Country Girl

Big Sis: I know that I posted a red, white, and blue themed blog a couple of months ago, but with Independence Day fast approaching, and an over-abundance of cute flag-inspired outfits and items, I had to post another.

This outfit from Polyvore would be perfect to wear to a 4th of July picnic, don't you think?

American Girl #2 by fun-to-wear featuring old navy

This effortless, minimalist star t-shirt manages to be patriotic without going overboard. It looks super comfortable too.

 These inexpensive Nautical Sea Anchor Earrings would look cute with nearly any summer outfit. I love them... a lot.  

Wouldn't these heart sandals from ModCloth  be perfect for a stroll on the beach? You could pull off a simple Independence Day look with just a white tee, jean capris, and these perfect flip flops.   

It was love at first sight for me when I spotted this 1970's Red Striped Old School Skater Dress on Etsy. Can't you just imagine this dress with knee high socks and vintage roller skates?

these Tattoo Swallows Earrings are inexpensive, patriotic, and oh-so-adorable. 

Zooey Deschanel almost always looks cute, but she looks especially so in this red, white, and gray-blue dress from Mod Cloth. The red cardigan over the top finishes the outfit perfectly. 

More patriotic Zooey, but this time with a royal blue dress and bright red belt, which makes for a sophisticated, fun look. 

Happy 4th of July everyone! Enjoy the fireworks, food, and fun! 

Bright Legs

Big Sis: Now that summertime is here, it's time to put the black leggings away and pull out the bright ones! Available for cheap at Walmart, Target, and almost any other clothing store that you can think of, leggings are a great way to inject some color into any outfit.

I found this great image on Charmed Valerie on how to flatteringly wear leggings. She also has some great advice, which I've posted below the image.

"What to wear with leggings

• Something that covers your hiney
• Long shirts that end a little bit below your hips/upper-mid thigh
• Over-sized sweaters
• Tunics
• Mini-skirts/skirts
• Dresses
• If you really want to look sophisticated, wear a bootie/ankle boot/boots that leave no room for skin to peak out.
• An extra layer (like a long cardigan, sweater, or vest) looks even better but the initial visible layer should cover your crotch area
• Balance clothing proportions by NOT wearing something tight-fitting with your leggings."

Here are two looks that I put together with bright leggings:

I paired a light mini denim dress with bubblegum pink leggings and simple white flats. Thanks to the leggings, I'm able to wear a dress that would be way too short for me otherwise. They also add a fun pop of color! 

I bought this dress at Ross last year (without the belt) and it sat on the hanger for quite a while, but when I saw the red leggings and belt sitting in my closet a few days ago, I knew I had to wear them together. I love the way that red, black, and gray look together.

There are lots of great specials for bright leggings on the Internet right now. Here's one of them:

We'd love to see how YOU wear bright leggings. What do you wear them with? How do you accessorize? Tell us in the comments section below or send a photo of yourself to wearitworkit@outlook.com. Happy summer! 

Little Sis: Adventures in Cosplay Continued...

As you can see from the previous post, Big Sis and I spent our weekend at Phoenix Comicon, a place where no matter how hot it is, fellow convention goers will wear that big fluffy costume and prance to please till they can't prance no more...

Where our favorite video games come to life (but not completely or that would just be creepy)...

Where seeing double is a treat and you can't help but smile too big or look like you are about to pee yourself...

Where while nerding out all day, we tend to get a bit shy when picked up by a half naked green man...

And lastly, where possibilities are practically endless when choosing who you'd like to represent for a day and the only thing you need to worry about is not missing your fave Walking Dead cast member (Laurie Holden)

For Comicon I chose to cosplay a lady heroine named Elizabeth from a recent favorite video game of mine, Bioshock Infinite. It takes place in the early 1900's and very suddenly ascends to a beautiful city above the clouds alongside a very steampunk and creatively written story. Besides Elizabeth, the Lutece twins are also well known characters of the story (seen below). 

I found this white button up blouse at goodwill as well as the square toe laced leather boots. The skirt I also found at a thrift store, and with with some assistance from my mom was re-sized and fitted for the high waist look. Three main pieces I believe to be most identifiable with Elizabeth are the laced choker, blue neck scarf and pinky thimble. All these items were found at JoAnns fabric store for quite cheap. With one roll of blue silk ribbon paired with a strand of lace, a chain link and and clasp I created a nicely fitting choker that added that final touch to my cosplay.

