Razzle Dazzle 'Em

Happy weekend!!  I hope everyone is having a relaxing and rejuvenating day thus far.  I myself have a slight cold, but I plan on getting as much sleep as possible as soon as I get the chance.  This next week is incredibly packed for me and I'm going to need as much sleep as I can get.

Last night, junior recital season was kicked off in my school's department.  Four of my classmates performed half-hour long shows that showcased their beautiful voices, intense acting, and exquisite dance abilities.  All four of them did a fantastic job, and I cannot wait until the next wave of recitals starts a week from today.  (Though I am a junior, I am not performing my recital this semester because I am a transfer student; I just have to do both a junior and senior recital my senior year instead.)

As I was helping my friend Laura pick out a dress for a costume change in her recital next week, we realized just how obsessed we were with sequins.  Though I definitely used to not be a fan of that trend, this season, the little shiny disks have grown on me enormously and I can't get enough of sequined pieces.  They add an extra something to any ensemble, whether it be a sequined dress, shirt, detailing, or accessories.  Sequined looks are also incredibly versatile; not only do they look great under the stage lights during a recital, but they really dress up a casual look or make a party look absolutely glamorous and holiday perfect.

Sequined pieces are also incredibly accessible and affordable.  On Black Friday, I managed to snag a this super-soft black tee with scattered silver sequins in abstract patterns for a mere $3 from Forever 21:

That same day, my sister found the most gorgeous black sequined A-line dress to wear to her Junior Ring semi-formal dance (I'll post a picture ASAP!!) for only $20.  Also, today, my friend Kaitlyn and I walked into our favorite DC Forever 21 store, and our eyes were dazzled by the amount of sequins in all shapes, sizes, and colors that blanketed the sales floor.  Of course, I wanted to purchase everything in sight, but my financial constraints restrained me and I settled for purchasing a much more necessary and practical beanie.  Kaitlyn gave into the glitter slightly and bought an adorable black sleeveless top with gold sequin detailing on the sleeves that was similar to this:

 

Since the Christmas season has my wallet in a bit of a bind, I have to settle for merely gushing over the millions of sequins that I want in my wardrobe.  To appease my broke self ("Help me, I'm poor"), I have created this intensive Polyvore set of all of my favorite sequined pieces.  I'm absolutely swooning over all of these dresses and tops, and though I feel overly girly and cliche for doing so, I love them so much that I don't even care.

How do you feel about the sparkling trend?  Do you have any favorite sequined pieces?? Let me know in the comments!!

Love, Leaza

She's Not There

Hey everybody!

I'm sorry I haven't posted anything for such a long time.  I have had the worst luck with technology over the past few weeks.  I've written a bunch of new posts, but when I've gone to post them, Blogger has decided to time out and lose everything that I have written.  Frustrating?  Yes, very.

Also, my wonderful laptop named Johnny (for John Lennon) decided that he didn't want to turn on anymore this week.  He is currently being checked and evaluated at my school's computer and technology center, and I am praying really hard that he will come back to life and be alright quite soon... I have too much schoolwork to do in the next few weeks, so ain't nobody got time for that.

Right now, I am posting from my computer at work, but I will continue to post whenever I get an opportunity (or Johnny-Laptop back).  I have a lot of Christmas magic to share with you all, so stay tuned!!

Love, Leaza

P.S. I only have one more week of classes left in the semester!!  And then finals week comes directly after and then I'm heading home for the holidays!!  Am I excited?? You could say so :)

Man, I'm Telling You, It's a Lapazoo

Hi, everybody!!  I hope that you and yours are all staying safe from the monstrous Hurricane Sandy that is traveling up the coast to visit.  My school FINALLY cancelled classes (after the federal government and all public transit in DC shut down), so my friends and I have made it a point to spend the next day at least relaxing, eating, sleeping, and being merry as we're shut in our apartment.

So, this past Friday, six girls from CUA's Drama School and I were given the opportunity to act in a murder mystery called Murder at the Juice Joint at the adjacent Theological College.  Apparently, the seminarians living their had bored of their annual Oktoberfest and decided to mix it up a bit by holding an interactive murder mystery party instead.  However, being a seminary, they were severely lacking in actresses to play the female roles.  Thus, we were all contacted and said that we were interested in participating.

To prepare, we had a meeting with the man in charge where he explained the premise and we chose our roles.  I played Molly Moll, a character who is described as "Notorious Nick's girlfriend.  One of the most popular women in town, Molly had no interest in Nick until she realized what he could do for her lifestyle.  A prima donna, Molly loves to be the center of attention and will go to all lengths to get it".  With that super intriguing character description and an information packet that told the convoluted and juicy plot, I was incredibly excited for the murder mystery performance.

Since the mystery takes place in the 1920's, we were asked to dress in period appropriate garb that aired on the conservative side (since we would be performing in a seminary).  My suitemate Lauren (who was one of the other actresses) and I decided to go all out with flapper-worthy hair and makeup.  However, I faced a predicament when I had to style my medium-long layered hair into a suitable style.  After some research, I figured out how to transform my do into a sleek bob.  Check out the tutorial below!!


First I parted my hair horizontally, the top section being my shortest layer and the bottom section being the rest of my hair.  I clipped the top section out of the way and divided the bottom half into tiny equal sections.  I then french braided each of those sections horizontally along my scalp, securing the ends with rubber bands.  After the entire bottom half was braided, I pinned the tails of the braids to my head between each of the french braids.


Next, I unclipped the top layer of hair and created a shallow side part.  I sprayed heat protectant and applied smoothing pomade to the layer before running my flat iron along each 1-2" section of hair.  I used the flat iron to curl under the longer back of my hair to make it slightly shorter, as well as to curl under my half grown-out bangs to make them look sleeker, shorter, and fuller.

