Dryel and All the Lurex

When it comes to the holidays, I'm not a big fan of wearing red and green and snowflakes and appliqued elves.  Instead, I tend towards shiny holiday dressing.  I mean, if there is any time to wear all the thrifted Lurex you can find, the holidays are it!

And I do plan on wearing all the Lurex this holiday season:

Unfortunately, Lurex is best when it's dry cleaned and dry cleaning can add to the already high cost of the holidays.


That's where Dryel comes in:

As an official Dryel ambassador, I knew immediately that the first things I was going to clean with the Starter Kit were my Lurex pieces to get them ready for the holidays.


I had never used Dryel before, but can I just tell you how easy it is?  The first step was popping all that shiny goodness into the Dryel Fabric Protection bag:

I then added the ULTRAcleansing cloth, set my dryer and et voila, the clothes were done within 30 minutes!  Happily all of the pieces kept their shape and their shine.  And they smelled good too; not overly perfumed, just clean.


Not only is Dryel quicker than a trip to the dry cleaners, it's also less expensive.  The Starter Kit retails for $6.99 and includes an improved Dryel Fabric Protection bag good for up to 30 loads.  Once you've used all the cloths in the starter kit, make sure you keep the bag and get yourself a Refill Kit.  They retail for $8.99 and clean up to 30 garments.

So, as you shop for the holidays, don't forget to look for Dryel in the new, red packaging and add it to your cart.  You can find it most anywhere.


Happy Friday, All!

Gracey



Please Note: As a Dryel Ambassador, I am compensated for my review of their product.  But, as always, all opinions expressed within this blog are mine and mine alone.  And that means that if it were no good, I'd let you know.  Promise.

4th of July Style

July 4th is nearly here, which means many of you have barbecues, picnics, parades, fireworks, lawn darts, croquet and/or home-grown drinking contests coming up in the near future.

Here are a couple outfit ideas for any and all of those events.

4th of July Crop Top

Top & Skirt: eShakti  Sunnies: UO  Tote: Athleta  Converse: Nordstrom

Yes, you heard me right; I am advocating the wearing of a crop top.  In public.  But, hear me out.  Crop tops can definitely be daunting, but eShakti has come up with the most adorable line of crop tops and matching, high-waist skirts.  With this set, you'll show no more than a sliver of tummy while looking cuter than a bug in the proverbial rug.  Pairing the set with Converse, a star tote & retro sunnies keeps it casual but cute.

4th of July Maxi

Dress: Splendid  Sunnies: Nordstrom  Tote: Century 21  Sandals: Seychelles

I know it seems counter-intuitive to wear a maxi in July, but July 4th isn't usually that warm here in Oregon.  And, most 4th of July gatherings tend to go on all day and well into the night with no chance to change clothes.  With a maxi, you can just add a denim jacket or a cardigan for the evening and you'll be set.  And this maxi is patriotic, but not so much so that you can't wear it throughout the rest of the summer.

Also, yes the sunglasses are totally 80s; that's why I chose them.


What about you, Reader Friends?  What will you be wearing this July 4th?

Happy Sunday, All!

Gracey


P.S. To see more patriotic picks for your summer wardrobe, check out my All American board on Pinterest!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, Dearest Reader Friends!  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season.

My holidays were good, but exhausting.  So, I'm going to take a bit of a blogging break this month.  Unfortunately, this means I won't be hosting my Literary Stylings link party next week, but it, and I, should be back in February.

xoxo,

Gracey

Holiday Gift Guide

It's less than two weeks until Christmas, Reader Friends!  Have you done all of your shopping?  Are you not sure what to buy people?  Well, I'm here to help with my handy, dandy holiday gift guide for those hard-to-please people in your life.

1. The Cat Lover

Do you have a friend who has a cat?  Does that cat paint?  Don't you think that friend would like to know why that cat paints what it paints?  Then buy them this:

Image via Amazon - available here

Personally, if I had a painting cat, I'd LOVE to receive this book.

