Sweaters and Boots :D

Hello, everyone!!! I hope you are all having a great weekend.

It's cold here :/ :) And we have snow! Brrr.

Which ( if you look at it right ), means good things.

Such as sweaters and boots :D:D And hot chocolate!!!!!!!!!:) ;b

Outfit;

Dress: Made

Sweater: Plato's

Boots: Murdoch's/ gift

Hat: gift

Necklace: Handmade gift

Bracelet: Thrift

This was a very comfortable < and pretty ;b > outfit I wore to church a couple weeks back. It was a very contrasting outfit ( which I loved ) and took little time to put together ( which I also loved ). :D

And a verse for this weekend!!! This is mostly talking about not doing the evil things the "world" or pagans do, but be like God.

But I take it a little further, meaning don't be like ANYONE, including with dress. 

Dress nice, dress respectable, and dress according to your personality. :)

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

So, how is your weekend so far? Does this outfit inspire you to create anything new? How do you keep from conforming to the world?

Pearls, Denim & Floral Leggings {classygarb + review}

"Well blow me away, is this an actual outfit post on APOC? *insert gasp*"

 Yes, I'm fully aware of the fact I haven't done any classygarb posts for quite a while now. *sigh* To be honest, half the time when I put together an outfit I like I'm just not in the mood to want to take any pictures. I know, I know, I'm a despicable human being.

Hopefully you can forgive me?

I hope so, because I have some cool stuff to show you ladies today.

I have the pleasure of getting to introduce to y'all two awesome businesses - ShinyGirlDesigns and Apostolic Clothing! One's a high-quality hand crafted jewelry shop, and the other is a modest, feminine clothing line! Both are reputable businesses with a lot to offer. And both sent me cool items to review!

 

 

From Apostolic Clothing, a-line knee-length denim skirt.

 
 

And from ShinyGirlDesigns, a lovely lavender pearl infinity wrap necklace.
 

 

 

So this is my first attempt at incorporating leggings into an outfit modestly. I've actually never even owned any until just a week ago when I bought three pairs from Forever 21. I had this thought that floral leggings would look really fun and quirky with a mid-length skirt, especially if the skirt were denim. I mean it's like combining two things that don't really match but....they kinda do?? I mean, maybe I just have a weird sense of style, but I feel like they match.

 

As to shoes, I would've worn my grey bohemian moccasins but it's not really the season for wintry boots yet. And then I saw my handy-dandy cowboy boots - voila!

 

So I feel like this outfit is a mish-mash of sorts, but I have to say I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. It's like a quasi-western, quasi-boho, almost-a-teensy-bit-of-formal-trying-to-sneak-in collage.

 

It's colorful. And it feels very me.

 

Ugh, blurry photos ftw. This is what happens when you try to get pictures in FL humidity.

 

 

I really like this skirt. It's a fantastic length, and the A-line design provides a lot of freedom movement-wise. I don't know about y'all, but trying to find a decent skirt that isn't wayyyy too short is always a struggle for me. Especially since I'm tall. What might fit a friend who's average height comes up being disastrously short on me. So, when I find a skirt that actually fits me right it's almost euphoric. *cue happy dance*

 

I also really like the stitching. It's got a little pizazz. And yes, the pockets are actually functional.
The denim material is well-constructed and sturdy.

My only complaint? The waist is too big on me. Blame it on my figure, maybe. But it fits everywhere except my waist. I'd prefer for it to sit on my natural waist, but it ends up resting on my hips and even there it's a bit loose. I wouldn't want to size down, though, because then it might not fit anywhere but the waist.

Belts to the rescue!

 

 I have no idea what kind of pose this was supposed to be. Or what was up with the facial expression. Haha I'm such a model.....notttttt.

 Oh, hi there!

"I've got enough caffeine in me to last for years! Whoooo!"

 

As to the necklace, it's quite charming. A simplistic, yet very elegant design. Then again, pearls are always classy. Or, so they say down in the South, anyways.

 

Nah, it's not just a southern thing. Pearls are timeless class. 

 

 

This is a piece of minimalistic grace. It's light and dainty, so you almost forget you're wearing it.