Finally, to finish off the look, I slid a silver beaded headband around my head like a crown and VOILA!!  I had a sleek faux bob worthy of any flapper.

I also styled Lauren's medium length wavy hair into a 1920's chic chignon for the party!  After creating a deep part in her hair, I separated sections about two inches back on either side of her part.  I clipped both of those sections out of the way and twisted the remaining hanging hair into a low ballerina bun pulled slightly to the right side.  I pinned the bun securely against my head before letting the front sections down.  I sprayed each section with heat protectant and hairspray before using my Bed Head Dual Waver to create deep waves (that resembled finger waves) down each section of hair, overlapping to create a consistent pattern.  After spraying the waves with more hairspray (AquaNet holds for days), I tucked the ends of each section into the chignon, arranging the hair around the bun's perimeter and pinning it in place.  I then placed decorative white flower clips to either side of the chignon to dress up the style and pay homage to the name of her character, which was Rosie.

After hardcore strugglebussing through makeup application (makeup is not my forte in the slightest) and getting dressed in a tiered lace shift dress with black tights and pearls and bangles, I felt like a legitimate flapper!!

I still wasn't sure what exactly to expect from the party, but I was eager to learn.  When we arrived at the beautiful Theological College, we were ushered into a room that was made to look like a 20's era speakeasy, complete with a live jazz band.  When the other seminarians arrived in full character and costume and the party began, I was instantly caught up in the character and quickly lost myself in the role of scandalous Molly Moll.  After two hours of lies, bribery, murder, deceit, delicious food, and oodles of fun, the rest of the girls and I were flattered when the seminarians all cheered and applauded for us before we left the party.  I had had so much fun, that I was sad to leave the party, and wished it could have lasted longer.  The coordinator gave us a monetary stipend for our work that in all of the excitement, I had completely forgotten about.  As my friends and I walked home, we all relayed our experiences to each other, and I reflected on how happy that performance made me; moments like that reaffirm that I have chosen the most perfect career path for me.

The Vintage Vixens!

Have you ever been to a murder mystery party??  Or dressed up as a flapper (or 1920's mobster)??  As always, let me know!!

Stay safe if you're in Hurricane Sandra Dee's path!!



Love, Leaza

If I Didn't Know Better...

Happy weekend!!  I've just spent the day working hard (on homework) at my job at my school's Music Library.  But homework can so easily become ever so tedious, especially when I'm in recovery from a week of exhaustion.  Luckily for me, I have the magical website hulu at my disposal when I am in need of a homework/study break.

Now, I am a fan of all television shows (and everything else) that incorporates music, no matter what style the music may be.  So, though I am not the biggest fan of country music, when I saw commercials for ABC's newest drama Nashville, I have to admit I was more than intrigued.  I decided to give it a chance, and I have to say, I am so glad that I did.  Though only two episodes have aired so far, I am head-over-heels for this complex and interesting television show, which of course has the bonus of featuring beautiful music.  I highly recommend that if you haven't yet seen the show, you need to watch it at your earliest convenience.  Not only is it extremely well acted, an intricate web of issues regarding family, money, love, illicit doings, mystery, and the Music City make this show fantastic.

One of my favorite characters so far is Scarlett O'Connor (played by Australian native Clare Bowen).  She is the sweet niece of Deacon Clayborne, the best friend and former flame of Rayna James, a veteran and award winning country singer.  Scarlett has recently moved to Nashville to be with her boyfriend Avery, an aspiring musician with a bad-boy streak.  She is wholeheartedly in love with Avery and unfailingly supportive of his endeavors.  Her love for him makes her completely oblivious to the obvious crush that Gunnar Scott, a sweet and gentlemanly aspiring musician, has on her.  However, she cannot deny their musical chemistry when they sing a poem called "If I Didn't Know Better" that Scarlett had written.  (If you didn't know, the beautiful song was actually a cover of a Civil Wars song by the same name).  Take a listen by clicking on the clip!!

One of my favorite things about Scarlett though is, of course, her relaxed sense of style.  It's relaxed and casual, but oozing with southern charm.  Below I created some outfits based on her sense of style.  Enjoy!

Country Cutie

Scarlett is clearly a country girl through and through.  She loves floaty dresses, boots, and earthy pastels that complement her fair complexion.

For a simple and country cute ensemble, pair slouchy cowboy boots with a floaty lace dress and floral belt.  Accessorize with a charm bracelet with natural charms and a unique bohemian necklace (which Scarlett is never seen without).  If it's chilly where you live, be sure to pull on a pair of tights for extra warmth!!

Comfy Chic

When not waitressing at the iconic Bluebird Cafe, Scarlett dresses incredibly casually in simple but pretty pieces.

Classic pieces make up this look!! Pair a pale turquoise boyfriend style v-neck with a slouchy pair of boyfriend jeans. Natural-colored TOMS and a loose fit cardigan add to the comfortable nature of the ensemble.  Accessorize with a solid colored leather belt and don't forget to add a necklace!!

Fierce Florals

When on duty at the Bluebird Cafe, Scarlett is rarely seen in anything other than a ditsy floral print.  Whether the print is on a top or dress, the sweet look matches her equally lovely demeanor.

Get the look by matching a sleeveless floral-printed top with a chambray skirt and taupe cardigan.  Sheer purple tights and mid-height cowboy boots will keep your legs warm in the fall chill.  Finish the look off with her signature necklace, a skinny leather belt, and a vintage inspired metallic headband!!

Do you watch Nashville?? If so, what do you think so far?? If not, get on it!! What do you think of Scarlett and her style??  Let me know!!

Have a fantastic weekend :)

Love, Leaza