Fashion Blog Rant of the Week

In today's Fashion Blog Rant of the Week we will be discussing the half smile.  You know the one I am talking about - teeth awkwardly not showing - you often ask yourself the following questions when looking at the picture:

-is she doing duck face?
-do you need to use the restroom?
-are you confused?
-are you missing teeth?
-did you just smell something horrible?

And before you call me out and stop following my blog because I am a hypocrite, due to the fact that I have posted pictures of me making that same face:

Totally smizing, so it makes it ok.  ANTM, anyone? 

 hear me out....

Sometimes I think it works.  I think a person can pull it off if they are still smiling with the rest of their face - if that makes sense.  And by that I mean, if there is still some happiness in their eyes, the smile is a genuine, caught in the moment smirk that matches the rest of their mood then I support it.  Like the below photo:

Also, you should know I like to put myself in the same category as an Olsen twin any chance I get. 

Or like this, when he smirks straight into my soul. 

See, Sydney looks adorable even with the bright lips and a no teeth smile. 

However, with that being said, I think a lot of fashion bloggers often times get carried away.  It becomes super forced looking and uncomfortable for all those involved.

I will be the first to admit I have a huge style crush on Sydney from The Daybook, but even she can go a little overboard with the no teeth smile. 

Watch out, it can give you the crazy eyes. 

Then there is my girl Kendi.  Super cute everyday type style, but honey let's be honest, this no teeth smile is not a good look for you.

Are you lost in a back alley? Do you need me to send you directions?  

I know the new iPhone maps are still a little bit of a struggle, so I don't blame you for the confused look.

Natalie from Nat the Fat Rat gets caught using the halfsies smile when a real smile might have been the more obvious choice:

Are you angry that someone is forcing the cupcake on you?  Because honey, you do not look amused. 

Down to earth Oregon native Molly from the Urban Nester is obviously unhappy with her coffee:

Did it burn your lips?

Next we have Rachel from Pink Peonies: 

Then again, I think I might have been a little uncomfortable wearing that outfit too.  

Essentially, what I am trying to say is: try not to get caught in the land of in-between if you can help it. SHOW OFF THOSE PEARLY WHITES!

 Let me see your grill!

Andddd if you must pull a halfsies, make sure it's genuine and it doesn't looks like you are about to pee your pants. it's a very fine line, people....

hold it for just a tad longer, hun. 

Cheers to Smizing!

<3 BB

Blogger Style, WTF?

Before you get ahead of yourself, this is not an outfit post. You will not see what I am wearing today.  Sorry to make you sad, because I know you are just dying to see my face and outfits on the regs.

What this post is about though, is blogger fashion.  I recently read two very similar posts.  The first was from Raven, from Don't Quote the Raven.  In her post, I Dress For Men, she talks about how a lot of men, especially her husband do not like blogger fashion trends.  The second post was from a gal named Jenni, over at Story of My Life, who had also read Raven's post.  Her's was titled How Far Would You Go To Please Your Man?.  Here she discusses how she had recently gotten in a fight with her husband over her style and how she was offended that he did not like a lot of the trends that she wears.

Both of these posts got me thinking about my own style.  When I get dressed each morning I'd like to think I am getting dressed for myself.  However, I know on some large level I am dressing for others.  I obviously want Brad to find me pretty and want him to think it's okay to be seen in public with me, but let's be real... a lot of the time I get dressed for the ladies.  In my scientific research I did for this post: men found 87% of current style trends to be laughable, because when it comes down to it, most trends are quite mockable.  Now don't get me wrong, I love me some cardigans and maxis, and I secretly love the fact that the top knot is now considered fashionable (yay for not having to actually do my hair). I think that last one is more because I am lazy and less because I actually think it's fashionable, but who's comparing?

As much as I love daily fashion blogs, I have mocked them on my blog before here with this link. There are a lot of pins on Pinterest and outfits from fashion bloggers that make me ask, did you really wear that in public?   Do you actually think those articles of clothing go together?  Take this outfit for example:

wtf?

My good friend Jessi and I were just mocking this outfit yesterday.  Is she half bird / half 1970s gym teacher? I am not really sure what's going on there, but I am not a fan.

Then we have the red lipstick trend.  I personally am not a fan of lipstick.  I think it has to due with the fact that my lips are plenty big already, I don't need to draw more attention to them.  Chapstick, however, is a whole different story.  Can't get enough chapstick. Now, Brad hates lipstick.  He, essentially, thinks it makes women look like clowns.  Nothing funny about that, if you ask me.

via

Hate to break it to you miss, but you look like an old librarian.... and that is not a compliment.  I do, however, like your polka-dots though! So there's that?


