Pink Pants!

That two week long hiatus? Three week hiatus (after having this post in drafts for ages). Definitely not intended this time. So my sincerest apologies. Horrendous weather and an even more horrendous illness kept me from you. The skies are a little brighter and I'm feeling much, much better.

I finished the pink pants well before my birthday only to have my birthday plans canceled thanks to a little sleet, ice, and snow... Ahem, but festivities were postponed to the following weekend and much fun was had. I don't have any pictures of my pants from that night so I restyled them here for you today. I'll do a proper review of the pattern in another post but for now let's just say Simplicity did several things right.  Here they are in all their bifurcated glory!

Sweater, Mossimo, Target; Earrings, Forever21; Pants, pattern by Simplicity 1696, sewn by me; Pumps, "Faryl" by Delman

Wig, "Mommy", Janet Collection

Weather: High 76º, Low 60ºF. Overcast, breezy.

Until next time,

claire lynette

Casual Weekend Layered Tunics

Protecteive Hair Style: Cross French Braids

Tunic, Target; Dress, H&M; Sandals, Gianni Bini; Earrings, old and unknown; Bracelet, made by me

Lip Color: NYC Big Bold Lip Gloss in "Extra Large Latte"

Nails: Orly in "Liquid Vinyl";  on toes Cover Girl Outlast Stay Brilliant Glosstinis in "Sangria 515"

Weather: High 83ºF; Low 69ºF. Cloudy and pleasant.

I wore this yesterday to run a few errands including stopping off at the library and rummaging around the craft store for a bead sale. I was bored by my closet today until I saw two belts wrapped together. Each f these garments came with its own belt so I intertwined them and wore them together. I think it looks quite nice not to mention super comfortable. I wanted very much  a black necklace to finish it off but didn't have one (I've never remembered to look for one before when I went shopping despite always kicking myself for not having one when I need it) so that became the inspiration for what to look for at the bead sale. I also picked up a few other supplies for some other projects I have in mind that I'll share with you later. I almost wore high heel wedges but didn't because I didn't feel like being 6'3" today.

Now even though it's technically fall as you can see the weather is anything but and won't be for a few more weeks. I can so see translating this outfit to cooler weather with leggings and booties and perhaps even a fun vest with an undershirt or sweater underneath it all to help keep warm.

Hoping your weekend was pleasant and wishing you a beautiful start to your new week!

Until next time,

claire lynette  

Happy Hour Happy Shorts

Blouse, Francesca's; Shorts, MM by Miss Me Couture; Wedges, Paprika "Garzon" Wedges; Necklaces, gifts/thrifted; Earrings, Versona

Lip Colors: Cover Girl Outlast Lipstain in "435 Flirty Nude" and L'oreal Paris Colour Riche Le Gloss in "154 Watermelon Crush"

Nail Color: China Glaze Nail Lacquer in "Swing Baby"

Weather: High 91ºF; Low 71ºF. Bright and sunny, balmy.

Last night I went with a good friend to happy hour where we shared drinks, appetizers, and laughs. I don't have a very large circle of friends, but the relationships I have are close and very dear to me. Spending time with my friends gives me so much energy. I feel so blessed to have the people I have in my life; if only everyone could be so lucky to have friends like mine I think the world would be a better place.

This outfit kind of happened by accident since these shorts have been out of commission since I first bought them. When they came in the mail the hook part of the hook and bar closure was falling off, something I don't expect from a brand of this caliber. I still haven't sewn it back on because it's not a priority and I'm irked that I have to in the first place. Still, the shorts are great. They are lined and made out of some pretty sumptuous peachskin fabric. I want to make a pair sort of like this but a bit longer and in colors and fabric better suited to the upcoming fall season. I imagine wearing them with tights and cute ankle booties...a sketch is in order.

Hoping your week is getting off to a good start. Until next time,

claire lynette

Serious Business in Color

Blazer, Lucy Paris; Blouse, H&M; Skirt, Have; Necklace and Earrings, Versona; Heels, Dani Black "Channing Pump"; Bracelet, gift, unknown.

Lip Color: Maybelline Color Sensational High Shine Lip Gloss in "Captivating Coral"

Weather: High 93ºF; Low 73ºF. Balmy, hot, sunny, and beautiful.

