Category: Inspiration
Holiday Getaway Must-Haves
It’s Thanksgiving! This officially kicks the “holidays” into high gear. For many of us, this equates to travel. Does anyone have as much trouble packing as I do?
In all aspects of life, I tend to give great advice and not take it. For example, I could advise you on what to pack for a long weekend. I know the rules; stretch your staples, work your wrinkle-free, rely on one great boot & so on. But I am someone who likes to dress for dinner even if no one else is (photo op!!). So when we drive south for a 4 night holiday, I tend to fill up the Tahoe with accessories, pumps and a few extra party options.
Sometimes I have to refocus on the essentials. When it comes to must-haves, most of mine are in the beauty/gadget department. A girl is only as good as her tools, amiright?
1. this clip situation is the coolest contraption – I took it off a 90s dress and use it when I need a cinch at the waist, but a belt just won’t do
2. philosophy eye cream – because it’s never too early
3. book light – serves so many purposes (reading at night not withstanding) – I clip this baby to my lapel on the regular
4. static guard & sweater weather are synonymous
5. yummy NEST travel spray in Midnight Fleur via Pigmint
6. spin pin! If you have longish to long hair, it’s an absolute must – this lil pin holds all my hair up in an epic bun
7. MAC beauty balm – not too much / not too little (my buddy Kory Tyler turned me on to this)
8. ELF brow compact – this is a product I swear up & down by – $3 to epic brows everyday y’all
9. cold cream – I used to make fun of my poor mama when she used this but I’ve seen the err of my ways – the ONLY thing that will remove heavy eye makeup without removing lashes in the process
10. Clinique green concealer – green counteracts red so this stuff is a lifesaver for imperfections plus it has a bit of salicylic acid so (the hope is) your face will look better when you take it off!
11. Maybelline 14hour lipstick in wine and forever & handy dandy case (vintage) – this is my go-to dark lip for Fall
12. hot rollers – call me old fashioned but I love being able to roll my hair up, chill/eat/whatever for a while, unroll & voilà!
A few beloved things that go with me on weekends away…
Vintage Leather Moto Jacket – Grey Dog
Jewels, jewels, jewels in travel hanger
Extra Tall Vintage Hat Box (I can fit 6+ in there!)
The Shorts-Suit
shorts/blouse – thrifted Jane Ashley
hat – thrifted vintage
heels – forever21
necklace – vintage from In Retrospect
Scarlet & the cool-girl kicks
It’s a rare occurrence when I go into a store and want everything on the racks. Like it never happens as a rule. Scarlet in West Little Rock is an exception to that rule. At nine years old, Scarlet is better the ever. The shop recently opened a new storefront designed by the brilliant Heather Owens of Georgia James (you can find heather & a mini GJ shop within Scarlet); a relaunched website featuring a web store with brands like Elizabeth & James, Rebecca Minkoff and J Brand alongside the Scarlet brand capsule collection.
Brimming with leather skinnies, cutout dresses, flat bill caps and fur jackets, Scarlet has the quintessential fall wardrobe for the coolest girl you know.
The clothes, bags and baubles are drool worthy but the shoes – oh the shoes – I’m continually obsessed with the selection that owner Jeanne curates. You may know that I rarely buy new pieces, strictly adhering to a diet of vintage & thrift, but this diet doesn’t really apply to footwear. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say that shoes are almost always best when bought new.
Until now, you could only peruse & purchase this amazingness in store. I feel like it’s my duty to inform you that you will be able to buy them online as of Thursday, 10/31.
And you’re welcome.
Put a collar on it.
I love adding a collar to an otherwise simple ensemble. I have vintage sequin, beaded and knit collars but this particular one is from urban outfitters.
Photo by Celi Birke
Hair/MU by Melissa Arens of Mayapple Salon
Bad Girls
I’m not bad. I’m just drawn that way. – Jessica Rabbit
Retro on the Runway Lookbook
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featuring Chloe Reese & Payton Bridewell (yours truly)
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beauty by Scarlett @ Metropolis
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photos by Keegan Kapugal
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styled by Leea Lee / clothing provided by Grey Dog Boutique, Mayapple & Black Cherry Vintage
COLLABO! Emily’s One Man Band
a lovely little lady named Emily asked me to work it in front of the camera for her rather wildy successful etsy shop. obviously, I obliged. We had a great afternoon full of fringe, sequins, denim and flying through the air with the greatest of ease.
Some of her stuff is recycled and some is upcycled. The amazing leather fringe necklace and fabulous bustiers are Emily’s handiwork.
For more…
Cha Cha Cha
I love color. I also love sleek & black, so I sometimes forget how much I love color. Thanks Darcy & Hello Luvvy for asking me to participate in this taqueria shoot and thus reminding me.
I chose two looks: spanish dancer & rodeo queen. Sometimes having a theme really helps me.
spanish dancer: top – thrifted, heels – plato’s closet, tiered skirt – cheap thrills, turquoise – thrifted, Mae’s & Dark Star Visuals
rodeo queen: vintage 60s sunnies, jewelry – thrifted, top – thrifted, skirt – part of a little red riding hood costume, boots – thrifted
There’s also a video!
with Ms. Darcy 
collaboratively photographed and each self-styled
Hello Luvvy Love
A very sweet gal named Darcy started a website called Hello Luvvy. She was kind enough to take some photos of me and interview me for her adorable site. Here’s an excerpt from her post. For the whole thing, go —> here.