Next, we have the statement piece necklace.  I love a little bling around my neck.  I think a necklace can really tie an outfit together, but the question is how much is too much necklace.  I mean seriously, lady you're going to have back problems at this rate:

via

Next we have the top knot:

via

When does it go from cute knot, to swirled turd knot?  Fine line ladies, fine line. 

I guess what I  am trying to say is, be careful when it comes to fashion trends.  If you want to rock one, I say go for it, but just make sure you are dressing for yourself and not because Kendi Everyday wore something similar, so it automatically makes it okay.  I may also suggest attempting one trend at a time.

Lastly, don't fall victim to the everyday fashion police: one of my sister's comments about a maxi dress I tried on, 'You look like a pilgrim on Thanksgiving.  Are you headed out to churn your butter?' Needless to say that dress was not purchased and it made me realize: just because it's a fashion trend, doesn't make it a good trend.

Cheers to Pilgrims!

<3 BB

Fashion Blog Rant of the Week :: Forever 21

.... On Forever 21.

So yesterday I took a trip to Forever 21 in hopes of finding one of these:

 

J. Crew Panama Hat

but in the price range of a girl with plenty of student loans, bills, bills and more bills.  As much as I love my J. Crew, I was trying to be practical for a change.  Look mom, this is me attempting to be responsible! ;) (I can say that because I know she reads this)


Seriously, though, Sydney - from The Daybook - rocks this hat on the regs and looks so adorable and I want to look just like her not creepy at all.  Can I be you Syd?  (I call her that, because in my mind we're besties)

Picture stolen from The Daybook.  Thinking about stealing Syd's kid too, how cute are their matching low tops?!

I will save my love for Sydney and her blog for another day.  I could spend an entire post (if not multiple) on her.  She was the first blog I came across and I just love everything about her.....

Sorry off topic, back to the rant at hand - as soon as I walked into Forever 21 I became super overwhelmed.  Am I the only one that has this problem, because I swear everyone I know (and even those people I pretend to know -  I'm talking about all the blogs I stalk) seem to find adorable clothes there and for cheap....Now I am not sure which of the following triggered it, but all I walked out with was a headache and self esteem issues.  Below is a list of things that I think might have triggered my struggles:

::It could have been from the music that was blaring out of the speakers. Good thing I was alone and didn't want to talk to anyone.  What was that?! I can't hear you over this rap-crap coming from the speakers!!!!!  - said in my best Grandma tone.
::All the shades of neon thrown about the store. But no really, it looked like Katy Perry's hair threw up in there.
::The clutter:  My OCD habits kicked in a little.  They have got to find better organization techniques. 
::The amount of short skirts and short shorts.  Seriously though - how do tweens wear those things and sit down?!  I don't think I could get my arm in one, let alone my entire lower half... And then to be able to sit down and not flash an entire room, yeah. ok....
::Not to mention their annoying return policy. No, I don't want store credit.  -Give me my money!
::The number of teenage girls attempting to be hipster or whatever you want to call the horrible look below (I know they were judging me and my J. Crew skirt the moment I walked in.  I have a sixth sense about these things.):

Pic borrowed from  WTForever21 - which by the way is literally one of the funniest blogs.  Do yourself a favor and check it out.

---- also super off topic again, but does anyone else laugh to themselves when they use the word literally in a sentence because they have seen Season 3 - Episode 8 of How I Met Your Mother?!   You know the one where everyone gets mind blown by all of their annoy habits and Robin's annoying habit is using the word 'literally' incorrectly and then Ted has to correct her, because his annoying trait is being Mr. Corrector and says, 'You mean, figuratively' .... makes me laugh just thinking about it. ----

Annnnnyway, maybe it's just me or maybe I am getting old, but I am always overwhelmed underwhelmed with Forever 21. After more attempts than Sam and Ron trying to make it work, I think it is officially time for me to give up on the store.  As much as I love a good deal, there comes a point where quality trumps quantity. So I am going to try and start saving my pennies for the cute J. Crew Panama hat, even if it is out of style by the time I can afford it. OR if people want to send me free things to wear, I suppose I could turn this blog into a daily fashion blog ;)  ...then again who am I kidding, I am broke and I will probs end up going back to Forever 21 and giving it another try.  The outcome will probs end up looking something like this though:

::There was one small highlight that made my trip to the mall worth it: watching one of the said hipster girls roll her ankle while trying to walk in her awkward looking, hipster-wedge-boot-heel things (and yes, that is the technical fashion term for the shoes she was wearing, in case you were questioning me).  Stick with the flats, baby girl.

Cheers to the opposite of what Forever 21 is!

-BB