Simply Crazy for Simply-Bags

There are few fashion-y things more satisfying than a great bag. It travels with you everywhere and carries all your most important things. If it makes its own fashion statement along the way, that a bonus. :)

This uber awesome Plaid Lunch Duffle Bag was sent to me by the owner of simply-bags, a fabulous company that specializes in personalized tote bags in a myriad of lovely and practical designs.

One of the neat things about my new personalized plaid duffle is that it's insulated to keep food either warm or cool, depending on its temperature. And it's cute! The "Burberry" plaid and my monogrammed initials sure make this more stylish than nearly any other food "cooler" out there. :) Not to mention that it can be used in so many different ways. The duffel is the perfect size in which to put a bunch of my important items, allowing me to carry just one bag, and free up my hands a bit. Last night, when going to vocal rehearsal, I put my whole purse inside, a water bottle, my iPod, some important papers... and there was still room for more! How much more practical and efficient can you get? :)

After browsing simply-bags.com I became even more excited about their products - which are very reasonably priced. I'm going to share a couple of favorites, but I suggest you check them all out!

 

For starters, this is one gorgeous carpet bag! I don't know about you, but bags like these aways make me think of Anne of Green Gables or Mary Poppins. ;) They are still a favorite with travelers today and make a great carry-on for a flight. Both of the these bags evoke the romance of days gone by and make me want to take a trip to some ethereal destination...

 

This lunch tote is very cool. Not only is it  lovely design and a great size, but it has a neat, zippered compartment for storing beverages, fruit, or whatever comes to mind. Pretty clever! The messenger laptop tote is also stylish and practical (and a style I personally recommend - my dad got me a laptop messenger bag last year and I've used countless times).

 

There's nothing like some great travel fashion bags! This first one is extra long but folds to half the size - with two nice carrying handles. I love the black and white print - so classic and chic. The little cosmetic bag makes a great bridesmaid gift... in fact, simply-bags has lots of customizable bridal party items. Definitely a lot of fun!

 

Dance forms have a very special place in my heart and the artist Degas' depictions of ballet are just perfect. This gorgeous tote is the perfect gift for a dancer or a fan - so lovely! And I just adore collectible items -  anything to do with "Lucy" just takes the cake! This second bag features some of the most memorable scenes (and expressions!) from the classic television show I Love Lucy. Laughter is good medicine... and this bag makes me smile. :)

Do you have a favorite bag, a special style or design that fits your needs and personality the best? Tell me about it! For myself, I am looking forward to some adventures with my new "Burberry-ish" bag... so European. ;)

Have a blessed, fashiony day!

Romantic Gowns from Elizabeth Dye

Pretty much any girl on the planet just loves a gorgeous dress. Whether it's retro style with a full, flouncy hemline or long, wispy and ethereal, an amazing gown captures the imagination and makes turns you into a princess. It makes us feel beautiful, feminine and on top of the world. And that's a very nice feeling. :)

On no other day is that amazing dress and the wonderful feeling it gives you more important than at your wedding. Today I'm going to be showing a few of the gowns from the wonderfully talented Elizabeth Dye's gorgeous Spring 2010 wedding collection, and using them for fashion inspiration (I'll be sharing more on this fabulous designer later).

Total icing on the cake... The collection is called Heroines and each design's name references a favorite literary lady. How amazing it that? ;)

 

This collection appears to be all about simplicity and subtlety, two things that are so important in fashion. So often clothing (especially from high end designers) is overdone, chaotic and distracting. I believe that the dress should be a palette for the woman wearing it, not the other way around. We are not mannequins!

These two designs (Eventide and Storyville) showcase true subtlety and real beauty. Each design is so simple, made from ivory silk shantung and enhanced with chiffon to create a fabric blossom. This allows the superb craftsmanship to stand out. When a gown is so very simple, the work must be perfect. These ones are.

