in love with a pair of boots."
"The ones you've worn literally ever day for as long as I can remember?"
"Those are the ones. They are your namesake. One day they will be yours. But not until you pry them off my cold, dead feet."
"You are a very strange person."
"I know. My mother was strange too, and, one day, I became her. One day, you will become me."
"That is the most terrifying thing I've ever heard. I thought you agreed to stop telling me scary stories before bed. I hate you. I'm running away."

Yeah, I'm gonna be a great mom.

Leather peplum top - Urban Outfitters

Plum AG "Stevie Ankle" Jeans - Anthropologie 

"Everly" cutout black leather ankle boots - Jeffrey Campbell, Urban Outfitters

Leather baseball cap - Clarence Shoe Repair

Studded-bottom bag - eBay

Recipe: How to Make a Naked Cake

I really like the look of the naked cakes Momofuku Milk Bar makes. When I suggested this look for our wedding cake, Ryan was skeptical (wanting something a bit sleeker and simpler, I think), but he said that he thought he'd like the way naked cakes taste since he usually thinks cakes have too much frosting. So, I decided to make him one for his birthday. 

I used Funfetti cake mix and rainbow chip frosting because I am lazy love Funfetti and honestly don't know how to make it from scratch. But, you can, of course, make any kind of cake you want. I just love the way the naked sides of a Funfetti cake show off the dots of color. 

The basic concept for a naked cake is not only to frost just the top of each layer, but also to trim the edges so that the inside of the cake shows. I also like to cut off the rounded top of each layer, which I do even with non-naked cakes (clothed cakes?) because having a flat top makes layering easier.  

For the cake, I made a double recipe (two boxes, four layers). Trimming the tops and sides eats up almost half of each layer. After each layer cooled, I cut its top and sides off with a sharp, serrated bread knife. I used some the the crumbs from the cutoff tops to decorate the top of the cake. 

My cake definitely didn't turn out as perfectly pristine as the Momofuku ones that inspired it, but I like it all the same. Ryan and I thought it looked a bit like a Dr. Seuss cake with its bright colors, drippy frosting, and leaning stature. 

What I wore today: 08/07/2013 (Austin Finds)

This outfit post is all about things I brought back from Austin: the neon-and-nuts bracelet I made during the TxSC Prom, the skirt I bought at Buffalo Exchange, and the bag I got on a previous trip. It's made from one of those neon plaid totes you get in Mexico. My family always used those for laundry when I was a kid.

The other thing I brought back from Austin was a desire to try to take better self portraits. Too often, I get frustrated by time constraints and the difficulty of setting up a shot (focusing on a subject that's not yet in the frame, etc.) But Elizabeth of Delightfully Tacky, who takes amazing self portraits for outfit posts on her blog, gave me lots of great tips that I've been dying to try. She posted a really helpful tutorial on her blog too. So, if you weren't at TxSC but are interested in improving your self-portrait skills, fear not.

Once I came home, freshly inspired and informed, I headed to Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum to try out all of Elizabeth's tips. I also shot in full manual mode for the first time, something this book helped me prepare for. (Thanks to Ruche for bringing it to the clothing and book swap last Friday!)

It was a challenge. I didn't get the focus perfect on every shot, and some are a little over exposed. But I'm still very excited and proud of the outcome, and, most importantly, I'm looking forward to my next outfit shoot. 

Yellow blouse - The Limited
Yellow and pink floral skirt - Thrifted from Buffalo Exchange in Austin
Suede ankle boots - Target
Neon chord and metal hardware nut bracelet - DIY
Bag - some little shop in Austin, years ago