this week's clicks.

get your week off to a colorful start...
SWOON.

Anna Delores via Found Vintage Rentals

• HGTV's 2018 Dream Home in the Pacific Northwest.
• Useful decluttering tips and a pretty home tour from SMP.
• A gorgeous Chinoiserie-inspired botanical bridal session.
• A Santa Barbara wedding with a sumptuous palette.

SMILE.

• Have you found your art history twin yet? Here's mine.
• Disney princess outfits inspired by their premiere dates.
• This story about a family's DNA testing is so interesting.
• Seventy alternatives to your tired "xoxo" email signoff.

FLASHBACK.

• 2017: dance-inspired athleisure.
• 2016: a goal-setting moodboard, fave streaming shows, and entertainment picks.
• 2015: Top 3's, cranberry wardrobe updates and black, white, and blush inspiration.
• 2014: favorite Instagrammers.
• 2013: January blog loves.

What's coloring your life this week? Share your favorites or link to 
your most recent blog, Instagram, or Tumblr post in the comments!

clicks of note: like tide to the shore...

get your week off to a colorful start...
LISTEN.

• I've been a fan of duo Johnnyswim for a while, and I love this epic love song.

SWOON.

Gaby J. Photography

• A romantic winery elopement from Gaby J Photography.
• Love this copper watercolor moodboard from One Fab Day.
• The loveliest rustic brunch wedding from Snippet + Ink.
• From SMP, a sweet red bohemian wedding in Kentucky.

SMILE.

• From Domino, Halloween movie and cocktail pairings.
• Hoodies for bad hombres and nasty women (Swiss Miss).
• Clever couples costume ideas from HerCampus and S+I.
• It's fall so I'm going crazy for squash recipes on Pinterest.

FLASHBACK.

• 2015: Movie-themed Literary Junkies, favorite TV Halloween episodes.
• 2014: My fall in Instagram.
• 2013: Gray wardrobe picks, an HP fan link-up, and my Effie Trinket costume.
• 2012: Cobalt and black fall wardrobe inspiration.

8 Women's Halloween Costumes That Don't Suck (With Upgrades)

women's halloween costumes usually suck...

Most geek girls reach the realization at some point between eighth grade and freshman year of college that Halloween costume options for women, in general, suck. As Mean Girls so cleverly pointed out, we're expected to put on a black leotard and a set of ears and be a "Sexy Cat," "Sexy Rabbit," or, of course, a Sexy Mouse. Don't even get me started on the Sexy Bumblebees. Every year, io9 rounds up the weirdest "Sexy" store-bought costumes of the year, and this year's round-up was juat as depressing as ever. For those of you still looking for an appropriately geeky, cute, and non-naked Halloween costume, I've got a few suggestions.

fairytale costumes

Whether you're in the mood to play the role of a fairytale princess or a villain, it's hard to find a truly beautiful costume in the sea of tiny tutus that usually represent women's fairy tale costumes. Of all places, Wal-Mart has one of the cutest fairytale costumes with this movie-inspired tea length Cinderella dress. At Spirit Halloween, which always pops up in a strip mall around here, there's a cool Queen of Hearts dress - it's the ruff that I'm really loving.

Perfect upgrades: Since butterflies were a huge motif in the live action Cinderella, a crown like this one from Delfina Crowns shown on @twintresses would be the perfect touch. For the Queen of Hearts, I'm obsessed with this DIY card ruff from The Joy of Fashion.

retro costumes

It seems like I consider a flapper costume every year - I love Chicago and The Great Gatsby, and while there are definitely some cheapo sequin monstrosities out there, there are always at least a few dresses that look like something a lady could actually do the Charleston in. I like this tiered lace and fringe flapper dress from Party City. Last year, I was Agent Peggy Carter for Halloween, and absolutely fell in love with 1940's makeup and hairstyles - this sailor dress from Buy Costumes looks like it could be a great modest option for vintage style lovers with a cami underneath that plunging neckline.