 

A shorter dress can be just as lovely and romantic as a full length one, and more suited to less formal events. I love how old-fashioned and yet up-to-date these two designs are (Oysters and Pearls and Ghost). The former has a beautifully decorated bodice, made up of tiny chiffon ruffles, high quality lace and pearls. The wide ribbon cinches pulls the full skirt and bodice pieces together beautifully and adds a "party" touch.

The later gown has cascading layers of English tulle, which creates a wonderful uneven hemline. The bodice is pleated and tucked and accented just below the bust by a piece of flowery trim. The shoulder straps on both dresses are so pretty - just pleated pieces of fabric. This is a great way to add straps to a sleeveless design.

 

This first gown (Honeychurch) has to be my favorite in the collection - it's so sleek and flattering. The ruching over the bust enhances the sweetheart neckline and the skirt is made up of lovely, sheer layers. The lace attached to the shoulder straps and the gorgeous buckle at the ribbon-sash waistline add the perfect touches.

Although I am usually not a fan of lace dresses, this sweet little number (Beatrix) really gets it right. The tulle has lovely little flowers sprinkled all over it. At the bodice, they are embroidered with gold thread and accented with pearls. The teeny-tiny straps finish the dress off and the chiffon flower is a fabulous accessory. Amazing how simple and yet stunning a dress can be.

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Elizabeth Dye runs a lovely blog (featuring photos of many of her brides) as well as a boutique in Portland, Oregon called the The English Dept. You can purchase some of her gorgeous designs in her Etsy shop. Be sure to check it out!

I don't know about you, but I would wear any of these dresses (with a few modifications ;) for any occasion. There are events throughout each year that warrant a pretty dress - these fashions deserve to be worn more than just once for a wedding! How about Valentine's day? It's coming up! (Is anyone planning on buying or making something special for that holiday? I would love to hear your plans!)


P.S. Just as the usual disclaimer... I know that the gowns featured in this post do not meet most people's standards of modesty. However, I believe they serve as some lovely inspiration and can provide us lots of ideas we can apply to purchasing or creating our own modest wardrobes. :)

Just a few things...

You may remember Rebecca from when she was voted one of the best of Maid Marian's Wardrobe Event. She runs a wonderful fashiony and sewing blog and has recently announced that she will be having a new event...

Be sure to click the button and get all the details! Rebecca has asked me to be a judge for the event and I am really looking forward to it...

I also added a widget in right-hand the sidebar (just below the subscription info) with my fave fashiony picks from Amazon.com. It's another way you can shop some great fashion while supporting the blog - take a look! :)

Lastly, there is a new Haiti banner up top. You can click it and make a donation through Compassion International, a Christian charity I support. Just because the shock of the tragic event may have worn off for some of us, it has not done so for the people of Haiti. They will need our long-term giving and support, as well as our prayers. Prayer is truly the most powerful thing we can do.

Thanks for reading the updates! Have a blessed weekend... :)

Cold Weather Accessories: Part 4 - Legwear

{By Amy Elizabeth}

Winter is half over! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading the Cold Weather Accessories series as much as I’ve enjoyed writing for it! For this last legwear article, I wanted to include information that will take you into Spring.

First of all, let’s discuss leggings. Mid-calf length leggings are out – they stop right at the widest part of your leg, so longer ankle length is better. In warmer weather, pick cropped leggings that fall right below the knee for a more flattering look.

 

Leggings with interesting details, like shirring or studs, are fun and practical. The solid colors work well with your wardrobe, and the fabric manipulation adds interest.

 

Bright opaque tights are always a great choice. Some newer trends for the Spring season include bright, abstract painterly prints and florals. Look for colors that compliment your wardrobe, and pair with a solid skirt or dress.

  

Another popular trend are the weightless and romantic laces. Black lace is still classic, while soft whites are a fun, modern twist. Look for lace tights that are delicate and fine – open, fishnet styles can easily look trashy. Pair with a print dress or a full, gathered skirt.

  

Most importantly, have fun with your legwear! Don’t be afraid to experiment! As the Winter season comes to an end, a lot of stores will be clearing out their tights, so keep an eye out for deals!
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Amy Elizabeth is currently studying fashion design in Illinois, with a special interest in Bridal and historical costuming.  Her style changes depending on her mood, but vintage-bohemian-romance kind of gives you an idea of her favourite look!  Accessories are her specialty!