Yesterday we hosted model interviews for the store for our upcoming campaigns. I wanted what I wore to say to the girls coming in for auditions that this is serious work and I'm a serious businesswoman. (It's hard to do when you're just starting and working with non-agency models because everyone is a skeptic!) Pretty sure I accomplished that by toning the green down with white, beige, and hints of gold; and being absolutely prepared for the meeting.

The only thing that would have made this look better would have been if there was any evidence whatsoever that I bothered curling my hair that morning, any evidence at all. Two minutes outside in this Louisiana humidity and my curls vanished from the scene. I laugh at you Garnier Fructis Anti-humidity Hairspray...you failed me and horrendously so. Instead of lovely cascading curls I had big straight hair (funny it looks shorter in these pictures than it seems in my mind) which is just as well because tomorrow I will be back in buns and sweats cozied up in the studio going over my notes from the interviews. 

Hoping you're having a beautiful Friday and wishing you a beautiful weekend, until next time,

claire lynette

Wear to Brunch: Playing in Hibiscus

Crispin, "I will photo bomb you and there is NOTHING you can do about it."

Blouse, Old Navy; Pants, made by yours truly; Wedges, Paprika "Garzon" Wedges; Coin Necklace, flea market; Plate Necklace, Liz Claiborne; Earrings, Target (from long ago)
Lip Gloss: NYC Big Bold Gloss in "Extra Large Latte"
Today's Weather: High 93º; Low 73ºF. Sunny, bright, beautiful, and hot!

Yesterday, I wore this outfit to a lovely brunch in honor of my Uncle's birthday. Naturally, I try to wear something that feels as close to pajamas as I possibly can because all I want to do on a lazy Sunday morning is crawl back in bed. Unless, of course, there are Belgian waffles promised, then I'll get right up. Threw on these ultra comfy floral print pants and a simple blouse and BAM! Outfit that feels like pajamas. Braided my hair because I didn't feel like combing it, add some earrings so they distract from my puffy sleepy eyes, swipe on the nearest lip gloss and BAM! Brunch ready. This is one of my "pre-picked" outifts in my closet; something that I know will work no matter if I'm feeling, fat, ugly, frumy, gross, weird, or whatever. I put it on and I can dig just about anything because I didn't have to think about what in the hey-ho I was going to wear = less stress.

---

My schedule has been so hectic lately that I haven't had time to sit down to create very much and that was driving me as nutty as an Almond Joy candy bar. However, I'm armed with a brand new schedule to keep me focused and it includes designing, pattern making and sewing time albeit for small projects, but I'll take what I can get. Why am I so busy? I opened an online clothing store. --- OH YES I DID! I'm tickled pink. You can visit it here: Thorn & Laurel. I'll gush more about it later but to say that I'm over the moon excited about the possibilities being my own boss and running a store can bring is an understatement at best.

About the pants: For those sewing/fashion/construction nerds like me I will definitely have a post all about the process of how I made these pants (from sketch, to pattern, to final product) but in summation: I've had this fabric for about four years and it was intended to be a lot of different things that I eventually lost enthusiasm for. I can always use more pants and so here we are. Technically this is not garment fabric as it is made for quilting, but it works for these casual and easy summer pants and I wanted flower pants damn it. I lowered the pockets "just to see" what it'd be like; it's odd but is nice with my frame. I'll get all technical later.

I hope you're living out the last few weeks of summer to the max and that there is great peace and joy coming your way.

Until next time,

claire lynette

Asymmetry All Day

Blouse, H&M; Skirt, Velvet; Shoes, Call It Spring
Lip Color: "Captivating Coral" ColorSensational Lipgloss by Maybelline
Today's Weather: High, 81º; Low 66º F. Bright, sunny, very breezy

Back to my favorite black and white today, something a person can't really go wrong with. I didn't wear jewelry or carry a bag because I didn't want to be bothered with keeping track of things and didn't want to feel fussy. In other words, I was very lazy today. I would have worn high heeled sandals but my pedicure needed refreshing so closed toe flats it was.

I was lazy but I wanted to play around with shapes a bit so I picked the H&M blouse because the front gathered panel and hem gives it so much asymmetrical fun and interest without trying too hard. I also styled my hair in a way I never do: down and to the side; but I'm surprised that I like it. I think I'll like it even more as it grows out. It'd be very lovely curled and adorned with a few pretty jeweled bobby pins or even a spray of small flowers. I'll have to keep that in mind for next time. It would also be easy to pin up in a swirled chignon too. Hmm... I'm getting all sorts of ideas now I want to try.