Upgrades: Learn to dance like Daisy Buchanan...

... or style your hair in victory rolls (this is my personal favorite tutorial!).

slightly spooky costumes

This spiderweb poncho from Spirit Halloween is adorable and would also be a really easy costume paired with a tank top and leggings - or, paired with a leotard and tights, you could totally go all-out Edwardian burlesque performer (it's a thing!). I also like this "Victorian Steampunk Lady" costume because it's really versatile - add some purple streaks to your hair and a pocket watch and it would be a great Miss Peregrine outfit, or throw on a cool witch hat and a faux-emerald choker for Zelena from Once Upon a Time.

Upgrades:

pop culture costumes.

As a huge Orange is the New Black fan, I think Alex Vause is a genius costume idea - the black glasses completely get the point across and the jumpsuit from Spirit Halloween would be a really comfy option! I also love this badass Wonder Woman costume from Buy Costumes- have you seen the trailer for the movie yet? It looks like it's going to be awesome.

Upgrades:

To go all out as Alex, Etsy is packed with sellers offering beautiful temporary tattoos, like these roses from TattooNBeyond. Wonder Woman's shield is only $10 at Target - (trick or) treat yo self!

What are your plans for Halloween?

this week's clicks.

get your week off to a colorful start...
LISTEN.

• It is a truth universally acknowledged that Thomas Rhett and his wife Lauren are one of the cutest couples in country music. I love this song that he wrote after their wedding.

SWOON.

Gaby J Photograpghy via Style Me Pretty

• SMP features a must-see whimsical blue and gold wedding.
• Farmhouse style fall dining room inspiration from Dear Lillie.
• Can't wait to try Lucy's apple cake recipe (hers is so gorgeous!)
• In love with this Secret Garden-inspired Georgia wedding.

SMILE.

• Desktops: Teaching Is My Superpower, Smashing, Sarah Hearts.
• Studio DIY's costume shop includes their perfect dresses.
• These funny misfortune cookies are so cute for Halloween!
• Pinning all the autumn inspiration and pumpkin recipes.

FLASHBACK.

• 2015: ways to learn something new in your hometown, favorite fictional teachers.
• 2014: favorite marsala wardrobe picks and a fall and winter bucket list.
• 2013: costumes for groups, Gatsby-inspired getups, and an A to Z book survey.
• 2012: navy and orange wardrobe ideas, inspiration for a rustic navy wedding, wedding cake pop ideas, photos from High Point Furniture Market as well as a what-to-wear guide, and a musical alphabet.
• 2011: fall centerpiece ideas, photos from my first trip to High Point, and my recipe for crock pot baked apples.

Halloween Recap: Our Adventures as Cap and Peggy...

Even before it came time to make plans for this year's Halloween celebration, I knew exactly who I wanted to dress up as this year: my favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe character, SSR Agent Peggy Carter. Peggy is a fair-skinned brunette, which makes things a little easier for me, but more importantly, she is a total action hero. Since I'm a nerd, my Halloween costumes have been verging more and more into the realm of cosplay over the past few years as my quest for accuracy gets a little bit out of control. Today, I wanted to share my Peggy Carter costume with you, because I really loved how everything turned out and had a blast celebrating Halloween with my friends as Agent Carter.

This is the movie still I used most of all for hair and makeup reference. While  Googling "Peggy Carter makeup," I found out that Hayley Atwell has shared Peggy's exact lipstick and nail polish on Twitter. I couldn't resist picking up OPI nail polish in "Cinnamon Sweet" even though I don't usually wear red makeup. I was a little more hesitant about the red lipstick - I wasn't sure I could pull it off, and the real deal (Besame's "Red Velvet") is definitely more expensive than my usual drugstore picks. Then I discovered something really cool: Besame makes lipstick matchbooks! They're less of a shot to the wallet and seemed like a great way to try a color before investing in the full-sized version, plus the little matchbook is adorable.