Image Credits: Foottraffic.com / KateSpade.com / Accessorize.co.uk / Piperlime.com / Gap.com

Coming March 28 - April 3: Secondhand Fashion Week

I don't know about you, but I think it's about time that we had a new online event up and running at AmandaBeth! I've held off on posting this for a while because I didn't know what my schedule was going to be for the next few months, but I think it's finally safe to announce... Secondhand Fashion Week!!!

What is this event all about?

The purpose behind this event is to celebrate frugal fashionistas and their awesome creativity. In the whole fashion world there is this mindset that in order to be really fashionable, we need to pick up high end pieces, brand new, and spend a fortune on our wardrobes so that we can somehow be accepted as a fashionista. I don't know about you, ladies, but I'm not buying into it. In fact, I can't afford to buy into it. I believe that God has commissioned us to be good stewards of what he has given us and breaking our budget (especially in shopping for something as frivolous as clothes ;) is not a good thing.

Over the years, I have collected a whole lot of clothes secondhand; either by shopping my favorite thrift stores or by receiving cast offs and hand-me-downs. Some people might have a problem with wearing an item that had formerly belonged to someone else, but I say that if it looks good on you, don't worry about who wore it beforehand. If you can take secondhand pieces and reinvent them to make them your own, you are a true fashionista. :)

How do I participate?

The format of this event will be very similar to Summer Fashion Week and Maid Marian's Wardrobe. From March 28 - April 3, the goal is to dig through our closets for the awesome secondhand pieces and wear a series of outfits throughout the week based around those items. (Of course, not everything you wear has to be secondhand  - for example, I have like all of one pair of used shoes :P -  but the main statement pieces in your ensemble, or what everything else is based around, should be something that was purchased or given secondhand.)

Take pictures of your outfits and post them to your blog each day of the event. (You can also shoot outfits in advance if that fits your schedule the best.) You may include other family members who are participating in the challenge. Be sure to include the brand names of what you are wearing and where/how you got the different pieces.

Each day of the week, there will be a post featuring what I am wearing and a box in which you can include the link of your secondhand fashion blog post for the day. I don't think I'm going to create a Flickr album for this event (unless you all overwhelmingly want one) - I prefer to keep it to the blog posts. (P.S. If you don't have a blog, it is super easy to set one up and post pictures using Blogger.com - give it a try! :)

As well as participating in the secondhand fashion photos challenge, I would love to see any other sorts of frugal fashion related blog posts. Especially awesome would be DIY (do it yourself) REfashioned projects, in which you take an item and remake or revamp it. I will have a separate box in which you can post any links that fit into this category.

Of course, I will also try to include some fun giveaways over the week long event. If anyone would like some publicity for their home business/Etsy shop or cetera by donating an item for the giveaway, please email me at amandabethboutique{at}gmail.com - I'd love to work in publicizing your business through the event in exchange for an item!

Also, if any business/shop/site/et cetera is interested in becoming a paid sponsor for the event, they can contact me - amandabethboutique{at}gmail.com . For a flat fee, your business/site banner can be displayed and promoted throughout the week as an official sponsor. Any way that I can give you some publicity, I'll try my best to do it! :)

Last thoughts...

Walking hand in hand with all of this is our desire to be modest as well as fashionable. I'm not going to  set a strict rule or standard for what you should or should not wear, but just keep modesty and class in mind throughout the event and we should turn out all right. :) Of course, I reserve the right to refuse any submissions to the event if I feel that they do not meet the standards of this site.

At the end of the week, I and a small panel of judges will select a number of finalists for the event, choosing those that we thought were the most creative and stylish secondhand fashionistas. Then, for one week, a poll will go up so that you all can vote for your favorite! If we receiving a fair amount of other frugal fashion or DIY related posts, we may also vote for a "best of" in that category.