2. The Dog Lover

Do have a friend who has a dog?  Do they think it's little puddum-wuddem face is just the cutest ever?  Then they'll love this:

Image via amazon - available here

No, really, this is a great book.  These dogs are adorable and hilarious.

3. The Misanthropist

Do you have a friend who hates people?  Do they always complain about how so-and-so is dumber than a box of dummies?  Are they harshing your buzz with that talk?  Then try this:

Image  from and  book available at, knockknockstuff.com

It's a journal where your dear, misanthropic friend can rail against all the idiots of the world without bringing you down.

4. The Tree Hugger

Do you have a granola-eating, chicken-raising, Birkenstock-wearing tree hugger of a friend?  Do they sometimes get poked in the eye by branches on the trees they're assaulting hugging?  Then this is perfect:

Via Eve's Little Earthlings Etsy shop

It's a soft, cuddly, truly huggable tree, made from an upcycled sweater, complete with friendly little mushrooms.  And it's frickin' adorable.

5. The Best Friend

Do you  have a best friend?  Did you two have those best friend necklaces in the 90s?  Do you lament it's loss on a daily basis?  Well, here's a replacement necklace with a literary bent:

Via Out of Print Clothing

It's inspired by The Great Gatsby and is perfect for the best friend who now lives on the other side of the country.  Or just across town.

6. The Wine Enthusiast

Do you have a friend whom you adore but can't trust with a glass of red because she's ruined two tablecloths, a rug and three of your shirts?  I think you and that friend would both benefit from these:

Via amazon.com

That's right, it's a wine sippy cup.  So feel free to buy a white tablecloth again.

7.  The Stock Broker

Do you have a guy friend who thinks that storm troopers are actually pretty cool?  Is he a stock broker?  Yeah, I figured as much.  Anyway, I bet he'd love this:

Via Engram Clothing Etsy shop

It's like a stock broker-trooper!  Your friend would totally hang this in his bachelor pad.  Trust.

8.  The Exercise Fanatic

Do you have a friend who is always working out?  Is she always looking for new work outs to try?  Then I'd like to suggest this work out:

Via amazon.com

Don't worry that your friend may not have bike shorts and a mullet.  All she really needs is a large and presumably very, very patient cat.  And, as an added bonus, Catflexing also works as a gift for cat lovers!

If you still have shopping to do, hopefully this list will help you get through the rest.  And if you're already done, these items make great Birthday, Hey, It's Tuesday, and Easter gifts as well.

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

Happy Fourth of July

The Fourth, by Paul Octavious (Image via 20x200)

Happy Fourth of July, All!

Gracey

Merry Christmas!

I wanted to take time this Christmas Eve to wish all of you, Most Dearest Reader Friends, a happy, safe and Merry Christmas.  

As you’re out dashing through the snow to grandma’s house, please be careful.  You don’t want this to be you: 

Not driving?  Riding your horse through the sagebrush instead?  You be careful too:

Note: I have it on good authority that the World Order of Squirrels (WOS) bribed the artist to put in a jackrabbit instead of the squirrel that actually caused this accident.  That’s right, the rabbit was framed!

Also, remember that you don’t have to go out looking for Santa:

If you’ve been good, he’ll show up bearing gifts:

(Unless, of course, he’s been kidnapped by the WOS and then we’re all screwed).

Speaking of gifts, if you receive one of these, you were NOT good:

Image via Abbots Hollow Studios

Seriously, this wallet will eat your face while you’re asleep.  Or, it will open a portal to hell, as happened in the classic 1987 film, The Gate.  Either way, if you receive one of these you should be afraid.  Be very afraid.

