Full Day. Date Night.

Full Day. Date Night.

 

 

Sometimes our days takes us so many places that a fabulous all purpose outfit is a must!

When I have these types of days on my calendar going home to change is just not an option. So I choose a look that can get me through the day and then some.

Taking along a few styling options can ramp your look up or down as needed. Swapping the leather vest for a Blazer will get you stylishly through your business meeting. An edgy wedge, or cute flat will get you comfortably through your grocery shopping trip. A nice eyecatching clutch will put the finishing touch on your “date night” look.

In our ever so busy lives, styling options will beat a full wardrobe change most days.

 

Featured in this set:

 

Jewelry - www.ProvocativExpression.com

 

Dress & Boots - ShoeDazzle.com

 

Vest - RiversIsland.com

 

Purse - JustFab.com

Handmade Gift Ideas for this Holiday Season

 

Giving the gift of elegance and exclusivity this holiday season is as easy as buying handmade.

Of course jewelry is always a great handmade gift idea and these are just a few of the styles offered in my online boutique, but there are many more handmade gifts out there!

Top handmade gifts include:

Soap

Gourmet Foods









Scented Candles











Outerwear













Custom Monogrammed Items













Not only will you be giving your loved one a gift that is just as special and unique as them, you'll be supporting one of many small business owners trying hard to thrive in our current economy.

With that said I urge you to look beyond the "big box" and the national chains for that perfect gift this year. Trust me you'll be a hit with your loved one making a win/win/win situation for everyone this holiday.

 

Source: Visit ProvocativExpression.com today for 25% off selected items sitewide!

Handmade for the Holiday!

Handmade for the Holiday! by lynee10 featuring dannijo

Rosantica jade necklace
matchesfashion.com

Dannijo
dannijo.com

Wedding bridal jewelry
catherinenicole.com

Multi strand necklace
$175 - farfetch.com

Hand made jewelry
$105 - overstock.com

Wedding bridal jewelry
catherinenicole.com

Peppermint Oreo Pops - Courtesy of LuLu the Baker

On the 6th Day of Christmas: Peppermint Oreo Pops

Oreos on a stick might not seem that special; they certainly aren’t that different from Oreos that aren’t on a stick! But there’s just something about them that is really cute. And really tasty in that I-know-this-is-not-the-least-bit-healthy kind of way. And food on a stick is always more fun to eat, right?!

Instead of doing a regular ol’ recipe, I figured I’d do a little tutorial. It just seems to call for it.

Peppermint Oreo Pops

1 package double-stuffed Oreos (the regular ones aren’t thick enough)

2 bags white candy melts (you really only need about 1 1/2 bags, but oh well)

paper lollipop sticks (I like the 6-inch ones)

4 candy canes, crushed

1. Get out 2 or 3 cookie sheets and line them with parchment paper or waxed paper. Very carefully twist the tops off of all the Oreos and set all of your little Oreo bits and pieces on the prepared cookie sheets. Don’t crowd them. I’d do about 12 per sheet.

See how I crowded them? Don’t do that!2. Using the end of a chopstick or a skewer (I actually used the end of a beater last time), dig a little channel in the cream filling on each Oreo. If you start at the edge and gently work toward the middle (instead of starting in the center and moving outward), you won’t randomly lose big chunks of filling.

3. Put your candy melts in a microwave-safe bowl. In this case, tall and narrow is better than short and wide. Think measuring cup, not pie plate. Melt them according to package directions.

4. Dip the end of a lollipop stick in candy and set it in one of the Oreo cream filling channels you dug in step 2. Gently push it all the way in and all the way down. Gently! If you push too hard, the Oreo will break. If you do break an Oreo, see the “Tips” below for some…tips.

5. Take an Oreo top, spoon a tiny bit of candy onto the blank side (dime-sized at the most), flip it over, and put it back onto its mate.

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 with the rest of the Oreos and sticks, and let them sit until completely set.

7. If the candy melts need a quick reheat before moving on, feel free to microwave them again briefly.

8. Take an Oreo Pop and dip it in candy until it is completely covered. You might need to tilt your bowl and kind of roll or swish the Oreo Pop around to get it covered. Once it is completely covered, hold it parallel to the table and gently tap the stick against the side of the bowl so that the excess candy coating drips back into the bowl. If you make sure to hold the Oreo Pop flat while doing this, any unevenness on the front will smooth itself out. And the back might look like a mess, but no one will see it.

9. Set the dipped Oreo Pop on it’s back on one of the prepared cookie sheets and sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Allow to set.

Er, it should actually be completely covered

10. Repeat steps 8 and 9 with remaining Oreo Pops.
11. When they’re all dry, wrap them up however you like! Or just eat them yourself; that works too!

