Theme for February 1: Rings!

The theme for February 1 is: RINGS

This theme was suggested to me quite a while back by Kiwi of Assortments... Being a huge lover of finger jewelry, I've really been looking forward to this one! So get photos of your rings, friends' rings, rings you have on your wishlist, or anything inspired by rings! Just be sure to cite your source if borrowing photos or content that are not your own original work!  :)

Be sure to come back on February 1 and submit your post.

How It Works
On the first day of each month, I will post my theme post with the Mr. Linky sign-up form at the bottom. You can link to any post you’ve done that day or previously, as long as it matches the theme. Be sure to add the icon to your post, and link your post to mine using the Mr. Linky box at the bottom.

You can post your theme post earlier than the first of the month, or link to an old post, but you must add it to Mr. Linky on Day 1 of the month. It's a busy time of year, so I will leave the Linky open until 11:59 PM PST on February 3.

You don't have to participate every single month. Feel free to join in whenever you wish. Just be sure you get your post linked before the second day of the month!

Also, let’s keep the posts appropriate for all ages, in terms of both language and imagery. Thanks!! :)

Posts that are linked up without including the icon will be removed from Mr. Linky.

HTML for the icon: (The icon and the HTML will remain the same each month)

<a href="http://www.sophistiquenoir.com/search/label/Monthly%20Themes"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYQ249TqTbcQqDIMNEFn4-i86sH_mCPygLy8joT6s5mRPOVlTNR98J9pLIzKwuhO6z5rTM-DSHBDax9ecdw0DTsO0yZR2PrUlCoOMVpQxHdOACZjKezy3z8A-S8fjktvIPftUD-6eXu4U/s1600/monthly-theme-icon.jpg" border="0"></a>

Please pass this invitation on to any bloggers you know who might be interested, and feel free to share the announcement on your blogs.  Of course, it's a good idea to follow my blog to be sure you don't miss any of the themes.  ;)

Questions? E-mail me!

Want to Suggest a Theme?
Leave a comment on any post at any time, or e-mail me. If I use your suggestion, I will credit you on my theme post for that month and in the theme announcement the week before.  No promises that I will use every suggestion, because the themes have to be things that I would be able to do a post about.

Want to participate in the Monthly Theme? Here's how:

1. Add the Monthly Theme icon to your blog post (copy the code below and paste into your post using the Edit HTML feature):
   
   <a href="http://www.sophistiquenoir.com/search/label/Monthly%20Themes"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYQ249TqTbcQqDIMNEFn4-i86sH_mCPygLy8joT6s5mRPOVlTNR98J9pLIzKwuhO6z5rTM-DSHBDax9ecdw0DTsO0yZR2PrUlCoOMVpQxHdOACZjKezy3z8A-S8fjktvIPftUD-6eXu4U/s1600/monthly-theme-icon.jpg" border="0"></a>
   
2. Paste the URL to your post using the Mister Linky box at the bottom of my August 1 post.
   Please use a direct link to your relevant post, NOT a link to your blog’s home page.
3. Visit all of the other participants who have entered, and show them you appreciate their theme posts!

Surprisingly Purple

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Sometimes I think I’m going to run out of interesting outfits to post, you guys will get bored and then no one will read my blog any more. Seriously, when you wear all black, it gets difficult to come up with unique ideas regularly. When choosing my latest club outfit, I was having a rough time because I wanted to do something I’d never done before. So I wore all purple.

I paired one of my silk blouses from Bebe that I’ve shown you before with the purple version of my Speigle Daytime Satin skirt, and topped it off with a stunning purple panel corset from Timeless Trends (also seen on this blog before). I think I successfully demonstrated how the same pieces can be remixed to create drastically different looks. This corset is quickly becoming one of my favorites, as it is incredibly comfortable and so well made!

And I sure stood out at the club. Unfortunately, thanks to all the red lights, no one could tell that I was wearing all purple. But they definitely could tell “it wasn’t black.”

This particular night of dancing was my conclusion to Le Professeur Gothique’s second challenge for Bat Fit 2012, which was to dance a little bit every day! I haven’t been blogging regularly about my participation in her BatFit challenges, but I assure you I am there every step of the way. Everyone can stand to be a little bit healthier. Exercise makes me feel more energetic and gives me a good excuse to eat more! Not to mention it helps me continue to fit in my extensive wardrobe and will help me age without getting old. Seriously, all those people who walk around at 30 saying they feel “old”…? They just need to do some dancing to VNV and it will be all better. At 38, I still feel like I’m 20. That’s exercise for you! Start now, no matter what age you currently are.  You will be glad!

Do you ever wear mostly non-black outfits to Goth events? If so, is it an attempt to stand out amongst the crowd or just to satisfy a personal need for variety?