Workin' it Geek Style

Big Sis: Hands down, the best place to geek out in Arizona is at the Phoenix Comicon, which is why we giddily look forward to going every year. This year, I decided to channel the 80's by cosplaying as Jem (from the Saturday morning cartoon "Jem and the Holograms.") I loved Jem as a kid and have memories of coveting her star earrings and wishing I had my own "Synergy"  that would transform me into an amazing pink haired rock star. My Jem doll bounced around on the bed in her tiny pink heels as I sang "Truly outrageous! Truly, truly, truly outrageous!!" at the top of my lungs. Fast forward 20 plus years and my 8-year-old daughter is doing the same thing (since the show is now available on Netflix.) It's an outrageous, wonderfully cheesy (in a good way) cartoon that has stood the test of time. It's also a great example of empowerment for girls. Jerrica (Jem's alter-ego) was the owner and manager of a successful music company.  Soooo, I of course had to live out my childhood dream and dress as Jem for Comicon. I wasn't sure if I would fit in at the con or if anyone would even recognize me, but all weekend long I heard shouts of "Truly Outrageous!" from fellow children of the 80's as well as cute little girls who watch the show on Netflix. One darling little girl hugged me as tight as she could and asked me to sing. So much fun. For those unfamiliar with Jem, here's the intro on YouTube and an image from the cartoon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRyDxEBiQUY

My husband, who cosplayed as Federation Freddy Mercury, had a great time as well. He originally wanted to dress as Spock Mercury (half Freddie, half Spock) but the Spock wig and pointy Vulcan ears just weren't working out. So, he ended up going full Freddie with a touch of Star Trek (a Star Trek insignia pin on the iconic yellow jacket.) The whole family was inundated with Queen videos and songs while my husband worked hard to channel his inner Freddie. He grew out a thick 'stache, died his hair black, and rocked it big time. Here's a photo of Freddie Mercury of Queen just for reference.

The three kids dressed as Doctor Who, BMO, and Duke. Little Sis cosplayed as a flawless Elizabeth from the video game Bioshock. Between the fun panels, brilliant cospplay, meeting one of my favorite authors (Brandon Sanderson), and getting a photo with the amazing creator of Jem and the Holograms (Christy Marx), it was a fantastic, super  fun weekend!

Family cosplay fun (missing my Doctor Who son that wandered off with the rest of the group.)

So excited to please fellow "Adventure Time" fans.

I found another Jem and a Pizzaz too! (There were three Jems total.)

 Little Sis with fellow Bioshock characters.

 With  the amazing "Jem and the Holograms" creator Christy Marx. 

After getting a book signed by talented author Brandon Sanderson. 

Another Jem and I singing into our sparkly microphones. 

 Youngest son dueling with Greedo from Star Wars.

 Rocking out 80's style with a Gene Simmons look-alike.

 My daughter found Ice King and Princess Bubblegum. A trio made in heaven.

 Oldest son with fellow Doctors. 

 

Detailed look at costume. Bought the belt, earrings, and microphone at Spirit Halloween store, the wig and tights at Party City, the dress at Amazon, and the shoes at Zappos.com. 

 Agent Smith from "The Matrix".

 Kyoshi Warrior from "Avater: The Last Airbender."

 Vintage Doctor Who

 Brother as Steve on a pig from the game "Minecraft".

 Sons with modified Star Troopers.

 Practically the entire cast of "Walking dead" (well, at least the cosplay version!)

More creative Minecraft cosplay.

Wesley from Princess Bride.

 Hubby with Michonne from "The Walking Dead".

No-Face from "Spirited Away". 

 Little Sis found some more Bioshock cosplayers.

 

We found this photo on Lightning Octopus' Facebook page, 

Found this photo on Phoenix Comicon's official Tumblr page. 

All in all, I'm glad we went all out on our cosplay. The entire family had fun wearing it and working it. Thanks to all the fellow geeks who made this weekend memorable. For lots more comicon pics, visit http://pamnken.tumblr.com/.