Hoping Spring is inspiring you to try new things,

claire lynette

Oh yes, Spring is here

Disney princess bouffant-Olive Oyl hybrid hair. Let's make it a thing.

Duck! Thar be bees!!!

Sweater, Merona at Target; Pants, Spoon at alloy.com; Handbag, Express; Shoes, Charlotte-Russe; Earrings, Forever21; Headband, gift from sister

Nail Color: "Secret Story" by Essie
Today's Weather: High 70º, Low 44º F. Sunny and bright.

I think it is time to retire my beloved grey clutch. Notice the wear at the top? Plus the wrist strap is broken. Time for some window shopping!

The fact that this post even happened still amuses me because when I woke up this morning I had a very lazy attitude. I didn't want to do anything: no exercise, no getting dressed, no making breakfast, no posting, no work, nothing. And yet here I am exercised, dressed, fed (two squares and a snack so far) and full day of work done. It took everything I had but I did it and I feel that much better considering how the day started.

Not to mention the bees. There are dozens of them flying around my house thanks to the azaleas putting on their yearly Spring program and they don't seem to take too kindly to ladies carrying tripods. Running from them counted as my second exercise regimen for the day. I know that those in the know say that if you just stand still they won't bother you. Yet I know that this particular assumption is patently false having witnessed several innocent unassuming friends get stung by bees who just took things the wrong way. Oh and Crispin kept stealing my shoe off my foot when he wasn't busy chasing the bees. Cute, but slightly annoying. I love him anyway.

Wishing you a beautiful start to your Spring season,

claire lynette

Highlighter Legs

Sweater, Mossimo at Target; Dress worn as skirt, Eunishop; Leggins and Earrings, Forever21; Boots, "Trumpet" by Wanted; Neckace, thrifted
Nail Color: "Secret Story" by Essie
Today's Weather: High 64º, Low 37º F. Bright. Such a pretty day.

I know I'm not the only one who falls asleep thinking about what I might wear the next day. Though I may be one of the few who will admit it which is fine by me. This odd habit of mine helps my mind calm down perhaps because I have to focus on the mental inventory I'm running of my closet. It's the kind of concentration that I think most folks usually reserve for things like traditional meditation and "serious thought". I like to mull everything over until an idea has made a few hundred laps around my mind and eventually collapses in a corner hunched over and gasping for air. This practice can be exhausting but last night the thought that I must make my legs look like streaks of highlighter was so perfect that there was no need to think it over.

This look is also out of my comfort zone because of the silhouette and not so much the color. I've been jumping out of my comfort zone so much lately that I wonder if maybe it has expanded a bit. I typically favor form fitting garments since they make me feel feminine. So to keep  that feminine feeling I chose a flared skirt for balance. I wanted highlighter legs but I wanted to ground that color with something that would keep it from being too much. I think pink this bright has a tendency to be too much. It's not its fault it was born that way. So I picked ivory and since that can still make it too airy I threw on black boots. Black gives anything edge.

Like that little walk through my styling process? I know. It's a doozy.

All for now,

claire lynette 

Green Moto

Jacket, I Heart Ronson at JCPenney; Sweater and Skirt, Mossimo at Target; Leggings and Earrings, Forever21; Scarf, gift from Mama; Sunglasses, Steve Madden
Nail Color: "Secret Story" by Essie
Today's Weather: High 60º; Low 30º F. Cold and very breezy, bright and beautiful.

I bought this jacket a couple months ago because I was challenging myself to step out of my comfort zone when it comes to wearing color, it was a good price, and it was so damn cool to look at. I had to have it. All this time later and I'm just wearing it; though for once my excuse wasn't because I was saving it for a special occasion. It's only that there were other jackets that were more neutral and versatile that got picked over it time and again so it just sat there in my closet feeling unloved.

I was afraid I had missed my chance to wear it this season since it was pretty warm last week,  but lo and behold Mother Nature was her usually predictably unpredictable self and the warm temperatures we've been having nosedived. I pulled the lovely green  beauty out of my closet and reassured it that indeed today was its time to shine. That I talk to my clothes or have a seeming kinship with them isn't up for discussion. Who hasn't at least talked to a gorgeous pair of heels? Plus, I had to thank at least thank my jacket for being so awesome and making me feel so cool while keeping me quite cozy in this ridiculous weather.