Speaking of eating, if you’re planning on having lobster for Christmas dinner, keep an eye on it so that it’s not liberated by a mouse:

Little known fact, in 1872, the mice and lobsters of the world met in Bar Harbor, Maine and signed The Great Rodent-Crustacean Pact, wherein the mice agreed to rescue any lobsters on land and the lobsters agreed to rescue any mice at sea.  That’s why lobster is so expensive; restaurants have to pay for extra guards.  And that's also why you never hear the phrase “drowned mouse,” only “drowned rat,” because the lobsters don’t let the mice drown. True story.

But, that’s enough history for today; it’s Christmas! 

I hope it’s lovely and filled with pink angels and baby animals (yes, even squirrels) for all of you!

Gracey

Green With Envy?

Nope.  I’m just green with poor photography skills.  Unfortunately, I had to take these photos inside and I had to take them myself (the horror!), so the end result is green Gracey in a cute outfit:

Now let’s talk about the cute outfit, shall we?  It looks like pants and a tunic, but it's actually a dress over pants.  See?

The dress is obviously too long to be worn over pants, but I didn’t want to wear it alone as the holiday party I was attending was in a bowling alley.  A nice bowling alley, but still, a bowling alley.  So, I belted the dress with a skinny belt and then pulled it up to hang over the belt, creating a sort of blouson effect.  Et voila, my dress is now a tunic:

In addition to the dress-as-tunic (vintage via Goodwill) and cropped pants (Vince Camuto via Nordstrom), I also wore leopard pumps (Merona “Maye” via Target): 

Merona "Maye" pumps - Image via target.com

I finished off the look with a vintage gold clutch (Goodwill), a couple of vintage bangles (Red Fox Vintage) and my black mini-bubble necklace: 

And there you have it, what I wore for my holiday party.  What about about you Reader Friends?  Are you attending any holiday parties this year?  If so, what are you wearing?!

Happy Friday, Everyone!  Have a wonderful weekend!

Gracey

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is Thanksgiving here in the US.  And, while I know some of you have been up for hours showing off cooking, I wanted to share some helpful hints for a successful Thanksgiving, illustrated with some vintage photos, pictures and postcards, before it gets too late in the day. 

Helpful Hint # 1

As you and your friends and family gather to eat and smoke the after-dinner peace-pipe, wear clothes.  I wore this outfit last Thanksgiving and not only did it make our annual charades game more x-rated than it should have been, I dropped hot ash on the girls.  The girls do not like hot ash.


Helpful Hint # 2

Not sure what to wear now that the loincloth bikini idea has been nixed?  May I suggest a little shine and a face-framing collar?  It's festive, it's seasonally appropriate and it's turkey-approved.


Helpful Hint # 3

Be nice to your turkey.  Is it not enough that you've been eating his kin since you could chew solid foods?  Do you have to enslave him too?

Instead, you should purchase a lovely hat (or some spats, turkeys love spats) for your turkey.  It's just the polite thing to do.


Helpful Hint # 4

When you're nice to turkeys, they're nice to you.  Little known fact, wild turkeys often carve Thanksgiving greetings into pumpkins for those who've treated them well (and bought them spats).


And finally, I just want to wish you all a sunshiny heart and say that I hope your sunshiny heart ripens your Thanksgiving blessings.

See you all Monday!

Gracey

Happy Easter!

Easter, 1979 (?)

For your Easter enjoyment, I have provided a picture from a long ago Easter.  This is me and my older sister, Rosey, on Easter morning in what I think was 1979.  Every Easter we would get a new outfit and an Easter basket.  We would put on the outfits to go hunt for eggs and then root through our baskets unearthing such treasures as Cadbury Creme Eggs, pinwheels, Silly Putty and Babyland paper dolls (shown above).  

In 1979, our Easter outfits consisted of some rather fabulous jumpers.  I love this picture because so many of the things that are true in this photo are true today.  For example, spring weather in Oregon then was similar to what it is now, so we had to layer turtlenecks under our jumpers.  I clearly did not shy away from color, even then.  And yes, my hair has always looked much the same as it does today.  

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter, filled with new outfits and naked-baby paper dolls or at least Cadbury Creme Eggs.

Gracey