Mysti, one of the creators and artisans of ShinyGirlDesigns, actually took the time to handwrite an informative note about the design aspects of this necklace, also including background information on the business which she and her mother run together. (How neat is that, a mother/daughter jewelry business?)

 

A quote from Mysti's letter: "Finally, the technical aspects of this piece. The pearls are dyed, freshwater pearls. The chain and wire are both sterling silver. And of course, the piece is handmade."

 

I think it's a lovely piece. Professional-level quality, feminine and classic.

 

 

Top: Coldwater Creek
Belt: hand-me-down
Skirt: Apostolic Clothing (find it here)
Leggings: Forever 21
Necklace: ShinyGirlDesigns (find it here)

////

What do you think of this look? Is this leggings/cowboy boots/skirt combination a yay or nay?

Note: I was provided these items from Apostolic Clothing and ShinyGirlDesigns in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed remain mine and mine alone.

Classy Vintage Look. {ClassyGarb}

                                                                                     

 Hello classy ladies! As you're probably aware, I didn't post last week because I decided to take a little blogging break. But I'm back now, with a new outfit post for you. Hope you enjoy!

 I don't know how it is for you, but for some reason I feel like (as far as clothing goes) I belong in another century. I love, love, love vintage or old fashioned looking clothing. A couple weeks ago, we had Past, Present, and Future day at a rehearsal for the show I'm in, A Christmas Carol. I decided to go as someone from the past. My fifties outfit fell apart when I discovered my poodle skirt had a mysterious stain on it... So I scrounged around in my clothing and created a 20s-40s look. I told everyone I was seeking help for the war effort. :) I liked the look so much that I decided to wear it again at church, with a few changes. Below is an image from Past, Present, and Future Day. Then I'll share my changes.

    And here's what I wore to church. As you can see the only significant change is the shoes and tights, though I also wore a white tank top instead of a brown one. The tank top wasn't really thought out, I kind of just wore what I had, though I like the look.

                 Up close... yeah my brother took a *very* attractive photo of me. (Sarcasm.) :P

    Close up on the headish area... isn't the hate adorable? It kind of has a tweed look... those little specks are actually part of the hat, not dog hair. :P

    And of course, the boots! Which I have featured in an outfit post before. But what can I say, I love them!

 As you can see, I've restated my passion for the color brown and jackets as well. I have a completely different, adorable brown and peach outfit that I may share at a later time. Now, for where the pieces came from.

 Dress: Liz Baker. This dress was given to me by a lady from our church. It's the perfect length for me, but needs some tailoring through the shoulders as it's a big big. That's why I wear jackets. As well as the fact that it adds to the outfit.

Jacket: Studio I. This jacket actually came from a set of dress and jacket, but while looking for something to complement the dress, it just seemed to fit. It was given to me.

Hat: d8y. Peebles. (Which is owned by the same company that owns Bealls.)

Boots: Easy Street. Peebles again.

Tights: Unsure of the brand, but they came from Wal-Mart. :)

 And that's all. What do you think of the vintage look? Yay, or nay?

eShakti Personalized Fashion {ClassyGarb + review}

 

 

Has anybody ever heard of the online personalized clothing store eShakti?

Well, some time ago I was contacted by one of their associates about doing a product review here on APOC.

Now, when I got that email, you can imagine my excitement! I mean, WHEN do you just get a free, customized-to-your-exact-measurements dress of your choice?! Okay, so yeah. I was thrilled. Still am, rather.

 

 

I picked this uh-dor-able cotton dress which originally was sleeveless. The awesome thing about eShakti is, you can customize things! Take the sleeves here, for example. I wanted something that covered my arms more, so I chose the elbow-length sleeves.

 

Another thing I customized was the length - you can, with most of the eShakti dresses - pick between having the length at the knee, below the knee, mid-calf length, (which is what I chose) or above the knee.

 

I like how with this dress it has a removable sash to cinch the waist with.

