Pastel Belle: Or Should I Say Cinderella?

 True Blue Bauble Necklace

Blue Enchanted Bird Barrette

Dress: Xhilaration, Target

Shoes: Worthington, JCPenney

Bag: Xhilaration, Target

Belt: Candie's, Kohl's

Sunglasses: Mudd, Kohl's

Big Red Bow Barrette

Dress: Bisou Bisou, JCPenney

Shoes: Dolce by Mojo Moxy, DSW

Bag: Loop, Marshalls

Hat: Sea Star, Brigantine

Sunglasses: Relic, Kohl's

Spring Swag Barrette

Pink Enchanted Bird Barrette 

Dress: Modcloth

Shoes: Penny Loves Kenny, DSW

Bag: Princess Vera, Kohl's

Sunglasses: Michaels

Assorted flower brooches: Kohl's, A.C. Moore

Big Peach Bow Barrette

Top (a dress!): Modcloth

Skirt: Necessary Objects, Annie Sez

Shoes: Penny Loves Kenny, DSW

Bag: Modcloth

Belt: Candie's, Kohl's

Sunglasses: Party City

With Beauty and the Beast on the big screen, I've got Disney damsels on the brain.  Not, mind you, that their modern-day incarnations are the old-school kind famous for flailing in distress.  Always a markedly brave soul of the Disney canon, Belle (Emma Watson) does battle with the beast like never before in this live action version.  Watson brings just the right blend of grit and tenderness as she teaches that tale as old as time lesson, namely that being different is nothing to be afraid of and that letting your freak flag fly can make dreams come true.

In honor of all that, I'm going to attempt to do that Disney princess outfit association thing so popular on Pinterest (yep, from now on I'll be referencing old Pinny out the wazoo).  The blue outfit is Cinderella, the yellow one is a cross between Belle and Snow White, the pink one is Sleeping Beauty, and the green one is a cross between The Little Mermaid and no one (hey, I did say "attempt).  So, it's no surprise that my enchanted bird barrettes are channeling Cinderella, too, their pink and blue plumage the same colors as her first homespun, off-to-the-ball dress (which, by the way, I've always preferred to the austere ice blue one conjured up by her fairy godmother).  These feathered friends are also reminiscent of the birds that helped make Cindy's dress.  Mr. Bluebird on my shoulder, indeed!  Still, if I'm being honest, then I'd have to say that my favorite fairy tale gown is Snow White's.  Her story may be the weirdest (I've never cottoned to those dwarfs, or to Snow slaving away for them), but her red, blue, and yellow dress is unparalleled primary color perfection.

'Cause to me, Crayola is always queen.

The Fantastic Fourth: Flip Flops and Fireworks

From left to right: So, Kohl's; Michaels; So, Kohl's

Christian Siriano for Payless squared.

Clockwise: Chinese Laundry, DSW; Dolce by Mojo Moxy, DSW; Penny Loves Kenny, DSW; a.n.a., JCPenney

It's been more than a year since I've done a shoe montage -- because it's been about since then that I've bought more than one pair of shoes.  Shocking, I know.  But this spring I broke down and bought some basics -- and some not-so-basics -- and just like that, the bug was back in my system.  So I thought, what better time to bust out my buys than on America's birthday?

Blogging and buying, those are my super powers.  

It's Been a Long Time Since . . .

From top left clockwise,: Ami Clubwear; Dolce by Mojo Moxy, Shoe Dept.; Adrienne Vittadini, DSW; Worthington, JCPenney; Payless; Payless; Ami Clubwear

All four pairs from Payless.

. . . we've had a shoe montage!  So long, in fact, that it was 2012.  Here's a sampling of some of the shoes I've stockpiled since then.  A whopping six pairs came from Payless, a place I haven't frequented in nearly a decade.  Browsing online one night, I fell in love with their retro-inspired, soda-shoppe-shaded T-straps, so much so that I couldn't help but buy them in all four colors and then snap them Warhol-style.  I was wearing the yellow pair while browsing the jewelry supply aisle in Michaels when a salesperson (at least I think she was a salesperson) commented that she liked them, then segued into a tribute to Whoopi Goldberg's fancy footwear as featured on "The View."  I thanked her, promising to Google the celebrated accessories, and then we went our separate ways, me toward the checkout to pay for my baubles and she, presumably, to disappear back into the bowels of the stockroom.

See that.  Shoes, bringing people together, right there amid the jump rings and pendants.  Such things do my heart (and feet!) good.

Something New and Sparkly: Sugar High and Two Kinds of Pie

 Fabulous Felt Candy Barrette

Top: Kohl's

Skirt: Material Girl, Macy's

Shoes: Barefeet Shoes

Bag: Delia's

 Fabulous Felt Chocolates in a Heart Barrette

Top: Kohl's

Skirt: SugarPop Clothing, Etsy

Shoes: Dolce by Mojo Moxy, Kohl's

Bag: Glamour Damaged, Etsy

Belt: Wet Seal

Fabulous Felt Gumball Machine Barrette

Top: Marshalls

Skirt: Boscov's

Shoes: Barefeet Shoes

Bag: Marshalls

Scarf: Marshalls

Key Lime Pie 

Cool 'n Easy Strawberry Pie

Did you ever notice how many novelty items and fashion accessories are modeled after desserts?  Probably, as it's kind of a no brainer.  Still, I was never so aware of the treat trend until I started selling on Etsy.  There cheerful colors, playful shapes, and the promise of something delicious all add up to a buffet of irresistibly scrumptious style.  So, to keep the sugar fest going, I decided to top off my barrette pics with these two JELL-O pies I made this weekend.  They're so bright and plasticy that they look as if they should be part of a little girl's tea party set or maybe even dangling from a necklace.  I'm pretty sure I blogged about the key lime pie recipe before, but that was years ago, and goodness knows there's no easy way to find back posts on this blog, so here it is again along with the one for the strawberry pie:

Key Lime Pie (from I Could Go for Something JELL-O)    

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups boiling water

1 large pkg lime JELL-O

2 teaspoons grated lime peel

1/4 cup lime juice

1 pint vanilla ice cream

1 prepared graham cracker crust

Directions:

Stir boiling water into JELL-O in large bowl for at least 2 minutes or until completely dissolved.  Stir in lime peel and juice.  Stir in ice cream until melted and smooth.  Refrigerate 15 to 20 minutes or until mixture is very thick and will mound.  Spoon into crust.  Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm. Garnish as desired.

Cool 'n Easy Strawberry Pie (also from I Could Go for Something JELL-O)

Ingredients:

2/3 cup boiling water

1 small pkg strawberry JELL-O

1/2 cup cold red juice or water

Ice cubes

1 8-oz tub Cool Whip

1 prepared graham cracker crust

Directions:

Stir boiling water into JELL-O in large bowl for at least 2 minutes or until completely dissolved.  Mix juice or water and ice to make 1 cup.  Add to JELL-O, stirring until slightly thickened.  Remove any remaining ice.  Stir in whipped topping until smooth.  Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes or until mixture is very thick and will mound.  Spoon into crust.  Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm.  Just before serving, garnish with fruit and additional whipped topped if desired. 

If there's anything I've learned about making JELL-O recipes over the years, it's to always go for the garnish.  Because without the aid of artfully squirted Reddi-Whip and well-placed fruit, everything pretty much looks like the same unappetizing mystery mess.  Here's to avoiding the mystery.