The location for this shoot was the Fayetteville Country Club.
If you have followed any of my Normal Girl posts, you probably understand that I generally just love fashion blogs. Even though “The Window Shopper” doesn’t define herself as a fashion blogger (she is much more!), she is inspiring many with her style, so I want to introduce you ladies to Payton (The Window Shopper). I started following Payton on instagram a few months ago and I immediately began to love her style. She is an absolute committed fashionista. What I mean by this, is that she simply loves fashion, however individually defined. Payton is an example of how fashion should be; all personal, all fun, and all inspiring. I asked her to do a photo shoot and interview with HelloLuvvy because I believe she defines what the purpose of our Fashion section should be. It should be about expression and fun and rocking any look you love with confidence. Payton exemplifies the girl’s dream of wearing exactly what they want and when they want, and wearing it with that confident edge. Payton has been featured in Citiscapes mag, has modeled for some of NWA’s favorite boutiques, and has recently embarked on an exciting new career in fashion with Btiques. Below is a photo shoot we collaborated on and a few interview questions to pick Payton’s fashion loving brain.
Darcy: “Payton how would you describe you style?”
Payton: “My style…. I would say the first thing that comes to mind is fun. I just want to wear things that make me happy. My collection is very eclectic. I never discriminate against any decade, or style and I will try anything once. With all the thrifting I have a better understanding of what looks good on me and what I really love. I dress for occasions and locations. To me, dressing is like acting, you get to wear different hats for different events, literally.”
Darcy: “Do you think it is important to define your style?”
Payton: “No. Absolutely not, because style should be an evolving thing. People shouldn’t put that much pressure on themselves.”
Darcy: “As a fashion blogger you put yourself out there {on the internet}, and open yourself up to all sorts of opinions and judgments. How do you stay positive if they are ever negative?”
Payton: “Fashion blogging, is just a part of what I do. While it can be hard to balance perceptions, most people say really positive things to me and because of my blog my life has changed for the better. I got to be a part of NWA Fashion week, and that has led me into a new exciting career. If people don’t like what I am posting that is why there is a hide button {on Facebook}. I like to share my outfits because the responses have been positive. This makes me happy and that’s why I do it. I’m not worried about anyone else when I am doing and pursuing what I love.”
Darcy: “What would you tell women to help them not care as much about social norms in fashion?”
Payton: ” Obviously everyone is not going to care about fashion, so if you are not interested in fashion than don’t worry about it. Find a look that works for you and wear it everyday. If you are in love with fashion but you are not comfortable with your body or your fashion choices, wear what makes you happy. Accessorize with fun things, but don’t wear things just because you think it is fashionable. You should feel good in what you are wearing.”
Darcy: “Before you are going to take a “style risk” is there something you might say to your self to encourage the risk.”
Payton: “”Is it too much? (laughing)” I typically have to talk myself down rather than up, but mostly I don’t get concerned. I do consider if things are appropriate for a certain occasion and I always remind myself that my husband and I need to look like we are going to the same place. I can’t look like I am going to the ball, while he looks like he is going to play a round of golf.”
Darcy: “What are some of your goals with fashion?”
Payton: ” My goal was to make a living with fashion, social media, and in NWA; then I got a job at Btiques, so I really just want to continue growing in this path. I also want to make women more comfortable with themselves. The attitude of “only you can pull that off” is self-limiting. I don’t want women to feel that way.”
The details for the clothing in this shoot are basically as follows: thrifted. Pretty awesome! Payton informs me that she goes thrifting two, sometimes three times a week, and she always hits the dress racks. Her jewels are vintage from Mae’s Emporium and the shoes are from Target. I am pretty sure you love her even more now!
I had a great time hanging with this girl for a few hours snapping some photos and just talking about fashion and life. She is truly committed and confident. I learned a lot from her and I hope you luvvies do too. Below is her professional Bio and links to her blog and instagram. I highly recommend following her in some capacity and downloading the Btiques App for your iPhone.
Payton Rosenzweig Bridewell is a native of Fayetteville. After graduating from Tulane University in New Orleans, she spent five years working for Procter & Gamble on the CoverGirl and Olay brands. Payton has always been a fashion-enthusiast (find her on the blog, thewindowshopper.org or see her work for NWAFWstyling and modeling in publicity photoshoots for local stores) and is practically a fixture in local magazine, Citiscapes.
Payton recently left the corporate world to join the Ark Challenge-winning shopping application, Btiques. Btiques is a free service that allows iPhone/iPad users to shop local boutiques directly from their phones. The app changes the shopping game; it allows users to find, follow and shop the newest boutique looks on the go! Payton jumped at the chance to join the startup and is working with co-creators Sara Beck and Will Carter to introduce the app to the fashion-forward of NWA, Arkansas and beyond.
Payton on facebook, @mspayton on instagram, @the_mspayton on twitter
Download Btiques from the app store on your iPhone or iPad
@btiquestagram on Instagram
@btiques on Twitter
“I’ve always loved playing dress up.”
“I’m really into wearing bathing suits as tops right now.” Payton and her Dad
“He is always my best accessory.” Payton and her Husband
The Window Shopper
The Window Shopper 