 

Oh yeah, and did I mention the fact you can have your dress made according to your personal sizing/measurements? How amazingly cool is that? I really appreciated this because getting my sizing exactly right with dresses can be very difficult usual, with my height, curve placements, and body type. The dress fits me very well, and I have a little room to spare since I purposely measured a tad larger than my actual measurements. I also listed my height as 5'9", even though I'm really 5'8", so I could get a little extra skirt length.

 

I kid you not when I say this has literally become my current favorite dress. Ever since it first arrived in the mail, I have worn it nonstop. I like wearing it to church, the most. Already I've received tons of compliments on it, and many people note the unique green banding at the bottom of the skirt.

 

I myself like this detail greatly. It was one of the primary parts that caught my attention, on this piece.

 

 

As you can see I love to wear my cowboy boots (They're actually mens' Ariats, in case you wondered. Yeah. My feet are so big, I can't even wear womens' cowboy boots. -_-) with this dress. In fact, that's all I've cared to pare with it so far! Anybody know that feeling when you find this perfect outfit combination, and just want to keep wearing it over and over until it annoys those around you senseless, seeing the same combination continuously? Okay, so maybe that's just something weird that I do. :P

 

The only negative with this dress, is the neckline. Not that I don't like it, because it's lovely, but it's just a tad low for my comfort. I have worn necklines about this depth before, but they're not my preference. The first time I wore this dress to church, I put a black tank underneath...that got too hot however so I decided just to wear it as is, which has worked out fine. I think the way to solve this next time is to not go bigger on the bust measurements - which I did, just to be safe.

 

 

 

Anyway. Overall? I simply adore this dress to pieces! It's so cute, and several people have told me it "looked like me (my style)"...which I agree. The black makes it elegant and flattering, while the greens contrast and give it a nice, spring-y pop.

 

If you are looking for a quality dress that is literally made to YOUR liking, eShakti is the way to go!

They even have a deal for new customers - $25 off your first purchase!

 

ALSO. Here's a special code for an additional 20% off an eShakti order, just for you lovely APOC readers! Code: PNCHOFCLSY (valid thru 06/10/13) 

 

You can find out other deals and info at the eShakti Facebook page, or on their Pinterest account.

eShakti's motto is "Real fashion for real people". Even though I think models are "real people" too, since we're ALL created by God, it's nice to have a shop that offers apparel for people of all different sizes and shapes - let's face it, MOST girls aren't 5'11" and wearing a size 0! (Not to mention, we can't just photoshop all our imperfections away like in many photos of modern models.)

 

 

 

What do you think? If you could customize one part of a dress to your exact liking, what would it be?

 

Note: I was provided this item from eShakti in exchange for my honest review/opinion.

Classy Jean Outfit {ClassyGarb}

Good morning girls! After a busy few weeks my brain finally clicked into gear and I  realized that I was supposed to be posting for APOC this Friday....so I decided that since I did not have a whole lot of time to prepare for a post, (Sadly, I am not the kind who can write a paper or post in an hour or less) I thought that I would do a post on one of my favorite outfits. 

I don’t know about you all, but I LOVE jean skirts. The jean skirt that I have right now has been through a summers worth of black berry picking, traveled over 7 states, played hide-and-seek too many times to count, been worn around the house or out to the store and everything in between. Sometimes I notice that when I wear my jean skirt out, it looks too shabby for wherever we are going, but I know it will have to work if I want to be able to have a good time and not constantly worrying if it will get a rip or stain.  A while back I found a wonderful solution by adding a jean jacket to the outfit. This helps give the shabbiness of the jean skirt a little more “class”. I also added a blue rhine stone flower pin where one of the buttons came off and I think this helps give it an even more classy look. Here are some pictures of me in my “Classy Jean Outfit”. :) 

Yes, that is our dog, Goldie, which I am petting in the one picture. :)

I noticed that a lot of the ladies on APOC also added what brand each of the pieces of clothing are, but the whole outfit except for the boots were bought at a thrift store, and you can always use your own jean skirt and jacket.  The boots were the only item that I bought. I bought them at Kmart and I am not sure how much it cost! Sorry for the lack of info on this. :( 

I hope you all have a super Friday! May God bless you all today!