Goodbye, Stretch Lace

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I adore this cute little top, with its hook and eye front closure, ruching on every seam and cute cap sleeves. But it’s made from that dreaded, cheap stretch lace I am constantly complaining about. As usually, it has developed little teeny tiny elastic threads sticking out at every seam. Zillions of them. I tried trimming them away at first, but they rapidly returned and even multiplied. So today is this top’s farewell performance. I just had to wear it one more time so I could take pictures, where you can’t see those nasty little guys waving around obnoxiously…  It really was the perfect top, in terms of design.  Such a shame about the cheap materials.

The tiered mesh skirt is from Macy’s (you remember it, I’m sure, because I've already worn it here so many times...). I wore this with a silk chiffon scarf tied in an interesting way; something I learned over at 37 Ways to Tie a Scarf.  The cross pendant was a gift from Mr. Kitty.

What is your favorite way to tie a scarf?

Monthly Homework Assignment for January: Ice, Frost and Snow

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Le Professeur’s Monthly Homework Assignment for January was to create a post inspired by ice, frost and/or snow. Several ideas rushed into my head for frosty outfits, but in the end I chose to go with ice. We don’t get a lot of snow or frost in Southern California, but there was once a time when Hollywood loved to sparkle like ice. As you have probably noticed, I love to pay tribute to that era whenever I can.

This whole outfit is built around the fabulous necklace, a Christmas gift from my friend Jennifer. The dangling rhinestone reminded me of icicles. Thank you, Jennifer, for giving me a timely piece of inspiration!

Of course, once I had my heart set on wearing rhinestones, I went all out. I haven’t glued things to my forehead in years, and I found I kinda missed it. :) I even swapped out my usual hoop earrings for something much fancier. My eyeshadow is a shimmery white from Ben Nye's Lumiere luxe powder collection (plus my usual Ben Nye black pressed shadow in the crease).

The metallic mesh purse is from a random mall store. It was the perfect companion for all of my icy sparkle, and a little frosty in its own right.

Now, head on over to Le Professeur Gothique and check out the other Ice, Frost and Snow-inspired posts!

Shape FX, FTW!

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Newport News (actually their parent company, Spiegel) has a line called Shape FX that is designed to “make the body you have look like the body you want.” In a way that tagline says it all, but even if you already have the body you want these styles are designed to complement the female form just beautifully. Most of the pieces come with a built in power-mesh lining, making them a bit pricier, but they are well worth it. I buy these just for the amazing curve-flattering fit and classy, timeless styles.

This dress is one of my all-time favorites from the Shape FX line. Just the right amount of ruching down both sides, a very flattering sleeve length and that amazing neckline… I usually pair this with my Avon pendant and the flesh-tone fishnets from Hue. Oh, and in the close-up above, you can see the coveted magnetic nail polish in action! I had to order this stuff through Amazon because I couldn’t find it anywhere locally. I totally love it, but at $15 per bottle I probably won’t be stocking up on many colors!!

One of the best features of the Shape FX site is that you can search the collection by body type. So, if you are self-conscious about a particular area, the site will recommend styles designed to eliminate the negative and accentuate the positive. :) They carry everything from semi-casual pieces to dinner dresses to career wear. I’m dying to try out the slacks, but pants are always such a weird fit on me that I hesitate to buy them online.

Is there a particular brand or line of clothing that makes you “feel” better than others? Please share!

Another Purple Silk Bebe Blouse

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This is the third in my collection of four silk blouses from Bebe. You’ve seen my black one and my bright purple one. This one is in a soft, dark wine purple with fabulous ruffle down the front. This is the one I mentioned before that is NO fun to iron. Those ruffles just won’t behave, and I usually end up ironing more wrinkles into them before I finally get them all ironed out.

These silk blouses were all from the sale rack about two years ago. I think they were 60% off, and they had dozens of them on the racks! For some strange reason, the average trendy Bebe shopper just didn’t go for them, so Bebe had to unload them on me cheap. Lucky for me!

Check out the feather hair sticks from Claire’s (years ago) that are a perfect color match for this top!

The fourth and final blouse from this haul is a sheer magenta chiffon, so I’ll be saving that one for next spring. :)

What is your absolute best sale or thrift deal ever (that you can recall)?

Military-Inspired Cardigan Thingie

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Yes, sometimes post titles are terrible difficult to come up with. :) But at least it accurately describes what I am wearing. I also have a somewhat similar blazer that I’ve worn before but this piece is a lot more casual. The cardigan is meant to be worn open in the front but it looks unfinished like that, so I just pinned it at the bottom. I would like to add a chain across the bottom so it’s open about an inch or so. I’ll put that on my long list of projects for “someday.”

I think the cardi works well with this magenta strapless top with side ruching (I’ve worn the top before). The contrast between the military-esque buttons and collar with the bright pink is kinda fun.

My love of certain military-inspired clothing is strictly an aesthetic thing. I like the vintage look it can lend to an outfit, and looking “sharp” is sometimes an interesting contrast my usual style, which is decidedly more romantic.

Do you prefer sharp and crisp styles, or soft and flowing romantic looks?