I tried on the lipstick a few times before Halloween and was surprised that it didn't look totally crazy on me. I didn't do a lot of other makeup - just a little more powder than usual and a hint of blush to mimic Hayley's porcelain complexion, and a dash of Falsies mascara. I used Cosplay Complexion's hair tutorial on YouTube to achieve the 1940's pulled-back look (combs are kind of amazing, especially when paired with Freeze It hairspray) and victory roll (the secret, I found, is to use a lot more hair for the bangs than you think you'll need!).

Accurate, movie-style Peggy Carter costumes are quite expensive, but I found a decent olive green uniform - the "Wartime Officer" costume made by a company called Smiffy's and available from Amazon. It had some patches sewn on that I was afraid to attempt removing but could probably be done with a seam ripper, a mock collar and bowtie that I pinned to look a little more like Peggy's necktie, and real buttons rather than velcro. I snagged a couple of my school's gold eagle reward pins (our mascot) to stand in as SSR lapel pins for the weekend (one of the perks of being a coach, I suppose).

I was thrilled to find brown t-strap shoes with a kitten heel at Peeble's (they are Aerosoles), and I also decided that I needed a toy gun, primarily just so I could recreate my favorite action pose from Captain America: The First Avenger. Do you know how hard it is to find a toy gun these days that isn't a ridiculous color or shape? Thanks, Dollar General, for keepin' it real.

I also have this personal belief that Peggy Carter could lift Mjolnir, but that's just me. I originally ordered the costume in a size large and it was very oversized in the shoulders and arms. The medium was a bit snug but much more flattering overall - if I wear it again I will probably take the time to hem the sleeves. For a 100% polyester suit, it seemed quite well made and I'm tempted to incorporate the skirt into my fall wardrobe.

Since I was Peggy, Mr. Q pretty much had no choice but to be Captain America, a.k.a. Steve Rogers, for Halloween - honestly, it didn't take much convincing, especially when his work buddy decided to be Hawkeye...

Which led to this ridiculous(ly awesome) photoshoot in their warehouse. Your tax dollars at work, America. We ended up going to two Halloween celebrations, so I decided to try a different spin on Peggy's uniform on Saturday night. I paired the jacket with a brown a-line skirt that I already owned, and ended up preferring that look to the olive pencil skirt that came with the costume.

Josh went for a Halloween bike ride that I think will become a neighborhood tradition - it's no motorcycle, but with Captain America's shield on his back I thought he looked pretty cool (and so did a lot of small children who were out trick-or-treating). One of the highlights of the night was a friend asking who I was supposed to be and his friend saying, "Did you not see the Captain America running around? She's Agent Carter! She has her own show and everything!" Even if people didn't always recognize my costume, I knew my value ;)

My last pose request of the night was recreating the famous WWII kiss in Time's Square - and I have to say, I like it a lot better with Steve and Peggy! I hope that you all had a great Halloween and enjoyed this peek at our shenanigans.

5 Fandom Friday: Halloween Costume Ideas I Love

5 Fandom Friday is a weekly prompt challenge hosted by The Nerdy Girlie and Super Space Chick. This week's #5FandomFriday topic is Halloween Costumes I Want to Wear! You can see the upcoming prompts here at the Female Geek Bloggers community.

5. Lt. Uhura - I love J.J. Abrams' take on Star Trek and I love Zoe Saldana.  Trek costumes are fairly easy to find at the big costume shops that pop up in empty strip malls this time of year, and I can totally rock go-go boots and a high ponytail.

4. "Toxic" video characters - Alias was my favorite show in high school and started my obsession with characters who are spies. Then Britney Spears' video for "Toxic" came out and converted me into a Britney van because I was pretty sure it was an Alias tribute. Every single costume in that video is awesome, although I'm pretty sure my version would be more conservative.

