Sugarlips

Top: c/o Sugarlips; Jeans: JBrand "Love Story"; Shoes: LC Lauren Conrad for Kohl's; Belt: Target; Earrings: Express; Purse: Francesca's Collections; Initial Necklace: Nordstroms

I am really loving this color blocked top from Sugarlips.  In a way, it has a split personality.  Like me, it doesn't know whether it wants to be modest or sassy, as one side is all business and the other is all party with its peek-a-boo sleeve.  I think my left shoulder might be jealous that it doesn't get to come out and play.  And I love the colors.  The soft grey acts as the perfect anchor for the pops of navy blue and pink.  I paired it with my JBrand "Love Story" jeans and Lauren Conrad platforms.  To define more of a waist, I cinched the top with a skinny belt, and walked out the door with minimal accessories.  I think it is the perfect outfit for a Friday as it will allow easy transition from day to night. 
On another note, I am totally stoked for the weekend!  Tomorrow I get to meet Ashley from The Shine Project and some other AZ bloggers for a community service project.  I am also attending a party educating me on the opera!  I'll make sure to fill you in on all the deets!  Have a fabulous weekend and stay happy!

Meet Victoria Owner of Muse Apparel

My favorite clothing boutique is Muse Apparel.  Located in the central corridor of Phoenix, Arizona, it is filled with contemporary designer fashion and accessories.  Whenever you shop at this local neighborhood boutique, you are met with exceptional and friendly customer service.  There is no intimidation when you walk into the store.  Victoria Lindley, owner of Muse Apparel, has a serious eye for finding unique pieces that are stylish and fun, yet carry  comfortable appeal.  Not only does she have a great eye for style but Victoria has a big heart and cares about her customers and her community.  She was kind enough to sit down with me to answer a few questions.  

When did you open Muse Apparel?

I opened Muse in November of 2005.

What inspired you to open a clothing boutique?

I grew up wanting to own a boutique or design clothing. I studied fashion at The Art Institute of Seattle. Even though I did great in school, it eventually killed my love of fashion. I dropped out and became an Art Major.

How would you describe the style of Muse?

The style I try to convey at Muse is wearable, eclectic contemporary. On trend, but not overly trendy. Our customers often tell me that the clothes they buy at Muse is the stuff they wear all the time. That is a great compliment.

What are some of your favorite brands that you carry?

My favorite Muse brands are Ella Moss, Veronica M, Corey Lynn Calter, Testament, Bailey 44 and Eight Sixty.

Hot must have styles for spring/summer? 

Wedges by Klub Nico and Maxi skirts. I particularly love my Splendid and Bailey 44 basic skirts. They make for a great foundation to show off tops and jewelry. I really like to pair them with a more cropped top. Shorts are an essential spring and summer item. They are especially updated this year with more sophisticated silhouettes.  We have a high waisted lace pair by Corey Lynn Calter I love. Everybody is making shorts for their collections this year. I am seeing them continue into fall 2011 as well. Sanctuary is offering a leather pair.

Any advice you might have to those who aspire to open a clothing boutique of their own one day?

Don't get into retail for the money. I pay myself a modest income but I do allow myself a lot of clothes. That is a huge perk. Open a boutique because you love helping customers and you want to share your vision with the public. It's a lot of fun and I love it, but thinking about my business 24/7 can wear you out. Something always goes wrong when I go on vacation or off to market. Opening a business requires cash too. I happened to have a lot of equity in my house to cover the loan to open and operate Muse.

Any ways you help give back to the community?

We have sales that benefit certain charities. We also sell Santa Rocks T Shirts for SARRC. During the summer we have collected cases of water for the homeless as well. We are always trying to find ways to build our community relations.

Since my blog is titled, "Running on Happiness" what is it that you run on? 

If I were to be running on anything I think it would "Running on gratitude."  All day long I thank God for my challenges and blessings. I love my life!

Muse Apparel is located off of 7th Street and Glendale on the North East corner.  Visit their site for further directions and info!  You can also check them out on Facebook!

Neon and Maxi

Shirt and Skirt: From Muse Apparel; Shoes and Shades: BCBG; Bag: Gucci; Necklace: Frances; Watch: Francesca's Collection

I have been looking for the perfect maxi skirt and came across this one from my favorite local clothing boutique Muse Apparel.  The color is actually a midnight grey, however it comes off slightly more blue in these photographs.  I thought it would be fun to pair the maxi with this neon yellow Splendid tank  for a bold pop of color.  Neon yellow could possibly make one look like a glow stick if worn with the wrong thing.  So, to balance the color out, wear it with a color that is muted and neutral.  Darks work best to contrast the brightness while whites may be too blinding.  I minimized my accessories to just a white watch, a personalized bracelet from my Boo that he bought in Mexico, and a necklace that looks like skittles.  Wearing this outfit and obsessing over this sunshine, I can almost taste the rainbow.

Matthew Williamson Collection

 

Romper: c/o Macys; Shoes: Thrifted; Clutch: Thrifted; Jewelry: Forever21 and Muse Apparel

Matthew Williamson is the latest designer to be featured in the Impulse section at Macys for a limited time in their capsule collection program.  The collection has a 70's bohemian vibe that plays on bright colors and bold prints.  Flirty dresses, fun rompers and playful tops are what you will find shopping this line.  I wish I could say that I was Matthew's muse when he was designing this collection because I feel as though it was made for me!  So, naturally, I was lusting over this starburst print romper.  There are many ways to glam it up (think gold shoes and gold accessories), but I wanted to keep in line with the boho vibe of the collection.  So I threw on my favorite Vince Camuto thrifted platforms that I found for 20 bucks (steal), my thrifted clutch, and chunky gold and wood jewelry.  