If you plan on participating in the event, please consider saving one of the banners in this post to your computer and then uploading it to your blog with a link to http://amandabethonline.blogspot.com . Thanks! I appreciate it. :)

Any thoughts, questions or concerns? Please leave a comment and I will try to address them! As always, there are usually some bugs to work out in the early stages, but I try and keep things as simple as possible. Should be fun! :)

US Figure Skating Championships - Fashion Recap (Part 2)

Sasha Cohen may not have been able to deliver when the time was right, but she definitely put on an interesting show on Saturday evening. Although her program had some major flaws, she never once looked as though she had lost control; in fact, she smiled at the audience and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself and the moment. It was a beautiful thing to see and I applaud her brave comeback. Although she might not have made it where she wanted to go, she certainly didn't disappoint.

 

While Sasha only finished fourth in the competition, she totally won a gold medal when it came to the fashion department. I was so thrilled to see a beautiful and classy dress after the short program design failed to impress me. First of all, the fabric choices are perfect - the shades of grey/blue suit her better than anything else. The ruched bandeau top is set off by a sparkly rhinestone "brooch" and the cut-outs around the neck and wrists are similarly accented.

I think that this design would make a gorgeous full-length evening gown. Isn't it just lovely?

The rest of the ladies competition was rather lacking in pretty fashion, although Alissa Czisny and Caroline Zhang had a couple of show stoppers. Unfortunately neither of them could rally in the free skate and they finished 10th and 11th, respectively.

Meryl Davis and Charlie White nailed their entire competition and came away with the gold medal for the second year in a row. They are such an adorable couple and perform with lots of energy and passion - so fun to watch! Their free dance was set to selections from The Phantom of the Opera and their costumes reflected it perfectly. Charlie is wearing an off-white ruffled poet's shirt and Meryl's dress looks like it is clearly inspired by a gown from the 2005 film adaptation of the musical.

 

The lace overlayed bodice is ruched, ruffled and set with an oval brooch. The middle part of the dress is made from a maroon velvet/velour fabric and has a beautiful center "stomacher" design created with rhinestones. The back of the bodice has dramatic dark lacing. The skirt of the dress appears to be made from a few layers of chiffon. (I love the longer skirts they wear in Ice Dancing! :)

Runners up in the best dressed department were Madison Chock and Greg Zuerlein. They performed a beautiful waltz and their outfits looked like something out of a costume drama. Greg is wearing a gold shirt and vest with a dark blue, beautifully embellished coat. Madison's dress is a gorgeous purple color and the bodice is wonderfully beaded all over with flowers and accented with dark ribbons and ruffled lace. Such a lovely design!

 

Meryl and Charlie also carried off the award in the Original Dance competition, wearing fun and gorgeous costumes in their Bollywood inspired number. Meryl's dress - like traditional Indian costumes - is two separate pieces (although bare skin is almost always covered with nude colored fabric in figure skating) but I absolutely adore the fabric, colors and all of the embellishments. Gorgeous details! Charlie's tunic has some equally amazing beading around the neckline and front.

Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto's Moldavian Folk Dance costumes were also very charming, made in snow white and accented with lots of black, gold and red. Ben's costume is trimmed with wide, dramatic braid and Tanith's dress is embroidered with lots of pretty flowers, braid and ruffled lace. I just love the boots! Too cool. :)

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To sum up, it was a very exciting championship over all and it looks like there will be a strong Team USA heading into the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. I'm certainly looking forward to it...

There's just one last thing I just want to reiterate here (because of a comment I received). Once again, I am commentating on the figure skating fashion because I love the sport and I believe we can get fun, fashiony ideas from it. I am not holding these designs up as modest "what you should wear" material, but I believe that truly beautiful looks and details can give us inspiration on how to include some new or pretty things into our own wardrobes. While this blog does focus on modest fashion, not everything shown is explicitly so. I hope that makes sense. :)

How was everyone's weekend? Thanks to everyone who prayed for me. I am still fighting some sickness, but I think it's going to surrender soon... ;)


Images: Passport to Gold / Zimbio / Icenetwork.com