3. Daisy Buchanan - I did a post about creating a 1920's flapper costume a few years ago and still love the idea. I will definitely be Daisy for Halloween one of these days, and I'd love to throw a speakeasy-themed Halloween party.

2. A Sanderson Sister - The villains of the best Halloween movie of all time would make great costume inspiration for three girl friends (I'm pretty sure I could talk Breeze and my SIL into doing this with me), and witch hats and black, red, and blonde wigs are easy to come by.

1. Peggy Carter - I can't wait for next weekend because I'm dressing up as my favorite Marvel character (and Dubsmash queen), SSR Agent Peggy Carter! She's a literal boss and she knows her value. Until then, I'll be listening to the Andrews Sisters and watching victory roll hairstyle tutorials on YouTube.

clicks of note: you can read me anything...

get your week off to a colorful start...
LISTEN.

• This week I'm loving Irish singer-songwriter Gavin James' beautiful song "The Book of Love" - definitely the most romantic thing I've heard in a while. I'm linking up with Musical Mondays at My So-Called Chaos.

SWOON.

Michele Hart Photography via Elizabeth Anne Designs

• At EAD, perfect English garden wedding inspiration.
• A sweet military wedding from Heart Love Always.
• At Snippet and Ink, a lovely North Carolina wedding.
• SMP features a romantic Keswick Vineyards affair.

SMILE.

• Desktops from Card Store + A Fabulous Fete.
• Have you entered Food Lion's pumpkin contest?
• Buzzfeed and Camille Styles' group costume ideas.
• Ideas for a fun Halloween from my Pinterest board.

LOVE WHERE YOU LIVE.

• Apt. Therapy's tips to love the transition to fall.
• The Inspired Room's tips for handling a move.
• Te Amo Too offers tips for packing and moving.
• Sara's reminder that there's no time to be bored.

FLASHBACK.

• Last year I thought about Halloween costumes, of course!
• Two years I put together some fall outfit inspiration in olive and pumpkin.
• Three years ago, I shared my favorite bold purple wardrobe pieces for fall.
• Four years ago, I gathered home inspiration based on our kitchen's cedar + teal color scheme.

my fall in instagram: if you can't get a pony, be a pony.

I was surprised to realize that I haven't done a photo update since August!  As I mentioned in last week's post on Halloween costume ideas, this has been an especially busy fall for Mr. Q and I, for various reasons.  Here's a peek at what we've been up to!

Adding a little fall cheer to our outdoor and indoor spaces.

My Italian basil plant was growing out of control and I had

to snip off some branches to keep it from falling over.  It

dawned on me that I could put some in a vase, the way

people do with boxwood branches.  The smell is an extra perk.

The first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season, a Friday gift from

Mr. Q, and a happy coincidence spotted while shopping.

There's a brand-new restaurant in town called The Bootlegger's

Café and we are in love.  Of course, the drinks are served in Mason jars.

My BFF Breeze and I decided to have the most autumnal day

ever - we visited a pumpkin patch, carved pumpkins, make apple

seasoned pork chops and apple sangria, and watched football.

We couldn't resist these Virginia Tech and UVa themed hay bales!

Our tribe's Halloween pumpkin carving efforts - the middle two

started with stencils, but Breeze and I did the monograms freehand!

Mr. Q competed in his first Cyclocross race in Roanoke.  Cyclocross

is no joke - the bikers had to ride and jump over obstacles like 

telephone poles, a wooden wall, and a sand pit.

I participated in Color Me Rad with some lovely special education

teachers from my school - the proceeds go to Special Olympics so it was 

near and dear to our hearts.  I actually ran several parts of the course!

Halloween!  Mr. Q was so happy when he spotted this He-Man

costume that I decided we should go for an 80's theme.  When I

saw a My Little Pony hoodie, I was sold.  Hoodie costumes for the

win - most comfortable Halloween ever.  I also kind of want to dye 

my hair pink and purple for real because I loved being a rainbow.

Linking Up:

Be.You.Tiful at Maybe I Will