So what did I do today while wearing such awesomeness? I bought cat toys and antiseptic spray for Crispin. He seems intent on using up all nine lives as quickly as possible so he's been confined to the house, hence the need for cat toys to keep him occupied and the spray for the evidence of his most recent brush with death.

All for now,

claire lynette

She Left the Driveway

Jacket, Daytrip at The Buckle ; T-shirt, Perfect Tee at Old Navy; Pants, Spoon Jeans at Alloy; Scarf, thrifted; Necklace, Dillard's; Bag; Express; Sunglasses, Steve Madden; Flats, Charlotte-Russe; Earrings, Forever21
Today's Weather: High 76º, Low 51º F. Sunny, very breezy.

My apologies for no detail shots. There were so many interruptions and I was losing light fast.

This isn't so much an outfit post as it is documentation of me leaving my comfort zone which encompasses about 10ft by 12ft of my driveway. I've lamented before about how hard it is to find interesting places near my home to shoot. And it is very hard. My city is dull and the interesting places are difficult to get to because I live in a semi-rural area and must drive (and drive) to get anywhere, plus frankly I don't want to be in the interesting places alone with $500 camera. There are other places that would work safety wise but I don't have an access card and/or photography isn't really permitted. It's hard.

Not to mention I'm naturally paranoid and there is always a constant conversation between Cool Calm Collected Claire (Claire³) and Unreasonable Panicky Claire (UPClaire): 

UPClaire: What if my car gets burglarized and my camera and equipment are taken?
Claire³: Call law enforcement. You know all the numbers  anyway. File an insurance claim.

UPClaire: What if I'm robbed? 
Claire³: Again, call law enforcement and get a clothing description and direction of travel.

UPClaire: What if there are children nearby and I get accused of doing bad things?
Claire³: Whatever. Avoid places with children then there will be no worries.

UPClaire: What if I get photo-bombed?
Claire³: Curse then crop. 

UPClaire: What if some passerby runs into my equipment and breaks it?
Claire³: Accidents happen. Make sure they're okay and leave it be.

UPClaire: What if someone thinks I'm a spy?
Claire³: Lol, yeah, okay.

UPClaire: What if, what if, what if...
Claire³: Just quit. It's only a damn picture.

Today, as with most days, reason won out. Also I am not an idiot and that helps times a million so I quit being such a pansy and gave it a shot.

Well, I found out that leaving the driveway is mostly annoying. If you don't have someone kind enough, or stupid enough, or both to follow you around to take your picture it's hard to get a good shot. Details are hard. Lighting is hard. My driveway is easy, effective, and most of all loose child and canine free. 

However there are things that would have made it easier for me leaving the driveway today:

1. Not shooting at what turned out to be a popular park on a Friday afternoon because people will be every-damn-where; especially kids and dogs who will run into your shot.
2. Not shooting two hours before sunset especially when there are lots of trees nearby ready to throw a shadow on everything.
3. Planning a bit more for my first time away from my beloved concrete haven. (But I was feeling all spontaneous!)

This experience hasn't deterred me from trying again. It just may not be for a while.

Until next time,

claire lynette

Shell Toe Casual

Dress, H&M; Sweater, Newport-News now Spiegel (old); Sneakers, Adidas "Superstar 2.0"; Leggings and Earrings, Forever21
Today's Weather: High 66º, Low 36ºF Sunny and breezy.

can you spot my kitty Crispin hiding out?

:)

Some days when I get dressed my thought is, "What I can wear that is most like pajamas that aren't pajamas that I can get away with in public?". Inevitably the answer nearly always involves leggings and an all knits ensemble. Today was no exception. Usually I go for flats but it is a bit chilly today so I wanted something warmer. Since I hadn't worn my favorite sneakers in forever I decided they were a better option than boots again. While I say that I'll also admit that I rarely wear them simply because I want to keep them looking fresh forever and unlike sneaker collectors I can't afford to buy a new pair when the old ones get too dingy to bother to keep clean. Luckily, a little buffing and my toothpaste trick does a lot to combat any craziness (especially my own).

I also bothered to wear my hair down which like wearing my Adidas is also a rarity. The wind had its way with it but here's to shaking things up a bit!

See you soon,

claire lynette