My Mister was a doll to take these photos for me at the restaurant and sky lounge, Orange Sky located at the Talking Stick Resort and Casino.  It's on the 18th floor and overlooks Camelback Mountain and killer sunsets.  And to be honest, we threw a $20 into a slot machine on the way out and won $400.  This Matthew Williamson romper may just be my good luck charm!

Cornflake Dreams Crushing on ROH

Today I am featured as Jillian's style crush on Cornflake Dreams!  Umm so flattered over here!  Yes, yes.  Jillian is the cutest.  And so is her blog.  I may have a slight crush on her too.  Click here to read the interview!

Alainn Bella Discount!!!

Maxi Dress: c/o Alainn Bella; Bag: c/o Shop Mamie; Scarf and Earrings: Forever21; Shoes: Antonio Melani; Bracelets:  Urban Outfitters; Necklace: H&M; Rings:Vintage Spoon and Francesca's Collections

I am in love with maxi dresses.  This one from the super stylish online clothing boutique Alainn Bella is perfect for spring and summer.  The soft grey color is neutral enough to go with just about anything and the material is so soft and light weight that I know wearing it won't drag me down as we move into the warmer months.  And the best thing about it!?  It is versatile enough to dress up with heels or wear to the pool or beach over a swim suit.  To break up the maxi length, I wrapped a breezy scarf from Forever21 and tied it at the waist.  I recommend investing in a couple of scarves because there are so many fun ways to wear them!  I also threw on some of my favorite accessories, including my newest obsession, this fringe navajo bag from Shop Mamie.   

So get this: 

Alainn Bella is kindly offering a 15% discount to any of you!  To take advantage of this great discount, just enter the code “happiness15”.  It is good for anything other than sale items!  So click on over there and get shopping!  First thing on your list should be this maxi!  Just sayin'.

Secret Garden

Dress: FreePeople; Jacket: Dillards; Shoes: Old Navy; Socks: Urban Outfitters; Purse: H&M; Necklace and Earrings: Francesca's Collection; Flowers: Hollyhocks

Today when I slipped into this floral lace FreePeople dress, I felt like my own secret garden.  If you think about it, we are all our own secret gardens webbed with infinite treasures.  We spend our youth and adult lives being seeded, watered, weathered, wilted, in hopes to one day blossom into our own individuality and provide the earth with beauty and life.  Every year that passes is simply a chapter to the book we write.  It is so funny because if you can look back on each year, you may be able to pick out a theme.  I have had years where I felt that all I dealt with were struggles.  But struggles nonetheless that taught me huge life lessons.  Then I had years where relationships fell into place and life started to roll out but I was still unsure as to who I was.  I had a year where things I always wanted I now had.  I was reborn then fell away.  Whole then incomplete.  Lost then found.  At the ripe age of 26, I know there is so much more that life has to throw at me, but for the first time ever, I can honestly say, that I have blossomed.  Rather than drifting through life like a wild flower, I now see a clear picture.  I know exactly who I will be, what I will do, and where I am going.

I'm Somewhere Else

I'm not on any vacation like my blogger friend, Steffy, from Steffy's Pros and Cons, who incidentally, I happen to be guest blogging for today!  I know, let's all be jealous for like three seconds that we're not vacationing and she is.  Ok, now that that is out of our systems, you can hop on over to her fabulous style blog and check her out as well as my guest post!  If you have never been to Steffy's blog before, well, I would just like to say, "You're welcome."  Not only does she have this amazing eye for thrifting and putting an outfit together, but she also has an etsy clothing shop called Tea and Tulips, where you can buy the clothes that she wears!  Anyways, go hop like an Easter bunny on over there!  Happy Monday!

6 Things

DIY Brows

Retro-Inspired

Shirt, Shorts Sunglasses and Scarf: Urban Outfitters; Clutch: Thrifted @ Lollypop Vintage; Shoes and Earrings: H&M; Ring: Vintage Spoon

Taking the trend of high-wasisted jeans into spring and summer with high-waisted shorts.  I found these at Urban Outfitters and immediately fell in love with their cool vintage feel.  Today's outfit is retro-inspired as I really wanted to channel the 70's.  There is something about that decade that I am drawn to when it comes to style.  To me, it exudes coolness.  So, I paired the shorts with stripes, platform sandals, a vintage crochet clutch, over-sized granny sunglasses and a colorful tangerine scarf.  Needless to say, I'm kind of happy it is shorts season again.  And I'm happy the weekend is only a couple days away so I can feel as free as this outfit.

I Wish and I'm Thankful

Shirt and Shorts: Urban Outfitters; Shoes: Sam Edelman; Purse: Francescas; Hat: BCBG; Sunglasses: RayBan

"I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a baller, I wish I had a rabbit in a hat..." Remember that one hit wonder by Skeelo back in the 90's?!
I'm thankful I do because that song is AWESOME!!!

I wish I could sing like Carrie Underwood or Kelly Clarkson. Or - maybe I am getting ahead of myself here. I really wish I could just sing. Decently. I've wished for that my entire life. I mean who wouldn't want to be a rockstar!? Minus all the drugs, sex and weird mind control stuff.
I'm thankful for lip-synching, "microphone" hair brushes, and knowing how to perform a really mean air guitar.

I wish popular music today was more substantial. I mean how many songs can people sing about 'making love in the club' and getting 'crunk'?
I'm thankful for K Love.

I wish I could play the piano really well.
I'm thankful for the lessons I took when I was younger and the ability to know how to read music, even if it is at a snail's pace.

And honestly, I'm just thankful for my Hubby running his fingers through my hair as I write this post.

Share your blog with others and link up here with your very own list of "I Wish and I'm Thankfuls!"


Happy day!!