Tips:

• Depending on how successfully you split the Oreos and how many broken ones you find in your package, you can get up to 30 Oreo Pops from this recipe. If you need exactly 30, I would definitely buy two packs of Oreos just to be safe.
• You can obviously make them with any color candy melts you want, and you can substitute sprinkles for the crushed candy canes. So far, I like the light blue candy melts the best. They melt well and cover well, and they’re a pretty Tiffany blue.
• I used white candy melts this time, but I’ve also used white almond bark. The almond bark is slightly more difficult to work with, but it covers extremely well, so you can’t see any Oreo through the candy coating.
• If at any point you break an Oreo, never fear! If you break it pretty cleanly into two large pieces (which, based on my scientific research, is generally the way Oreos break), just piece them back together and glue them with melted candy. Allow to dry completely, then proceed. You do end up dunking the entire set-up in candy, so no one will ever know it was broken.
• For the wrapping above, I used 3x4-inch clear cellophane treat bags by “Celebrate It” from Michaels. I thought they’d be too small, but they are the perfect size. I’ll definitely use them from now on. I also used Maraschino baker’s twine from The Twinery.
• You might think you’ll need more than one per person, because who doesn’t love to chow down on Oreos, but these are really, really rich. You’re probably safe with one per person. Plus it’s always good to leave ‘em wanting more!

Gray - The Perfect Neutral

Gray is the proverbial "in between" which is why I consider it the perfect neutral.

While Gray is often paired with it's either (or both) of it's left and right extremes; white & black, it pairs well with many other colors in the spectrum. As a primary piece, or complimentary coordinating color, Gray is a great tool to keep in your style arsenal.

Featured Items:
ProvocativExpression.com - All jewelry
www.ProvocativExpression.com

Target.com - Western boot & Charcoal Gray Dress

AldoShoes.com - Black Oxford

ShoeDazzle.com - All other items
 

ColorWatch Red/Black

ColorWatch Red/Black

 

 

Another fashion collage created to illustrate my style aesthetic.... I love pairing these collors when putting together my "Business Chic" look. I find myself doing a lot of networking in social settings such as restaurants/bars, and this look is bold, powerful, & on-trend!

The necklace & earrings featured are the handmade designs of yours truly! You can find these items of others like them in my online boutique. www.ProvocativExpression.com. The shoes are available at Shoedazzle.com. The handbag can be found at JustFab.com. The jeans are Old Navy "Rock Star" skinny. Other items are stock photos similar to pieces in my wardrobe.

What is your "go to" look when socializing is part of your growing your network?

Discount Diva Style

Discount Diva Style

 

 

Fashion collage I created on Polyvore.com to illustrate an outfit I put together & wore last month to a friends birthday dinner celebration. Featured in this set are a few of my own jewelry designs (the necklace & earrings). Similar items can be found in my online boutique: www.ProvocativExpression.com.

The jacket, belt, tee & cuff are examples taken from Polyvore of items actually worn. Actual items are as follows:

Why Handmade is "Haute"!

Handmade jewelry has recently become very popular. With the advent of websites like Etsy and Artfire beaders, metal workers, and art jewelry designers of all kinds and skill levels have come out of the woodworks,

There is literally something out there for everyone, and that my friend is the beauty of it all. Simple and demure. Fantastically BOLD! BoHo bombastic. Themed. Steampunk. Religious. Geode. Semi-precious, and the list goes on and on.....

Want something one-of-a-kind? Or made in such limited quantity that the likelihood of being the "other one" in the room with this necklace will be slim to none. Like horses, or food, or skiing? I bet there's a designer out there who loves those things too. For every interest, taste level, and style aesthetic there is a designer out there just waiting for you to discover them!

So to answer the question why is handmade haute? The answer is simple because it's made just for you! Be it my online boutique (pictured above) or any of the many others. The local craft fair, or gallery exhibit, handmade is the place to find that special piece you've been looking for,


Launching A Legend: Take Two!

"Blogging is easy....." was the statement made to me by a long time friend when I expressed the desire to start a blog as a brand building effort. I was all gung-ho about all of the things I could, would, and wanted to do until I had to do it. Needless to say blogging proved to be a lot more of a challenge than I anticpated.... If you've visited this blog before then you know I'm not lying. February 14, 2012 was my first and only post before now.

 

Part of my problem was not being able to reign in my thoughts/ideas, not being able to choose a primary direction, not being able to articulate my own voice BUT, it's a new day and I have a renewed attitude toward blogging.

 

I still design and handcraft jewelry and t-shirts, but that's not all that I do. I like to "style" looks and outfits. In fact I pride myself on accomplishing that high-brow aesthetic on a bargain basement budget. I've realized that frugal fashion is my passion! This is mainly how/why I started designing/handcrafting jewelry and tees, because I wanted interesting, expensive looking pieces at a fraction of the cost.

 

With all of that being said, I think I'm finally on-track with what I want this blog to be....

 

An expression of my passion for style and frugal fashion.

 

A documentation of my shopping exploits, fabulous finds, and budget friendly triumphs.

 

A place to find and share DIY tips/tutorials, to draw inspiration from, or find answers to...

 

A place to display my style, likes, dislikes, ideas, and creations.

 

So here we go again blogosphere..... Launching a legend; Take Two!